Use layered security to protect your small business PCs
The hallmark of effective security in any field, especially computers, is defense-in-depth. There is always a way around any particular defensive measure, so you need multiple defenses in order to stop attacks with a high level of confidence. Large organizations are full of multilayered defenses, but they are no less essential to small businesses.
It's never big news, but small businesses get hit all the time by cybercrime. Reporter and analyst Brian Krebs has many stories of small businesses that fell victim to attacks, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Specialized malware (malicious programs) named Zeus and SpyEye find ways to get into your bank accounts and steal your money. In some cases, businesses have sued their banks to get their money back, but the courts have sided with the bank. It's the business's responsibility to secure the access the bank has given to the account.
Google just doesn't 'get it'
Contrary to testimony given before the US Senate yesterday, Google has not learned lessons from Microsoft's antitrust case -- not enough of them, or the right ones. More importantly, Google is looking at the wrong company. It is Intel's dealing with the Feds that could help Google navigate the shark-infested regulatory waters before it.
If the company fails to respond, and quickly, regulators will step in. Google can only avoid being eaten by way of contrition and compromise, and Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt didn't signal enough of either during his prepared statement or responding to questions that followed.
AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II arrives October 2
Finally, the news you've been waiting for from AT&T -- and it's not iPhone 5. The Samsung Galaxy S II goes on sale October 2 for $199.99 with 2-year contract and minimum $15/month data plan. No commitment price: $549.99.
That works out to a two-week delay for all the folks (me among them) who were ready to buy, or tried to, just three days ago. Sprint started selling its version, the Epic 4G, on September 16. The question now: With rumors of iPhone 5 launch just two days later (October 4) and next Google Nexus smartphone running Ice Cream Sandwich coming as soon as late next month, do you buy the S2 now or wait? One option is to hold AT&T to that 30-day return policy by buying a week from Sunday and deciding later (it's closest to having your cake and eating it, too).
HP board looking to Meg Whitman to solve its problems, say insiders
The man behind the change in strategy at Hewlett Packard may be on his way out. Kara Swisher of All Things Digital reported on Wednesday that sources indicated that HP's board was considering replacing current CEO Leo Apotheker with former eBay chief Meg Whitman.
If true, the move could signal deep divisions within HP over its future. Apotheker was behind the company's move out of the consumer business and WebOS. The simple fact that the board now is looking for new leadership may indicate that abandoning the consumer market was not an opinion shared by all of HP's executives.
Microsoft isn't (necessarily) going to take 30% of Windows Store 8 sales
Microsoft contacted me about yesterday's story on Metro-style apps only being available at the Windows store. One of the prominent facts in the story, which I got from Microsoft presentations, was that they would be taking a 30 percent cut of app proceeds from the store.
Turns out it was all a big mistake. The reference to a 70/30 split "...was actually a placeholder we neglected to remove (realize it was a mistake). We will have more to share about economics when the Windows Store goes live", according to a Microsoft spokesperson. Can you believe that? Editor: No.
Eric Schmidt's testimony to the Senate in Google antitrust hearing [document]
Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt on Wednesday testified before the U.S. Senate in a hearing called "The Power of Google: Serving Consumers or Threatening Competition?". The Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights sought to determine the impact Google's dominance (considered by some to be a natural monopoly) is having on competition.
Schmidt's oral testimony is embedded here.
LightSquared reveals its own device for fixing GPS interference issues
LightSquared is a still-under-construction wholesale 4G network that utilizes the "L band" for part of its communications infrastructure. This block of frequencies was formerly used in satellite communications, and was re-banded for mobile broadband use in the FCC's project to add 300MHz of spectrum to wireless data communications by 2015.
Due to the L-band's close proximity to frequencies used in satellite communications, about half of the frequencies LightSquared planned to use in its network were shown to cause interference on some GPS receivers.
Eric Schmidt to US Senate: 'We get it'
Google's executive chairman began his testimony before the US Senate by citing, unnamed, Microsoft and its dominance in the PC industry and how trustbusters stepped in to correct a company that had lost its way. "We get it", Eric Schmidt said. "We get the lessons of our predecessor". Schmidt testified before the Senate's antitrust subcommittee.
