Paypal Authentication Gets a Security Boost – [Geeks are Sexy] technology news:

The PayPal security key will cost $5 for common users and will be free for business users. There will be no recurring charges after that; the extra layer of protection is completely free. It will first be available in February 2007 to people in the US, Australia and Germany.

A lot of banks are starting to issue these now. I must say I’ve never felt safe using PayPal but I think this could change my mind.

Permanently Activate Windows Vista by Skip Activation with Patched TimerStop.sys Crack » My Digital Life

Permanently Activate Windows Vista by Skip Activation with Patched TimerStop.sys Crack

Two very similar posts, one probably plagiarised from the other. Anyway, here they are, should you choose to attempt to bypass, postpone or otherwise circumvent activation in Vista.

Download of the Day: Comodo Personal Firewall (Windows) – Lifehacker:

Windows only: Keep your PC safe with Comodo Personal Firewall, a free security program designed to block outside intruders and keep your PC from “leaking.”

Unlike the free version of ZoneAlarm, Comodo recognizes thousands of known programs as safe, meaning it won’t bombard you with pop-up warnings for those programs.

I used the free version of ZoneAlarm myself for years, until SP2 gave every activated copy of XP a built-in firewall. There was a time when ZoneAlarm was great, it would let you know the name and location of the .exe file that was trying to access the internet, and you could make an informed choice. But towards the end I found I was getting asked about programs referred to as ‘Generic Process’ or ‘Run DLL as App’ accessing the internet. Clearly these types of descriptions could mean anything from a regular system service to a nasty bit of spyware, and so the app became unusable.

Personally I think you are better off with XP’s built in firewall combined with a bit of common sense about what programs you install in the first place.

I can’t vouch for Comodo, but I thought the post worth linking to. It’s possible in the future I may try it, if I find I need more than the XP firewall. There are some interesting comments, as usual, offering suggested alternatives.

Digital V6 – The Engine of Innovation:

Kaveman is a revolutionary remote server management tool to remotely control servers, either over the Internet or your local network. Kaveman fully emulates a screen, keyboard and mouse, giving the user complete control over the attached computer.

I have no clue why the idiots who created this website can’t just use normal english.

This box is a single port KVM to remotely control any PC or Mac over a network using VNC. The would get a lot more hits from googlers if they’d use language like that.

There is nothing revolutionary about this device, it seems like a no-brainer to me. The focus on server management seems shortsighted. Any server should already have remote management in software. Of course KVM stuff is usually considered high end and is often ridiculously overpriced given that there are quite good, often free, software alternatives.

As a PC tech I regularly wish for a plug and play means to remotely control a PC temporarily. This would appear to be the answer. It’s a pity that it’s just too expensive.

Intel are introducing vPro which will build this type of thing into the motherboard. This would be nice, except I’m not a fan of Intel chipsets, and don’t like intel motherboards. Plus there are the security implications. Having your PC open to remote control even when it is switched off, before the OS is loaded, even being able to change BIOS settings… I don’t like it.

What would be nice is a cheap KVMoIP device that us techs could use day-to-day. Surely someone could manage that. Perhaps someone has, let me know if you find one.

Your secrets not so safe with RFID-enabled passports – Engadget:

Ever since these newfangled RFID e-passports hit the mainstream, understandable concerns have frequently surfaced regarding the security (or lack thereof) involved. The Dutch version has already been cracked, Germans can clone theirs, and Ireland’s doesn’t even have a protective sheath to keep its data safe from unauthorized readers

Well no big surprise here.

Dark Reading: The Ten Most Dangerous Things Users Do Online:

most users have no idea how dangerous their online behavior is.

Indeed. But whilst this is all good advice, I can’t help but point out that whilst most of these activities pose a great threat on Windows, they pose much less of a threat on OSX or Linux. Most of these are threats because of vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer and Outlook Express.

So the top tip is to get get Firefox and Thunderbird, especially if you are a Windows user, and even if you are not.

MacMerc.com: Adobe Soundbooth Beta available for download:

According to the specifications, Soundbooth requires an Intel-based Mac with Mac OS X 10.4.3 or greater.

Adobe Soundbooth is a baby sound editor, which looks like a drastically cut down version of Audition. What interests me is that this is available on both Windows and OSX. Audition is PC only and it sticks out like a sore thumb amongst Adobe’s otherwise cross-platform lineup.

Could this be a hint that Adobe are planning to start work on a version of Audition for OSX. The fact that Soundbooth is Intel only suggests that it may in fact contain code from Audition or it’s predecessor Cool Edit. Perhaps this is Adobe’s way of cutting their teeth on a smaller audio app.

This is all just speculation, but one can always hope.

[video] Security Bites: Microsoft’s most secure Web browser | CNET News.com:

For the first time in five years, Microsoft has released a new version of the Web browser. CNET News.com’s Joris Evers and CNET.com’s Robert Vamosi discuss IE 7’s heavily promoted security features in this week’s Security Bites.

Basic security isn’t a feature; the lack of security is a bug.

Microsoft has a history of selling us things as features when in actually fact they are merely fixes for problems that they engineered in the first place.

But I niggle. Watch the video, if for no other reason than to re-affirm your belief in Firefox.

[video] Security Bites: Microsoft’s most secure Web browser | CNET News.com:

For the first time in five years, Microsoft has released a new version of the Web browser. CNET News.com’s Joris Evers and CNET.com’s Robert Vamosi discuss IE 7’s heavily promoted security features in this week’s Security Bites.

Basic security isn’t a feature; the lack of security is a bug.

It’s only a beta and I haven’t tested it personally.
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