You Have Been Trolled

2010-02-09T11:11:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T04:32:00.001-06:00

Not that I have many that follow my blog, but I just had to make sure I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Go Open Source or Go Home October 10, 09 5 - By nixiepixel

2009-10-11T18:27:00.001-05:00

Pong Watch

2009-09-28T16:07:00.000-05:00

2009-07-20T09:33:00.001-05:00

Nixie’s Linux Haxor Quickie: Multimedia, Codecs, Medibuntu!

2009-05-07T21:12:00.000-05:00

Nixie’s Linux Haxor Quickie: Getting Started With Grub

2009-04-19T12:34:00.002-05:00

Found this good clip over at http://www.linuxhaxor.net/

Don't forget to check out Nixiepixel at her blog or Twitter site.

http://www.nixiepixel.com/blog/

http://twitter.com/NixiePixel/

Cell phone Outages

2009-04-19T11:48:00.002-05:00

I have been using Twitter for the past few weeks trying to make a useful tool out of it. After having a cell outage in my area, calling my cell provider to find out what was going on and they had no idea. I came up with this idea.

http://www.twitter.com/mycelloutage

I set this up for those that have a Twitter account and those that don't. Everyone can post their Cellular problems just by sending an email to mycellularoutagesgmailcom and the body of the email gets posted to the MyCellOutages Twitter site.

This will be a useful tool for those that are having troubles and they are wondering if anyone else is having the same problems in the same area or a totally different area. Especially if the cell provider is not aware of the problems just yet. Like in my case. I searched for anything that could give me information that day and came across several different forums that were very old posts. This would bring fresh news about any problems and would allow people to instantly know if there is an occurring problem in their area. If you don't see something in your area then you can post about it through the email posted here and on the MyCellOutage Twitter site.

So go follow MyCellOutage if you have a Twitter account and let's get this thing moving along.

My Favorite Linux Ad Videos

2009-04-09T19:33:00.002-05:00

I was going through the Linux Ad Videos on Youtube and found this guy John who made 3 versions of his video. "I'm Not Linux, Linux Is Me." The message is clear and to the point. I liked his videos so much that I felt compelled to post them here.

Great work John!

Obama passing new law to allow searching of PC's, Laptops, and media devices

2009-03-26T21:42:00.000-05:00

New worm can infect home modem/routers

2009-03-25T15:50:00.000-05:00

It is suspected that the botnet originated in Australia, as the first activity from the botnet was detected here. Australian IT consultant Terry Baume first observed it infecting a Netcomm NB5 modem/router. You can read his full analysis here.

The botnet binary was further analysed by members of the website DroneBL (a real-time IP tracker that scans for and botnets and vulnerable machines) which came to the conclusion that the “psyb0t” or "Network Bluepill" botnet was mostly a test run to prove the technology. After the botnet's discovery and public outing, the botnet operator swiftly shut it down.

The first generation targeted very few models of router, though the current, most recently discovered generation (dubbed 'version 18' in the code) targets a wide range of devices.

Full Article Here.

2009-03-17T23:01:00.001-05:00

When Tech Support Goes Horribly Wrong -- powered by Cracked.com

2009-03-16T19:47:00.002-05:00

Hacking Vista: Easier than you'd think

2009-03-16T19:42:00.001-05:00

25 Reasons to Convert to Linux

2009-03-08T20:45:00.001-05:00

Businesses, educational institutions, governmental agencies and other organizations around the world are converting1 their computer operating systems from Microsoft Windows to Linux at an increasing pace. They are likewise converting their application programs from commercial software to free software (also referred to as open source software). There are at least 25 reasons for this situation, including:

Read the rest Here:

How to write a Linux virus in 5 easy steps

2009-02-18T23:08:00.002-06:00

I usually post part of the original article in my post then point to it with a link to read the rest. This time how-ever I was looking for a good snippet and couldn't justify just placing a small tidbit of the original article.

This is about the most comprehensive article that explains just how it would be possible to insert malware into a Linux system running Gnome or KDE desktop environments. It definitely is a good read and kudos to the writer for posting it.

It's a bit lengthy but really a good read and deserves that much time to inform Gnome and KDE users just how it is done to be able to protect themselves. I for one use Ubuntu full time at the house and have always said that it is less likely for spyware and malware to infiltrate a Linux system for a few reasons. One would be that it takes your password to be entered to write to the system files. Second would be that anything would be caught in the browser's cache and would be deleted by emptying the cache after a saucy Internet session. Third would be that the writers of such programs target the major OS's out there in the world and the debate about Linux is still an ongoing argument, but that's for another post. Fourth would be that if you get your software from the repositories they are already combed through and safe for download and install.

All this was quite true as of an hour ago for me. After reading the article, I have to admit that now only most of it is true. I still fully believe in the Linux operating system and the various communities that give me such a great operating system. I still think it is a wonderful way for me to manipulate the 1's and 0's that allow me to do the things I do on my PC and it's internal hardware. I have really enjoyed learning and reading everything I can about the OS and the flavor of it I use.

All-in all, the basics still are as true as they ever were. It comes down to personal responsibility. If you open unknown attachments or download files from certain Internet sites, you will most likely get an infection on your PC. Mindfully watching what you click on is still the best practice.

Without anymore talk from me, please go read this article and get informed.

Remember, knowing is half the battle. G.I. JOOOOEEEEEEEEEEE!

Great Article Here! - How to write a Linux virus in 5 easy steps

Unlock Your Car Using A Tennis Ball.

2009-01-18T15:50:00.001-06:00

Blondie Unlocks Car - video powered by Metacafe

Mozilla's Ubiquity

2009-01-12T22:36:00.000-06:00

Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.

Linux desktop gains kid-friendly browser

2009-01-05T23:58:00.002-06:00

A start-up has launched a browser extension aimed at turning the Internet into a friendlier place for kids aged 3-12. Available in free and subscription versions, KidZui's "KidZui" extension is said to provide a captive portal to 1.5 million pre-screened websites.

Full Article Here

Indoctrinating the Next Generation of Linux Geeks

2008-12-15T15:35:00.001-06:00

This article hits it on the head. I know from personal experience at my house.

Last year, when my youngest son was 5 ½, he was keeping me company in my home office and found my Linux box (this was before The Big Switch, and my main laptop was still in Windows full-time). The boys each have a Windows machine in their room, and he can start a game or a browser on his own, though he still needs help on the urls (“Daddy, can you get me on power rangers dot com?”).

Full Article Here

Character-Assasinations-Ain't-Us

2008-12-12T13:56:00.002-06:00

Linux - Stop holding our kids back ---Update

It never was my intention to attack anyone personally....

