I know I've been out of pocket a lot lately, but my health has been kind of bad lately. It's hard for me to sit in front of the computer some days and those days have been close together and frequent lately. The cold snap hasn't helped a bit, either. My sinuses have been driving me crazy.
I know, with the Web, there are plenty of sources and places to find stories and so forth, but it's hard on the eyes and takes longer than it should most of the time. Being on dial-up is also just... it's just awful. The hi-speed should be hooked-up later this week or next and things will pick back up some because of that, but researching and reading online is still a pain.
I re-subscribed to Wired today. I had actually sent the thing off a few weeks back, but I called today to find out what was going on and they said they didn't show an order for me. So I sent them a check today. Hopefully, I'll get my first issue in September. I know it's available online, but - like far too many sites these days - it's simply impossible to load on dial-up. Win98 makes it flat-out impossible to get on some sites.
Anyway, I'll have a few things for you tonight/tomorrow, depending on how I feel, and I still haven't finished writing the piece on Microsoft and Yahoo. I know that's been a while back, but I am going deeper than just reporting the details of the deal, so it's taking a moment.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
W. Va. Turns-Down Free Laptops
When the state governor's office received a small shipment of laptops it had not ordered, workers returned them to HP. But when a second shipment of unordered laptops arrived, they turned them over to investigators.
According to spokesfolks, the governor's office is wary of what might be on the computers. If that makes no sense to you, you should know that earlier this year, a suspected Kenyan-based ring defrauded the office out of nearly $2 million and almost $1/2 million was charged to their phonebill after they mistakenly posted their security codes online! Even curioser, the computers were ordered through bank accounts issued to names of workers in the office, though the workers themselves neither opened nor control the accounts.
Similar laptop orders were also delivered to six other states. All of the states denied them and an investigation is now underway.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
According to spokesfolks, the governor's office is wary of what might be on the computers. If that makes no sense to you, you should know that earlier this year, a suspected Kenyan-based ring defrauded the office out of nearly $2 million and almost $1/2 million was charged to their phonebill after they mistakenly posted their security codes online! Even curioser, the computers were ordered through bank accounts issued to names of workers in the office, though the workers themselves neither opened nor control the accounts.
Similar laptop orders were also delivered to six other states. All of the states denied them and an investigation is now underway.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Carid's Got You Covered
One of the considerations you have to take into account when buying a new car is where you can find accessories and get repairs. While it used to be true that American-made cars were a better choice because so few mechanics/shops handled foreign automobiles, this has become less a consideration these days. In fact, many people - especially young car shoppers - are looking for cars they themselves can repair and customize. This isn't just to save them money, it also serves as a hobby for them.
CARiD specializes in auto accessories for a dizzying array of autos - both foreign and domestic - including Hyundai, GMC, Jeep, Saturn, VW, and far too many more to list. With everything from customized grills and floormats to whole body kits, it really doesn't matter what you are looking for when it comes to car customization, CARiD is guaranteed to have it.
You already have enough concerns when deciding on a new car; with CARiD, you can lay one to rest.
CARiD specializes in auto accessories for a dizzying array of autos - both foreign and domestic - including Hyundai, GMC, Jeep, Saturn, VW, and far too many more to list. With everything from customized grills and floormats to whole body kits, it really doesn't matter what you are looking for when it comes to car customization, CARiD is guaranteed to have it.
You already have enough concerns when deciding on a new car; with CARiD, you can lay one to rest.
Twitter's Just a Buncha Babblin'
An actual study was performed to find out what Tweeters are busy babbling about - the answer: basically nothing. We here to The Cyberculturalist could've saved them a whole lot of money, but I digress...
The study, performed by Pear Analytics, "eavesdropped" on the service at 1/2 hour intervals everyday for 40 days, collecting tweets they then sorted into one of six categories. They discovered that over 75% of communications on Twitter were conversational "babble." Further, less than 10% of all tweets had any useful information.
That's why we call 'em "twits," guys.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
The study, performed by Pear Analytics, "eavesdropped" on the service at 1/2 hour intervals everyday for 40 days, collecting tweets they then sorted into one of six categories. They discovered that over 75% of communications on Twitter were conversational "babble." Further, less than 10% of all tweets had any useful information.
That's why we call 'em "twits," guys.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
The Right One for You
If you have ever considered a dietary supplement for losing weight, then you already know just how many are out there - not to mention how costly they all are! One could easily spend (and more often than not lose) a fortune trying to find the supplement which works best for them. Every person's body is different, and one's diet, metabolism, energy level, and exercise regimen (and more) all play a part in how well he responds to such things.
