important Java news for Windows users

Wanted to repost this message from Andrew Solmssen, aka bitboy.com/

Hi all,

I’m sending this mass e-mail to my primary technical contacts at organizations I support to let you know about a new malware issue and a change in what I feel are best practices regarding Java on Windows-based computers.

For those of you who don’t know – Java Runtime is installed on many PCs as delivered from the manufacturer, and installed by me sometimes if not. It’s used by some websites and applications to add rich interactive functionality. In the past, I’ve felt it was an important part of being ready for the web, like Adobe Flash and Reader.

Now we’re facing a new wave of malware that takes advantage of security problems with Java. I removed it from two computers yesterday, and my sources tell me that problems with Java are the most common pathway for bad programs (fake antivirus, etc.) to get on machines. As this is happening, Java itself has become much less necessary for the vast majority of users as other ways to get that functionality are baked into HTML5 or Flash/Silverlight.

So I am recommending that users uninstall the Java Runtime from their PCs unless they have specific requirements for it – i.e. a website that needs it, or a local program that uses it. The benefit of having it is now outweighed by the attack surface it creates. Removing it is simple.

Close all open programs, go to the control panel, select Add/Remove Programs (Windows XP) or Programs and Features (Vista/7).

Java may be listed as Java 6 , J2SE Runtime, Java Runtime Environment, etc. with various version numbers, and there may be multiple versions installed. Remove all of them.

The uninstaller may ask for a reboot at the end of uninstallation. If you are uninstalling multiple versions, it’s safe to say no to the reboot until the last one is done, then reboot.

If you use a specific website or application that uses Java (you will see Java load with its coffee cup symbol when you do), then it’s alright to leave the most current version (as of this writing, Java 6 Update 22) installed. If you don’t have that version, uninstall all Java Runtimes as above, reboot, and go to www.java.com to get it.

I hope this is helpful, and that you will be able to disseminate this information throughout your organizations. Please let me know if you need further clarification on any of this.

AppleTV is losing its memory

This from Tico, one of our technicians:

AppleTV has been doing funky things lately. It doesn't even list AppleTV as a device anymore in iTunes prefs (it used to). Then its contents disappeared, just like [one of our clients]. Wonder if Apple is behind this? I am investigating...but methinks Apple is deconstructing the old disk-based Apple TVs.

Then later on:

FYI... Reset the AppleTV to factory settings and resynched everything, just like on our last client call. It's all there. Probably a bug within the new iTunes.

If anyone else is getting AppleTV errors, please email us:  hi [at] computerswtf [dot] com 

iPhone vs Android vs Blackberry : I'm going back to a landline.

capturing video from the web with a Mac

1. Launch the Safari browser
2. Read these three paragraphs and follow along with the screen shots.
3. For best results, convert the video file from .FLV to .MOV (Apple Quicktime format) using a free utility like this one.


Alternatively, you can download software like Ant, which will give you more options, controls, and all-in-one-place simplicity.

Thanks to KJ for the headnod.

two amazing free iTunes add-ons

The first, iConcertCal, scans your music library, then uses the built-in iTunes visualizer to display a monthly calendar, filling in release dates and local shows (you can enter your zip code and the distance-from to scan) for any/all artists in your library. Extremely useful for finding out about upcoming shows and albums. Free for Mac and PC, check it out:

The second, YouConrol : Tunes (Mac-only), puts a little ticker in your Mac's menu bar displaying song title, artist, album title:

Plus, when you mouse-over the ticker you get full function quick control for iTunes:

Useful apps for iTunes, iPod, iPhone

Lots of good apps on this page for both Mac and PC, designed by the folks at Macroplant. Highlights include an iPhone browser that works with OS's Finder, iTunes scanners that will remove duplicates and help with media organization, and my favorite, an app that "lets you download flash videos and convert any from and to any file format. Video, Audio and Image files supported with direct to iPod & iTunes." 

They are offering free activation code for select apps if you download by Sept 1.

Sony recalls almost a million laptops

Over 750,000 Sony laptops have an overheating problem. This is not their first recall either. You can download a firmware update to prevent the melting of the laptop, or if it's already melted some of the case/keyboard, mail it in for no-cost replacement. Press release from Sony, below.

