Wizards 107, Warriors 106
Gilbert Arenas swished three free throws with 0.1 of a second remaining to give the Washington Wizards a wild 107-106 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
Wireless USB Hub from Icron
The WiRanger from Icron is a wireless USB hub making it easier than ever to unclutter your desk and redistribute that crap to the credenza, filing cabinet or your buddies cubical. “Icron’s flexible ExtremeUSB technology is the engine that enables USB 1.1 or 2.0 connections over any media: wireless, cable, power line or fiber optics.” so given [...]
How iTunes Gets Under Windows' Skin
It has been many years since Apple lost the battle of the computer platforms to Microsoft. Today, 90 percent or more of laptop and desktop computers use Microsoft's Windows operating system. However, in the past few years, Apple has mounted a sneak attack on the Windows world. Its weapon has been the Windows version of iTunes.
Need more traffic to your website? Three sites that will increase your traffic for free!
What good is a website if no one visits? And how do you get traffic to your website without spending a fortune? Getting visitors to your website doesn't have to be hard and you don't have to s...
Security Adviser: File encryption dos and don'ts
(InfoWorld) - I've been involved with multiple projects with file encryption lately, and even though I've been assisting with data encryption projects for years, I'm still learning something new every day. They say if you don't learn something new each day, then the day is wasted. Me, I'd settle for not looking like a goon in front of the client.
If you're embarking on a file encryption project, here are some ideas, questions, and caveats to be aware of.
Is file encryption right for you?
Many clients I deal with end up complaining about some of the issues inherent with file encryption. Issues such as plaintext remnants of encrypted files, files saved outside the expected encryption zones, and files that were locked during encryption and therefore left unencrypted. If these things bother you, consider volume or full disk encryption instead. The trend is heavily favoring these methods of data protection over file-by-file encryption.
Key archiving, key archiving, key archiving
You can define the long-term success of your project by the success of your data recovery events. People will forget passphrases and lose keys. They will corrupt encrypted volumes. Your CEO will lose access to her data when traveling. Plan ahead and make sure your data recovery methodology is flawless and accessible. It all begins by ensuring that crypto keys are automatically archived, by default, every time. Don't leave it up to end-users or allow gaps to creep into the process. And test, test, test before beginning deployment. It takes only one high-visibility data loss to mark your data encryption project as a failure.
Where is your data?
Survey where your data is stored and where it is transmitted. How can you begin a data protection plan if you don't know where your data is? Not only is it on hard drives (servers, workstations, and laptops), but USB keys, CD-ROMs, tape backups, and so on. Decide where you need to encrypt and pick the appropriate solutions.
What about data in transit?
Most data encryption programs protect information at rest. How do you protect the data crossing your network or WAN? Is it encrypted? Most of the projects I've been involved with have addressed data at rest scenarios (hard drives, USB keys, and so on), while completely neglecting transmitted data. That's OK -- you have to start somewhere, but don't overlook the second issue. In most cases, you'll need additional solutions to protect data in transit, although you can often rely on the old standby standards of SSL/TSL and IPSec.
Are your apps compatible?
This may surprise some readers, but are you sure your applications don't mind the encryption? Most encryption implementations are seamless and work in the background, but they all require specialized disk drivers and API calls. Many legacy programs may not use the expected disk calls, bypassing the encryption routines and corrupting data. After you've encrypted your data, you should thoroughly test all programs for interaction problems. And, oh yeah, make sure your data backup programs are compatible.
What can you encrypt?
Unless you are using volume or full disk encryption, it is unlikely that you can encrypt all files. Decide what you want to encrypt, and then test. You'll often be surprised at what can't be encrypted because of normal OS operations or application problems.
Double-checking the encryption
In every project I've seen, there's always something you told the program to encrypt that it didn't. Trust, but verify. And after you encrypt something, use a disk sector editor and look for accidental plaintext remnants of files that the encryption solution may have left behind. I like to place very unique text, such as "frogsturnintotadpoles," in a text file, encrypt it, and then search for the string. You'll be surprised how often plaintext remnants are left in the open. Address accordingly.
Performance hit?
All encryption incurs a performance hit. The questions are, How much? And how much is acceptable? In one project, the encryption process went great, but the decryption process choked on very large files, such as e-mail archives. Before you choose a solution, test and make sure the encryption/decryption process doesn't negatively impact performance. A 2 to 5 percent performance hit isn't unusual.
