Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Google Privacy Question as Anonymous Blogger Outed

Not that I plan on slandering any politicians soon, but this internet online privacy stuff really makes me nervous.

Anyway, Google has agreed to supply the IP address of a blogger who used Blogspot to slander some Israeli council members running for reelection.

An Israeli ruling on the subject stated that 72 hours before a hearing on the case at the Rishon LeZion Magistrates Court, the council members would leave a message on the offending blog summoning the author to the hearing, or else his IP address would be handed over. The notice would invite the blogger to disclose his identity, participate in the hearing, or oppose the disclosure of his identity by filing a motion as "anonymous".

As more and more global companies are drug into court proceedings, I have to wonder how long before online information rights will be included in political proceedings. It's only a matter of time before someone decides that email is a god given human right.

Details at Globes Online

Monday, November 26, 2007

Robotic Part Prices Drop Dramatically

"Robotic sensors that used to cost $5,000 can now be had for $.50"

Sounds good to me! Perhaps a robotics kit is in order for the holidays. The AP reports on the dramatic change in prices for robotic equipment of all types. I've always wanted to tinker with this sort of thing, but I always assumed it was out of my price range as a Do-it-yourself project.

Thanks to everyone that purchased one of those Robo-Sapiens from Toys-R-Us or a Roomba, I guess.

Jiglu Automatic Content Tagging

Jiglu is an intelligent automatic post tagging engine that pieces your site together, linking your web content in ways that make sense. Jiglu is also smart enough to pick out the names of people in articles and ignore common words even if they are repeated often on your blog (think:participles, prepositions, etc). This feature completely eliminates the need to manually insert article tags. If you're ever had to go back through dozens of posts to insert, re-label, or re-organize your tags you can appreciate this for sure! Less time spent maintaining your tags means more time to work on the part of your blog that matters...creating new content.

Jiglu automatically suggests tags based on your content, that is the entire content of your site. A post on one site may have completely different tags embedded than an identical post on another site since Jiglu uses the sum total of the blog to define its important tags. It's a brave attempt to automatically tag content and from what I've seen so far, it works quite well. It's always been a bit of a chore for content creators to maintain tags with more content only making the problem worse and worse. With Jiglu's 100% hands free solution, the more content, the BETTER it works. The more original content you have, the more accurate Jiglu's tagging topics..

The incorporation of an intelligent content tagging engine is a blogging timesaver that you should not miss. Go to Jiglu.com for more information and be sure to browse the tagging links on this page for an example of Jiglu in action. Did I mention it is 100% free?

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Is Your Own Anti-Virus Software a Security Risk?

InfoWorld has an interesting article explaining how fuzzing software and parsing bugs can be used to turn your own anti-virus software and security suite products against you. Scary stuff. This could be very damaging if these blackhat techniques become widespread.

Is the software we're using to protect ourselves from online attacks becoming a liability?

That's what Thierry Zoller believes. For the past two years, the security engineer for n.runs AG has taken a close look at the way anti-virus software inspects e-mail traffic, and he thinks companies that try to improve security by checking data with more than one anti-virus engine may actually be making things worse. Why? Because bugs in the "parser" software used to examine different file formats can easily be exploited by attackers, so increasing your use of antivirus software increases the chances that you could be successfully attacked... - InfoWorld

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Retail Wi-Fi Vulnerable to Hackers, AirDefense Study Reveals

Founded in 2001, AirDefense is based in Alpharetta, Georgia and is the market leader in anywhere, anytime wireless security. Thought of as a leader and innovator of wireless LAN security and operational support solutions, AirDefense is a serious tool for those wanting to monitor their wireless domain. AirDefense is trusted by many Fortune 500 companies, healthcare organizations, and high-security government agencies for enterprise wireless protection, but he company does not disclose the names of individual retailers to avoid drawing hackers' attention.

While retailers are almost nazi-like in securing their physical businesses to prevent theft, they take almost no precautions with their wireless security according to a recent AirDefense survey. - PC World

Consequences of the wireless security vulnerabilities found in AirDefense's "2007 Retail Shopping Wireless Security Survey" are difficult to quantify. As a collection of already published risks to wireless LANs, this white paper is written to inform IT security managers of what they are up against. Serious protection does come at a cost, starting at about $10000 in AirDefense's case. But with a report showing that 25% of retail wireless networks offer absolutely no encryption what so ever, the costs of having lacking protection are potentially far greater.

As an enterprise-class solution, AirDefense is highly scalable, which is very appealing to CIOs in need of cost-effective rollouts over many locations.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Windows Vista SP1: No Performance Gain

Microsoft says that Windows Vista is going to give you, developers, new opportunities on a scale you haven't seen since Windows 95, but Vista is the target of a number of negative assessments by various groups. Like the OS itself my own personal opinion has not budged so here is another reason why Microsoft Windows Vista is still just not worth it: SLOW PERFORMANCE. The latest Vista SP1 update does nothing to alleviate this.

Right now the best end-user alternative to Windows Vista is its predecessor Windows XP. From the perspective of an IT professional, however, I find that Windows Vista is easier to deploy and less expensive to maintain, than any earlier version of Windows as well as being a major and significant upgrade in security.

SP1 is NOT a performance update. The bottom line is If you've been disappointed with the performance of Windows Vista to date, get used to it. Most would say It's performance is atrocious, even compared to Microsoft's own XP SP2.

Windows Vista is Microsoft's new client operating system, which is just beginning its long journey to replace XP. That journey will be longer and longer unless the MS engineers can improve this shoddy performance.

Vista vs Vista/SP1 benchmarks Here

Friday, November 16, 2007

Does installing DX10.1 matter?

YOU KNOW THE graphics wars are heating up when the 'presentations' start to fly. The latest one is from NV talking about their upcoming 8800GT/256 which will be out soon, but it is the header that makes me think it is more than innocent advertising. "Kevin Unangst, Senior Global Director for Microsoft Games for Windows: " DX10.1 is an incremental update that won't affect any games or gamers in the near future."

