New iPhone rumored for the marketplace

(image found on smartphonetoday)
Apple recently released an ipdate (version 2.2.1) for the iPhone and iPod touch devices. There was made mention of a new iPhone Hardware number iPhone 2.1, that has people starting to see a new iPhone device on the horizon. Apple is not officially saying anything to the release rumors.

"MacRumors indicated that Apple uses a specific numbering scheme in firmware to distinguish between iPhone models. For example, the firstgeneration iPhone 2G is labeled as iPhone 1.1, while the 3G is iPhone 1.2. The numbers don't change for storage increases but represent functionality of different devices.

MacRumors said the new model number can be found in the USBDeviceConfuguration.plist in an unencrypted firmware."

"One thing we know for sure is that the supposed new iPhone model won't be the much-rumored about smaller and cheaper iPhone Nano version of the iPhone. When asked about that possibility during Apple's earnings call last week, company COO put the kibosh on that rumor. Cook said:

You know us, we're not going to play in the low-end voice phone business. That's not who we are. That's not why we're here. We'll let somebody do that, our goal is not to be the unit share leader in the phone industry. It is to build the best phone."

Well if Apple is listening i wish a few things could be added to the Apple iPhone:

1. A removable battery option, so if the battery has an issue a customer can easily remove the bad battery for a good one.
2. A nice huge drive on there for video, music and audio books. Face it folks with the solid state drives being now offered at over 512 GB, Apple could find a way to integrate a large drive capacity option.
3. An option to attach an external drive to the unit so if people did get a smaller size iPhone they could upgrade their drive size.

Apple preping new iPhone Model? (SmartPhoneToday)
Is Apple building a Better iPhone? (Channel Web)
iPhone 2 on its way definetly for sure (according to obscure hardware id's) (itWorld)

Dell entering the Mobile phone market maybe in February 2008

Dude, you could have a Dell.......

These can be the new words for people considering getting a new mobile device. "Recent statements by analysts for Kaufman Brothers that suggest Dell could be making a splashy smartphone announcement at the 3GSM conference in Barcelona in February. A Dell spokesperson David Frink told InternetNews.com that the company does not comment on rumors or speculation."

"According to the WSJ report, Dell is developing high-end handsets featuring the touch screen and no keyboard approach, just like the Apple iPhone. The second reported device includes a keyboard that slides beneath the screen." With reports like this you can see how rumors can become reality when it comes to new devices making their way on to the marketplace."

Even though the economy is in a bit of a rut, mobile devices are still selling like hot cakes. I do wonder with the options of using windows mobile or Linux based OS which will win in the end. I guess only time will tell when it comes to the flavor of the day for the mobile device introduced by Dell. The good thing about bringing a new device into the market today is the fact that there are a lot of examples of the good, bad and ugly to use a how to create a device that sells.

Dell's rumored smartphone: Look out RIM (Cnet news)
Dell could release smart phone in February (internet news.com)
Smartphone from Dell? Just Maybe (New York Times)

Google - Site Warnings mis-informed

(image found on zdnet)
Update: Google has fixed the issue that was giving people a mis-informed warning about sites they were searching for using the Google search engine.

"Google shows the problem this morning with the entire internet, with all sites. In the beginning I thought the problem may be local, but then I saw other news services reporting the problem from around the world.

Here is what they say.

Google Blows Up, Suggests the Internet is Harmful writes Aaron Brazell from Technosailor. "It appears some sort of bug has snuck into the Google secret sauce. A feature that was intended to warn users of potential phishing sites has jumped the shark declaring the internet harmful. That’s right, every single result is deemed by Google to be harmful."

Google search currently broken, warnings on every query writes Neowin from Netherlands. Digital Lifestyle says "Google Breaks." Google has broken in a major way. If you search for anything on Google search, the warning message “This Site May Harm Your Computer” appears underneath each of the results."

The problem seems to be widespread accross the world. It is noticed by itWire from Australia, ThaIndian from Thailand and from UK. Thaindian reported the news at roughly 9:40 pm on 31st Jan 2008 (Thai time GMT +7).

At this time no word from Google that we know of. Hopefully the engineers are working to solve this issue ASAP. It affects not only the search engine but the credibility of the websites. Expect some webmasters receiving emails where the visitors may complain about the risks of the websites.

Apparently something bad was happening in the search engine this morning that effected all the webmasters. However, it's good that it seems to be fixed now. At least I don't see those messages from North Carolina at 10:30AM EST."