Employees will have to stay out of programs while encryption is happening. Open files cannot normally be encrypted. Consider rebooting the computer just before the encryption process is run for the first time to ensure that all files are closed. After the reboot, think about encrypting the largest files first (such as Outlook .ost and .pst files) and allowing your end-users into a limited set of applications to minimize operational interruptions.
If possible, test the encryption process at below-normal, normal, and high priorities. In Windows, you can change a program's CPU priority through Task Manager or by using the Start.exe program at the command line. Use below-normal priority if you want end-users to be able to access their computers and programs while the encryption process is taking place. Of course, be mindful that this will result in open files being locked and not encrypted. On the other end of the spectrum, you can tell the encryption process to be as fast as possible and keep users completely out until the entire process is finished, ensuring maximum speed and fewer locked files.
Do you have the available disk space?
Many encryption programs require a huge amount of disk overhead during the encrypting/decrypting process, unless the process is all done in memory. For example, encrypting a 100MB file might consume as much as 200MB of available disk space. You normally don't need double the available disk space for all the files collectively, but double the space of the largest single file/object being encrypted. After the object is encrypted or decrypted, the temp files are removed and the disk space is freed up.
Create a data protection policy
Write your employee policy first, before starting out with any encryption project, and get management's approval. That goes without saying, right? The key is defining end-user expectations and penalties for purposefully avoiding company-mandated encryption policies. You need management's backing on this, or you will go to a ton of trouble and expense only to have users undermine your efforts on a daily basis.
Ongoing auditing and verification
Encryption and employees aren't perfect. Develop an ongoing process for verifying that expected files are encrypted.
I could go on, but my hands are getting tired. Send me your additional data encryption hints and recommendations, and I'll put them on the blog for others to learn from.
Usage Data
Chris Linnett, director of Openlist, discusses in a fascinating column about how important the usage metrics of a website can turn up to be. His excellent column reads out the possibilities ? how the curve of the usage metrics data can help a webmaster to understand what the users want. He goes on to discuss about websites being virtual ballot ... (Read on Source)
Wyeth Says Plaintiff Failed To Provide Expert Testimony
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Wyeth is moving for summary judgment in a PPA stroke case, arguing that the plaintiff failed to provide case-specific expert testimony supporting that its product caused her injury and that her claims are time-barred (Shirley Reese v. Wyeth No. 2:02-cv-2953-KOB, N.D. Ala.). Full story on lexis.com
WiebeTech expands RTX TrayFree enclosures
WiebeTech today announced new additions to its RTX TrayFree storage enclosures, with new units offering up to eight drive bays. The company's RTX "TrayFree" technology allows users to insert bare 3.5-inch SATA hard drives without trays or screws. The company's RTX JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks) enclosures are designed to act like floppy drives, enabl...
3 Ways to Position Yourself as an Expert Posted By : Glen Hopkins
The only way to succeed in business is to specialize. So you choose a market you can dominate. This article shows you three ways to establish a dominant position in your niche.
October 18, 2007
... and configuring applications on the new server OS. Candidates must have an MCSE on Windows Server 2003 in order for the exam to count toward the MCTS: Windows 2008 AD ...
Boks shine, Poms whine
John Smit was bursting with emotion when hounded for post-match interviews. “I’m sitting here and trying not to cry,” he said. “We had 45-million-odd South Africans and the rest of the world shouting for us. It’s a feeling you can’t put into words.” (Read on Source)
Hitachi Pulls Out of Home PCs
Japan's Hitachi will no longer make consumer PCs, instead focusing on computers for use in the broadcasting industry.
Geeks, Robots, the Pentagon and Big Money
When the Pentagon's research arm first called for innovators to design and race a self-driving car to make warfare safer, a ragtag bunch of garage tinkerers, computer geeks and even high school students answered. No one won DARPA's inaugural contest in 2004, but a team from Stanford University drove away with the $2 million prize in 2005.
We've Been Changing the Climate for Eons, and That's Reason for Hope
Some scientists believe that humans have been affecting the Earth's climate since as long ago as 6,000 BC. One argues that there's a positive implication in that, if true.