The difference between DX9 and DX10 is astounding, according to Microsoft, but I would say it is not leaps and bounds over dx9 right now. Microsoft says it is superior to dx9, but they don't really tell you why or how. What we were told is that DX10 is an API more efficient than DX9 for certain effects. Unfortunately, the new version of DX10 is targetted only to function on Windows Vista. Ie, it is Vista only: If you ever want DX10, you will have no choice but to upgrade. DX10 is pretty much the same speed as DX9 in Bioshock making DX10 a sort of hoax IMO.

The number of games using DirectX 10 keeps growing day by day. And the reason is that the latest batch of mind-boggling games can only be enjoyed with an exceptional graphic card, which is DX10 and SM (Shader Model) 4. There is no games right now built as a 100% native DX10 game, though. In the future, some games will use DirectX 10 to improve performance, while others will use DX10 shaders to improve graphics. Few games currently support this upgrade, but highly-anticipated games such as Hellgate: London, Crysis, World in Conflict and Age of Conan will be DX10 enhanced. Lucky for the XP users, 0nly a few games right now are listed as going to DX10(Vista) "only" games.

Looking at the landscape as things stand today, Nvidia has the best DX10 hardware, simply because Nvidia has the only DX10 hardware on the market. They were the first company to launch DX10-compatible graphics cards in November 2006 with the release of the GeForce 8800, older brother to Nvidia's new addition to Dx10 cards the 8800Ultra. I think nVidia is doing a great job, they are the first company to supply DX10 cards, can ATI/AMD get you ready for the release of Vista yet. Wow, the Nvidia 8600 series DX10 compliant cards to sell for around $150. The newest Direct X won't be as expensive as most imagine.

As a rule, DX9 performance far exceeded DX10 performance. Sure, there are a few where it does overcome the performance deficit, but they are few and far between. At the moment Nvidia and ATI are more focused on DX9 than DX10 and I'm sure you can understand why. Performance is lacking in my opinion in DX10/Vista but there maybe a time were that will change but right now bang for buck just isn't there.

It should be remembered that a big portion of DX10 is internal restructuring that is completely independent of the GPU used. This is because DX10 is a standard, not a performance variable. Dx10 is Microsoft's way of force-feeding the most unwanted OS since WindowsME down the gaming public's gullet. Personally, this is the only reason I'm interested in Vista, and I think many gamers feel the same way.

Swedish Hacker, Dan Egerstad, Arrested for Exposing Security Hole

INSPECTOR Knacker of the Swedish Yard has swooped on the home of a hacker who found holes in encryption systems used by world-wide embassies. Dan Egerstad, a security consultant, intercepted data carried over the Tor network and obtained access to 1000 sensitive email accounts. He warned various government bodies about the hole in the system but could not get anyone interested until he published details on his webpage. Egerstad also told members of the press. According to AP, it seems that the authorities were not amused and rather than giving him a medal for showing how hackers from other countries could be reading their mails, they sent the plod around with a warrant.

The data, which has been posted online by freelance security consultant Dan Egerstad, reveals usernames, passwords and server addresses that security consultant Dan Egerstad has managed to snag from over 100 e-mail accounts belonging to embassy employees around the world. The misguided security expert used Tor to collect government e-mail passwords and use them to access sensitive information. Computer Sweden has verified the posted information.

It is still unclear as to how the passwords were accessed by the hacker as he has posted his name on the web as Dan Egerstad from Malmo in Sweden. Hacks hit embassy, government e-mail accounts worldwide.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Americans lose 3.5 Million "Good" jobs since 2000

The Center for Economic and Policy Research has released a paper where they have studied "jobs" in the last three business cycles in the US,starting with data from 1979, comparing "good jobs" and "bad jobs" and the relative increases and decreases. A "good job" is one defined for this purpose as one paying at least $17 inflation adjusted dollars, along with employer provided healthcare and a pension plan. Over-all, in the last "cycle", the one we are in now starting in year 2,000, they have calculated a rough loss of 3.5 million "good jobs".

Job loss is emotionally traumatic. A natural consequence is loss of self--‘esteem. What you go through after losing your job is similar to the stages of grief, often causing feelings of anger, anxiety, and hopelessness. People's feelings will vary enormously depending on whether the job loss is the result of a sacking or a redundancy. One way to lighten the blow of job loss is to focus on the less fortunate. Job loss is a fact of working life in America, even in the best of times. The reason for decline in wage and job loss is sluggishness in the US economy characterised by rising inflation, slow growth and a high unemployment rate. If job loss is inevitable, however, there are ways to minimize its impact.

A sudden job loss or medical problem can push a person or family into a financial crisis. An established home based business will be of enormous psychological help if you face a sudden job loss. Remember that nobody is immune from sudden job loss anymore, and everyone should be prepared for the possibility. Surviving sudden tramatic times requires balance. The key is in understanding it's not personal. A sudden job loss may feel like an unexpected loss of a loved one, because the emotional support from her co-workers is severed or strained. In the same vein, when you are financially prepared, a sudden job loss or other drop in income won't be as much of a stressful, scary time.

Coping with job loss is more than conducting a job search.

Low-skill workers also have something of an advantage on the job-loss front. A minimum wage increase would raise the wages of millions of workers. Just under half (47%) who do not fear job loss believe that they would have difficulties finding a new job. Common misperceptions about older workers ability to weather job loss exist but social workers are actively providing a range of services to dislocated workers and in assisting individuals to cope with their job loss. Last month, a Hudson survey found that 39 percent of workers were very or somewhat likely to look for a new job in 2007. Workers in Idaho and Montana lead the nation with the lowest risk of job loss, with Idaho leading for the fifth consecutive month.

Job loss is one of the most difficult work-related situations that a company or an individual will encounter in the course of a career. Job loss is a temporary situation and it will change. One of the top concerns after a job loss is the ability to pay bills and make ends meet until you find a new job, according to CareerJournal. The actual figure for job loss is almost certainly far worse than the government figures suggest.

Regardless of circumstance, involuntary job loss is a hard thing to grapple with whether it was known to be on the cards or not.

