Monthly Archive for February, 2005

Google’s Tool Bar Links Stir Debate

Published
by
Graham
on February 22, 2005
in Computer News
. 0 Comments

From eWeek:

A Google Inc. tool bar feature introduced this week is rekindling a debate over who should control what appears on a Web page the site’s creator or the software used to view it.
Google introduced a feature called AutoLink in a beta of its next tool bar version. AutoLink inserts links into Web pages where an address, package tracking number, publication ISBN (International Standard Book Number) or VIN (vehicle identification number) appears in the content.
In the case of the address, the links connect by default to the recently unveiled Google Maps service. The others take users to third-party sites.

Researchers: Typing style can provide security check

Published
by
Graham
on February 22, 2005
in Computer News
. 0 Comments

From USA Today:

The way you type is as unique as your eye color or speech patterns and can be used in conjunction with a password to protect your computer, researchers at Louisiana Tech and Penn State say.
Their discovery will bring Louisiana Tech its first direct royalty income, university president Daniel D. Reneau said in signing a joint licensing agreement with BioPassword of Issaquah, Wash.

U.S. agencies flunk cybersecurity test

Published
by
Graham
on February 17, 2005
in Computer News
. 0 Comments

From MSNBC:

The overall security of computer systems inside the largest U.S. government agencies improved marginally since last year but still merits only a D-plus on the latest progress report from Congress.
The departments of Transportation, Justice and the Interior made remarkable improvements, according to the rankings, which were compiled by the House Government Reform Committee and based on reports from each agency’s inspector general.
But seven of the 24 largest agencies received failing grades, including the departments of Energy and Homeland Security. The Homeland Security Department encompasses dozens of agencies and offices previously elsewhere in government but also includes the National Cyber Security Division, responsible for improving the security of the country’s computer networks.

China shuts down thousands of Net cafes

Published
by
Graham
on February 16, 2005
in Computer News
. 0 Comments

From MSNBC:

Chinese authorities shut down more than 12,575 Internet cafes from October to December last year for operating illegally, the government said.
The purpose of the crackdown was to create a ’safer environment for young people in China,’ the official Xinhua News Agency said Sunday. It didn’t give details of the violations, but said the businesses closed ‘were mainly located nearby primary schools and middle schools.’

Study: Cells make young drivers react like seniors

Published
by
Graham
on February 16, 2005
in Computer News
. 0 Comments

From CNN:

A report from the University of Utah says that when motorists between 18 and 25 talk on cell phones, they drive like elderly people — moving and reacting more slowly and increasing their risk of accidents.
‘If you put a 20-year-old driver behind the wheel with a cell phone, his reaction times are the same as a 70-year-old driver,’ said David Strayer, a University of Utah psychology professor and principal author of the study. ‘It’s like instant aging.’

Parents protest radio ID tags for students

Published
by
Graham
on February 16, 2005
in Computer News
. 0 Comments

From CNN:

The only grade school in this rural town is requiring students to wear radio frequency identification badges that can track their every move. Some parents are outraged, fearing it will rob their children of privacy.
The badges introduced at Brittan Elementary School on January 18 rely on the same radio frequency and scanner technology that companies use to track livestock and product inventory.
While similar devices are being tested at several schools in Japan so parents can know when their children arrive and leave, Brittan appears to be the first U.S. school district to embrace such a monitoring system.
Civil libertarians hope to keep it that way.

New IE Version

Published
by
Graham
on February 16, 2005
in Computer News
. 0 Comments

From MS PressPass:

Gates announced Internet Explorer 7.0, designed to add new levels of security to Windows XP SP2 while maintaining the level of extensibility and compatibility that customers have come to expect. Internet Explorer 7.0 will also provide even stronger defenses against phishing, malicious software and spyware. The beta release is scheduled to be available this summer.

Free Gmail Invites

Published
by
Graham
on February 10, 2005
in Recommended Web Sites
. 0 Comments

If you are looking for a Gmail invite, then you’ve probably already seen this site:
http://isnoop.net/gmail/
They currently have over 100,000 invites. I just recently noticed that I had 50 invites to send, and donated 10. Once they are claimed, then I’ll donate some more.

New blogging backend

Published
by
Graham
on February 10, 2005
in Announcements
. 0 Comments

I’ve installed b2evolution and am just starting to test it. It looks promising. I don’t want to rely on Blogger anymore as their sites is slow.

You There, at the Computer: Pay Attention

Published
by
Graham
on February 10, 2005
in Computer News
. 0 Comments

From NYT:

First, a confession. Since starting to write this article two hours ago, I have left my chair only once. But I have not been entirely present, either.
Each time I have encountered a thorny sentence construction or a tough transition, I have heard the siren call of distraction.
Shouldn’t I fiddle with my Netflix queue, perhaps, or click on the weekend weather forecast? And there must be a friend having a birthday who would love to receive an e-card right now.
I have checked two e-mail accounts at least a dozen times each, and read eight messages. Only two were relevant to my task, but I responded right away to all of them. My sole act of self-discipline: both instant messaging accounts are turned off. For now.
This sorry litany is made only slightly less depressing when I remind myself that I have plenty of company.