As many of us get up in the morning to check out some of the sites on the web, many people were greeted with an assortment of website warnings from reputable sites on the Google search. It turns out that an update of an issue on Google evolved into a headache for all. Google has informed the public that it is on the issue and a fix is in the mix.

Google search suffers outage (zdnet)

Google Fixes Search Bug Affecting Internet Search (Huliq news)

At Last At Last - Google G-Drive

(image found on PCworld)
The rumors have been circulating for a while now but it looks like Google has another gift for us all in the works. The Google Drive (G-Drive) storage solution for all your files giving you access anytime from anywhere and any device.

(image found on cnet news)
A nice detailed description of the drive was found in a file on the Google Pack suite for Google Desktop by blogger Brian Ussery. This is a nice little taste of things to come.

Take a Peek at the Google Drive (PCWorld)
More details surface on Googles alleged G Drive(Cnet news)
Well, At Least Google Has a Description of GDrive( PCmag.com)

Google maps shows Pot Growers Stash

(image found on ABC News)

On Thursday Swiss Police stumbled across a huge marijuana plantation using Google Earth. The plantation was almost 2 acres in size. It was hidden in a field of corn.

The "Police said the find was part of a bigger investigation that led to the arrest of 16 people and seizure of 1.2 tons (1.1 metric tons) of marijuana as well as cash and valuables worth 900,000 Swiss francs ($780,000).

The gang is alleged to have sold up to 7 tons (7.7 US tons) of hashish and marijuana between 2004 and 2008, with an annual turnover of 3-10 million francs a year, officials said."

The funny thing is data that is usually up on Google Earth for a few months. Everyone I know has Google Earthed themselves, its funny how these guys never did. Knowledge is power.

ABC News Swiss Police Spy Marijuana Field with Google Earth (ABC News)

Pot farm found on Google map (msnbc)

Google Earth Used to Locate Swiss Marijuana Field (Buzz Kill)

IE 8 Release Candidate 1 has been released

(image found on Techtree.com)
Microsoft has just released the new version of Internet Explorer 8 in beta form, dubbed IE 8 RC1 (Release Candidate1) with new improved surfing features such as:

Tabbed Browsing, granted this isn't a totally new feature since its been around since Internet Explorer 7. The new feature they have added is that each tab has its own set of processes so if a site crashes it shouldn't affect the other tabs you have open to other links. This in itself is a big feature if it works like it should. Another feature they have added is an option to re-open tabs that were accidentally closed and some color coding features too.

Security, this is being labeled as the most secure browser ever by Microsoft offering a new feature called "Clickjacking".

"Clickjacking enables hackers and data snoopers weave a filter on sites so they can view the information being accessed from the browser. This can be extremely dangerous if you're an online banking user and frequently handle financial transactions online, the feature might turn out to be useful. The downside however is that, for it to work, webmasters will need to put a tag in the page header, which will help detect and eventually prevent clickjacking."

"Inprivate: Microsoft had debuted the InPrivate mode for anonymous browsing in the Beta version of IE8. In the latest update, the browser features two security features called the InPrivate Browsing and InPrivate Filtering. A new InPrivate window can be opened by Ctrl+shift+P while the Ctrl+Shift+F option will open the InPrivate filtering option. The filtering feature was integrated with the browsing feature in the beta. It has now been integrated as a separate feature."

Phishing Filter: dubbed Smart Screen. This feature compares websites to an existing database to see if they are known to be scam or fraudulent sites. The database is constantly being updated to keep up with newly reported sites.

Web Compatibility:"IE8 has been given the capability to handle W3 web standards so that the appearance of web pages does not change. For those in doubt and used to IE7, there is the compatibility mode that will help it retain the familiar IE7 look."

I am glad to see a new release of IE for us to use but I am still a dedicated Firefox users until a better browser comes along. I will be installing the IE 8 RC1 version this weekend on one of my virtual environments to give it a try then post my experiences with it.

Internet Explorer 8 RC1 first look (Techtree.com)

Initial Verdict: Internet Explorer 8 RC1 is really fast (i4unews)

IE8's JavaScript performance lags well behind Safari, Chrome (AppleInsider)

New Amazon Kindle 2.0 being released Feb 9th

(image and location hint from CrunchGrear)
The word is in the digital grape vine. The Amazon Kindle 2.0 is being released on February 9th at a secret location (Morgan Library & Museum) in Mid-town Manhattan. Word is that the unit is thinner and the screen is larger, with some of the annoying little issues from the previous release fixed like accidental page turning.