Cox Communications Joins Virtualization Revolution

Cable TV provider Cox Communications uses Citrix virtualization software to make business applications accessible to remote workers, according to PC World.

Cox is committed to protecting your privacy by using DCT64xx series with Passport Echo software currently. By that, Cox is referring to XBRL, the Internet-language method of tagging financial data that they believe greatly improve transparency. Cox Cable is now charging close to $30 for digital basic service.

At the Citrix iForum, Citrix Systems announced Cox Communications, the third-largest cable communications provider in the United States will be using their virtualization platform. Citrix Systems bestowed Cox with its '07 Innovation Award. VMware better watch out Citrix is bringing competition in the virtualization market. They can work stand alone, or use district Citrix servers. Linux can run fast with Citrix on hardware that even XP would crawl on, cutting operating expenses of IT departments.

Now telecommuting is easier than ever with Comcast Teleworker. Tapping the power of this teleworker force has proven elusive, but more and more employees are willing to relocate if possible or work as a telecommuter/teleworker.

Cox is also benefiting from increased control of the procurement function with the Citrix partnership. I've heard that Cox is initiating a DVR service but, apparently, it is not yet available in my area.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Oracle Executives Discuss Web 2.0 and Fusion Software Suite

Oracle Corp. executives responsible for product development across the company joined together at the Oracle OpenWorld user conference on Tuesday to shed some light on current marching orders concerning Oracle's application, database and middleware technology future. - ComputerWorld

One might speculate that this Oracle executive is setting up a landing pad at a future KP-funded company with such proclamations. Oh, an Oracle executive is also quoted niching SaaS in the small business market. Congratulations to Oracle for addressing general Web 2.0 as well as Enterprise Web 2.0. IBM, Microsoft, SAP lag behind though they are taking a charge at the business web.

The suite packages Oracle Fusion Middleware products ( The company is calling that major, multi-year effort "Project Fusion") for use in deploying SOA. Investing a lot in Oracle Fusion Middleware, The VM software is certified to run Oracle Database, Oracle Fusion Middleware and Oracle Applications. Hear first-hand about product development plans for each of the business systems, as well as Project Fusion on one of the OpenWorld podcasts. This year the focus was on Grid Computing.

Anonym.OS Live CD Encrypts Your Internet Traffic!

Anonym.OS is a Linux Live CD Operating system based on OpenBSD with strong encryption and anonymization tools. The purpose of this OS is to provide a secure anonymous web browsing access to everyday users. Anonym.OS makes extensive use of Tor, the onion routing network that relies on an array of servers passing encrypted traffic to permit untraceable surfing. - Life Dork

OpenBSD is being utilised to offer various network services and is renowned in many circles as the most security-conscious operating system available. OpenBSD is a FREE/secure operating system that is based on Berkeley's implementation of Unix but it is not just about security. OpenBSD is about getting work done, not pretty colors on the installer...a sane choice if you need stability and quality in general.

Don't know much about Tor other than it is distributed as Free Software under the 3-clause BSD license. For pre-configured, pre-tested Tor environments, you can try out Anonym.OS. It is really interesting, because it really has all the good things there by default, including Tor and Wi-Fi support.

Network consulting and maintenance has many tools for taking a quick peek at network activity , especially with OpenBSD servers. I have yet to find a tool better than bwm-ng. I have been running a DHCP server on my home network for eons now, and today I decided I'd move it on to my OpenBSD firewall cluster just for fun. The network card I've chosen is a 3Com PCMCIA card was supported according to the OpenBSD web site. I use Intel Celeron 500MHz based server with two network cards (vr0 and vr1).

As you probably know, the development team of OpenBSD is also in charge of the development of OpenSSH. The default install of OpenBSD is well known to have one of the most secure default installations available. Although I use quite a few other open source software tools, OpenBSD has become my Swiss Army Knife.

Windows update offers defence against DNS spoofing

Microsoft released a critical patch involving IE7 and an important patch to guard against DNS (Domain Name System) spoofing on Tuesday - The Register

A new Microsoft patch is currently out. Please note that downloading this patch is vital, since this IE7 update protects your computer against attacks and other vulnerability. Obviously, the latest Microsoft patch is an important one. It is already available on Windows Update as I write. How do you decide if a Microsoft patch is a must-have or a may-have, though?

Veteran browser security researcher Michal Zalewski is reporting an "entrapment" vulnerability in Internet Explorer 7. Lucky for some of you, this issue only affects customers on Windows XP with Internet Explorer 7 installed. The major focus on this Internet Explorer update has been security and particularly the phishing filter. To date, Microsoft has released fixes for 19 security flaws in several of its products, including Internet Explorer 7, Office 2007 and Exchange 2007. Windows XP users who also run Internet Explorer 7 are notoriously at risk to such vulnerabilities.

Patching systems with the latest software update is important. Attack code follows patch updates, but hackers tend to not bother with difficult to hack victims.

Information about this vulnerability and patch is located at the Windows Update website. Instructions to download this MicroSoft patch is also located there. Common wisdom is that the Microsoft patch is essential for all XP users, but that some precautions are required beyond what the update provides.

London IT Support: The Best in the Business

If you are looking to outsource your IT support needs in the UK and especially in London, you need to find a company that has the right services for your business and can cater for your growing needs. - CopyPasteArticles

Remote IT support is key to keeping employees happy and productive. A good IT staff is committed to providing services that promote productivity through the effective use of information technology. When it is needed but the budget won`t allow them to take on full time it staff, IT Support can be found through specialist companies. However, IT SUPPORT IS NOT CHEAP! Even though the cost for outsourcing is a fraction of what it would cost if you employed your own IT professionals. Outsourced IT support is very different from outsourced IT management, and generally more successful.

