August 2007 - Posts
Apple and AT&T have once again been sued for alleged iPhone flaws.
On Wednesday, attorneys for plaintiffs Zoltan Stiener and Ynez Stiener filed a class action complaint against Apple and AT&T in federal court in Oakland, Calif.
The lawsuit alleges breach of contract, fraud, and violations of California law. It charges the two companies with failing to inform iPhone purchasers that fees totaling more than $100 are required to replace iPhone batteries and to maintain service during battery replacement.
The iPhone's battery is designed so as not to be removable by consumers.
The lawsuit states that the iPhone battery must be replaced after approximately 300 charges and that replacement is likely to be necessary in one year or less.
Apple maintains a Web page to educate consumers about how to prolong the life of the iPhone's battery. "A properly maintained iPhone battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 400 full charge and discharge cycles," Apples states. "You may choose to replace your battery when it no longer holds sufficient charge to meet your needs."
This marks the third such case against Apple.
Full story
HTC has announced the launch of HTCmail, a fully hosted, secure, and managed email service based on Microsoft Hosted Exchange. HTCmail will bring the benefits of always-connected business to mobile professionals. The HTC offering provides seamless and real-time access to up to five different email accounts, either personal or work mailboxes, aggregated and instantly delivered to a mobile device through Outlook 2007. Features include email, contacts and calendar, enabling users to easily access information and communications while on the go. HTCmail is compatible with all HTC devices, and will be rolling out across selected European markets* from September 2007.
More about HTCmail
• Business-critical information is always backed-up, up to date and protected
• Users can sign up and manage their account online at [enter final URL], and have the added support of a 24-hour customer service centre
• 2GB Mail Storage
• 20MB mail send size limit
• Anti-virus and anti-spam capabilities
• Variety of subscriptions packages, 3, 6 or 12 months
• Compatible with all Windows Mobile 5.0 and Windows Mobile 6 devices
• 2 month no obligation trial
If you're a fan of Halo, get your game on...
Whether you're an avid gamer or a sci-fi fan, you'll love this ringtone and these wallpapers marking the release of the final game in the Halo trilogy — exclusively on Xbox 360.
Start by personalizing your phone with the Halo Ringtone — available here.
You can also adorn your device with any of four Halo 3® wallpapers — available here.
Get a $10 gift card and free shipping when you pre-order Halo 3 and buy an Xbox 360 accessory $29.99 and up from Best Buy.
If you are at work, chances are you are probably doing it right now.
Walk into any large office, and you will most likely hear the telltale computer bleeps of chat programs and online games, accompanied by furious mouse-clicking. Employees may seem busy, but many are wasting time on the Internet, or "cyberslacking".
Studies worldwide suggest employees spend about a fifth of their work shifts engaging in personal activities. Their favourite time waster? The Internet.
Patricia Wallace, author of the 2004 book "The Internet in the Workplace: How New Technology Is Transforming Work", said employees have always found ways to avoid working too hard.
"The issue is now you have something that seems to be genuinely irresistible because it's such a gateway to the whole planet that's right there on your desk and easily concealed to people passing by," said Wallace, a professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Only a fifth of their shift? That's about an hour and a half right? Roughly? Do you buy that?
In the month of August to date, there have been 38 malicious-code attacks on instant-messaging networks, double the number experienced in July.
According to IM security and compliance vendor Akonix, IM worms with such bizarre names as Delf, Mimbot, MSNHorm and MSNPoopy have emerged this month, proving that IM networks are becoming a popular vehicle for hackers to attempt to break into corporate networks.
Instant-messaging threats work much like e-mail ones, where malware is launched when the recipient clicks on a link or a download option included in the message. Instead of being sent over e-mail, however, these threats are spread through IM chat sessions. Many corporations still don't secure IM traffic because administrators don't realize how pervasive these applications are among their employees -- if they notice IM traffic running across their network at all.
Because IM networks such as those from AOL, MSN and Yahoo can be joined easily by employees and carry few security precautions with them, companies that don't monitor for IM traffic on their network and secure that communication path open themselves up to threats, Akonix officials say.
Full story here.
Microsoft announced on Wednesday plans to acquire Parlano, a developer of group chat applications for large corporate customers. The software giant plans to add Chicago-based Parlano's MindAlign group chat functionality as a new feature to several of its products, such as Microsoft Office Communications Server, Microsoft Office Communicator and its instant messaging and VoIP software.
