Online scammers hijack Japan donation efforts

http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=61676&PageMem=1

3/15/2011

By: Gregg Keizer

A new record has been reached by cyber-criminals. Less than 3 hours after the earthquake in Japan, the internet was filled by scams. Scams range from links to fake anti-virus downloads and phony donation sites to classic online frauds that rely on greed. Even Facebook has been used by cyber-crooks to collect information when users click on a link posing as CNN video footage of the tsunami that struck the eastern cost of Japan Friday. Scammers are also flooding e-mail inboxes with messages asking recipients to donate money to relief efforts. A large number of domains with URLs have been registered that seems legitimate and ask for donations. The Internet Crime Complaint Centre-- which is run jointly by the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center – issued an alert advising people to be cautious of responding to such requests.

There is nothing new about such fraudulent activities on the internet. I am sure that you too get at least 10 to 15 spam e-mail a day with subjects ranging from asking for donations to confirmation on your ATM card transactions or e-mails from the director of FBI or CIA..... There are still a number of people who may be fooled by such scams either because of their greed or simply because they are too trustful. 

This latest scam --fake anti-virus -- is a whole different story and one of the worst. You are under the impression that if you don’t take action, your system is in jeopardy. So obviously, you want to stop the virus to compromise all your data or even wipe out your whole system. The way it works is: while you’re browsing the internet, a pop-up shows with a message that a Trojan virus has been detected. To remove it you are prompted to click and download the anti-virus for it. The page that you are forwarded to looks very legitimate, sometimes an exact replica of a Microsoft windows page, but in order to download the anti-virus software you have to pay. Depending on different packages the amount varies. Problem is once you’ve agreed to remove the Trojan you can’t exit this page and it takes control over your system. Even shutting down your computer will not work. Do not pay. One of the solutions to this problem is to restore your system to a previous date and you’ll get rid of the unwelcome guest who’s become the host. One of the giveaways to detect the fake message from the real one is that it doesn’t come from the anti-virus package that you have installed in your computer. I Hope this will help in case you encounter such a problem in your virtual tour on the Net.

Shabnam

Google launches preemptive strike at Office 365

http://www.infoworld.com/t/office-software/google-launches-preemptive-strike-office-365-729

February 25, 2011

By Woody Leonhard

 

How much is good enough?

The product is a gussied-up version of DocVerse, a collaboration program Google bought in February 2010, and it doesn't bring anything new to the online collaboration ball game. But it's fast, easy, free to an extent -- more about that shortly -- and it offers a few unique capabilities you may find inviting.

Here's how it works. After you download and install Cloud Connect and restart Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, you're prompted to enter your Google credentials. Google asks for permission to allow Cloud Connect (Pavilion) access to your account. You can choose to save your documents to the Google Cloud automatically (every time you save in the application), or you can make the cloud sync manual (when you specifically click on the Sync button).

When the Office app comes up for air, it sprouts a new ribbon (yech). Although it takes up substantial screen real estate, it allows you to change the sync state between automatic and manual, and it holds the requisite Sync button. When you save a document in automatic mode or click the Sync button, a copy of the doc goes to your Google Docs account. As soon as the doc appears in Google Docs it's assigned an URL, which you can email to other people and thus invite collaboration.

The Cloud Connect plug-in is free. It works with Office 2003, 2007, and 2010 (but not Office for Mac, because Microsoft hasn't provided the APIs to the Mac version of Office needed for plug-ins to work). Google Docs is free. But if you want to sign up for the Connect service -- which lets your company stick Google Docs on your own servers, so synced copies aren't flying around the Web -- you need to get Google Apps for Business, which costs $50 per seat per year. Google Apps for Business adds all sorts of extra capabilities.

Google Cloud has one more trick up its sleeve: Files you put in your Google Docs account are immediately available inside other Google Apps. If you want to edit a document in both Word and Google Docs, it's much simpler using Cloud Connect.

