Sneak Peak : Wi-Fire USB WiFi adapter from hField
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I will be Reviewing the Wi-Fire USB WiFi adapter from hField in the next couple weeks. Here is what they sent me and I will be testing this out in the future.
The Wi-Fire multiplies the effectiveness of any 802.11 b/g wireless networks and eliminates those nasty dead spots that plague users. It allows users to connect to a WiFi network from up to 1,000 feet-more than three times the range of other 802.11 adapters-often at significantly higher speeds, and even in locations where no wireless signal could be detected previously. Independent testing has shown the Wi-Fire outperforms 802.11n adapters at distance; delivering greater throughput and a more stable connection.
Wi-Fire gives Windows, Linux and Macintosh users worldwide the freedom to connect to WiFi networks when they want, where they want.
As you can see this is going to be a very interesting little device. They have also offered to give two of my readers a chance to get one of these antenna’s. So I will be testing this out and giving my opinion and it will talked about and there will be a contest. I will come up with a contest in the coming weeks.
Twitter Spam attempt: “See the NSFW pics twitter deleted from my profile here”
Comments OffLooks like this might have been a improper adult content or maybe a Malware attack:
Not suitable/safe for work (NSFW), not work-suitable/safe (NWS), or not school-suitable (NSS) is Internet slang or shorthand. Typically, the NSFW tag is used in E-mail, movies (such as on Youtube) and on interactive discussion areas (such as internet forums, blogs and community websites) to mark URLs or hyperlinks which may be sexually explicit or include audio containing profanity, helping the reader avoid potentially objectionable content.
[via Wikipedia]
It looks like this was done with using Tinyurl and has been flagged for either Spam, Fraud, Malware, or Any other use that is illegal. I am glad Tinyurl did catch this and stop it. If you see something that say NSFW in your twitter account your best bet is to delete it and go on with your life. I am sure it is something your should not go to probably because it was a malicious way to get your to go to the link. If you want to preview the urls that are used by Tinyurl, just visit the preview feature. If anyone else hears of some kind of Twitter attempt let me know and I’ll blog about it. This would be the best time to install Free Anti-virus and Free Firewalls to help prevent from getting Viruses or Malware.
Adobe PDF Zero Day Warnings : Experts agree
Comments OffAll the Security experts online are talking about The 2 Zero Day Adobe Vulnerabilities:
This is mostly affect the corporate world more than the private sector because of the fact corporate world will use PDF by sending them through emails. I suggest installing another reader and these are all free.
Be advised the vulnerabilities affects Linux, Windows, and Macintosh systems. This will most likely mean that even Macintoshes could be used to create even more botnets and will need to disable there Javascript until this issue is fixed or maybe they would like to find another reader themselves. This also goes for Linux users but I have not heard of anything in the wild yet.
Don’t forget to install some free Anti-virus and Free Firewalls to help protect your system from becoming a botnet.
Facebook Goes Phishing again
Comments OffIn one of my Previous articles about the Koobface Worm, I talked about the way they were infecting the systems and what you need not do.
It seems that Trend Micro has seen an even more rise in people downloading the WORM_KOOBFACE.AZ and Seems to be on the RISE. This is all done with a Social engineering and Has had some attempts before with this little worm on Facebook.
* facebook.com
* hi5.com
* friendster.com
* myyearbook.com
* myspace.com
* bebo.com
* tagged.com
* netlog.com
* fubar.com
* livejournal.com
This seems to be a social engineering Nightmare for these websites and as yet are unsure what else it does but it says the same thing it did before by saying “This is a Video of You on the Street.” Which is bogus but none the less people click and think they have to download a codec or update their Flash. Social Engineering is on the rise and will be taken seriously. You should read the full report from Trend on what it does but you also should have an anti-virus and Firewall installed to prevent this from happening in the first place. The only true way of preventing this is not to be fooled, you should NEVER Download from a site you don’t know or trust. See all the Facebook articles for more information.
What is a Virus and Why do I have one
After seeing more and more the updates coming from the net. I wanted to talk about what a Computer Virus or Trojan is and how you get it. So how did you could of gotten a Virus in the first place. So here are some information to consider:
The vulnerability of operating systems to viruses
So what does that mean to you? Most of the times when you get a virus you have a vulnerability in some place in your Operating system and it is either something that has not be known by Microsoft, Apple, and Linux or is know as a Zero-day Exploit.
A zero-day (or zero-hour) attack or threat is a computer threat that tries to exploit unknown, undisclosed or patchfree computer application vulnerabilities. The term Zero Day is also used to describe unknown or Zero day viruses.
