Barack Obama isn’t leaving the White House!

By Paul | Jan 19, 2009

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In a story from Sophos, some e-mails are going around saying that Barack Obama is not going to be president or that he will not be inauguration. Sopho’s also makes a great comparison for the two sites and it does try to look like the official site.

Which if you click on the “Continue Reading” link it will try to send a file “Speech.exe” which is W32/Waled-Gen or Mal/WaledPak-A. It is a fake site to look like the real site, it is never a good idea on clicking on links that looks real. For those of you who want to watch the Inauguration online I would suggest Hulu:

You can watch it happen when it happens. So sit back relax and enjoy the show!!

Fix Shutdown Problems in Vista!

By Paul | Dec 10, 2008

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In the Patch Tuesday update, Microsoft quietly released the patch to fix Windows Vista machine shut problems. This patch should of came sooner.

KB957388

Update for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista

Install this update to resolve a set of known application compatibility issues with Windows Server 2008. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

This was not a critical update and it seems to resolve so many issues with compatibility. One thing it seemed to fix on my system has been the shutdown time. It is now quite fast, it would normally take me 2 to 3 mins to shutdown, now it does it in less than a Minute. So if you’ve not installed this update please install it soon. I would like to know if people are seeing the same thing I am. I’ve found a great resource on fixing it if you are still having problem, it talks about how to check your system performance. Although this is been doing it lately with these programs not loaded or even running, they still seem to cause problems so now I get the feeling it has to do with legacy programs. This should fix most of the problem with older programs.

The Next big Wave of Layoffs is Sony. (9,000 workers)

By Paul | Dec 9, 2008

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In a report from Engadget, there seems to be more Layoffs going on. One such one is Sony. Here is what Engadget said:

The bad news from the Japanese consumer electronics industry continues. Sony just announced plans to cut about 8,000 global jobs from its beleaguered electronics business while making unspecified reductions to its seasonal and temporary workforce. The move, as Sony explains it, comes “in response to the sudden and rapid changes in the global economic environment.” Ominously, it looks like Sony will also be raising prices in the countries where “Sony makes significant sales” (read: US and Europe) if we’re reading this statement correctly:

[Via Engadget]

In Today’s economy, you need to be prepared. So I thought I bring back some old Favorites of mine and talk about them. To see the other layoffs that I’ve talked about CLICK HERE. If you wanted to know what you can do to be prepared here are some great resources for people who are worried about there jobs:

5 ways to improve your chance of getting hired.
Are you asking to be scammed? (Don’t get scammed while finding a job)
Google : Job Resources

Trojan.PWS.ChromeInject.A is not a Firefox plugin.

By Paul | Dec 5, 2008

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A new type of malware designed to harvest web passwords has been detected in-the-wild by BitDefender’s antivirus research labs. This latest e-threat – called Trojan.PWS.ChromeInject.A – is intended to be delivered onto a compromised computer system by other malware for subsequent download into Mozilla Firefox’s Plugin folder. Once installed it gets to work every time Firefox is started.

[Via Bitdefender]

So having seen this I thought I’d come up with ways around this to better protect yourself. One way to prevent this from getting your sensitive data is to get a program like Sandboxie. You could stop using Firefox that would be silly, because right now Firefox is more secure than Chrome and Internet Explorer. I’d also suggest checking out my Anti-spyware page and Anti-Virus page and get some more protection.

The key to this virus protection is just be cautious of where you go and keep all you system update to date to prevent all this from happening. It is also advisable to not have your passwords saved on Firefox, you should use something like Roboform, it is free to download and try. It will encrypt your passwords so if they don’t know the master password then they are out of luck. Roboform is also good for coming up with some strong passwords. Just some suggestions to prevent from people seeing your sensitive data, you don’t want anyone to get that data.

Are you patched, Secunia Says NO

By Paul | Dec 5, 2008

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Think you’ve got nothing to worry about, according to Secunia 98% of computers are not fully patched and are vulnerable to some kinda of attack.

So I wanted to talk about this a little and give you a few good ways to make sure you are patched. There are several ways to get your system up to almost 100%.