Parlano's technology allows employees, customers, partners and others to chime in on a particular topic via instant messaging, as well as search for past "conversations" on a particular type of topic from previous instant messaging discussions. Terms of the detail were not disclosed. Microsoft expects to close the acquisition during the fourth quarter.
From the Windows Vista Team:
When developing Windows Vista, Microsoft set out to provide higher levels of productivity, mobility, and security, with lower costs. After more than six months of broad availability and usage, it's evident that these investments are improving the Windows computing experience. For example, in the first six months of use, Windows Vista had fewer security issues than Windows XP (Windows Vista had only 12 issues, and Windows XP had 36). According to the Windows Vista 6-Month Vulnerability Report by Jeffery R. Jones, Windows Vista had fewer security issues than all the popular operating systems he studied.
Although most companies are cautious when deploying a new operating system, many have already started testing and evaluating Windows Vista for deployment, and some have already deployed Windows Vista into their production environments and begun seeing the business benefits Windows Vista can provide.
Microsoft's efforts to provide the best Windows experience ever in Windows Vista did not end with its launch. This white paper describes the ways Microsoft strives to continuously improve Windows Vista. It then introduces Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) and describes how the service pack will fit into the ongoing improvement process.
More here.
But before you run and and try to download it, this will not work on AT&T/Cingular branded 750's, only what Palm refers to as "rest-of-world" devices. What's wrong with the US Wireless carriers and why are they so slow at adopting WM6 devices? Let's bet that the US version won't be available for 6-8 more weeks...
For the rest of you...
This update provides:
- Windows Mobile® 6 Professional
- Update for Loss of System Sounds enhancement
Enhancements
- Improved Calendar management with enhanced User Interface
- Enhanced E-mail messaging, HTML/Smart Filtering, SharePoint access and more
- Voice command via Bluetooth
- USB cable charging
http://kb.palm.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=EUPalmSupportWKB,TS=PalmEUWKB_UK,case=obj(2031)
HTC Corp. , the world's leading provider of Microsoft® Windows Mobile®-based smart devices, today unveiled the HTC TyTN II. HTC TyTN II will be launched in partnership with leading operator partners across Europe, as well as direct under the HTC brand, and builds on the success of the award-winning first HTC TyTN (June 2006). Featuring global high speed HSDPA connectivity, in-built GPS for personal navigation and an innovative adjustable screen angle, this device is the ultimate mobile companion. The HTC TyTN II packs all the power of Windows Mobile® 6 into a unique new form factor, continuing HTC‟s 10-year heritage of innovation in device design. The 2.8-inch colour screen slides back to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, then tilts up to position the screen perfectly for reading and creating emails, using applications, or even just playing videos and games. The HTC TyTN II allows users to get connected in any country with tri-band UMTS and quad-band EDGE. It boasts unrivalled worldwide 3.5G high speed internet – HSDPA, at speeds 9 times faster than 3G – and WiFi 802.11b/g to ensure users can enjoy high-speed surfing, uploading and downloading while roaming anywhere in the world.
Creative ZEN 8GB Black
- Enjoy all your media on a device that's about the width of a credit card
- Watch 32 hours of videos, enjoy up to 2,000 of your favorite songs or share hundreds of photos with your friends
- 2.5-inch TFT color display with 320 x 240-pixel resolution and support for up to 16.7 million colors
- Clock and alarm function, volume restriction, eight equalizer settings, and a USB hard drive mode
- Weighs 2.1 ounces and measures 3.26 x 2.16 x .44 inches (W x H x D)
And all for $199...
Easily create custom Windows Live accounts in your domain that work with Windows Live and MSN services - for Free!
- Custom Windows Live accounts Create an unlimited* number of accounts on Windows Live using your domain.
- Much more than e-mail. Accounts in your domain can work with Windows Live/MSN services including Hotmail, Messenger, and Spaces.
- No hassle or fuss. Services are hosted and managed by Microsoft, so don't worry about equipment or scale issues.
- Management options. Create accounts using our web tools, the optional software development kit, or let visitors create their own accounts using open membership.
- Don't already have a domain? We've partnered with firms for you to purchase a domain as part of the sign-up process (available only in select locales).
