Blog for "the-enabler" of the letsnet.org network

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I received the following email from Senator Boxer from one of our contributors
this morning concerning West Nile Virus, which is a very serious disease.
He happen to be on her contact list, and I know most Californians & others are likely not on such a list.

The message is important to us all, and I would ask you share it with all of your friends and family.

Have a great day.

I thought you would be interested in the following
message.

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Dear Friend:

Many of us have watched as West Nile Virus has spread across
the nation, carried by infected mosquitos. This season, signs
of West Nile Virus have been found in several California
counties early in the year, suggesting that this could be an
especially bad year for this disease. I have a special feature
on my website to give Californians important information about
the disease, and steps to take to avoid exposure. You can find
this feature at http://boxer.senate.gov/wnile.cfm .

Though most people have no visible symptoms from
West Nile Virus, it can cause serious illness and even death
in the elderly or those with compromised immune systems.
It can also be carried by and cause death in birds and other
mammals. Prevention is essential if we are to fight the
spread of West Nile. I hope you will visit my web feature to
learn more about what you can do to protect yourself and your
community.

I encourage you to contact me if you have questions
about this or any other federal matter. You can reach me at
http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm .

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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McAfee was Network Associates now it's McAfee again.

Fickle finger of fings ain't what they used to be


By INQUIRER staff: Friday 23 April 2004, 07:01
NETWORK ASSOCIATES, the security company formally known as McAfee, wants to change its name back.

The move is part of an effort to cut costs, apparently, and focus on its security products. McAfee will also be flogging its Sniffer family of network management products to a private equity firm which will turn the Sniffer business into a new, stand-alone company called Network General.

For those in the industry with memories, a company called Network General merged with McAfee to form Network Associates in 1998.

Around the same time "Network Associates" ended a long running war of words with British AV company Dr Solomon by buying the company.

The then Network Associates chairman Bill Larson, who was wont to tirade Dr Solomon at company barbecues, made Alan Solomon an offer he couldn’t refuse and ended a highly amusing run of news stories where the two used to slag each other off.

The new CEO George Samenuk said the company may also use nearly $1 billion in cash to buy additional security products and fill holes in its product list.



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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Support for Online Computer Shoppers


Buying a computer on the Internet is just like mail order when it comes to getting support. Depending on what you bought and where, you could end up with an 800 number, on-site service, or the lonely echoes of your palpitating heart. But with buying online, you have to dig to find out which type of support is available and how the service works. Here are a few suggestions:

Always buy from places offering toll-free tech support. Many online dealers have a support line for everything they sell. Some have you call the manufacturer, which can be a letdown. Avoid a dealer who offers help only through its Web page.

Ensure that the dealer supports what it sells and that it doesn't redirect you elsewhere. This is a "fine print" issue. Always read the conditions when you buy. Sometimes, you have to click a special link to discover what the conditions are. Beware!

If possible, try to sign up for on-site service.

Scour that Web page! Look for support issues like an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) list, troubleshooting guide, comment location, feedback, or even maybe a chat room. Often, you can find common problems and their solutions on a vendor's Web page.

If buying on the Internet worries you in any way, don't! But here is one more thought, use the farely new DiscoverCard "Deskshop" Service. If you have or even if you don't Discover Card has what they call Discover Deskshop. All this is is Discovers way of gaving you online Charge it Security. What it does is gave you a "ONE TIME USE NUMBER". A munber is issued to you for What ever it is your buying THIS time. And only for this item or items. The next time you buy something and use this service a new number is issued. So if any tries to use that number for themselves it will not work. A little on how it work, you can click on it from your desktop or it well come up whenever it see your at a form to full out. What you see is something that looks ever much like a credit card on your monitor and you full in your User ID and Password. I'll tell you what go see for yourself at

http://www.discovercard.com/deskshop.

IF you already know how to get to thier website, get there, then click on "ShopCenter" on the left of the page and then again on the left of that page you'll see a lick entitled "Discover Deskshop" click on it. And of course you can open an account from from there for all of you that don't have one now.



And if you already have an account with them go check out thier E-Mail Reminders options at the Account Center. They'll send you a remainder of things like:

Statement Available(nice), Payment Posted (also nice), Minimum payment NOT received, Merchant Refund/Credit Posted(this one I really LOVE), Nearing Account Credit limit (you put in a dollar amount & they send you a remainder that you're at it), A Purchuase Exceeds a Specified Anount (again you put in the amount)

Yes, I use them. DiscoverCard has show me that they want to work for me and my safety. Of course I use my Yahoo "Disposable addresses" for this kind of email. Another Great safety item. But unlike DiscoverCard's reminders, Yahoo's Disposable addresses is not free. But worth it.

