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Pay It Forward… |
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Dec 03, 2008 - 3:05 PM - by Digital Dave
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Sometimes life has a way of letting you know it’s time for you to pay attention to someone other than yourself.
With the hard time a lot of people are having I wanted to share with you a very personal story.
The following is a true story…
40 years ago a baby was born. In the beginning it was loved and feed and before long it grew into a young man.
During his teenage years, the young man started to run into trouble. One day, just standing in church he passed out for no apparent reason at all. Some of the doctors thought he had a heart murmur while a couple of the other doctors he saw thought he simply had fainted.
Then there were the problems in school. He was quickly diagnosed with A.D.D. and placed on Ritalin thinking that would solve all the problems he was experiencing.
As this young man grew into his teenage years, his problems seemed to get worse and worse. His father was not a nice man and he seemed to relish taking out his life frustrations on this young man. Things which anyone with teenagers would know are part of having teenagers drew swift and harsh punishment from the adults in the family.
Now this young man was not an only child. He had two sisters and a brother. His older brother tried the best he could to cover for his younger brother but, sometimes it just didn’t work out that way. The younger brother always somehow managed to draw his father’s ire.
Time passed and, as in a lot of households the parents divorced. It was a brutal divorce. So much so the older kids left as soon as they could, unfortunately leaving behind the younger two to deal with the fallout of what the older brother referred to as “world war 4”.
The two older ones didn’t even look back and went about trying to figure out there life, really not thinking about the younger ones.
The older brother had his faire share of problems. Drugs, jail, you name it he experienced it. He also married very young (17) and had two wonderful boys.
The older sister went about her business becoming a Rams Cheerleader, and successful in her own right as an independent woman.
The younger sister ended up marrying a very nice man who over the years has taken great care of not only her but also their children and family.
The younger brother however just seemed to have bad luck follow him no matter what he tried.
The younger brother also married young and had two great boys just like his older brother. This young man also had his share of problems with drugs, and with the law.
The brothers quickly decided they needed to do something with their lives.
The older brother went into the Navy and the younger brother quickly followed suite, enlisting in the Army, but not before a blow-up of epic proportions between them took place. [Read More]
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0 Replies | 267 Views
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Major Changes Coming to Winxpcentral.com |
Nov 23, 2008 - 11:46 AM - by Digital Dave
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Hello all...
Okay, so.. I want to let you all know major changes will be coming to the site.
Next month I will be taking over the site as the owner and operator since Andrew is bowing out to take care of other things on his plate.
Right now we are hosted on a dedicated server and the cost for that server is something Andrew was picking up since he was not only hosting us but also a few other sites which will now be handed off to different owners from what I understand.
So, I am in the hunt for a new hosting provider and I have a couple in mind and I have asked Andrew to take a look at them and tell me which one he thinks will work the best.
I am very particular about this site and I want to make sure it survives and, to be honest, grows so instead of shutting it down I will be taking it over completely.
When will this happen?
Andrew has to cough up the dedicated server by the middle of December but of course we want to make sure the new site is up and running before we pull the plug on the current server plus, middle of December a lot of people are out of town and companies are shutting down for the long holiday.
Now you all know we run vBulletin as our back end and I am not a big Linux guy so I have some stuff to learn about how vBulletin works. I can get around Linux pretty well but I'm more dangerous than knowledgeable however I know a few linux guys so if I get in a pinch I would be able to call on them, plus I hoping to have some time before we move the DNS to get comfortable with it.
I just wanted you all to know what was coming.
Later - Digital
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0 Replies | 178 Views
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Top 10 stupid gifts from chickens to toilet golf |
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Dec 03, 2008 - 12:45 PM - by Digital Dave
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Love these types of stories.
Short of gift ideas for that person who really does have everything? Then how about an underwear repair kit or maybe a Barack Obama "Yes, We Can" can opener?
Web site Stupid.com, which claims finding a truly stupid gift is an art form, on Tuesday unveiled its second annual list of the top 10 "stupidest" holiday gifts for 2008.
