MC2 Post 1239 Do You Know WHERE The Best Hackers In The World Come From

Do You Know WHERE The Best Hackers In The World Come From???

Here's a Hint:  One Country.

China.

From:  http://articles.businessinsider.com

Facebook, Zynga, and other hot companies use Interview Street to recruit programmers. Interview Street posts programming challenges and invites contenders to solve as many as they can.

According to their message board, nine of Interview Street's top ten hackers are all from China. One is from an unknown country.

Link:  http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-04-10/tech/31317557_1_hackers-message-board-posts   

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/76l6eem  

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Why Is C Suddenly the Most Popular Programming Language ???

Java drops to the No. 2 most popular programming language as the C language takes over the top spot.

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A Description of the Java Situation on the TIOBE Site said:

    It took some time but Java's long-term downward trend line finally crosses C's stable (almost flat) popularity line. Although it is expected that Java will not decline much further due to the popularity of the Android platform, C is able to remain No. 1 for at least another couple of months. This can be concluded by looking at the extrapolation of moving averages for both languages.

Java has indeed seen a downward trend, perhaps not helped by the recent hoopla over the Flashback virus, which exploits a Java vulnerability. However, as TIOBE indicated, Android remains Java’s ace in the hole.

Link:  http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Java-Drops-From-Top-Programming-Language-Spot-C-Rules-626622/ 

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/7svhfk4 

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MC2 Post 1238 What DID the Big Patch Tuesday Really Patch

Patch Tuesday Closes Critical Windows, Office and IE Holes

From:  http://www.h-online.com

As expected, on Tuesday 10 April Microsoft released six security bulletins that address a total of 11 vulnerabilities in its products, eight of which are considered to be critical. Four of the bulletins address critical holes in all supported versions of Windows, Internet Explorer (IE), the .NET Framework, Office and SQL Server, as well as Microsoft Server and Developer tools. All of these bugs could be exploited by attackers to remotely inject and execute malicious code on a victim's system via a specially crafted file.

Link:  http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Patch-Tuesday-closes-critical-Windows-Office-and-IE-holes-1518553.html   

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/77hr6qx  

See also:

    Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for April 2012, security advisory from Microsoft.

Link:  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/ms12-apr

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Adobe Fixes Critical Vulnerabilities in Reader 

and Acrobat

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Adobe has released versions 10.1.3 and 9.5.1 of its Acrobat and Reader products to address high priority security vulnerabilities that could be used by an attacker to cause the application to crash and potentially take control of an affected system. These include memory corruption in the JavaScript API and JavaScript handling, an integer overflow in the True Type Font (TTF) handling and a security bypass via the Adobe Reader installer, all of which could lead to arbitrary code execution.

Link:  http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Adobe-fixes-critical-vulnerabilities-in-Reader-and-Acrobat-1518711.html 

                                  TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/7un8zfl

See also:

    Security updates available for Adobe Reader and Acrobat, security advisory from Adobe.

Link:  http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb12-08.html

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MC2 Post 1241 Of Microsoft, Netscape, Patents and Open Standards

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I'm Re-Reading Wu's The Master Switch, in which Bell offered to sell to competitor Western Electric its

Telephone Patents for 100,000 dollars.  The Telegraph company refused, which among other things lead to it's demise...   Wingman.

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A While Back, Microsoft did what it could to Kill

Netscape.  This week Microsoft paid 

1 Billion Dollars plus

for some patents...

Read On:

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From:  http://blogs.computerworlduk.com

 

Here’s a deal that would have made many minds explode back in the 1990s: Microsoft is buying Netscape.

Or at least most of the important parts of the company that used to be synonymous with “Internet.” That’s a side component of the $1 billion patent sale that AOL and Microsoft announced this morning. As part of the transaction, AOL announced that it was selling off “stock of an AOL subsidiary” at a loss, in a move that’s supposed to reduce its overall tax bill.

AOL didn’t disclose the name of that subsidiary in its press release, but a person familiar with the transaction has clued me in: It’s Netscape.