Sony eSupport – Electronics – News & Alerts

Dear Sony customers,

Sony takes pride in the quality of its products. Recently, we became aware of a potential issue affecting certain units within the VPCF11 and VPCCW2 series of notebook PCs.

In rare instances, these notebook computers may overheat due to a potential malfunction of the internal temperature management system, resulting in deformation of the product’s keyboard or external casing, and a potential burn hazard to consumers.

If you have one of the VPCF11 or VPCCW2 series models, Sony recommends that you download and install a firmware update specifically designed to prevent the potential overheating symptom.

• Click here for information on how to locate the model number of your notebook PC.
• Click here to download and install the update.

If you have any questions or need additional assistance with the firmware update installation, call Sony technical support at (866) 496-7669 for assistance.

The satisfaction of our customers is our number one priority, and we will work diligently to ensure that your VAIO notebook is in top working order. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your support in this matter.

Sincerely,

Mike Lucas,
Senior Vice President, VAIO
Sony Electronics Inc

My Letter to the City [update]

The day after I posted my letter to Mayor Villaraigosa, Deputy Mayor Beutner, and the City Finance Director to this blog, I was contacted by Gabriel Sermeno at the Office of Economic and Business Policy to help rectify the issue. Now that's responsive government! Thank you Mr. Sermeno for your time and professionalism. Ultimately, he was able to secure me a full refund for all my late fees and explained that the City permit is actually due by Feb 28, ahead of normal tax filings. Next year, I'll know better, but he also said they are trying to do a better job of notifying LA Business owners about this.

My letter to the City about Bureaucracy

May 23, 2010

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Cheif Executive Officer, City of LA

200 North Spring Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012-3239

Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner, Chief Executive for Economic and Business Policy, City of LA

200 North Spring Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012-3239

Ms. Antoinette Chrisovale, Director of Finance, City of LA

200 North Spring Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012-3239

Dear Sirs and Madam,

As a new small business owner in the City of Los Angeles, I did a lot of planning and research before jumping into my sole-proprietorship. I obtained a business license and published notice in a local business journal, got my DBA paperwork in order, and when the Office of Finance paperwork finally arrived I properly described my business and mailed my forms back promptly.

Cut to over a month later, when a notice of tax due arrives. I have no problems with paying taxes, in fact I am happy to do my part. But charing me interest and a penalty (over 17% of the principal) on my first notice is completely absurd. At least give me a chance to pay on time. This is a classic example of one of the City's hands not knowing what the other is doing. There are too many agencies, offices, and too much red tape.

Why was I not asked to file for business tax classification at the time I registered my business license? Why was I not made aware of any taxes due prior to receiving my first notice with a late penalty? This is bureaucratic nonsense. Is a CPA now a matter of course for anyone starting a business in the City?

We are working hard out here (outside of City Hall) and every minute of our time, each dollar in our pockets counts, now more than ever. Therefore I'm asking you to streamline: reduce unneccesary offices, fix the things that matter by making the problem less complicated, cut budgets raised on penalty fees and money from small businesses and put our sales and (high) property taxes into fixing our roads, bridges, parks, and schools.

Study Occam's Razor.

Thank you for listening.

Sincerely,



Adam Fischer, Principal, ComputersWTF

Great job, Jobs.

What a letter!
If Adobe were smarter, they'd start developing products that not only helped/enabled HTML5 developers, but they'd also start selling a converter application to move Flash movies to H.264 so mobile phones could display them.

Ah Geek Squad... how I love you.

An undercover/hidden camera story produced by KPTV in Oregon about different computer repair shops and the honesty/integrity levels of each. Take a guess how Best Buy did. What's really surprising is what they did after this story ran.

I guess just like a Moody's or S&P rating, grades from the BBB can be bought as well.

A great guide to privacy on Facebook

Update: May 2010: Wired has a great and incredibly thorough article on Facebook privacy here.

