user

A leaked internal report on a secret trial of eavesdropping and advertising technology from Internet Service Provuder (ISP) British Telecom (BT) reportedly shows that the system crashed some unsuspecting users' browsers, causing a small percentage ... of the 18,000 broadband customers under surveillance to believe they had been infected with adware. The January 2007 report (PDF), published by WikiLeaks shows what can happen when an ISP tampers with raw Internet traffic for its own profit. The leak was revealed weeks after Charter Communications told its users it would be testing similar ... (view more)

User Profile Hive Cleanup Microsoft's User Profile Hive Cleanup helps with slow log off and profile problems ensuring that user sessions are completely terminated when they shut down their system. http://www.download.com/ Hpobserver hpObserver is a ... small program that allows you to monitor networks and websites (or IPs if you prefer). Current features include the ability to onitor HTTP or UNC path, obtain server IPs, and Send URLs to TrustedSource. http://support.it-mate.co.uk/ (view more)

Network management is easy. No really, it is. Or at least, it is when you use a new software package from PacketTrap called pt360 Tool Suite Free/Pro (pt360). You see, the folks over at PacketTrap.com realize that running a network can be a painful, ... complex affair that often involves utilizing dozens of tools to diagnose a network problem -- and few ever use a graphical user interface (GUI). In other words, diagnosing a network problem relies on reading long-winded, boring, ugly, jargon-filled text. That's where PacketTrap's pt360 is different. pt360 works just like a dashboard on a car: or ... (view more)

Do you podcast? Podcasting is "is a collection of digital media files which is distributed over the Internet, often using syndication feeds, for playback on portable media players and personal computers." (Source wikipedia.org ) Last week, Apple ... officially filed for a patent on a new variant of podcasting medium. The company's proposal for a patent on the 'podmap' concept was filed in January 2007 but had remained undisclosed until just recently. (Source: appleinsider.com ) According to the patent filing, the concept involves four central components, which will become the crux of this audio- ... (view more)

Israeli-based Delver is looking to use social networking profiles as the basis for returning relevant Internet searches. The idea is simple enough; a user logs into the search engine and allows access to personal information on sites like ... del.icio.us, LinkedIn and Flickr. The system then creates a custom made search pattern based on profiles, tags from your friend's, blogs, and any other available information on social sites. Instead of the traditional text results page, Delver's search engine (called Semingo) displays your search in a web-like graphic, with information built on you and your ... (view more)

Trying to sway public opinion about a flailing product, Microsoft has reportedly once again boasted about the security of Windows Vista, claiming that the operating system had 36 vulnerabilities in its first year compared to the 65 found in Windows ... XP during that same period. Analysts remain skeptical. "I think that it's fair to say that Windows Vista is proving to be the most secure version of Windows to date. Our investments in the SDL (Security Development Lifecycle) and our defense in depth approach to building Windows Vista seem to be paying off," wrote Austin Wilson in a recent ... (view more)

Microsoft has warned that several older versions of Excel contain a bug that could be exploited by hackers. It affects both Windows and Macintosh users. The bug could make it possible to execute code remotely. That means a hacker would be able to ... gain some degree of access to a user's computer, with the potential to steal personal information. The problem affects versions of Excel (including the stand-alone viewer) dated up to and including 2004. However, if the user has downloaded Office Service Pack 3, the bug will have been removed. Those versions dated 2007 or 2008 do not have the bug. To ... (view more)

Whenever the term "artificial intelligence" comes up, it tends to make some people nervous. It reminds them of the wayward computer, HAL, in the movie "2001 Space Odyssey" or cars that tell you in an annoying tone that your door is open. But, little ... by little, artificial intelligence is creeping into our day-to-day lives. Soon it will be on your desktop. A new product called "Smart Desktop" will shortly be released from Seattle-based Pi Corporation. Designed to work with Microsoft Windows, Smart Desktop will aid the user by attempting to "understand" what they are working ... (view more)

Who's been naughty this year? Microsoft's Santa Claus IM bot, that's who. PC World and Metro UK have recently reported that a program designed to respond to children via Windows Live Messenger could be easily duped into responding to lude and ... suggestive dialogue. (Source: metro.co.uk ) The error was first discovered in an exchange that went something like this: User: eat it Santa: No thank you. I don't eat things! User: eat it Santa: See if you can get someone else to eat it! User: eat it. Santa: You want me to eat what?!? It's fun to talk about oral sex, but I want to chat about something ... (view more)

Facebook users and privacy groups have criticised a new advertising scheme from the social networking site. Designed to net Facebook more ad dollars, the program plays Big Brother with the site's loyal (and growing) membership. The 'Beacon' system ... is a partnership between Facebook and 44 other sites. Whenever a user visits one of these sites while logged in to Facebook, their activities are monitored. Certain events are then automatically posted on their Facebook news feed which can be seen by all of their online friends. The events which are reported include online purchases, movie rentals, ... (view more)