Technomaly » Software

How To Secure Outlook From Viruses

Mr. Security — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:20:16 +0000

While Outlook is a popular and easy to use mail program, there are instabilities central to the application that make it vulnerable to viruses and spyware. It’s not surprising that it’s a target for spyware and viruses. Bundled with most Windows operating systems, it is used on almost all computers and it gives hackers direct access to your hard drive.

Here are some steps you can take to improve Outlook security.

*Switch off the Preview Pane*
The Preview Pane is a great little feature to scan through a lot emails quickly. Unfortunately, its very convenience makes the Preview Pane a strong target for hackers. The problem, is that Outlook considers previewing and email and opening an email one and the same thing. This means you’re scanning through a bunch of emails — without knowing what the content is — and Outlook is downloading the email contents at the same time. You can see how this perverse outcome can leave you exposed to hackers. Turn Preview Pane off at View -> Layout, and deselect the Show Preview Pane option.

*Turn off HTML*
HTML emails may look good with images and links, but those elements can easily be manipulated by someone looking to damage your PC.

In much the same way that the Preview Pane will allow unchecked email contents into your PC without your knowing, HTML emails are an easy way for malicious senders to hide the viruses and spyware you want to block. Bogus links and trojan attachments dressed up as images are two simple flaws of HTML emails.

You can easily make the switch to plain text email. Go to Tools -> Options -> Mail Sending Format -> Text.

*Block malicious attachments*
While we’re switching of HTML, let’s remove the possibility of nasty attachments too. While almost all attachments are safe, some can look safe but cause damage. Go to Tools -> Options -> Security, and under Virus Protection, select the checkbox Do Not Allow Attachments To Be Saved Or Opened That Could Potentially Be A Virus

*Turn off Javascript*
Windows doesn’t like Javascript and Microsoft has fought for the use of its own program, ActiveX. Java is used widely by developers and can be unstable on the Windows platform. Hackers can use Javascript through Outlook to access information on your PC, such as cookies and personal data.

Here’s how to turn Javascript off. Go to Tools -> Options -> Security, and enable Restricted Sites Mode. Next, go to Start -> Control Panel -> Internet Options -> Security -> Custom Level -> Scripting, and under Active Scripting, select Disable.

*Secure Content*
These next steps will control what Outlook does with malicious content.

Open the Security tab under Options, and select Restricted Sites from the dropdown menu next to Zone Settings. When you select OK you’ll see a security window with various icons along the top. Select ‘Restricted Sites’, then push ‘Custom Level’. Set everything to Disabled, except the following:
* Script ActiveX controls
* Font download
* Display mixed content
* Drag and drop or copy and paste files
* Submit nonencrypted form data

Select OK and and OK to go back to the Options panel. Finally, push ‘Attachment Security’, and choose High. From now on, Outlook will warn you when it finds an unsafe attachment.

These steps should secure Outlook. If you notice more problems, such as Outlook is slow to load, or crashes, you may need to download a recommended hard disk scan and check for free if hackers have targeted your inbox.

How to Get Thousands of TV Channels on Your PC… And Never Pay Another Monthly Bill Again

sam — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:59:32 +0000

In today’s rocky economic climate, most households are cutting back wherever they can. And with cable and satellite television costing anywhere from $65- $150 a month (more if you count premium movie channels) many people are making their television sets the first part of their homes to get the axe. But what if there was a way to enjoy thousands of television channels, including hard to find international shows and sports programming, and never pay another monthly cable bill again?

Welcome to Satellite Direct- the future of television.

With no subscription services or monthly bills, no hardware to install, and 24/7 unlimited access, is it any wonder that Internet Media Magazine hailed Satellite Direct as “unequivocally the best TV to PC software on the net”? Don’t be fooled by other so called “Great Deals” on satellite television service for your PC that give you only limited access to channels, or have dozens of hidden fees that end up costing you more than your current cable service.

For less than the price of one month’s subscription cable or satellite service, you can enjoy a lifetime of television- over 3,500 channels!- from the convenience of your laptop or desktop. And forget the hassles of waiting for installation, or hours on hold with the cable company. Installing Satellite Direct is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Register – Answer a few simple questions, and our easy registration system will process your ONE TIME payment. That’s right, no monthly bills- ever.

2. Download – Follow the easy, on screen instructions to download our software. No hardware to install, no equipment to buy.

3. Watch and Enjoy – Sit back and enjoy thousands of television channels, from soaps and sports to movies and dramas, any time, day or night.

With crystal clear picture and sound quality, exceptional customer service, and a lifetime of television for less than you’d pay for just one month of cable service, Satellite Direct is the best way to get the most for your TV dollar.

New Trojan Virus Disguised as Worm Game

markracz — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:37:15 +0000

Giddy up for yet another type of trojan! A Microsoft representative said that this new trojan can nuke the boot process of Windows. Instead of loading the operating system, all you get is a ASCII line in the middle of your monitor (is not even ASCII art, which can be cool). “A recently discovered backdoor sample (detected as Backdoor:Win32/Yonsole.A) can accept and execute a command from a remote server to modify the Master Boot Record (MBR) on the affected machine”, Chun Feng from Microsoft said yesterday.