Microsoft will buy the underlying patents for the old browser, but AOL will hang on to the brand and the related Netscape businesses, which make up a grab bag of stuff these days: An ISP, a URL, a brand name, etc.

Link:    http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/open-enterprise/2012/04/of-microsoft-netscape-patents-and-open-standards/index.htm

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/7fkykvs  

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MC2 Post 1240 Researchers Suggest HAPTICS and AUDIO for Discreet Password Input

From:  http://www.engadget.com

You can use as complex as a password as you like, but that won't do you much good if someone's able to watch or record you entering it. Researchers Andrea Bianchi, Ian Oakley and Dong-Soo Kwon have some ideas for overcoming that little problem though, and recently put together a video demonstrating a few of the possibilities they've come up with. All of those rely on haptic input systems -- either on their own or in conjunction with some audio output (through headphones for privacy).

Link:  http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/09/researchers-suggest-haptics-and-audio-for-discreet-password-inpu/   

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/dyz3uaf  

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Nokia is Looking Into Haptic Tattoos 
to help you Feel Who’s Calling

Link:  http://www.unwiredview.com/2012/03/15/nokia-is-looking-into-haptic-tattoos-to-help-you-feel-whos-calling/

 
TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/887jngy

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Windows XP Won't Give Up Top Spot Without a Fight

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It Must Have Been JUST GOOD ENOUGH?

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From:  http://news.cnet.com

Windows XP Won't Give Up Top Spot Without a Fight

 

Windows XP has gradually been losing market share over the past few years, yet it continues to hang on as the most popular OS, according to the latest stats from Net Applications.  XP grabbed a 46.86 percent share of the OS market last month, up from 45.39 percent in February. At the same time, Windows 7 lost a bit of ground, capturing 37.53 percent in March,  down from 38.12 percent in the prior month.

Neither stat represents a major shift. Over the longer haul, Windows 7 is still gaining in popularity, while XP has been shedding market share. But these occasional anomalies show that XP still has a way to go before relinquishing the throne to Windows 7.

Link:  http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57407968-75/windows-xp-wont-give-up-top-spot-without-a-fight/

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/7gboh4r

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This week’s edition of WIG is filled with news link goodness covering topics such as 600,000+ Macs have been infected with Flashback malware, social media websites are useful tools for modern burglars, Microsoft was one of the top contributors to the Linux kernel in 2011, and more.

Weekly News Links

From:  http://www.howtogeek.com


Link:  http://www.howtogeek.com/110800/week-in-geek-windows-xp-keeps-fighting-on-refuses-to-die-quietly/  



TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/7ularwr  


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MC2 Post 1238 Just Looking for Easter Eggs Or Some Other Goodies

Keep your PC Fit with These 
April Software Bargains

From:  http://betanews.com

Link: http://betanews.com/2012/04/06/keep-your-pc-fit-with-these-april-software-bargains/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed+-+bn+-+Betanews+Full+Content+Feed+-+BN 

178 characters...

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/782wymz  

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These Are All Well and GOOD, But If You're Ready For the Big Leagues?

Check Out These Portable Toolkits

Wingman.

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The Best Free Portable Apps for Your Flash Drive Toolkit

From:  http://www.howtogeek.com

Link:  http://www.howtogeek.com/110549/the-best-free-portable-apps-for-your-flash-drive-toolkit/ 

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/83ejztv 

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Just ONE Example:

Portable Applications Suites and Collections

There are several portable application suites that provide an way to collect a lot of portable programs and easily access them using a menu system. PortableApps.com, Lupo PenSuite, CodySafe, and LiberKey are

some of the more popular ones.

Geek.menu is an enhanced menu based on the PortableApps.com menu. It has some additional enhanced features such as TrueCrypt support, categories on the menu, and the ability to customize the menu.

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MC2 Post 1238 Microsoft and Adobe to address critical vulnerabilities on Patch Tuesday

From:  http://www.h-online.com

Microsoft and Adobe to address Critical Vulnerabilities on Patch Tuesday

The Tuesday after the Easter weekend, 10 April, is set to be a busy one for system administrators as Microsoft and Adobe have sent out notifications that they will both be issuing fixes for critical vulnerabilities in their products. Microsoft's April notification says there will be four critical advisories concerning Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer, .NET Framework, Office, SQL Server, Microsoft Server and Developer tools, which all lead to remote code execution.