There is a range of IT support services, focused on small businesses in London and the South East.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

AMD Phenom Architecture and Stats

The test focuses on the difference of core architecture, so all the frequency are set to the same. As before, we are using a unlocked ES version Phenom X4. - ExpReview

AMD Phenom is the AMD processor line based on the K10 microarchitecture. It is manufactured in 65nm process at Fab36 in Dresden, and the main features are something that it calls Native Quad-Core, and HyperTransport 3. Belive me AMD phenom is awesome and id love it if someone gave me one of these chips. AMD phenom is faster/clock then Penryn and also more energy efficient, while Penryn will have higher released speeds AMD will have pretty good 2. I think desktop version is supposed to come out in NOV. New cpus will be able to turn off cores(I think Phenom is supposed to do this) and save alot of power(well more at lease).

The first benchmark listed on AMD's website is called VMmark Performance. For enthusiasts who demand high performance on their system, AMD Phenom FX processors are designed for systems that offer extreme megatasking capabilities. Low Power Server CPU Shoot-out AMD is clearly the leader in performance per watt. Yes, it's a lot of e-peen stuff over basically 2 to 5% more performance.

AMD is currently competing on price, and it is showing in the bottom line. A price affordable Black Edition instead of Phenom FX would also be what customers want. AMD would not comment on price cuts for its Athlon line but many predict more AMD price cuts coming.

Offering state-of-the-art platforms and a next-generation architecture with expected availability in Q1 2008. Availability of AMD Processors to Improve in March. Price and availability are unknown as of now, but you'll know as soon as we do.

AMD Phenom is going on sale this 19th Nov. AMD Phenom is around the bend fast.

Intellectual Ventures: world's worst patent troll

Patent trolls come in all shapes and sizes, but until now I didn't think they taught in the classroom. - CNET

Intellectual Ventures is a private company founded in 2000 to invest in "pure invention. According to a report in Newsweek last fall, the company is backed with $350 million from Microsoft, Google, Apple, Nokia and others. Unlike Maveron, and despite its name, Intellectual Ventures is not a venture capital firm in the traditional sense. No, it's still not clear just where Intellectual Ventures is headed.

They weren't kidding when they claimed to be linked with prominent inventors. They are individuals asserting patent rights, he adds, not just lawyers looking for a quick payoff. So far, the company has received one patent that grew out of its invention sessions and has 300 applications outstanding. This certainly seems to satisfy Detkin's definition of a --˜patent troll'.

So why is he being called a patent trol?. Has the enemy of the patent troll become one? Is Nate up to some old tricks in playing the 'patent troll' issue on both sides of the fence or what? Famous patent troll Intellectual Ventures only owns somewhere in the range of 1000 to 5000 patents.

Nathan Myhrvold's firm is trying to raise up to $1 billion to buy patents and to help inventors develop inventions. Intellectual Ventures is a somewhat different type of troll...a private partnership.

Technology Patents LLC sues 131 companies over SMS patents

Patent holding company Technology Patents LLC has filed a lawsuit against a whopping 131 companies worldwide. It accuses these companies of knowingly infringing on two of its patents that address a fairly simple concept: international text messaging. - Ars Technica

Sounds like Fat Tony's been to Law School, eh?

These kinds of laws embody the opposite of the principles of patent protection as we know them today. Columbia IP Law Group's founder Al AuYeung is one of the West Coast's most recognized high technology patent and intellectual property lawyers. Intellectual property (IP) law provides two different and conflicting ways to protect technology: patent and trade secret protection.

But it is not without controversy. The confusion surrounds how the office applies the criteria. Controversy widens over MPEG-4 technology, and patent pooling, for example.

Online music companies may have a new headache to deal with after a recent court decision on a download-technology patent. Recent News Releases such as the one you are reading are flooded with reports of fly-by-night companies jumping on intellectual patent bandwagon. It is ridiculous.

I have an idea for a device consisting of "keys" on a "board" that inputs to my computer. Technology patent is being filed tomorrow.

Sensitive Guantanamo Bay Manual Published Through WikiLeak

A 238-page instruction manual for the Guantanamo Bay military prison has been leaked through Wikileaks, a site dedicated to such disclosures. The document raises questions about hidden prisoners and the use of military dogs to intimidate inmates. - Wired

Guantanamo Bay, a 45-square-mile American naval base located at the southeastern tip of the island, is leased from Cuba and is nominally subject to Cuban sovereignty. This indefinite imprisonment at this location is unlawful. Some would say Guantanamo Bay Is Actually A "Death Camp". What is happening at Guantanamo Bay is we're trying to treat people humanely, recognizing that these are terrorists," said the Senator. I do tend to agree with Beckett's remarks that Guantanamo Bay is unacceptable, ineffective and damaging. The existence of Gitmo is at best rank laziness on the part of the administration who don't want to deal with the machinery of justice.

Al Qaeda Manual Drives Detainee Behavior at Guantanamo Bay, say the Republicans after they found is a training manual for Al Quaeda. If mandating that the Army Field Manual be followed at all times wasn't necessary than we'd have no Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay torture incidents. Furthermore, sleep deprivation, as endorsed by the KUBARK Manual is literally endorsed in word.

THE chief war crimes prosecutor for the occasional military commissions at guantanamo bay has resigned abruptly in a dispute over his independence as the Democrats' anti-military PR offensive is petering out. The US military is clearing the way for executions of condemned terror suspects to take place at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility while a US military judge has thrown out charges against two Guantanamo Bay detainees, casting fresh doubt on efforts to try foreign terror suspects. The US military has admitted that children aged 16 years and younger are among the detainees being interrogated at its prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Mixed messages abound.

Guantanamo Bay is not a vacuum, and whatever interrogation techniques are used there will eventually become public knowledge. The Bush Administration had taken the position that Guantanamo Bay is not US territory. Guantanamo Bay is a PRISON, not a health spa or holding tank. Just to set the record straight Guantanamo Bay is nothing like the types of places that terrorists take their innocent civilian prisoners.

