News: “Microsoft Is A Threat To National Security”

By | November 24, 2011
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 Some of the U.S.’ main technology security experts — including author Bruce Schneier — today issued a report warning that computers and critical technological infrastructure worldwide are increasingly vulnerable to attack because of the security practices and dominance of Microsoft software in desktop computing.  As a result of Microsoft’s concerted effort to fortify and expand its monopolies by tightly integrating applications with its operating system, and its success in achieving near ubiquity in personal computing, our computer networks are now susceptible to massive, cascading failures, the report stated. 
 
I can’t help feeling they’re onto something. To access the report online, please visit http://www.ccianet.org/papers/cyberinsecurity.pdf.

News: Psst! Wanna Buy Some Fake Bluetooth Gear?

By | November 24, 2011
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 Apparently one of the reasons your Bluetooth gadgets won’t work well with each other is that they might be fake. Bizarre? Yes! True. Possibly. According to NewsWireless, over 50% of Bluetooth equipment on sale in the UK is counterfeit, according to a survey. And that figure is set to rise. The group that sets Bluetooth standards says that by year end, as little as 15% of the “Bluetooth” equipment on sale in retail outlets may be genuine.
 
 
So who would fake Bluetooth? Counterfeiters, apparently, who are trying to flood the market with fakes for the end-of-year boom expected in hands-free Bluetooth gear, which is expected as the result of impending legislation in several countries about driving with cellphones. Of course part of this is not that the gadgets are fake, so much as they don’t adhere to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group’s standards. So, while they shouldn’t use the name Bluetooth, they may possibly work. Given my miserable experience with Bluetooth gadgets until now, I can’t really see the difference.
 

News: Journalist Blogs, Gets Fired

By | November 24, 2011
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 And more on the growing pains of technology and journalism from Poynter: “[name removed at request of journalist] a Chinese journalist who worked for the Bloomberg news service, was fired because of statements made on his personal Weblog. [name removed] is not the first journalist to experience troubles because of his personal Web site. A long-time writer at the Houston Chronicle was fired for what a Chronicle editor called “gonzo journalism” on the reporter’s personal Web page, and a columnist at the Sacramento Bee must now obtain an editor’s approval before posting his blog.”
 
Hmmm. More on this in a future column.
 

News: Forget Email Spam, Get Ready For Serious Phone Spam

By | November 24, 2011
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 Email spam may be the least of our worries. According to Forrester Research there will 100% compound annual growth in enhanced message services, multimedia message services, instant message services and e-mail using next generation phones in 2004 and beyond. Much of this, according to it- analysis, will be little more than spam. Although the article (which looks like it’s been edited by a chimp) doesn’t have much else to say, that’s a scary thought in itself. (I can’t find the actual Forrester report.)