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Tuesday the 22nd of December 2009

Welcome to the Helpforce Daily Briefing, on Tuesday the 22nd of December 2009

1. Virus Warnings
2. Daily Technology News
3. Latest Shareware and Freeware
4. FAQ for the day
5. Advice of the day
6. Internet Advice

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1. Latest Virus Alerts From Sophos
---------------------------------------
Troj/FakeAle-RG on 22 December 2009 09:05:41 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojfakealerg.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/IRCbot-AGH on 22 December 2009 09:05:41 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojircbotagh.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Mdrop-CJO on 22 December 2009 09:05:41 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojmdropcjo.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/PWS-BGJ on 22 December 2009 09:05:41 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojpwsbgj.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/TDSS-CB on 22 December 2009 09:05:41 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojtdsscb.html?_log_from=rss
W32/AutoIt-HR on 22 December 2009 09:05:41 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/w32autoithr.html?_log_from=rss
JS/Agent-MAK on 22 December 2009 05:01:20 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/jsagentmak.html?_log_from=rss
Mal/DelpBanc-A on 22 December 2009 05:01:20 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/maldelpbanca.html?_log_from=rss
Mal/FakeAV-CB on 22 December 2009 05:01:20 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/malfakeavcb.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Dldr-CT on 22 December 2009 05:01:20 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojdldrct.html?_log_from=rss