I have been waiting to get a Kindle this might be the time with the new release depending on the cost for the unit and what little goodies will be offered too. On my way to work in the city I have been noticing more and more people with the Kindles on the train. I've spoke with a few of them and everyone seems to just love it. The only bad thing I've been told is that you need light to view it. If you are in the dark somewhere you are out of luck. For some odd reason i thought there would be some back lit option for low light or dark reading. Who knows maybe in the new release they will have fixed this issue.

New Amazon Kindle 2 coming February 9th (cnet news)

Amazon press conference on 2/9: I can haz Kindle too? (crunch gear)

Kindle 2.0 Coming February 9?(silicon alley insider)

Digital TV get a 4 month delay

(image found on Wired)
With the mad dash for Digital converter boxes the government has run out of coupons for the upgrade leaving around 2.5 million American viewers on a long waiting list. So the senate has gone and given the official date of February 17th a hold until June 12th for the big conversion. If people don't have the digital converter box and antenna by that time they can still be safe if they are using Satellite or cable to watch their programs.

President Obama made a request for the hold and the great thing is someone listened. People were first warned about the conversion to digital back in 2005.

"Senate Commerce Chairman John Rockefeller said delaying the TV switch is the right thing to do because the United States is not yet ready to make the transition.

"The Senate acted responsibly to give the Obama administration time to attempt to bring order to a mismanaged process," the West Virginia Democrat said in a statement.

Many lawmakers worry that an estimated 20 million mostly poor, elderly and rural households are not ready for the switch, which requires owners of older television sets receiving over-the-air signals to buy a converter box or subscribe to cable or satellite TV.

Broadcasters are moving from analog to digital signals to give public safety officials more spectrum, especially useful for emergencies, and to improve viewing quality."

I have had the digital converter boxes for a few months now and the only strange thing i have encountered is that here in Chicago I can not get Channel 2 at all and also Channel 7 goes in and out all the time. The other channels appear to be working fine and I've noticed that many of them have several sub-version channels offered too.

Senate OKs digital TV Delay (bizjournals)

Digital TV Switchover Delay Gathers Steam in Congress (Wired)

Senate passes bill to delay digital TV switch (Reuters)

2 TB drive announced by Western Digital Today

(image found on AnandTech)
Western Digital has announced today the 2 TB drive which features 500 GB platter capacity. This is some amazing news for everyone who worries about running out of space with all those family and other digital memorabilia.

Here is the official word according to PC World.com:
"Here are the details we know about the new Western Digital behemoths. They're coming in under the storage manufacturer's Green line of products. This means that they contain a few power-saving tricks, including the ability to modulate between a 7,200 RPM and 5,400 RPM rotational speed. While this saves you a few watts in operation, it also tends to lower the performance of the drive when compared to "normal" hard drives of a similar capacity."

With this announcement Western Digital seems to be offering the largest drive capacity. I wouldn't be surprised if Seagate has something in the works too. Hopefully, Seagate has seen the last of its 1.5 TB drive issues and people can move past that black eye. From some of the posts I've read people are very pissed off at Seagate and this could be a new turning point for leader of the pack when it comes to hard drives. But, also lets not forget Samsung and Hitachi too, we haven't heard anything from then yet in this range of drive capacity.

The price of the drives has been rumored to be around $250.00 (US dollars). Not to bad for a lot of storage space.

Western Digital Launches Worlds First 2 TB Hard Drive (PC World)
Western Digital hits 2TB (AnandTech)
WD Launches 2TB hard Drive (TG Daily)

The Internet - Over 1 Billion Served

(image found on blog.searchenginewatch.com)
Well look out McDonald's, it looks like there is someone else working on the billion served motto. Its official folks there are now over 1 Billion users of the Internet according to comScore Inc. These numbers were reaches in December 2008.

"The Asia-Pacific region now accounts for 41 percent of all Internet users, with China ranked as the largest Internet population in the world, says ComScore. China now has 180 million Internet users, or about 18 percent of the worldwide cyberspace audience. The United States ranks second at 16.2 percent, followed by Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom.

“Surpassing 1 billion global users is a significant landmark in the history of the Internet,” says ComScore CEO Magid Abraham. “The second billion will be online before we know it, and the third billion will arrive even faster than that.”

(image found on blog.searchenginewatch.com)
Top sites include:
Google with 776 million visitors
Microsoft with 647 million visitors
Yahoo with 562 million visitors
Facebook with 222 million visitors (in January there were twice as many recorded for Facebook usage, I have a feeling that the recent election of the new President had something to deal with those numbers)
MySpace with 125 million visitors

Please note these number are issued in the following ways:
"ComScore (Nasdaq: SCOR) said its numbers include Internet users ages 15 or older, from home or work computers. They do not include traffic from public computers, like Internet cafes, or access from mobile phones or PDAs."