My sights were set on correcting some obvious misconceptions. It was a focused attack on ignorance but with some unsolicited commentary on a particular group.

Whether by proxy or focused intent, it appears that is what has happened, however.

A particular teacher within the Austin Independent School District now sucks.

Full Update Here

Linux - Stop holding our kids back

2008-12-09T20:45:00.001-06:00

"...observed one of my students with a group of other children gathered around his laptop. Upon looking at his computer, I saw he was giving a demonstration of some sort. The student was showing the ability of the laptop and handing out Linux disks. After confiscating the disks I called a confrence with the student and that is how I came to discover you and your organization. Mr. Starks, I am sure you strongly believe in what you are doing but I cannot either support your efforts or allow them to happen in my classroom. At this point, I am not sure what you are doing is legal. No software is free and spreading that misconception is harmful. These children look up to adults for guidance and discipline. I will research this as time allows and I want to assure you, if you are doing anything illegal, I will pursue charges as the law allows. Mr. Starks, I along with many others tried Linux during college and I assure you, the claims you make are grossly over-stated and hinge on falsehoods. I admire your attempts in getting computers in the hands of disadvantaged people but putting linux on these machines is holding our kids back.

This is a world where Windows runs on virtually every computer and putting on a carnival show for an operating system is not helping these children at all. I am sure if you contacted Microsoft, they would be more than happy to supply you with copies of an older verison of Windows and that way, your computers would actually be of service to those receiving them..."

Karen xxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx Middle School
AISD

Hmmmm....

I suppose I should, before anything else, thank you. You have given me the opportunity to show others just what a battle we face in what we do. "We" being those who advocate, support and use Free Open Source Software and Linux in particular.

Full Article

Running DOS Programs on Linux: Duke Nukem Lives!

2008-12-03T20:35:00.000-06:00

If I play video games they're usually pretty low tech ones. One of the few games I miss from the old days is Duke Nukem, and I'm talking about the Duke before he went 3D. If you have an old DOS game that you'd like to run, or for that matter any old DOS program, check out DOSBox. Even if you don't have any DOS programs that you'd like to run, you might want to try downloading some of the old DOS games that are now available free online.

DOSBox is a DOS emulator that runs under Linux as well as OS X and Windows. To quote from the website:

DOSBox is a DOS-emulator that uses the SDL-library which makes DOSBox very easy to port to different platforms. DOSBox has already been ported to many different platforms, such as Windows, BeOS, Linux, MacOS X...

DOSBox also emulates CPU:286/386 realmode/protected mode, Directory FileSystem/XMS/EMS, Tandy/Hercules/CGA/EGA/VGA/VESA graphics, a SoundBlaster/Gravis Ultra Sound card for excellent sound compatibility with older games...

Full Article

switch to linux

2008-12-02T16:51:00.001-06:00

My anti-Mac bias rears its ugly head

2008-11-20T19:37:00.000-06:00

Once, a long, long time ago, I had a Titanium Powerbook (well, actually about 5 years ago, but that’s an eternity in computer years). I bought it for its off-the-shelf multimedia capabilities to support a small consulting business I was running. While the business never really took off and I ended up heading in a different direction, the PowerBook hung in there remarkably well editing videos and photos and managing the family’s growing music collection. The built-in capabilities highlighted Apple’s traditional niche of multimedia and a very easy-to-use interface for it’s iLife suite. It wasn’t too long, though, before I began teaching and administering a Windows-only network and found myself needing a Windows computer more and more frequently, while the time I had to edit home movies became virtually nill.

Full Article

I really don’t want to use Windows anymore

2008-11-20T19:27:00.001-06:00

Every week, more and more bits of malware seem to be making their way past commercial anti-virus, firewall anti-virus, and ISP anti-virus software. New patches and downloads abound, and I’ve still re-imaged 3 computers in the last 2 weeks due to massive infestations. This is to say nothing of the home computers about which my users are complaining (I feel like getting one of those ThinkGeek T-shirts that tells people, “No, I won’t fix your computer.”)

Full Article

What if The Matrix Ran on Windows?

2008-11-10T13:01:00.001-06:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Microsoft breaks HotMail for Linux users?

2008-11-08T11:52:00.001-06:00

A Linux-Watch reader today reported difficulties using Microsoft's Hotmail service with Firefox browsers running on Linux operating systems. We confirmed that creating a new Hotmail account was not possible, due to an error message suggesting a "browser

Update:

In testing with Firefox 3.03 on Mepis Linux, Linux-Watch was able to create a Microsoft Live ID and Hotmail account, and to successfully send and receive email from the account. This led us to experiment with modifying Iceweasel's "UserAgent" setting, so we could use our Debian system with Hotmail, too. We loaded "about:config" in the address bar, entered "iceweasel" in the search bar, and then changed the value of the the "general.useragent.extra.firefox" entry from "Iceweasel/3.03" to "Firefox/3.03". After that, Hotmail worked as expected. As an added bonus, we could also use the Rhapsody music streaming services, and other websites that use loose browser qualification by parsing the UserAgent string sent by the browser in the HTTP header.

Full Story

2008-10-06T01:29:00.001-05:00

PC Vs Mac Vs Linux - Celebrity bloopers here

How to Get Broke by Buying an iPhone

2008-07-13T23:04:00.000-05:00

How to Get Broke by Buying an iPhone

The Website Is Down: Sales Guy vs. Web Dude

2008-07-01T18:36:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it's just easier to hang up.

Santa Fe Whiners: Wi-Fi Equals Discrimination

2008-06-12T18:09:00.003-05:00

This has got to be the most recent uprise of stupidity, or a segway into a class suit to make this a reality for people wanting a disability.

I have an idea for you people out there wanting to claim this "disability", Google "Aluminum Hat" and leave it at that.

Microsoft apologizes to Open Source Initiative for policy violation

2008-06-09T15:41:00.000-05:00

After outcry from various constituencies over the past couple of days, Microsoft has pulled from its CodePlex site its Sandcastle project for failure to comply with the terms and conditions required in order to be qualify as bona-fide open source.

Sandcastle is a documentation compiler for managed class libraries that was labeled as being available under the Microsoft Permissive License, one of two Open Source Initiative-approved licenses under which Microsoft provides access to its source code.

Full Article

How your computer keyboard is FIVE TIMES dirtier than your toilet seat - and could even give you 'qwerty tummy'

2008-05-02T19:50:00.001-05:00

Computer keyboards can harbour more harmful bacteria than a lavatory seat, it has been claimed.