Becks hails Gullit impact in turning Galaxy around - ESPN
 The Money Times | Becks hails Gullit impact in turning Galaxy around ESPN - By Soccernet EAST RUTHERFORD, July 20 (MLS) - David Beckham believes his Los Angeles Galaxy boss Ruud Gullit has transformed the Major League Soccer side both on and off the field. Galaxy-Red Bulls tie really draws a crowd David Beckham draws a crowd as Galaxy gets a tie |
Apple Is Flailing Badly At The Edges
My first computer, purchased by my parents after nearly a year of begging, was an Apple II+. That was 1982. I was a Windows user for the next 20 years, but went back to Mac when they switched to Intel chips a couple of years ago. Since then I’ve bought seven Macs for myself, as well as at least one of every iPod and both iPhones. A lot of ... (Read on Source)
DentMasters Launches Its New Website
DentMasters has recently launched its newly redesigned website, www.DentMasters.com. Blue Water Media was chosen to lead the design, development and marketing efforts of the new website. (PRWeb Aug 20, 2008)
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/08/prweb1223864.htm
McKelvin already dealing with highs and lows
PITTSFORD - Sometimes it takes a good old fashioned tongue lashing to get going and Leodis McKelvin certainly got that recently. During a practice days before the Buffalo Bills made the trip to Toronto to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in an exhibition game, defensive coordinator Perry Fewell ripped into the team’s 2008 first-round pick out of ... (Read on Source)
Before You Buy A Video Game - Cheat!
Some of you may have fond memories of Pong, Battlezone, and Asteroids. I know I've spent my entire week's allowance every Saturday and the local arcade. In all honesty, I still play these games today on my pc. They offer the simplistic arcade action that some of us crave. Today's video games have gotten so complicated that entire books for a single game title have been written on how to finish them. The graphics, strategies, and multiplayer online aspects have taken video gaming to a whole new level. To be honest, it's rare that I can even finish a game anymore, let alone win all the bonus cars or cool weapons. After playing for a few hours I'll often get stuck...
Talking robot
Trying to have a proper chat with a computer
Service Channels (Web Host Directory)
Since the dawn of Internet, there has been a constant and unprecedented growth in the number of websites registering daily. These websites are assigned a space in the World Wide Web, distinguished from others with a unique domain name.
State girds for recount in Coleman-Franken battle
Republican Sen. Norm Coleman declared victory for a second term from Minnesota, even as the state explained how it intends to recount nearly 3 million votes cast in his battle with Democrat Al Franken. (Read on Source)
3Com Boosts Support for Energy-Efficient IT
Company’s high-value, sustainable network solutions enable organisations to do more with less Hemel Hempstead, 20th November, 2008 – In today’s challenging economic environment, it is imperative th...
What the Hell Is Going On In the Western Media?
What she does not know is that at least two helpless turkeys are being slaughtered alive in the background, their legs wiggling as their heads are stuffed into a grinder by a smiling camera-hog executioner. (Read on Source)
Oops - Bush Library Web Devs Pay Tenfold to Buy Back Domain Name
George W. Bush's presidential library domain name has been retrieved after a Web developing company accidentally let it expire -- and it apparently came at a high price. Yuma Solutions originally purchased the name from a private citizen for $3,000 but let it expire. Illuminati Karate snapped it up for less than $10 and then sold it back to Yuma for $35,000.
8 signs it's time for new employment
High-profile layoffs in the tech sector have been ramping up as of late, and the sense of a deep freeze ahead for new IT opportunities is mounting. Yet opportunities still remain for IT pros savvy enough to know when to say when and jump from a foundering outfit to one capable of offering more stable employment.
The key, of course, is to know how to read the signs of company trouble accumulating around you. After all, as InfoWorld contributor Dan Tynan recently found while examining the current state of IT employment, the IT workplace has become decidedly cutthroat. Few are going to tip you off to the tough times they see ahead for your organization, especially as hiring freezes take hold, heating up the job competition across the IT industry.
"If your company is headed for a fall, it's usually better to jump than to be pushed," Tynan advises hopeful IT survivors. "Don't let yourself be blindsided by quickly dwindling company prospects."
Outlining the eight surefire indications that it's time to update your resume and start networking, Tynan provides sage advice for those IT pros whose employers are quickly feeling the effects of uncertain times -- or worse. After all, timing is everything when it comes to jumping ship.
View the slideshow: 8 signs it's time for new employment
IABC/Detroit Brings Internationally Renowned Communications Expert Ann Wylie to Detroit April 22, 20
... employee/internal communication, fundraising, graphic design, marketing communications, media relations, multi-media production, public relations, and web design. Through IABC - both locally and globally you can connect to peers, jobs, vendors, ...
FDA Warns Against Use Of ED Supplements
ROCKVILLE, Md. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to avoid a number of Chinese dietary supplements being marketed for erectile dysfunction (ED) because they contain undeclared active ingredients that are otherwise found in prescription ED drugs. Full story on lexis.com
Name: SyroBro