Show #62

[Download Show #62 as MP3]

News

• AT&T & Vonage end their Patent Feud
• Settled a 39M patent suit
• It was very quiet in the media
  
• Intel iPod Touches
• Intel Silverthorn Chip
  
• Silverthorne is Intel's latest push to capture the handheld/mobile phone market as part of a product concept called the Mobile Internet Device.
• Microsoft Shares Windows Secrets with Samba
• What is samba for those that don't know?
• Why did this happen (EU antitrust case)
• What all did they have to share?
• How does this affect Samba in the future?
• Could we see MS going ahead and handing over some more info to help them, or only what is required?
  

Our Top 10 Tech Countdown from 2007

• Our Top Wii Games of 2007
  
• 5 - Wii Sports
• The game comes with the Wii and for good reason
• Wii Sports definitely
• 4 - Metroid Prime 3
• Just like a Nintendo system is incomplete without a Zelda game, you also need a Metroid & Mario games to complete the recipe
• This game keeps Metroid in the First-Person Shooter realm
• However, you have to use the Wii-mote to do just about every other character action, from opening doors to solving the game's complex puzzles
• Excellent use of the Wii controls
• 3 - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
• No Nintendo system is complete without a Zelda game
  
• Use the Wii-mote to swing your sword
• The world of Hyrule has never looked this good
• 2 - Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
• Play Against some of the biggest names in guitar
• Slash
• Tom Morello
  
• Play some of rock's biggest hits
• Rock & Roll All Night by Kiss
• Even Flow by Pearl Jam
• Welcome to the Jungle by Guns & Roses
• 1 - Resident Evil 4
• Many reviewers are calling this game, the best game of the RE series to date
  
• Super Mario Galaxy / Super Mario Brothers
• Our Top Xbox 360 Games of 2007
  
• 5 - BioShock
• 4 - Assassin's Creed
• 3 - Rock Band
• 2 - Halo 3
• 1 - The Orange Box
• Half Life 2
• Episode One
• Episode Two
  
• Portal
• Team Fortress 2
  
• Our Top PS3 Game Picks of 2007
  
• 5 - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
• 4 - The Orange Box
• Half Life 2
• Episode One
• Episode Two
  
• Portal
• Team Fortress 2
• 3 - Assassin's Creed
• 2 - Unreal Tournament III
• 1 - Rock Band
• Burnout: Paradise
• Billboard Top 10 Ringtones (by Sales) from 2007
  
• 10 - Nickelback - Rockstar
• 9 - R. Kelly feat. T-Pain & T.I. - I'm a Flirt
• 8 - Hurricane Chris - A Bay Bay
• 7 - Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls
• 6 - Huey - Pop, Lock & Drop It
• 5 - Akon - Don't Matter
• 4 - Soulja Boy - Crank That
• 3 - Shop Boyz - Party Like a Rockstar
• 2 - Mims - This is why I'm Hot
• 1 - T-Pain feat. Yung Joc - Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')
  

Show #61

[Download Show #61 as MP3]

News

• Dell Tries Tablets with Latitude XT
  
• Activision and Blizzard Merger
• TV Industry using Piracy as a measure of success
• TV execs use the Nielsen ratings to gauge a show's success
• But how do you gauge a show that hasn't aired yet?
• Show promotions, trailers and clips that broadcasters are pushing on YouTube and other video sharing sites are getting more views than some shows do.
• Television is reaching a milestone where online is veritably driving on air viewership.
• [Expand]
• Microsoft is trying to beat Apple at their own game
• Microsoft Re-Brands "PlaysForSure" to "Certified for Windows Vista"
• Here's the basic gist, What was once market "PlayForSure" is now marked as "Certified for Windows Vista"
• This is confusing because while the new logo can be found on the latest version of the Zune player, not all the technologies are compatible with each other
• PlayForSure was designed around a licensing model where you "rent" content, but it didn't always work on every device
• Now with the destruction of PlayForSure for the new "Certified for Windows Vista" tag, this is going to cause even more confusing among customers
• This is a perfect example of how Microsoft is not always in step with itself by keeping two completely separate DRM technologies active and then re-branding one is only going to end up ostracizing your customers.
  

Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks

• DealLocker
• Yahoo! Messenger Preview for Vista
• A nifty looking re-design (looks like it will blend well with Vista's Aero Glass)
  
• Adds the ability to place an icon in the Vista Sidebar for quick/easy access to the Messenger
• Adds multiple possible view choices, select from a simple name only to a more detailed view for your contacts
• Tabbed chat windows allow you have multiple chats going on in a single window
  

Editorial ("Power Up")

• Covering Your Tracks
• Talk about the video that you didn't want to be found
• [Derek] Data Remanence - Left over data
  
• [Koby] DoD (Department of Defense) deletion (DoD 5220.22-M) National Industrial Security Program (NISP)

Show #60

[Download Show #60 as MP3]

News

• JetBlue to introduce wireless in flight email and IM
• Aboard the BetaBlue Airbus A320 @ 10,000+ feet
  
• Why Comcast's rough strech may be good for its customers
• The article makes it a little difficult to distinguish what is being said but the overall gist is that because more people are moving into the digital entertainment business Comcast is going to have to make some changes to stay ahead
• CompUSA Closing its Doors for Good Early 2008
• With the closing of several stores earlier this year, CompUSA is rumored to be closing its doors for good in January of 2008.
• There are currently only 103 stores still remaining in the United States
• Keep an ear out for more information. The last time CompUSA did some store closings, they practically gave things away.
  

Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks

• How to Spot a Fake iPhone and other Knock Off Electronics
• Everyone wants the iPhone, the latest Mp3 Player, or other cool electronic device
• But with so many fakes floating around how can you tell that you are getting a legitamate product
• Do Your Homework. Most manufacturers release counterfeit alerts
• Buy directly from the manufacturer or from the people they list as vendors
• If the product cost less than 80% of the MSRP (manufacturer suggested retail price) it's probably a fake
• Avoid eBay for purchasing new devices, there are a lot of fakes on eBay advertised as the real deal.
• The best advice is really to buy the device from the manufacturer or their third party vendors. This option allows you to buy an extended warranty (if one is available for the product) so that the device is protected
  
• The 21 New Rules of Tech
• 21) Relationships Start with Lust - If you feel a visceral attraction to something, chances are you want it. Sure, do your homework before you buy, but let your gut tell you what you really, really want.
• 20) More Isin't Necessarily Better - Convergence is a great idea in theory, but nothing ruins a gadget more than an overstuffed resume. Find a tool that does what it sets out to do well, and forget the 10-in-1 hype.
• 19) Consider The Source - With all the focus on design these days, we lose sight of the importance of materials. What good is that slick-looking mp3 player if it can't stand up to a few drops?
• 18) A Gadget Should Be Easy To Use - Treat ease-of-use like any other feature. If the product doesn't deliver, don't be afraid to take it back.
• 17) Buy With Your Body - Ergonomics isn't just for desks. If a product doesn't feel right, don't blame your senses--look for a new solution.
• 16) The Best Solution Is The Simplest - A piece of gear that solves a problem and does it efficiently is a thing of beauty. Forget bells and whistles, and buy for functionality.
• 15) Heritage Does Matter - Sometimes knowing a brand name is just a function of good marketing. But knowing a name because it's older than you are indicates quality that will serve you for years to come.
• 14) Your Gear Should Outlast You - If you're worrying about gear giving out, you can't focus on the task at hand. Great products keep going, whether YOU want to [keep going] or not.
• 13) Follow The Crowd - Groups of total strangers know you better than you think. In a hyper-connected world, the wisdom of crowds can be invaluable.
• 12) Power Is Nothing...Without Control - Companies like to boast about their products' stats ("5 times the cutting power!" or even "5 stars from the 2006 Power Users group"). Make sure that you--and the gear--have some handling to go with the horsepower.
• 11) Cut Through The Hype - The tech world's branding barrage is meant to entice and distract. Your mission: Ignore it.
• 10) Be Your Own Gadget Lab - There's no substitute for hands-on testing—in-store or at—home under warranty. It's your final defense against buyer's remorse. [Shop in person, buy online]
  
• 9) Gear Should Tutor, Not Torment - If you need an instruction manual, put the thing down. Simple, intuitive design makes products easy to use--now, and in the long run. Rember the old adage, if all else fails, read the manual. Some of this stuff is just too damed complicated for a manual -- sure, all new things have a learning curve, but it should be one step from something you are used to.
  