Luckily, there are resources which will help you find the best diet pill for you and your goal(s). And make sure you set a goal before you begin - use it as a guidepost by which you can measure your progress. If you are not at least halfway to your goal within 6-8 weeks (about 2 months), then you may need to change your chosen supplement or something else in your routine.
Luckily, there are resources which will help you find the best diet pill for you and your goal(s). And make sure you set a goal before you begin - use it as a guidepost by which you can measure your progress. If you are not at least halfway to your goal within 6-8 weeks (about 2 months), then you may need to change your chosen supplement or something else in your routine.
Netflix vs. Hulu
ABC reached an agreement with online video rental outlet, Netflix, which allows Netflix to carry streaming episodes of ABC's most popular shows. The first, Lost, is available now and will eventually include all five seasons. Future ABC shows that will appear on Netflix include Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy.
Hulu, originally a joint venture between NBC Universal and FOX, has been the hot topic since its launch; though very young, Hulu was the third most popular website in the first quarter of 2009. More and more people are discovering the joys of watching streaming content on-demand, but Hulu delivers that in spades, with hundreds of film titles (movie and TV) in every genre, from the earliest days of film to shows that literally just aired (generally, the night before). Hulu also hosts a lot of shows created specifically for the network, including original comedies, documentaries, and more.
Disney/ABC just inked a deal with Hulu this April, giving Hulu exclusive rights to broadcast some Disney/ABC content on it, as well as its satellite and sister sites, including AOL and MySpace. According to sources, the deal with Netflix will not upset this, as the ABC :: Hulu agreement refers to newer content.
The wording leads some to conclude that ABC, which obtained a 28% share in Hulu in the aforementioned negotiations, will be licensing the majority of its back catalog to Netflix, which has been offering subscribers mostly obscure programs, as well as a limited number of movies and rental titles (direct-to-DVD), for some time now. Some say this is because all the major networks (except CBS) are part of Hulu, but The Cyberculturalist notes this may also be a planned strategy: Netflix knows Hulu dominates the television-on-demand market and wishes to remain primarily a video rental site (the market which Netflixdominates), so Netflix may be maneuvering for the "alternative," or "indie," crowd.
There is some crossover between the sites, as Netflix is now airing some TV, and Hulu offers some movies (uncut, though interrupted by commercials). Netflix could find a very profitable niche, should it become "the" site for the "alternative" crowd, as it would technically be "alternative" to Hulu. Netflix may then continue focusing its traditional marketing efforts on its film-rental services, while tailoring its online menu to target this demographic. Because, if Netflix begins advertising the fact that it serves the "alternative" crowd, it will be considered "mainstream," which would give another site the chance to then fill that niche - including Hulu. Further, by not drawing attention to this entire concept,, Netflix can avoid building what would surely be a high-profile rivalry. Of course, such a rivalry may yet arise regardless, in which case, targeting the "indie" crowd may prove Netflix' only leverage.
At any rate, Netflix' success is going to be monitored even more closely now, because it is a subscription-based model. And that brings up another selling point which Netflix may employ: no commercials. All of Hulu's videos include commercials; while they are generally interrupted every quarter-hour (15 minutes) or so, every show, movie, et.al., is at least bookended by commercials, usually from the same sponsor. Sometimes, the user is asked if he wants to see commercials throughout his selection or if he'd rather sit through an extended commercial before his show begins. Netflix has none of this; the streaming media it offers is for customers only, and Netflix customers pay a subscription rate of about $10/month.
ABC started showing some series on Netflix in late 2008, including Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, The Suite Life on Deck, and more. ABC has been showing its flagship programs on its own website, and through its own media player, for some time now. Their decision to license broadcasting to other sites was made to attract viewers aside from
YouTube, owned by Google, courted Disney/ABC, but only landed the rights to clips from shows and sports broadcasts from ESPN. Sources close to that deal say talks broke down because Disney insisted on a stake in the company - the stake they got in Hulu. Jeff Zucker, President of NBC and a Hulu boardmember, suggested that advertisers "want a safe environment, unpolluted by videos of cats on skateboards," and that this, coupled with the fact that "Hulu has generated a user experience that is second to none," is what has made Hulu "the pre-eminent video site."
(This article was originally scheduled for posting on Aug. 4th)
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Hulu, originally a joint venture between NBC Universal and FOX, has been the hot topic since its launch; though very young, Hulu was the third most popular website in the first quarter of 2009. More and more people are discovering the joys of watching streaming content on-demand, but Hulu delivers that in spades, with hundreds of film titles (movie and TV) in every genre, from the earliest days of film to shows that literally just aired (generally, the night before). Hulu also hosts a lot of shows created specifically for the network, including original comedies, documentaries, and more.