Some things to do is make sure you have your Windows systems updated. This is easy to make sure, if you have an internet connection you can just check for updates. If you don’t know how to do it, it is quite simple, Just go here. If you have Windows Vista all you have to do is hit Start and type in the search box “Windows Update” and hit Enter and you will be taken to the update page.

If you have a system that is off of the Net you could use the Clone of Autopatcher Program to do it for you. You also need to update all your secondary programs such as Audacity, Open Office, and other programs that you use weekly.

Vista Sp2 Beta Still not up yet!

By Paul | Dec 4, 2008

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In my vista-sp2-dec-42008.html/”>Previous article I talked about how you could be in the Beta, and I just checked this morning. It looks like they took that article down. I don’t know if they are changing it around or what but it will be. I hope they fix this soon. I would like to start testing this on my Virtual Machine first before I install it on my real machine!! I will update this when they do get it up and running.

Is this Windows 7?

By Paul | Dec 4, 2008

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As you can see that looks to be the final release of the start screen. In the past they haven’t change the start screen, it looks to be really polished and ready for use with Windows 7. If anything, I think the boot screen will be permanent and definitely not temporary. On a Side note, I found this video as well:

macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer” flashvars=”c=v&v=60e5f8c6-09f3-4a09-bac0-355b8a7b7dcc&ifs=true&fr=shared&mkt=en-US”>oembed>Video: Windows 7 Demo 1

This video I almost suspect is the release they did at the Professional Developers Conference and is probably going to have the beta in hand. Although I could be wrong this looks to be almost like Vista? Why is Microsoft trying to make Vista turn into Windows 7, probably due to the fact that Vista had such a rotten launch they are hoping people will see Windows 7 as if Windows Vista didn’t even exist.

I also found one more little Video that looks to be promising, it’s called Windows 7 Super bar. This little Video looks convincingly like this will be kept in Windows 7 but you know how Microsoft is on beta’s. Any how, Here’s this one:

Windows 7 Super Bar from Paul Jenkins on Vimeo.

Apple’s Immunity, Botnet sanctuary.

By Paul | Dec 3, 2008

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But is Apple projecting a false sense of security just to save face? Many experts repeatedly warn that all operating systems are susceptible to viruses, and as the Mac becomes more popular OS X will inevitably become a bigger target for malicious attacks.

[via Pcworld]

Having said that I feel the notion that Apple is trying to keep there reputation as a virus free system. I can only hope that they stay that way. Which as much as I know, Apple will most like start to be the main source for botnets, because of the lack of security.

According to reports on this blog, people are worried Apple stance on it being the safest and having so much immunity to viruses. Apple in the past has stated they have mislead people with there firewall. Yet Apple takes down that suggestion of having an Anti-virus(Quietly).

Everything I’ve seen suggest that virus writers and Malware writers will MOST likely start targeting the Mac OS X, they know Apple sense of security is Vulnerable to attack and they will exploit it more and more. So what does that mean for Apple, it just means that soon every hacker who has a botnet will want a piece of the Apple Pie and is right now.

Is this Hardcore PC Falcon Northwest Mach V Extreme or not?

By Paul | Dec 3, 2008

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Just saw this on PcWorld Reviews and thought I’d talk about the specs. I would love to get one of these for my self. It comes with:

Silverstone Temjin TJ03 full tower case
Intel Core i7 965 Extreme processor — Overclocked to 3.8 GHZ

12GB of DDR3-1066

7200-rpm Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000 hard drive

dual 2GB ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 graphics

22-inch Samsung 2243 LCD

All these are links are for those who would like to make this computer yourself. The links are where you could go to buy the parts. The price after you buy the parts are estimated at $7395 price and I think you could get that down to 5000$ if you look for rebates and other incentives. I wouldn’t mind having this computer for gaming myself. It sure would be nice to give for someone on the holidays. This would be good for people wh o are looking to computer game developers or people who are into 3D rendering. Just though I share this little review with you. They really did a fantastic review of this product on there site.