So in reality it is alot more but these would be conservative estimates for usages. It would be interesting if someone was out there actually including all of the other online usage resources from PDA's to now Cars.

Global Internet Audiences Exceeds 1 Billion in December 2008 (blog.searchenginewatch.com)

Internet audience tops 1 billion (Nashville Business Journal)

Internet hits major milestone, surpassing 1 billion monthly users (ComputerWorld)

Internet Users Top 1 Billion, Most of Them Asian (PCmag.com)

Pirated Mac versions of Photoshop CS4 infected with Trojan in Crack

(image found on photoshopsupport.com website)
"Well when it rains it pours" the old saying goes. This can be no truer then with Apple Mac OS users when it comes to using pirated software. Last week it was one thing and now its another. It turns out that pirated versions of Mac Adobe Photoshop CS4 are clean but the crack used to get around the serial number forced registration come with a Trojan horse for users that implement it.

"As of 6 a.m. EST on Jan. 25, nearly 5,000 are believed to have downloaded the Trojan, according to the advisory.

After downloading this version of Photoshop, users will run the crack application to be able to use it, the advisory continues. The crack application extracts an executable from its data and installs a backdoor in /var/tmp/, which is not deleted when the computer is restarted.

The crack application then requests an administrator password and launches the backdoor with root privileges, the advisory continues. The program saves the root hash password in the file /var/root/.DivX. In addition, it listens on a random TCP port, answers requests such as GET / HTTP/1.0 by sending a 209-byte packet and makes repeated connections to two IP addresses.

“Since the malicious software connects to a remote server over the Internet, the creator of this malware will be alerted that this Trojan horse is installed on different Macs, and will have the ability to connect to them and perform various actions remotely,” the advisory reads. “The Trojan horse may also download additional components to an infected Mac.”"

So the moral of the story, beware of links bearing gifts........

More Malware Targeting Users of Pirated Software for Mac (eWeek)

Mac Malware tide on the rise (The Register)

New Mac Trojan Spread By Pirated Adobe Software (ChannelWeb)

Samsung unveils femtocel to Extend Verizon's Network at Home usage

(image found on unwir3d)
Today, Verizon Wireless unveiled its new "Network Extender" for the public priced at $249.99 by Samsung. This device gives mobile users crystal clear calls when indoor with no additional monthly costs for usage outside of the initial unit purchase. This unit uses the broadband (minimum 300k) connection inside the house as a backhaul, which basically turns the cell call into a VoIP connection with a range coverage of 5,000 sq. ft. There is one drawback according to Verizon: "EV-DO is not supported, including those services that depends on it".

"Our new Network Extender device will bring the full benefit of the Verizon Wireless voice network to the small but important segment of customers who may experience a weaker signal in their homes because of geographic or structural conditions," said Jack Plating, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Verizon Wireless, in a statement. "Current and prospective customers have told us they want this, and we are responding to that demand. For those who have wanted to sign up for Verizon Wireless service but hesitated because of reception problems unique to their home location, this is the answer."

Not to bad of a deal considering usually company's want to nickel and dime a person for service after the initial hardware purchase. Its nice to see the consumer get a bit of a free-bee every now and then.

Verizon Debuts Femtocell NetworkExtender, AT&T Not Far Behind (unwire3D)

Samsung brings femtocell to Verizon (cnet news)

Verizon Adds Femtocell for Better Home Cell Calls (PCmag.com)

Ancient Detailed 1,800 Year Old Figurine Head Discovered in Jerusalem Dig Site

(image found on MSNBC)
Archaeologists in Israel discovered a rare and unique 1,800 year old figuring in an excavation site. The figurine dates back from the Roman Empire and is a 2 inch marble bust of a mans head with detailed features showing almond shaped eyes and a short curly beard.

"A statement Monday from the Israel Antiquities Authority says nothing similar has been found before in the country. The archaeologists believe it could depict an athlete, possibly a boxer. They think it was used as a weight and might have belonged to a merchant.It was found in the ruins of a building destroyed by an earthquake in the fourth or fifth century. The dig outside the walls of Jerusalem's Old City also recently yielded a well-preserved gold earring inlaid with pearls and a trove of more than 250 gold coins."

Its amazing to find a piece of ancient art with such detail in an ancient site which has been buried for so many years. I wonder what other interesting piece's they will unearth in the days to come. Between the amazing finds in the ground and the waters we really do live in interesting times.

