Tech News Blog
3.17.05
Tech News Lite
The tech news is on the light side today and that is good news for computer users everywhere. Check out our podcast from yesterday to learn how you can receive a Gmail invitation. Click on the podcast logo below or to subscribe to our podcast add this URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Multipleplatforms

Free Apple Loops
The MacMegasite carried an announcement from MacJams.com regarding the release of 100+ free Apple loops that you can use with GarageBand and Logic. The loops are packaged as Tune-up Mini and can be downloaded after you register. I haven’t had a chance to check out these loops yet, so caveat emptor.

More for Mac
Apple will now allow iPod accessory vendors to display a “Made for iPod” logo for products developed for the popular music player for a small fee according to a report carried by the Mac Observer. How small? How about ten percent of the wholesale price, and if you don’t like it, chances are you won’t ever find a spot on the Apple Store web site for your product. Cha-ching…

Open Source Updates
Secunia released bulletins for the following open source systems: Gentoo (1, 2), Mandrake, Conectiva, SuSE, Fedora, and Red Hat.

Konqueror Spoofing Flaw
Secunia has another announcement of interest to the open source world concerning a ‘less critical’ flaw with Konqueror version 3.2.2 and version 3.3.1. /. They recommend not following links from untrusted sources, a rule most open source users already adhere to.

Multiple Platforms’ Tip of the Day: Cross-platform Use and Office
If you want to learn more about cross-platform use of Microsoft’s Office then the Multiple Platforms’ tip of the day from Microsoft today’s how-to article on using Office with Multiple Platforms is for you. Surf over to the Microsoft support site for this helpful lesson.

What are Cross-platforms?
Wikipedia has the following explanation for cross-platform, “A cross-platform (or platform independent) programming language, software application or hardware device works on more than one system platform (e.g. Unix, Windows and Macintosh). Examples of cross-platform languages are C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Perl, Python, Tcl, Erlang and REALbasic.

Most computer languages in their pure sense are cross-platform - as a high-level, human readable way to instruct a CPU there is no need to strongly depend on any particular operating system. However, to do things such as create a GUI using the system widget set a program links to libraries, which may be particular to the developer's system. Although C++ itself is cross platform, a program written in for Windows using the Win32 API would normally not compile on a Unix computer. There are often also differences in how compiler writers interpret a language specification, in this case a program may require some attention before it be built on multiple systems.

Some programming languages such as Java were designed from the start to work on any platform that has a suitable virtual machine. Languages which use bytecode as the compiled representation or which interpret scripts directly do not need to be compiled for any particular operating system. Native libraries of the operating system are not linked to by the distributed code; rather the run time environment reimplements much of the same functionality, or provides a common bridge to similar functions on different systems. It is possible to create Java programs, which only run on a particular system, either by using JNI or by running a bytecode-to-machine code compiler; this is not necessary for most tasks.

Providing and testing compiled versions of a program for every OS and CPU is practically impossible, so projects which are open source or otherwise allow the user to compile their own object code could be said to be more cross-platform. Likewise, languages that are interpreted or otherwise require a virtual machine are more cross-platform where individuals can compile their own. Hotspot, Sun's Java virtual machine is provided only as compiled binaries, with support for several, but not all, platforms. For example, Sun only support GNU/Linux on the i386 architecture - anyone running Linux on PowerPC or SPARC computers cannot use Java without compiling to native machine code or using third party tools.

Many APIs are platform specific. OpenGL can be said to be cross-platform because it is not tied to any particular operating system, CPU architecture or brand of graphics hardware. Platform specific APIs may be recreated on other systems as a compatibility layer, such as the WINE library that allows programs requiring windows libraries to be used on UNIX.

There are also cross-platform extensions and middleware for many programming languages that enable programmers to compile/run the same source code with minimal fixes on different platforms. Examples include Qt and wxWidgets.”

Tech News Blog
3.16.05
Ready or Not, Safer Computer Coming Soon
The move toward safer computing is on as most of the major PC builders will begin delivering computers with ‘trusted computing hardware’ that will prevent crackers from accessing “security sensitive applications” according CNET. Unfortunately, Microsoft will not implement the software required to utilize this safety feature until the release of long-delayed Longhorn. The companies responsible for the development of this module concluded that if it were a problem of the ‘chicken and egg’ variety, they would take the lead and release the hardware sans Microsoft support.

Divorce and Moving Less Stressful than a Virus
The BBC has an interesting report on the stress-level caused by a computer virus and how little prevention most IT personnel exercise on a system-wide basis. According to those interviewed, the stress caused by a computer virus was similar to the emotional distress caused by divorce, separation, and moving; yet, only a small segment of those surveyed had complete protection in place and often left notebooks used outside the office completely unprotected.

Start Your Own Blog
Yahoo has jumped on the blogging bandwagon and is offering you a chance to start your own blog and the price is right: free. You can read more about it in CNET or just sign-up for a Yahoo ID and you are on your way to joining the blogosphere; try it, you will like it!