Genetic-Engineers Create Modular DNA Dev Kit

Students from around the world competed in the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition, creating biological machines with modular DNA snippets. - Global Intellect

Genetic engineering is based on a conception of genes as simple codes for determining specific properties. It is a laboratory technique used by scientists to change the DNA of living organisms. To help us think more clearly about this debate, we need to have a rough understanding of how the engineering is actually done. Genetic engineering is applied in medicine, industry, agriculture, and research worldwide. Genetic engineering is not just an extension of conventional breeding and it is not, of itself, either bad or good. Genetic engineering is now being used to create genetically altered foods and exploring regeneration of living tissue. Evidence of regeneration is all around and the science of genetic engineering is slowly mastering its techniques.

The history of genetic engineering can be traced back to historic times. Note the history that genetic engineering enthusiasts dismiss, ignore or deny is relevant to an understanding of what they are up to today. Other widely accepted plant-breeding tools help to put genetic engineering in a realistic context. The timeline of the genetic sciences is remarkable. Although history is a very interesting area to think of What Ifs, nature is all around us everyday.

Playing with genes is what this is all about. But perhaps the area that stands to benefit the most from genetic engineering is medicine. Anti-technologists and political extremists misinform, and over exaggerate statements that scientific innovation is not part of the natural order of things.

Sentry and Maxtor team up for SentrySafe FIRE-SAFE/Waterproof safe and drives

When most people express concern and worry about data loss, it's usually due to the more common cases: drive failure, accidental deletion, power surges from lightning storms, etc. Not so often do drive companies cater to those with paranoia of fire / flood / acts of God, etc. crowd, but for that crowd SentrySafe and Maxtor have teamed up on the FIRE-SAFE/Waterproof safe and drive. - EnGadget

Not only the object of waterproofing is achieved, but also the noise is isolated. So how waterproof is it? Of course, being waterproof is a big deal for me, so I give them 4 stars for this product. Basically it means you can do deep-sea diving with it.

Protect your most important papers and documents from the threat of fire and water with this quality, SentrySafe FIRE-SAFE Waterproof File. This fire-safe waterproof security file will protect important documents from fire and water. I like that this product is fire-safe up to one hour and that it is protected from water damage. Protection from fire and water is yours with every Sentry Fire-Safe Waterproof Security product. Compact and versatile, Sentry Fire-Safe Chests are the most popular in the world. One thing I learned in my research is that fire-safe does not necessarily mean heat-safe, nor does it always mean waterproof.

Be warned, however. "Waterproof" is one of those terms that's open to abuse.

How To Get Your Dream Job: The 3 Step Job Interview Process

By Adam Waxler

Getting a job these days can be quite difficult. In fact, just getting a job interview can be quite a challenge. You need to make sure you do everything you can to make your cover letter and resume stand out amongst all the competition.

Unfortunately, even if you do that it still might not be enough to get an interview. Therefore, you must also use all of your contacts and connections to help you secure the interview.

However, once you have landed a job interview closing the deal and securing yourself the job goes way beyond just answering the interview questions correctly. Securing your dream job depends upon the way you present yourself during the interview...your body language, your mannerisms, your dress etc.

Many people do not spend much time preparing for the interview. And, those that do prepare for the interview usually focus solely on how to answer the interview questions. While that is important there is much more to it if you want to truly secure yourself the position.

To truly land yourself your dream job you should think of it as a three-step job interview process…

1. Getting the Interview

If you want to get a call for an interview then your resume should stand out from the others. Include relevant information and highlight headings. In the beginning, include your career objective that describes your skills and qualities along with what you are looking for in the job. Make sure your resume, and particularly your resume’s objective, are very specific. In other words, you want to create a job-specific resume. A one-size-fits-all resume is NOT going to get you the job.

Also, print your resume on high quality paper and do not overcrowd it...make sure there is enough “white space” so your resume is easy to read.

2. Acing the Interview

Once you have gotten a call for the interview you should start preparing for it right away. While preparing for the interview, remember the key things mentioned below.

a. Be self confident during the interview and tell yourself you are the one for the job.

b. Remember, you are a salesman and the product is YOU!

c. Your first impression is the last one, so dress appropriately (it is always better to over dress than under dress) and watch out for any bad speaking habits you might have (too many hand gestures, biting nails, cracking knuckles etc.)

d. From the beginning of the interview be yourself and speak about your skills that specifically match the job you are interviewing for.

e. Do not lie. This will come back to haunt you later.

f. Take your time to answer the questions...think about what you are going to say before you say it.

g. Ask questions during the interview. However, do not ask unrelated questions...that may turn out to be an interview killer.

3. Following up on the Interview

At the end of the interview you should ask when you should expect to hear from them about the position. The very next day you should send a hand-written thank you note on professionally monogrammed paper to each person on the interview committee. Mention something specific from the interview in your thank you note so your interview stands out from the others. Wait a couple of days and then send an email...follow that up with a phone call etc. When the competition is tough it is often times the person who follows through that gets the job.

With so much competition out there getting a job these days can be tough. The people who get the jobs are the ones who think of it as a three step interview process...getting the interview, acing the interview, and following up on the interview.

Former FBI, CIA Employee Pleads Guilty to Computer Crime

A former FBI and CIA employee pleads guilty to charges of fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship and accessing a U.S. government computer system for unlawful uses. - PC World

Computer crime is ever-increasing. Computer crime is a felony violation of section 1030 of the United States Code. Unfortunately, there is a deficit of information about what computer crime is, and how it should be investigated. Deploying a formal method for investigating is obviously resource intensive. The fundamental issue in most crime is the criminals' lack of respect for the property or privacy of other people. It is becoming ever prevalent in our society because the cost of computer-based crime is rocketing, but law enforcement agencies are battling with limited resources.

The new 2005 FBI Computer Crime Survey is our largest survey on these issues to date. (For more information on the CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey contact Robert Richardson at rrichardson@cmp). FBI says auction fraud tops computer crime complaints.

The FBI fights these criminals with weapons that are at least ten years old, according to one insider with contacts deep inside the "hacker" community. The FBI is presently investigating 500 cases, up from 200 in 1996. The FBI released its 2005 Computer Crime Survey on Jan. According to the 2005 FBI Computer Crime Survey, 87 percent of the organizations polled acknowledged they'd suffered some kind. Almost 40% of respondents to the CSI/FBI 2006 Computer Crime and Security Survey attribute 20% or more of losses to insiders threats.