"2008 might have been a bad year for the economy, but it was a great year for stupidity," said Stupid.com's founder Gary Apple. "Weird products seemed to come out of the woodwork this year. There was almost too much stupidity to choose from!"
Full story is over on reuters.com
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0 Replies | 33 Views
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First full beta of Windows 7 may be handed out next Tuesday |
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Dec 03, 2008 - 12:02 PM - by Digital Dave
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That would be cool.
As Microsoft's annual MSDN Developers' Conference nationwide tour begins next week, attendees will be among the first to receive a DVD of Windows 7 Beta 1, according to an online invitation the company posted yesterday.
Every year, Microsoft sends a handful of its most popular conference presenters on a nationwide tour, at special MSDN events that are usually held in small conference arenas or hotels, or sometimes rented movie theaters. Attendance is $99 for the one-day event, and with this tour, attendees are promised a big giveaway package that includes Windows 7 Beta 1.
Full article is over on Beta News.com
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0 Replies | 41 Views
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Vista SP2: What’s inside? |
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Dec 03, 2008 - 7:53 AM - by Digital Dave
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Code? Just a guess.
Microsoft is continuing to broaden the pool of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) testers beyond the fairly small, select group who’ve been working with test builds for the past few months.
On December 2, Microsoft made the latest beta build of SP2 available for download by any TechNet and Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscribers.
Over on the jkOnTheRun blog, Kevin Tofel posted the most complete list I’ve seen of what’s in Vista SP2. (Tofel’s full list has disappeared, but not before I grabbed it. It’s now at the bottom of this post.)
Full article over on Blogs.Zdnet.com
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0 Replies | 44 Views
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Windows Live Rolls Out - Up's Storage to 25GB |
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Dec 02, 2008 - 5:50 PM - by Digital Dave
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Now that's a pretty good chunk of space for free.
Today, Microsoft is rolling out some of the sweeping changes to Windows Live it announced two weeks ago. Windows Live seems to be gradually replacing MSN as Microsoft’s central hub for everything you do on the Web.
The new home page shows both your email and an activity stream of what your contacts are doing across the Web. It’s more FriendFeed than Facebook, with a little MyYahoo thrown in. You can also customize it to show the local weather, your calendar, and news headlines. A handful of recent your photos are displayed at the top, along with a search box and links to other Live services (Profile, People, Mail, Photos, Events, Spaces, Groups, SkyDrive, and even MSN).
The new services here are Groups, Photos, and Profile. The Profile page shows all of your activities on Wndows Live as well as other Web services like Twitter, Flickr, and Yelp. Groups lets you set up collaborative pages with others and includes a group calendar. Windows Live Photos also has a nifty slideshow feature that uses Silverlight to change the background color to match the dominant color in each photo.
Full article is over on techcrunch.com
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0 Replies | 46 Views
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Apple announces Top 10 iPhone App downloads of 2008 |
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Dec 02, 2008 - 5:49 PM - by Digital Dave
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Hmmm... I only have three of them.
With 2008 on the way out and right around 10,000 applications behind them, Apple has released a series of lists outlining which applications scored the most downloads since the App Store’s launch back in July.
The lists are separated by whether the the application is paid or free - first as an overall look, and then by each major category (games, entertainment, utilities, social networking, and music). While the overall top applications should come as no surprise to anybody who takes an occasional glance at the iPhone’s built-in top downloads page, there are a few interesting gems hidden in the categorically separated data.
Full article is over on mobilecrunch.com
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0 Replies | 41 Views
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Apple now "encourages" antivirus use for Mac OS X |
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Dec 02, 2008 - 1:51 PM - by Digital Dave
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Really? That's new.
After years of jabbing Microsoft for the seeming need to run antivirus software on Windows, Apple has quietly posted its own recommendation for similar security with its own operating system.
The knowledge base article, posted roughly a week and a half ago, doesn't go so far as to say the software is necessary but still advocates "widespread use" of more than one antivirus package to minimize security risks.
Full post is over on appleinsider.com
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0 Replies | 35 Views
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Vista: Two Years Later |
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Dec 02, 2008 - 1:50 PM - by Digital Dave
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All I can say is, I have been running Windows Vista for two years on my current system (s) and it has gotten MUCH better over time.
