Oops, looks like our sweetheart search engine has been telling secrets about our search habits according to Privacy International. In its report, it rated Google with a black bar, the only company of the 20 plus studied, with the label “Comprehensive consumer surveillance & entrenched hostility to privacy”. Ouch, “hostility to privacy”! Privacy International looked at data collection and processing, data retention, and privacy enhancing or invading innovations to muster up which companies cared about protecting your privacy and those that didn’t. Ranging from AOL, to YouTube (a Google owned site,) to Xanga, to MySpace, Google just couldn’t compete.

After its new Street Level view broke out on Google Maps last week, many were all over it for privacy concerns (though if you don’t want to be seen leaving a topless bar gentleman, then don’t go to such a place to begin with!) This is just one of the findings that dinged Google. The report goes on to site, “Generally poor track record of responding to customer complaints. Ambivalent attitude to privacy challenges (for example, complaints to EU privacy regulators over Gmail).” Aaah, good ‘ol Gmail. I’ve been telling people since its beta not to use it for serious mail since Google’s user agreement basically states Google can do anything it wants with the information in you e-mail. Now we have this report that basically shows abuse. But keep using those Gmail accounts all you lawyers, accountants, realtors, and other professionals. (BTW, I won’t use such a professional if I see they have a Gmail address.)

These privacy concerns are not new for Google. It saw an outcry last year when it caved in into the communist party of China to allow it to have access to any and all data within the cn top level domain space of Google. Now with this report, it just doesn’t seem like one can really trust what they search on Google…or use any of its other offerings such as office applications and calenders.

I must say, it is curious how there was an uproar over Bush’s wire-taps last year yet more people are effected by Google’s anti-privacy issue and yet not one word from the masses. Mmm.

Eager to address the growing threat posed by producers of imitation wines, several of Napa Valley’s most prestigious wineries have moved to employ a new high tech anticounterfeiting technology from Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) to protect their brands and customers. The KODAK Security Solution provides confidence and assurance to Colgin Cellars, HL Vineyards, Vineyard 29 and Staglin Family Vineyard by allowing easy authentication of their products.

According to industry experts, counterfeit wine could affect as much as 5 percent of wines sold in secondary markets.

“Wine fraud is a rising problem that threatens to seriously damage the premium wine industry,” said Steve Powell, General Manager & Director, Security Solutions, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group. “These industry leaders are taking proactive steps to address the problem now. Kodak’s proprietary anticounterfeiting technology gives users a covert, easy to implement, cost effective, and long lasting solution for defending their products and reputations.”

Ann Colgin, Owner, Colgin Cellars, immediately recognized the value that Kodak’s solution could deliver in protecting her super premium vintages, which sell at auction for hundreds of dollars a bottle. Read the rest of this entry »

Many Mac users probably don’t realize that their Mac OS X has built-in capability to be remotely controlled from another Mac anywhere in the world. With Apple’s Remote Desktop, controlling anyones Mac is as easy as few clicks of approval on the host Mac. But…it’ll cost ya. $300 (minimum.)

Now, for those who do have a desire to control other Macs in their household of family members Macs in another city to assist in some technical support but wish to avert the high price, there is an alternative. A free product called Chicken of the VNC gives you the power of Apple’s product at the great rate of free. Add in HamachiX and now you’ve got free secure remote desktop control!

If you’re looking to control Macs in your local network, say work or home, then you can get the even easier Teleport. With a double click of Teleport and a firewall rule addition, you’ll be in remote control business.

Now, if you’re looking for in depth instructions and a bit more detail on these apps, then take a look at the great write up over at 5thirtyone. Derek does a fine job explaining this all and it’ll surely help you better understand these fine free applications.

Astraware is excited to announce their Packs of Fun promotion, where you can save bagfuls on their most popular value packs of games. From Friday 18th May to Monday 28th May you can save on a selected range of game packs with up to 6 titles in each.

Packs of Fun is a fantastic opportunity to pick up a bargain on PopCap Games Pack 1, featuring Bejeweled, Alchemy and 3 other great titles, or the Family Games Pack including Insaniquarium, Bzzz! and 4 more fun, family-friendly games. There are 6 different packs to choose from and every one is discounted by $10, so get them now, this offer is only available for a limited time!

To bag yourself a bargain, head over to the Astraware website at http://www.astraware.com, but hurry, the sale ends on May 28th 2007!

Shavlik Technologies announced today that Microsoft Corporation has selected Shavlik to provide Microsoft’s customers with vulnerability assessment capabilities for those Windows systems that have traditionally relied upon Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) V1.2.1. Microsoft has retired MBSA V1.2.1 as of April 30, 2007, which currently provides vulnerability scanning and detection for several older Microsoft products not supported by Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).