Stop hiding everyone and use FB's privacy settings to their fullest potential. Personally, I just made a custom news-feed list and I pick and choose who's updates get displayed. But, like everything, there are a bunch of different paths to the same solution. Ars Technica did a great piece on the in's and out's of Facebook's privacy features. What's your favorite?

iPhone battery life

I wanted to know if leaving the Bluetooth setting On all the time was an extra drain on battery life, even if the BT earpiece was turned off. According to Apple, it's a small tax on the battery, but many user comments on the forums I read (and my own personal experience) was to the contrary. Regardless, this is a useful article-

"Paying attention to just a few commonsense pointers will pay off with a longer battery lifespan and battery life for your iPhone. The most important thing is to keep your iPhone out of the sun or a hot car (including the glove box). Heat will degrade your battery’s performance the most."

-From Apple's iPhone battery info page.

Turn your favorite songs into iPhone ringtones

Very easy and useful tutorial if you imported a song into iTunes from a CD and you want to use it as a ringtone for your iPhone.

iPhone tips, tricks, apps, and rants

I know this info is already out there. And I can already hear my tech-savvy friends with iPhones complaining about how this info is so 2009. But whatever, this is a blog for my not-as-savvy friends, clients, and family too...

My favorite iPhone app right now, aside from Bebot, is Dragon Dictation. It's a (free) speech-to-text app that does what it advertises- simply. Initially I had some privacy concerns, as it scans your Address Book contacts so that it can better recognize names when you speak them; it also sends information back to its HQ upon doing so. In a rare move for this blog, I'm going to link to another blog because they have great comments, and an in-depth article on this already. After a little digging (and consideration of my long history with Dragon's desktop dictation/speech-to-text software, Naturally Speaking), I feel great about using this app. It allows me to compose longer sentiments quickly without having to type on that annoying iPhone screen-keyboard.

[APPLE: GIVE ME BLUETOOTH KEYBOARD COMPATIBILITY ALREADY!
Supposedly this feature is coming in iPhone's OS 4.0 this summer, but no mention of it on Apple's page.]

I'm also a big fan of the Tie-A-Tie, Sleep Cycle, White Noise, and pUniverse apps.

Most of you probably know about shake to undo (and shake again to redo), but did you know you can double-click in the top-most menu bar (by the clock) while you're say, in Safari or scrolling through photos and iPhone will fast scroll to the top of whatever you're looking at? OK so you probably knew that too, but here's a nice MakeUseOf article that covers some iPhone tips you might not know about.

Apple grounded me for swearing too much. I just want to be able to edit my iPhone's auto-correct database... guess it's another thing to add to the list of stuff I can't wait to do with a jailbroken iPhone.

Mac laptop batteries

A nice how-to on calibrating the battery on your Mac laptop.
(iBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook, PowerBook, MacBook Air)

And for those more technically inclined, check out this great widget that gives you a profile of your battery life, among many other things.

[Special thanks to Chris R for the tip!]

TS2377: an Apple recall involving MacBook Pro

You should be aware of this recall if you have a MacBook Pro and are experiencing any of the following:

• Distorted or scrambled video on the computer screen
• Kernel panics/inability to boot
• No video on the computer screen (or external display) even though the computer is on

If your MBP fits the mold, you can bring it in to any Apple store for a quick test of the graphics adapter (the part that's under recall, made by NVIDIA). If it fails the test, they will replace your logicboard free of charge, essentially providing you with a new computer CPU. This applies even if your Mac is outside of the service warranty/contract. See this document for more information.

[Sorry, non-Apple Store repair businesses are not allowed to do the test, even if they are an Authorized Apple Service Center. Of course, ComputersWTF will be glad to handle all this for you if you aren't able.]

the good old days

When I was young(er), one of my favorite Washington, DC sites was the Smithsonian Museum of American History's Information Age: People, Information and Technology exhibit. I wish I had more personal photographs to post for you- it was spectacular (as far as I know it's no longer there, although I haven't visited since graduating from American University in 2000). The exhibition took you through the history of computers and technology, and went backwards through time- you started out in the present with small laptops and walked through until you were in a room at the end with ENIAC- where practically the entire room was a computer.

They had an early XEROX copier, first introduced in 1959, weighing 650lbs:

I was lucky enough to grow up with computers- my grandfather worked in the security industry. Gramps started a central station which monitored alarms and dispatched the appropriate service (police, EMT, fire, etc). King Central had a room filled with headset-donned telephone operators, and all the calls were routed by and recorded to rows and rows of computers in a back room. When I was a kid, we had computers in the house. My uncle Glenn was an early Apple adopter, and at my house over the years (from gifts and hand-me-downs) we had an Apple IIe, IIc, IIGS, and Commodore 64. We even had some early Radio Shack Tandy models. (Not this one, but one like it, which couldn't handle lower-case letters!)

