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Practical Security Round-up

We here at Geekamongus care about you, the visitor, so we offer some news and tips about staying secure:

iPhone
Here’s a good reason to set your iPhone to *not* auto-join Wifi networks, especially those AT&T Wifi Hotspots.

Antivirus Software
There is no need to pay for antivirus/security software for your Windows computer.  Save your money.  As cnet suggests, use one of the many free programs available.  Personally, I prefer MSE or Avast.

Facebook
Considering there may be 1.5 million Facebook accounts up for sale on the black market, now would be a good time to rid your computer of malware and then change your Facebook password.

While you are at it, you may want to learn about (and restrict) all the personal data Facebook has unilaterally decided to share about you.

Microsoft SharePoint Security Warning
SharePoint administrators and users, beware: Serious XSS flaw haunts Microsoft SharePoint

The Google Overlords
Afraid of Google?  Here’s a good way to anonymize yourself when doing Google searches or using many of their services:

Read more on the project page. Download the Firefox plugin here.

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The BBC’s lack of a sense of humor

I received an email today regarding my fingernail clipping collection. It was from the BBC and it read:

Subject: BBC 3 Show
Message:
I stumbled across your website and noticed your box of toe nail clippings. WE are currently looking for people to take part in an exciting new show about people with funny habits. I wondered if you would be interested in talking about your collection of nails? Are you UK based? It would be great if you could email me a contact telephone number so that we can have a chat? Or your email address?

I was excited to find out they wanted to film me, as previous interviews I have done were all on radio stations (in New Zealand, for some reason. I’m big in New Zealand).

So I wrote back and told them I’d be happy to do it. However, they replied:

Hi Will,
Thank you for your email. That’s a shame that you live in the US, do you know of anyone with a similar habit who lives in the UK?

Laura Stebbing
Researcher

A shame I live in the US? A bit disappointed, I wrote her back in an overtly sarcastic tone:

Well, I don’t think it’s a shame, really. I actually like it here.

I’ll have to dig out my “International Directory of Fingernail Clipping Collectors, 2010 Edition” and get back to you on the name of someone in the UK who collects their nails with whom you can speak. We are a tight-knit club whose loose lips tend to sink ships, so finding someone may be difficult. I will let you know.

Sincerely,
Will

I figured that would be the end of it, or that she would reply with something equally as snarky. Apparently, my “humour” excaped her:

Hi Will,
Thank you, any help would be very much appreciated and please let me know if you have any questions. We are currently filming in the UK, so
anyone UK based would be great.

Thanks again,
Laura.

Maybe the period at the end of her name was her way of saying “You jerk, I would tell you what I think of you but my email is being monitored by my bosses, so I can’t.”

Whatever the case, I thought that conversation was too good not to share.

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My List of Favorite Smells

These things smell really, really good to me.

  • New basketballs
  • A freshly opened can of tennis balls
  • Gasoline
  • New t-shirts
  • New electronics
  • Smarties
  • Darkroom chemicals

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Energizer battery charger contains backdoor

This is pretty crazy.

“An attacker is able to remotely control a system, including the ability to list directories, send and receive files, and execute programs. The backdoor operates with the privileges of the logged-on user.”

When you buy off-the-shelf peripherals such as this, it’s easy to assume they have been tested and are safe, and wouldn’t normally pose much of a security risk to your computer.  Remember, however, that Humans made them, and so they are still subject to the same flaws (or subterfuge) that something you download from the Internet is.

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High End Desktop for a Low End price

Want to build a high end desktop computer for a low end price (around $600 or less)?

Note: I don’t include Windows 7 in the default build, as you can just download Ubuntu, Fedora, or OpenSuSE Linux etc. for free. However, I’ve included links for Windows 7 (student and normal) in the Additional options section.

I would like to suggest the following components for people that want a really nice system without breaking the bank.

I just built a new machine that could support running multiple VMware instances, encode FLAC quickly, and surf the web etc. without breaking the bank. I didn’t need or want video gaming support since I use a PS3 for that.
However, I’ll suggest a view options (including gaming cards) that will allow you to alter the basic system we’ll be discussing.

This build is based on AMD/ATI since it really does perform well and saves a good chunk of money, but the parts can be swapped very easily to make it an Intel system that won’t break the bank either.

I’ll expand on why I chose the parts and provide direct links as well. (I use Newegg, but use anyone you like)

Continue reading “High End Desktop for a Low End price”

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CD Archival and Re-Encoding – Using FLAC and LAME

PART – I:

Purpose:

The purpose of this guide is to provide general information on the following items.

Suggested software/codec’s for digitally archiving your CD’s for long term storage and without losing an ounce of quality. (I.E. Using the Open Source FLAC lossless encoder)

Encode from the Archived FLAC files for the most currently used/popular portable format currently being used; IMHO it’s still MP3’s.

Tools I Used:

Operating System: Windows 7

Secure Ripper/Encoder: dBpoweramp 13.3:  http://www.dbpoweramp.com/

Codec’s: Lossless = FLAC 1.2.1  and  Lossy = Lame 3.98.2 (included in the install)

Disclaimer:

I’m not responsible for anything period…..these are just my opinions
Continue reading “CD Archival and Re-Encoding – Using FLAC and LAME”

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Connect your blog with Facebook

Facebook keep redesigning their interface, and thus messing up instructions people have written for doing simple things such as integrating your blog posts with Facebook.  If you have every wanted to make it so that your blog updates Facebook automatically, this is how, as of this writing:

1. Log in to Facebook

2. In the upper right, click the arrow next to Account and in the drop-down menu, choose Application Settings

3. In the list of applications, find Notes and click it

4. On the right is a box for Notes Settings. In it, click “Import a blog”

5. Enter the blog URL:  http://www.yourblog.com

6. Check the box about agreeing to accept the terms

7. Click Start Importing

8. You are shown a preview of the blog import

9. On the right, click Confirm Import if all looks as it should

As long as your blog has a working RSS feed, Facebook will find it and use it to do the import.

clicky