You asked for it, Now it’s real — Vista SP2 Dec 4,2008

By Paul | Dec 2, 2008

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Beginning Thursday Dec. 4^th, we will be making the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta available to everyone through a Customer Preview Program (CPP). The CPP will launch on TechNet and be available to anyone interested in trying out this service pack. The CPP is intended for technology enthusiasts, developers, and IT Pros who would like to test Service Pack 2 in their environments and with their applications prior to final release. For most customers, our best advice would be to wait until the final release prior to installing this service pack.

[Via Technet]

Yes you heard right, you can get into the Beta of Vista SP2 and not have to wait till April. Some things to remember:

It is a Beta
It will Have Bugs
It is for people who want to test it out
It should only be installed for people who need to test it out

Vista To release Service Pack 2 in April 2009

By Laforge129 | Dec 1, 2008

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Some sources are reporting that Vista SP2 will be out in April. According to Engadget they claim TechARP is a bunch of Malaysian Kids that like to boast about how they broke the Vista SP1 and XP SP3 release schedules to the world. They claim though that Vista Release candidate is to be out around February.Microsoft has indicated that this SP3 will include Windows Search 4, Bluetooth 2.1 wireless support, faster resume from sleep when a wireless connection has been broken and support for Blu-ray. I personally think it will include some of Windows 7 features to better get people accustomed to Windows 7 when they come out.

Although this is speculation and no hard evidence I think it has some merit due to the fact that Microsoft has admitted in the past that Vista was a big Letdown. I don’t think they can any more to damage than they have already done. If anything Windows 7 will be a easy Success if they pull it off in the right way!!! Although with WIndows 7 be leaked online there is no telling what will happen. I am sure what ever happens will be interesting to say the least!!!

Spying on Spyware.ISpynow!!

By Laforge129 | Nov 29, 2008

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This is another Virus that is going around and thought I’d tell you about it:

Spyware.ISpyNow monitors files, network traffic, and keystrokes. This Spyware gives the person who installed it a Web-based interface with summaries of logged information on the host computer.

[Via Symantec]

Now this one isn’t to hard to figure out what happened. You have to manually install it on your system to get infected. Symantec has a great way on uninstalling this annoyance. I also suggest checking out my other program list just in case you don’t want to buy Symantec Anti-Virus programs. Some other things to check out is:

Avg detected Trojan Horse Generic 12.htc? – This has a great article on how to use HiJackthis program and how to make sure you no longer have the virus.
Some Important programs to prevent yourself from having viruses and Malware!! — This article gives you some other programs to use other than Symantec. You have a wide variety of choices on Anti-virus programs and Firewall Choices. You also have some choices on Spyware removal programs.

Black Friday gets way out of hand!!! (No JOKE)

By Laforge129 | Nov 28, 2008

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OK, Black Friday has officially gotten out of hand. A 34-year-old WalMart employee was trying to hold back the crowds at a Long Island store this morning at 5am, when they took the doors off their hinges and stormed the store. The man fell down and was trampled by over 200 people as he gasped for air. It’s sad and despicable, and it’s equally the fault of the dehumanized shoppers and the WalMart store it happened at.
[via Gizmodo]

This is a sad day when people are more interested in deals then someone getting stampeded by other people. This happened in the Long Island Wal-mart. I much prefer CyberMonday, where you don’t have to worry about someone getting killed. I feel sorry for the people involved they now have to deal with there conscience. I hope this teaches Wal-mart to do something different next year. Next year they should have them enter one at a time in a line, every 2 seconds or so!!

Podcasters are in up in arms over Ustream.tv

By Laforge129 | Nov 25, 2008

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REVISED:

Podcasters and LifeCasters alike are not so happy with Ustream.tv right now. They have started to introduce there own ads overlay to where the lifecaster or podcast involved doesn’t get any revenue. One such Podcast right now is Mike Smith, Host of the Miketechshow Podcast, and Also Todd Cochrane, Host of Geeknewscentral. In a Recent post from Todd, he stated he is going to leave Ustream.tv.

