Sep 22nd, 2005 - Security researchers announced a new vulnerability for users of the Firefox 1.0.6 browsers on a Unix or Linux platform. The problem revolves around a security bug that could allow hackers to execute arbitrary shell commands if they can trick the user into accepting a malicious link on a website. ... (Read More)

Sep 20th, 2005 - Symantec released a report comparing Mozilla Firefox vs. Windows Explorer, and found that Firefox had more security flaws, but Explorer's were more severe. The report also disclosed statistics on a number of other concerns involving Internet Security. Using data collected between January and... (Read More)

Sep 19th, 2005 - What does Googlebombing mean? How does it affect IT? Can it affect the integrity of website searches? Should search engines have the ethical responsibility to restore / correct the rubble the Googlebomb causes? Let's look into this facinating new word I learned today. According to Wikipedia,... (Read More)

Sep 14th, 2005 - Microsoft messed up Update Rollup 1, that caused compatability problems with several vendor applications such as Citrix, Sophos, and some parts of Microsoft Office. Programs were unable to access floppy disks, or even crashed more often, or simply didn't work. Microsoft earlier remarked that only... (Read More)

Sep 14th, 2005 - Massachusetts has a new state policy that requires state agencies to use an "Open Document" format in their business applications. Not surprisingly, propriety software giant Microsoft has filed complaints with the state concerning the policy. Back in 2003, the Massachusetts Office of... (Read More)

Sep 13th, 2005 - Early in September, NASA implemented new software controls on the Hubble Space Telescope, allowing it to shut down one of the three remaining gyroscopes, reserving the third gyroscope for later use. By doing this, scientists hope to extend the Hubble's mission through mid-2008. Gyroscopes are... (Read More)

Sep 9th, 2005 - Apple Computer, announced on Wednesday a new cell phone that serves as an iTunes player. The phone, available only through Cingular Wireless holds about 100 songs that are downloaded from a Windows PC or Macintosh, and the songs are managed just like an iPod. According to the FAQ, the phone... (Read More)

Sep 8th, 2005 - FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Association committed acts of browser discrimination by only allowing people with Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer 6.0 to file electronic claims in response to Hurricane Katrina. This means that if I was an affected citizen of the US, and had my Mac... (Read More)

Sep 8th, 2005 - WinFS is Microsoft's new Relational File System, and the company released a Beta 1 edition of the software to members of the Microsoft Developer Network. Originally planned for a Windows Vista release, the software runs on Windows XP. A forthcomming Beta 2 release should work on the beta releases... (Read More)

Sep 8th, 2005 - GAP, Inc. the owners of Gap.com and OldNavy.com closed down their websites last week to prepare them for the upcoming holiday season. Instead of developing a test-beta site, they opted to close the websites completely, and complete the overhaul before releasing it to the public. The company is... (Read More)

Sep 7th, 2005 - The case between Google and Microsoft over executive Kal-Fu Lee began this week in court. According to reports, the case already has both sides trowing mud at each other. Some of you may recall that Kal-Fu Lee, a former executive of Microsoft, recently left the company and joined Google in a... (Read More)

Sep 6th, 2005 - What is a Wiki? I have seen the word before when installing eGroupware, a web-based emailing and calendar program that could give Microsoft Exchange a real run for the money. But I haven't had the chance to really think about what a Wiki was until I used Wikipedia, and looked at the technology.... (Read More)

Sep 6th, 2005 - Last week, Intel announced a new chip design that promises less power use per unit time, along with embedded security and management functions. The goal is to provide a 3.5 times performance-per-watt improvement over today's single-core Xeon based server CPU. Intel's CEO Paul Otellini said that... (Read More)

Sep 1st, 2005 - Creative Technology, the makers of the Soundblaster cards, and more recently, the Zen Neon portable music players, confirmed this week that 4,000 of it's shipped Neon music players shipped with the Wullik.b worm that affects Windows computers. Wullik.b came to the world in 2003 and it attacks... (Read More)

