Storm of Apple iPad Internet Searches Spurs New Rash of SEO Poisoning
The Apple iPad has yet to be officially released, but that doesn’t mean the criminal element on the internet can’t use it yet. While they may not have their hands on a production model, it appears the bad guys are already including “Apple iPad” in their webpage descriptions. Known as SEO Poisoning, it is a very low tech way that developers can use to influence the probability that their links will show up in the top search results on sites such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
According to antivirus vendors Trend Micro and Panda Security, search queries using terms that include “Apple”, “iPad”, and “Tablet” may result in the display of links that appear to lead to reputable sites containing information and news about the latest Apple product. Unfortunately, when users click on the links, they may be redirected to a maliciously encoded website or one that reports their system is infected with spyware/viruses. Computer security giant, Websense, has also posted an alert on its website, cautioning about this trending threat.
SEO Poisoning is not a new technique. For years, distributors of malware have used the popularity of current movies, products, and, sickeningly, youth entertainment offerings (e.g. Disney and Nickelodeon). Though Google, Bing and Yahoo may take efforts to begin filtering the Apple iPad malicious links, it is impossible to remove them all or prevent them from coming back. Computer users should always be cautious when clicking on any link returned from a search engine. The simplest way to gauge authenticity is by comparing the title of the link returned with the actual link displayed below. If they appear totally unrelated (e.g. Disney title with .cz domain), its a good idea to move on to another result.
Apple iPad Unveiled: Initial Reactions Mixed
Today, Apple officially debuted its latest touch product, the iPad. While hardcore Apple junkies were obviously excited, after monitoring two websites and posting approximately 82 Tweets in two hours, we were left feeling less than satisfied. Why? Several key features seem to be absent.
Lest we be accused of being hopeless cynics, we’ll start off with the good. What are the Pros we can derive from our virtual tour?
Pros: WiFi ready, multiple storage options, supports direct downloads from iTunes and App Stores, desktop ready when used with dock and optional keyboard, iBook allows for real digital reading, game graphics were excellent quality, iWork applications provide real productivity possibilities, photo albums and calendars appear easy to use, drop-down menus and soft keyboard appear to make data input and navigation easy
There is a lot of good in the Pros list. So why are we still disappointed? Well, with the exception of iWork and iBook, we could pretty much get the same functionality in an iPhone or iPod Touch. We had Apps. We had Stanza for eBooks. We had a calendar and photos. We even had a soft keyboard. For that matter, we even had WiFi.
Despite the fact that most of these things were on a smaller scale, it doesn’t detract from the fact that we had them. All we’re really gaining in iPad is inches. Add on top of that, the fact that there is no camera, and it feels like Apple actually took functionality away from us. We may have never had it on the iPhone or iPod Touch, but the holy grail for many has been (and continues to be) support for Adobe Flash, which is crucial for those who lime to watch streaming televison shows on sites like Hulu, ABC, and NBC. Having Steve Jobs first page view on the iPad resolve into a Flash plug-in error only served to rub salt in the wound. Having said all of that, here is the list of Cons you knew was coming:
Cons: Overpriced for storage capacity (beginning at $499 for 64GB and WiFi only), no camera, no support for flash, seems to have too much iPhone/iPod operating system design and not enough OS X design, giving it 3G capabilities and not including cellular voice capability seems downright stingy
As you can discern, our initial impression is not the best. That is not to say, though, that a hands-on benchmarking might not make it feel like a really big iPod Touch. For the price of the base model, you can by a Netbook with a full OS (even if it is Windows), a camera, support for USB, and, lest we forget, Adobe Flash. Only time…and sales…will tell if the Apple iPad will be as big a hit as its smaller siblings.
Geek Shui Living on MWD: What the Apple Tablet needs to sell the purchase to your significant other.
Okay, every techie, geek, and gadget junkie knows what today is. Supposedly…and hopefully…Apple will debut the long-fabled and much-speculated version of their tablet. Will it be called iSlate, iTablet, or iCostalot? No one knows for sure, yet. To date, we’ve seen endless discussions on tech-related websites around the world regarding what it will look like, how much it will cost, etc.
Let’s be honest with ourselves. Any real technophile knows that it won’t matter if it costs $299 or $999. You will want it. You will wait in line for 32-hours, with people dressed up as Star Wars characters to buy it. If you’re single, you can stop reading because the rest of this doesn’t apply to you. For those that have a significant other who is not a geek, you are going to have to be able to justify buying yet another gadget. To garner support, the Apple Table is definitely going to need key features….
Read the rest of this post by Geek Shui Living, on the technology news website, MWD, by clicking on the image below.
Four Free iPhone Apps That Could Save Your Life
By now, most people have heard the story of the Colorado man, Dan Woolley, who, when trapped under the rubble after Haiti’s massive earthquake, used his iPhone to help him survive. Now, before you go all cynical and say that’s just about as feasible as the pregnant woman who said the iPhone helped her conceive, hear me out. Because critical thinking is imperative (Remember that class from college?), we have to take an objective look at his circumstances and the actions he took.
