Windows 7 RC (Release Candidate) is due out 5th May, according to Brandon LeBlanc on his blog. This is earlier than I expected (September would have been my guess) and is most welcome news.
I have been testing Windows 7 on a spare machine and have been very impressed. Enough to have decided to take the plunge and install it when it is released, replacing Windows XP. The massive Beta testing program has been hugely successful. At the busiest time, Microsoft were recieving a feedback report every 15 seconds - that's over 40,000 reports in that one week!
Looks like I'm going to be busy sooner than I thought.
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Just Phill in the Phorm
Phorm seems to be stirring up a right controversy. Phorm is a way of serving up relevant advertisements to surfers. Not a bad thing, you may think. But consider how it does this.
How much privacy intrusion is needed to serve an advert tailored to someone? Certainly a history of surfing habits would be the minimum. And perhaps records of online purchases. And why not get the IP as well. Then store all that data for when it's needed.
I put this on a level with cold callers. If I want to buy stocks and shares, windows, conservatories, electricity and so on then I will research the subject myself. I would never buy from a stranger on the phone offering these sevices. The same with online purchases - I research the subject and decide where I want to buy from.
Recently, Amazon requested Phorm stay away from their sites. Now Wikipedia has done the same. Three thumbs up to these guys - it is not necessary and is probably against EU law anyway.
If the default option is to opt-in if it is wanted then it might just be bearable (and ignoreable). If we are all in by default then it is a gross intrusion of privacy and should be resisted.
How much privacy intrusion is needed to serve an advert tailored to someone? Certainly a history of surfing habits would be the minimum. And perhaps records of online purchases. And why not get the IP as well. Then store all that data for when it's needed.
I put this on a level with cold callers. If I want to buy stocks and shares, windows, conservatories, electricity and so on then I will research the subject myself. I would never buy from a stranger on the phone offering these sevices. The same with online purchases - I research the subject and decide where I want to buy from.
Recently, Amazon requested Phorm stay away from their sites. Now Wikipedia has done the same. Three thumbs up to these guys - it is not necessary and is probably against EU law anyway.
If the default option is to opt-in if it is wanted then it might just be bearable (and ignoreable). If we are all in by default then it is a gross intrusion of privacy and should be resisted.
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
The Conficker Awakes
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39640215,00.htm
It seems conficker is starting to reveal its true purpose - making money. One method is to display a fake warning that a system is infected and can be cleaned using Spyware Protect 2009. Needless to say, this is a scam. You pay up, your credit card details are logged and you end up paying a damn sight more than the £35 asking price
Check for signs of conficker infection here or here.
And practice safe surfing!
It seems conficker is starting to reveal its true purpose - making money. One method is to display a fake warning that a system is infected and can be cleaned using Spyware Protect 2009. Needless to say, this is a scam. You pay up, your credit card details are logged and you end up paying a damn sight more than the £35 asking price
Check for signs of conficker infection here or here.
And practice safe surfing!
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
April 1st 2009
It is widely thought that the pain-in-the-arse Conficker worm will start doing it's stuff on April 1st. No one really knows what that stuff may be - anything from data theft to recruiting machines to a zombie farm. It may even be just a scam for publicity (though I doubt it).
Every machine that is infected represents a threat to eveyone else connected to the internet. Please make sure you run Windows Update this week.
Better safe than sorry!
Every machine that is infected represents a threat to eveyone else connected to the internet. Please make sure you run Windows Update this week.
Better safe than sorry!
Saturday, 21 March 2009
IE8 Arrives
Internet Explorer 8 has finally been released. As expected, this latest version builds on previous versions and exhibits some useful features. And it is a more secure browser than IE7, though remember that no browser is completely secure.
New features include:
Internet Explorer 8 is currently only available as a separate download. Let's hope it is soon included in Windows Update.
Download IE8 from here
Read more here
New features include:
- Colour-coded tabs
- Option to reopen closed tabs (a la Firefox)
- Isolated tabs - if one tab crashes, the rest are not affected
- InPrivate browsing, where private data is dumped on exiting the session
- Protection against clickjacking (where a mouse click acts on an invisible layer above the intended target, intended to redirect the user to a malicious site)
- Compatibility mode to render IE7-optimised sites correctly (this feature should really be automatic)
Internet Explorer 8 is currently only available as a separate download. Let's hope it is soon included in Windows Update.
Download IE8 from here
Read more here
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Windows 7 Marches On
I must say I'm liking Windows 7. I must also say that I don't use it on my main system and so don't give it the workout it should be getting. But I like it enough to have decided to migrate from XP when the final release comes out.
Microsoft have got far better press with Windows 7 than it did with Vista. Now MS are showing they react responsibly to beta tester's comments by publishing a whole string of suggestions that are to be incorporated in the final release.
Some improvements will be handy, some will not be applicable. Many come under the category of "Why didn't I think of that?"
Read the full list on Steven Sinofsky's blog
Microsoft have got far better press with Windows 7 than it did with Vista. Now MS are showing they react responsibly to beta tester's comments by publishing a whole string of suggestions that are to be incorporated in the final release.
Some improvements will be handy, some will not be applicable. Many come under the category of "Why didn't I think of that?"
Read the full list on Steven Sinofsky's blog
Sunday, 8 March 2009
A Merger of Giants
Big news from Emsi Software and Tall Emu !
Emsi Software, makers of the a-squared anti-malware product have joined forces with Tall Emu, makers of the Online-Armor firewall and are offering a package deal for the two applications at a 30% discount. I have been impressed with a-squared for some years, ever since using the a² Free anti-trojan (as it was known then) application marketed by Emsisoft. Online-Armor has an excellent reputation and was declared the best firewall of 2008 by Scot Finnie in his blog.
With these companies joining forces, users can be assured they are getting two effective applications that will play nicely together at a reasonable price. I wish them all the best.
As long as they don't include the Ask toolbar ...
Emsi Software, makers of the a-squared anti-malware product have joined forces with Tall Emu, makers of the Online-Armor firewall and are offering a package deal for the two applications at a 30% discount. I have been impressed with a-squared for some years, ever since using the a² Free anti-trojan (as it was known then) application marketed by Emsisoft. Online-Armor has an excellent reputation and was declared the best firewall of 2008 by Scot Finnie in his blog.
With these companies joining forces, users can be assured they are getting two effective applications that will play nicely together at a reasonable price. I wish them all the best.
As long as they don't include the Ask toolbar ...
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