[Via Wikipedia]
This is one of the most used because if it is an unknown exploit by the Operating System creators then they have a longer to us the exploit. Most of the time hackers like to use this because that means there is a possibility of finding even more vectors to infect other systems. You see if they can get on one system they can then find ways to get on other systems.
Is Vista just Windows 7?
Comments OffNow I know Vista isn’t what people expected and that it had high expectations when they first released it. I think that is due to the fact Microsoft tried so hard to make Vista seem more than it actually was. Now According to Ina Fried from CNET her post was about Windows 7: A better Vista?. In her post she talked about the features of Windows 7, and how Windows 7 is almost like Vista. I tend to agree because of the look from screenshots I’ve seen to make me think it will be Version 2 of Vista. I don’t think it is anything that will change from Vista to Windows 7. It will however be more ready to boot up and shutdown that is according to what Microsoft said to Ina.
Getting Spaz to work with the Twit Army:
Comments OffI having successfully installed Spaz and use it with the Twit Army. I’d figure I would talk about how to get Spaz to work like Twirl. It’s a very simple way but some people seem to having trouble. This will only work with Vista or XP and I am not sure about Linux or Mac. I’ve been successful doing this with a Vista Premium Machine. It seems to be really easy to use and not take up to much of your desk space.
- Download and Install Adobe Air — (You will need this to installed first.)
- Download and Install Spaz — (This is the main program)
- Once install you will need to go to:
- Go to the [ Preferences ]
- Go to [ Other Services ]
-
Put this in exactly as shown (see example)
- Go to [ Networking ] (optional)
- Put this in exactly as sown (see example)
>
Doing this should get you connected to the Twit Army. I am not sure why it says “ERROR : Server returned invalid data” When you first start the program but if you wait a couple seconds you will see that it will eventually loads up. If you have any suggestions or comments please feel free to leave a comment.
Undeleting the Recycle Bin in Vista!!
Having been using Windows Vista there are some things you must remember with Vista. You can easily delete the recycle bin or even the Compuer icon with much thought. I recently had a problem with that. My son wanted to play on my computer and hit the delete key and hit enter. So there I was without a recycle bin. Thanks to a little figuring out, I’ve come to understand that it is just as easy to put back the icon. Unlike Ubuntu and other linux distros if you delete the recycle bin, you have to go through some hoops. I know I have used them in the past. So let’s start out with what vista says when you try to delete the recycle bin.
There it says you must go to the personalization menu to fix that. Ok so I go there and then I would need to click this:
You would have to click on “Change Desktop Icons” and then you are almost home. Here is where you have some choices.
Fedora 9 Puts Your Desktop on a USB Drive
Comments OffThis week’s release of the Fedora 9 Linux distribution makes putting a full-fledged desktop on a portable USB thumb drive a three-click affair. Even better, you don’t need Linux installed to create it, you can leave the data on your thumb drive untouched, and any files you create or settings you tweak remain in place the next time you boot up. After the jump, let’s create a fully-functional desktop-to-go using a simple Windows program and a 1GB or larger thumb drive.
[Via Lifehacker]
I’ve got to try this, Has anyone else tried this and does it work for you?
10 Sites Offering Free Linux Courses Online
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10 Sites Offering Free Linux Courses Online.Whether you’re new to Linux or an advanced user, you’re bound to have questions. Read on to get a list of universities and other institutions offering free Linux courses, training and tutorials online.
I thought people would like to learn more about this. I am sure to check this out. I feel Linux is becoming more and more popular each year and would like to ready myself for the time that I’ll have to work on a system with Linux only O/S. So go check it yourselves. It seems they have been slammed so I’m putting the links in here:
Novell – OpenCourseWare Project (novell.com)http://ocw.novell.com/novell-linux-desktop/getting … – Novell Linux Desktop Starter Course
http://ocw.novell.com/suse-linux-enterprise/upgrad … – Certified Linux Professional 10 Course
http://ocw.novell.com/suse-linux-enterprise/migrat … – Linux Enterpise server 10 Course
——————————————-
VTC University (vtc.com)http://www.vtc.com/modules/products/titleDetails.p … – Introduction to Linux Course
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IBM – Linux Professional Institute (LPI) Exam Prep (ibm.com)http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/edu/l-dw-l … – Linux Kernel Tutorial
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/edu/l-dw-l … – Linux System Startup Tutorial
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/edu/l-dw-l … – Linux File Serving and Sharing Tutorial
Simplified Gmail Notifications with cGmail
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Linux only: Linux users already have a powerful Gmail notification tool in Checkgmail, but the advanced functionality doesn’t always fit the bill, or even just work, for some users (including yours truly). For those seeking a more streamlined notification window, or perhaps just the same kind of tool for non-Gmail POP or IMAP accounts, cGmail is a handy taskbar tool. Once you’ve installed and configured your account, it’s just one click to have cGmail load on startup, and the app integrates nicely with the GNOME desktop’s keyring manager. cGmail is a free download, available in .deb, .rpm and source downloads for Linux systems only.