Many users are at risk of becoming ill with stomach bugs, according to the consumer group Which?

It warned that 'qwerty tummy', named after the first six letters on a keyboard, could sweep through workplaces after tests on equipment in its own London offices showed alarming results.

One keyboard was so dirty that a microbiologist ordered it to be removed, quarantined and cleaned.

It had 150 times the acceptable limit for bacteria and was five times as filthy as a typical lavatory seat.

Read full article here

XP SP3 not generally available yet, after all

2008-04-30T03:05:00.001-05:00

Microsoft has decided not to release Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 to Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center as planned on April 29. The reason? A last-minute compatibility issue with a Microsoft application — Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS).

Full Article

The bastards release Vista upon us, but won't give us a service pack because of a glitch? Damn that is some funny shit.

Zealous Autoconfig

2008-04-28T08:22:00.000-05:00

From http://xkcd.com

It’s official! Windows XP SP3 goes RTM today

2008-04-23T15:43:00.000-05:00

The moment that Windows XP users have been waiting for. Today Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) goes RTM.

Full Article

Holographic storage ships next month!

2008-04-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

Even since astronaut Dave Bowman disconnected the HAL 9000’s holographic memory in 2001: A Space Odyssey techies have been wondering when we could buy real holographic storage. Now we know: May, 2008.

Full Article

Imagine a Place

2008-04-11T12:19:00.001-05:00

Researchers uncover black holes across the Internet

2008-04-11T12:13:00.001-05:00

Seattle (WA) - The reason why you cannot reach a specific web site at any given time can be very simple. Server and hosting issues, maintenance or the plain fact that a site has been discontinued are the most likely explanations why a site just won’t load. But there is another, more mysterious possibility: Black holes. A team at the University of Washington (UW) has begun mapping scenarios where information packets on the Internet simply disappear.

"There's an assumption that if you have a working Internet connection then you have access to all of the Internet," said Ethan Katz-Bassett, a UW doctoral student in computer science and engineering. "We found that's not the case."

Katz-Bassett has been working on a project called Hubble, a system that apparently is able to track what he refers to as information black holes. These are situations where a path between two computers does exist, but messages - a request to visit a Web site or an outgoing e-mail - get lost along the way. Katz-Bassett has published a Hubble map that enables users to monitor such black holes worldwide or simply type in a network address to check its status.

To determine a network status, Hubble sends test messages “around the world” to look for computers that can be reached from some but not the entire Internet, a situation that is described as “partial reachability”. Katz-Bassett said that short communication blips are ignored. However, if a problem surfaces in two consecutive 15-minute trials, it is listed as a “problem”. The research team found that more than 7% of computers worldwide experienced this type of error at least once during a three-week period in fall of 2007.

"When we started this project, we really didn't expect to find so many problems," said Arvind Krishnamurthy, a UW research assistant professor of computer science and engineering and Katz-Bassett's doctoral adviser. "We were very surprised by the results we got."

The name of the project, by the way, is no accident, as the researcher says it performs a service in an area that often is described as Internet astronomy. Just like the Hubble telescope can observe black holes in space, this software does similar work on the Internet by monitoring infrastructure and network performance.

Hubble is scheduled to being presented next week in San Francisco at the Usenix Symposium on Networked Systems Design and Implementation.

Message to Daniel_K From Creative

2008-03-29T18:59:00.003-05:00

Daniel_K:

We are aware that you have been assisting owners of our Creative sound cards for some time now, by providing unofficial driver packages for Vista that deliver more of the original functionality that was found in the equivalent XP packages for those sound cards. In principle we don't have a problem with you helping users in this way, so long as they understand that any driver packages you supply are not supported by Creative. Where we do have a problem is when technology and IP owned by Creative or other companies that Creative has licensed from, are made to run on other products for which they are not intended. We took action to remove your thread because, like you, Creative and its technology partners think it is only fair to be compensated for goods and services. The difference in this case is that we own the rights to the materials that you are distributing. By enabling our technology and IP to run on sound cards for which it was not originally offered or intended, you are in effect, stealing our goods. When you solicit donations for providing packages like this, you are profiting from something that you do not own. If we choose to develop and provide host-based processing features with certain sound cards and not others, that is a business decision that only we have the right to make.

Although you say you have discontinued your practice of distributing unauthorized software packages for Creative sound cards we have seen evidence of them elsewhere along with donation requests from you. We also note in a recent post of yours on these forums, that you appear to be contemplating the release of further packages. To be clear, we are asking you to respect our legal rights in this matter and cease all further unauthorized distribution of our technology and IP. In addition we request that you observe our forum rules and respect our right to enforce those rules. If you are in any doubt as to what we would consider unacceptable then please request clarification through one of our forum moderators before posting.

Phil O'Shaughnessy
VP Corporate Communications
Creative Labs Inc.

Read how everyone responded in the full thread here.

I haven't owned a Creative Sound card in a very very long time. I am so glad after reading this that I don't own one now. I say we need to spread the word about how Creative took a stand against their customers by not letting Daniel distribute a working driver for one of their products. Hell, they should have just did the American thing and bought the rights to it and distributed it themselves. I guess I'll never even look at a Creative product again. You now the ones I mean. Sitting on the reduced price table and collecting dust.

Bye-bye Creative. I think you have just gone way of the Do Do Bird.

Ubuntu 8.04 “Hardy Heron” beta - making life easier for Windows users

2008-03-28T08:27:00.000-05:00

Let’s face it, deciding to nuke your existing operating system installation and replace it with a completely different OS isn’t the sort of task that you should approach lightly. One of the barriers to Linux adoption is the fact that many people find the idea of wiping their Windows installation a daunting thing. Sure, the widespread adoption of the Live CD with allows users to boot into a working Linux environment has made taking a Linux distro for a test drive easier, but a Live CD experience falls far short of what you can expect from an installed Linux experience.

Full Article

Old phone and Skype hack.

2008-03-16T17:01:00.000-05:00

Crazy Old Phone Hack - video powered by Metacafe

MetaRAM quadruples DDR2 DIMM capacities, launches 8GB DIMMs

2008-02-25T13:44:00.002-06:00

By Jon Stokes

Since its launch in January 2006, the only thing that has been publicly known about former AMD CTO Fred Weber's new venture is its name: MetaRAM. Clearly, the stealth-mode company was working on something to do with RAM, but what? As of today, MetaRAM is finally ready to talk about its technology, and it appears to be a pretty solid evolutionary step for the tried-and-true SDRAM DIMM module. In short, MetaRAM's technology enables DIMM capacity increases of two or four times, so that a single DDR2 MetaSDRAM DIMM can hold 4GB or 8GB of memory while still being a drop-in replacement for a normal DIMM.