By Woolley’s own account, he used the backlight and camera from his iPhone to survey and take pictures of his surroundings. He also stated that he used a medical iPhone Application to diagnose and treat his own injuries. Specifically, he indicated the backlight function helped him navigate his way to an elevator shaft where he waited the rest of his 65 hour entrapment, until eventually being rescued. Obviously, Woolley had a will to live, which is the number one item on the list of important things to do when in danger. Quick wits on the part of Woolley were crucial, as well, in allowing him to remain calm and actually develop a plan. It has to be said, though, that the iPhone really did help him survive. Does it mean that he would have perished without it? This is not necessarily true, but I don’t imagine you or I want to try it and find out.
What his horrible experience does teach us is that it is important to use whatever you have, in case of emergency, to help yourself live to see another day. Having said that and for the benefit of all the iPhone owners out there, I have compiled a list of four (because everyone does five and ten) ,useful free iPhone Applications (in no particular order) that just might help you save yourself one day. There may be paid Apps that could save your life, too, but we all know free stuff is much cheaper. Please take heed, this list is theoretical and has not been (nor will be) tested by any of our own geeks. There are no guarantees here, but, in the event of an emergency, could having these Apps on your iPhone really make the situation any worse?
Top Four Lifesaving iPhone Apps
1. Flashlight – (by John Haney Software) The name says it all. Unlike the $1.99 flashlight you keep in the drawer with worn out batteries, you fire this App up and immediately have light. The difference between this and the regular iPhone backlight is the fact that you can configure it to stay on until you close the App. Additionally, you can choose between different colors, so, if you had two iPhones, you could probably go a step further and use it to guide ships into harbor or help planes land in the event of a blackout. Download It
2. Background Check App – (by BeenVerified.com) This one isn’t so much a “save your life in the moment of danger” App, as it is a proactive danger prevention tool. What does this mean? Well, the App purports to check backgrounds using criminal history, property records, current listings, etc. So, imagine you are at your local bar. You meet a seemingly nice man/woman, who chats you up over Mojitos. He/she tells you their name, where they live, etc. You want to make sure they are some sort of stalker or serial killer, so when they go to the bathroom you check them out with this App. Is it accurate? Who really knows. Wouldn’t you rather err on the side of caution, though? One word of warning: The reviews say it only lets you search three people per week, for free. For this reason, make sure you save your three for Friday and Saturday nights. Download It
(Note: Alternatively, you could download Most Wanted. This App keeps a, by-state listing, of the FBI’s Most Wanted Criminals, Terrorists, and other generally bad guys/girls. Checking your potential boyfriend/girlfriend with this couldn’t hurt either.)
3. Compass Free – (by Masayuki Akamatsu) Before you say it, yes, the iPhone 3.x software came with a compass. This one is for the unfortunate people who still have an iPhone 3G running 2.x software. For those people, being hopelessly lost in the wilderness with a compass-less iPhone is still a possibility. They need worry no longer! Simply opening the App and placing a finger at a 90-degree angle on the middle of the dial and turning it horizontally displays which direction is north. Now, its just a matter of heading off in the direction of civilization (if you know where that is). Is it 100% correct all the time. No, it isn’t, but, if you couldn’t use nature and the sky to determine the direction, you were doomed to wander in circles for days. Thusly, the fact that the compass was wrong really didn’t make your situation any worse. Download It
4. Lightsaber Unleashed – (by TheMacBox) Okay, here’s the dangerous scenario. You’re home is invaded by robots. They don’t have brains but they do have some kind of sensory unit that enables them to retain the equivalent of “memories”. If you’re in luck, the ones that invade your home have: (1). Been shown Star Wars videos as training aids; and (2) Are droids are with “memories” of watching their comrades get cut in half by a light saber. Assuming your droid had a capacity to learn, it might hear the sound of “Whaaaam, Whaaam”, catch a glimpse of the color (Use blue so they don’t think you’re a fellow bad guy.), think of its fallen comrades, and take off, before finding out that you’re just a geek with an iPhone. (Alternatively, this might also work with Ewoks or Gungans, with bad eyesight.) Download It
Okay, you’re done with your indoctrination. Armed with this valuable knowledge, go forth, download these Apps, and practice for the day you might need them. We’ll leave you with one last, important reminder. The most important thing about preparing for any emergency is not having the tools but practicing the plan!
Our latest Post on MWD – Don’t steal hope from Haiti
Geek Shui Living just published our most recent post on the technology news website, MWD.com. Following is an excerpt:
On January 22, 2010, the Apple iTunes Store made available for purchase the Hope for Haiti Now album. Included in the $7.99 purchase are 20 songs, from various artists who participated in the January 22nd Telethon. Airing simultaneously, on over 60 major and cable networks, performances included notable artists, such as John Legend, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z, Bono, Dave Matthews, and Neil Young, just to name a few.