2. Latest Technology News From Slashdot
-----------------------------------------------

-- Cyber-Security Czar To Be Named
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/MsjBreML7Mo/Cyber-Security-Czar-To-Be-Named)
The Washington Post and everybody else is reporting that on Tuesday President Obama will name Howard A. Schmidt as cyber-security czar. Schmidt was an advisor to President Bush on cyber-security matters. The Post rehearses the reasons why the Obama administration has had difficulty in finding someone for the post, and notes that the turf battles did not start in this administration: "Schmidt was chosen after a long process in which dozens of people were sounded out. Many declined the post, largely out of concern that the job conferred much responsibility with little true authority, some of them said. Meanwhile, the cybersecurity chief at the National Security Council, Christopher Painter, has served as the de facto coordinator, trying to push ahead the 60-day cyberspace policy review plan unveiled by Obama in May. That plan's formulation was led by Melissa Hathaway, who resigned in frustration in August after delays in naming a cyber-coordinator. She had been a contender for the position... Schmidt served as special adviser for cyberspace security from 2001 to 2003 and shepherded the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, a plan that then was largely ignored. He left that job also frustrated, colleagues said."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- The 87 Lamest Moments In Tech, 2000-2009
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/ts8oX8_k8tM/The-87-Lamest-Moments-In-Tech-2000-2009)
harrymcc writes "The last ten years have been an amazing era for tech — and full of amazingly dumb moments. I rounded up scads of them. I suspect you'll be able to figure out which company is most frequently represented, but Apple, Google, Twitter, Facebook, Sony, and many others are all present and accounted for, too."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Alternative 2009 Copyright Expirations
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/ftCBEuoCF-I/Alternative-2009-Copyright-Expirations)
jrincayc writes "It's nearly the end of 2009. If the 1790 copyright maximum term of 28 years was still in effect, everything that had been published by 1981 would be now be in the public domain — so the original Ultima and God Emperor of Dune and would be available for remixing and mashing up. If the 1909 copyright maximum term of 56 years (if renewed) were still in force, everything published by 1953 would now be in the public domain, freeing The City and the Stars and Forbidden Planet. If the 1976 copyright act term of 75* years (* it's complicated) still applied, everything published by 1934 would now be in the public domain, including Murder on the Orient Express. But thanks to the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, nothing in the US will go free until 2018, when 1923 works expire." Assuming Congress doesn't step in with a Copyright Extension Act of 2017. What are the odds?Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- The Chinese Route To a Web Free of Porn
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/RMRVoGg-njc/The-Chinese-Route-To-a-Web-Free-of-Porn)
An anonymous reader writes "Despite repeated 'for the children' campaigns, the Western Web as a whole has provided little or no isolation of pornography. This is why the Chinese are now attempting to march to a place where no country has been before: a Web without porn. Recent regulations have included closing down 'vulgar' mobile sites, disconnecting 'obscene' servers, and restricting domain registrations. Yet the breaking news for Monday is that the China is planning to enforce a whitelist on foreign domains: in particular, any e-commerce will have to register locally and obey Chinese law before they get whitelisted. Domains will otherwise be 'irresolvable' to Chinese Internet users. Meanwhile, the government is promoting this campaign heavily, calling it a 'fresh start.' It seems the Chinese may have to do without the Internet, before they can rid it of porn."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- The Last GM Big-Block V-8 Rolls Off the Line
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/stcHiewBcSY/The-Last-GM-Big-Block-V-8-Rolls-Off-the-Line)
DesScorp writes "It's the end of an era in auto technology, as the very last big block V-8 engine from GM has rolled off the production line. The L18 engine was the last variant of an engine that had been in continuous production for over 50 years. The big blocks powered everything from the classic muscle cars of the '60s and '70s to heavy-duty trucks today. From the Buffalo News: 'When GM said last June the L18 would be eliminated by year's end, the announcement triggered another show of devotion to the product. Some customers ordered two years' worth of L18s, to put on the shelf for future use.' More than 5 million big blocks have been produced over the engine's history. The final big block engine to come off the line in Tonawanda, NY is headed for the GM Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, MI."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Verizon Removes Search Choices For BlackBerrys
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/qe1ZO6KUScQ/Verizon-Removes-Search-Choices-For-BlackBerrys)
shrugger writes "I picked up my BlackBerry this morning to do a search and noticed Bing as my default search engine. I thought this was very strange, since I didn't pick this setting. I went to change it back to Google and, to my chagrin, Bing was my only option! Apparently Verizon has pushed an update that removes all search providers except Bing. Thanks a lot Verizon!" The Reg notes: "The move is part of the five-year search and advertising deal Verizon signed with Microsoft in January for a rumored $500m."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Ford's New Cars To Be Wi-Fi Hotspots
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/Ziq1cgGV9FY/Fords-New-Cars-To-Be-Wi-Fi-Hotspots)
clang_jangle writes "Autoblog and others are reporting on Ford's planned extension to its in-vehicle SYNC multimedia systems — to enable SYNC-equipped Fords as rolling Wi-Fi hotspots. Customers would use their existing cellular USB modems, so for already equipped road warriers there would be no extra monthly charges. While there are other ways to get your car online (Autonet Mobile review here), the SYNC system does look especially simple and practical. Last year BMW made some noise about FOSS for their cars, but they seem to have since stopped talking about it. Will we see a FOSS option for automotive infotainment systems in the future?" The capabilities of SYNC even without W-Fi look potentially pretty distracting. Unless Wi-Fi is blacked out for the driver, the safety implications of this development are worrisome.Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Intel's New Atom D510 Benchmark Tested
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/Lm9t2XvcpGU/Intels-New-Atom-D510-Benchmark-Tested)
adeelarshad82 writes "The Atom processor in nettops and netbooks is one of Intel's success stories for 2009. Recently PCMag put the new Intel Atom D510 processor through its paces, to see how it stacks up against previous generation Atom CPUs. Using a whitebox system from Intel, they ran their usual set of benchmark tests on the system. In summary the D510-equipped whitebox finished neck and neck with the dual-core powered Acer R3610-U9012. So while there are differences between the two, if you already have a nettop running the dual-core Intel Atom 330 processor you won't have to upgrade 'just because' there's a new CPU in the wings."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- New Antifreeze Molecule Isolated In Alaskan Beetle