1,800 Year Old Figurine found in Jerusalem (MSNBC)

Can Ya Hear Me Now at Home - Verizon launches Linux Based VOIP hub

(image found on CnetNews)
Well it looks like Verizon has come aboard the home market now by giving us a taste of things to come by introducing the new Linux based Touch Screen VoIP phone for the home. This phone can send & recieve text, picture and video messages with unlimited SMS messages to anyone with a Verizon Wireless phone too. "It also provides additional Web-based services, such as an online calendar and a contact list that syncs with Microsoft Outlook. "

"VoIP phones and services are nothing new, but what makes the Hub stand out is the ability to use the touch screen to access Web services. The screen is filled with large icons that can be used to check the weather, update stock information, get directions, find local phone numbers, view movie trailers through V Cast, and access other services. "

All a person needs to do is simply plug it into a broadband router and pay a small monthly fee of $34.99 for service and they get unlimited calls anywhere in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. The hub is scheduled to be available on February 1, 2009 for a cost of $199.99 after a mail-in rebate with an option to purchase additional hand sets (price hasn't been determined yet).
(image found in information week website)

"Verizon representatives say they aren't trying to compete against Vonage or any other voice over IP service. Instead, they're trying to offer their wireless customers an alternative to home phone service while also providing added features and benefits.

"We are really targeting people who are cutting their traditional landlines," Willsey said. "People are spending between $50 and $60 a month on that service. And we see wireless and voice over IP as an economical alternative that also offers more features and more flexibility.""

Verizon Launches Touch-Screen VoIP Hub (Information Week)
Verizon Wireless Launches Internet Phone (Cnet news)
Verizon Launches 'Hub' VOIP Phone (PCMag.com)
Verizon Hub reinvents the home phone(techradar.com)

Apples Snow Leopard is starting to Purr

(image found on appleinsider.com)
More information is coming out about the next Release of Mac OS X, dubbed "Snow Leopard". This new release will offer a 32 or 64 bit operating system to the end user to use.

"Snow Leopard is only designed to run on a relatively small number of higher end PCs, all made by Apple. Rather than trying to get lots of vendors on board as Microsoft must, Apple will be supplying the majority of kernel-level drivers for Snow Leopard.

While Microsoft has sold a 64-bit version of Windows for Intel x86 PCs since mid-2005, actual 64-bit adoption has been slow. Apple has incrementally supported 64-bit background servers and applications in Mac OS X since the release of the PowerMac G5 in 2003; all 64-bit capable Macs can already run 64-bit Mac OS X software because Apple doesn't offer two versions of its operating system; the same version of today's Leopard runs both 32-bit and 64-bit code."

This is an interesting time seeing how Microsoft just released their Windows 7 beta for the public to see and is working on getting everyone to forget Vista and move forward. This year should be very interesting seeing that rumors have it that Apple will be releasing the New OS in summer of 2009 Microsoft could have a major uphill battle to deal with if Apple is as successful as it has been in the consumer market place.

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard vs. Windows 7: the Show Must Go On (efluxmedia.com)
Windows 7 vs. Mac OS X Snow Leopard: Apple ups the ante (Apple Insider)

'Vista Capable' might Cost Microsoft $8.5 Billion

Looks like yesterday's push by Microsoft for Vista Capable machines might cost Microsoft more then a tongue lashing by end users. Legal proceedings against Microsoft are pushing forward with a "class-action lawsuit, which claims Microsoft misled consumers with the Vista Capable campaign in the months leading up to the January 2007 release of the operating system.

Microsoft dismissed the estimate in a filing of its own yesterday, saying it was "absurdly [valued]" and if damages were granted, it would be a "windfall to millions.""

An expert witness for the pantiff's has calculated that damages could range from $3.92 Billion to as high as $8.52 Billion to upgrade the 19.4 million PC's that were sold as 'Vista Capable' machines.

"In a heavily redacted report, Leffler said he had used data provided by Microsoft to arrive at the number of "Vista upgradeable" PCs sold in the U.S. from April 2006, when the Vista Capable campaign started, to January 2007, when Vista hit retail shelves and the program ended. Of those PCs, 13.75 million notebooks and 5.65 million desktop computers were classified as Vista Capable but not able to meet the more stringent requirements for the "Premium Ready" label, Leffler estimated.

By the criteria set by Microsoft and passed to computer makers, Vista Capable meant that the machine was able to run at least Windows Vista Basic, the entry-level edition of the line. Such a system, however, might not be able to run a more powerful version, or if it could, might not be able to execute all of its features."