What does all of this have to do with technology? Well, most technophiles, like myself, rarely visit a music store to buy albums. Instead, we depend on electronic sources, like the Apple iTunes Store. Many, though, choose to visit an alternate store that I like to call “The Special Internet Store”. Its a magical place where music, movies, and other digital media are offered at steeply discounted (as in 100%) prices. The only labor required is usually through the installation and configuration of the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing or Bit Torrent applications.
Click here to read more of this informative post that includes a reminder on good ethics: http://bit.ly/StealingHaitiGS
Don't Steal Hope from Haiti
U.S. State Department shifts focus from freeing Tibet to work on “Free Internet”
Excerpt from latest Geek Shui Living blog on MWD.com:
On January 21, 2010, U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, spoke at the Newseum, in Washington D.C. The topic? Free internet of course! Unfortunately, for most of the techie crowd, she was not referring to the demilitarization of Internet Service Providers and the eradication of the overpriced monthly fees they demand in return for downloading torrents at high-speeds. More importantly, she was referring to…
Click here to visit MWD and read the entire article.
Microsoft releases Emergency Patch for Internet Explorer Zero Day Flaw; Neither Admits nor Denies Anything
Today, Microsoft released Security Bulletin MS10-002, titled “Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer”. Though no specific acknowledgement or denial has been made on Microsoft’s part, investigation to date, by third party computer giant McAfee and independent researchers, has pinned blame for China’s alleged infiltration of Google’s network on this previously unmitigated (and apparently unknown) vulnerability. The bulletin’s Executive Summary states:
“This security update resolves seven privately reported vulnerabilities and one publicly disclosed vulnerability in Internet Explorer. The more severe vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted Web page using Internet Explorer. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.”
Versions of Internet Explorer affected include: Internet Explorer 5.01, Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1, Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 8. Affected Microsoft Operating Systems run the gamut from Windows 2000 SP4/Windows Server 2003 to the most current iterations Windows 7/Windows Server 2008. Microsoft operating system home users, with Automatic Updates configured, should have the patch installed automatically. For system and network administrators, the patch should be tested prior to actual deployment, since the newness of the patch prohibits stating with certainty that web-based applications, dependent upon Internet Explorer, will not be negatively affected.
In either case, this patch is a “must install” for all Microsoft users. Whether it was the Chinese Government or someone else trying to frame them, the vulnerability is a serious one that could ultimately be used to turn millions of Microsoft PCs into Botnet Zombies.
Source:
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-002 – http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms10-002.mspx
Decrease in Youth Activity Blamed on New-Fangled Smartphones
The technologically-challenged are sure to be overjoyed with the findings of a newly released report, entitled “Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-year-olds,” published by the Kaiser Family Foundation….
Read the rest of this Geek Shui Living post on the uber-technical website, MWD.com: http://bit.ly/5ryFrY
Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.6.2 Security Update: What did it actually fix with regard to security?
On January 19, 2010, Apple released update 10.6.2 for Mac OS X. According to the official Apple website, the updates include fixes for the Mac OS X (Version 10.6), the Apple Mail application, and integrated MobileMe software. Though the write-up from Apple states fixes that improve “…stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac”, it is interesting to note that the update was released as Security Update 2010-001. Though labeled as a Security Update, the detailed list of fixes does spread across the operating system, as a whole, as well as a wide range of integrated applications.
Notably absent from the list, though, is any specific use of the word security or any connotation of an update that even relates to security. Is this an intentional omission of specific security vulnerabilities that existed, to reduce the perception that a Mac can actually be just as vulnerable as a Windows computer? To keep from straying down the whole conspiracy theory path, we’ll just assume that the details of the security fixes were so complex that it would make our brains hurt. Either way, we’re just glad Apple released the update, and we’ll just hope that users will actually take the time to apply it.
System administrators who may need to test it prior to network deployment (they should anyway) and users who like to keep the updates archived in case they have to reformat (which is easier after you’ve broken OS X playing with the Terminal) can manually download the update via the Apple website.
For home users, who may not have their Mac configured to download updates and notify you when they’re ready to install, you can always click the Apple logo at the top, left-hand corner of your desktop and select “Software Update”. Users can (and should) make this process even easier by configuring automatic downloading and prompting when ready to install via the following actions:
Alleged Employee Role in Google Attack Highlights the Importance of Computer Security Education
Well, it appears that all of Google’s Intrusion Detection Systems, Firewalls, web-filters, and antivirus software were rendered useless by the weakest link in the computing chain, the end user, and an unpatched version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. If that isn’t embarrassing for a computing giant like Google, we don’t know what is…
Read the full article in our latest post on the technology mega-site, MWD.com:
http://www.mwd.com/2010/01/alleged-employee-role-in-google-attack-highlights-the-importance-of-computer-security-education/