Thirty-two FAQs About iPods
The Apple Computer Knowledge Base has a list of the 32 most frequently asked questions regarding the iPod. The number one question is: Is iPod compatible with my computer? Answer: most of the time, the answer is affirmative. The most FAQ for Multiple Platforms users: “I have both a Mac and a PC. Will my iPod work on both?
Answer: No, not at the same time. iPod is configured for either Mac or PC. You can use the iPod Software Updater utility to restore iPod to work with a Mac or a PC (depending on which version of the utility you use). See "Restoring iPod to factory settings" for more information. iPod shuffle is an exception in that it is formatted as FAT32 and can work with both a Mac and a PC without reformatting.” Therefore, the iPod Shuffle is a Multiple Platforms users best friend!

Open Source Updates
Secunia released these updates for open source users: Linux Kernel (1, 2), Fedora, Gentoo, and Mandrake (1, 2, 3).

PC Tip of the Day: Home Networking Starter Course
If you need a starter course on home networking, Microsoft can provide you with a starting point and this tip is beneficial to Multiple Platforms users. Learn the basics of home networking by visiting the Microsoft support site.

Apple Tip of the Day: Setting up Small Ethernet Network
Mac-heads will benefit from the above tip and can learn more about setting up a small ethernet network by surfing to the Apple support site.

What is Partitioning?
According to Wikipedia, “In computer engineering, hard disk drive partitioning is the creation of logical divisions upon a hard disk that allows one to apply operating system-specific logical formatting.

Disk partitioning is a simple technique, which can be viewed as a precursor of Logical volume management.

More than one operating system can be executed or installed in a single computer, without partitioning (LiveCDs, keydrives or a second hard disk unit with a bootable media that jumps to the second hard disk).
For UNIX-based and UNIX-like operating systems, fancy partitioning creates separate partitions for /, /boot, /home, /tmp, /usr, /var, /opt and swap. This ensures that if one file system gets corrupted, the rest of the data (the other file systems) stay intact, minimizing data loss. This has the disadvantage of subdividing the drive into small, fixed-size partitions, so, for instance, a user can fill up their /home partition and run out of useable hard drive space, even though other partitions still have plenty of free space. A good implementation requires the user to predict how much space each partition will need; sometimes a difficult task. Typical desktop systems use the other convention; a "/" (root) partition containing the entire filesystem and a separate swap partition.”

Tech News Blog
3.15.05
Phishing and Zombies Continued
Yesterday we reported on tech items regarding pharming and today the same thread continues with reports from CNET regarding zombie computer networks that have been identified thanks to the work of the Honeynet Project. In another related item from CNET, banking sites may be at risk due to a cross-site scripting flaw that could allow phishers to redirect web site visitors to their phony phishing sites. These stories are very similar to those we reported on yesterday (see Monday’s tech news below).

FTC Closes Phony Anti-Spyware Software Maker
The FTC has closed down a software maker that claimed to help remove “nonexistent computer spyware” according to CNET. The company that sold the product Spyware Assassin used pop-up ads that claimed the user computer was infected with spyware and claimed that their software could restore the computer to a clean state, a condition that already existed in many cases according to the FTC.

Apple Sneaks in Restrictions with iTunes Update
MacNN reports that Apple has included new restrictions on iTunes users within the latest update, iTunes 4.7.1/. According to the story, after installation of the update iTunes users sharing is limited to five unique computers daily regardless of any copyright protection (like Apple’s FairPlay Digital Rights Management AKA: DRM). This is another error on Apple’s part in my mind and another reason to begin looking at other alternatives for music listening. I can see where Apple feels that it has the right to block ‘too many’ users from accessing an individuals iTunes songs that are protected by Apple’s DRM, but to block you from sharing the other music within your iTunes library goes to far. I honestly feel that the entire DRM is becoming a deterrent to the Apple experience. If I am not mistaken, Apple is charging me a fee to buy the song and I should be free to use that song just as I can do if I purchase a CD at the local mall. When I purchase that CD at the mall, I am entitled to use it on my personal music player and even make a copy of the same for my own personal use. Now Apple is trying to restrict this right because I have chosen to use Apple’s iTunes as my music player, is that right? I think it sucks… I hope the bigwigs at Apple readjust their thinking caps and correct this restriction on the use of what we consumers have purchased, and have a legal right to use.

Microsoft Has New Import Tool Available
Microsoft has released an oft-requested tool for Mac users, .PST Import Tool for Mac. This tool will allow Mac-heads to import their files from Outlook 2001 into Entourage 2004 according to a story carried by MacCentral. To download the free tool you can visit the Microsoft support site.

Mac Users Get Doom 3 First!
The PC gamers of the world will be shocked as they are forced to watch their Mac brethren load up Doom 3 weeks before it will be available to them according to a report from CNET. A storied about the release carried by MacCentral states that Aspyr Media Inc. plans to release the game by March 19, 2005 and MacCentral has benchmarks on the game available at their web site.