Because MetaRAM's high-capacity DIMMs look to an Intel or AMD system like normal DDR2 DIMMs, the company expects to see servers with memory configurations that would normally require expensive custom hardware to become significantly cheaper. One of MetaRAM's channel partners will soon announce a server with 256GB of main memory for under $50,000, with 500GB boxes on tap for a higher price points

I'm tempted to suggest that "500GB of memory oughta be enough for anybody," but MetaRAM is looking to virtualization and enterprise databases as application domains that provide a rationale for putting that much memory in a single server. MetaRAM claims that its own research indicates that 80 percent of enterprise server databases are under 500GB in size, and if this is true, then hosting those databases entirely in main memory could get a lot cheaper after today.

MetaRAM is a fabless semiconductor company, and its manufacturing partners are Hynix and SMART Modular. Both chipmakers are currently sampling 8GB DDR2 DIMMs, and MetaRAM expects to see servers and workstations that include the technology available from Rackable and launch partners later this quarter.

Full Article

Lest We Remember: Cold Boot Attacks on Encryption Keys

2008-02-22T11:43:00.001-06:00

Link

What happens when "sudo rm -rf /" is executed

2008-02-22T11:38:00.000-06:00

2008-02-20T09:37:00.001-06:00

The $330 IPCop/Copfilter firewall 25 watt appliance

2008-02-18T13:20:00.002-06:00

The $330 IPCop/Copfilter firewall 25 watt appliance by ZDNet's George Ou -- A lot of you probably already know my disdain for desktop anti-virus because of how sluggish it makes your computer and how it actually becomes more of a liability in terms of security. I’ve talked about how wonderful it would be if you could run your anti-virus at the gateway to protect all of your [...]

Mozilla delivers patches for Firefox; Plugs flat file vulnerability

2008-02-08T09:15:00.001-06:00

Mozilla delivers patches for Firefox; Plugs flat file vulnerability by ZDNet's Larry Dignan -- Mozilla on Friday delivered its Firefox 2.0.0.12 update including patches that fix a Web forgery flaw, browsing history and forward navigation stealing and the directory traversal via chrome, which has been the most visible vulnerability of late. According to the Firefox security advisory, Mozilla filed the following fixes in its flagship browser: MFSA 2008-11 [...]

Google launches free Team Edition of Apps

2008-02-07T10:35:00.001-06:00

Google launches free Team Edition of Apps by ZDNet's Dan Farber -- Google continues its quest to expand the Google Apps universe with a new Team Edition that makes it easy for workgroups to sign up for Google Apps without burdening IT departments or the lone IT support person. “In previous versions of Google Apps, Standard and Premier, the IT department had to get involved in verifying domains [...]

Cosmos: An open-source .Net-based microkernel OS is born

2008-02-07T10:31:00.001-06:00

Cosmos: An open-source .Net-based microkernel OS is born by ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley -- Move over, Microsoft Singularity. There's another microkernel, C#-based operating system in town. And this one's available under an open-source license.

A dozen free & essential apps for Windows

2008-02-06T16:51:00.001-06:00

A dozen free & essential apps for Windows by ZDNet's George Ou -- Every time I build a new Windows computer, there are a dozen free and essential applications that I always install for other people. These applications all seem to fill essential functions and they all seem to be well-behaved installers and uninstallers, in other words it won’t crash your computer or drag it down with [...]

Best Buy gets framed

2008-01-25T13:39:00.001-06:00

Best Buy gets framed by ZDNet's Josh Taylor -- If you were the recipient of a new Insignia digital picture frame for the holidays, you may have gotten an extra bonus with your gift. Turns out the 10.4-inch Insignia model (NS-DPF10A), which was available at Best Buy, included a virus that could allow the frame to infect Windows-based PCs via its USB connection. Insignia says [...]

The polycarbonate all-in-one 22″ LCD PC

2008-01-22T13:57:00.001-06:00

The polycarbonate all-in-one 22″ LCD PC by ZDNet's George Ou -- The last time I built a wooden all-in-one 19″ LCD PC, my family wanted it in the kitchen and my mother wanted it in hers. To keep everyone happy, I built my mother another one (pictured above and below) out of 3/16th inch jet-black polycarbonate which makes the chassis look like the material from [...]

Linux security guru joins Microsoft

2008-01-22T13:37:00.000-06:00

Linux security guru joins Microsoft by ZDNet's Larry Dignan -- Crispin Cowan, the Linux security expert behind StackGard, the Immunix Linux distro and AppArmor, has joined the Windows security team. In a blog post last week, Microsoft’s Michael Howard, author of Writing Secure Code, wrote: For those of you who don’t know Crispin, Crispin is responsible for a number of very well respected Linux-based security technologies such [...]

Is there a rootkit stashed in your boot record?

2008-01-10T14:47:00.001-06:00

Is there a rootkit stashed in your boot record? by ZDNet's Larry Dignan -- The latest rootkit in the wild hides on your hard drive’s boot sector and is starting to infect Windows PCs, according to security researchers. And the real kicker: The rootkit can’t be detected by most antivirus applications. Symantec has been tracking the latest rootkit–Trojan.Mebroot–and provides a good overview of master boot record (MBR) rootkits. In general, an [...]

2008: Linux’s year on the desktop

2008-01-10T14:42:00.001-06:00

2008: Linux’s year on the desktop by ZDNet's Robin Harris -- Desktop Linux hurts Microsoft Linux has kept a big chunk of the server business out of Microsoft’s hands. But in 2008, Linux will hurt Microsoft on the desktop. Here’s how. A new computing platform Thanks to Moore’s Law and evolving application needs, a new computing platform arrives every 10 years. Mainframes in the ’50s, minicomputers in the ’60s, [...]

Will touch drive Microsoft Surface sales or will Surface drive touch?

2008-01-10T14:28:00.001-06:00

Will touch drive Microsoft Surface sales or will Surface drive touch? by ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley -- But at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, Microsoft is discussing and demonstrating some different Surface application prototypes that seem somewhat more compelling -- customizable retail, education -- and dropped hints about gaming and office-productivity Surface apps that might be in the pipeline.

Intuit bug resurfaces at public Wi-Fi hot spots

2008-01-10T14:25:00.001-06:00

Users of a popular accounting package have been warned not to use the software at public Wi-Fi hot spots, such as those found in coffee shops, airports and hotels.

