ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2004
==== 1992 Subscribers in 58 Countries ====
Welcome to the 314th issue of the PC Improvement News. PCIN consists mainly of news and tips. There is something for everyone, and if this is your first issue, I'm sure there will be something for you. If you give me two or three issues, I know that you will come back for more!
You can reach me at editor@pcin.net with any suggestions or comments.
Recommend PCIN at http://PCIN.net/recommend.php
Support PCIN at http://PCIN.net/donate.php
I sent out the newsletter last week and there were no errors, but it seems like people didn't get it. Chris never got it at his address, and only 7 people participated in the poll. If you ever miss an issue, you can find them all at http://PCIN.net/archive/
I am on vacation this week. We haven't done anything extra special. It is just nice being off work and spending time with Lisa and the boys. We did go to the Toronto Zoo on Saturday. It was a little chilly, but overall was a great day. We've done a couple of other things (Andrew and I are going bowling tonight), but nothing spectacular.
Chris has completed a review for Album Creator by FirmTools. This is software that lets you create snazzy photo albums using Flash. You can read a blurb from the review in the Tips and Other Stuff and the full review on the web site.
Graham editor@pcin.net and Chris chris@pcin.net
Are Hackers Now Gunning for the Mac?
In early October Apple released a small series of patches for Mac OS X version 10.2 and later. Most of the fixes in this group blocked possible denial-of-service problems that are, to date, theoretical. For example, one addresses vulnerability in a Unix printing system that might expose passwords to hackers, in uncommon situations.
In the Windows world, no sooner is an OS hole publicized than someone writes a hack to exploit it. Since the last Mac OS X security update was the third in a month, and because some of the holes looked ripe for exploiting, I have to wonder whether the Mac is now attracting more unwanted attention from hackers.For more info:
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,118128,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp
Microsoft: Learn to love Linux
Management guru Clayton Christensen has a paradoxical answer for Microsoft to the challenge posed by open source: Invest in Linux applications for handheld devices.
Christensen, an associate professor at Harvard Business School, is the author of the 1997 "Innovator's Dilemma," a book that describes how good companies often fail because business managers don't embrace "disruptive" technologies.
Open source is a clear disruption to Microsoft and the software industry in general, Christensen told attendees at the Future Forward technology conference here Thursday.
Clayton Christensen "Where Linux takes root is in new applications, like Web servers and handheld devices. As those get better, applications will get sucked off the desktop onto the Internet, and that's what will undo Microsoft," he said.For more info:
http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-22_11-5415026.html
Google envy foments search wars
"Propelled by Google envy, new players and Internet industry giants are rushing into the online search market, setting off a burst of activity that contrasts sharply with the lull after the dot-com collapse.
To fend off its challengers, Google has furiously intensified efforts to add new services to its brand."For more info:
http://news.com.com/2100-1024_3-5414183.html
911 calls made over Internet often get lower priority
"Emergency calls made using new Internet telephone services ring in through a nonemergency line and often aren't answered immediately, according to an official who runs Ramsey County's largest 911 emergency call center.
Fred Fischer, a St. Paul police officer, added that the Internet emergency calls usually are more difficult to handle because the 911 operator must ask the identity and location of the caller. In a normal 911 call, that information automatically pops up when the operator answers the call.
'The benefit of the 911 system is that we know your location in the event that you can't speak to us,' Fischer said. 'We don't get that with the Internet calls.'"For more info:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-10-12-voip-trouble_x.htm
Return to the top | Recommend PCIN News |
Since not everyone got last week's PCIN, I am continuing last week's poll for another week.
This Week's Poll
You can also vote online at http://PCIN.net/polls/
Return to the top | Recommend PCIN Poll of the Week |
Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:
Album Creator by FirmTools Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/albumcreator.phpMicrosoft® Windows® 2000 Administrator's Pocket Consultant, Second Edition Book Review
http://PCIN.net/help/books/w2kapcse.phpRemote Task Manager by SmartLine Inc. Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/remotetaskmanager.phpFlash File Recover by PanteraSoft Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/flashfilerecovery.phpEmail Saver Xe 2.0 by WinGuides Software Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/emailsaverxe2.php
Return to the top | Recommend PCIN.net Update |
Album Creator by Firmtools Software Review
Album Creator by Firmtools is a great piece of software that will help you create imaginative and interesting photo albums to display your digital photos. Album Creator creates galleries in both HTML and for more interesting galleries, Macromedia Flash. Album Creator uses a very simple wizard driven interface to create it's impressive galleries. With just a few simple clicks of your mouse and a couple of minutes, you can have a Flash driven gallery on your website to share with friends and family.
Read the full review at http://pcin.net/help/software/albumcreator.php
NewsGator Online now free
I had already seen the press release, but I've also received an email from John Carmichael, the Director of Business Development at NewsGator Technologies Inc. letting us know about changes to the NewsGator Online service.
"I wanted to mention as you may have heard by now, that NewsGator Online is now free! With a number of upgrades as well. http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/041018/185462_1.html
Our premium content is still a paid for subscription service as well as our Mobile Edition and Media Center Edition.
So please feel free to explore all of the new look and the new additions to the product."
Check it out at http://www.newsgator.com/ngs/
Google Your Site For Security Vulnerabilities
If Google stumbles across data that may expose sensitive information about your organization, Google will not hesitate to index it. The search engine does not discriminate against data it indexes. How can you tell if your secrets have gone public? You can use Google to your advantage with some specific search queries. The inspiration for the examples presented in this article come from Johnny Long. This article will also show you how to use the Google API to automate the process of searching Google for vulnerabilities.
Check it out at http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/security/2004/10/07/googling_for_vulnerabilities.html
Return to the top | Recommend PCIN Tips and Other Stuff |
Both of us have other sites other than PCIN.net. These are all sites that we are actively involved in (they aren't client sites). Don't forget to check them out from time to time for updates:
Return to the top | Recommend PCIN Tips and Other Stuff |
PCIN is brought to you by Graham Wing. The opinions expressed are those of the Editor, Graham Wing and the Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Graham Wing and Chris Empey accept no responsibility for the results obtained from trying the tips in this newsletter.
Graham Wing can be reached at editor@pcin.net
Chris Empey can be reached at chris@pcin.net
Copyright 1998-2004, Graham Wing. All rights reserved.
This publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, as long as the author is notified and the newsletter is presented as is.
Support PCIN by visiting http://PCIN.net/donate.php