*Each domain is initially limited to 500 accounts. This limit can be increased without charge simply by meeting certain criteria.
http://domains.live.com/
I spent the better part of this morning trouble-shooting the right side of my start menu on my Windows Vista drive, the portion of the menu that contains logged on user, Documents, Pictures, Music. For some strange reason after logon, my Documents shortcut stopped working. I'd click on Documents and nothing. I'd right click and go to properties and there was nothing there. I tried the obvious and google searched for how to fix it because it was driving me crazy. I couldn't find a single thing referencing how to fix the right side of the menu (although I found a ton of links with folks dead set against registry repair utilities). Long story short, I searched the registry myself and found the fix. If your shortcuts on your Start menu ever quit working, launch regedit and navigate to the following keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
These hives contain all of the paths to the shell folders (desktop, documents, favorites, music, pictures, etc.). Just scan the list presented and ensure the paths are all correct to the appropriate folders. Somehow, my document folder ended up mapped to D:\Documents. Not sure how, don't ask, but setting this back to %userprofile%\documents and c:\users\username\documents corrected the issue.
Microsoft has opened a new blog, hackers @ microsoft.
Check it out.
Hello world.
Welcome to a new blog from Microsoft. The focus of this blog is likely to be a little different from most other blogs you'll see on blogs.msdn.com. Microsoft employs some of the best hackers in the world and actively recruits them and develops them. They work on all kinds of projects, whether it be in development, research, testing, management and of course security. Of course, there is controversy even in the word "hacker" but I don't think that should stop us from using it in the manner I think is the most appropriate. At his or her core, a true hacker is someone who is curious and wants to learn how systems work. This can and of course at Microsoft is done in an ethical, legal manner. We employ "white hat hackers" who spend their time pentesting and code reviewing applications and software looking for weaknesses and vulnerabilities so that others don't once we've released that code into the wild. We employ many many smart testers who know more about some of our software then perhaps the architects who designed it. We also employ some of the top researchers in their industry, dedicated people working on the bleeding edge of whats going to be common place in the next 5 or 10 years of computing. So yes, Microsoft does have hackers, and its time to introduce you to some of them and show you what it is, exactly that they do.
http://blogs.msdn.com/hackers/
Virtual Earth 3D brings you another step closer to knowing "what it is like out there". You can search, browse, and organize local information viewed in three dimensions, just the way it exists in the real world. This enables you to more effectively find the data that is relevant to you, making Live Maps more useful than ever. Even better -- it's just plain fun!
Download details: Virtual Earth 3D (Beta)
Pretty cool stuff...
Now this...
The Falcons will try to recoup $22 million already paid to suspended quarterback Michael Vick, a person with knowledge of the team's plans told the Journal-Constitution on Saturday.
Vick was suspended indefinitely by the NFL on Friday after he pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges in Virginia. That cleared the way for the Falcons to pursue money paid to Vick in signing bonus money.
Falcons want $22 million back from Vick | ajc.com
WS-Management OOB is a targeted release for supporting WS-Management functionality on the following platforms: Windows XP SP2, Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows 2003 Server R2. It replaces the WS-Management version that shipped in Windows Server 2003 R2. Customers are advised to update their Windows 2003 Server R2 with this update. This is a required component for Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2007 and Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 SP1.
Please review KB article KB936059.
Feature Bullet Summary:
• Remote management over HTTP and HTTPS
• Hardware Management
• Policy based Event Forwarding
Download details: WS-Management v1.1
Microsoft Forums are all abuzz...
Microsoft WGA servers down; all XP and Vista installs being marked as counterfeit BB reader David McBride says,
DRM bites again: the Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage servers (which every XP and Vista install phones home to) all failed sometime earlier today. The result? Every single Windows XP and Vista installation -- except possibly those with volume license keys -- is being marked as counterfeit when it tries to check in. Installations which are flagged as counterfeit switch to a "reduced functionality mode" which results in features like Aero and DirectX being disabled.
So far, the only public response from Microsoft has been indirectly via their technical support forums, where a user has posted the following snippet from an email he received from MS's technical support address:
Thank you for your response. I’m sorry to inform you that the Windows Genuine server might be down for few days. I have escalate the issue to our Genuine team, kindly try to validate again on Tuesday 28 Aug 2007. Thank you for contacting Microsoft Technical Support.
Wondering how users' machines keep getting all those nasty infections and data keeps leaking out, despite all the defenses IT can erect?
A study released Tuesday by InsightExpress, an independent market research firm, may shed some light on the problem.