• 8) Seek Out The Secret Spec - There are millions of metrics in the marketplace these days. Find the stats that matter and use them to create consequential comparisons.
• 7) Splurge Smarter - Treating yourself feels empty if you aren't happy with the treat. Knowing what's worth paying for allows you to spend in all the right places.
• 6) Adapt Automatically - Tech tools are, by definition, an extension of your body and mind. Your gear should help you adjust to your environment with ease, no matter how extreme. [Think automatic light sensor on a laptop]
  
• 5) Beat The Price Cycles - As technology improves, prices drop. That's a nice theory, but the reality is messier. Follow prices shifts and deal at the right time.
• 4) Protect Your Tech - Good tech should safeguard what matters most--whether it's your brain, bank account, or bandwidth.
• Homeowners Insurance (additional coverage certificates)
• Extended warranties (research first) [things like Dell CompleteCare]
  
• 3) Tech Should Be Tame - Gadgets need to solve problems, not create them. Start with quality gear, then learn to work with it.
• 2) Buy To Be a Better Man (or Woman) - What you buy can make you a better person, and how you use it can save the world. Make purchases that lead you to the lifestyle you want to live.
• 1) Embrace Revolution, Not Evolution - Technology that changes the marketplace, like BluRay and HD-DVD, isn't just a fad. Often it's a radical breakthrough that can radically improve your life.

Gamer's Corner

• Rock Band CNN Review
• CNN says "Rock Band hits the right notes for music fans"
• From Harmonix, the savvy game developers behind the mega-popular "Guitar Hero" games, comes this ambitious complete band experience, which is best enjoyed with a group of friends -- each tackling a different instrument in front of the same television, or even over the Internet. While at $169.99, it might be out of reach for some gamers, packed into the "Rock Band Special Edition Bundle" is the game, a collapsible drum kit with kick pedal, real drumsticks, a Fender Stratocaster guitar (which also can be used to play bass lines), microphone and reportedly in the Xbox 360 kit, a four-in-one USB hub to plug everything into the game console at the same time. (Not necessary with the PS3 which comes equipped with four USB ports)
• You both are music fans, what do you each think of the song selection?
• CNN's reviewer gives the game 9.5 stars, I have to agree..."Rock Band" is the ultimate party game, best enjoyed with a group of [musically inclined] friends --or rather those that aspire to be--looking for a great time together. While it might take a few songs to get the hang of the rhythm for newbie players, it's one of the most accessible and enjoyable games I've played in a long time. Music fans, the music soundtrack in "Rock Band" is extraordinary, featuring nearly 60 classic and newer rock songs, mostly from the original bands (unlike many "Guitar Hero" songs, which are remakes by sound-alike artists).
  
• Adding to its replayability, new songs can be downloaded each week for a couple of bucks apiece. These include classics from the Who, the Grateful Dead and Metallica, including a handful of full albums.

Editorial ("Power Up")

• How to Find Out if That Special Someone is Being Naughty or Nice Online
• Disclaimer: Some of the methods we are covering could be used to obtain private information that could be used to obtain illegal access to accounts that are not owned by the individual accessing them, we must strictly warn you that wire fraud is a serious offense and we do not advocate that behavior. We provide the information from an educational perspective, the goal is to show what can be done and tell you how to protect yourself.
• Keystroke Loggers
• A keystroke logger does just what it says it does. It captures the keyboard input and logs it to a file. Some keyboard loggers just log the keys typed, while others add the ability to email the log at certain times as well as other features. There are also hardware keystroke loggers that work independently of the operating system.
• Hardware
• Key Carbon - USB, works on USB keyboards and contains 512K of memory for capturing key strokes. Keystrokes can be recorded on one computer, and retrieved on another
• Key Catcher - Plugs into PS2 port based keyboards (the purple plug on the back of the computer). Comes in various sizes including a 4MB size that allows for capturing a large amount of keystrokes. To access the recorded data, you simply type your password in a text editor and the Key Katcher comes to life. A menu is displayed with options to erase data, view data, search data for keywords, change password, or disable the device.
  
• Windows
• Windows Keylogger v5.0 (Freeware)
• Automatic screenshots
  
• E-mails log file
• Saves information about the active window
• Back dated encrypted log files
  
• Mac
• Spector ($99.95)
  
• Applications
• Web Sites Visited
• Chat Conversations
• Keystrokes Typed
• Emails Viewed/Sent including Web Email
  
• VCR Style Playback
  
• Linux
• LKL - Linux Key Logger, this application is simple to use and is installable via Ubuntu's application installer
  
• UberKey - Works on any x86 system including Ubuntu. Requires some knowledge of compiling and installing linux applications. This program is not available via Ubuntu's application installer
• Setting Up Instant Messaging Applications to log
• Most of the Instant Messaging programs allow you to log the conversations you have with others online
• Trillian
• Google Talk/Jabber
• Meebo
  
• Key logging only gets one side of the conversation
• See both sides of the conversation.
• This can put things in to context.
  

Next Week: The Power of Information Christmas Specia

Show #59

[Download Show #59 as MP3]

News

• Google Confirms 700Mhz Spectrum Bid
• Must meet $4.6 billion reserve price
  
• Makes wireless internet faster for everyone
• "We believe it's important to put our money where our principles are," said Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO, Google. "Consumers deserve more competition and innovation than they have in today's wireless world. No matter which bidder ultimately prevails, the real winners of this auction are American consumers who likely will see more choices than ever before in how they access the Internet."
• All applicants had to file by last Monday
• FCC will release a public list of eligible bidders after review mid-december
• Auction begins Jan 24th and experts believe it could last as long as March 28th
  
• Unfortunately, the information will all be protected under order from the DCC until the bidding is over
  
• NBC Takes Shows Off iTunes, Goes Home
• NBC's (more specifically Universal's) contract with Apple iTunes Store expired
• As a result they have removed much of their content from the iTunes Store
• This includes shows like Heroes, The Office, and other popular NBC shows
• NBC is currently working on their own digital distribution method that will be windows only
• I think that NBC/Universal are making a big mistake in this decision and I think we can expect to see the shows back in the iTunes store before the middle of 2008
• Russian Firm Buys LiveJournal
• Russian firm SUP has purchased LiveJournal from SixApart, whom acquired LiveJournal in 2006
• This gives SUP ownership of Russia's most popular blogging site
  
• LiveJournal is a free blogging service that competes with Google's Blogger.com and Wordpress.com
• This will allow SixApart to focus on their other products, we have linked to each of these on our show notes
  
• TypePad - Professional Blogging Platform similar to Wordpress
  
• Moveable Type - Business Blogging Platform
  
• Vox - Personal Blogging Platform
  

• GMail Adds and Adds
• More space everyday, we're at 5.4 gigs now
• Color coded label system
• Group chat
• AIM Integration
  
• Emoticons
• Dell Moves 40,000 Ubuntu PCs
• Dell agreed to ship PCs and laptops with the Ubuntu operating system after more than 130,000 people promoted the notion on the company's IdeaStorm web site.
• Dell has shipped close to 40,000 systems pre-installed with the Ubuntu flavor of Linux, according to multiple sources.
• David Lord, a spokesman at Dell, declined to discuss the 40,000 figure, saying the company "does not break out" those types of numbers.
• Is 40,000 units over a number of months enough to keep Dell interested?
• Your guess is as good as ours. The company does sell about 10m machines per quarter.

Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks

• Christmas Top 5's
  
• Computers
• 5) Dell Inspiron 1420N Running Ubuntu
• Starts at $749
  
• 4) XO Laptop
• $399 for the buy one give one program
• $200 dollars tax deductible
  
• 1 Laptop goes to a child in a developing country, 1 goes to you
  
• 3) Dell XPS 1330M Laptop
• Starting prices range from $1099 to $1798 depending on configuration
  
• 2) HP Blackbird PC
• Gaming PC
• Starting prices range from $2700 to $5800 depending on configuration
  
• 1) Apple MacBook
• Starts at $1099
• Recommend adding RAM (comes with 1GB)
  
• Guys
• 5) 802.11n Wireless Router
• Netgear
• Linksys
• 74Mbits/Throughput & 248Mbits maximum data rate
• this is a HUGE improvement over the current 802.11g routers which get 19Mbits throughput on average and are capable of 54Mbits of maximum data rates
• Prices vary depending on features and product Netgear's start at around $100, Linksys has not posted prices yet
• Remember the 802.11n standard is not complete at this time (scheduled for late next year)
  
• 4) dRobo
• Four Drive USB Storage Device
• Put in 4 drives of any size (can vary)
• dRobo automatically maintains the highest level of data redundancy with the drives available
• Only downside is that there is currently no network connectivity without the use of file shares, but a networked version is in the works.
• At $499 it's a hair cheaper then the TerraStations but for no network connectivity is a little pricey
  
• 3) Phillips Power2Go Portable Charger
• We all have stuff we need to charge
• This device is a portable rechargable charging solution
• You charge this device then you can use it to charge other devices with the included cords.
• You can charge just about any device with it and
  
• it contains 60 hours of juice on a single charge
• $130
  
• 2) Apple iPhone
• Such a cool phone
  
• Touchscreen, iPod, Video/Photo viewer, PIM, and Google Maps
• Plus the built in WiFi makes it easy to grab free internet on the go.
• Downsides are EDGE only speeds and the touchscreen gets smudgy after a while
• $399 for 8GB (with 2 year contract at AT&T Wireless)
  
• 1) Nintendo Wii
• It's the hardest geek toy on the planet to find for a reason
• Motion controllers are all the rage. Nintendo changed the way games are play like the iPhone changed how people think about cell phones
• Plus the virtual console so you can play your old NES, Super NES, and N64 favorites. But don't forget the Genesis and TurboGraFX 16 games that are available as well.
• $249 if you can find one
  
• Ladies
• 5) Sony CyberShot DSC-T200 $359
  
• Super Thin
• Available in Pink
  
• 4) HoMedics iSOUNDSPA
• HoMedics Relaxation Sound Machine
• 2-pc. Set Includes Main Unit, Remote Control
• Consists of Electronic Element, Alarm Clock
• Ideal for Meditation, Reducing Stress
• Subwoofer Bass and Treble Adjustment, Wake to Radio, iPod or Tone, 6 Natural Sounds,
• Dual Alarm with Snooze Feature, Projects Time on Wall or Ceiling, Automatic Shutoff Timer, 3" Subwoofer with Bass and Treble Adjustment
• Features 15, 30, 45 or 60-min. Nap Modes
  
• 3) BlackBerry Pearl
• QWERTY keyboard
• Contact, Calendar, and Thrid Party Application support
  
• This is a texter's dream phone
• Retail is $299 (no contract) can be had for as little as $149 with a 2 year contract (The "Pearl 2" at Sprint is $199 with contract)
  
• 2) FujiFilm Finepix F480 8MP Digital Camera
  
• 8 Megapixels
• Image Stabalization
• 14 Scene Modes to get that perfect picture no matter where you are
• Currently $135 at Amazon.com
  
• 1) iPod Nano / Zune
  
• iPods are still popular (and probably will be for a nice while longer)
• The recently updated iPod Nano now handles videos so you can watch movies and TV shows purchased from the iTunes Store while on the go
• Comes in 6 colors and includes the updated iPod interface complete with CoverFlow
• 4GB/$149 (Silver Only) and 8GB/$199
• Suzy to ask: do you have to use iTunes with iPod?
  
• Manage it with Floola
  
• Family
• 4) TomTom One XL / TomTom GO 700 / Navigon 7100 Portable GPS
  
• Everyone needs a little direction every now and again
• It's nice to get the right directions
• TomTom ONE XL ($300)
  
• a 4.3in Touchscreen LCD
• Spoken Directions
• bluetooth technology to connect to the net via your phone and grab traffic updates (Subscription required)
• TomTom GO 700 ($500)
• Traffic patterns change; GPS units don't--until now
• Learns from its users
• Navigon 7100 Portable GPS ($650)
  
• Assist mode to help identify proper lanes for highway exits
• Free real-time traffic for life
• Realistic depictions of complicated intersections
• Bluetooth-phone syncing
• Voice command
• Restaurant guides
• Dhopping destinations
• points of interest you can search by price, rating, or popularity
• Bigger GPS players: Magellan, Garmin, and TomTom are surely reverse-engineering the device as you hear this.
• 3) Playstation 3
• Video Games, Blu-Ray, Music, & Photos
• A true multimedia console
• $399 for 40GB & $499 for 80GB
  
• 2) Onkyo HT-SR800S
• Full 7.1 Surround Sound Package
• Includes receiver & speakers
• Receiver contains 2 HDMI inputs and 1 output so this is also a switchbox, if you need one
• Check the specs for more information
• NexTagged between $400-$499
  
• 1) 52in Samsung HDTV LCD Television
  
• Full 1080p Resolution
  
• 3 HDMI & 2 Component Connections
• $2250 from Amazon.com
• Kids
• 4) Pooh Knows Your Name
• This personalized plush features over 100 phrases, games, and stories
• Pooh knows your name, your family & friend?s names and your birth date
• Schedule your daily activities and see Pooh's speech and play change throughout the day
• Programming Pooh is as easy as 1,2,3! Requires 3 "AA" batteries. Operating System - Windows 2000, XP or higher
  
• 3) PlasmaCar
• It's like magic, but you don't need to be a magician to get it to work.
• The PlasmaCar is a mechanical marvel that makes use of that most inexhaustible of energy sources, kid-power, by harnessing the natural forces of inertia, centrifugal force, gravity, and friction.
• It's so easy to operate; all it needs is a driver and a smooth, flat surface.
• No batteries, no power-cells, no liquid fuel-just the occasional cookie or two.
• It's quiet too-the only sound you'll hear is the sound of its wheels.
• Yes, its adult safe too, 220lb limit on a flat surface
  
• 2) LeapFrog
• Handheld computerized learning system
• Learn to write letters on the L-Max handheld screen - the letters you write will appear on the TV and star in an animated story!
• Learn on the go or at home
• Works with the full Leapster and Leapster L-Max software library
• Four AA batteries required (not included)
• 1) Nintendo DS
• Brain Age
• $149 for various System/Game bundles
• There's one for Zelda, Nintendo Pets, and Brain Age
  

Next Week: The 21 New Rules of Tech and we reveal how to find out if that special someone is being Naughty or Nice when they are online

Show #58

[Download Show #58 as MP3]

News

• Firefox 3.0 Beta Available for Download
  
• Fast AJAX
• GMail
• Meebo
  
• Eye-Fi? Its Here and its, umm Different?
• 2GB SD Card with a WiFi chip built in
• Software on the card allows you to upload photos to 17 different websites including Flickr, Facebook, and Snapfish
  
• iPhone User Takes on Flight Crew Over Weather Conditions
• Have you seen that iPhone commercial with the pilot who checked the weather to speed up the take off of a delayed flight? (If not here's a link)
  
• So here's the basics of the story
• A flight pushed back from the gate but is stopped and told to wait because there are storms at the destination, so the plane pulls back in
• A flight passenger on a flight has an iPhone and looks up the weather at the destination, it comes back all good
• Passenger informs flight crew of this discovery
• Captain of the flight asks passenger with iPhone to "be kind enough to use it to check the weather at our alternate, calculate our fuel burn due to being rerouted around the storms, call the dispatcher to arrange our release, and then make a phone call to the nearest Air Traffic Control center to arrange our timely departure amongst the other aircraft carrying passengers with IPhones"
• This is interesting because with so much technology in the palm of our hands, some people are going to do things like this. I'd rather trust the airports on the weather conditions over my cell phone anyday
  