Windows Vista's second birthday passed, and nobody noticed.
Some kids sleep anxiously for fear parents will forget the big birthday. Two years ago yesterday, Nov. 30, Microsoft launched Windows Vista for businesses. But yesterday there was no fanfare, no obligatory look-back posts in commemoration—not even from Microsoft employee bloggers. Oh, my, what has Vista become?
Windows Me II.
Full article is over on microsoft-watch.com
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0 Replies | 30 Views
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New Windows worm builds massive botnet |
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Dec 02, 2008 - 1:43 PM - by Digital Dave
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Fantastic... just fantastic.
The worm exploiting a critical Windows bug that Microsoft Corp. patched with an emergency fix in late October is being used to build a new botnet, a security researcher said today.
Ivan Macalintal, a senior research engineer with Trend Micro Inc., said that the worm, which his company has dubbed "Downad.a" -- it's called "Conficker.a" by Microsoft and "Downadup" by Symantec Corp. -- is a key component in a new botnet that criminals are creating.
"We think 500,000 is a ball park figure," said Macalintal when asked the size of the new botnet. "That's not as large as some, such as [the] Kraken [botnet], or Storm earlier, but it's still starting to grow."
Full article is over on computerworld.com
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0 Replies | 42 Views
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GMAIL Comes To The Desktop |
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Dec 02, 2008 - 12:19 PM - by Digital Dave
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Sweet....
On the Google Desktop gadgets team, we've seen countless requests for a Gmail gadget over the years. That gadget is finally here, so if you've got Google Desktop for Windows, give it a try.
You'll see that it covers the basics such as reading, searching, and sending messages. You can star messages, use the same keyboard shortcuts, and we didn't forget about contact auto-complete. It doesn't take up much space in your sidebar or desktop, and you can also resize it to show as few or as many messages as you'd like.
Full article (and gadget) is over on gmailblog.blogspot.com
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0 Replies | 102 Views
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Microsoft in $20bn Yahoo deal |
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Nov 29, 2008 - 10:42 PM - by Digital Dave
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Sweet... especially if you happen to own some shares of Yahoo.
Software giant Microsoft is in talks to acquire Yahoo’s online search business for $20 billion (£13 billion).
The proposal forms the centrepiece of a complex transaction that would see Microsoft support a new management team to take control of Yahoo. But there is no intention of Microsoft tabling another takeover bid for the web giant, after its aborted $47.5 billion offer this summer.
It is thought that Jonathan Miller, ex-chairman and chief executive of AOL, and Ross Levinsohn, a former president of Fox Interactive Media, have been lined up to lead the new management team. Senior directors at Microsoft and Yahoo are understood to have agreed the broad terms of a deal, but there is no guarantee that it will succeed.
Full article is over on timesonline.co.uk
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0 Replies | 105 Views
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How To Calibrate Your New HDTV (and Not Lose Your Mind) |
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Nov 29, 2008 - 1:33 PM - by Digital Dave
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I wish they would have posted this last year when I needed it.
Confession: Until a few days ago, I'd never calibrated my TV. There are a couple reasons for this. First, and most simply, I'm not down with buying a calibration disc that I will likely use once then never touch again. And second, to me, HDTV calibration is the gadget geek's equivalent to chasing the dragon. I've seen endless A/V forum posts of new TV owners begging and pleading for that one true setting for their new high-definition slab—it's not pretty. There is an easy way, though, tucked inside hundreds of THX-certified DVDs already out there, and it's quite possibly already in your movie collection.
The THX Optimizer is a quick and simple calibration tool that I have found gets the job done well enough for most of us non-fanatics. And it comes with a free movie! (OK, it comes free with a movie.) What is it? It's a set of six test patterns that help you choose the key settings for any HDTV calibration: contrast, brightness, tint and sharpness.
Full article is over on gizmodo.com
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0 Replies | 140 Views
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2 dead after shooting in crowded Toys 'R' Us |
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Nov 29, 2008 - 1:30 PM - by Digital Dave
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One more reason why I just slept in. It's just to crazy out there for me.
