computer security

CanSecWest, a high-profile conference that draws North America's best and brightest computer security minds, just wrapped up. One of the more interesting features of this year's event was called a "pwn 2 own" contest. It featured three laptop computers, each running a different operating system. Conference attendees were offered the chance to hack into the machines. The prize? Hack the machine and it's yours. Here's a link to the rules: http://tinyurl.com/3beslz. each person was allowed 30 minutes to work the machine over and try to recover a secure file from within it.
The results? Apple went down on day two. Vista lasted until the last day of the conference. Ubuntu was the sole survivor.
Does this mean everyone should ditch their favored system for Linux? Not at all. Keep in mind these were the geekiest of computer geeks, and they were allowed unfettered access for half an hour. Unless you leave your laptop sitting unsupervised at a lot of Star Wars conventions, you probably won't face that level of risk.
What it does serve to underscore, however, is that no operating is truly secure (though some try to market themselves that way). No matter what system you use, bolster it with antivirus and antispyware software, and use good sense and the OS's built-in security features.

iPod Friendly OverDrive Coming Soon to a Library Near You

Big announcement for Libraries buying downloadable audiobooks from OverDrive - read their full news release Here.

Alternatives to Microsoft Office

A lot of libraries and individuals too are looking for free or inexpensive replacements for Microsoft suite of office applications. The two biggies are Open Office and Google Docs, but here are more suggested links:

Forget Word - 13 online word processors

Forget Powerpoint - 13 online presentation apps

Forget Excel - 14 online spreadsheet applications

30 Benefits of Ebooks

Although "Read an Ebook week" (March 2-8, 2008) is officially over, Epublishers Weekly 30 Benefits of Ebooks List (written in January) is still relevant.

OverDrive to Partner with Borders

OverDrive is the primary distributor of downloadable audiobooks, e-books, music, and videos to our library and other members of CLEVNET. They just announced today that they will also be providing content to the new concept stores that Borders will be opening this year as well as select superstores nationwide. Read HERE for the complete announcement.

Internet Explorer to become standards compliant?

Here's a great bit of news for anyone disseminating information over the Web: http://tinyurl.com/25s2d5
According to the tech watchers over at Fudzilla, the next release of Microsoft's Internet Explorer will comply to W3C standards. The W3C is the closest entity the Web has to a governing body, and for years now Microsoft has declined to make its browser fully compatible with standard HTML. For Microsoft, which bundles IE with Windows and enjoys an enormous install base, this has ensured users of its browser as Web designers often simply choose to design pages compatible with IE (and thus often making pages incompatible with other, standards-compliant browsers).
To make truly accessible Web pages that worked on any browser, designers often had to pull of some intense coding gymnastics. Needless to say, usability suffered. So here's hoping the rumors of IE standards compliance are true.

Is Web 4.0 just around the corner?

Here's an interesting piece that originally appeared on PC World's blog: http://tinyurl.com/yug9fg
According to analyst Nils Muller, we're rapidly on the way to Web 4.0. For those who pay attention to running debates like this, the concept of Web 2.0 has been controversial, difficult to define, harder still to explain, and generally annoying for all concerned. Muller actually offers up a pretty concise explanation as to what Web 2.0 means, as well as the meaning of its successors. He sees a near future in which people interact with technology seamlessly. Instead of looking up a particular Web page and querying something, for example, one could simply ask his or her computer a question, just as people do with their friends today. He might have something there, as projects like the Semantic Web begin to bear fruit.
For now, though, it might be a little early for most of us to start planning this far ahead. We're still on Human 1.0.

10 Ways to Make Your iPod a Better Learning Gadget

Podcast Library - if you have one (iPod) use it for some of this great free stuff.

Install Wikipedia on iPod generations one to four, as well as iPod Minis and Photo iPods (not sure if they mean video iPods?).

You are not just limited to iTunes' podcasts or fee based videos and mp3s on your iPod. For more freebies, go here.

Free Online Courses from Great Universities

I know I keep pushing the Open Culture website, but it just keeps getting better and better. This is one of those sites I plan on using lots when I retire.

The Online Writing Courses at Stanford also tie in with our TPL Writers' Circle that meets here the first Tuesday of the month at 7 pm.

Borders Personal Publishing

Borders is partnering with Lulu in the self-publishing field or what we librarians used to call vanity press. Recently we had a very good experience using Lulu to publish our Library cookbook, so I'm definitely not looking down my nose at anyone using that source. Now that Lulu is pairing up with a distributor of substantial means and reputation, self-publishing might come out of the shadows a bit more. In this digital world, I personally see it as inevitable, although I'm sure Simon & Schuster or similar publishing houses aren't trembling in their boots yet - good editors are worth their weight in gold.