While hackers and viruses fuel the IS security concerns for organisations, the problems posed by employees should not be underestimated. Employee crime has gained much attention in the media in the last few years. Employee computer crime represents a substantial threat for organisations. For example, the employee quit his job to start up a competing business. Employee surveillance: All personnel should be identifiable. We're just looking for what an employee has been utilizing a computer for. What if you know another employee sells files with people's personal information? Monitoring employee behaviour is the second line of defense.

Computer Crime Is Slicker Than You Think. Computer crime is growing as information becomes the most valuable asset - and most crime is by insiders. Computer crime is a reality.

EU to Investigate Google-DoubleClick More Deeply

After an initial investigation, the European Commission decides that Google's acquisition of DoubleClick is worth the full investigative monty. - Ars Technica

I think Google is underestimating the difficulty of penetrating this market. Google is a centralized datacenter with peering from what I can tell. Google is positioning itself for the future and is famous for its unique company culture. Late yesterday it came to light that Google is in talks with Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile USA regarding its big mobile plans.

Microsoft tried to acquire DoubleClick itself, but lost out to Google in April. DoubleClick and Google provide very different services to each other. In April 2007, DoubleClick agreed to be acquired by Google for big money as DoubleClick is a very strong complement to Google's dominant search offering. Drummond added that he felt DoubleClick is to Google what FedEx and UPS are to Amazon.

EU examination of Google's data retention practices extended to 2008. EU Postponed Google-DoubleClick Day of Reckoning. Neelie Kroes, EU competition commissioner, has dashed the hopes of opponents of the takeover. EU questions Google customers over DoubleClick, though it's a ploy that seems moot at this point, as the EU said overlap between the two companies in Europe was "minimal.

This isn't about a criminal investigation. Lawmakers call for more investigation over Google/DoubleClick deal. In addition, please note that any such investigation will only affect ads served on or by Google.

Google is a company that truely thinks outside the box being one of about four search engines that matter. Google is not real-time- they have an index that they get the results from. My answer is this: Google is trying to build Yahoo 2.

Woven's switch Addon Retrofits GigE

Mega switch maker Woven Systems has pumped out a couple of complementary add-ons to its flagship EFX 1000 unit meant to help the company address a wider market. - The Register

Woven Systems is working on a 10-Gbit/s switch for enterprise use. It is evident that Woven Systems is targeting the convergence of wide-area network (WAN) and storage with 10 Gig Ethernet technology. The company is also helping drive down 10GbE prices. Woven Systems is proud to count Sandia Labs among the cutting-edge customers choosing the EFX 1000 Ethernet Fabric switch solution, utilizing a low latency, high port count and low cost 10 Gigabit Ethernet switch.

This new switch from startup Woven Systems spells trouble for both FC and Ethernet competitors. Woven Extends Ethernet Fabric Lineup. Ethernet Switch delivers unified fabric for data centers.

Woven Systems is a new contender in the networking market. The company is uniquely positioned to help enterprise services. Why is this cool? Because Woven Systems is making the "all-Ethernet" data center possible.

Consumer groups oppose telecom deregulation

Eight public-interest and consumer groups have asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to reject requests by two large telecommunication providers to close off their copper voice and data networks to competitors in 10 U.S. cities. - InfoWorld

That's what big telecom is trying to do: shut the democratic architecture of the Internet. The future of telecom is in Wales. Somewhere in America Telecom is Just Getting Started. BusinessWeek: telecom is back from the dead. Telecom is next on the continuum for 'smart ceramic' MEMS company. Smart Telecom is also in the bidding for Ireland's third mobile telephony.

The same was being expected by the deregulation of the telecom sector in Pakistan as well. VoIP deregulation bill is dead; telecom deregulation is alive. Airline deregulation created a whole new set of winners and losers. Back-Door Deregulation Bids by Verizon Threaten Choice in Telecom Services for 34 Million from Virginia to Massachusetts. Telephone deregulation and ever-evolving technology remain the two main forces behind the growth of Southeastern Telecom Inc. Fortunes were made in airline deregulation.

China Telecom is the largest fix-line operator in China. Northern Telecom Is Under Review. Telecom is the most important infrastructure of the 21st century.

National Museum of Computing Invites Public to Try Their Luck Against Old Cipher Tech

Members of the public are being challenged to take on a rebuilt version of Colossus, the world's first programmable digital computer. The Cipher Challenge will take two groups of amateur code breakers and pit them against one of the original Lorenz cipher machine used by the German High Command during World War II. - Slashdot

WW2 cipher breaking machine Colossus will be exhibited at new National Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park. He contributed to the effort to solve Tunny, a German teleprinter cipher. A new museum that explores the history of computing will have its official opening today at Bletchley Park. UK computer history gets new home.

Google's Postini helps Data-Leak Prevention

Google's Postini e-mail filtering service now detects credit-card data and Social Security numbers, to help businesses avoid data leaks. - PC World

New HP Supercomputer Largest in Asia

HP AND THE Tata group have collaborated to build a supercomputer which outshines anything in Asia, it's claimed. The computer, called "Eka", was built by a division of Tata using HP technology and can churn out 120 trillion FLOPS a second. - The Inquirer

NASA's Columbia Supercomputer is World's Fastest. IBM Claims Its Supercomputer Is World's Fastest. French CEA Supercomputer is Number One in Europe. Supercomputer is just a term for the largest, fastest equipment available at any given time.

DESIGN OF A GRID-ENABLED LOW-COST SUPERCOMPUTER WITH MASSIVELY PARALLEL ACCELERATORS. Low Cost Supercomputer for Applications in Physics.

Self-wiring supercomputer is cool and compact. Supercomputer is F1 team's secret weapon. NEC supercomputer is 'world's fastest' at 839TFLOPS. Worlds Biggest Supercomputer is a Virus.