Disney/ABC just inked a deal with Hulu this April, giving Hulu exclusive rights to broadcast some Disney/ABC content on it, as well as its satellite and sister sites, including AOL and MySpace. According to sources, the deal with Netflix will not upset this, as the ABC :: Hulu agreement refers to newer content.
The wording leads some to conclude that ABC, which obtained a 28% share in Hulu in the aforementioned negotiations, will be licensing the majority of its back catalog to Netflix, which has been offering subscribers mostly obscure programs, as well as a limited number of movies and rental titles (direct-to-DVD), for some time now. Some say this is because all the major networks (except CBS) are part of Hulu, but The Cyberculturalist notes this may also be a planned strategy: Netflix knows Hulu dominates the television-on-demand market and wishes to remain primarily a video rental site (the market which Netflixdominates), so Netflix may be maneuvering for the "alternative," or "indie," crowd.
There is some crossover between the sites, as Netflix is now airing some TV, and Hulu offers some movies (uncut, though interrupted by commercials). Netflix could find a very profitable niche, should it become "the" site for the "alternative" crowd, as it would technically be "alternative" to Hulu. Netflix may then continue focusing its traditional marketing efforts on its film-rental services, while tailoring its online menu to target this demographic. Because, if Netflix begins advertising the fact that it serves the "alternative" crowd, it will be considered "mainstream," which would give another site the chance to then fill that niche - including Hulu. Further, by not drawing attention to this entire concept,, Netflix can avoid building what would surely be a high-profile rivalry. Of course, such a rivalry may yet arise regardless, in which case, targeting the "indie" crowd may prove Netflix' only leverage.
At any rate, Netflix' success is going to be monitored even more closely now, because it is a subscription-based model. And that brings up another selling point which Netflix may employ: no commercials. All of Hulu's videos include commercials; while they are generally interrupted every quarter-hour (15 minutes) or so, every show, movie, et.al., is at least bookended by commercials, usually from the same sponsor. Sometimes, the user is asked if he wants to see commercials throughout his selection or if he'd rather sit through an extended commercial before his show begins. Netflix has none of this; the streaming media it offers is for customers only, and Netflix customers pay a subscription rate of about $10/month.
ABC started showing some series on Netflix in late 2008, including Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, The Suite Life on Deck, and more. ABC has been showing its flagship programs on its own website, and through its own media player, for some time now. Their decision to license broadcasting to other sites was made to attract viewers aside from
YouTube, owned by Google, courted Disney/ABC, but only landed the rights to clips from shows and sports broadcasts from ESPN. Sources close to that deal say talks broke down because Disney insisted on a stake in the company - the stake they got in Hulu. Jeff Zucker, President of NBC and a Hulu boardmember, suggested that advertisers "want a safe environment, unpolluted by videos of cats on skateboards," and that this, coupled with the fact that "Hulu has generated a user experience that is second to none," is what has made Hulu "the pre-eminent video site."
(This article was originally scheduled for posting on Aug. 4th)
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Blogger at Center of Web Attacks Blames Russia
So, you'll recall the Web attacks which led to outages at Twitter and interruptions in service on Facebook, as well as triggered defenses at unspecified Google holdings, and how some thought a single blogger was the target? He was. And he blames Russia.
Pro-Georgian blogger, Cyxymu, was believed (by some) to have been singled-out by whomever was behind the DoS attacks which affected several popular websites Thursday morning. While many cast aspersion on the idea, investigations into the attacks proved the theory true. The blogger said he was targeted because he speaks "the truth about the Russian-Georgian war." All of the sites which were attacked were sites at which Cyxymu had an account.
Cyxymu, whose real name is Georgy, said he does not know who, or what faction, in Russia is behind it, but he is certain Russia is the source. Other sources said there was no proof that the attacks were "state-endorsed." In fact, a security official said an "individual who took objection to [Cyxymu]'s blogs" was "almost certainly" behind the attacks. The official, Graham Cluley of cybersecurity firm, Sophos, said it was a case of "Internet vigilantism" gone wrong.
The attacks occurred on the one-year anniversary of the conflict, which was celebrated by Georgians with a day of "somber ceremonies" and bonfires. One year ago, Georgian forces tried to retake South Ossetia but were rebuked by Russian forces who then pushed farther into the region. The battles were preceded and followed by minor clashes, but the fighting lasted only five days, when a ceasefire agreement was reached. Georgia says its attack was in response to a secret Russian invasion, while Russia claims it was a deliberate criminal act.
