2. September 2008 by Myke.

On September 2, 2008 Google will launch the first public beta version of Google Chrome.  With a list of features and cool little gadgets, they are making a move to battle Microsoft even more.

It’s entirely open-source.

It will have a built-in JavaScript virtual machine, called V8, which will radically speed up JavaScript performance in the browser.

The address bar has an auto-complete feature called Omnibox. Omnibox will offer search suggestions, pages you have recently visited, as well as others you have not but are popular around the Internet.

Anything that runs in a tabbed window will be sandboxed, meaning that it won’t affect your machine.

The default home page will show your last nine visited websites as thumbnails, as well as your recent searches and bookmarks.

Has a special privacy mode, called ‘Incognito’, which is a window where nothing that occurs in there will ever be logged on your computer.

Yes my fellow Beavis and Butthead fans, we said incognito.  We will be running this first thing tomorrow and testing the “incognito” features in a corporate environment.

More details to come…

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30. August 2008 by Myke.

Microsoft has officially launched it’s Beta version of Internet Explorer 8.  If you have been hiding under a rock in the IT world recently here is a list of “cool” new features of IE8.

Accelerators - Accelerators let you efficiently complete your everyday browsing activities like mapping directions, translating words, emailing your friends, and more in just a few mouse clicks.

InPrivate Browsing - Browse the web without saving your history with Internet Explorer 8’s InPrivate Browsing. Now you can “shop for that special gift” with confidence knowing your family won’t accidentally find out or use a shared computer without leaving a trace.  More like surf the Internet for PORN without your significant other or boss knowing.

Web Slices - Keep up with changes to the sites you care about most. Add a Web Slice and you won’t have to go back to the same website again and again for updates on news, stock quotes, online auctions, weather, or even sports scores.

Search suggestions - Search smarter with detailed suggestions from your favorite search providers and browsing history. See visual previews and get suggested content topics while you type in the enhanced Instant Search Box.

SmartScreen Filter - New security features help to protect you against deceptive and malicious websites which can compromise your data, privacy and identity.

Pretty cool but after a recent quote from Microsoft that was either misheard or elaborated by the MFIA (Mozilla Firefox Intelligence Agency), someone has some explaining to do.

“The core web rendering engine in IE8 is compliant with web standards, but we have also tried to maintain compatibility with sites written specifically for older versions of IE,” says Ryan Servatius, senior product manager at Microsoft’s Internet Explorer division.  This actually sounds pretty cool so far.

The new browser will come with a ‘compatibility button’, which users can click if they stumble across a site that was designed for older versions of the software. Once pressed, the page will reload in ‘compatibility mode’.  Again, sounds great so far to me.

“Sites that are specifically written for IE will not display properly. Many people probably will not ever use the compatibility button that Microsoft has built into IE8, which means some sites will not work and the user will get a message saying the site needs Internet Explorer.”  Huh???  Come again my man.  Maybe I am misreading this but it sounds like you know that a lot of sites will not even work and most people will never even know why.  I think you need ot go back to your marketing team and re-phrase that statement…maybe.

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30. August 2008 by Myke.

After the FCC ruled against Comcast and it’s illegal bandwidth throttling, they moved forward with publishing that all “excessive users” will be subjected to a possible warning and/or disconnection of service. Now granted the usage threshold you get to hit is 250GB per month, but those of us in the IT world know we can hit that with ease.  For the average Joe at home using the Internet for his bills, surfing and day trading this will be just fine as they will never hit that mark.  I still hate Comcast and their service and their lack of customer service.  Let’s just say I am one of MANY dissatisfied ex-customers of Comcast.  Just like my favorite Comcast haters Travis “Sugar Bear” Sarbin and Mona Shaw.

Let me give some advice to those over at Comcast that make the high level decisions.  A very large community of IT professionals and hard core gamers used/use your service because it was good and it worked great.  But then you basically slapped all of us in the face and said, “sorry, we no longer want your business”.  Ever since a group of us in Denver, CO switched over to QWest DSL we have been made happy again.  We can do business/work/pleasure all at the same speeds without any interference from QWest.  Do not crap on the best customers you can have.  We will hardly ever call you for service unless it is down or being throttled so you spend less money working with us.  You screwed up and are now are paying for it with large amounts of us leaving your service.  Goodbye and good riddance.

posted by: Myke Reinhold

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21. August 2008 by Myke.

There is a lot of junk and crazy crap happening on the Internet these days and you can never be too safe.  Just because you have Anti-virus software does not make you protected or safe.  Think of it this way, just because you use a condom…that does not mean you cannot still get pregnant or get an STD.  The Internet is full of nasty STD’s that can cause some serious burn.  If you follow these 7 rules, you may help protect yourself even more.