One-Click Video Conversion in KDE Menus
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Linux only: Convert your video files for DVDs, iPods or easily-playable formats from inside your file browser using a simple script. Users of Linux systems running on a KDE desktop just need to download the ffmpegmenu script and place it in the appropriate file browser folder, and a new “Video Encoding” menu will appear in your sidebar. Detailed instructions and download links are at the link below. The ffmpegmenu script works in Linux only and requires a KDE environment, or at least the majority of the KDE tools installed in any desktop.
Give gedit the Power of TextMate
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TextMate is a super-powered word processor beloved by coders and productivity geeks like Merlin Mann and Matt Haughey and available in a Windows port, but where does that leave Linux users? If they haven’t already fallen under the sway of Vi or Emacs, they can download a few files and plug-ins to give GNOME’s default text editor, gedit, many of the features—including word completion, quick file browsing, and highlighting switches—that Mac users have enjoyed for so long. Some of the plug-ins touted by the handy guide below are installed by default in gedit and just require an enabling click, while others require a bit of unpacking and placement. For writers and coders just getting started, it could make gedit a great learning tool with a gentler learning curve.
Lock Up Your Passwords with MyPasswordSafe
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Linux only: Free security application MyPasswordSafe offers a single space to store usernames and passwords for all your desktop and web applications. All your password info is locked away with the Blowfish algorithm devised by security expert Bruce Schneier. When called up, the passwords are passed into your clipboard without being displayed, defeating over-the-shoulder hackers. MyPasswordSafe can generate random passwords (as recommended by Bruce), and dual-booters can also store their safes in a format compatible with the Windows equivalent. MyPasswordSafe is a free download and available in most popular Linux repositories.
Fedora 8 Werewolf Improves Multimedia, Laptop Support
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Fedora 8, the newest version of Red Hat’s publicly-released Linux distribution, is available for download as a live or install CD or DVD in both the GNOME and KDE desktop flavors. New in this release, code-named “Werewolf,” are a Codec Buddy feature that helps users find and install support for MP3s and other media formats, improvements to laptop compatibility—key function, power management and suspend modes in particular—better sound control through the PulseAudio server and other improvements. Fedora 8 is a free download and runs on Intel, AMD or PowerPC-based systems.
Grab Text for your TiddlyWiki with TiddlySnip
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Windows/Mac/Linux (Firefox): Eliminate another step on your path to wiki-based organization with TiddlySnip, a free Firefox extension. Once you’ve configured TiddlySnip to point at your wiki, online at TiddlySpot or off, you can submit entire web pages, your clipboard contents, or just the text you’ve selected to it, with custom tags and duplicate prevention. For those wondering what’s with all the tiddly talk, TiddlyWiki is a one-page, one-file personal wiki that you can bring anywhere and type away at to contain your thoughts, projects, and anything else. I’ve already started using TiddlySnip to store away StumbleUpon discoveries for later and pare down my lengthy list of del.icio.us bookmarks, but I’ve only just begun.
Simple Flickr Uploading with Postr
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Linux only: Applications like jUploadr are great for posting photos and editing photosets in the photo-sharing website Flickr, but its Java core can make it slow and wonky for some users. GNOME-based application Postr is a streamlined posting solution that features drag-and-drop file choosing, tag and description editing and, most of all, a clean, simple interface. Postr is a free download for Linux systems and available in many repositories. KDE-based Linux users can also check out Kflickr.
Make Your Linux Desktop Look Like a Mac
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Linux only: Want the look and feel of a Mac without paying the high-end design premium? Tired of hearing from all your Mac-happy friends how awesome Leopard looks? Got time to run through six pages of instructions? Then HowTo Forge has got you covered. Their guide to making a nearly total theme conversion requires Compiz Fusion (installed by default on Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon), Awn and the patience to download and place a hefty handful of files, but everything seems to be covered, right down to the system sounds. The guide is written for GNOME-based Linux systems and requires a number of downloads, some of which might not pass the most stringent legal (or open source) tests but are otherwise free. I haven’t tried it myself, but this weekend’s another story.