Two men pulled guns and shot each other to death in a crowded toy store Friday after the women with them erupted into a bloody brawl, witnesses said. Scared shoppers fled but no one else was hurt.
The violence erupted on Black Friday, the traditional post-Thanksgiving start of the holiday shopping surge, but authorities indicated the shooting wasn't related to a shopping frenzy.
Full article is over on msnbc.msn.com
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0 Replies | 80 Views
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TweakVI 'Basic' Edition 1.0 build 1100 |
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Nov 28, 2008 - 11:30 AM - by Digital Dave
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Free and updated for the masses.
The first software designed to both tweak and optimize Windows Vista. Tweak hundreds of hidden features of Windows Vista, optimize your machine and customize it to your needs.
Unlike other tweaking utilities, TweakVI bundles lots of different utilities in one. It was developed to combine both tuning and optimizing features to increase the speed of your Windows Vista system. It's the worlds first software for Windows Vista to combine both customization, tweaking and optimization features.
Download from Majorgeeks.com
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0 Replies | 120 Views
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Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede |
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Nov 28, 2008 - 11:05 AM - by Digital Dave
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Wow... tragic.
A worker died after being trampled and a woman miscarried when hundreds of shoppers smashed through the doors of a Long Island Wal-Mart Friday morning, witnesses said.
The unidentified worker, employed as an overnight stock clerk, tried to hold back the unruly crowds just after the Valley Stream store opened at 5 a.m.
Witnesses said the surging throngs of shoppers knocked the man down. He fell and was stepped on. As he gasped for air, shoppers ran over and around him.
Full article over on nydailynews.com
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0 Replies | 109 Views
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7 Lame Deals to Avoid on Black Friday |
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Nov 27, 2008 - 9:48 AM - by Digital Dave
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Damn... glad I read this article. I was looking for a camera for my son and well... lets just say I will be sleeping in tomorrow.
November 26, 2008 | by Rachel Cericola
You can put lipstick on a pig—it’s actually one of our favorite pastimes. However, slapping the word “sale” on something does not make it so.
This year, we’ve heard a variety of reader complaints stating that Black Friday deals are actually no deal after all. We weeded through a lot of the lingo and found 15 of our favorite sale items for the post-holiday rush.
Full article is over on electronichouse.com
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0 Replies | 161 Views
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Tech Gifts Under $100 |
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Nov 27, 2008 - 9:41 AM - by Digital Dave
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Hey, I love a good bargain especially this time of year.
That time of year is coming. Call it the Holiday Season, call it Christmas, call it whatever you like, but the tradition is to rack up huge credit card debt to hurl gifts at your friends and family. As an ET reader, you know you have some real geeky friends on your gift list, so let us help you make their Holiday-of-Choice special with nerdy gifts that won't break your budget.
Each of the gifts in our staff picks is under $100, and hand-selected to please the pickiest techie. From gadgets to games, we're here to throw ideas at you for the giftacious season that officially starts on the Friday after Thanksgiving—dubbed Black Friday. Of course, online shoppers have their day as well: The following Monday has been christened Cyber Monday—evidently you're supposed to do your online shopping then.
Full article over on extremetech.com
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0 Replies | 86 Views
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Microsoft Forefront codename "Stirling" Beta (11/21/08) |
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Nov 27, 2008 - 8:18 AM - by Digital Dave
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Microsoft seems to have released a new beta for those who want to give it a shot.
An integrated security system that is easier to manage and control Microsoft Forefront™ codename "Stirling" is an integrated security system that delivers comprehensive, coordinated protection across endpoints, messaging and collaboration servers and the network edge that is easier to manage and control.
Download from Microsoft.com
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0 Replies | 119 Views
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Windows Home Server Toolkit v1.1 (64-Bit and 32 Bit) |
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Nov 26, 2008 - 5:00 PM - by Digital Dave
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For those who need it.
Overview
The Windows Home Server Toolkit is a collection of tools that help you troubleshoot issues with Windows Home Server. The toolkit has the following components:
- Error Reporting: The Error Reporting tool collects log files from your home computer and sends them to Microsoft. These log files are useful to Microsoft Support when troubleshooting problems you may encounter with Windows Home Server.
