Firefox 3.6.4 Release Fixes 225 Bugs – Following delays, Mozilla has released version 3.6.4 of the Firefox web browser. Firefox 3.6.4 closes more than 225 bugs found in the previous update, addresses a number of critical security vulnerabilities and includes new crash protection technology from the Mozilla Lorentz Project.
Video Formats Explained – The whole video format situation couldn’t be more confusing if it was intended as a practical joke. “Hey, let’s create a file format with no compatibility standards, and pass out lots of files that may or may not work. And while we’re at it, let’s fill that salt shaker with sugar.”
Google Under Multistate Privacy Microscope: How We Got Here – Google is under fire by the state of Connecticut and other states for it’s Wi-Fi data collection. Here is a timeline on how Google found itself in this mess.
Windows Wireless Zero Configuration: Five Steps to Sanity – With the release of Windows XP, Microsoft tried to make configuring and connecting to wireless networks easy for everyone. They partially succeeded.
Researcher ‘Fingerprints’ The Bad Guys Behind The Malware – Black Hat USA researcher will demonstrate how to find clues to help ID actual attackers, plans to release free fingerprinting tool.
The Fastest ISPs in the U.S. 2010 – Browser manufacturers spend a lot of time touting their speeds, but if you really want a quick load time, you need to look to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). We crunched speeds from the top ISPs across the country to find out which providers came out on top.
eReader devices face mass extinction – Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook have taken a pricing nose dive, hitting the rock-bottom “margin floor.” Is the age of the dedicated e-Reader over? What do you think?
Google Voice: One more step toward owning everything – So it’s great, right? A Gmail-style interface for your messages, including free SMS, right from any browser or smartphone, with decent speech-to-text email-style voicemail transcriptions (kiss my butt, Verizon, and keep your crappy, not-free, visual voicemail) and a single number that can always find you (no, that’s a good thing for most of us)…what’s not to love?
Off Topic (Sort of):
The 20 Worst Names Real People Have (With Proof) – You know, you can go down to the courthouse and file a petition of name change for like fifty bucks. It takes a week or so to go through and then bam! You have a whole new name! I’ve done it twice, it’s no big deal. So why haven’t the twenty people in this article changed their amazingly fail names? Lord only knows. Let’s just point and laugh and wonder, shall we?
Packet-Sniffing Laws Murky as Open Wi-Fi Proliferates – Starbucks is rolling out free, unsecured Wi-Fi access at about 7,000 of its coffee shops across the United States beginning July 1. But will there be packet-sniffing with your latte?
OSes made Simple in 3:19 – This is a classic skit done by the Royal Canadian Air Farce entitled “The Macintoshes”. A Scottish lad from the McIntosh clan discovers the wife he has chosen is incompatible’. (submitted by Dar)
JOHN STOSSEL: War on drugs worse than drugs – Everything can be abused, but that doesn’t mean government can stop it, or should try to stop it. Government goes astray when it tries to protect us from ourselves.
Monster crocodile gobbles up SHARK – This monster crocodile has just proven who’s the king of the swamp!
Today’s Quote:
“Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half the time.”
– E. B. White
Today’s Free Downloads:
JonDoFox – JonDoFox creates a customized Firefox profile that automatically uses the program, as well as a number of privacy and security-themed Firefox addons, to allow for anonymous, protected surfing. It’s a nicely configured setup that takes very little effort to set up.
FireFTP – FireFTP turns Firefox into an impromptu and speedy two-way FTP application. Once installed, FireFTP appears in the Tools menu. Click it and a new FTP tab opens up, offering a simple two-pane system that lets you easily copy files between your desktop and a remote site.
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Hey Bill,
Regarding the Starbucks story.
There is no way on God’s green earth that I would ever use an internet connection at these places. People may as well put up a big sign saying, “Hack me please”. Unsecured wi-fi is ridiculous. As we have all been talking about in the last few days, most people don’t have secured computers, and don’t know or care about it. It’s a stupid idea by Starbucks.
Cheers
Hey Mal,
You’re right – “It’s a stupid idea by Starbucks”, from an Internet security perspective. But, what do they care? They see it only as a cool marketing idea.
They should be forced to place a huge sign on the premises, warning customers that only experienced users, with properly configured machines, should take advantage of the offer.
How likely is that to happen? I predict that it will happen on the same day that porn is banned from the Internet. 🙂
Best,
Bill
A serious problem in the UK is affordable, basic broadband coverage – even in the major cities there are access difficulties for a high proportion of non-business users
It’s partly due to the way the providers are concentrating their efforts where the money is – with business & with ‘packages’ to home users that mean they will fix you up quickest if you take their TV & movie service addons (For just a basic broadband connection you can find yourself eating a huge installation fee, or on a permanent waiting list)
Retailers local to me that add value with their free WiFi are very welcome to leave the security side of the equation in my hands
Nightjar,
I was unaware of the issues you describe regarding connectivity in the UK. Thanks for sharing this.
Bill
I work with the homeless – especiallly male war-damaged ex-military. Often they have lost their roots & their bank accounts are closed.
Because of the rules re money laundering & ID theft prevention – it has become extraordinarily difficult to furnish these guys with a new basic bank account
in the UK – these guys DON’T HAVE PAPERWORK
No bank account & no cheap, accessible internet connection = no job prospects
Of the ‘bottom’ 10% who are willing & able to take part in the great society – many report that the first rung of the ladder is rapidly being pulled up out of their reach
Nightjar,
I know, intimately, that the point you make resonates through society much more than most people realize.
On a regular basis, I offer my services to the disadvantaged, (not a description I’m comfortable with), and a common denominator is, as you point out – the lack of a bank account. The reasons you mention, are mirrored here in Canada.
This situation has led to a proliferation of cheque cashing stores which, in most cases, charge exorbitant fees to cash cheques; even government cheques. A situation that beats the poor, and the disadvantaged, down even further.
Social justice advocates make the point, that access to the Internet should be classified as a basic right. My personal experience with the harm that the lack of such access causes, has convinced me, that this should be formalized in legislation.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment.
Bill