Users of the 2006 Mac version of Intuit's QuickBooks software could find that a serious bug manifests itself again under certain conditions in Wi-Fi hot spots.

QuickBooks is one of three key product lines for Intuit, whose software has been sold to thousands of small businesses across the world.

The bug, which was contained in a flawed product update released in December, has already been responsible for deleting documents, including financial files, from users' PCs.

QuickBooks released a patch for the bug on Saturday, but warned users two days later of the dangers of using the QuickBooks software when connected to Wi-Fi hot spots.

"We have determined that the prior bug remanifests itself when QuickBooks Pro 2006 for Mac is initiated at public Internet hotspots and a redirection error occurs (for instance, when you are at a cafe that requires you to pay to use its services)," wrote Ian Vacin, leader for Mac financial software at Intuit, on the company's Web site.

"If you must use QuickBooks Pro 2006 for Mac at Internet hot spots over the next few days, please contact us directly... so that we can provide you a temporary work-around."

Vacin said that Intuit would release a patch in the "next few days" that will disable the software's upgrade mechanism and so cure the issue.

Intuit also urged users to download Saturday's patch because if they don't a refresh of the users' preferences could result in the original bug occurring again.

Although the company is releasing patches to address the problem, it has so far been unable to recover lost data from users' machines.

Data-recovery companies can often recover deleted Mac data, as long as the files have not yet been overwritten.

Microsoft restores Office 2003 users’ access to old file types

2008-01-10T14:23:00.001-06:00

Microsoft restores Office 2003 users’ access to old file types by ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley -- Microsoft, justifiably, has come under a lot of criticism for blocking Office 2003 users' access to older file formats -- even if it was in the name of security. But it looks like the public outcry did some good, as Microsoft has detailed options to allow users continue to access the old formats.

Microsoft hoses user data - again!

2008-01-10T14:20:00.000-06:00

Microsoft hoses user data - again! by ZDNet's Robin Harris -- Update final (I hope) I mistakenly overstated the breadth of Microsoft’s changes with SP3. I’ve struck out the incorrect data below. See also my mea culpa here. Update title to: Microsoft hoses user data - again! For most users the Office SP3 means that they won’t be able to recover their old documents. They won’t know to [...]

Hands on with Mozilla Weave: Personalize your own cloud

2007-12-24T13:24:00.000-06:00

On the eve of Christmas eve, we're playing with Mozilla's new Labs project called Weave, a web service platform for users to sync various elements of Firefox into the cloud and between computers. Initially Weave only syncs bookmarks and browser history with Mozilla's servers (using encryption throughout), but the idea is to eventually allow add-on developers the freedom to include other things like RSS feeds, new Firefox Personas, and just about anything else the web can dream up. Weave is a bold move towards creating truly portable user profiles that can (eventually) go far beyond the basics, so let's see how this first step measures up.

Full Article here

Top 40+ GIMP plugins

2007-12-23T16:48:00.000-06:00

GIMP is the undisputed king of image editing in Linux platforms, and is next only to Photoshop in popularity in Windows and Mac platforms. With a large community of developers and an even larger pool of users, it is no surprise that GIMP is very popular.

Much like Firefox, GIMP’s strength lies in its plugins, which are developed by the open-source toting community. Since the users themselves develop them, they know all the needs and conceive a plugin for everything (well, except making a coffee for you).

And what better way for me to endorse GIMP than a list of good plugins? Most of them are aimed at web-designers and photographers, the main users of GIMP. There are also some to fix common problems of GIMP.

Look at the list here.

Top 25 Linux 3D Games

2007-12-23T12:11:00.000-06:00

Great list with 25 3D games for Linux. Feel free to add more games and help another Linux users find those great time wasters you love.

http://freeonlinefun.blogspot.com/2007/12/top-25-linux-3d-games.html

Ubuntu vs Vista Vulnerability Counts in 2007 : Destroying the FUD

2007-12-19T16:19:00.000-06:00

There has been a lot of FUD flying around stating that Microsoft Windows Vista is more secure compared to Linux. What has been actually compared are the number of vulnerabilities fixed, for a distribution of Linux and Windows Vista. Both 3 month and 6 month studies have been published, with the intention of showing Linux security in a poor light. Now, this is in no way an apples to apples comparison, because Linux contains plenty of applications. Furthermore, vulnerabilities for server applications had also been included. For an apples to apples comparison, just the OSes have to be compared. Now, I went to Secunia, and found out the vulnerabilities affecting Ubuntu 6.06 and Vista for the entire year 2007 till date. What I found was surprising, since in 2007, in the OS (which I took to be the Kernel + X windows + Desktop environment for Ubuntu with their libraries), Ubuntu had only three highly critical vulnerabilities. Windows Vista, in fact had 10. Check it out for yourself.

Full Article

Gee, Thanks HP...You Suck!

2007-12-19T14:33:00.000-06:00

Well, I am sick of not being able to use High Resolution timers, which my hardware supports on my HP dv9205us laptop, but the BIOS has bugs, and will not allow me to, because it won't boot Linux without the "noapic" in grub's boot parameters. This feature would greatly speed my computer up, and use it's full potential...It is really nice of HP to use the "the customer is always right" mentality, especially when I contacted them and asked nicely if they could fix the bios and re-release it...here's what I got back:

Hello Matt,

Thank you for contacting HP Total Care.
From your message, I understand that you would like to have a fix for BIOS compatible with the Linux Operating System.

I am very sorry to inform you that, HP supports only the preinstalled Operating System. HP is unable to guarantee how Linux Operating system will function on a PC not originally designed and/or tested for this new operating system.

Matt, HP does not recommend installing of Linux Operating System, it could not guarantee a high level of compatibility for all basic hardware and software components of the PCs. PC device drivers (including graphics, BIOS, chipset, etc) for some PC components may simply not be available. I regret for the inconvinence caused. HP does not support Linux on any models of HP Pavilion PCs at this time. Information about Linux can be located at the following Web site:

http://h10018.www1.hp.com/wwsolutions/linux/index.html

HP pre-installed the latest version of the Microsoft Windows operating System (98, Me, XP or Vista) on your Pavilion PC. The Warranty on your Pavilion system does not apply to software not provided by HP and does not apply to defects or errors in hardware resulting from software not provided by HP with that system. Please review your PC documentation to identify the supported operating system.

I once again apologize for any inconvenience that this information has caused you.
If you need further assistance, please reply to this message and we will be happy to assist you further.