- Windows Home Server Connector Troubleshooter: The Windows Home Server Connector Troubleshooter is a program that runs on your home computer to help troubleshoot problems you may encounter while installing the Connector software. The Connector Troubleshooter runs a series of tests to check the most common Connector Setup problems, and then it recommends possible solutions.
- Windows Home Server Toolkit Add-in: You can also use the Troubleshooter to install a Windows Home Server Toolkit Add-in on your home server. With this Add-in, you can run troubleshooting tasks from the Windows Home Server Console Settings page.
- Download the x64 Version
- Download the x32 Version
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0 Replies | 112 Views
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Windows Internet Worm On The Loose |
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Nov 26, 2008 - 4:38 PM - by Digital Dave
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Oh goodie...
A worm dubbed Win32/Conficker.A is making the rounds on Windows machines, exploiting a security hole that Microsoft released a patch for in October, Microsoft said on Wednesday.
The number of attacks have increased over the past couple of days, exploiting a critical vulnerability that was addressed by security update MS08-067.
The malware mostly was spreading inside corporations, but also hit several hundred home PCs, Microsoft said in a posting on the Microsoft Malware Protection Center Blog.
"It opens a random port between port 1024 and 10000 and acts like a Web server. It propagates to random computers on the network by exploiting MS08-067. Once the remote computer is exploited, that computer will download a copy of the worm via HTTP using the random port opened by the worm. The worm often uses a .JPG extension when copied over and then it is saved to the local system folder as a random named dll," the posting said.
News.CNET.com has the full article.
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0 Replies | 133 Views
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Trillian 3.1.12.0 |
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Nov 26, 2008 - 4:19 PM - by Digital Dave
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Da best!
Trillian is a multi-network chat client that currently supports IRC, AIM, ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo! Messenger. It supports all of the features you've come to expect from a good IM client, including but not limited to docking, multi-line edit boxes, buddy alerts, multiple connections to the same medium, a powerful skinning language, easy importing of your existing contacts, skinnable emoticons, logging, "global" away/invisible features, and a unified contact list. Trillian is completely free with no nag screens or built-in ads.
Download from Majorgeeks.com
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0 Replies | 97 Views
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OMG! It's a keyboard for blondes |
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Nov 26, 2008 - 11:37 AM - by Digital Dave
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When I first saw it I had to turn away it was so bright.
Blondes have suffered decades of ridicule, but it's time they embrace the jokes. When it comes to a hot-pink boost of self-confidence (or at least a few good laughs), the Keyboard for Blondes may do the trick.
The all-pink keyboard swaps out standard keys with funnier, dumber key names. The backspace key now says "Oops!" and the entire row of function keys spells out USELESS KEYS. Hit the "$" sign and you get the sound of a cash register clinking.
Blondes can even get a little technical and use special keys that type out "OMG," "ALI" (Absolutely Love It!), or "XOXO." My favorite? The Caps Lock now says: "Warning! size XXL letters."
CNET.com Article
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1 Reply | 199 Views
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Phishing, malware laden USB sticks stoke holiday attacks |
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Nov 26, 2008 - 11:12 AM - by Digital Dave
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Oh man... and I was just going to buy one.
IBM's Internet Security Systems (ISS) division is warning people and businesses to be especially careful this holiday season as cybercriminals could leave malware laden gifts as stocking stuffers.
Earlier this year, hackers have been discovered tainting USB sticks and other gadgets that connect to the computer via USB drive with malicious software that infects the machine and attempts to steal sensitive data, such as account passwords, credit card information and personally identifiable information.
The problem has become serious enough to cause the U.S. Strategic Command to suspend the use of USB sticks, CDs, flash media cards, and other removable storage devices on military networks, said Gunter Ollmann, chief security strategist, IBM ISS.
"Attackers are going back to the floppy days of how worms were spread," Ollmann said.
Full article is over on searchsecurity.techtarget.com
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0 Replies | 93 Views
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