Archive for July, 2009
Adobe Flash security patch
Make sure to update Adobe Flash. The latest version is 10.0.32.18. You can check your version here. Note that separate updates are required for Internet Explorer and Firefox. This is because IE uses ActiveX, which Firefox does not support. Download page is here.
Google can now search a date range
Sometimes you want to do a search for Web pages that appeared within a particular range of dates. Google has now added that capability. Google Operating System reports:
Google’s web search toolbelt has been updated and it now includes an option that lets you find web pages from a user-defined period of time. After performing [...]
What the Microsoft-Yahoo deal means
At Search Engine Land, Danny Sullivan explains in a lengthy post what the Microsoft-Yahoo deal is and what it means.
The Wall Street Journal describes the less-than-enthusiastic reaction of financial analysts to what Yahoo gets from the deal. Another story discussing the disappointment of analysts at Yahoo’s end of the deal is at MarketWatch. [...]
A eulogy for Yahoo search
At Search Engine Land, search expert Danny Sullivan writes that Yahoo search will be done in by the deal with Microsoft:
Make no mistake, Yahoo’s out of the search game. I know the spin. Better user interface, new ways to innovate, a winning play. Let’s not kid ourselves. They’re done. Not today, not necessarily in a [...]
Free Nero CD/DVD burning software
Along with Roxio, Nero software is one of the most used commercial programs for creating and copying CDs and DVDs. The commercial software is rather pricey but now Nero is offering a freeware version. It does have limitations and the PC Doctor points them out:
It’s very basic. There are free tools that do a [...]
Big botnet stealing financial data
According to a report at Computerworld, a large number of PCs have been infected with a Trojan by means of an email attachment or Windows security holes:
A ferocious piece of malware that’s infected up to a million PCs is stealing a “tremendous” amount of financial information from consumers and businesses that log on to their [...]
Real estate scam
From what I read, many of the so-called “Nigerian” scams are pretty obvious. (They still attract suckers anyway.) However, some scams are harder to detect. Security expert Bruce Schneier reports a real estate rip-off:
Nigerian scammers find homes listed for sale on these public search sites, copy the pictures and listings verbatim, and then post the [...]
Microsoft admits it can’t stop Office hacks
Microsoft can’t defend Office files against all the security vulnerabilities so the next edition of Office will be “sandboxed” to try to isolate any security problems. Computerworld reports:
Microsoft’s plan to “sandbox” Office documents in the next version of its application suite is an admission that the company can’t keep hackers from exploiting file format bugs, [...]
Yahoo investors frown on Microsoft-Yahoo deal
If you believe the action in Yahoo’s stock, the market thinks Yahoo got taken by the deal with Microsoft that was announced this morning. As of this writing, the stock is down 11%. All Things Digital gives some possible reasons for the wet blanket reaction.
A single extra character caused IE security bug
The big security problem in Internet Explorer (and elsewhere) that was patched by yesterday’s emergency update was caused by a single typo in the code. Computerworld reports that an extra “&” was the cause of the trouble.
Considering that all recent Windows versions have many millions of lines of code, one shudders to think of all [...]
Laptops costing under $500
Just a few years ago laptops were at the expensive end of the PC price range. Prices have been coming down steadily, however, and a variety of laptops are now available for less than $500. AnandTech takes a look at what’s available online and in stores.