Sincerely,
HP Goon

Well...wasn't that nice of them, to basically tell me to screw off, and that they are a bunch of greedy corporate pigs who have been bought out by Bill Gates...Anyone good at bios hacking? How about somebody mods this bios for me and fixes it, and perhaps unlocks all of the "hidden" features within while you're at it? You'd have to find a way to test it other than using my computer, but emulators are available... parwok -at- gmail

Thanks for the info Matt. I am sure we will all be spreading the word about HP.

Read Matt's Blog

Incredible Wiimote Hack Creates Multitouch Display

2007-12-19T11:34:00.000-06:00

QuickTime hack allows Second Life currency theft

2007-12-07T13:02:00.000-06:00

QuickTime hack allows Second Life currency theft by ZDNet's Ryan Naraine -- Security researchers Dino Dai Zovi and Charlie Miller have found a way to exploit an unpatched QuickTime vulnerability to steal Linden Dollars from users in the Second Life virtual world. Dai Zovi (the hacker behind the CanSecWest MacBook Pro hijack) and Miller (creator of the first iPhone code execution exploit) cooked up the QuickTime/Second Life [...]

How desktop virtualization will save your company from Generation Y

2007-11-27T10:44:00.000-06:00

How desktop virtualization will save your company from Generation Y by ZDNet's Ryan Naraine -- * Ryan Naraine is on vacation. Guest Editorial by Rich Mogull Recently I was watching an interesting 60 Minutes episode on the new generation of “Millennials” entering the workforce. I always thought they were called Generation Y, but I guess that term is a little too old to make good television. According to CBS, if you [...]

Latest QuickTime bug leaves XP, Vista vulnerable

2007-11-27T09:59:00.001-06:00

Latest QuickTime bug leaves XP, Vista vulnerable by ZDNet's Larry Dignan -- Security researchers say that a new QuickTime flaw has gone public and leaves XP and Vista vulnerable to attack. According to Secunia, the latest QuickTime bug “can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a user’s system.” A working exploit is public and the vulnerability has been confirmed for version 7.3. Secunia calls the bug “extremely [...]

Kensington MicroSaver lock defeated with a penny

2007-11-27T09:52:00.001-06:00

Kensington MicroSaver lock defeated with a penny by ZDNet's Jason D. O'Grady -- As a fan of both Numismatics and Macs I found a recent article in 2600–The Hacker Quarterly most troubling. “A Penny For Your Laptop” (Autumn 2007 issue, page 19) by Atom Smasher demonstrates a very simple vulnerability in the Kensington Micro-Saver Notebook Lock. Apparently it can be unlocked very simply, quickly, and without destroying [...]

Cliff Hacks Things - ASUS eeePC: First impressions and GPL violations

2007-11-24T00:10:00.000-06:00

For my birthday, I bought myself an ASUS eeePC. Now, I've been lusting after very-small-form-factor laptops for some time (ever since I saw the Zaurus C series), and this is quite the small one. It also ships with Linux, which (I thought) was a good indication that the hardware is well supported by Linux. (Not so; read on.)

I'm very pleased with the hardware with a few exceptions, which I'll detail in the latter two thirds of this post. The screen is bright and clear, the keyboard is surprisingly usable (even with my giant hands), etc. I'm really happy with it, now that I've bent it to my will. Obligatory laptop porn below.

Full Article

KDE 4: a new Plasma video

2007-11-23T00:47:00.000-06:00

Defense-in-depth starts with DNS

2007-11-22T17:56:00.001-06:00

Defense-in-depth starts with DNS by ZDNet's Ryan Naraine -- Guest Editorial: It's become painfully clear to that DNS can no longer be a fire hose that just pierces the firewall. Here are some simple action items that can be implemented on just about every network out there...

Is it ethical to turn on wireless security for an open access point?

2007-11-20T10:55:00.000-06:00

In my opinion, George Ou has an ethical obligation to turn this guy in for illegally attaching to several networks and changing settings on users that don't know any better. His actions could possibly cost the owners of the routers several hundred dollars in service calls and someone needs to be held liable.

Is it ethical to turn on wireless security for an open access point? by ZDNet's George Ou -- One of my readers sent me the following question and I thought it posed an interesting question on ethics. I’ll post his email and then I’ll answer his questions. I helped a friend move, and re-established her wireless network working with a new ISP. While working, I encountered 7 wireless networks (in addition to hers), 3 [...]

Firefox 3 Beta 1 has landed with better bookmark management, security

2007-11-20T10:48:00.001-06:00

Firefox 3 Beta 1 has landed with better bookmark management, security by ZDNet's Larry Dignan -- Firefox 3 Beta 1 is available for download, but Mozilla recommends that only those with a strong stomach download this release. That disclaimer aside Firefox 3 Beta 1 seems pretty stable in the early going. As reported by Paula Rooney Monday, Mozilla was prepping the release of the first Firefox 3 beta. This beta is the [...]

Testers get Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate build

2007-11-20T10:11:00.001-06:00

Testers get Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate build by ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley -- Microsoft has begun rolling out to testers a near-final Release Candidate (RC) build of Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3. Meanwhile, some testers are questioning whether Vista SP1 will remedy some of the performance problems they've been encountering with Vista.

Rogue anti-malware lures squirming though Skype

2007-11-20T10:07:00.001-06:00

Rogue anti-malware lures squirming though Skype by ZDNet's Ryan Naraine -- Malicious hackers are using Skype to try to trick Windows users into buying a rogue anti-malware application. The lures arrive via Skype's instant messaging feature with a warning that malware has been detected on the machine and urging users to buy and run a fake "repair utility.

Another Windows Server Update Services glitch hits — on the eve of Patch Tuesday

2007-11-18T11:23:00.002-06:00

Another Windows Server Update Services glitch hits — on the eve of Patch Tuesday by ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley -- It's never a good thing when Microsoft's Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) enterprise-patch mechanism malfunctions. It's even worse when WSUS breaks down right before the company plans to start pushing out its regularly scheduled Patch Tuesday fixes.

DNS-changing Trojan opens Mac OS X floodgates

2007-11-18T11:23:00.001-06:00

DNS-changing Trojan opens Mac OS X floodgates by ZDNet's Ryan Naraine -- Guest Editorial by Gadi Evron “The Mac is going main-stream” is just one of the catch-phrases that we’ve seen in the past two weeks when reading about the Trojan horse infecting Apple Mac OS X users. This attack has created a lot of controversy in the security realm. What’s so special about this [...]

Wal-Mart’s $200 PC - sold out

2007-11-18T11:19:00.000-06:00

Wal-Mart’s $200 PC - sold out by ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes -- About two weeks ago, Wal-Mart began selling $200 Linux-based PC. The initial run was around 10,000 units. Now Wal-Mart is sold out. Has Linux now found a niche?

