January 2008 Newsletter
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Virus Warning |
A new email virus, dubbed the "Storm Worm", was released on Dec. 24. Luckily, almost no one was sending email on the 24th, and the worm fizzled. However, the worm's authors have declared they're going to try again. The new version of the worm directs viewers to a website, "happy cards2008.com", or "uhave postcard.com" (spaces inserted).
If you see any emails that link to a "happy cards" or "u have postcard" website, or include the attachment "happy-2008.exe", please do not open them. |
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ExhumeIt is the software that remedies the occasional accidental loss of data which gets removed from the Recycle Bin or gets permanently deleted. It scans the FAT, FAT32 and NTFS partition of the Hard Drive with special drivers. These allow the software to decipher the clusters left behind by deleted information and put them together. The limitation in this process arises due to the fact that when information is deleted its clusters are taken up by newly entered data and are over written. Therefore, when the software runs on the computer it lists all the deleted information it has found along with the extension, file type and depending upon the conditions- the percentage recoverable.
With ExhumeIt the user should keep in mind to run it as soon as they realize the data is missing to avoid permanent loss due to the overwriting nature of the hard drive’s file systems. |
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Mobile Broadband USB Modem with Removable Memory from NOVATEL |
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Novatel has introduced a new 2 in 1 device with Wireless high speed data access, the MC727. It has a microSD slot for storage and comes with an inbuilt GPS. This device is the industry’s first of its kind and smallest 2-in-1 Mobile Broadband device.
MC727 allows up to 3.1 Mbps download speed and 1.8 Mbps upload speed. It is very easy to access the internet, corporate email, corporate LAN services, and download files and all these features will be available from where ever your mobile carrier’s signal is offered. GPS capability of this device allows you to integrate this with GPS compatible maps.
New sleek design comes with two antennas for better reception, one flip up and one embedded. Also, it supports multiplatforms such as Windows Vista, XP, 2000, Mac OS X 10.3.9 or Higher, Linux.
Key features:
- High speed Wireless Data
- Works with CDMA based networks
- Removable Memory (microSD)
- up to 4GB - GPS capability
- No need to charge, No battery required
Key benefits:
- No battery, No wires
- Small & Compact
- Easy-to-install software, plug and play
- Large data files can be sent and received more quickly
- Secure internet access
Currently, you can get Novatel U727 version by subscribing to a Data plan with Sprint mobile carrier in North America. This U727 version supports up to 1.4 Mbps download speed with up to 500Kbps upload and all the other features.
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2007 was the year of the dual-core processor, and 2008 will be all about the move to the 45-nm manufacturing process for Intel and the move to three- and four-core processors for AMD. The two companies continue down the road toward more cores on smaller chips, while still improving performance, both perceived and measured.
So what's the big deal about a new manufacturing process, and why is 45 better than 2005's much-heralded 65-nm die shrink? The new 45-nm process is the next evolutionary step in CMOS (short for complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) manufacturing. Not only will it allow chip manufacturers to pack the circuits in tighter, resulting in more transistors per CPU, it will also allow for more chips produced per silicon wafer. This will result in higher yields for each standard 25mm-to-300mm wafer, and the chips will be cheaper to produce. In fact, in the past 30 years, the price of manufacturing one million transistors has dropped from just over $106,000 to less than 5 cents, and prices will only get cheaper going forward. Let's put the die shrink into perspective. The original Pentium processor, introduced in 1993, used the 800-nm (0.8 μm) process. That's almost an 18-fold reduction in 14 years.
Another benefit of these next-generation CPUs is that they are capable of "turning off" individual portions that aren't being used. Not using all four cores right now? Turn off core "C" and "D" for some power and energy savings! This will lead to a cooler computer, and a cooler PC is a quieter PC. It's like closing the vents in the extra bedroom that you don't use: Less power is used to cool that unused room, so the others are more efficiently cooled.
Last but not least, the new processors mean that PC makers will start producing smaller and more innovative PCs in the years to come. |
CollectiveGood Mobile Phone Recycling |
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This program provides to you the opportunity to choose a charity you’d like by donating your used cell phone. From The Humane Society to the Democracy for America charity, CollectiveGood has recreated and reused old phones in order to help those in developing worlds. This company also works with RBRC by sending them the batteries from the cell phones they receive themselves.
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Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) |
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This non-profit public service organization has been created to recycle unused cell phones and old portable rechargeable batteries which are found in cells phones, cordless phones, laptop, digital cameras and much more. This is all made possible through a program called Call2Recycle, which has helped recycle more than 22 million pounds of rechargeable batteries.
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This program is very popular as it is the leading collector, reseller and recycler of used cell phones and accessories. You might also want to check out the “Cell Phone Data Eraser” section on their site in order to follow the step-by-step process on how to delete everything on your phone before sending it out to recycle.
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When you buy a new desktop or notebook and select the "free recycling option" at the time of purchase, Dell will recycle your old PC and monitor for free, even if it’s not a Dell-branded product. However, when you want to recycle an item without purchasing a product, the item you wish to have recycled must be a Dell-branded product.
Each recycling program has located drop boxes at convenient locations in every state, you may visit each link provided above to find out where the nearest one is to you and to learn more about recycling electronics. |
Internet Browser Security Threat |
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Some Internet browsers can hold the keys for cyber criminals to steal your personal information and install malicious software that can compromise your security. Google is presently working hard to devise a remedy to counteract installation of bugs that allow internet predators to compromise your system. Security analyst Aviv Raff states that some of the flaws lay in the way that users operate, modify and re-tool their PCs such as adding custom buttons to their tool bar according to promotions posted on Internet blogs. Experts warned further that the security threat from adding features to the tool bar is the result of tool bar incapacity to perform adequate checks on the buttons being installed. When that occurs, an attacker can spoof the original buttons and make it appear to originate from a legitimate web site.
Several steps are required in order for an unsuspecting user to download the phishing software:
- First, the user must to be tricked into clicking on the link that contains a pop up window that the user agrees to download as an additional tool to their computer.
- Second, the user would have to execute a command that activates the malicious software in order for it to be installed; sometimes it activates upon completion of the download.
Google is trying to find a fix for the problem. Experts say, in the meantime, the best defense is not to download to your computer new tool bars that could potentially compromise the security of your PC - especially from unfamiliar Internet sites that you do not trust.
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According to a new report from Digital Music News, iTunes' market penetration is surpassed by LimeWire, being installed on an estimated 36.4% of computers. LimeWire benefits by being able to sync directly to iPods, but at a certain point it becomes impractical to actually use a 40 or 80gb iPod without pirating content. At $0.99/song, it would cost approximately $40,000 to fill the largest iPods. This fact is emblematic of music piracy, and software piracy in general.
So far the official tech/music industry policy has been to condemn free distribution and offer consumers DRM alternatives, which while moderately secure, impose draconian measures, such as the so called Broadcast Flag, which enables providers to remotely revoke a users' ability to access video they've already bought, at any time. TiVo users will remember this vividly. Microsoft's DRM mirrors a growing movement in the software industry toward rental vs. ownership. Stardock, makers of the popular WindowBlinds have moved entirely to this model, and Microsoft is also exploring the idea with online-only versions of their Office suite. The notion of a "rental society" vs an "ownership society" is a basic tenet of Microsoft's DRM system.
Digital Music News' report indicates that people are resoundingly rejecting the rental model. LimeWire deals almost exclusively in .mp3, which is a DRM-free format. The major labels are increasingly yielding to market pressure and releasing their music in a format that doesn't have strings attached. The latest example is Warner Music, who has agreed to release their entire catalog in .mp3 for sale on Amazon.com.
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