Mike Smith in his last Podcast talked about this subject and why he is really unhappy with Ustream.tv. He says that the ads could possible violate his TOS with Techpodcast Network. He also would like to share the revenue because he was one of the founding podcasters that started to use Ustream.tv. He’s worried that there will be adult theme ads showing on his video stream and that He wants this to be family friendly. He’s said before the show if he has to he’ll go to other networks. Some of the networks that might help him out:

Mogulus
Stickam
Ustream.tv
Blogtv

Technorati Officially laysoff 6 people!!

By Laforge129 | Nov 25, 2008

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Technorati released today they are going to Lay off 6 people and I will quote:

Unfortunately, this means sacrifices. Technorati’s management team members are taking pay cuts ranging from 15-25% and employees are taking 10% cut. This also includes the reallocation of staff. We’re laying off six employees today – including two executives — and there are two additional departures we won’t replace. These are high performers who have worked long hours to get us where we are now. They’re also friends, and we’re very sad to see them go. We simply need a leaner and reconfigured mix to get us through 2009.

[via Technorati Weblog]

They will also be taking pay cuts all through the company. So the recession is hitting them also. I am sure CEO Richard Jalichandra has the company interest in mind. According to Techchunch, they have added these recent layoffs ticker. You can also search my blog for other layoffs that have happened or will happen.

Citigroup bank might be saved through the recession.

By Paul | Nov 23, 2008

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According to reports from ABC News, Citibank is having a hard time and might need to be assisted by the government.

The company has seen its shares lose 60 percent of their value in the past week, reflecting a crisis of confidence among skittish investors. They are worried all the risky debt on Citigroup’s balance sheet will turn into losses as the economy worsens and the markets stay turbulent — losses that could be nearly impossible to reverse.

[via ABC News]

Although this is somewhat expected, I don’t think we can afford to pay the debt of a bank. We are all having to deal with this recession. I don’t know how they can afford to pay for Citigroup and expect this to help bolster the economy. I guess only time will tell!!!

Google SearchWiki dies after two days!!

By Paul | Nov 22, 2008

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According to Techcrunch Google Pulls the Google SearchWiki. Unsure as to way but here’s what they said:

Users are reporting that the recent changes to Google’s search engine, called SearchWiki, have simply disappeared from the site. It’s certainly gone from my account.

User reactions were mixed but weighted heavily towards “this is lame,” and there was no way to turn off the features other than to conduct Google searches without being logged in. Another way to turn it off was to switch search engines.

[via TechCrunch]

I’ve got my theory on this, and it’s quite a good theory. I think it was a making search results come up wrong or not at all. The last two days they’ve had that going my page views have drop BIG time. According to my Stats I’ve had 236 Unique Visits for Thursday, and 232 Wednesday. My Friday stats show that I only got 185 Unique Visits, dropping 40 to 50 people. My stats for today which is incomplete shows that I’ve only gotten 136 unique visits. Although that is complete you can see where I dropped drastically. I think Google was getting yelled at by websites due to the stats dropping. I am guessing people could tell if they wanted to go to a site just by reading the comments. This will hurt every site, including TechCrunch. I will say this is only a theory and this might or might not be the case.

Youtube gets ready to Launch “LIVE Event!!” 5pm PST/8pm EST

By Paul | Nov 21, 2008

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As the time approaches for the live even for Youtube. There are many confirmed and only one I want to see right now. As many people will agree that Mythbusters is the best show on Discovery Channel. They have been confirmed to be there tomorrow.

Some of the major players confirmed to be there are Mythbusters, Soulja Boy Tell’em, Katy Perry, Esmee Denters, Akon, FRED, and Will. I. Am. Now I don’t know all these stars. I do Know Mythbusters and I’ve heard of FRED. I’m just stating who is going to be there.

Then the Obvious question comes to my mind and I am sure this is being asked by everyone right now. Is Mythbusters shows coming to Youtube? I would say from what all is going on with Youtube, they might become a competitor to Hulu. With them adding High Defination Viewing and allowing bigger video to be uploaded. There is no question that Youtube and Google is getting ready to release a major statement, or change there direction. So be ready tomorrow at 8 PM EST/5 PM PST and let’s see what happens.