Mozilla Firefox 3, Final Release: Download Day.

The new Firefox 3 web browser is to be released on the official Mozilla Download Day, Tuesday, June 17, 2008. An informative article about this release and Microsoft’s rapid effort to catch-up using IE-8 was recently published by PC World. I strongly suggest that you download Firefox 3 directly from a Mozilla site. As I write, this site is still devoted to the download of Firefox 2.0.0.14, however.

The good people on the Firefox 3 project are trying to set a Guinness World Record for downloading software in a single day. My best guess is that they will achieve this, because there is currently no such record in existence.

More importantly, I recently tried to download Release Candidate 3 of Firefox from other sites, and while beginning to install, they displayed instructions in a language which I did not recognize. These were reputable sites, but something was clearly going awry.

While you are downloading this excellent browser, I would also suggest looking over more of Mozilla’s software and other offerings.

A Field Guide to Foxfire 3 by Debra Lyn Richardson is available at her WordPress site and should definitely be referred to for many technical details, feature descriptions, and links.

Peace, Doc

Copyright © 2008, Thomas A. Blood, Ph.D.

Have You Noticed ... ?

Have you noticed a recent confusion within Microsoft about the design and marketing of its software? I think I am seeing one but I am not an expert.

Vista sales and installations have not been going as well as Microsoft had hoped when this operating system was introduced approximately one year ago. Some businesses have been reluctant to adopt it due to incompatibilities with other companies' software and due to some of its own internal instabilities. See this Google search which returns 51,200,000 responses to the search phrase - Vista problems. A Service Pack for Vista is already due out soon, according to many sources listed in the second link. Vista seems to be somewhat "heavy" for home computers and is not as willingly accepted as was XP, especially because the really neat features are only available in the premier business versions, and at a greatly increased cost. Of course the Vista OS was primarily developed for business use from the start. Several months back, there was a somewhat disparaging joke that Vista was little more than Windows XP SP3, at least as far as the home user was concerned. Now, however, it is evidently not a joke. Microsoft has already set a release date for XP Service Pack 3. Further, Microsoft has twice delayed the date that all new Windows computers must be supplied with a version of Vista. I believe the latest deadline is at the end of 2007. Some computer manufacturers are taking advantage of this delay to continue to supply Windows XP machines.

Microsoft has begun to compete more actively and directly with Google and Sun, its primary rivals for online services. Other free office suites are available, such as the free, downloadable OpenOffice.org suite, the free IBM Lotus Symphony, the free web based Zoho Office Suite and others. Since Google has affiliated with Sun Microsystems the two corporations have gone into direct competition with Microsoft. They are offering OpenOffice, the open source office suite which Sun helped develop in 2000, and the basis upon which Sun's commercial Star Office was built. This affiliation will provide much more than the free Docs, Spreadsheets, Gmail, Talk, Earth, etc., applications presently available from Google. Microsoft is apparently offering a free, advertising supported version of Microsoft Works 8. It is making Microsoft Office 2003 more functional and secure with a free download of Service Pack 3 (SP3.) I very recently read, but cannot recall where, that the full Microsoft Office Suite will become available as an online service, but only if you already have Office installed on your computer. Spaces Live versus Blogspot, LiveWriter versus Google's online editor, Microsoft Groups versus Google Groups. I don't believe Google has an equivalent for X-Box and Halo-3, however.

I'm not certain that I am doing anything other than mentioning to you that there is a cyber-"competition" going on among industry giants and that it is bound to have an effect on us. By "us" I refer to individuals, families, and tiny businesses. Microsoft appears to be more actively pursuing small business to enterprise size business. While Google may have aspirations in that direction planned for the future, it currently concentrates on the "small" end of the merchandising spectrum. If Google ever officially incorporates an Operating System of its own, "Katie, bar the door." Many of the hot links above are to searches or to summary articles. I strongly suggest to anyone planning on buying a new computer or "upgrading" (to some, that recently has meant switching back to XP from Vista) that you follow the breadcrumb trail to the real experts and draw your own conclusions. Given my current understanding of the situation, my personal choice is to stick with my XP-Pro OS and Office-Pro 2003 productivity suite for the foreseeable future. Of course I will continue to use many Google applications, as they fit my needs more closely, but my overall preference stays with Microsoft.