This virus resembles the modus operandi of a timeless classic named “Stoned” which used to do the same thing on DOS back in the day. This virus can affect almost all types of popular Windows versions(including XP, VISTA and Windows 7) by dropping a DLL into your C:\Windows\System32 (yes, this folder has an important purpose, DO NOT erase it or fill it up with facebook screenshots of girls you don’t know).

But don’t worry too much about it, as the virus is around for almost a month and most antiviruses are able to cope with it. Microsoft claims that the alert status for this virus is “severe” and that you should update all of your software (ehem), stop downloading pirated software (double ehem) and not click unsafe links to web pages (some of the nicest things I’ve seen on the web are on unsafe sites, how can I not click on them?).

Via: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Backdoor-Trojan-Master-Boot-Record,news-33720.html

PlayStation 3 Losing Linux

J. Matthew Zoss — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:59:28 +0000

One of the PlayStation 3’s bragging points amongst the technorati was the fact that you could install other operating systems on the machine, usually Linux. The redesigned Ps3 Slim removed this ability, and now the original version is losing it as well. On April 1, PlayStation 3 firmware 3.21 will be available, and when installed it will remove the “Install Other OS” option for “security reasons.” Sure, you are free to not install the new firmware, but doing so may interfere with other functions, such as online gaming.

I personally never used the feature in question, but I know several people who did. I’ll be pouring out a 40 for fallen PS3 Linux on April Fool’s Day.

Story and Image Source: Engadget

Add Social Media to Gmail with Rapportive

J. Matthew Zoss — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:06:17 +0000

I can’t say that I really notice the Google ads when I’ve got my Gmail inbox open, but if there was another option I’d certainly get rid of them. But wait! Now there’s a better way! Firefox and Chrome plugin Rapportive replaces those ads with the social media contacts of the person you’re emailing, so rather than looking at a bunch of text links for bondage and domination services or sausage factories, you get a nice picture of your friend and some links to their online presence. You obviously need a Gmail account to make this work, but Rapportive doesn’t record your password or other info, so you can set those privacy concerns aside.

I get a lot of business emails in my Gmail account, which often comes from email addresses tied to no social networking accounts, so in those cases Rapportive tends to come up empty. But even a blank space is nicer to look at than a bunch of ugly text links.

Story and Image via Lifehacker

Email Your Files Into The Cloud With SugarSync

J. Matthew Zoss — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:02:36 +0000

The advent of cloud-based file storage is one of my personal favorite technological advances of recent years. I once lost several years of writing when my computer’s hard drive failed because I was bad about backing it up on discs, but now I’ll never have to worry about that again. Every file I save is automatically backed up to a cloud-based folder so it’s accessible from all of my computers or any other machine with an internet connection. Cloud-based storage, how I love thee so!

While I use a program called Dropbox for my cloud storage, its competitor SugarSync just added one hell of a new feature: the ability to email a file to your online storage folder. Just email a file to your personal SugarSync address, and the file will automatically be uploaded to your storage folder. Of course, file size is limited by your email’s outgoing mail size limit, but for most users this will be a super-convenient way to hang onto files they want to keep without using up inbox storage space or carrying a flash drive every time they use a public computer.

Story and Image Via Lifehacker.

PeeWee PC Kid-Proofs Your Computer, Makes Us Giggle Like Children

J. Matthew Zoss — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:34:33 +0000

The press release for PeeWee PC’s new PeeWee Kit just hit my inbox and made me realize that perhaps I’m not mature enough to have a grown-up computer. After all, the name “PeeWee PC” makes me snicker like a child because, well, you know, it’s hilarious. Goofy name aside, PeeWee PC’s new PeeWee Kit is something I’d probably invest in if I had children: a low-cost ($29.99) software suite that adds security controls as well as educational games, the PeeWee Kit helps your kids learn and keeps them away from the cesspool that it the uncensored internet.

The PeeWee Kit can be customized for several different age groups and includes the following games:

Science House
Bailey Book House
Trudy’s Time & Place House
Sammy’s Science House
Millie’s Math House
Thinkin’ Things
Mighty Math Carnival Countdown
Zoombinis Mountain Rescue
Reader Rabbit
Where in the World in Carmen Sandiego?
Oregon Trail

Oregon Trail? Heck yes! That game is awesome! Like I said I don’t have kids, so I may just have to buy this for myself.

20 Years Of Photoshop

Asterios Kokkinos — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:00:37 +0000

Happy birthday, terrible filters! Happy birthday, lens flares, and happy birthday Photoshop. Last friday, Adobe Photoshop turned 20 years old, and to celebrate, several cakes were rasterized (i.e. “eaten”).

Nah, those are all jokes, here’s some actual information: Photoshop’s long history started in 1987, when Thomas Knoll created some pixel-imaging software called “Display.” What did it do? Displayed stuff, specifically grayscale images on black & white monitors. Then Knoll and his brother John added “processing capabilities” to Display, Adobe licensed the thing in 1988, called it “Photoshop,” and sold the first version at retail stores on February 19, 1990.

