Practical Technology

for practical people.

February 28, 2012
by sjvn01
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New ‘HTTPS Everywhere’ Web browser extension released

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has launched the new and improved HTTPS Everywhere 2.0 for the Firefox browser . HTTPS Everywhere helps keeps you safe on the Web by encrypting connections to more than 1,400 Web sites. The program uses carefully crafted rules to automatically switch sites from HTTP to HTTPS whenever possible, This new version also includes an important new update that warns users about web security holes and there’s also finally a version for Google’s Chrome Web browser.

The new feature, the “Decentralized SSL Observatory” is optional. It’s designed to detect encryption weaknesses and notifies users when they are visiting a website with a security vulnerability. This is meant to let you know that the “secure” site you’re visiting may be leaving you open to eavesdropping or “man in the middle” attacks.

In addition, thanks to the EFF’s partnership with the Tor Project, an Internet anonymity program and network, HTTPS can help steer you clear of sites with fake or forged Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates.

New ‘HTTPS Everywhere’ Web browser extension released. More >

February 28, 2012
by sjvn01
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Google bets million bucks its Chrome Web browser can’t be busted

Google is putting its money where its Chrome Web browser is. In a Chromium blog posting Chris Evans and Justin Schuh, two members of the Chrome security team, announced that Google will be offering ‘multiple rewards per category, up to the $1 million limit, on a first-come-first served basis’ for demonstrated security breaches of Chrome on Windows 7 .

That may be the safer bet than it sounds. Chrome, while not bullet-proof, is widely regarded as the more secure of the Web browsers. In CanSecWest Pwn2Own hacker contests, Chrome has never been broken.

In Google’s security challenge, which is not connected with 2012’s Pwn2Own competition, Google is looking for “full end-to-end exploits.” That way, “not only can we fix the bugs, but by studying the vulnerability and exploit techniques we can enhance our mitigations, automated testing, and sandboxing. This enables us to better protect our users.”

So, “To maximize our chances of receiving exploits this year, we’ve upped the ante. We will directly sponsor up to $1 million worth of rewards.” Here are the rule for the Chrome exploit competition:

Google bets million bucks its Chrome Web browser can’t be busted. More >

February 28, 2012
by sjvn01
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Virtually Windows 8: How to set up the Consumer Preview in VirtualBox

With the Windows 8 beta, excuse me Consumer Preview, due out on February 29th it’s time for those of who love bleeding-edge operating systems to consider how to test it. Now, you can run the Windows 8 Consumer Preview on its own PC, but this is beta software. While I have PCs just for software that I know darn well isn’t ready for prime-time, you probably don’t For you, I recommend the use of virtual machines (VM).

The best of these, in my experience, are:

  • Parallels Desktop for Mac
  • VirtualBox 4
  • VMware Fusion 4
  • VMware Player 4
  • VMware Workstation 8

    • Of these, my particular favorite is Oracle’s VirtualBox. In my years of working with virtual machines, virtual operating systems just tend to run faster under VirtualBox. Over the years, I’ve also found that VirtualBox works well no matter what host operating system-Linux, Windows, whatever-I have running under it.


    Virtually Windows 8: How to set up the Consumer Preview in VirtualBox. More >

    February 23, 2012
    by sjvn01
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    Intel distributes LibreOffice, can Microsoft be pleased?

    LibreOffice, the OpenOffice fork, is a very popular open-source office suite. But, while it has great support from Linux distributors, like openSUSE and Ubuntu, LibreOffice has never had a major corporate backer on the Windows side… until now. Intel is now offering LibreOffice to Windows users via its AppUp application store. I wonder how Microsoft feels about this.

    According to The Document Foundation (TDF), the newly incorporated group behind LibreOffice, “LibreOffice for Windows from SUSE is available in Intel AppUp Center as a special, five-language version featuring English, German, French, Spanish and Italian. As a validated Intel AppUp Center app, LibreOffice for Windows from SUSE features a new, smooth, silent installation flow and improved un-installation cleanup.” This version of LibreOffice for Windows is now available from the Intel AppUp store.

    Of course, LibreOffice has long been available on Windows, as well as Linux and Mac OS X. What’s different about this is that Intel, Microsoft’s long time ally, is now actively supporting Microsoft Office’s most active rival. Certainly, on the cloud, Google Docs is Office’s biggest enemy but on the good old PC desktop, LibreOffice is Microsoft’s Office main competition.

    Intel distributes LibreOffice, can Microsoft be pleased? More >

    February 23, 2012
    by sjvn01
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    Google’s new privacy rules: Get over it already

    On March 1st, Google is going to combine its 70 different product-specific privacy policies and terms of service into one super-duper privacy policy. You’d think from all the screaming out there that Google was kicking in your door, ripping your credit cards out of your wallet, and taking your children hostage. Would everyone please chill already!

    Here are some simple facts for you” Yes, Google, especially if you use a lot of their services, such as Google Docs, Gmail or Google+ knows a lot about you. If you just search a lot on Google, Google knows a good deal about what interests you. So what! It’s been that way since day one. If you use any Internet service or Web site a lot they know a lot about you.

    How do most “free” Web sites pay for themselves? With advertising. How do they know what to advertise to you? By watching what interests you. Google does it. Microsoft does it. Everyone does it.

    Google’s new privacy rules: Get over it already: More >

    February 23, 2012
    by sjvn01
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    BYOD: Good for whom exactly?

    A lot of people love the idea of bringing their own computer, Android phone or iPad to work. This trend, called “bring your own device” (BYOD), is catching on in the corporate world. At some companies, workers are no longer provisioned with laptops and cellphones. They just bring their own and add them to the corporate network. CEOs and CFOs in particular seem to love this concept. As for IT departments, they’re usually not thrilled that they have to support equipment they may not know a thing about and add new services to support a wide range of personal tech. Nevertheless, even technology giants like IBM, which is letting its 200,000 workers use their own tablets, iPhones or Android smartphones, are embracing the concept.

    Hurray, right? Freedom of choice rules! Or does it? Let’s think this over.

    I know I’m not the average user, but I have an iPad and several Android phones and tablets. I’m self-employed, so I had to pay for them myself. I also have to pay for my Internet and 3G data services. If I worked at a company with a BYOD policy, I would still have to pay for my devices and services. At many companies, I’d also have to load the official virtual private network client and programs for e-mail.

    For me, all of that is fine. My tiny business has a four-figure IT budget and I’m a technology expert. What about you? Can you afford to buy your own equipment? Pay for your Internet and phone services? Do a lot of the support work yourself?


    BYOD: Good for whom exactly? More>