Shavlik NetChk Protect Limited for MBSA is now available for immediate download at no cost to Microsoft customers, and just like MBSA today, will identify needed security updates. Customers will also be able to upgrade to Shavlik’s enterprise versions of NetChk that offer more robust tools for full vulnerability management lifecycle needs such as automated remediation, intelligent patch targeting, and granular policy and compliance reporting.

“Shavlik Technologies was an easy choice for Microsoft to go to for providing continuity in supporting the complete detection for customers who are using some of the older products,” said Stephen Toulouse, Group Program Manager at Microsoft. “Shavlik has an intimate knowledge of security detection requirements since they helped develop the first version of MBSA for Microsoft.”

Shavlik and Microsoft have a history of working together to ensure a more secure computing environment, as Shavlik Technologies originally developed the core scanning and detection technology used as the basis for MBSA. First released by Microsoft as two separate tools back in 2001, as MBSA and HFNetChk, this capability was considered groundbreaking as Microsoft was the first OS vendor to offer network patch check tools.

“We are pleased to be able to continue our security relationship with Microsoft and offer customers solutions that complement and enhance the capabilities offered by Microsoft Update,” said Mark Shavlik, CEO of Shavlik Technologies. “Microsoft and Shavlik have worked together to ensure that we provide users of older products a single, familiar and easy-to-use solution to assess their security state.”

Taxes are due next Tuesday and many will be spending their weekend “finishing” (read: starting) their taxes. Many will eFile. Check Point sent SvenOnTech this great write up on what to watch out for when filing over the Internet.

Despite the growing awareness of online identity theft, many electronic filers still do not know the basic and necessary measures to protect themselves and their tax information, said the security experts behind Check Point’s ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite today. The IRS reports that last year, about 73 million people submitted federal tax returns electronically. About 20 million of these individuals filed via the Internet using home computers, an increase of 18% from 2005.

“It’s amazing how many e-filers take pains to keep their jewelry in a safe at home and their financial paperwork in a locked desk but don’t take minimal precautions on their personal home computer,” said Laura Yecies, vice president at Check Point Software Technologies and general manager of the ZoneAlarm consumer division. “For starters, we hope everyone knows by now that they shouldn’t wirelessly file tax returns from the local coffee shop, which may not be secure.”

The IRS expects a steady increase in the number of e-filers this year as consumers are increasingly taking advantage of the conveniences of the Internet to file, getting their returns faster and helping them avoid the long lines that mar the post office on Tax Day.

Read the rest of this entry »

I have to admit, there have been days when I leave my house, back the car out of the garage, drive out of my neighborhood to go downtown, and I find myself questioning whether I remembered to lock the door or not, or if i left my computer on, or the kitchen light, or the bathroom light, or…well…you get the picture. So then, I say to myself better safe than sorry, drive home to make sure everything is cool, then drive back to wherever I was going. Now isn’t that a great waste of time? Wouldn’t it be great to wirelessly monitor the home while you’re away? I guess I’m not the only one, because according to the Z-Wave alliance (in conjunction with Kelton Research): “A staggering number of Americans (72 percent) say they would like the ability to monitor their home when they are gone - with the majority looking to use the technology for safety and security purposes.”

Z-Wave just might have the solution for those 72% of Americans who want to have some control over the security of their home. They have produced a wireless mesh networking technology that provides consumers with wireless control of a variety of devices from home entertainment systems to household appliances and light fixtures. Not only can you control these devices, but you can also see who is in your house, and when your kids come home from school (or you could just home school them and not worry about it). This device is so promising it received the 2006 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation award, CNET Best of CES Award, and PC World’s 2006 World Class award.

The marketing chairman for the Z-Wave Alliance, Mike Einstien had this to say about the new technology, “”The biggest benefits for consumers are convenience and increased security, With Z-Wave you can monitor an elderly relative living across the country, keep an eye on your vacation home during a storm, or simply make sure your young child returns home from school on time - all from your office PC or cell phone.”

This new wireless technology looks like a promising product for home owners who are concerned about the security of their property. Check out the Z-Wave home page for more info.

AlphaShield, manufacturer of wired and wireless internet security networking recently announced the release of three new hardware router/firewall solutions for home, small and home office (SOHO), and small businesses.
The AS-8800, AS-8400, and AS-8350 all boast the latest technology with Power-G wireless technology, Super-G technology, and secure gigabit wired router and firewall.