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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Finding Files with Windows Longhorn
Mon Apr 19, 6:54 AM ET

By: Jim Louderback - ExtremeTech

Windows users searching for files have been confronted with the same old hierarchical folder tree for a long time now. The same folder metaphor has been with us for more than 20 years, even before Windows and the Macintosh (news - web sites). And apart from some pretty pictures, it's pretty much the same.


For small hard drives with only a few files, it's not such a big deal. But today's systems typically include 10, 15 or more nested layers of files. Did you ever try to actually find the Desktop Folder in Windows XP (news - web sites)? It's there, but it's almost impossible to find.

But it doesn't have to be that way. If you think about it, who really cares about exactly where a file is stored? What matters is the file's content, not its location.


Microsoft's been trying to change the hierarchical view of files for a while. Early descriptions of Windows 2000 (news - web sites) hinted at a radically different way to display and find files. Alas, it was shelved before the product actually shipped.


Now, there's a new version of Windows in the works, code-named Longhorn, that Microsoft promises will finally include this new way to organize and find files. Longhorn's not due until 2006 (or maybe later), but the few mock-ups I've seen are tantalizingly cool.


The new system is called WinFS, for Windows Future Storage. The filing system layers a complete database, such as FileMaker, Oracle or SQL Server, on top of the hard drive. In addition to standard attributes such as file name and size, files will be marked with additional details such as author name, image size or song title.


This doesn't mean folders are going away. Files still will be physically stored in folders on the hard drive. But the representation to you, the user, will be radically different. Instead of working with folders, you'll work with "libraries" of similar files.


What's a library? Simply a collection of similar files grouped together based on something you specify. For example, if you were looking for photos of Aunt Marge from June, you might type "photo," "June" and "mustache." Windows would then pull together every picture you took in June of hairy-faced folks to display a "June mustache photo" library.


I expect Longhorn to come preconfigured with a wide range of default libraries that match up with folders todayincluding My Documents, My Music, Games, etc. In Windows today, a file can be in only one folder. But in Longhorn, files can appear in multiple libraries. So, for example, a photo of Aunt Marge might be in the "June" library and in the "excess facial hair" library at the same time.


Files also will be automatically added to libraries as they are created. So, if you snapped a quick picture of Santa Claus, for example, it would pop up in the "excess facial hair" library as soon as you transferred it from your camera to your PC.


It's a different way to look at the world of files, but if Microsoft does it right, it'll make keeping track of everything much, much easier. If they do it wrong, of course, you'll never find anything againalthough when it comes to Aunt Marge, you might just prefer it that way.





MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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Every week we bring you an overview of the current viruses, worms and other threats that are trying to get to your computer.

The top news this week is the record number of patches that Microsoft released on Tuesday, April 13th. A collection of 20 updates to Windows, Outlook Express and Microsoft's Jet database engine were released in four bulletins, three critical, and one important.

The prolific worm, Netsky.P, is still topping the lists around the world. A new variety of Netsky, W32/Netsky.V-mm is starting to make the rounds. Like its arch-rival, W32/Bagle.Q-mm, Netsky.V doesn't spread through attachments.

Getting a new computer usually means disposing of the old one. In this tax season, many users are selling old computers or giving them to charities. One thing many users don't realize is how much data they're giving away, too.

Go do your "search" on these items


MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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Protocol flaw sends nations scurrying

Written by Karl Bode

Late last year, a man in Milwaukee discovered a flaw in the TCP/IP protocol that has quietly sent governments and security researchers scurrying the world over. Paul "Tony" Watson identified a method to reliably trick hardware (both PC's and routers) into shutting down electronic conversations by resetting the machines remotely.

The flaw, disclosed only today by the British government, has the majority of security experts more than worried. Discussion of the announcement has reached a fevered pitch on security related mailing lists, newsgroups, and message boards.

Obviously a flaw in the core technology the Internet is founded on has sent intelligence agencies and governments running in all directions. Amit Yoran, the U.S. government's cybersecurity chief, calmly informs the Associated Press the flaw "would raise significant concern and require significant attention by the folks who run the major infrastructures of the Internet."