Some cool facts:

Layers weren’t introduced until version 3.0, which is kinda like saying “Word introduced delete in version 5″
The healing brush, which is the best brush out there for ugly people, was introduced in version 7.0.
According to Adobe, Photoshop’s got over 10 million users online. 9.9 million of them do not have girlfriends.
The original sales projection for Photoshop was “500 copies a month,” which has held up to today.

Once again – happy birthday, Photoshop!

Source: PC Magazine

Photo Source:

PMSBuddy Tracks Girlfriend’s Periods, You Jerk

Asterios Kokkinos — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:00:55 +0000

TechCrunch just turned me on to an iPhone app that’s as unnecessary as it is hilarious. It’s called PMSBuddy, and is designed to tell you, a frightened male who’s uncomfortable with how the female body works, when he should hide in his room playing Fallout 3.

As someone who’s actually dated girls, let me tell you – PMS isn’t actually that big of a deal. It’s not a Jeckyl/Hyde transformation from reasonable intelligent partner to savage, chocolate popping monster. Girls are always crazy, regardless of what time of the month it happens to be.

That being said, if you really need an application to tell you when your girlfriend’s period is, well, here you go. It’s available as an iPhone app, a website and a facebook widget, and is used by approximately 100,000 terrified adult males worldwide.

Coming soon: FertilityBuddy, an app that allows you to determine when your significant other is ovulating. I’m not kidding. I wish I was kidding. I’m not kidding.

Source & Photo Source: TechCrunch

ShrinkIt: The Free PDF Shrinker

Asterios Kokkinos — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:00:53 +0000

If you’re anything like me, you’ve got some pretty gigantic PDFs lying around your hard drive. For some reason, even my 3 page text PDFs often top pretty big, which makes them hard to send to people on legacy email accounts (I can’t believe everyone’s not on gmail either.) The other situation I often run into is replying to something on raigslist with a PDF – Craigslist has a 150k cap, which my PDFs overrun pretty often.

A new app just hit the freeware marketplace that aims to fix this common problem – it’s called ShrinkIt, and it uses OS X’s built in PDF capabilities to shrink PDFs faster than George Costanza in a pool. You just drag and drop your PDFs onto the program icon or into the program window, and in seconds you get smaller versions of the files, in the same location as the original files, next to newly saved copies of the original.

This program’s perfect for graphic heavy or particularly long PDFs. Give it a shot, and make your PC counterparts even more jealous of how easily Mac handles PDFs.

Darpa Looks To Build Real Life C3PO

Nick Upton — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:20:03 +0000

The military is looking for a better way to cut through the challenges of listening to radio chatter in several dialects when every word and second counts.

Currently, the military passes around the radio to interpreters who piece it together but lose a lot in the translation.

Darpa’s is experimenting with a system dubbed Robust Automatic Translation of Speech, or RATS.

Darpa wants RATS to pull speech out of “noisy or degraded signals,” with 99 percent accuracy at distinguishing spoken words from background noise. The system should also be able to identify, with 98 percent accuracy, the language spoken — with special emphasis on Arabic, Farsi, Pashto, Dari and Urdu.

The RATS software will be programmed with voice-recognition technology, to identify people on a military most-wanted list. It’ll also be able to automatically detect specific, preselected “key words or phases.”

They want the program to translate 15 languages among 1,000 different speakers with the ability to identify 100 words in three Middle Eastern languages.
Darpa wants the whole program on a PDA device (I want it on my phone) and wants it ready in 6 months.

That’s some app, but if it works it could take interpreters out of danger and out of the messy equation that the current method of spying creates.

[Via Wired]

Skype HD Allows Long Distance Girlfriend To See All Your Flaws

Asterios Kokkinos — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:32:03 +0000

Take a deep breath, because Skype’s gone hi-def! The venerated VOIP software announced today that version 4.2′ll allow for communication via HD webcam. You can download a beta version of Skype 4.2 here. Also, the Skype Shop will soon be selling three Skype-certified HD cameras, to make it easier for mom and dad to find an HD webcam they know’ll work.

As usual, though, this raises the question: do we really want to be seen in hi-def?

Look at the two models they got for this photo. Of course they look good in HD, they’d look good anywhere!

Personally, I have a hard enough time communicating with people in lo-def. Fixing my hair, washing my face…what a hassle. For hi-def I guess I’m gonna have to buy a makeup kit or something. Or maybe just grow a huge beard. Do beards look good in hi-def?

Source: Skype.com

Photosynth In Action At CES 2010

Nick Upton — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:35:33 +0000

Say what, Microsoft is giving something away for free, and it doesn’t suck?!? I got a chance to see the Photosynth in action at the

Consumer Electronics Show, and I must say I was quite impressed.

This could be a great alternative to a slideshow of 50 images on Facebook. Just link the image and all your photos are together, it also gives a sense of where you are, instead of those 50 random images. By putting the whole bar, dance, wedding, etc. together in one spot, viewers can instantly see what the event is, where it is and who was involved. And moving around they can see each individual picture.

It was the first thing I saw when I walked into the CES floor, I can’t wait to see what else is here.