This is going to be an expensive nut for Microsoft if the judgment rules against them. With the current 5,000 people being laid off in the next 18 months and other cut backs Microsoft will have to look at other ways to save money that might end up in more layoffs and other unexpected cuts within the organization. I do wonder if Microsoft has considered offering an upgrade to Windows 7 in lue of a judgement against them so that they can try to recoup some of the possible cost there. Windows 7 seems to work better then Vista from what i've seen and experienced and it might even run on some of those pc's that it didn't work on before. But, time will tell what will happen in this expensive complicated trial.

Vista Capable case could cost Microsoft $8.5B (ComputerWorld.com)
Judge makes 'Vista Capable' lawsuit a class-action affair (ComputerWorld.com)

Glimps of the Obama Phone - General Dynamics' Sectera Edge

(image found on PCmag.com website - Inside Obama's Classified Smartphone)

President Obama will be the first US President to use a Blackberry while in office. But, he will be keeping his Blackberry for his personal social use and for official US Government business he will be using one of two possible phones: Either the L3 Guardian or the Edge Windows CE Smart Phones.

The Edge and the Guardian are the result of an $18 million, NSA-sponsored program to develop a top-secret smart phone, according to Randy Siegel, Microsoft's lead enterprise mobility strategist.

Most BlackBerrys and Windows Mobile devices can work with "sensitive, but unclassified" data, according to Tom Liggett, the Sectera Edge product manager at General Dynamics. Those smart phones work with the FIPS 140-2 standard, which encrypts both data traffic and voice calls to a certain extent. And there are a lot of government functions, even in war, that aren't classified. In Iraq, for instance, Windows Mobile devices are used for battle triage, roadside bomb detection, and even as sniper aids, Siegel said.

But about 300,000 Americans have access to a secret, controlled Internet called SIPRNet, the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network. What's on there? It's classified. And the Edge and the Guardian are the only smartphones that can tap into it.

"The BlackBerry device and the Windows Mobile devices currently are not cleared for SIPRNetSiegel said. "This is the type of communication that a General Petraeus is giving, or many State Department officials, or many DHS officials." communications,"

To make voice calls, for instance, the Edge uses an encryption protocol called SCIP, the Secure Communications Interoperability Protocol. It runs on any of the four national cell-phone carriers' – you can actually switch the cellular module out by hand – but the calls are encrypted end-to-end, so that they can only be decrypted by another SCIP phone.

All the data on the device is encrypted using "NSA Type 1 algorithms," which are forbidden to be used by civilians, Liggett said. This is real spy-movie stuff."

The phone will offer a switch option for classified or unclassified mode. The phone itself can still do many things that a Windows Mobile device can do including connecting to Microsoft Exchange server, edit and work on Microsoft office documents and play media using windows media player. So if you are thinkin of wow i would love to get one of these phones. It will set you back $3300 provided you pass the security clearance for obtaining one too.

Blackberry Force One is up to the Job (ABC news)
Inside Obama's Classified SmartPhone (PCmag.com)

Pirated Copies of Software are like a box of Chocolate, Ya never know what your gonna get...

(image found on informationweek.com website)

No where is this more true then with the people who downloaded the Pirated Apple iWork 09 software. Intego (Mac security software company) on Wednesday has announced it has identified an unknown Trojan software that affects machines running Mac OS X. The Trojan was found in pirated copies of Apples new software iWork 09 on various site where pirated software is illegally distributed. Intgo has identified the Trojan as "iWorkServices". The item is installed when the pirated copy of iWork09 suite is installed on the machine.

"The installer for the Trojan horse is launched as soon as a user begins the installation of iWork, following the installer's request of an administrator password (in older versions of Mac OS X, 10.5.1 or earlier, there will be no password request)," the company said. "This software is installed as a startup item (in /System/Library/StartupItems/iWorkServices, a location reserved normally for Apple startup items), where it has read-write-execute permissions for root."

Once installed, the malware connects to a remote server over the Internet, potentially allowing the malware author to steal information, control the compromised computer remotely, or trigger the downloading of additional malicious components. Intego claims that at least 20,000 people have downloaded infected versions of iWork 09. It urges Mac owners not to download iWork from disreputable sites."

Hopefully, more Mac OS X owners will heed this warning and not download this illegal software suite and just go buy it if they need it. I think to many people have gotten to comfortable in the Mac world and forgotten that they can too be susceptible to little nuances that PC owners have become use too.