Apparently government agencies and several companies running important data pipelines have been quietly fortifying their systems over the past few weeks in preparation of the announcement. Watson is expected to give a more complete explanation of his analysis this coming Thursday in Vancouver.

The advisory from the NISCC is available here, and notes the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is potentially most affected by this vulnerability. According to the SANS Internet Storm Center, a temporary workaround to the TCP vulnerability is to enable MD5 checksums on BGP sessions so that BGP peers can authenticate each other's packets and ignore spoofed TCP resets.

The center "encourages all BGP enabled Juniper or Cisco router administrators to turn on MD5 checksums as soon as possible while testing the patch supplied by router vendors."




MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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Company beginning to show willingness to be flexible in how it offers e-mail service

By Laura Rohde, IDG News Service April 15, 2004

Since announcing Gmail two weeks ago, Google Inc. has been forced to defend the planned Web-based e-mail service against accusations that it may violate users' privacy. In the face of the attacks, especially vociferous in Europe, which has strict privacy regulations, Google has begun to express willingness to be flexible about how it offers the service.

"This is one of the hottest issues we've ever dealt with in terms of Internet issues," said Simon Davies, the director of the privacy advocate group, Privacy International.

Gmail, announced April 1, is planned as a free, Web-based e-mail service, similar to Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Hotmail and Yahoo Inc.'s Yahoo Mail, though its 1G byte of storage is much more than these other popular free services offer. But Google is planning to scan e-mail and add advertisements that it thinks are relevant to the messages. Additionally, the Gmail privacy policy warns that messages, even if "deleted" by a user, may still be stored in the system, even long after users have closed their account -- something that some privacy campaigners believe may be in conflict with U.S. and European data protection and privacy laws.

Since the Gmail announcement, Spymac Network Inc. has launched a free online e-mail service that matches the 1G byte of storage that Google is offering, but has pointedly said it will not do key-word searching and will not tie advertisements to the service.

Last week, Privacy International filed a formal complaint with the U.K.'s information commissioner office (ICO) requesting that action be taken against Gmail. Additionally, California state Democratic senator Liz Figueroa said the privacy issues were leading her to consider proposing legislation to stop Google from launching its Gmail service in its present form.

In the face of such opposition, Google has given signs that it may be rethinking how the Gmail service is structured. The service would require all users to participate in the ad service -- that is, users would have to accept the display of ads and the scanning of their e-mail messages -- but that could change, as could many other things, since Gmail is in early testing phase, a Google spokesman said Wednesday.

"Google has the highest regard for the privacy of our users' information. We have taken great care to architect Gmail to protect user privacy and to deliver an innovative and useful service. While we're still in a limited test of Gmail, we welcome and appreciate feedback on how we can improve the offering for our users," he said via e-mail.

The technology that presents users with relevant Gmail advertisements operates in the same way as all popular Web mail features that process e-mail content to provide a user benefit, such as spam filtering or virus detection, he said.

"We are confident that Gmail is fully compliant with data protection laws worldwide. Google actively solicits user feedback on our privacy policies. If they can be made clearer or otherwise improved, we want to hear about it. We look forward to a detailed dialogue with data protection authorities across Europe to ensure their concerns are heard and resolved," he said.




MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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Last modified: April 16, 2004, 2:29 PM PDT
By Jim Hu
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Given up figuring out what to do with those America Online CD-ROMs clogging up your mailbox? A California lawmaker has a plan.

Assemblywoman Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) recently introduced a bill that would require companies that mail CDs or DVDs in unsolicited bulk to include self-addressed, stamped envelopes. That would easily allow people who don't want to receive another offer for 1,000 free minutes of AOL, for instance, to mail the CD back to the company or to a processing plant that recycles CDs.

Hancock claims that the bill will help address environmental fallout from a common marketing practice. Forcing companies to foot the costs of sending back unwanted CDs could reduce landfill waste and preserve resources.

"This bill will take care of a growing problem of hundreds of millions of CDs mailed out unsolicited," Hancock said in a telephone interview. The manufacturers "use increasingly scarce and expensive petroleum. The CDs then last up to 400 years in a landfill and, in fact, they can be reused."

The California State Assembly will hear arguments on Monday.

Hancock admitted that nonprofits could take advantage of their exempt status from the bill and mail CDs or DVDs in bulk. But she said the likelihood was slim. She said the current bill deals only with the existing practices of for-profit corporations.



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".