• Save the Planet with the TreeHugger's Gift Guide
• We all want to do our part to save the environment.
• With this guide you can pick out environmentally conscious gifts for everyone on your gift list
• For example:
• Hemp Messenger Bag
• Solar Powered Flash Light (4-5 hours of light with 8 hours of sun)
• Power Cost Meter or
• Chess Set Made of Recycled Auto Parts
  
• "Trolling" Has a Psychological Explaination
• We've all been there, surfing the internet and then we see it, that piece of writing that just sets our tempers flaring. We want to respond, we NEED to respond, and we have this urge to not be nice about it
  
• Well, according to some scientists, this is psychological.
• Due to a reduced sense of individuality, deindividuation that comes from online communications
• We can have tendencies to be more aggressive when doing online correspondence and our words are often taken as such due to the abiguity of text message based communications
  

Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks

• Windows Vista. The Love, the Hate, the Problem?
• Windows Vista has been available for almost a solid year now and adoption is still a problem. Why is this still a problem for Microsoft? Could it be the speed/RAM issues? The lack of updates? Or are people just happy with their XP installations that they have had for almost 7 years now?
• Vista SP1 no Faster Than Stock OS, Testers Say
• One testing company is reporting that the beta version of the first Vista service pack does not help the OS in the speed department
• Many people have complained about the overall speed of Vista, this issue is usually helped by adding more RAM and good graphics card
• With a service pack that is currently not helping the speed issue, one must wonder where Microsoft's priority is when it comes to Vista. Is it on finishing features that were not ready in time for release or is it on improving the platform and making it better before adding new things
• 
  
• Windows XP SP3 Boasts Speed Boost, Testers Claim
  
• While still only in the testing phase, several companies are reporting that XP's latest service pack will give the OS a speed boost
• While great from a customer standpoint, from Microsoft's standpoint this will only help ensure XP's dominance over Vista for the next couple of years
• Vista's Biggest Problem Remains XP
• Several people still prefer their XP installations over Vista because of the software/hardware incompatibilities with Vista, for Apples take on this, see the Podeum Switch Ad
• ((Possibly play audio from the ad?))
  
• Dell and HP began re-offering XP based computers when customers complained about being forced to purchase only Vista based computers.
  
• People and Companies are in a "wait and see" mode with Vista, much like they were with Windows XP when it first came out
  
• Perfecting Perfection: Mac OSX Leopard Part 1
• So where does OSX fit into this whole picture?
• Well, people are switching from the PC to the Mac at rates higher than ever, but is it because of Vista?
• Most people are drawn to the Macs these days to the "iPod Halo Effect" people like their iPods and it makes them want to try a Mac
• Though one of the main complaints about Microsoft is Apple's biggest selling point. Apple runs a very closed shop, so to speak. The platform is hard to develop for and if the iPhone was any indication, the company has zero plans of opening their platforms to the average developer.
• Our Thoughts on Vista vs. XP
  

Show #57

[Download Show #57 as MP3]

News

• PayPal Readies Online Debit Card
• Amazon Releases eBook Reader with Free Sprint Based EVDO
• According to Engadget: Amazon pays for Kindle's wireless connectivity so you will never see a monthly wireless bill for shopping the Kindle Store
• The device is around $400
• The device functions completely wireless, no need to have a computer or cables
• Over 88K titles available including 100 of the 112 New York Times Bestseller list
  
• Titles are delivered wirelessly immediately upon purchase
• Top US and International newspapers subscriptions available
• Read some of the hottest online blogs including, Slashdot, Huffington Post, and TechCrunch
  
• Beatles May Go Digital Next Year
• Rock Band Released this Past Week
  

What's smaller than some candy bars, costs more than 100 times as much, and many of our lives depend on it: Our cell phones! We discuss protecting your investment...in data, how to back up, upgrade, and further your cell phone livelyhood

• So you need to get a cell phone?
• Choices
• PhoneScoop.com
  
• Regular Phones (non-smartphone)
• Simple Phone
• Music Phone
  
• Smart Phones
• Windows Mobile (around 15-20% market share)
  
• Palm OS
• Not really popular any more Palm started putting Windows Mobile on their Treo devices
  
• BlackBerry (around 6-10% market share)
  
• Symbian OS - as of July 2006 has over 60% of the mobile OS market
• Largely Nokia
• Samsung
• Motorola
• Sony Ericcson
• Extremely popular for smartphones outside the US
  
• You have a bunch of Data, How do you protect it?
• Backups, Backups, Backups
• Smartphone Backups
  
• BlackBerry - BlackBerry Desktop Manager... Backup and Restore
• Windows Mobile
• ActiveSync $0.00
  
• SPB Backup $19.95
• Sprite Backup $29.95
  
• Palm OS
• Palm Sync $0.00
  
• Resco $14.95
  
• Backup Buddy $34.95
  
• Also, if you store your contacts and calendar in Outlook, that is one place that data is backed up
• Regular Phones
• Software
• Motorola Phone Tools for Motorola Phones
  
• Derek add other software here
  
• You have your nifty new device so how do you protect it?
• Cell Provider Phone Insurance
• Lockline (the popular brand of insurance used by providers) does not usually cover smartphone devices
  
• Battery Charge Cycles and the "Memory" issue
• Case
• Vaja Cases
• Seidio Accessories
• Screen Protectors
• If you have PDA phone with a touch screen of any kind, you will need a screen protector
• These can be bought as a single protector or in packs of multiples depending on brand and quality

GSM phones. There are two, incompatible cell phone network types in the U.S. First, there’s CDMA. That’s the older type, used by Verizon and Sprint. For Verizon, in particular, it means very good coverage. Unfortunately, these phones don’t work overseas.

Then there’s GSM, used by T-Mobile and AT&T (which gobbled up Cingular). GSM is also the network used by most other countries, so if you have a T-Mobile or AT&T phone, you can make calls when you’re overseas. For an extra fee, of course.

Restarting your 2-year contract. It’s true that most carriers make you start your 2-year commitment over again if you make a substantial change to your plan. There are some kindnesses, however. Cingular, in particular, was fairly forgiving on this point—there were certain changes that didn’t reset the clock. (I don’t know which policy it has now that it’s AT&T.)

Secret “get to the beep” keystrokes. You don’t have to listen to the endless outgoing greeting when you just want to leave someone a voicemail message. You can cut directly to the beep by pressing a certain key:

Verizon: press *

Sprint: press 1

T-Mobile or Cingular/AT&T: press #

Of course, you have to know which carrier the person you’re calling uses, so you know which keystroke to use!

When you record your voicemail greeting, say, “Push star at any time to skip Verizon’s gibberish,” or whatever. That way, your callers hear your voice but not the recorded lady’s, and they don’t have to remember what the keystroke is.

How many minutes you’ve used up. Press these secret keystrokes on your phone:

Verizon/T-Mobile: #646# (that’s MIN, if you think about it)

Cingular/AT&T: *646#

Sprint: #4

Free directory assistance. Call 800-FREE-411. You have to listen to a 20-second ad, but it’s better than paying $2 to your carrier for directory assistance!

Or send a text message to GOOGL (46645) that says “Robert Gonzales 10024” (or whatever person or business you’re looking for). Google will send back the full name, address, and phone number, within just a few seconds.

BONUS TIP:

You can get FREE directory assistance, WITHOUT having to send a text message! Unfortunately, it’s only a Yellow Pages at the moment (business numbers only — not residential).

The hero again is Google. Just call 800-GOOG-411.

Popularity Dialer. You can program http://www.popularitydialer.com to call your cell phone at a specified time, to get you out of a boring meeting or a bad date. It’s free — and it’s awesome!

