What is Fake Antivirus?

Don't know? Watch this podcast.

A relative recently acquired "Security Tool" and I'm still working on getting rid of it.

I'm now going to train them on the use of NoScript and running as a user, not an administrator

Wish us luck!

Perry

OK OK - All Cell Phone providers are Just Plain Evil

All their charges have always been completely impossible to figure out.

Verizon Lobbied for laws to eliminate community-based competition

AT&T, well just plain sucks if you own an iphone.

Now, all in the same day:

• AT&T claims that FCC deciding to reclassify them as a Title 2 carrier will cost economy $62 Billion
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• Verizon charges thousands of users $1.99 a month for data they can't possibly use
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• Sprint charges 4G phone owners $10 per month even if they don't ( or can't)  use it.
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• Now AT&T charges you for your own data network.

What can they possibly think of next?  I know - sending me a bill when I don't even have their phone?   Wait?  There's a letter here for me?

OK Everybody - Do you believe it yet? Facebook HAS NO PRIVACY

From a Wall St Journal Article - Even after Facebook is in huge hot water for continually changing their privacy policies without telling their users, or even promising the opposite, they broke their own policies by giving out usernames to doubleclick.  Yes, the face of evil ( almost ).

Facebook privacy policies = Facebook morals = NOTHING

Only post items on Facebook that you'd put out in the open on the Web - It's the same thing!

From Slashdot...

Microsoft Says, Don't Press the F1 Key In XP

I guess there's a bug in XP that lets a bad guy take over your computer.  They have to send you a dialog box that says something like "Computer error - hit your F1 key".

So Don't hit the F1 key in XP ( especially if your computer tells you to ).  

Ugh.  Well, I've realized a while ago that Windows 7 ( Or Mac or Linux ) has replaced XP ( or should for everybody ), and Microsoft might make it happen faster, even unintentionally, with things like this.  How fast will they fix it?  Will there be some subtle ( or not-so-subtle ) nudges to change?  Maybe it's time to go for a Mac? 

 Apropos of nothing in particular, Did you know there's an expression called The Sony Timer?

Oh I just got a Sony Blue-Ray BDP-460 (w00t!), and an Optoma HD-20 projector (Double W00t!)

Perry

Has Facebook Turned Evil? (OK, it always was)

The ACLU(!) thinks so.  I'm not so sure.  Their new privacy policy opens up a *LOT* of information about the users, and the "privacy wizard" is really hard to understand for privacy experts - what's a normal user to do?

Right now, I'm begging you, review your Facebook privacy settings, including search, log out of facebook, and do a google search of yourself.  And prepare to be shocked.

Here's a good analysis from Jason Calacanis and the ACLU was already writing about their AWFUL privacy policy regarding quizzes (DON'T TAKE QUIZZES ON FACEBOOK!) You're giving out both your own and your friends's information.

Update 3-20-2010: 
From Business Insider - Mark Zuckerberg is a really sleazy guy.  All signs point to the fact that he stole lots of ideas from his classmates and (sorta) employers at Harvard, and bragged about it.  When they sued him, the judge didn't look at all the evidence and still gave them $65 Million.  If that figure is true, that's a lot, but they might get more based on the fact that Zuck hacked their web sites, stole their logins and passwords from Facebook records, etc.  Nice guy, huh?  And everybody keeps their private data with him?  I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Next: Read You Tube is Evil a and Google knew it when they bought them.

Perry

Antivirus Programs are not Perfect

Sounds silly when said this way, huh?  Well, it's true, and its sometimes surprising when people think otherwise.  This means that when you do dangerous things, like go to dangerous-type web sites (gambling, warez, porn), click on suspicious email attachments (even after scanning them), you could get into trouble.

For proof., look at this (safe) link created by Adrien at the from Internet Storm Center.  He analyzed a message that said it was an security message from Facebook notifying customers of a password change.  We all know this never happens, and the attachment contained malware.

The link above, here again, shows multiple virus scanners against the file, and while my favorites (except one) all found it, there were a troubling number who didn't - 20 out of 41 - technically less than half.

This does not mean that you should completely stop clicking on attachments.  Just that you should think, and do a quick risk analysis.  Don't click on every "this is funny" when send by a friend of a friend when it's an attachment, don't click on ANY attachment that's sent by a bank or financial institution unless it's generated by a transaction you made yourself.

Use Mozilla Firefox for browsing,  Use Noscript, stay off bad sites, be internet safe.

Perry

LaLa is a really cool music service

I started using LaLa a couple of weeks ago, and actually bought a bunch of songs.  It was when we saw the Trans-Siberian-Orchestra, and I wanted to get some of their music.  LaLa has lower prices than iTunes for downloads, and wicked cheap web-listen prices - like $.10 per song without download.

This just in - too late - Apple bought them , let's see if iTunes is the Borg and assimilates (kills) them - Oh Well

Perry