Lightweight Linux / NEW NET Issues List for 18 Sep 2007

Open wifi hotspots can be convenient low-cost or no-cost solutions to internet access when away from the home or office.

However, these open wifi networks can also be dangerous to your computing health if caution is thrown to the wind and you blindly assume you'll never have any malware or crimeware issues while on those networks. You may be safe most of the time, but having even one or two malicious software problems with your laptop or other computing device when you've left the relative safety of an intelligently firewalled office or home network can cause enough problems to make you regret the lack of preventive measures.

One potential preventive measure whilst doing your road warrior computing is to use a Linux-powered device. Historically, Linux systems have orders of magnitude fewer problems caused by malware and internet skulkers of ill-intent. In addition to the decreased potential for malicious mischief against a Linux computer, a person also has much more control over what programs or system components are loaded onto a computer with Linux versus a Windows or Mac system.

With these thoughts in mind, a laptop was recently set up for me by Luke W. with Debian Linux and the Fluxbox windows manager. The applications installed on the laptop include Firefox/IceWeasel, Thunderbird/IceDove and OpenOffice. A few issues still need to be worked on, such as screen resolution, sound and installing a pdf reader (Xpdf?), but overall the Linux laptop works quite well. It was used last week at Tom's Drive In during the NEW NET meeting, and the wireless was able to connect to Tom's open wifi without problems. During tonight's NEW NET meeting, we'll discuss possible ways to remotely access files securely with the Linux laptop while at open wifi hotspots.

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Below is the final list of issues for the TUESDAY, 18 September 2007, NEW NET (Northeast Wisconsin Network for Economy and Technology) 7:00 - 9:00 pm weekly gathering. This week we'll be back at the Stone Cellar Brewpub. It is located at 1004 S. Olde Oneida Street, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. They treated us well a few weeks ago for NEW NET and also for the Hive meeting last week.

The ‘net

1. Real World Trumps Online in Local Search http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=3627008
2. Microsoft’s Free Web Analytics Tool ‘Gatineau’ http://tinyurl.com/2ab62v (BlogNation)
3. Mash, Yahoo Social Network http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/09/14/yahoo-invites-us-into-mash-its-new-social-network/
4. Yahoo Acquires Zimbra For $350 M http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/09/17/breaking-yahoo-acquires-zimbra-for-350-million/
5. Obama Uses LinkedIn To Plug Into Entrepreneurs http://news.yahoo.com/s/ibd/20070912/bs_ibd_ibd/2007912tech
6. Salesforce rolls out Visualforce http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=6274
7. NY Times to End Charges on Web Site http://tinyurl.com/2snwkl (NY Times)
8. Mint: The easiest way to manage your personal finances http://venturebeat.com/2007/09/18/mint-the-easiest-way-to-manage-your-personal-finances/

Security, Privacy & Digital Controls

1. Microsoft Alters Windows Files Regardless of Update Settings http://entmag.com/news/article.asp?EditorialsID=9037
2. Tor anonymity server admin arrested http://www.cnet.com/surveillance-state/8301-13739_1-9779225-46.html
3. Verizon Hires FBI Cyberchief http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20070912/tc_pcworld/137105
4. FBI accused of using illegal letters for illegal information requests http://tinyurl.com/2ha9l3 (Ars Technica)
5. Chinese government at the center of five cyber attack claims http://tinyurl.com/2cqyh4 (Ars Technica)

Mobile Computing & Communicating

1. Law prohibits phones for teens in cars http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=80558
2. Renegade Developers Zero In On Apple iPhone OS http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20070915/tc_cmp/201806640
3. GPS Competition Heats Up http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,137236-pg,1/article.html
4. O2 wins Apple iPhone deal - at a hefty price http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/17/mobilephones.apple

Open Source

1. SCO Declares Bankruptcy http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20070915/tc_pcworld/137234
2. New iPods reengineered to block synching with Linux http://www.boingboing.net/2007/09/14/new-ipods-reengineer.html
3. Three Minutes with Richard Stallman http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,137098-pg,1/article.html
4. Mozilla spins out Thunderbird to develop communications client app (email, IM, VoIP, RSS, txt msgs, ??) http://www.news.com/Mozilla+tries+Firefox+recipe+with+Thunderbird/2100-1012_3-6208483.html
5. Desktop Linux? Stick a Fork in It! http://weblog.infoworld.com/enterprisedesktop/archives/2007/09/desktop_linux_s.html

SkyNet

1. Is Gmail getting offline? http://tinyurl.com/32z8kb (Hindustan Times)
2. Google's plan for world domination http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2007/pulpit_20070914_002928.html
3. Search Startup Ready to Challenge Google http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iaKPOdTQnHVB4WqdVRWYKXDQIwdw
4. Useful Google feature: better date search http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/useful-google-feature-better-date-search/
5. First Look: Google Docs...Now With Presentations http://blogs.pcworld.com/techlog/archives/005448.html

General Technology

1. The iFlop http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2007/1001/046.html
2. Northwest Passage, through Arctic, Opened by Thaw http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/09/northwest-passa.html
3. Office 2007 Ultimate: $60 for students http://www.theultimatesteal.com/home.asp
4. Microsoft launches a tipple for techies http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4fe8aad0-62de-11dc-b3ad-0000779fd2ac.html
5. AMD Confirms Triple-Core Processor http://blog.wired.com/business/2007/09/amd-confirms-tr.html
6. IBM offers free OpenOffice Suite http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,137298-c,starofficeopenofficeorg/article.html

Leisure & Entertainment

1. EMusic, a Song-Download Site, to Offer Audiobooks http://tinyurl.com/25byoj (NY Times)
2. Frogger http://www.neave.com/games/frogger/
3. FCC to cable: You must support analog TVs until 2012 http://tinyurl.com/yv4dfu (Ars Technica)
4. SpiralFrog can go jump in a lake http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/appleaday/blog/2007/09/spiralfrog_can_go_jump_in_a_la.html
5. IAC Buys Gaming Company, GarageGames http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/iac_buys_ugc_gaming_company_ga.php
6. Force being Unleashed on Wii next spring http://www.gamespot.com/news/6178981.html

Economy and Technology

1. EDS offers retirement to 12,000 workers http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070912/bs_nm/eds_outlook_dc
2. Video games train new miners in Peru http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070914/tc_nm/metals_peru_dumptrucks_dc
3. Online currency trader nabs $100 million in venture funds http://www.news.com/Online+currency+trader+nabs+100+million+in+venture+funds/2100-1017_3-6208156.html

Civilian Aerospace

1. Google Offers $20 Million X Prize to Put Robot on Moon http://www.wired.com/science/space/magazine/15-10/ff_moon
2. Google to Sponsor $30 Million Lunar X Prize http://www.space.com/news/070913_google_xprize.html
3. YouTube Google Lunar X Prize Vision video http://youtube.com/watch?v=9K4zosGUMBw
4. 5 Reasons Nobody Will Win the Google Lunar X Prize http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4222146.html
5. UPS AND DOWNS ON THE SPACE FRONTIER http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/09/14/363341.aspx
6. D.D. Harriman versus Dan Davis http://thespacereview.com/article/951/1
7. Space entrepreneurs making tracks to Cruces http://www.lcsun-news.com/news/ci_6871145
8. Space company short of financing, partners for Singapore spaceport http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/11/asia/AS-GEN-Singapore-Space-Tourism.php

Supercomputing & GPUs

1. GPGPU drastically accelerates anti-virus software http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=42299
2. Intel picks up gaming physics engine for forthcoming GPU product http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070917-intel-picks-up-gaming-physics-engine-for-forthcoming-gpu-product.html

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