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/XmPWLN1a6zQ/New-Antifreeze-Molecule-Isolated-In-Alaskan-Beetle)
Arvisp writes with the news of a recently discovered antifreeze molecule in an Alaskan beetle that departs from most commonly identified natural antifreeze. "'The most exciting part of this discovery is that this molecule is a whole new kind of antifreeze that may work in a different location of the cell and in a different way,' said zoophysiologist Brian Barnes, director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Arctic Biology and one of five scientists who participated in the Alaska Upis ceramboides beetle project. Just as ice crystals form over ice cream left too long in a freezer, ice crystals in an insect or other organism can draw so much water out of the organism's cells that those cells die. Antifreeze molecules function to keep small ice crystals small or to prevent ice crystals from forming at all. They may help freeze-tolerant organisms survive by preventing freezing from penetrating into cells, a lethal condition. Other insects use these molecules to resist freezing by supercooling when they lower their body temperature below the freezing point without becoming solid."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Malware and Botnet Operators Going ISP
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/a6WVbqA7kgc/Malware-and-Botnet-Operators-Going-ISP)
Trailrunner7 writes to mention that malware and botnet operators appear to be escalating to the next level by setting up their own virtual data centers. This elevates the criminals to the ISP level, making it much harder to stop them. "The criminals will buy servers and place them in a large data center and then submit an application for a large block of IP space. In some cases, the applicants are asked for nothing more than a letter explaining why they need the IP space, security researchers say. No further investigation is done, and once the criminals have the IP space, they've taken a layer of potential problems out of the equation. 'It's gotten completely out of hand. The bad guys are going to some local registries in Europe and getting massive amounts of IP space and then they just go to a hosting provider and set up their own data centers,' said Alex Lanstein, senior security researcher at FireEye, an anti-malware and anti-botnet vendor. 'It takes one more level out of it: You own your own IP space and you're your own ISP at that point.'"Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Best Open Source Business Tools?
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/LCdwoClqxXs/Best-Open-Source-Business-Tools)
An anonymous reader writes "My wife and I started an S Corp in 2009 mainly to provide small scale consulting services for friends with small businesses of their own (we build them websites and do odd technical jobs). Now that the year is closing I'm giving thought to our corporate tax filings which will be due March 15th. I've scoured the web for free/open source legal templates for hiring contractors, issuing W-2s, keeping shareholder minute meetings, etc, but haven't been able to find any decent sources. It seems like this should be a priority of the open source community since reducing the cost of entry into small business could drive open source development. What are the best sources of open source legal templates, tax filing software, corporate compliance templates, etc?" What experiences have others had with open sources businesses and the best way to consolidate the necessary corporate mojo into a workable model?Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Virtual Visits To Doctors Spreading
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/y9ASg70BQKw/Virtual-Visits-To-Doctors-Spreading)
tresho writes to tell us that virtual doctors visits seem to be on the rise. A new service, most recently deployed in Texas, from "NowClinic" is allowing doctors to make virtual house calls and prescribe anything short of controlled substances. "For $45, anyone in Texas can use NowClinic, whether or not they are insured, by visiting NowClinic.com. Doctors hold 10-minute appointments and can file prescriptions, except for controlled substances. Eventually they will be able to view patients’ medical histories if they are available. The introduction of NowClinic will be the first time that online care has been available nationwide, regardless of insurance coverage."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Music By Natural Selection
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/fArWI-YjUOo/Music-By-Natural-Selection)
maccallr writes "The DarwinTunes experiment needs you! Using an evolutionary algorithm and the ears of you the general public, we've been evolving a four bar loop that started out as pretty dismal primordial auditory soup and now after >27k ratings and 200 generations is sounding pretty good. Given that the only ingredients are sine waves, we're impressed. We got some coverage in the New Scientist CultureLab blog but now things have gone quiet and we'd really appreciate some Slashdotter idle time. We recently upped the maximum 'genome size' and we think that the music is already benefiting from the change."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Website Owner's Manual
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/hjicLn-7FhA/Website-Owners-Manual)
Michael J. Ross writes"Experienced Web designers and developers will readily admit that the most challenging aspect of their professions is not the technical work itself, nor learning the tools of the trade, but rather dealing with clients. Within that area, the most frustrating type of work — aside from the ever-joyless chore of collecting on invoices — is getting (non-technical) clients to understand the possibilities and limitations of Web technologies, design decisions, and all the other factors that can make or break a website project, as well as the site itself. Yet this process can be just as unhappy, and far more confusing, to prospective site owners, who typically are quite knowledgeable of their own fields, but have little to no understanding of how best to ensure the success of any website project they sponsor. Aiming to bridge this gap, is the appropriately-titled Website Owner's Manual." Read on for the rest of Michael's review.Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- The Definitive Evisceration of The Phantom Menace *NSFW*
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/tVLRuqnubqk/The-Definitive-Evisceration-of-emThe-Phantom-Menaceem-NSFW)
cowmix writes "When TPM came out ten years ago, its utter crappiness shocked me to the core and wounded a entire generation of geeks. My inner child had been abused and betrayed. I moped around, talking to no one, for almost two weeks. I couldn't bring myself to see #2 or #3, whatever they were called. Now, a decade later, comes Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Review, the ultimate, seven-part, seventy minute analysis of this mother of all train wrecks. Not only does it nail how the film blows, but tells us why. Time, apparently, does not heal all wounds." Or, if you prefer all 7 parts embedded in one page, you can check out slashfilm's aggregation.Read more of this story at Slashdot.