Show #56

[Download Show #56 as MP3]

News

• Number Portability Comes to VoIP [PCmag, AppScout]
• LNP allows you to take your land-line phone number with you from one carrier to the next.
• If you move from, for instance, Verizon to another provider--even a digital/Internet phone like that offered by TimeWarner along with RoadRunner broadband--you can keep that number that's been in your house for 38 years.
• There wasn't a guarantee that TimeWarner's phone services had to give up the number if you switched back--or switched to a different VoIP company, like Vonage. Until today.
• The best part: The FCC says VoIP providers are not allowed to hold up your switch to a new provider. Its got to happen within 48 hours of the request.
• MC Hammer + Internet = MC-Dance-A-Lot
• DanceJam
• "MySpace with guardrails"
• A social networking site with dancing as the center focus
• Dancing is something that is happening in the here and now and no one has been able to come up with a way to bring it to the online world but this could change that
• The website is currently in invite-only beta so i wasn't able to get a real good look at the site
• But we were told you can find dance videos and instructional content along with other social networking tools
  
• NBC Launches TV Download Service [Wired, Mashable, Engadget]
  
• Currently in beta, and originally scheduled to launch in October, the new video viewing service allows you to download the latest episodes of NBC shows directly to your computer for viewing in a special player.
• Internet Explorer ONLY or IETab for Firefox
• No Mac Support at ALL
• Requires .NET Framework
• Unskippable Ads
• 48 hours to view
• 7 days after air date
• NBC already allows you to view online, so what's the point? If they let you download to devices, now that'd be cool!
• Microsoft officially releases the Zune 2
• 80GB Hard Drive based Zune
• 4GB & 8GB Flash based Zunes
• Podcast Support
• Video Out Support
• FM Radio
• DRM and DRM Free Music from Zune Store mn
  

Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks

• Music, movies, and pictures oh my!: Setting up your very own media library otherwise known as a media library (TVersity, WMP11, Lacie, Etc)
• Common File Sizes to Consider
• Mp3 Files (Average 4 minute song len gth)
• 128kbps = ~4MB
• 192kbps = ~6MB
  
• 256kbps = ~7.5-8MB
  
• DVD Quality Video (Full Length Movie) at Full 480pixel Resolution
• ~1.7GB (Higher End) [Calculation]
  
• Storage
• Windows Folder Sharing
  
• Network Attached Storage
• Lacie
• Netgear
• ReadyNAS
• Higher End "Prosumer" solution
• Comes with Hard Disks in various sizes and overall capacities
  
• Storage Central
• Simple, easy to set up solution.
  
• No hard drives included, can pick your size/capacity
• Buffalo Technology Terastation
• USB, 10/100/1000 Network Connection
• Up to 4TB of storage
  
• Game Systems
• XBox 360
• Playstation 3
• CD-R / DVD-R
• iPod / iTouch
  
• Sharing
• TVersity
• Windows Media Player 11
• Television
• TivO
• For PC: ReplayTV
• $99.95
• HDTV TV Tuner
• Remote Control
  
• Stereo
• Top Audio Players
• Link 1
• Link 2
• Onkyo NetTune

Show #55

[Download Show #55 as MP3]

News

• PS3 Enables Folding@Home to be named by the Guiness Book of World Records as "the most powerful distributed computing network in the world" -- The record is a testament to the widespread participation of PS3 users from around the world—currently more than 670,000 unique PS3 users have registered to the Folding@home network, bringing the overall computing power of the program to more than a petaflop. The Folding@home program up until recently leveraged only the distributed computing power of personal computers (PC) from around the world. The PCs that made up the Folding@home network numbered roughly 200,000 giving the program the equivalent of about one-quarter of a petaflop. On March 15, 2007, PS3 joined the program and since then more than 670,000 unique PS3 users have registered to the Folding@home network, bringing the overall computing power of the program to more than a petaflop.
  Starting with Folding@home, SCE will continue to support distributed computing projects in a wide variety of academic fields such as medical and social sciences and environmental studies through the use of PS3 and hopes to contribute to the advancement of science.
• MySpace and Facebook are getting serious about advertising
  
• MySpace is releasing a new advertising product called SelfService that will allow businesses to purchase, create, and monitor ads throughout the MySpace network, similar to Google's AdWords program, Facebook announced a similar service this past Tuesday
  
• MySpace is trying to give the 10 million business that already use the MySpace service a way to utilize MySpace in a way that can help help them grow their business
• Also coming from MySpace is a service called HyperTargeting which will allow advertisers to purchase and target interest based segments on MySpace, a nice way to target a smaller audience in a large network.
  
• Yahoo FireEagle - An interesting growth out of a service called ZoneTag, tell it (directly or via a third party application) where you are (such as a specific lat/long, city name, or a zip code) and it will note your location. Alternatively, users with GPS phones, or other GPS devices, could set it to periodically update FireEagle with geo information.
• Google Announces Phone OS
• In a move to help them enter the mobile market, Google has announced a mobile phone operating system based on Linux
• This is Google's move instead of an actual phone
• Some companies are rumored to have already signed on to use the new Google package including HTC (makers of the T-Mobile Wing and AT&T Tilt)
• The system will have a full development kit so people will be allow to develop applications for devices running the software
• One has to wonder what Google applications (like Gmail, Maps, and even Docs) will make it into the software by default.
  
• Ever wanted to be in/on Television - This is your chance! The Writers Guild of America has gone on strike.
  

Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks

• Firefox has released a couple of updates, Current version is 2.0.0.9
• 2.0.0.8
• Security Fixes
• 2.0.0.9
  
• Stability Fixes
  
• Working from home on the move: setting up remote access to your home (or work) computer from abroad
• Setting up remote access to your home computer so you can access it from the road
• VPN
• Netgear ProSafe VPN Client
• Linksys QuickVPN
• Setting up free VPN at home
• Remote Desktop Connection
• Turning it on
• Setting up your Router/Firewall to allow you through (port 3389)
• Getting an easy to remember name (dyndns.org)
• Dynamic DNS Service
• Completely Free
• Have to use a pre-configured DNS suffice (ie. getmyip.com)
• Can choose the "sub-domain" (ie powerofinformation.getmyip.com)
  
• Security Precautions
• Access your files from anywhere
• Direct computer access
• LogMeIn.com
  
• GoToMyPC.com ($$)
  
• Online file storage
  
• Box.Net
• 1GB free
• Max Filesize 10MB
  
• Pay for more space, more sharing, and other options
• 7.95/month or 79.95/year for 5GB of space, no ads, no file cap
  
• XDrive
• Powered by AOL
  
• 5GB Free
• 50GB for $10/month
• MediaMax
• 25GB free
• 1GB of Download a month
• $45/year = 100GB storage and 10GB/download
  
• Unlimited upload to maximum capacity
• See Product Comparison for more information
• Instant Messaging
• Meebo
• Yahoo - http://webmessenger.yahoo.com
• AOL - http://www.aim.com
• ICQ - http://www.icq.com
• MSN - http://webmessenger.msn.com
• Online Office Suites
• Google Office - http://docs.google.com
• Word Processor, Spreadsheet, and Powerpoint
  
• Ajax13
• Word Processor, Drawing, Spreadsheet, Presentation (Powerpoint), and ajaxTunes
  

Gamer's Corner

• Playstation 3 Losses over 1 Billion Dollars
• Recent losses in Sony's gaming division were over 848 million dollars
• Total losses now over 1 billion
• Sales of the PS3 are at around 5.5 million units to date and just over 1.3 million games [Stats]
• Sony has been selling the PS3 at a loss and has had to readjust in order to move older consoles they had already made (20GB & 60GB were both replaces with 40GB & 80GB versions)
  
• Full List of Rock Band's Licensed Songs
• A website has posted the full list of songs available in the new Rock Band game
• The songs span 4 decades starting from the 60's with some Rolling Stones and working it's way to the more recent Chili Peppers, "Dani California"
• There are going to be even more unlockable songs not yet listed
• And you will be able to purchase new content online so you will be able to enjoy this game for a long time

Show #54

[Download Show #54 as MP3]

News

• Walgreens Readies Movie DVD-Burning Kiosk System
• Imagine a the photo printing kisok systems but for burning movies
• Recent changes in the copyright laws have freed retailers to look at new methods of movie distribution
• Such a method would ease the need for in-store inventory of DVD discs
• The major reason for the change is the DVD Copy Control Association allowed the copy protection scheme to be licensed more broadly
• Gmail Gets IMAP
• In a move that could change how webmail works forever, Google has announced IMAP for Gmail
• IMAP access is similar to POP access but it does not have to download the messaged onto your local computer, instead it can keep the messages on the server
• Allowing free IMAP access to Gmail is a very smart move by Google for a few reasons
• No other FREE webmail service offers this kind of access
  
• This has been a largely requested feature
• This allows people to access their email without having to maintain it in two places, unlike POP
• Google is making serious moves at ensuring they stay on the forefront for webmail.
  