Next Windows OS for Supercomputers: Windows HPC Server 2008 Enters Beta

Demonstrating it can indeed rename a product with something that sounds pleasing and not so euphemistic, Microsoft took the wraps off its replacement for Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 this morning. - BetaNews

Microsoft patches URI bug, ancient DNS flaw

Microsoft released two security bulletins that fixed a pair of flaws in Windows, including a vulnerability that had been the root of a monthslong debate over patching responsibility. - ComputerWorld

Rackspace flattened by Texas trucker

A major US data center in Texas was taken out when a truck driver hit a utility pole, sending it crashing into a power transformer. - The Register

Monday, November 12, 2007

Hewlett-Packard to Acquire Data-Support Firm

Hewlett-Packard agreed to buy EYP Mission Critical Facilities, a consulting company that specializes in technology planning, design and operations support for large-scale data centers. - Wall Street Journal

Oracle aims for open source virtualization

Charles Phillips today reminded the army of delegates at Oracle OpenWorld in San Francisco that the company is much more than just a database vendor. - The Register

Mozilla hopes to reduce memory usage in Firefox web browser

While Firefox enthusiasts swear that the web browser is the best invention since sliced bread or the scientific calculator, there's no question that Firefox can be a bit of a memory hog. - Download Squad

Intel unveils 16 new 45nm processors

45nm is here in full force for Intel, as the chipmaker has taken the wraps off of 16 new CPUs. - Ars Technica

Counting the Google Millionaires

In the 1990s, we loved to tally up the number of Microsoft millionaires. Now, it’s Google’s turn. - New York Times

Ultra-portable Apple laptop rumored to be landing at Macworld Expo

We've certainly heard this rumor before but, according to the folks AppleInsider, it looks like we could now be fast approaching an actual debut of the oft-discussed ultra-portable Apple laptop. - Engadget

Google releases Android programming tools

The software developer kit will let programmers create Java software for real or emulated Android mobile phones. Plus: a $10 million contest for coders. - CNET

Cambridge computing profs 'desperate' for applicants

The computer sciences department at Cambridge University has said it is "desperate" to attract more students to its courses, despite the fact that it currently turns down two applications in three. - The Register

Dell to Revamp PowerEdge Servers

The servers are designed to consume less power and include system management tools to better manage IT tasks. - New York Times

TD-SCDMA makes Beijing Olympic Games roster

China's largest mobile phone network operator will have a 3G (third generation mobile telecommunications) network based on TD-SCDMA technology up and running in eight cities by the end of this year, in preparation for testing ahead of the Summer Olympic Games slated to start next August in Beijing, industry leaders say. - InfoWorld

AOL acquires question-and-answer service Yedda

While most of the former online powerhouse's recent acquisitions have dealt strictly with its renewed focus on advertising revenue, Yedda was purchased to power new social question-and-answer features on AOL's sites. - CNET

Microsoft reveals Server 2008 pricing, Hyper-V brand

The company is vowing no more delays: Microsoft is "absolutely on schedule" for the launch of Windows Server 2008 in February, one executive says, when five versions will become available. - Computerworld

AMD goes after price, not performance

OUR TAIWANESE friends advise us of the impeding announcement of the first three AMD Phenom mainstream quad core CPUs: the 2.2GHz 9500, the 2.3GHz 9600, both 95W parts, and the 2.4GHz 9700, a 125W TDP bin. - The INQUIRER

Privacy laws should be overhauled, says European regulator

Europe's top privacy regulator has said European privacy laws will need to be overhauled in just five years' time. He also said the rules governing which countries can be sent Europeans' data could be improved. - The Register

Some Maxtor Personal Storage 3200s shipped with virus

How convenient -- your shiny new Maxtor Basics Personal Storage 3200 may have came preloaded with a nasty virus right out of the box. That's right folks, you may not even need to open any suspicious emails or surf over to dodgy websites, as an undisclosed amount of drives produced by a company sub-contract manufacturer located in China were reportedly sent out with the Virus.Win32.AutoRun.ah program already loaded. - Engadget

US intelligence honcho channels Orwell, redefines privacy

Donald Kerr, the US Principal Deputy Director of Intelligence, has decided to kill privacy. He says that human beings can no longer expect governments and companies not to spy on them; instead "privacy" will now mean having the right to expect that governments and companies won't tell other people what they learn when they spy on you. - Boing Boing

Computerworld's 2007 Jobs Report and Salary Survey

Since the dot-com crash, IT raises have averaged 3%. Do you have the right skills to get more? - Computerworld

Will Success, or That Google Money, Spoil Firefox?

Mozilla has come to resemble a Silicon Valley start-up more than a scrappy collaborative underdog. - New York Times

Cheaters Spoil the Fun in Weblog Awards Voting

The Weblog Awards -- a competition where users vote up their favorite blogs -- have gone into a manual recount, as vote tallies in two popular categories are too close to call. - Wired

Sunday, November 11, 2007

MS Bows to Pressure, Extends XP to Used Machines

Several years ago computers got "good enough" to establish a thriving used and refurbished business. Noting it has become a huge market, Microsoft announced they will be furnishing "A-list" OEM refurbished resellers to wipe the drives and reinstall XP Home or Business for resale, at some cost. - Technocrat

Avoid Burnout by Changing Your Work Environment

If you're on the brink of being burned out creatively, the simplest solution could just be to change your environment in some way. - Lifehacker

Google sued over patent by Northeastern University

Google Inc faces a federal patent infringement lawsuit by Northeastern University over technology used in its core Web search system, according to legal papers filed last week. - Reuters

Overclocking: Dual- vs. Quad-Core CPUs

When overclocking, are there significant advantages to using quad-core instead of dual-core CPUs? - Tom's Hardware

Windows Home Server 120-Day Eval Now Available

For those of you looking to try out Windows Home Server, but have been left out in the cold by it's exclusion from MSDN, now have an answer. The Windows Home Server 120-Day Evaluation is now live and ready to be ordered. Costs $5.99 for delivery in the US, and your order will be filled in 1-3 weeks. - Windows-Now

Bethesda's Guide on How to Become a Game Designer

The Bethesda Blog was updated with a new entry called Breaking into Games - Voodoo Extreme