Adobe's prenotification advisory says that high priority fixes for Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat 9.5 and earlier 9.x versions for Windows will be released on 10 April.

Link:  http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Microsoft-and-Adobe-to-address-critical-vulnerabilities-on-Patch-Tuesday-1517301.html 

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/856w85q   

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H SECURITY HEADLINES

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    Google Chrome fixes seven high-risk vulnerabilities

    Russian AV company claims 600,000 Macs infected by Flashback -     Update

    Anonymous allegedly hacks Chinese web sites

    23-year-old hacker accessed 200,000 PayPal accounts

    Path iOS app now hashes address book data

    Joomla! 2.5.4 closes more security holes

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It has been ten years since Bill Gates famously emailed all Microsoft's employees declaring that data protection and system security should be the company's top priorities.

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From:  http://www.h-online.com/security

Link:  http://www.h-online.com/security/features/Microsoft-s-struggle-against-bugs-1433922.html

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/8x8aoaw 

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First Look: GNOME 3.4

http://www.h-online.com/open/features/First-Look-GNOME-3-4-1484715.html

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Previous Post: 1237

Google Glass Project Sees the World
 Through AR-Tinted Glasses

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MC2 Post 1237 Google Glass Project Sees the World Through AR-Tinted Glasses

From:  http://www.technewsworld.com

The much-rumored Google Glasses are real, and the search company has given the world its first glimpse at at what the augmented reality specs will look like. The project, formally known as "Google Glass," will give users information about things they look at by displaying images and text through the lenses.

Link:  http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Google-Glass-Project-Sees-the-World-Through-AR-Tinted-Glasses-74784.html 

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/87xx3mz 

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MC2 Post 1236 8 Top Chrome Productivity Extensions

To Stop Wasting TIME. 

Chrome productivity extensions to help you work efficiently and spend more time doing things you enjoy.

Examples:

Nanny for Chrome enables you to block certain URLS at certain times of the day. As well as specific websites, you can also enter expressions to block websites containing certain individual words. By adding domains to

the whitelisted websites, you can still access them, but Nanny will track how much time you spend there.

Stay Focused is similar to Nanny for Chrome, except it enables you to limit how long you spend on certainwebsites. For example, if you want a half hour Facebook break, you can set the Stay Focused timer to 30 minutes, after which Stay Focused will block the site for the rest of the day, and you will be forced to return to work.

Other Productivity Extensions are:

Strict Pomodoro

Write Space

Session Buddy

Split Screen

Time Tracker

Rescue Time Chrome Productivity Meter

Link:  http://www.zeropaid.com/news/100472/8-topchrome-productivity-extensions/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zeropaid+%28Zeropaid.com%29  

159 Characters....

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/7rltadf 

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MC2 Post 1235 IBM’s Failed Operating System OS/2 Is 25 Years Old

From:  http://gizmodo.com

—But It Still Powers ATMs and Checkouts 

On April 2 1987, IBM launched its plan to revolutionize the PC industry: a next-generation operating system called OS/2. Co-developed by IBM and Microsoft, it was designed to replace DOS and change the way we used computers. Sadly, it didn't. But it still crops up in some of the weirdest places.

Link:  http://gizmodo.com/5898623/ibms-failed-os2-is-25-years-oldbut-it-still-powers-atms-and-checkouts


TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/ccqtms9 

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From:  http://www.nydailynews.com

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1940 Census website bombarded with visitors, 

gets 22 million hits in 4 hours

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Interest in the newly released 1940 U.S. census is so great that the government website with the information was nearly paralyzed shortly after the records became available to the public for the first time.

Miriam Kleiman, spokeswoman for the U.S. National Archives, told The Associated Press that the site registered more than 22 million hits in just four hours on Monday, from almost 2 million users. In a tweet posted after 5 p.m. on its official Twitter account, the archives said the website had received 37 million hits since the information was released at 9 a.m.