Peace, Doc

Copyright © 2007, Thomas A. Blood, Ph.D.

"4:00 PM 10/04/07 : GOOG $594.05 +15.02 +2.59% High $596.00 Low $587.01 Vol 05,073,044
: MSFT $029.84 +00.13 +0.44% High $029.99 Low $029.73 Vol 45,016,519"

Keyloggers and Viri and Rootkits, Oh My!

In the last post, I ranted about rootkits being planted in consumers’ computers without their knowledge by unscrupulous corporations or by hackers with even less honorable motives. I vented my displeasure with a corporation but did not give any information about what one can do about a rootkit. To remedy that oversight I embarked on a quest for some free software that will detect their presence. I shall try to rectify the omission in this episode.

It has been written that rootkits and keyloggers hide quite well in the deep recesses of your computer’s innards, often to the degree that excellent commercial software cannot find them. I found two anti-rootkit applications and one keylogger sniffer.

AVG, an excellent commercial security software company, offers three security software applications that are free for the downloading. The best known is their free anti-virus program, but they also offer an anti-spyware application and a rootkit detector. All three are available here.

Sophos Software also offers free anti-rootkit software, a threat detection test, and an application discovery tool in addition to their commercial line of security software.

One of the stranger freeware security tools I found, the SnoopFree Privacy Shield, is a paranoid and compulsive little program that detects any application that could be a keylogger or take over your browser, displays what it is, what it is doing, and asks if you wish to allow it. I found it to be something of a revelation that it classified Google Desktop as a serious threat and desperately tried to convince me not to allow it to function. This program for Win XP is worth installing, if only to see which applications are paying attention to what is being typed on your keyboard.

An updated version of Check Point’s free ZoneAlarm Security Firewall has just been released and is certainly worth using.

Belarc freely gives its Advisor application that lists all the software installed on your computer, for non-commercial purposes only. This app lists every piece of software installed on your computer, along with patches, identification numbers, version numbers, and much other valuable information. This program has been installed on every computer I have owned since 1995.

Finally, EmiSoft’s a-squared free anti malware program (Anti-Trojan, Anti-Worm, and Anti-Spyware) is available, as is an Anti-Dialer program.

When you try these programs, as I have, please give consideration to purchasing the full featured versions or making a donation to the software’s author if you like them.

Peace, Doc

Copyright © 2007, Thomas A. Blood, Ph.D.

NanoScan and TotalScan

There are a few good, free, web based applications out there amidst all the crapware. I used Panda Software's computer-based anti-virus program for a year some while back and found it to be satisfactory. Not perfect, but good. That was at a time when many of the viruses, trojans, and worms were coming from the area of the world in which Panda Software is located. My assumption at the time was that they would therefore be the first AV company to encounter many of the new threats "in the wild" and the first to develop new countermeasures. It seemed to be a good assumption. The only drawbacks I encountered at that time were a somewhat unappealing user interface and a very aggressive advertising program. Panda was one of the "other good commercial AV programs" to which I referred in a previous post on free AV protection.

When I evaluate a program for my own use I quickly head in the opposite direction from AV and other security programs that immediately do a scan, find 1,284 possible infections on my computer, and warn me of the grave consequences of not purchasing their software or services immediately. When I found and tried Panda's nanoscan online scan it quickly had a look at my computer after I allowed it to install an ActiveX application. It reported that it found no viruses and that my other security programs were up to date. Hmm. Could it be true?

After one has scanned their computer with nanoscan, a pitch is made for totalscan. It is stated that this version can be used in either “brief” (about five minutes) or “full” (about an hour) modes. One has to sign up with an email address and a password for the free totalscan. I did so and allowed another ActiveX to run. This action started the download of a short program that literally took almost three hours to complete on a dial-up Internet connection. When this process was completed, totalscan found 10 cookies that I knew were present and showed a large red button labeled "disinfect." I hopefully pressed it. The next screen informed me that I must be a member of totalscanPRO for anything to actually happen. Technically, Panda delivered exactly what was promised, a scan. I am so freaking gullible that I must be a relative of Wily Coyote.