Counter-taserism

At New Scientist's Last Word blog, a reader posed the question of how one might reduce the unpleasant shock if they're about to be tased (bro). - BoingBoing

Whistleblower: AT&T Maintained a 'Secret Room' for the NSA

Former AT&T network technician Mark Klein appeared yesterday on Capitol Hill to reiterate his astonishing claim: AT&T operated a 24 x 48-foot room in one of its network operations centers in San Francisco, where Klein discovered his employer was cooperating with the National Security Agency in the monitoring of all Internet traffic over a major backbone line. - BetaNews

EU presses U.S. to change Internet gambling law

The United States must change an Internet gambling law that discriminates against European companies by preventing them from offering services in the U.S. market, the European Union's top trade official said on Thursday. - Reuters

Vonage Struggles to Move Past Lawsuits

Despite its continuing legal troubles, Vonage was still able to add new customers and is on the verge of settling a suit brought against it by AT&T. - BetaNews

IBM, Microsoft, SAP lag behind on Web 2.0

IBM, Microsoft, and SAP are taking a charge at the business Web 2.0 market, but the big vendors still lag behind smaller rivals who have developed far more innovative technology with quicker release cycles, according to a Forrester analyst. - InfoWorld

EA donates SimCity to humanitarian project

One Laptop per Child project to include city-building classic in computers for school-age children. - Gamespot

AOL revenue, subscribers plummet

The declines in revenue and subscribers at AOL don't bode well for the company or for Time Warner, analysts say. - Computerworld

IBM management tools reduce datacenter costs

To keep up with growing complexities of datacenter maintenance, IBM on Thursday announced a new set of self-management tools that can reduce the cost and manpower needed to run datacenters. - InfoWorld

Start-up rolls out meaty desktop cluster

Scalable Servers Corp. has removed its cloak of stealthiness to reveal a company focused on taking care of engineers, workgroups and SMBs with tabletop clusters - The Register

A Better Recommendation Engine

Cleverset thinks it has the secret to the next-generation recommendation system. - Kurzweila.net

Just Sell Digg Already, Jay

One thing that has become a certainly in our little tech world - a few months can’t go by without rumors surfacing that a sale of Digg is imminent. - TechCrunch

Grid Computing Saves Cancer Researchers Decades

Stony Stevenson writes "Canadian researchers have promised to squeeze "decades" of cancer research into just two years by harnessing the power of a global PC grid." - Slashdot

E-Mail Encryption Company Hushmail Spills to Feds

Hushmail, an innovative provider of web-based encrypted e-mails promises that no one can unscramble users' messages, but feds able to convince a Canadian court to issue an order can exploit the service's back doors. - Wired

EVE Online: Available for Mac and Linux Users

Yesterday we reported that EVE Online can now be played on Mac and Linux. - MMORPG.com

A Complete Guide to Freezing Food [Cooking]

Sick of tossing spoiled fruit, veggies, meat, and other leftovers in the trash because they sat around the fridge too long before you got to them? - Lifehacker

Whose Laws Apply On the ISS?

Hugh Pickens writes "Whose laws apply if astronauts from different countries get into a fight, make a patentable discovery, or damage equipment belonging to another country while on the International Space Station?" - Slashdot

Online Search For Fossett A Waste Of Time?

Back in September, after millionaire Steve Fossett went missing in the Nevada backwoods, legions of web surfers enlisted to help in the search through Amazon's Mechanical Turk. - Techdirt

Google at the gas pump translates to happy motorists, retailers

Google has been making efforts lately to get in front of people everywhere, not just while they're at home. - Ars Technica

Does Dell scorn EMC with EqualLogic buy?

With partnerships like this, who needs competition? - The Register

Is a Laser Data Link 1.5 Million Kilometers Feasible?

On the Canary Islands last week, a team from Oerlikon Space demonstrated the feasibility of a laser link across a distance of 1.5 million kilometers for the first time ever. - Slashdot

Sanyo creates inspection robot to check structural integrity

This certainly won't go down as the first underfloor robot we've heard about, but apparently, Sanyo's aiming to use all these fantastic ideas to actually bring a product to market. - Engadget

Whole Foods to restrict online postings by execs after CEO brouhaha

Whole Foods Market Inc. has week changed its corporate conduct policy to ban company execs from posting anything online about the company -- a response to anonymous postings made by its CEO in online forums. - Computerworld

BitTorrent and PBS Pair up for Distribution

Public Broadcast on a public tracker. - Slyck

Ad assault heralds $399 40GB PS3 launch

Senior marketing VP unveils new NA TV campaign touting the most affordable version of console yet--and its Blu-ray functionality. - Gamespot

Big Blue gets into Greenwash

IBM, as part of its environmental initiative dubbed "Big Green Innovations", will offer energy efficient data centres a certificate of greeness - if they can prove they have reduced power consumption. - The Register

Engineers Teach Nature to 'Grow' Computer Components

University of Maryland professor Ray Phaneuf has developed a template that nature can follow to produce "self-assembling" structures. - KurzweilAI.net

Go on, Bold Couch Potatoes, Click Into the Unknown

With the writers’ strike paralyzing some of television’s most popular shows you may need to go searching in the triple-digit reaches of the cable- and satellite-dish world. Here’s your guide. - New York Times

Filtering starlight to probe new worlds

European star gazers have been filtering stellar light through the atmospheres of the three inner planets to find out what they are made of. - The Register

Life could survive longer on a super-Earth

Big rocky planets in other solar systems could stay warm enough for life up to 35 per cent longer than our puny planet. - New Scientist

Another one bites the dust: Demonoid is dead

In what appears to be a continuing trend, popular BitTorrent site Demonoid, has shut down. - Download Squad

Google Earth Gets Weather, New Layer Layout

Google has rolled out a few new layers for Google Earth and a redesigned layer menu to help keep them tidy. - Download Squad

Hacker Pleads Guilty to Spreading Botnets

A hacker in California admits distributing malware that let him steal usernames and passwords for Paypal accounts. - PC World