Rackspace’s really bad 36 hours: The Internet is fragile

2007-11-18T11:18:00.000-06:00

Rackspace’s really bad 36 hours: The Internet is fragile by ZDNet's Larry Dignan -- Rackspace, a Web hosting firm, should adopt that song “I Don’t Like Mondays” as its corporate motto. After all, Monday turned out to be horrendous for the company. That song, a 1979 hit from The Boomtown Rats, sums up Rackspace’s last 36 hours. First, Rackspace had a “maintenance failure” at its Dallas data center on Sunday. [...]

SiCortex wins Dev Connection “Sexiest in show” award

2007-11-18T11:13:00.000-06:00

SiCortex wins Dev Connection “Sexiest in show” award by ZDNet's Ed Burnette -- Here's one computer that looks like it belongs on the bridge of a starship: the SiCortex SC5832. It's this year's winner of the soon-to-be-coveted Dev Connection "Sexiest in show" award for SC07.

Vista mistakes Microsoft won’t repeat with Windows 7

2007-11-18T11:12:00.001-06:00

Vista mistakes Microsoft won’t repeat with Windows 7 by ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley -- Microsoft learned some hard lessons with Windows Vista that it already is applying to Windows 7. So says Mike Nash, Corporate Vice President of Windows Product Management, who is chatting this week with press and bloggers about the state of Vista, just about a year after the company released the product to manufacturing.

Malware found on new hard drives

2007-11-18T11:11:00.001-06:00

Malware found on new hard drives by ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes -- The Taipei Times is reporting that around 1,800 new 300GB and 500GB external hard drives manufactured by Maxtor shipped with malware on them. What makes this story even more interesting is that Taiwanese authorities suspected that Chinese authorities were involved.

Can we afford not to give our kids Linux?

2007-11-11T10:31:00.000-06:00

Stan Beer's article on iTWire hit home. I also have placed Ubuntu Linux on the machine that my wife and daughter use. My wife uses the computer to attend an online college. She doesn't have any problems with anything she has to do for her classes. My daughter uses it to play kids games (educational downloads or Nick Jr.). Since she is only four years old she doesn't do IM's and emails yet. By the time she does, she will know the difference between Windows and Linux. Especially when her friends talk about a new virus or malware they have on their machine and she is not affected.

All the machines at my house have Ubuntu Linux installed. I have one machine that dual boots Windows just in case I need to do something that absolutely cannot be done in Linux. Needless to say, I rarely have to boot into windows.

If you build it they will come. I have been saying this for a while now. If the programmers start compiling their programs for Linux as well as Windows, They will see more of a shift towards Linux. I am sure of it.

I hope you enjoy his article as much as I have. He is not trying to score points for Linux, he is just stating what I know to be true.

For any parent, myself included, setting your kids loose on the net is a daunting prospect. We have to do it because the net is a fact of life - it's in our schools, the workplace, public libraries and in many if not most homes of the developed world. Therefore, do we really have any option but to give them Linux?

When I first conceived this article I considered giving it the title "can we afford to let our kids use Windows online". However, I felt that taking a positive tack would be more constructive. The fact is that these days security is paramount with kids surfing the net, exchanging emails and chatting online while still in primary school.

Having recently migrated to Ubuntu from Windows, I fully appreciate the risks that our kids are exposed to everytime they venture online with Windows. Basically, kids online are an accident waiting to happen, regardless of what anti-virus, firewall and anti-spyware they happen to be running.

Every other day, some anti-malware vendor issues a media release about a zero day attack of a new worm or Trojan horse that has slipped under the guard of known anti-malware signatures. At least once a month - and quite often more frequently - we hear of critical vulnerabilities in Windows whatever the version that require software patching. Microsoft freely admits that exploits for these vulnerabilities could hand control of a computer to a remote attacker. Sometimes exploits are already in the market before patches arrive.

Read Full Article

Clueless flight attendant to passenger: Turn off that iPhone movie NOW!

2007-11-08T14:10:00.001-06:00

Clueless flight attendant to passenger: Turn off that iPhone movie NOW! by ZDNet's Russell Shaw -- My colleague Tom Krazit notes a Consumerist report that an ATA Airlines flight attendant tried to get a passengerto turn off his iPhone because, well, cell phones are not allowed to be used in flight and he was watching a movie on his iPhone. The passenger, who we know as Casey, tried to explain to the [...]

When it comes to releasing operating systems, Ubuntu have it figured out

2007-11-08T14:04:00.001-06:00

When it comes to releasing operating systems, Ubuntu have it figured out by ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes -- I know that it might not seem like it at times, but I'm a big Ubuntu fan. I haven't fully figured out how and where it fits into my computing ecosystem yet, but I know that it does have a place there. One aspect of Ubuntu that particularly impresses me is the clear development time-line that is published and adhered to. You always know what's coming and when to expect it.

Funny Breakup Video

2007-11-07T16:48:00.000-06:00

This video made me laugh. Thought I would share it.

Help!! My Girlfriend Is A Lesbian!! - video powered by Metacafe

ICANN taps New Zealand lawyer to replace Cerf

2007-11-05T15:37:00.000-06:00

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has elected New Zealand lawyer Peter Dengate Thrush as its new chairman, replacing one of the Internet's "founding fathers," Vint Cerf.

ICANN, the not-for-profit organization that governs the Internet's domain name system, has elected Thrush, a specialist in intellectual property and Internet law, in a unanimous decision to replace Cerf, co-creator of the TCP/IP protocol.

"ICANN has moved from a foundation state to a steady state," Cerf said in a statement.

Cerf indicated that Thrush's understanding of the transition made him the preferred candidate "to keep the organization strong and focused," and described the appointment as "a clear signal that ICANN has matured."

Thrush has been involved with ICANN since its inception in 1998 and, before being elected to the chairman's position, was serving on the ICANN president's strategy and executive committees.

ICANN President Paul Twomey said Thrush's legal background is an important asset for the advancement of the organization and singled out his experience with contract law, which Twomey describes as a "key mechanism" in ICANN.

The agency will now set to work on better catering to an international audience.

"ICANN is a unique model supporting a global community, which works because it stands for one global Internet that is coordinated and not controlled," Thrush said.

Italy's Roberto Gaetano was unanimously re-elected as ICANN's vice chairman.

Article here.