Figures vary, but anywhere from 30,000-200,000 people on both sides remain displaced due to the fighting. Most of these are Georgians, who face terrible hardships and rely upon aid for relief, due to the remoteness of their locations.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Pro-Georgian blogger, Cyxymu, was believed (by some) to have been singled-out by whomever was behind the DoS attacks which affected several popular websites Thursday morning. While many cast aspersion on the idea, investigations into the attacks proved the theory true. The blogger said he was targeted because he speaks "the truth about the Russian-Georgian war." All of the sites which were attacked were sites at which Cyxymu had an account.
Cyxymu, whose real name is Georgy, said he does not know who, or what faction, in Russia is behind it, but he is certain Russia is the source. Other sources said there was no proof that the attacks were "state-endorsed." In fact, a security official said an "individual who took objection to [Cyxymu]'s blogs" was "almost certainly" behind the attacks. The official, Graham Cluley of cybersecurity firm, Sophos, said it was a case of "Internet vigilantism" gone wrong.
The attacks occurred on the one-year anniversary of the conflict, which was celebrated by Georgians with a day of "somber ceremonies" and bonfires. One year ago, Georgian forces tried to retake South Ossetia but were rebuked by Russian forces who then pushed farther into the region. The battles were preceded and followed by minor clashes, but the fighting lasted only five days, when a ceasefire agreement was reached. Georgia says its attack was in response to a secret Russian invasion, while Russia claims it was a deliberate criminal act.
Figures vary, but anywhere from 30,000-200,000 people on both sides remain displaced due to the fighting. Most of these are Georgians, who face terrible hardships and rely upon aid for relief, due to the remoteness of their locations.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
Theme Park Vacations
Technically, you are running out of time to take a vacation, but it has been a pretty mild one up to now, thanks to all the rain. Some people wait until closer to fall to vacation because of the weather, while others go later to avoid the crowds and traffic. Whatever your reason, summer is almost over and the kids go back to school soon, so why not throw caution to the wind, call-in those sick days you have laying around, and treat the family to any one of the three, top orlando vacations packages?
Orlando Theme Park Vacations dot Com offers great packages, as well as featured rates for piecemeal packages of your own design. OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com also has a Best Price Guarantee, assuring you of great prices to theme parks in and around Orlando.
If you've been putting it off, now is a great time to take the plunge. Get the family together and follow the link above to put together a one-of-a-kind theme park vacation in Orlando!
Orlando Theme Park Vacations dot Com offers great packages, as well as featured rates for piecemeal packages of your own design. OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com also has a Best Price Guarantee, assuring you of great prices to theme parks in and around Orlando.
If you've been putting it off, now is a great time to take the plunge. Get the family together and follow the link above to put together a one-of-a-kind theme park vacation in Orlando!
Hackers Strike Twitter, Cyberculturalist
Twitter, Facebook, Live Journal, and Google were among the websites affected yesterday in what experts are calling a "massively coordinated" attack which affected operations at many of the websites.
Twitter was offline for around two hours during the height of the attack Thursday morning, while Facebook experienced intermittent connectivity issues. Google confirmed that some non-Google (but Google-owned) sites were attacked, but said Google systems were able to defend them. Though not identified by spokespersons, YouTube and Gmail are thought to have been targets. Google confirmed that it was speaking to these sites as part of an investigation.
Twitter said it was the victim of a DoS (Denial of Service) attack, which disabled the site for about two hours. Denial of Service attacks are very basic "hacks," in which attackers send a flood of requests to a site. The site is unable to determine which requests are legitimate and which are part of the attack, and attempts to respond to all of them, resulting in the system being overburdened and effectively stagnated.
The specifics of a DoS attack are manifold, but are generally nothing more than pings from many systems at once. Many times, the attack is initiated by a user who already has a botnet in place. And while DOS attacks can be used to shutdown online banks, disrupt credit card services, and upset timely events (such as contests or sales), there is no way to "gain a profit" from them. Furthermore, the botnet is almost invariably lost afterward, meaning there is very little to gain from a DOS attack. The whole thing has people everywhere scratching their heads.
While the hacker(s) remain unidentified, some believe growing tensions between Russia and the Russian state of Georgia are at the center of the imbroglio. In fact, it has been suggested that the entire assault may have been aimed at a single user: pro-Georgian blogger, Cyxymu. While others say this seems unlikely, it was Max Kelly, head of security at Facebook, who first suggested the attacks were an attempt "to keep his voice from being heard."