The purchase page even insisted that I was from the UK and wanted payment in pounds. I'm afraid I cannot recommend nanoscam, totalscam, or totalscamPRO. Some might want to take a look at Panda's relatively non-technical descriptions of crimeware, hoaxes, rootkits, and the like. Otherwise, it did nothing that the previously listed freeware did not do except leave me with junk to clean out of the computer and two or three hours of subvocal swearing which I must attend to. Despite my current displeasure, I would still state that Panda's programs and services are probably in the class of "other satisfactory commercial security software." I'm glad I used a throwaway e-mail address, though.

Peace, Doc

Copyright © 2007, Thomas A. Blood, Ph.D.

"Dammit!" - Doc

Security Software

Most mental health professionals would agree that we have a duty to keep confidential our clients’ PHI. This seems especially true if we keep that information on computers that can be lost, hacked, or subject to viruses of all kinds.

I recently had, and am continuing to have, an experience of possible identity theft. I did nothing to cause it or to leave myself open to that attack. Stupid things happen. A portable drive with a database of providers was lost or stolen. The VHA wrote to notify me and to offer a year of free credit monitoring and fraud alerts. As most of my personal information including SSN, EIN, name, address, and all the rest was on it, I accepted their offer quickly. My suspicion is that a less experienced employee or an intern copied it to a thumb drive to work on at home. The information was obtained from the Social Security Administration’s database of mental health providers without my knowledge or permission, to be used in a provider demographics study. As a client would feel in a similar situation, I am concerned, anxious, and feel that someone is responsible for potential harm to me. To the VHA’s credit, they immediately admitted their loss and offered some protective measures. Of all the times that I believe my personal information may have been lost, stolen, or compromised this was the only time I was notified.

We owe our clients the best security we can provide. Probably the best security software available to the public is produced by Norton/Symantec and McAfee. They are good and their respective prices reflect that. Many other commercial security software brands are available and usually, as good as the two named, but possibly not as comprehensive.

I have found free versions of some lesser-known software brands available that have proven as effective, in combination, as one of the major manufacturers’ software suites. AVG offers free versions of their Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, and Anti-Rootkit software. As far as I am currently aware, their Anti-Rootkit program is the only free rootkit software available. I use all three. CheckPoint Software’s ZoneAlarm Firewall is a well-known and effective free security application that I also use and rely on. Spybot-Search & Destroy is a very effective free “donation-ware” anti-spyware application. I also use it with confidence. LavaSoft’s Ad-Aware-2007 is a free adware search and removal application. It has very recently been updated and apparently did not install well on my computer. Its past versions have been quite useful and worked perfectly in combination with all the other free programs listed. Microsoft also offers free anti-virus and internet filters, as well as updates to your operating system. I use Microsoft Update, Windows Live OneCare safety scanner, Windows Defender, and the Malicious Software Removal Tool. All of the Microsoft tools may be found on the single Microsoft link appearing above.

These are some of the best free security programs available. I recommend them with some caveats, however. I am making recommendations based on my personal use of Microsoft’s XP Pro and XP Home operating systems and cannot generalize to other OSs. If you do not use these links to obtain the software, be certain that the providers and spellings of the program names are exactly the same. There are imitators using names very similar to the good software that may contain malware or be malware themselves. Finally, if you like the software, please consider purchasing their commercial versions. Be careful out there.

Peace, Doc

EverNote 2.1 Update

EverNote®2 is offering a free, updated version of their remarkably versatile and useful note and web information collection program. It is version 2.1.0.327 which employs a new database. If you update from a previous version, your content will be saved and updated to conform to the current database engine, but it will no longer be useable with prior versions. The commercial versions of this software offer extensive additions to the basic free version. Web clips, graphics, e-mail, notes, handwriting, snapshots, sketches, and much more may all be recorded, many on either free or commercial versions. It is simply remarkable that so much versatility is offered in their free version. It is definitely worth a trip to the download section of the EverNote Website to compare versions and download one of them.

