Author Archive
Firefox security hole
This time it’s the Firefox browser with a security vulnerability. No details have been released so I don’t know what sort of problem it is. See Gregg Keizer at Computerworld for more information.
American Internet usage statistics
The Pew Research Center has published the latest statistics on American Internet usage. Three-quarters of adults are online with those over 65 lagging at 38%. Those without a high-school diploma also lag at 39% online. The graphic below from the Pew research project summarizes various statistics about Internet usage:
Science fiction movies
It’s Friday so here’s something a little lighter. A contributor to Gizmo’s Freeware with the nom de plume of Rizar has written an article about science fiction movies. He begins:
This article has a collection of the best science fiction (SF) movies ever. I survey the exciting range of possibilities in imaginative technology, computers, futuristic visions, [...]
The amazing growth of mobile platforms
If you have doubts that mobile platforms will become the consumer’s way to use the Internet in much of the world, consider some predictions from the eMarketer about usage in the so-called BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China). Here are a few statistics:
Over 200 million mobile subscribers in both Brazil and Russia by 2014
853 million [...]
Service pack 1 for Windows 7
Microsoft has announced that there will be a service pack 1 for Windows 7 but didn’t say when. It’s not news that that there would be a service pack, that was inevitable. The interest is in the timing, which may be as soon as this fall. At Computerworld, Gregg Keizer reports:
Microsoft today announced service [...]
Facebook malicious spam attack
Security software vendor McAfee says that Facebook users are being subjected to a massive malicious spam attack. InfoWorld reports:
Facebook’s 400 million users have been targeted by a spam run that could infect their computers with malicious software designed to steal passwords and other data, according to security researchers at McAfee.
Over the last two days, millions [...]
New cookie controls in Chrome browser
All major Web browsers have some sort of controls for managing Internet cookies but some controls are more fine-grained than others. Google’s Chrome browser now has the ability to control cookies for individual sites. It also has a link to the site for controlling Adobe Flash cookies. The video below has some details.
Debating how to draw talent into technical fields
The US is graduating fewer and fewer scientists and engineers, and concern is growing about how to deal with the falloff. TechCrunch has posted a debate between two experts on the best approach to attracting more talent.
While many people agree this is a problem, not everyone agrees on what should be done about it. [...]
SDHC memory cards
If you have a digital camera, you are familiar with flash memory cards. These little cards are also a way to add memory to a PC. While thumb drives can also act as secondary memory in PCs, they stick out and can be awkward. Memory cards, of course, go into a slot and are barely [...]
Preliminary look at Internet Explorer 9
Microsoft has been working on the next version of Internet Explorer and has released a few details. Stephen Shankland at CNET reports:
For those who doubted that Microsoft was serious in its effort to re-engage with the Web, it’s time to put the skepticism aside.
At its Mix conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Microsoft gave [...]
More about the loss of privacy
The discussion of how the Internet acts to reduce privacy continues. Steve Lohr at the New York Times has written an article, How Privacy Vanishes Online, a Bit at a Time. Computers can assemble and analyze the various facts that people post about themselves to create a revealing picture. Lohr writes:
Computer scientists and policy experts [...]