Older posts on Cyxymu's blog suggest that this is not the first time he has been the victim of such a "Joe job." But few experts believe the entire attack was aimed at him, even if portions of it were. It's possible other campaigns were run alongside the DOS offensive and/or that certain factions attempted to exact "revenge" on those thought responsible, which could have included Cyxymu.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Twitter was offline for around two hours during the height of the attack Thursday morning, while Facebook experienced intermittent connectivity issues. Google confirmed that some non-Google (but Google-owned) sites were attacked, but said Google systems were able to defend them. Though not identified by spokespersons, YouTube and Gmail are thought to have been targets. Google confirmed that it was speaking to these sites as part of an investigation.
Twitter said it was the victim of a DoS (Denial of Service) attack, which disabled the site for about two hours. Denial of Service attacks are very basic "hacks," in which attackers send a flood of requests to a site. The site is unable to determine which requests are legitimate and which are part of the attack, and attempts to respond to all of them, resulting in the system being overburdened and effectively stagnated.
The specifics of a DoS attack are manifold, but are generally nothing more than pings from many systems at once. Many times, the attack is initiated by a user who already has a botnet in place. And while DOS attacks can be used to shutdown online banks, disrupt credit card services, and upset timely events (such as contests or sales), there is no way to "gain a profit" from them. Furthermore, the botnet is almost invariably lost afterward, meaning there is very little to gain from a DOS attack. The whole thing has people everywhere scratching their heads.
While the hacker(s) remain unidentified, some believe growing tensions between Russia and the Russian state of Georgia are at the center of the imbroglio. In fact, it has been suggested that the entire assault may have been aimed at a single user: pro-Georgian blogger, Cyxymu. While others say this seems unlikely, it was Max Kelly, head of security at Facebook, who first suggested the attacks were an attempt "to keep his voice from being heard."
Older posts on Cyxymu's blog suggest that this is not the first time he has been the victim of such a "Joe job." But few experts believe the entire attack was aimed at him, even if portions of it were. It's possible other campaigns were run alongside the DOS offensive and/or that certain factions attempted to exact "revenge" on those thought responsible, which could have included Cyxymu.
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Firefox Claims 1/3 of the Worldwide Browser Market
Firefox has been downloaded over 1 billion times as of Friday, July 31st, 2009. According to Mozilla, the maker of the browser, the open-source browser now holds 1/3 of the browser market. That means one in three Netizens are using the Firefox browser. This news comes hot on the heels of Microsoft's announcement that European users will have a choice between Internet Explorer and other browsers during setup, in an effort to comply with antitrust laws the European Union says the company has violated by bundling IE with the Windows operating system.
European Windows 7 users will be able to download other browsers and "turn off" IE as the default browser during setup; users in the U.S. and other countries will not have this option. However, MS said they will release some of their closely-guarded source code to programmers, to facilitate the development of software which runs more smoothly under the OS, as well as with other, major Microsoft software, such as Office. While legal professionals hail the announcement as a "breakthrough," rivals are not so enthusiastic.
As things stand, Internet Explorer still dominates the market with a whopping +/-60% share; Chrome, Safari, and other browsers together make up about 5%. Firefox has quickly gained ground since its 2004 release. In fact, it set a world record for the most downloads in 24 hours with its last major release (3.x). The 1 billion includes all versions of the browser since 2004, including users who downloaded the software multiple times (whether on the same computer or different ones) - it does not, however, include automatic updates to the software.
Microsoft's refusal to budge in the late 1990s cost them dearly, but managed to kill their major rival, Netscape. The era is often referred to as "The Browser Wars."
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
European Windows 7 users will be able to download other browsers and "turn off" IE as the default browser during setup; users in the U.S. and other countries will not have this option. However, MS said they will release some of their closely-guarded source code to programmers, to facilitate the development of software which runs more smoothly under the OS, as well as with other, major Microsoft software, such as Office. While legal professionals hail the announcement as a "breakthrough," rivals are not so enthusiastic.
As things stand, Internet Explorer still dominates the market with a whopping +/-60% share; Chrome, Safari, and other browsers together make up about 5%. Firefox has quickly gained ground since its 2004 release. In fact, it set a world record for the most downloads in 24 hours with its last major release (3.x). The 1 billion includes all versions of the browser since 2004, including users who downloaded the software multiple times (whether on the same computer or different ones) - it does not, however, include automatic updates to the software.
Microsoft's refusal to budge in the late 1990s cost them dearly, but managed to kill their major rival, Netscape. The era is often referred to as "The Browser Wars."
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
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