Forty-four percent of mobile users questioned in a survey this spring said they open e-mails and attachments from unknown or even suspicious senders. The study also showed that one-third of mobile users access unauthorized wireless connections, whether they're hijacking a neighbors' wireless connection or using unsecured hotspots at a coffee shop or in a public park.
The study was commissioned by Cisco Systems and the National Cyber Security Alliance.
"Businesses are increasingly entrusting more and more employees with access to corporate information anywhere outside of the office," said Ben Gibson, a director at Cisco, in a written release. "After all, embracing mobility and truly leveraging the power it gives businesses -- agility, access, responsiveness, efficiency -- requires protecting and educating employees to prevent them from undermining this value. This is a role IT can and should play more proactively than they traditionally have in the past."
According to the study, 73% of mobile users said they are not always aware of security threats and best practices when working on the go. Although many said they are "sometimes" aware, another 28% admitted they "hardly ever" consider security risks and proper behavior. Some even said they "never" consider safety best practices and didn't know they needed to be aware of security risks.
When questioned about why they're so lax about wireless security, the top answers included, "I'm busy and need to get work done," and "It's IT's job, not mine."
http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=201801429
How many know end-users like this?
Toshiba this week announced a trio of SDHC media, including the first ever 32GB SDHC card.
Included in the announcement are 32 and 16GB SDHC cards and an 8GB microSDHC card. The cards have a Class 4 (4MB/second) speed rating.
Large capacity memory cards have become increasingly in demand to support the large files produced by high-resolution digital cameras, such as the 21.1-megapixel Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, announced this week..
Toshiba’s 32GB SDHC card and 8GB microSDHC cards will be available in January and the 16GB card in October. Pricing was not immediately available.
Toshiba Announces 32GB SDHC Card - Flashes, Tripods and Accessories
With Outlook Connector, you can use Outlook 2003 or Outlook 2007 to access and manage your Windows Live Hotmail or Office Live Mail accounts, including e-mail messages and contacts for free! Calendar, tasks and notes can also be accessed and managed in Outlook for accounts with a paid subscription.
Outlook Connector enables you to use your Live Hotmail accounts within Outlook:
- Read and send your Office Live Mail/Windows Live Hotmail e-mail messages.
- Manage your Live Mail Contacts.
- Use advanced options for blocking junk e-mail messages.
- Manage multiple e-mail accounts in one place.
With a paid subscription, Outlook Connector enables these additional features:
- Manage, share, and synchronize your Windows Live Calendar in Outlook.
- Access your Tasks and Notes.
Go here.
In the greater Cincinnati area?
The Cornhole-a-thon is on.
Corporate and recreational teams, plus 16 of the nation's top cornhole players, will be slinging sacks until nearly 8 p.m. today on Fountain Square.
The "World Cornhole Championship," kicked off at 10 a.m. , with final matches scheduled for 4 p.m. An awards ceremony is planned for 7:45 p.m.
The Enquirer - Cornholers gird for battle
BeyondTrust recently unveiled their software named Privilege Manager 3.5 which helps control the annoying pop-ups appearing while having User Access Control Activated.
Privilege Manager policies would fire up before a User Access Control dialogue box appears whenever UAC is enabled. If UAC is disabled, Privilege Manager would act upon on the policies set by the administrator.
BeyondTrust Controls UAC Pop-ups
At $30 dollars a seat??? You do the math...
With a few finger taps you can launch applications from the Start menu in Vista with administrator credentials. The Windows Fanatics weblog has the skinny.
1. Open the Start Menu, type the name of the application you want to run.
2. Press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER instead of just ENTER.
3. Press Alt + C to confirm the elevation prompt.
Windows Vista Tip: The Fastest Way to Launch Programs with Elevated Credentials - Lifehacker
These step-by-step guides provide instructions for deploying or migrating to Windows Vista, and various management tasks, including configuring security, monitoring performance, and managing printers.
Download details: Windows Vista Step-by-Step Guides for IT Professionals
Yahoo Inc. has updated its Messenger instant messaging software to flush a bug that hackers could exploit by sending video chat invitations to unwary users.
The vulnerability, which surfaced last week in a posting to a Chinese security forum, could be exploited by duping a user into accepting a malicious webcam invitation, McAfee Inc. confirmed Aug. 15.
PC World - Yahoo Patches Messenger
And Gizmodo posts a picture...
Now that the iPhone has been successfully hacked and unlocked, will AT&T and Apple still let you walk out the door of their stores with an inactive phone?