Mac OS X Trojan Found In Pirated iWork 09 (Information Week)
Mac Trojan Targets Pirated Apple iWorks (ChannelWeb)
Trojan hides in pirated copies of Apple's iWork '09 (Computerworld Security)
Plagiarized iWork software contaminating Macs with Trojan horse (themoneytimes.com)

Google Takes Video to the Next Level

(image found on PCWorld.com)
Google offers an interesting compromise to media owning organizations. As people continue to upload various video media to You Tube, Google police's the video by using its Content ID system to help identify accepted media for posting and removing content that violates copyright.

(image found on arstechnica.com)
Google has come up with the following option. "If a consumer posts video content from a TV show, then any ad revenue that YouTube generates from that clip will be shared with the legal rights holders of that video content. " This way it can help cut down on some of the lawsuits on infringement and also help to line peoples pockets for use of their material on You Tubes site. Basically also giving the owners material free advertising for their product they have being viewed on You Tube by millions of people.

Its actually a very cleaver idea because the fact remains people will always continue to post videos whether legal or not. This way the owners of the material can get some well deserved free world wide advertising and get paid on top of it. Expecting Google to catch every single violating clip is just ridiculous in itself. They may catch a lot of it but people will always find ways around it and still post aways. Whether it be by changing the names, splitting it into various parts or some other idea. We live in a You Tube world today. At least Google is trying to make it a more pleasant and less litigious playground for all to enjoy.

Google Takes Viral Video to Another (contentinople)
You Tube to Let Big Media Bring Its Own Ads (PCWorld)
YouTube to allow Big Media to bring own ads, take on Hulu (arstechnica.com)

At Last At Last - Seagate offers a Fix that works

(image found on cnet news website)
I had a feeling Seagate would fix the buggy patch they released earlier this week with one that works like it is suppost too. To recap on what this patch is for: a series of Seagate drives had some issues that when being used on a machine for a certain period of time they would sease to work properly. Many people have even said that their data was gone.

Seagate said earlier this week and still says the data is not gone and they will work with the consumer to retrieve the missing data. The affected drives were the Barracuda 7200.11, Barracuda ES.2 SATA & DiamondMax 22 range of drives. The issues were affecting some of the drives not all. Typically the problematic drives were manufactured through December 2008.

Seagate has said "While we believe that the vast majority of customers will not experience any disruption related to this issue, as part of our commitment to customer satisfaction, Seagate is offering a free firmware upgrade to proactively address those with potentially affected products. This new firmware upgrade corrects compatibility issues that occurred with the firmware download provided on our support website on Jan. 16. We regret any inconvenience that the firmware issues have caused our customers."

I currently have two of the Seagate 1.5 TB drives and I have been working with them and even pushing them a bit by moving data across them to see if any issues pop up. The drives I have appear to be working fine with no problems.

Seagate warns of firmware problem with Barracuda hard drives (MacWorld.com)
Seagate says it now fixes 7200.11 drives for real (cnet news.com)
Seagate Posts Hard Drive Fix (Information Week)

President Obama asks about "Open Source"

(image of the President found on ipwatchdog.com)

The news just keeps getting better and better with our new President Elect, Barack Obama. He is now asking Sun Chairman Scott McNealy, to write a white paper on the subject of "Open Source" to explain some of the various advantages Government can gain by using it.

"McNealy, cited in a BBC News story, wasn't shy in identifying them:

It's intuitively obvious open source is more cost effective and productive than proprietary software....The government ought to mandate open-source products based on open-source reference implementations to improve security, get higher-quality software, lower costs, higher reliability--all the benefits that come with open software."

I think its a move in the rite direction when the President is doing a complete overhaul of the current government to make things work more efficiently and help clean up some of the graft being passed around. Some people are wondering whether President Obama will listen. I feel that its a step in the rite direction to have in inquisitive mind of other options besides the current status quo for the job. Plus, this could help to open up some new company options for more cost efficient, stable and secure software to be put into the mix.

"For other positions on McNealy's open-source suggestions, see The 451 Group's Matt Aslett's blog and OStatic. "

Obama wants to know: Why open source? (CNET news)
President Obama: Good for Open Source (Linux Magazine)
Obama Wants Open Source IT Solutions for US (ipwatchdog.com)

Google offers virtual trip for New York City

(image taken from screen capture of nycgo website)

Planning a trip just got easier. Everyone knows the hassle that comes when planning a trip to see all the cool sites, museums and other hot spots around the city. Well Google and the City of New York have launched a virtual website to help you make your trip virtually easier before venturing out into the city to do it in person. The new website allows you to explore the Big Apple from the comfort of your home, phone or where ever else you can surf in from. This program even gives you options to see buildings in 3D and also experience New York in the "Google Street View" experience too.