More Color Scheme Control with Agave
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Linux only: Webapps like colr.org are great for exploring color theme ideas, but some users might require a little more fine-tuning. Enter Agave, a program for GNOME-based Linux systems that gives you more than enough color information to plan your web site, desktop theme or design projects. Choose from standard palettes, use a Photoshop-like selection tool to grab any color on your screen or manually set color, saturation and brightness levels to save in a list of favorites. Agave is a free download for Linux systems only, available as a source download and in many standard repositories.
Add Custom Right-Click Options With Nautilus-actions
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Linux only: Automate frequent tasks and avoid unnecessary program hunting with Nautilus-actions, a free extension that adds file-specific options to the right-click menu. Those with a little script know-how can easily hack together their own automators, but some of the freely available actions include resizing and emailing pictures, file conversion and renaming and even a helpful “shredder”—the kind that erases and overwrites a file 10 times to make it unrecoverable.
We’ve previously offered similar extensions, but Nautilus-actions allows you to pick and choose extensions, some with helpful interfaces, that mesh with your other right-click hacks. Nautilus-actions is a free download (available in many standard repositories, including Ubuntu and Red Hat) and requires Gnome and Nautilus. Some plug-ins may require additional scripting packages.
USB Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon install
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USB Ubuntu 7.10 install from Linux: This tutorial enables you to install, boot and run Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) from USB. In addition to installing Ubuntu to a USB device and then booting Ubuntu from USB, this tutorial will enable you to automatically save your changes and settings back to the stick and further restore them on each boot using a second “casper-rw” persistent partition. The tutorial was written for those already familiar with working from Ubuntu or another Linux desktop environment. If you do not have access to or prefer not to use a Windows computer, this Ubuntu Linux on a stick tutorial is for you.
Ubuntu 7.10 takes slightly longer to boot than previous releases. However, once it’s up and running, it performs much better than running from the Live CD.
USB Ubuntu 7.10 Essentials:
- Ubuntu7.10 ISO
- CD Burner
- 1GB USB flash drive (2GB+ recommended)
- U710fix.tar
It’s a very good article and how to!!
Share a Firefox Profile Between Ubuntu and Windows
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The CyberNet weblog details how to seamlessly share a Firefox profile between a dual boot Ubuntu Linux and Windows installation by sharing the same profile folder in both OSes. It’s a very simple trick that involves the Firefox Profile Manager, and it only takes a few steps to complete. On the other hand, if your goal is to share profiles between different computers, we’ve got you covered there, too.
I will have to try this in my Kubuntu settings!!
Instantbird 0.1 is Like Firefox for Chat
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Windows/Mac/Linux (All platforms): There are tons of great instant messaging applications available, but one nagging problem in the IM world is that there’s no great, fully cross-platform chat app (unless you count Meebo). Free, open source application Instantbird aims to do for chat what Firefox does for the browser. Based on the same tools used to create Firefox and Thunderbird, Instantbird should ultimately be just as extensible as the former—which means IM customization will be as simple as installing a Firefox extension. Right now Instantbird connects to virtually any IM network and supports a tabbed chat interface. Beyond that, the application is still very barebones, but its upcoming features are very exciting.Aside from the basics you’d expect from any chat app (like status notifications, contact management, and IM notifications), the ultimate roadmap for Instantbird includes video and voice support. What’s most exciting, though, is the possibility that the chat application will be subject to the same community of creative extension developers that make Firefox such a killer browser—so that Instantbird can easily be customized to deliver exactly what you want from it. Instantbird is free, works with Windows, Mac, and Linux. It’s still a very young app, so this one’s for the early adopters.
Extend OpenOffice with OxygenOffice
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Windows/Mac/Linux: Add clip art, advanced PDF functions, and in-editor Wikipedia searching to open source office suite OpenOffice.org with OxygenOffice Professional, a modified installation package and extension. Along with adding roughly 3,400 clip art files and templates, OxygenOffice’s extensions also add support for Microsoft’s Visual Basic for Applications in the Calc spreadsheet program and conversion tools for the Office Open XML format used in Office 2007. Combined with the Writer’s Tools package, this gives OO.org a number of exclusive features.To install, download the extension, open OO.org, go to Tools -> Extension Manager and click the “Add” button in the My Extensions section, or download a binary to make a fresh OO.org install. OxygenOffice is a free download that runs wherever OpenOffice.org does.