Shuffle in Style
I just stick my iPod Shuffle in my shirt pocket or wear it under my shirt when necessary, but if you would like a shirt with a pocket designed especially for your Shuffle surf over to the MacDailyNews and check out their story on the latest fashion trend. Beware: MacDailyNews presents you with a pop-under ads; I forgot to remove them from my RSS feed subscriptions and got another annoying ad. Come on MacDailyNews, you don’t need to do this to your visitors! Removal process started, good-bye MDN…

Open Source Updates
Secunia released update or security bulletins for these systems: Fedora, Debian, SuSE, and Conectiva.

Debian on Mac Mini
If you want to use your Mac Mini for a server, this author has provided a great tutorial at Macminihacks.org/. You will find a well-done package of information including links to supported software, screen shots of the installation process, and a wealth of helpful how-to tips for using you Mac as a server.

Apple Tip of the Day: Safari Tune-up
Continuing on the item from yesterdays news regarding Safari and connectivity issues, MacFixIt has additional suggestions for solving the conflicts in Safari post-installation of Apple’s update 10.3.8; the solution is to install a previously recommended application Safari Enhancer. This tool allows you to disable Safari cache and alleviates the problem. I already use Safari Enhancer, which might explain why I didn’t experience this particular issue; although I had another connectivity issue that was system-wide and not browser specific that I corrected using Preferential Treatment to search for corrupt .plist files.

PC Tip of the Day: Which File System is Best for Gamers: Fat32 or NTFS?
PC owners that game and use Windows XP will find this article helpful when deciding which file system is best for gaming. The author’s findings may surprise you, the file system that best serves gamers will work for power users too, and the verdict is: NTFS.

What is FAT?
Wikipedia provide this definition for FAT, “File Allocation Table (FAT) is a file system that was developed for MS-DOS and used in consumer versions of Microsoft Windows up to and including Windows Me. The FAT file system is considered relatively uncomplicated, and because of that, it is a popular format for floppy disks; moreover, it is supported by virtually all existing operating systems for personal computers, and because of that it is often used to share data between several operating systems booting on the same computer (a multiboot environment). It is also used on solid-state memory sticks and other similar devices.”

Tech News Blog
3.14.05
Phishers Turn to Pharmers
The newest term to add to your geek-speak repertoire is pharming (see the definitions from Wikipedia below) and according to a report in Wired, the newest wave of scammers is scooping up victims in large volumes. The fraud involves redirecting victims from a legitimate web site to a bogus site that attempts to extract sensitive information from the unsuspecting visitor. The fake web sites are often very realistic-looking according to Wired. You shouldn’t follow links provided in an email message or from web sites to banks and financial institutions without verifying the URL. If you feel that the message might be legitimate, open a secure browser (like Firefox) and type in the domain name of the business in the address bar. A new virus circulating can reportedly compromise this method too, I’ll provide more details as they become available.

Netscape Returns
Netscape 7.2 has been released and according to PC World several of the new features may be useful for PC users that have yet to migrate away from the still venerable Internet Explorer. Tab browsing, a Quick Launch option that allows fast access to the Internet and more are features included in the latest release.

Safari Connectivity Fix
If you have been experiencing connectivity issues with Safari post-installation of Apple’s 10.3.8 update, MacFixIt has a work around available. Apparently, the conflict occurs because of a cache folder corruption and by making the cache inaccessible, you can correct the problem.

Give Stuck CD the Boot
I had this problem last week: a CD was stuck in my iMac and I couldn’t get it to eject. I remembered that holding the mouse button down while booting causes the CD to eject and I watched with relief as the tray slid open when I re-started. If that would have failed, there are other methods available and MacMerc provides four options in their Power User Monday Tip of the Week.

Open Source Updates
Secunia released these updates for open source users: Gentoo (1, 2, 3), and Red Hat.

Multiple Platforms Tip of the Day: Tutorial on Identifying Phishing Scams
The Multiple Platforms tip of the day comes from Microsoft and is in the form of a tutorial to educate us on identifying and controlling phishing attacks. Visit the Microsoft support site to view this tip.

What is Phishing?
According to Wikipedia, “In computing, phishing is the fraudulent acquisition, through deception, of sensitive personal information such as passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as someone trustworthy with a real need for such information. It is a form of social engineering attack. (See an example.)

The term was coined in the mid 1990's by crackers attempting to steal AOL accounts. An attacker would pose as an AOL staff member and send an instant message to a potential victim. The message would ask the victim to reveal his or her password, for instance to "verify your account" or to "confirm billing information". Once the victim gave over the password, the attacker could access the victim's account and use it for criminal purposes, such as spamming.”

What is Pharming?
Wikipedia supplies this definition, “Pharming is the exploitation of a vulnerability in the DNS server software that allows a hacker to acquire the Domain Name for a site, and to redirect traffic to that website to another website. DNS servers are the giant computers that "run" the Internet.

If the website receiving the traffic is a fake website, such as a copy of a bank's website, it can be used to "Phish" or steal a computer user's passwords, PIN number or account number.

For example, in January 2005, the Domain Name for a large New York ISP, Panix, was hijacked to a site in Australia. In 2004 a German teenager hijacked the eBay.de Domain Name.”