The AS-8800 provides speeds of up to 108 Mbps with practically no dead spots and connectivity of 1200 feet indoors or 3900 feet outdoors. it’s integrated Power-G technology utilizes bi-directional Wi-Fi signal that increases the receiver sensitivity and transmitted power. This allows it to connect to those hard to reach spots. It can even penetrate concrete walls and other structure that inhibit other standard Wi-Fi reception. This is a great router for online gamers, since it also has 80 popular built in game settings.

The AS-8400 ensures support for any streaming and/or reaal-time applications, empowering users with wired speeds using fie auto sensing Gigabit Ethernet ports. This allows even home users to reach the maximum performance level possible. Levels that were only available through high-end business networks. This router also has a virtual server option so consumers can access online hosting devices. FTP, Web, and game servers can all be accessed while being protected from unwanted intruders using SPI firewall and AlphaGAP technology.

Last but certainly not least, the AS-8350 is designed to easily connect any small group of computers to a high speed internet connection or a 10/100 Ethernet backbone. It’s router/firewall was designed with a high speed core network processor along with another high speed Gigabit switch and co-processor. This gives the AS-8350 unmatched throughput, performance, and the ability to handle any demands. It also includes a fully integrated SPI hardware firewall that doesn’t require any updates or patches.

The AS-8800 Router/Firewall with Power-G, AS-8400 with Super-G and AS-8350 will be available later this spring for $249, $199 and $149 U.S. respectively. Available for purchase through AlphaShield.com, e-commerce retailers and retail stores.

As a guy that has been on the Internet since 1991, I can tell you that I’ve seen just about every form of filtering out there. The majority of them just don’t work. Plus, savvy kids that have grown up with the Internet know how to usually get around the filters as well. In short, none really are worthy of any price they charge. That is until I found Safe From Sites.

Founder Shaun, whose last name we’re withholding to protect him from the porn industry, ran into a situation at his employers while in charge of its IT infrastructure. The employees were visiting porn sites which in turn brought to the network virus issues. Trying to figure out how to resolve the problem from a central point, for easier manageability, Shaun went to the source: DNS. DNS, or Domain Name Server, is what translates the SvenOnTech.com and other sites into numbers which the computers need to connect to a site. By changing ones DNS to point to Safe From Sites servers, this then gives the ability for Safe From Sites to weed out the objectionable sites and send you to door mat on their site stating you’ve been prevented from going to a naughty site. Protecting you from porn, viruses, phishing, and other harmful sites, Safe From Sites does what it says.

With hundreds of thousands of sites blocked daily, Safe From Sites really does work. SvenOnTech tested it for weeks on end and found very little legitimate sites being blocked. Safe From Sites was quick to make the needed corrections to their servers and we must note that we were using it during the beta phase of development, too. We were pleasantly surprised to find even certain pictures on “safe” sites such as AutoBlog blocked (and based on the revealing captions, we knew the block was from Safe From Sites.)

Not only is Safe From Sites great for home users but essential for businesses. With sexual harassment a sticky thing to deal with in the work place, removing any objectionable material from ones screen will aid in reducing reports to HR. Since Safe From Sites works using DNS, this solution works for all devices from PDAs, to cell phones, to PCs, to Macs, to even X-boxes and PlayStations. Configure once, block all.

Safe From Sites is an affordable alternative to other filters and this one works. ISP and IT departments can also join Safe From Sites profit sharing program.

Paradial has recently announced the new availability of RealTunnel for a couple of new platforms. RealTunnel can now support not only Windows XP and Vista, but also Windows Mobile and Linux platforms, along with XMPP (Extensible Mesaging and Presence Protocol.) More platforms supposedly will be made available in the coming months.

RealTunnel provides excellent connectivity and call completion on all the major operation systems. Paradial first released RealTunnel back in 2002. It is the most mature, advanced firewall NAT product on the market today, and is also very cost effective. It is also the only product on the market that supports any SIP client/registrar, and the only supporter of application, voice, and video sharing across any and all firewalls with no network or firewall modification.

RealTunnel is used not only by the leading telecommunications carriers, but also by telecommunication and video conferencing manufacturers and SIP/IM vendors. Espen Skjæran, CTO at Paradial said that: “The availability of RealTunnel on Windows Mobile allows mobile operators and service providers to expand their product offerings by easily deploying IP-audio / IP-multimedia services with maximum call completion rates to end-users on mobile devices. This RealTunnel release also shows Paradial’s commitment to making RealTunnel available on all major end user platforms and to support all popular IP-communication protocols”, said Espen Skjæran, CTO, Paradial. More info is available at www.paradial.com.