Bogus FTC e-mail has virus

2007-10-31T21:39:00.000-05:00

The Federal Trade Commission, which has declared war on Internet scams, warned consumers on Monday not to open a bogus e-mail that appears to come from its fraud department because it carries an attachment that can download a virus.

The e-mail says it is from "frauddep@ftc.gov" and has the FTC's government seal.

But it was not issued by the agency and has attachments and links that will download a virus that could steal passwords and account numbers, the agency said.

"It's a treasure trove for identity theft," said David Torok of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "We're concerned. The virus that's attached to the e-mail is particularly virulent."

The agency, which is one of several government agencies investigating cyber fraud, did not know how many people had received the e-mail.

"We've received hundreds if not thousands of calls and complaints, this one may have had a large distribution," he said.

Recipients should forward the e-mail to spam@uce.gov, an FTC spam database used in investigations.

Nine percent of people surveyed in a poll conducted in August and September reported having had their identities stolen, Bari Abdul, a vice president at security software maker McAfee, said at a cybersecurity conference on October 1.

An open letter to Steve Ballmer

2007-10-31T21:27:00.000-05:00

This is an open letter from François from Mandriva Linux Distribution. He doesn't seem happy and if it were me I wouldn't be either. Read for yourself and see how you feel afterwards.

You can find the original letter here.

Dear Steve,

Hi, this is François, from Mandriva.

I’m sure we’re way too small for you to know me. You know, we’re one of these tiny Linux company working hard for our place on the market. We produce a Linux Distro, Mandriva Linux. The last edition, Mandriva 2008 was seen as a pretty good version and we’re proud of it. You should give it a spin, I’m sure you’d like it. We also happen to be one of the Linux companies that did not sign an agreement with your company (nobody’s perfect).

We recently closed a deal with the Nigerian Government. Maybe you heard about it, Steve. They were looking for an affordable hardware+software solution for their schools. The initial batch was 17,000 machines. We had a good answer to their need: the Classmate PC from Intel, with a customized Mandriva Linux solution. We presented the solution to the local government, they liked the machine, they liked our system, they liked what we offered them, the fact that it was open, that we could customize it for their country and so on.

Then your people entered the game and the deal got more competitive. I would not say it got dirty, but someone could have said that. They fought and fought the deal, but still the customer was happy to get CMPC and Mandriva.

So we closed the deal, we got the order, we qualified the software, we got the machine shipped. In other word, we did our job. I understand the machine are being delivered right now.

And then, today, we hear from the customer a totally different story: “we shall pay for the Mandriva Software as agreed, but we shall replace it by Windows afterward.”

Wow! I’m impressed, Steve! What have you done for these guys to change their mind like this? It’s pretty clear to me, and it will be clear to everyone. How do you call what you just did Steve, in the place where you live? In my place, they give it various names, I’m sure you know them.

Hey Steve, how do you feel looking at yourself in the mirror in the morning?

Of course, I will keep fighting this one and the next one, and the next one. You have the money, the power, and maybe we have a different sense of ethics you and I, but I believe that hard work, good technology and ethics can win too.

cheers

François

PS: a message to our friends in Nigeria: it’s still time to do the right thing and make the right choice, you will get lots of support for it and excellent services!

Systm Episode 23 - Motion Activated Silly String Shooter

2007-10-30T16:31:00.000-05:00

AT&T DSL 1.5 mbps service = 0.3 mbps throughput

2007-10-29T15:36:00.001-05:00

AT&T DSL 1.5 mbps service = 0.3 mbps throughput by ZDNet's George Ou -- This hasn’t been a kind week to me when it comes to DSL service from AT&T as I’ve already gone through AT&T DSL setup hell earlier this week. On Saturday when I set up a few extra things for my mother’s home, I ran some DSL speed tests (during non busy hours at a nearby [...]

From Interop, video of Plat’ Home’s Linux Server that fits in the palm of your hand

2007-10-26T11:02:00.000-05:00

From Interop, video of Plat’ Home’s Linux Server that fits in the palm of your hand by ZDNet's David Berlind -- Within minutes of arriving on the Interop show floor this morning and beginning my search for something cool to videotape for publication here on ZDNet, we found Plat’ Home’s booth in the back of the exhibitor’s area with two very cool products — both of them tiny Linux servers, one of which fits in the [...]

Attack of the PDFs

2007-10-24T10:41:00.001-05:00

Attack of the PDFs by ZDNet's Ryan Naraine -- Less than 24 hours after Adobe shipped a fix for a gaping hole affecting its Reader and Acrobat software, PDF files rigged with malware are beginning to land in e-mail spam filters.

Dashwire mirrors your mobile phone content to the web

2007-10-24T10:37:00.001-05:00

Dashwire mirrors your mobile phone content to the web by ZDNet's Matthew Miller -- I recently had the chance to meet with Ford Davidson from Dashwire to discuss their new free service that is starting to roll out today. Dashwire is a service that mirrors the content on your mobile phone to a personal web account. I personally was quite excited about the service because I see it as a great way to manage my photos taken with my devices, stay in touch with people via SMS when I am at work and on my desktop PC, quickly update and manage my internet bookmarks/favorites, and enter contacts with a full keyboard right from my PC. At this time, Dashwire mirrors your photos, videos, text messages, bookmarks (Internet Explorer Mobile only), contacts, and phone calls.

Build the $340 NAS for half the price but double the speed

2007-10-24T10:33:00.001-05:00

Build the $340 NAS for half the price but double the speed by ZDNet's George Ou -- The thing that has always bothered me with the NAS (Network Attached Storage) market for consumers is that it’s very high margin yet the products deliver very poorly on performance. While that might be great for the product manufacturers bottom line, it isn’t so great when you’re the consumer. Typical NAS devices that allow you [...]

Microsoft matters less every 6 months

2007-10-24T10:32:00.001-05:00

Microsoft matters less every 6 months by ZDNet's Christopher Dawson -- Maybe not for the average corporation yet, or even the average home user, but every time Canonical releases a new version of Ubuntu (and with it comes Edubuntu), Microsoft becomes a little less the default vendor of choice for educational computing. I’m still 2 years from a major tech refresh, including server hardware and software. [...]

Ubuntu goes 3-D

2007-10-17T17:46:00.000-05:00

The folks at Canonical have started to prepare their servers for downloads of the latest Ubuntu release - 7.10 or "Gutsy Gibbon."

Past Ubuntu releases have been marred by downed servers, as the Umbongo faithful rush to get their fresh code injection. So, this time around, Mark Shuttleworth and crew are doing their outreach early. They've started talking up the OS before it's available on Thursday, hoping to spread out demand a bit.

Read Full Article here.