(video originally found on YouTube Website - Google)
I would definitely recommend to watching this video and judge for yourself how amazing this service really is to the public.

The Mayor of New York city Michael Bloomberg launched the new website nycgo.com to the public for all to see. The information center for this project is located in Manhattan on 810 Seventh Avenue, between 52nd and 53rd Streets. The center itself offers touch screen interfaces for people to use in person. The video segment above gives you a glimps at how amazing and cutting edge this center really is. I think young and old will be in awe when visiting the information center in person.

""This dynamic site uses Google Maps to help you plan your New York experience," Bloomberg said in a posting at Google's website.

"So whether you are a visitor or a resident, we invite you to explore New York City from your home computer, your mobile phone -- and of course, in person."

People can use nycgo.com to learn about attractions, promotions, events and more, then map itineraries using Google software and send the information to mobile telephones for reference while on the move."

(image found on raising the bar: winter roof hotspots on nycgo.com)

I had a chance to check out the site and try it a bit. I enjoy the layout and design. The site is designed in a simple and user friendly format. I think this is a big plus because there are to many sites that just over complicate things. I especially enjoyed the assorted views of the inside of various places to get an idea of what it looks like. To many times all we get a chance to see is the outside which leaves many times much to the imagination.

This tool is a great way to view a city. I look forward when this kind of project is unveiled for my home Chicago and then some of the other metropolitan city's around the United States. This is definitely a step in the right direction when it comes down to broadening our horizons and really having a chance to see all the beauty the city has to give. This is definelty another "WoW" product from Google.

So if you have some free time check out the site and enjoy all that the Big Apple has to offer.

Google and New York City Launch town-touring technology tools (AFP)

New York uses Google Maps to guide Tourists (ComputerWorld Government)

Google-Powered Nycgo.com Site is Great Lesson in Interactive Web Maps (Google Watch)

25th Anniversary of the Apple 1984 Video

Today is the 25th anniversary of the Apple 1984 George Orwellian video which ran during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII, January 22, 1984. This was the breath taking way Apple introduced the world to the Apple Macintosh. The video was directed by Ridley Scott (famed director of such hits Blade Runner, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down & Alien).

"Apple spent 1.5 million on it, even while the board didn't want to run it and Steve Jobs—who obviously believed the ad was genius and was present at the moment of the filming—had to use all his Reality Distortion Field powers alongside John Sculley to get them to approve the spot. Reportedly, Steve Wozniak liked it so much that he offered to pay for it with his own money.

At the end, Steve's vision—as most times, spot on—prevailed and the ad became the biggest hit ever in the history of TV, setting the bar for every Super Bowl commercial since then. With one single emission, it generated millions of dollars in free coverage and re-runs in TV stations through the nation and abroad, and became a historical landmark to advertisers, companies, and public alike."

Its nice to see people who dream big and take a chance on something they truly believe in. Apple has always been a company that has been known for testing the waters and being on the cutting edge of the cusp. This video will live on in history as one of their great accomplishments.

1984 Macintosh Ad Still Rocks our Socks 25 years later (Gizmodo)

Microsoft takes out the Axe - 5,000 jobs to be cut over the next 18 months

(image found on Reuters website)
As the economy is in the crapper everyone is cutting back and tech giant Microsoft is no different. Microsoft is announcing that it didn't make the mark it was shooting for and it will need to make some employee cuts across the board.

"Microsoft said it will eliminate up to 5,000 jobs in research and development, marketing, sales, finance, legal, human resources and information technology over the next 18 months, including 1,400 jobs on Thursday. That amounts to about 5 percent of its estimated 95,000 work force.

Microsoft said these moves would help cut its annualized operating expense by about $1.5 billion and reduce fiscal year 2009 capital expenditures by $700 million."

Microsoft is pointing the finger at the PC industry and net books not hitting the mark. But, I think Microsoft is missing the bigger picture. This may be the tight times but its also the time to get our troops in order and make them work through the grind and come up with some more amazing new products. I understand a company needs to cut its expenses but it also needs to realize that each employee can help it to catipult forward in the down times.

Company's in general have a lot of untapped potential within them. Maybe Microsoft will realize this before it takes out the ax. I think they would be kicking themselves in the ass if they let go of these people and the people they let go went on to form something even more bigger then Microsoft. When times are tough the potential for greatness is high. All you need to do is look within and make it happen.

Microsoft profit misses, to cut up to 5,000 jobs (Reuters)

Microsoft to cut up to 5,000 jobs as earnings fall (AFP)

Microsoft shares slump following earnings release, pulls markets down(Cnet news)