Archive for June, 2010

Engadget reports that between 2003 and 2005, Dell sold millions of OptiPlex computers and according to newly unsealed documents, Dell knew these systems were full of dangerously faulty motherboards all along.

The story, as told by the NYT, reveals Dell as a company so desperate to cut costs that not only did they knowingly sell computers stuffed with capacitors that were sure to eventually burst and ooze all over the motherboard (possibly starting fires), they actually refused to fix the 1000 affected computers of the firm representing them regarding the related lawsuit.

(Of course, Dell was often just “fixing” the computers with more faulty motherboards anyway.)

That’s as far as I’ll do the story injustice here. The unabridged version is a sad but epic yarn. Somewhere, if you listen really closely, you can hear a made for TV movie being born, gasping for its first breath.

If you’ve had a bad experience using Dell hardware, let us know by leaving a comment.

Microsoft has posted that they recently received an email that provided a great example of the tools in a cyberscammer’s toolbelt. Here’s the email. Can you spot the signs of a scam?

Dear Account Owner

We are having congestion due to the anonymous registration of free Windows Live Account therefore we are shutting down some Windows Live Account. Your account is among those to be deleted, we are sending you this email to enable you re-confirm your account details in order to commence immediate upgrade of your account from being deleted. If you have the interest of proceeding your account with us kindly re-confirm your account by filling the space below after clicking the reply button. * Username: …………………………………. * Password: ………………………………….. * Date of Birth: ………………………………. * Country Or Territory: …………………….. After following the instructions in the sheet, your account will not be interrupted and will continue as normal. Thanks for your attention to this request. We apologize for any inconveniences. Microsoft, Windows Live Account Services Hotmail is part of Windows Live. * This assumes a reasonable growth rate. Microsoft respects your privacy. To learn more, please read our online Privacy Statement. For more information or for general questions regarding your e-mail account, please visit Windows Live Hotmail Help.Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399, USA © 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Six signs of a scam

1. Request for passwords and other personal information. Most scams are designed to trick people into turning over their passwords, user names, social security numbers, or other personal information. You should never send this information in an email message.

2. Use of the Microsoft name. Cybercriminals often use the names of well-known companies, like Microsoft, to increase legitimacy and convince you to release your personal information.

3. Threats that require you to take action. In the scam above the cybercriminal claims that your account will be deleted if you do not respond with your personal information. Microsoft does not send threatening messages and will not ask for personal information in an email message.

4. Use of real information about Microsoft. The email above uses the correct Microsoft address and a link to the Microsoft privacy statement. Don’t be fooled by these details or others such as Microsoft logos or language you’ve seen on official Microsoft email.

5. Bad grammar and misspellings. Our copyeditors would never have allowed mistakes like the ones in this email to pass their desks.

6. Generic greeting. Legitimate messages are not often addressed to “Account Owner.” If Microsoft needs to send you official correspondence about your email account, for example, we will address you by name. However, bear in mind that cybercriminals do have ways of getting your name from your email address. Check for other signs of a scam, even if an email is addressed directly to you.

If you are worried about your organisation’s IT security or believe you may have been a victim of a scam, please contact our team on 0845 180 0000 for confidential advice.

Microsoft is warning companies to check what version of Windows Server they’re running, saying some firms aren’t even aware they’re running the soon-to-expire 2000 and 2003 editions.

Microsoft is doing the rounds to warn customers – business and home users alike – about the looming cut off dates for some of its older systems. Microsoft will stop updating earlier versions of XP on 13 July, so the many machines still running that OS should upgrade to SP3 to keep secure.

Support for the Vista RTM ended 13 April, but upgrading to a Service Pack will get you back on the update list.

Windows Server 2000 will no longer be supported with security updates, while Windows Server 2003 will move from mainstream support to extended support on 13 July, meaning it will see security updates but no new features.

According to Windows Server Product Manager Gareth Hall.

“We tend to see it in enterprises with a few servers floating around running legacy applications that they can’t upgrade for whatever reason,” he told PC Pro. “We also have a bunch of customers who don’t necessarily know they’re still running it on a few boxes in the corner.”

While many firms look to virtualisation to mitigate the potential security risks, Hall warned that it isn’t necessarily enough.

“We see quite a few customers virtualise those boxes onto modern platforms, which gives a little bit of protection,” he said. “You could naively assume that you’re now safe because you’re running on a new operating system, but actually you still have Windows 2000 sitting there in that virtual machine.”

“It kind of buys you some benefits, but it absolutely doesn’t solve all the problems, so we are strongly advising customers upgrade,” he added.

We at Barton Technology are also strongly recommending that all Windows XP, Server 2000 and 2003 machines are upgraded to the latest operating systems to ensure you are fully protected. Please contact us on 0845 180 0000 or support@barttech.co.uk for further information.

It already dominates the world of internet searches, has produced a decent mobile OS and an own-branded phone to run it on, has its own web browser, email and chat platforms, office suite and it’s even working on a full-blown operating system to take on the might of Windows.

So is it really that much of a surprise that on online music store seems the next item on Google’s world domination to-do list? According to the Wall Street Journal, the unstoppable search giant has been talking behind closed doors to the big players in the music business over the past few months, and is preparing to roll out its own twist on the music store game.

The first phase will see Google launch a music download service, which will integrate closely with its existing search engine and potentially be accessible through other avenues too – much like the keyword-based AdWords advertising service.

But that’s just the start, and the bigger goal is phase two – a cloud-based subscription service set to launch under the umbrella of the Android Marketplace in 2011 that will be incorporated into both the Android and Chrome OSes.

Details at this stage are understandably a bit thin on the ground, and Google doesn’t always get its new ventures quite right (Buzz, anyone?). But with any music store likely to be closely linked to Google’s search operation, you feel it’s likely to prove another success for the over-achieving Mountain View operation.

And if Apple’s Steve Jobs took offence to Google barging its way into the mobile space to take on the iPhone, you wonder how he’ll take the news that next in the firing line is the much-hallowed iTunes?

Source: Gadget Show

Apple’s new mobile operating system, iOS 4, will be released at some point today boasting enhancements such as:

• Multitasking
• Folders
• Even better Mail
• iBooks
• Create playlists
• 5x digital zoom
• Tap to focus video
• Faces and Places in Photos
• Home screen wallpaper
• Gift apps
• Spell checking
• Wireless keyboard support

iOS 4 will be available from iTunes at some point today.

Microsoft is aware of a vulnerability that affects only Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. If you use Windows 2000, Windows Vista, or Windows 7, you are not affected.
If your computer is running Windows XP, visit this Microsoft Fix it page to fix this problem automatically.

Don’t know what version you’re running? If you’re not using Windows XP, the Fix it page will display a message like the one below and that means that you don’t need the update.

Microsoft is aware of a vulnerability that affects only Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. If you use Windows 2000, Windows Vista, or Windows 7, you are not affected.
If your computer is running Windows XP, visit this Microsoft Fix it page to fix this problem automatically.

Don’t know what version you’re running? If you’re not using Windows XP, the Fix it page will display a message like the one below and that means that you don’t need the update.

What is Microsoft Fix it?

Microsoft Fix it is an online solution center designed to help you automatically diagnose and fix common computer problems.

How widespread is this problem? There have been limited reports that cybercriminals have exploited this vulnerability, but all of these exploits have since been taken down and we are not currently aware of anyone attempting to attack this issue. However, now that the vulnerability has been made public, we do anticipate that others might try to take advantage of it.