“You can’t be too safe,” said Jeff Fox, technology editor at Consumer Reports. People are more savvy today about online security, says Fox, “but a lot more education is needed. You need to be street-smart, the way you are in the real world.”

In an interview with CNN, Fox listed seven common online blunders that make people vulnerable to viruses and theft, and offered tips on how to avoid them:

Assuming your security software is protecting you
Just because you install it and run it, does not mean it cannot happen to you.  Your best bet is to run a security program that makes you answer questions to learn your habits.  it is frustrating at first but that means it is working.  Always make sure your software is up to date as new viruses and variations of old ones come out every day.  Along with virus issues, there is Malware/Spyware that can cause just as much if not more damage.

Accessing an account through an e-mail link
In short, don’t do it. If you get an email from your bank asking you to update financial or personal information, there’s a good chance it’s actually from a “cybercrook” seeking to empty your account. Such “phishing” scams allow criminals to steal your logins, account numbers and other sensitive data.  These e-mails are especially insidious because they come adorned with genuine corporate logos and look legitimate.  “This stuff has gotten so sophisticated that it’s pretty much impossible for people to know … if the e-mail is real or not,” Fox said.  Because of this, most banks have stopped sending out e-mails asking for updated customer information, said Fox, who thinks the ones that still do should stop. People who must access an online account should do so by typing the institution’s address in their browser, he said.

Using a single password for all online accounts
Yes, trying to remember a bunch of passwords can be a serious pain but it can also limit your chance of having everything hacked in one fell swoop.  Some cybercriminals use code-cracking software, which uncovers passwords by trolling through millions of common number-letter combinations.  “If somebody manages to get hold of your password … they basically have entree to all your accounts,” Fox said. “You’re making it easier for them to impersonate you.”  Fox suggests using variations on the same password to make them easier to recall. He also recommends a complex password with at least eight characters, including numerals or punctuation symbols, to thwart thieves’ computers.

Downloading free software
It is okay to do this, but you had better make sure the source is well known and trusted.  Remember, if it is too good to be true…then chances are it will bite you in the *** later.  Some “free” software comes loaded with spyware, which clogs your computer with ads or employs a keystroke-capture program to steal your personal information. Fox recommends downloading only from such reputable sites as Download.com or SnapFiles.com, or, if you have a PC, scanning it with Windows Defender software.

Thinking your Mac shields you from all risks
Macs are much less susceptible to viruses and spyware than PCs. But surveys show that may breed a false sense of security among Mac owners, who still fall prey to phishing scams at about the same rate as Windows users.  Until Apple beefs up Safari, Fox recommends using another browser with phishing protection, such as the latest version of Firefox.

Clicking on a pop-up ad that says your PC is not secure
This is one of the most famous attacks of all time and to this day it still works.  Unless a pop up window comes up from your software you have loaded, never click on these messages.  Danger Will Robinson Danger.  It’s easy to click inside the ad by mistake and be redirected to a spyware site or have malicious software downloaded to your computer. In a recent Consumer Reports survey, 13 percent of respondents said they did just that.  Instead, Fox recommends clicking on the tiny “close” button in the ad’s upper left or right corner. Or better yet, enable your browser’s pop-up blocker or use a free one from Google Toolbar.

Shopping online the same way you do in stores
Shopping online is a huge business anymore but is also the most dangerous way to shop.  One of the biggest problems for companies today is employees shopping online from work.  Not only do you run the risk of infecting your PC but the entire company.  On the Internet, you can’t always be sure who you’re doing business with. When entering your address and credit card information, make sure the site’s URL says “https,” which offers greater security than “http.” Don’t shop online with debit cards, which, if stolen, offer no liability protection, Fox said.  Fox suggests using one credit card for most of your business transactions and a separate card for your online purchases. That way if a hacker steals your credit card number and you must replace the card, it won’t disrupt your gym memberships or other accounts.  Finally, some banks (Citibank is one) will even issue you a temporary, one-time credit card number for specific transactions, Fox said. If stolen, it’s completely worthless.

posted  by: Myke Reinhold

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15. August 2008 by Myke.

Comcast is currently testing a new protocol - agnostic traffic management

After coming under fire and finally getting nailed for lying, cheating and playing big brother Comcast is testing a new approach.  Rather than limiting the bandwidth available to all BitTorrent users when network traffic is heavy (all day mind you), the company will target the individuals clogging the pipe.  By measuring aggregate bandwidth consumption, Comcast can identify the heaviest users.  During times of network congestion, the heavy users will notice a delay in their data requests until overall traffic has gone down.

Comcast is currently testing this idea in PA and WA and has been since June.  If the testing goes well, they will start to roll this out by the end of the year.

Okay, my take on this is that they are trying to cover themselves for their failure last year and going into this year.  Comcast users are still complaining and the FCC is still involved.  Thank god for Qwest fiber Internet.

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