Before Schmidt spoke, Sen. Mike Lee, R-UT, put forth that Google had become kind of a gatekeeper to the Internet, holding the fate of other companies by how they rank in searches. "The open Internet is the ultimate playing field", Schmidt answered during his opening remarks. "We don't trap our users".
Take control of Startup programs with Microsoft Autoruns 11
The art of streamlining your PC’s startup to reclaim system resources and speed up boot times is an ancient one. Windows even comes with its own built-in tool, msconfig, for tweaking the system startup, but it’s limited and awkward to use.
Novices who want a quick-and-easy speed boost without having to think too hard about it should consider free products like Soluto and Startup Delayer, but if you want full control over what starts with your PC, and aren’t afraid to delve deep into your system, then take a look at Microsoft’s free Autoruns tool instead, which has recently been updated by its authors, Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell, to version 11.0.
Facebook, stop it, just stop it
On the same day that Google+ opened itself up to the masses, Facebook launched its latest redesign. The change seems almost ironic considering the opposite trajectories these two social networks are on: Google+ on the way up, Facebook on the way down.
Forget the hit piece that journalism professor Dan Reimold wrote earlier this week for PBS calling Google+ a "ghost town." Even if Reimold's premise was even remotely correct (he needs to remember that up until now, Google was invite-only so of course usage is sparse), that's about to be blown out of the water.
Microsoft WebMatrix 2 beta available -- get it now!
Microsoft has released the first beta of WebMatrix 2, a powerful development tool that makes it easier than ever to build web applications; and as with the previous version, the program packs a raft of essential features into a simple and straightforward interface.
The installation process equips your PC with several core development components, for instance, including SQL Server Compact 4.0 and IIS 7.5 Express. And then you can build sites from an improved set of templates (“Bakery”, “Photo Gallery”, “Calendar”, “Personal Site”, and so on) or a lengthy list of popular web applications: DotNetNuke, WordPress, Drupal, SugarCRM, phpBB, Tiki Wiki, Joomla! and more (there’s support for 59 in total). Just choose your preferred application and WebMatrix 2 will download and install it for you.
The world's average download speed: 580KBps [data]
Pando Networks, the content delivery network company that opened up its traffic data to show that Idaho has the United States' slowest Internet connections has released a "State of the World" tally of Internet speeds across most of the globe, revealing how 224 countries stack up in terms of network speeds.
Based on 27 million downloads by 20 million different computers between January and June 2011, Pando has come up with its own official average world download speed: 580KBps.
jAlbum 10 drops freeware license, adds features
Swedish web album creation tool jAlbum has reached a landmark release. jAlbum 10.0, which runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, sees a number of new features and expanded image format support alongside a change in licensing terms. Previous versions of the software were available as a freeware license; the new version switches to free for non-commercial use.
Commercial users, and those who wish to remove ads and jAlbum branding from their web albums, will now need to purchase the Pro version for $55. Anyone with a Premium or Power subscription to jAlbum’s online storage service will get a complementary Pro license while their sub lasts.
Amazon launches Kindle Library Lending program
Last April, Amazon announced the Kindle Library Lending program would let Kindle users borrow books from more than 11,000 U.S. libraries. Today, the program officially launched at all participating libraries.
Users can search their local library's website, and when they find a book, they can choose "Send to Kindle," which then redirects them through Amazon.com and syncs their book down to their e-reader or Kindle app for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, BlackBerry or Windows Phone, or to the browser-based Kindle Cloud Reader.
Apple will unveil iPhone 5 on October 4?
Let the iPhone 5 rumors begin in earnest now. All Things Digital, which has a pretty good track record reporting rumors right, says that Apple will hold a big media event on October 4, presumably to announce iPhone 5. Uh-oh, AT&T's unexpected and unexplained Samsung Galaxy S II delay could get ugly now.
Predicting what the event means, assuming it's happening as rumored, is trickier than you might think. Apple has been holding October media events for years, usually to announce new Macs. This year is different. Apple didn't announced new iPods in September or iPhone in June, as is typical. So this event could be much bigger than iPhone 5 -- or not, if Apple chooses to announce iMacs and iPods as is seasonally typical -- and iPhone 5 later. Then there is Tim Cook's role as new CEO. This will be a big day for him, and, therefore, big for Apple.
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