• Top Gear Test Track to Appear in Grand Traismo 5 on the PS3
• Facebook takes $250 Million from Microsoft, Snubs Google
• This deal makes Microsoft, Facebook's exclusive advertising partner in the U.S. and abroad until 2011
• Rumors as to why Google was snub seem to relate to it being too expensive to buy out the remainder of Microsoft's previous 2 year advertising contract
• One wonders what this means for Facebook as Microsoft is now a major investor
• In other Facebook news, Facebook has announced a Blackberry application so that users do not need to use their phone's browser to keep up with their Facebook friends.
  

Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks

• The magic of home stereos, setting up surround sound properly.
• 5.1, 7.1, or ?.1?
• What is is all this something point one stuff anyway?
• Why would you go with 7.1 over 5.1?
• Amplifiers
• What to look for
• What to avoid
• Speakers
• Hey, those Bose systems sound great in the store, and they aren't too expensive
• Why you want to avoid tiny speakers
• What are some of the advantages to going with those kinds of systems?
• What should you look for in speakers
• Front, Rear, Center
• Some brands to consider (not affiliated with any of the following)
• KLH (Redesigning website)
• Setting it all up
• Speaker placement
• Getting optimal sounds/range
• Finding the sweet spot
• Hiding the wires
  

Penny Pinchers

• Where and how to get the most "BANG" for your buck when building your home surround sound system.
  

Show #53

[Download Show #53 as MP3]

News

• Digital "HD" radio, is it the next "BetaMAX" or, or perhaps its the next "DVD."
• AM and FM stations tool to battle with Satellite broadcasters
• So far however, here in the US, response has been "lukewarm" at best according to Wired Magazine's article from January 18th of this past year
• But it is booming, loud and clear, overseas. The UK's "digital radio" has been popular for sometime now.
• In fact, since 1999, more than 4.7 million digital radios have been sold in the UK. Listeners browse station listings in an electronic program guide, pause and rewind content as it's broadcast, bookmark specific programs or songs, and record them using postage-stamp-size memory cards. All things that we've seen with Satellite Radio, but its free and its already occurring. Last May, they turned on the feature that allows you to buy songs as you hear them on the radio, downloading them to computers, digital receivers or cell phones.
• Google Revamps Mail, Reader, and Calendar for iPhone
• Both Gmail and Google Reader have dropped some weight for the iPhone versions and load pretty fast for even EDGE speeds
• Some are arguing that because special versions are being made for the iPhone that the Safari browser is different for the iPhone and not a full version
• You have to remember that you are still looking at these web apps on a 3.5 in screen. And that is not a lot of real estate, designing sites so they are easily viewable on the iPhone is a great way to ensure your product gets used.
  
• [Derek] Ubuntu Releases Gutsy Gibbions, the Latest in the Ubuntu Linux Desktop
• New user interface eye candy with Compiz Fusion, this gives you transparent windows, a desktop cube, and other nifty looking desktop eye candy
• Contains the latest security fixes for all included software
• Also contains the latest versions of the included software, including a new version of the Gnome Desktop
• Printer installation has also been improved.
  
• Apple Releases OSX 10.5 (code name: Leopard)
• The latest version of Apple's OSX operating system was released this past Friday (10/26)
• Some new features include
  
• Spaces
• This is the equivalent of "Virtual Desktops" in Linux where you can have a desktop for each kind of work you are doing. Have email on one desktop, your word processor on another, and even Photoshop on another.
  
• Boot Camp
• Boot Camp allows you to dual boot your mac into a Windows installation so that you can run a windows application if you need it
  
• Time Machine
• Point in time backups to either the hard drive or an external device.
• For a guided tour click here
• Meebo Firefox Extension

Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks

• Network Printing
• So, you have a printer in your home office but you are sitting out on the patio with your laptop and you have something you just need to print, what do you do?
• Well, you could copy the document across your network to the computer that is connected to the printer, or you could upload the file somewhere on the internet and download at the computer with the printer
• But wouldn't it be nice to just hit the "Print" button and have it print on the right printer?
• Well there are a couple of ways that you can do this. One requires something as simple as click a few buttons and another method requires to re-setup the printer on at least one of the computers.
• Sharing a Printer (Method 1)
• Sharing a printer is the easiest way to grant access to a printer to anyone on your network.
• To share a printer in Windows XP you simply goto Control Panel, select Printers, right click on the printer you want to share and select "Sharing" this brings up a dialog for you to fill in some information, like the name of the printer and a description. Once you have shared the printer you need to add the shared printer to the other computer by adding a printer and searching for one on the network.
• Make a USB Printer a Networked Printer (Method 2)
• Another option is to buy a print server from a company like Netgear or Linksys that will a allow you to connect a USB printer into a network plug making the printer a networked printer that can be accessed by IP address.
• Once the printer is on the network, you can access it via it's IP address and add the printer that way via the "Add Printer" wizard.
  

• Gmail Storage Increases
• Derek and I's favorite web application, Gmail has increased it's storage capacity to 4.1GB as of this past week and has announced that it will be at 6GB by January.
• This is great news because more and more people are moving their email to online resources like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Microsoft's Hotmail.
• The pay of storage plans are still available
• $20/yr = 10GB
• $75/yr = 40GB
• $250/yr = 150GB
• $500/yr = 400GB
  

Security & Privacy

• Talk about ways to hide/secure the printer you just shared on the network (if you have a wireless connection, you do not want just anyone printing)
• TCP/IP Printers - Via Printer Interface / Windows Sharing Interface
  
• USB / LPT Printers - Windows Printer Sharing
  

Show #52

[Download Show #52 as MP3]

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY
TO US!

News

• Nintendo Market Value Tops 10 Trillion Yen (85 billion)
• Nintendo has jumped from 5th place in total value to the third in Japan
• The new value is triple what the company was worth before the release of the Wii and DS
• It is also a 5 fold increase from 2 years ago.
  
• HDTV Makers Want Consumers to do Their Homework
• There has been a shift in purchasing HDTV systems at normal audio/video retailers to club, warehouses, and mass merchants.
• The prognosis for rear projection TVs is not good, based on the success of LCD and Plasma
  
• Apple to Drop the Price of the DRM free tracks on iTunes to $0.99
• iTunes DRM Free tracks were previously $1.29
• This price drop brings Apple more in line with the competition (Amazon.com's MP3 Store) which has tracks for around the same price
• However, DRM Free tracks from iTunes is still severely limited to only tracks from the EMI music group (only 1 of the "Big 5")
• While there will be some new DRM-Free tracks from some of the selection of independent artists available on iTunes, the selection is still limited.
• However, with Amazon getting tracks from some of the other labels, we might see a surge in the total number of available DRM-Free tracks on iTunes
  

Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks

• Sansa Review/Prices (Show #1)
• 1 year ago 8GB Sansa cost $205 (cheapest via Nextag), now you can get them for as low as $149
• Also 1 Year ago, Zune's were just announced, now with the new versions of Microsoft's media player on the way, lets listen to what we had to say on the first generation 1 year ago.