Japan may send chatty humanoid tweet-bot to space

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110217/ap_on_hi_te/as_japan_tweet_bot;_ylt=AkD57L5jaKAQyqye_aHCzkis0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFobDR2bHBuBHBvcwMxMzMEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl90ZWNobm9sb2d5BHNsawNqYXBhbm1heXNlbmQ-

Article Date: February 17, 2011

By: ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press Eric Talmadge, Associated Press

To make it more fun and entertaining to the reader and maybe even encourage them to comment on it, I decided to blog differently. Although my article is still purely technological, it is a bit colourful and I would like to add a little spice to it. Aside from what this article means in terms of science and MONEY, I’d like you to think about what it means in terms of society and human relationships as well.

In 2013, Japan’s space agency is planning to send a humanoid robot to the International Space Station. These robots will monitor the health and stress level of astronauts, take care of the mission during their sleep, and communicate via twitter from space to Earth. Furthermore, they will provide “comfort and companionship” to astronauts. These humanoid are human-like, have facial expression and could talk with them. Since Japan has a growing rate of aging people with one of the world’s longest life expectancy, they would like to produce these humanoids on mass to help Japanese elderly in the near future.

This is absolutely great news for businesses. The article does not mention when it will become available to the public and how much it will cost. No doubt the price will be astronomic. If the humanoids are as responsive as the article claims, imagine what other services it can provide besides taking care of the elderly. It could be used in any kind of employment probably other than the medical profession (e.g. doctors, surgeons...) for now. I don’t know of any employer who would not want to employ a humanoid if it means he/she does not have to pay for salary, benefits, retirement plans, taxes... There will be no need for them to follow labour laws, no overtime. There is a huge possibility that tasks will be done even better and mistake free. I hope by the time that they become available on the market, there will be some other variety of jobs available for humans!!!

Although this is a groundbreaking innovation in technology, I should say the day it becomes mass produced will be a sad day for humanity and world population. Why does it feel like every one step forward for the technology means ten steps back for the human kind? Are they really able to provide “comfort and companionship” to people? If yes, there is a good chance that human relations as we know now will change forever.  Who needs friends they cannot trust? Who needs cheating spouses? Your old parents are alone and sick, the humanoid will take care of it, no need to visit them in the weekend or spend your holidays with them.

My advice: think twice before introducing it to the market.

Shabnam

Smackdown: Android Market vs. iPhone App Store

http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobilize/smackdown-android-market-vs-iphone-app-store-497&current=1&last=13#slideshowTop

Article Date : 5^th Feb 2011

Opinion Piece

Key Ideas:

 We decided to choose this article as our first Blog entry because of the comparison between the apple app. stores & android app store. Both companies are very popular in the telecommunication market. It is interesting to see how they are similar and different to each other and what are the advantages & disadvantages of each system. This article helps  you make the right decision if you are planning to buy a new phone. It talks about how the navigation is easier in apple stores but android app store have a refund policy which apple app store doesn’t offer. It compares the prices of applications available and how there is a huge difference between them in both stores. It also talks about the difference in reviews & ratings available to users and tells you that apple app store is better on the whole as it’s more user friendly.

SummaryJ

This is an opinion based article. The author is briefly talking about the Con’s & Pro’s of each application store and prefers apple over android phones. The article talks about various function available in the Application stores of both companies and compares them to each other in a slideshow.  It talks about the number of applications available in each app store and their price differences and the benefits of the apps. It talks about how some features are very similar yet some are really different. According to this article Apple is the better option as it is more user friendly,  offers more applications and better prices.  The writer is recommending choosing apple over android so if consumers take their decision based on this can reduce the business of android phones and possibly increasing the sales of apple iphones.   I think   it is very good that the author decided to compare the different features available in each of the system because the people who don’t know much about smart phones can make a better decision now depending on their priorities and expectations. They exactly know what the system offers, what program, what kind of applications, and what is the refund policy. They know which company offers more safety & security. The author also decided to keep the language simple so more people can take advantage of the article.  The author clearly gives you the reasons why one should choose apple over android putting android down and in fact praising their efforts that how in such a short span they have made their place in the market too and if they work a little more on the look and user friendly system they will be able to give apple a neck to neck competition.