Monday’s release includes digitized records for details on 132 million people. Access to the records is free and open to anyone online, but they are not yet searchable by name.

For now, researchers will need an address to determine a census enumeration district — a way to carve up the map for surveying — to identify where someone lived and then browse the records.

Every decade since 1942, the National Archives has made available records from past censuses. The records, which include names, addresses and income and employment information, are rich with long-veiled personal details.

Link:  http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/1940-census-website-bombarded-visitors-22-million-hits-4-hours-article-1.1054951

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/7cahk44

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Link:  http://1940census.archives.gov/

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A Sneak Peek at Tomorrow's 

Robotic  MC2 Post

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Link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qanjz3p_Gk&feature=youtube_gdata_player
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MC2 Post 1234 50 years ago---Getting High in SF on the Government Dime

Sounds so very Rolling Stone, but it's really just the 

San Francisco Weekly News..



Over the Years, this story keeps bubbling up.

   Wingman.

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I watched "The Rum Diaries" this weekend, so I may not be entirely clear about all of this...

Or maybe it was just the ACM Awards in Las Vegas on CBS, 

that ran 2 hours longer than I expected...

(the Denver Post Photos are here: )

Link:  http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/2012/04/photos-academy-of-country-music-awards-2012/32882/#2 

Wingman.

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From:  http://www.sfweekly.com

Link:  http://www.sfweekly.com/2012-03-14/news/cia-lsd-wayne-ritchie-george-h-white-mk-ultra/ 

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/7z9jv3r       

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Tribute comes in Many Forms...
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Hunter S. Thompson and Kafka subject of animated GoodBooks tribute

Link:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/arts-post/post/hunter-s-thompson-and-kafka-subject-of-animated-goodbooks-tribute/2012/03/14/gIQAusGFCS_blog.html  

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Earl Scruggs Remembered for Banjo Excellence

Link: http://news.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view/20120402earl_scruggs_remembered_for_banjo_excellence/srvc=home&position=recent

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MC2 Post 1237 As I Keep Constantly Reminding You -- "what's past is prologue."

Findngs, and remindings of Past Treasures, Like Donovan and 

Lester Scruggs and  Today's AMC's The Killing.

From:  http://hereandnow.wbur.org

‘Mellow Yellow’ Singer Donovan To Be Inducted Into Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Scottish folk and pop star Donovan will be inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April. He was a sixties icon with hits such as “Mellow Yellow,” “Sunshine Superman” and “Hurdy Gurdy Man.”

But at the age of 24, he left music behind for 40 years, only to reemerge in 2005 with a new compilation of his music and an autobiography “The Hurdy Man.”

Link:  http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2012/03/28/mellow-yellow-donovan   

TinyURL:  http://tinyurl.com/7muuehz       

Here & Now: Listen To Our Entire 2006 

Interview With Donovan

The interview originally aired on January 17, 2006.

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Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson

an Early Writer for Rolling Stone of which Donovan

appeared in the First Issue. The One with John Lennon

on the cover.

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Public paying last respects to Earl Scruggs

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The Classic Movie Sound of Bonnie and Clyde.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mourners have gathered in Nashville to pay last respects to bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs.

Scruggs, a pioneering banjo player who teamed for 20 years with guitarist Lester Flatt, died Wednesday at age 88.

The Academy of Country Music planned a tribute Sunday night at its annual awards show in Las Vegas.

Flatt and Scruggs were best known for their song "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" from "The Beverly Hillbillies" TV series. Flatt died in 1979.

Link:  http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gWx6P0Rf9aqq9Ke3g3ebDvVhk6TQ?docId=8c70b3946d9449bbb6c8789d06737787 

TinyURL: 

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A Mouse Small Enough for a Cat

Logitech’s Cube is a portable mini-mouse. It’s not cube-shaped, but it is about the same size as an ice cube, 

so I suppose the name is apt.

Link:  http://www.wired.com/reviews/2012/03/logitech-cube/

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