Penny Pinchers

• http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/
• http://www.farecast.com/

Gamer's Corner

• Playstation Eye - Comes with Eye of Judgement,($65.99 @ Amazon.com Oct, 23rd) reads cards, allows video blogging, and keep your "EYE" out for more cool stuff coming
  
• EyeCreate - With EyeCreate you can capture darn near anything and make your own personalized videos, much like the examples I’ve included below. You can also add all sorts of cool effects, record your own sounds and export your video to the XMB. Some of the coolest features include the time-lapse capturing and the stop-motion functionality. If you want to show off your videos, you can drop your creation on a memory stick or USB drive and share it with other PS3 users. The increased resolution of the PSEye and the multi-array microphone combined with the huge storage capacity of the PS3, make the possibilities endless. And last but not least, EyeCreate will be available for FREE download on the PlayStation Store on October 23rd. To get an idea of what EyeCreate can do, check out videos made by the Sony Team.

Show #51

[Download Show #51 as MP3]

News

• The Halo Movie is Dead
• During an interview, director Neill Blomkamp stated that the "entire project is dead."
• This is mainly due to the fact there were two studios (Universal & Fox) trying to make the movie together and they were not getting along
• It could also have something to do with the fact that the director attached (Neill) had no prior movie making experience and only a huge endorsement from Peter Jackson (creator of the Lord of the Rings movies) and that because of that neither studio really wanted him to make the movie.
• RIAA Wins First Jury File Sharing Case
• In a shocking ruling the jury, in a case where the question of file sharing equating to piracy is actually put on trial, awarded the RIAA $222,000 dollars in damages
• The RIAA was specific in their instructions to the jury. In these instructions they used the phrase "to make available" thus negating their need to have to actually prove that the defendant actually upload files to people. There is some debate over this issue and I am sure that we will see it come up in appeal. Keep in mind that previous decisions on this issue have been split fairly down the middle in past rulings.
  
• This is the first win, but will this help the RIAA in future trials?
• Defendant plans to appeal the decision
  
• Microsoft Announces New Zunes
• New Zunes come in 80GB (Hard Drive), as well as 4GB & 8GB (Flash)
• New Zune pad for navigating. Videos show it being touch/slide sensitive
• DVD quality video via TV out
• H264 Video codecs
• Podcasting support
• Older 30GB Zunes will receive a firmware update that will give them the same exact features as the new models (at least software wise)
  

Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks

• Social Networks
• What is a social network?
• Wikipedia defines a social network as social structure made of nodes (which are generally individuals or organizations) that are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as values, visions, idea, financial exchange, friends, kinship, dislike, conflict, trade, web links, sexual relations, disease transmission (epidemiology), or airline routes.
• An online social network is that principal, just put into an online form.
• There are hundreds of social networks all with specific purposes. Everything from a Star Trek to Bruce Springsteen has some form of an online social network. Not all social networks happen on the web either. They can happen in chat rooms, game systems (Xbox Live), or even newsgroups. Where ever people gather with a common interest, that can be described as a social network.
  
• What are some popular online social networks?
• MySpace
• What is it? - A website started by a guy named Tom that has turned into the largest social website, and actually the largest number of hits on the entire Internet. Myspace is used as a promotional tool for everything from music to comedy to movies to television. If a company wants to promote something they can use MySpace and guarantee that then will have large exposure.
  
• Who is using it?
• Bands, Comedians, Movie/TV Studios, and normal folks
• Many independent bands are using MySpace to find a national/worldwide audience (like some of the bands you have heard on our program)
  
• Pushmonkey
• Anberlin
• What is Cool About It
• The fact that as a starting out band, musician, comedian, or even film maker you have a place to post your work and create a website for practically free. You can easily create a website that allows you to interact with your fans without having to build your own site or paying someone to do it for you.
  
• What is it NOT good for
• Networking at a business level
• This is largely because the pages can be customized on a large scale.
• People are not forced to use their real names
• MySpace has become a haven for profile spamming
  
• Facebook
• What is it?
• Facebook is a social networking site that originally only catered to college students. It eventually was opened up to high school students and finally everyone.
• Facebook has really taken off lately because it forces a slightly more professional profile and the mini-applications that you can customize your profile with. These mini applications help you create a one stop "home page" as it were.
  
• Who is using it?
• Everyone from professionals to high school students. It does not have quite the same reach as Myspace, but it does have a nice market share of the social networking internet.
• People who want something different then MySpace
• What's Cool About it?
• Some will say that what is cool about Facebook is that "it is not MySpace"
• The mini-applications that you can customize your profile with, or write yourself if you want to do that
• What is Not Good About it
  
• LinkedIn
• What is it?
• A social networking site geared strictly towards professionals. Chances are someone you work with is on this site
• This allows you to grow a professional network of contacts that you can use to help you find a job, get a recommendation/reference, or just to catch up with old co-workers
  
• Who is using it?
• Business professionals who want to keep track of who they know and where those people are.
• People looking to get a new job and they want to know who is where.
• Professionals looking to fill position in their current company from the outside.
• What's Cool About it
• The fact that you can see how you connect to someone is pretty cool
• What is Not Good About it
• The idea of "begging" for a job or help in getting a foot in the door can be something that eerks people
  
• What about offline social networks
• Meetup.com
• Not quite entirely offline, but the meet ups take place offline
• There is a "meetup" for just about every interest
• You can search the meetups by local area
• You can create your own meetup
  

Security & Privacy

• Protecting your privacy on a social network
• On a social network, there is the temptation to give out a lot of information. The more information you give out, the more likely someone you know will be able to find you on the site.
• You have to maintain a certain level of caution when deciding what information you wish to show the public as a whole.
• Facebook gives you several levels of security you can choose when deciding how much you want to show to different kinds of people
• MySpace allows you to make your profile public
• LinkedIn allows to decide to show things only to your contacts or network as a whole
• Also, remember that employers Google potential new hires and your Myspace, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages can show up high on the results list. If you have anything potentially unprofessional on some of these pages, it could harm your chances at getting a job.
  
• For instance, Michael's LinkedIn page comes in as the 4th main result
• It is also good to keep in mind that Google remembers a lot of stuff. The cache that google maintains can hold older versions of your page, or a page that you no longer have that could contain hazardous information.
• Use common sense when deciding what information to post about yourself on the internet. You never know who might find it one day.
  

Show #50

[Download Show #50 as MP3]

News

• 45% of US Mobile Subscribers Want Better Mobile Internet
• People will consider mobile internet capability when purchasing their next handset
• Currently only 26% of users subscribe to mobile internet packages
  
• Some attribute this sharp change to the iPhone and other devices like it
  
• The mobile internet is becoming a fast track item in most cell companies offerings because more people want their data on the go
• Joost Opens to the Public
• Joost is an IPTV that utilizes Peer to Peer technology to deliver video on demand over the internet
• Currently sitting at 1 million users all acquired through an invite only system
• Joost is currently ad supported and includes television shows from MTV, Nickelodeon, CBS, and some other specialty channels like National Geographic and Warner Bros. Music
• Joost opening to to public could have a temporary impact on the service with so many people transferring data across the wire, but Derek and I have been using the service for months now and we have yet to notice any degradation.
  

Software / Hardware / Power Web Picks

• Data Encryption
• The Basics
• The History of Encryption

• Encryption started as a manul system where letters would be exchanged by offsetting by a certain number, the key was simple, if my key was 3 you knew that C stood for A, and D for B, by World War II, mechanical and electromechanical cipher machines were in wide use, although. At this time however, great advances were made in cipher-breaking, information about this period has begun to be declassified as the official British 50-year secrecy period has come to an end, and U.S. archives have slowly opened, assorted memoirs and articles have begun to appear.

• As many of us learned in school, the Germans made heavy use, in several variants, of an electromechanical rotor machine known as Enigma. The US breaking the Enigma code and rebuilding a decyphering machine was the greatest breakthrough in cryptanalysis in a thousand years. At the end of the War, on April 19th, 1945 Britain's top military officers were told that they could never reveal that the German Enigma code had been broken because it would give the defeated enemy the chance to say they "were not well and fairly beaten".