Do More from GNOME’s Panel with Gimmie
Comments OffLinux only: Keep your recent documents, frequent contacts and favorite file locations close at hand with Gimmie, a panel utility for GNOME-based Linux clients. Gimmie fits a lot of handy stuff into four buttons, including Pidgin integration, a Windows-like list of frequently used programs and quick network browsing, and promises more web and office document functionality in the future. The newest version runs on the release candidate for Ubuntu’s Gutsy Gibbon (7.10), but Feisty Fawn (7.04) users can install it from the repositories by entering into terminal:
sudo apt-get install gimmieGimmie is a free download, Linux only.
Patent Infringement Lawsuit Filed Against Red Hat & Novell – Just Like Ballmer Predicted
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IP Innovation LLC has just filed a patent infringement claim against Red Hat and Novell. It was filed October 9, case no. 2:2007cv00447, IP Innovation, LLC et al v. Red Hat Inc. et al, in Texas. Where else? The patent troll magnet state.The first ever patent infringement litigation involving Linux. Here’s the patent, for those who can look at it without risk. If in doubt, don’t. Here’s the complaint [PDF].
And now let’s play, where’s Microsoft? You know, like where’s Waldo? Betcha he’s in the tree’s leaves somewhere if we look close enough. We had our first hint when Steve Ballmer said in his speech the other day that he figured other folks besides Microsoft would want Red Hat and FOSS to pay them for their patents. Remember? Is he a prophet or merely well informed? Or is there more to this? When I lay out all the research, you can decide.
The plaintiff is asking for an injunction, along with damages:
Plaintiffs IP Innovation and Technology Licensing Corp. claim to have the rights to U.S. Patent No. 5,072,412 for a User Interface with Multiple Workspaces for Sharing Display System Objects issued Dec. 10, 1991 along with two other similar patents.
ASUS Motherboard Ships With Embedded Linux, Web Browser
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The good folks over at ASUS have sent over the P5E3 Deluxe, which is based upon Intel’s new X38 Chipset and continues in the usual ASUS fashion of pushing new (and often unexpected) innovations onto the motherboard. Without spoiling the review of this motherboard that will be published shortly, the ASUS P5E3 Deluxe is one of the most innovative motherboards we have seen to date and it packs one very exciting and unusual feature. Embedded onto the P5E3 Deluxe is a Linux environment that features a Firefox-rebranded web browser and the Skype VoIP client! Within five seconds of turning on this $360 USD gaming/enthusiast motherboard, you can be using Linux and surfing the Internet. On this motherboard the feature is known as ASUS Express Gate, which is powered by something called SplashTop. SplashTop is an instant-on Linux desktop being created by DeviceVM. SplashTop isn’t even launching for a few more days (October 10), but in this article we have more details on this embedded Linux environment as well as screenshots and our thoughts with what will hopefully come next for this Linux environment.
Install WinXp on VirtualPc Video
Comments OffI thought this was an excellent tutorial about installing WinXP on Linux. I’ve had my troubles with VirtualPc but that was my fault. Go check it out.
Top Ten Side Effects of Switching to Linux
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Studies done by a prestigious think tank in Silicon Valley have identified the most common behavioral changes in people who have switched to Linux. They were nice enough to share their information with us. According to them, these are the ten most frequent side effects of Linux use with us.Number 10: You start talking about ‘killing’ programs instead of forcing them to quit
Number 9: You keep reminding yourself that you don’t have to save your work every five minutes
Number 8: You start substituting C for K in your normal writing (Did you know that Pizarro konquered the Inkas?)
Number 7: You talk your grandmother into open-sourcing her secret cookie recipe
Number 6: People give you strange looks when you brag about your uptime
Number 5: You cause Bill Gates’ fortune to decrease by 0.0000001 percent
Number 4: The only viruses that bother you are the ones that cause the flu
Number 3: The blue screen of death only appears to you in nightmares
Number 2: You actually get some serious work done
And the number 1 side effect of switching to Linux is:
Your problems meeting members of the opposite sex disappear
Boost Virtual Machine Performance On Ubuntu, Fedora, PCLinuxOS And Debian
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This document explains how to set up the VMware Tools in the following guest operating systems: Ubuntu 7.04, Fedora 7, PCLinuxOS 2007 and Debian Etch. Installing VMware Tools in your guest operating systems will help maximize performance, provide mouse synchronization and copy & paste functionality. This article also shows a way of making VMware Tools start automatically when you start a guest operating system.
Remove adsI used the VMware Tools v1.0.3-44356 provided by VMware Server v1.03.
A very good article and I might have to try it out on my Vista OS, to see how fast of an improvement it does on the LINUX side of it.