3. Latest Shareware from Planet-Shareware
-----------------------------------------------

4. FAQ of the day from Helpforce
-----------------------------------------------

-- I have a corrupt Windows 95/98/ME installation left over from when I upgraded to Windows 2000
(http://www.helpforce.com)

Question: I had a Win2k installed on a Thinkpad, and it was working just as it should for several days. On each boot, it presented me with a small menu, asking me whether I wanted to boot "Windows 2000" or "Windows", the latter unspecified. There is no other Windows OS on the machine, only Win2k. Out of curiosity. and in an excess of confidence a few days ago, I chose the "Windows" option, to see what the menu had in mind. I was rewarded immediately with an error message telling me that file NTOSKRNL.EXE was missing or corrupt. From previous experience, I do not believe the message, and hypothesize that in fact my experiment screwed up the file BOOT.INI (I am open to other interpretations). I know what BOOT.INI should look like, and could edit it if I could access it. Unfortunately, I have nothing that can enter the FAT32 partition and find and open the file. Is there a utility that will run under DOS or Win16 which will do that? Or another suggestion?

Answer: The error message comes from when you upgraded to Windows 2000. Sometimes, Windows 2000 leaves parts of the old operating system in tact.If you enter your system using a FAT operating system you will not be able to see your boot.ini file because Windows 2000 creates the file in an NTFS partition, not a FAT partition. These are completely different methods of accessing the hard drive.From an NTFS operating system (Windows NT, 2000 or XP) you can see a FAT operating system's hard drive, but not the other way round.The only way to edit your boot.ini file is to start up in Windows 2000, open boot.ini in notepad (or go to the system control pannel and edit it from there)under the [operating systems] section, remove everything except the Windows 2000 line. (there may be 2 windows 2000 lines, in which case leave both of them.Hope this helps. If you require any further assistance, please feel free to reply to this message.Regards,-Lawrence Stromski, Helpforce Technical Support.

5. Advice of the Day from ask-leo
-----------------------------------------------

6. Internet Advice
-----------------------------------------------

-- 10 Best Websites of the Decade(http://netforbeginners.about.com/b/a/258199.htm)

Have you heard of Yelp? Hulu? Flickr? These are some of the websites that have distinguished themselves during these last 10 years. Demonstrating sound website design, as well as exemplary...

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