• US Navy cryptographers (with cooperation from British and Dutch cryptographers after 1940) broke into several Japanese Navy crypto systems. The break into one of them, JN-25, famously led to the US victory in the Battle of Midway. A US Army group, the SIS, managed to break the highest security Japanese diplomatic cipher system even before WWII began.

• What is encryption?
• In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information, often called plaintext, to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge usually in the form of a key. The result of the process is encrypted information (in cryptography, referred to as ciphertext). In many contexts, the word encryption also implicitly refers to the reverse process, decryption (e.g. “software for encryption” can typically also perform decryption), to make the encrypted information readable again (i.e. to make it unencrypted). [Wikipedia]
• What is a key?
• The key to a door has notches that push pins up to open the door
  
• Your password is a key (a simple one), when the right one is typed, you can login to your computer or a specific website
  
• In encryption a key is a piece of information that specifies the particular transformation of plaintext into ciphertext, or vice versa during decryption. Keys are also used in other cryptographic algorithms, such as digital signature schemes and message authentication codes.
• Public key cryptography / Asymmateic Key Encryption - A form of cryptography in which a user has a pair of cryptographic keys - a public key and a private key. The private key is kept secret, while the public key may be widely distributed. The keys are related mathematically, but the private key cannot be practically derived from the public key. A message encrypted with the public key can be decrypted only with the corresponding private key.
• Pros
• You can literally post your public key anywhere (many people do, there is a large online database of them, even I am in there)
• You can use the key to verify without a doubt that an e-mail or document was sent from someone based on their electronic signiture
• You can send a single file destined for multiple recipients using YOUR private key and their respective public key, that means you can make a single download work for multiple people, all they need is their OWN proviate key and YOUR public key to decrypt the e-mail, attachment, picture, or whatever type file you send. You can literally post the file for anyone to download, but only the five people (or one) that you marked can open it with their passphrase and key.
  
• Cons
• A much larger key is required to achieve the same security as a much simpler and smaller symmetric encryption scheme
• This is a slower form of encryption (not an issue for today's computers on reasonable-size files, but for giant databases it can be an issue)
  
• Software
  
• PGP
• GnuPGP
• OpenPGP
• Symmetric Key Encryption - A class of algorithms for cryptography that use trivially related, often identical, cryptographic keys for both decryption and encryption. The encryption key may be identical or there is a simple transform to make them identical. The keys, in practice, represent a shared secret between two or more parties that can be used to maintain a private information link.
• Pros
• Faster encryption / decryption
• Smaller keys / still secure
  
• Cons
• Shared secret needed at both ends
• Software
  
• TrueCrypt
• Hybrid Systems - This works by using symmetric encryption to actually do the work of encrypting the data, and asymmetric encryption to distribute the keys.
• What kinds of data should you encrypt?
• Why should you encrypt your data?
• Built In Data Encryption
• Encrypted File System
• Windows Encryption of File System
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
• Who should use this?
• BitLocker
• Available in Windows Vista Business & Ultimate Editions
• Drive Encryption, not EFS
  
• Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
  
• Layer
• Physical Layer
• Coaxial Cable
  
• Data Link Layer
• Ethernet
  
• Network Layer
• IP
  
• Transport Layer
• TCP
  
• Application Layer
• HTTP
• TLS/SSL
  
• TLS = Transport Layer Security
• Designed to prevent eavesdropping, tampering, and message forgery.
• Eavesdropping = Encryption
• Tampering = Signature
• Message Forgery = Trusted CA / Public Key
  
• Web browsing encryption
• Why this is important
• Banks
• PayPal
• Stocks
• Camera in your house
• Router access
• Instant Messaging
  
• How to tell if you are using SSL encryption
• There should be a locked padlock somewhere on the BROWSER, any you see on the page itself don't count.
• Mozilla Firefox - There is TWO, one in the address bar on the far right side, the other at the bottom right in the status bar, clicking on either gives you information about the web site's identity.
• Internet Explorer -
  
• The bar at the top of your browser should be a friendly color other than white (green, yellow, etc)
• What if its red? Well, your data is still encrypted, but the certificate is not 100% verified.

Security & Privacy

• Social Engineering
  
• Attribution - Refers to the way people explain their own behavior and that of others. A goal of the social engineer is to have the target attribute certain characteristics to him or her, such as expertise, trustworthiness, credibility, or likability. A social engineer might walk up to a lobby receptionist, put a $5 bill down on the counter, and say something like, “I found this on the floor. Did anyone say they lost some money?” The receptionist would attribute to the social engineer the qualities of honesty and trustworthiness. If we see a man hold a door open for an elderly lady, we think he’s being polite; if the woman is young and attractive, we likely attribute a quite different motive.
• Liking - Social engineers frequently take advantage of the fact that all of us are more likely to say “yes” to requests from people we like. People like people who are like them, having similar career interests,
  educational background, and personal hobbies. Social engineers will frequently research their target’s background and equip themselves to fake an interest in things the target cares about — sailing, tennis, antiques, airplanes, collecting old guns, or whatever. Social engineers also increase liking through the use of compliments and flattery, and physically attractive social engineers can capitalize on their attractiveness.
• Fear - A social engineer will sometimes make his or her target believe that some terrible thing is about to happen, but that the impending disaster can be averted if the target does as the attacker suggests. In this way, the attacker uses fear as a weapon. A social engineer masquerading as a company executive may target a secretary or junior staffer with an “urgent” demand, and with the implication that the underling will get into trouble, or might even get fired, for not complying.
• Reactance - Psychological reactance is the negative reaction we experience when we perceive that our choices or freedoms are being taken away. When in the throes of reactance, we lose our sense of perspective as our desire for the thing we have lost eclipses all else. In a typical attack based on reactance, the attacker tells his target that access to computer files won’t be available for a time, and names a time period that would be completely unacceptable. “You’re not going to be able to access your files for the next two weeks, but we’ll do everything possible to make sure it won’t be any longer than that.” When the victim becomes emotional, the attacker offers to help restore the files quicker; all that’s needed is the target’s username and password. The target, relieved at a way to avoid the threatened loss, will usually comply gladly.
• The other side of the coin involves using the scarcity principle to coerce the target into pursuing a promised gain. In one version, victims are drawn to a Web site where their sign-on information or their credit card information can be stolen (phinshing). How would you react to an email that promised a brand-new Apple iPod for $200 to the first 1,000 visitors to a particular Web site? Would you go to the site and register to buy one? And when you register with your email address and choose a password, will you use choose the same password that you use elsewhere? How many have you done that?

COUNTERMEASURES
Mitigating social engineering attacks requires a series of coordinated efforts:

• Developing clear, concise security protocols that are enforced consistently throughout your company or your home
  
• Developing security awareness training or reading up on security yourself
  
• Developing simple rules defining what information is sensitive
• Developing a simple rule that says that whenever a requestor is asking for a restricted action (that is, an action that involves interaction with computer-related equipment where the consequences are not known), the requestor’s identity must be verified according to company policy
• Developing a data classification policy
• Training employees on ways to resist social engineering attacks
• Testing your employee’s susceptibility to social engineering attacks by conducting a security assessment
  

The most important aspect of the program calls for establishing appropriate security protocols and then motivating employees to adhere to the protocols.

Closing

• Be Sure to visit our website at http://powerofinformation.net
• Call us on The PowerLine at 866-55-44-POI -- That's 866-554-4-POI.
  
• To See What Michael and I are blogging about: click on the links to our blogs at the Power of Information website
• Special thanks to:
• Wiley Publishing for allowing us to use parts of The Art of Intrusion by Kevin D. Mitnick and William L. Simon as well as for dending us the electronic copy of the book.
  
• Wikipedia for allowing us, and everyone, to use their great encyclopedia under the GFDL - GNU Free Document License originally created by the Free Software Foundation.
• Special thanks to the band Anberlin for supplying music for our program.