I used to take them apart, look at all the parts, and put them back together. I remember doing this on the kitchen floor at my grandparents' house and my grandfather coming home from work in dismay thinking I'd broken it. But he realized soon that it wasn't just playing for me- I had a knack, and he was smart enough to foster it.

Is it only a matter of time?

...before every aspect of our culture is available "on demand?"

As it is now, with a MacBook feeding a digital video and audio out to HDMI and attached to my stereo and television, I can stream movies and shows from Hulu, YouTube, and Netflix (and many others), not to mention streaming my music wirelessly via AirTunes.

But how long before *any* television show, book, magazine, film or album/song is instantly available at a click? The capability is there- it seems like it's only a matter of time...  how will our artistic output be affected by a culture of free (or is it value-less?) culture.

I still haven't found any truly good books on the history of the world wide web (recs anyone?). I have found some good books (like Where Wizards Stay Up Late- not the best writing but great information) on the history of the Internet as it grew out of the military, ARPANET, Eisenhower and Xerox PARC, but nothing specifically on the earlier days of the WWW as BBS's were on their way out.

I'm striving to better understand the wave of the web- more like a tsunami- plowing through cultural commerce, news, entertainment, artistic output. [I know, I should have been at some SxSW panels this year.] In the earlier days of the web, when I was in high school (92-96) everyone who was online seemed to share EVERYTHING- documents, pics, music, anything you could wait for to transfer over the dial-up. Now that EVERYONE is online (the term itself is in decay- as everyone is increasingly "becoming" online) entire industries are collapsing under the weight of shared culture, the cloud, and the hive mind. If you're into these ideas, check out Jaron Lanier's You Are Not A Gadget.

Google: Let us send later!!

Contrary to widespread popularity, this early AOL-adopted mail feature still isn't available with GMail. Despite massive requests of Google for the ability to save messages for later sending, presently we are still prohibited from time control.

GMail Hacking

I just learned about hacked and hijacked GMail accounts, thanks to a friendly lady named Jill who was unlucky enough to have her email account hacked on her birthday. I'm going to wonder aloud now whether purchasing a premium service for email from Google ("WTF?" I can hear you saying, "Pay for GMail???") would present one with more secure email options. As it is now, if your GMail account has been hacked and someone's sent spam from it, all you can do is change your password, then wait 24 hours (as Google limits each account to a sent-message maximum of 500 per day) to send your hack notices/apologies. Or you can use Facebook or Twitter, like this blogger did.

If your account has been hijacked, and you are locked out of it completely, you should read this and this.

The Big iPhone Wishlist post

Things I want to should be able to do with my iPhone:

• Edit the auto-correct database 
• Bluetooth keyboard 
• Play audio (iTunes, Pandora, Safari, YouTube, etc) wirelessly via Airport-connected speakers
• Use other browsers like Fennec
• Edit Google Docs
• Utilize all the features of Google Voice
• Leave AT&T
• Pay less per month (currently paying just under $150/mo for unlimited talk, text, data)

Sadly, the device is completely capable of performing or allowing most of these items. Does this mean I just need to get a jailbroken iPhone?

I've been tossing around the idea for a while now to get a 2nd iPhone (to jailbreak), on which I can test new apps and functionality. I know there's a lot of information out there about jailbroken apps, but I'm specifically interested in utilizing mobile web functionality to streamline my tech-based business. I have very little paperwork as it is (my filing cabinet is two-drawer and mostly empty, save for receipts), I can get to everything from any computer or phone with a net connection, and I can route information/calls/documents/etc to any device no matter where I am with cloud-based utilities like Google Docs, Voice, etc. I want to be able to edit Google Docs, launch a Google Voice app, and work on a wireless keyboard- just imagine the ability to create spreadsheets & edit invoices online from a hotspot, with only a BT keyboard and an iPhone.

It exists, set it free.


[This post–like several others here–will be added to over the coming months, especially until iPhoneOS 4.0 drops this summer.]