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Tech News Blog
5.09.05
Some Sobering Numbers
CNET is reporting that the latest variant of the Sober worm is setting records in the number of PC infected and according to the security watch dog Sophos, the worm was responsible for more than three-fourths of the weekend security breaches. Read more from CNET:
Sober worm hits new heights
The variant now accounts for more than 5 percent of all e-mail, surprising experts with its continued growth. CNET News.com

New Firefox and Mozilla Flaws Found
The Firefox and Mozilla browsers are vulnerable to attacks from crackers according to reports from Secunia and PC World. The Firefox exploits have been rated ‘extremely critical’ and the solution suggested for both browsers is the same, “disable JavaScript” will close the door on crackers. For the technical bulletins on these issues, visit Secunia (Firefox and Mozilla).
Critical Flaw Found in Firefox
Exploit code is already circulating online, security experts warn.
PCWorld.com - Latest News Stories

Mac Widget Worries
Widgets are wonderful but apparently open Mac-heads to possible problems according to reports from MacFixIt; a problem associated with the architecture of Apple’s Widgets could allow a cracker to install a ‘malicious JavaScipt’. The solution is to turn-off the option to open safe files after downloading, a command found in the preferences of Safari. Read more about this annoyance at MacFixIt:
Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) #12: Malicious Widget Installation; More on SCSI problems; Potential AirPort re-connect fix; more
Malicious Widget Installation Over the weekend, a Mac OS X user named Stephan posted a Web page demonstrating a vulnerability in Tiger's Widget architecture that could allow malicious JavaS… MacFixIt

Multiple Platforms Tip of the Day: One for each platform
An extended graduate exam followed by a nasty head cold resulted in little creative thought and planning for the Multiple Platforms Tip of the Day over the weekend; please forgive this replay of tips and definitions from November 24, 2004; the tips are still useful and if you are like me, you forget more shortcuts than you remember.

PC Tip of the Day: Desktop Cleanup Wizard
Is your desktop getting cluttered with shortcuts you never use? Windows XP includes the Desktop Cleanup Wizard and you can activate this program by right-clicking anywhere in a open Finder window then select ‘Arrange Icons By’; click on the Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard at the bottom of the pop-up dialogue box and follow the Wizard to a clean desktop.

Apple Tip of the Day: Close Programs Quickly
Last week our tips included the keyboard shortcut to quickly scroll through open programs: first press and hold command then press tab and the open application will be displayed in a small window and each time you depress Tab you scroll to the next program and the program last selected moves to the front. To quit any of those applications, command and tab to it, then while you continue to hold down the command key, select Q and the program will close.

What is GUI?
Microsoft provides the definition of the acronym GUI, “graphical user interface. An interface that represents programs, files, and options with graphical images. These images can include icons, menus, and dialog boxes. The user selects and activates these options by pointing and clicking with a mouse or with the keyboard. A particular GUI item (for example, a scroll bar) works the same way in all applications.”