Sep 1st, 2005 - The Mozilla Foundation (www.mozilla.org) has announced that Firefox 1.5 Beta 1 is due on September 8. Firefox is an alternative web browser to IE developed by the Mozilla foundation, the group of people who brought us Netscape and other fine utilities. Firefox is available for Windows,... (Read More)

Aug 29th, 2005 - Imagine turning on your radio, and instead of hearing music or your sports program, you hear a buzzing noise that is more annoying than static. You try to tune in your favorite station, but you cannot hear it anymore until you drive out of town, or perhaps you need to turn your radio different... (Read More)

Aug 29th, 2005 - Toshiba announced last week that they are producing a 1.8" hard drive using perpendicular recording to allow hard drive storage capabilities to 40 GB on a single platter. These types of drives are found in small hand-held devices such as Apple's iPod MP3 player. Computers typically use 2.5" hard... (Read More)

Aug 29th, 2005 - Mid last week, Intel and Matsushita announced that they are working on an 8 hour notebook battery solution featuring Intel's low-power consumption technology powered by Matsushita's lithium-ion battery solutions. Currently, (pardon the pun) laptops range anywhere from 3 - 6 hours, depending on... (Read More)

Aug 25th, 2005 - Webroot, the makers of Spy Sweeper, are claiming that 8 out of 10 corporate PCs are infected with Spyware. Wow! That's a significant amount of computers. Looking at my personal experience troubleshooting and repairing computers, I have to agree with them. Before we go to deeply, let's define... (Read More)

Aug 22nd, 2005 - What, exactly, is free speech? What is allowed by the US 1st Amendment? Where are the lines drawn concerning what people can say, and how they can be liable for their statements? "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or... (Read More)

Aug 18th, 2005 - On August 17, CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) released information about Apple Mac products facing several security Vulnerabilities. Systems affected: Mac OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4.2 (both workstation and server) Apps affected: Apple Safari Web browser. Apple has addressed these... (Read More)

Aug 16th, 2005 - Attention Microsoft Users -- As of late Tuesday afternoon Chicago time, major news networks are reporting being affected by a new bug called Zotob. It affects Microsoft systems, as described in a Microsoft Bulliton MS05-039, a document that was released earlier this month. CERT sources say... (Read More)

Aug 16th, 2005 - Congress is debating an Energy bill, and one of the measures of that bill is to lengthen Daylight Savings Time about a month. For those who may be outside of the US, or places along the equator, there are some countries that change their time clocks to take advantage of more sunlight during... (Read More)

Aug 11th, 2005 - The purpose of Marketing is simple: get your message to a customer, with as little cost as possible, and motivate them to purchase your product. As an engineer / scientist, I thought some of the gizmos such as free pens, the little footballs, the shirts and coffee cups were all neat gestures, and... (Read More)

Aug 8th, 2005 - According to hardware.silicon.com, Microsoft revealed Longhorn Server (Windows Server 2007?) to 5000 people this week. Microsoft confirmed the release that these people will receive a beta for the next-generation OS. The Longhorn Server is not available for public download. There is no date... (Read More)

Aug 8th, 2005 - According to Information week, AMD and Intel have cut their prices on their processor platforms, anywhere from 10 to 30 percent on some models, such as the Centrino and Athlon64 X2 dual-core chips. This is interesting news, considering that there is a lawsuit in Federal Court in Deleware, where... (Read More)

Aug 2nd, 2005 - Ladies and Gentlemen, stop the presses! Well, in today's world, I should change that... Stop uploading the websites! This is BIG News. Ever since Apple came out with the Macintosh (1984), they have only shipped with one-button mice. Even mice prepared for the Apple IIe / IIc / IIgs had one... (Read More)

Aug 1st, 2005 - According to Information Week (July 25, 2005), Firefox is facing a release delay. The article mentions that the Mozilla foundation has delayed the release of the next major version of Firefox until September. The current version of Firefox is 1.0.6 Firefox is a major alternative to Internet... (Read More)