I find that I am not alone in my high regard for this application. Those with much more knowledge and ability concur:

EverNote is a genius piece of software that collects and stores all of your digital data, indexing them and making them searchable. - Michael Calore, Wired News

EverNote 2.1 - Free Version
Software Version: 2.1.0.327(14.9 MB)

EverNote 2.1 lets you easily store and quickly access typed and handwritten memos, webpage excerpts, emails, phone messages, addresses, passwords, brainstorms, sketches, documents and more! This is a FREE version with no expiration. Learn More

Peace, Doc

MediLexicon Toolbar Update

As I age, I wander the Internet more and tend to take paths wherever they lead me. In this case, I found an updated version of the MediLexicon Toolbar that I have written about previously. This is version 2.0 and has added features and customizable aspects. It is available for either Internet Explorer or FireFox, and retains its built-in uninstall button. It includes medical news, including mental health topics, and has added to the reference databases it can search for answers to your questions

I am an inveterate toolbar collector and could probably fill my entire monitor screen with them, leaving only an inch or so at the bottom for actual website content. There is an easy way to display only the toolbars you want during any session when using IE, however. Simply right click on any empty space in the toolbar section at the top of the screen, and a menu of your installed toolbars will appear with check marks at the left of the active ones. Just check or uncheck the bars you wish to appear, and you can once again view most of your screen. I hate to admit that I accidentally discovered this feature less than a year ago.

Several other free programs have been discovered or updated and will be reported upon in future posts.

Peace, Doc

Copyright © 2007, Thomas A. Blood, Ph.D.

Lifehacking

When I first discovered Lifehacker I immediately liked their web site and their stated reason for producing it: "Computers make us more productive. Yeah, right. Lifehacker recommends the software downloads and web sites that actually save time. Don't live to geek; geek to live." Some of their more recent posts have included a free Smart Bookmarks Bar for Firefox, Alpha Geek: Make Microsoft Word less annoying, Calculate your caffeine intake (with nearly 200 popular beverages listed,) Create a living will online, How to find the best web freebies, Build a ten day survival pack for $25 or less, Tips for faster bar service, How to be a gentleman (first rule is "do not spit," and 75 comments followed it,) Prevent your dryer from catching fire, Financial mistakes redux - how to avoid them, Alpha Geek: 10 cool cell phone tricks, Mobile sign language lookup, and a free bandwidth NetMeter for windows. These were under half the entries between March 16, 2007 and March 20, 2007.
Google offers a specialized Lifehacks custom search page which includes a search tool which seeks information from five sources: www.lifehacker.com, www.lifehack.org, www.43folders.com, www.ehow.com, and www.howstuffworks.com. I have found this to be a very useful tool that produces mostly relevant responses to common, real-life questions and some quite useful software. My first query using the Lifehacks custom search engine was "cyber stalking" which produced this relevant response as its' first citation from www.lifehack.org.

I hope you find these resources useful.

Peace, Doc

Copyright © 2007, Thomas A. Blood, Ph.D.

"I don't profess to be profound; but I do lay claim to common sense." - Charles Dickens

New Google Application Announced

Google has announced the anticipated Presentation application for its current suite of free online office components. The Official Google Blog "birth announcement" states that, following Google's acquisition of Tonic Systems, we can expect the addition this summer. This puts their online suite into a very favorable position to be the most powerful and useful available. When combined with Gmail and all of its secondary features, Docs & Spreadsheets, Google Earth, SketchUp,the unofficial Gspace online storage application (possibly soon to have a future official version?), Google Toolbar, Picasa, Picasa Web Albums, Blogger, a personalizable Home Page, AdSense, Google Pack of additional free software ..... Oh, you get the idea. I'm not certain what the best thing was before sliced bread, but Google must surely be a prime candidate for anything since. While we are in a Googly mood, pay a visit to Google Labs technology playground to see what's new, and to Nancy Blachman's Google Guide to find out things you didn't even suspect about Google's search abilities. I have come nowhere near listing all that Google offers, but my brain hurts.

Peace, Doc

People may or may not know by this time that Microsoft is offering, free of charge and no strings attached, a download or CD of Microsoft Office Accounting Express either here or here. Ordering the free CD is probably better as this is a 208MB download and arrives almost as quickly by mail as it would take on dial-up. What you may not know is that Microsoft Office Live is offering a free basic website with free registered domain name, multiple email accounts, and a site builder with some very professional templates to advertise your practice or sell items. Of course, they want you to be successful so that you buy a more complex site and other services. Overall, this is an excellent product and a good manner in which to market it.

Peace, Doc

Copyright © 2007, Thomas A. Blood, Ph.D.