- skunkworks - Skunkworks Site

Top Notch Web Developer
by James Muendo 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

Hi Skunk(ett)s, A friend of mine is looking for a top-notch web developer, should be good in PHP and AJAX. Good package, if you know anyone, please let them drop-a-line ASAP. James Muendo Leerick Office & Tech Supplies P.O Box 28016 - 00200 Nairobi,Kenya. Phone: + 254 725 567 508 gtalk: timrick Skype: tim.rick rickdeesadvantage.blogspot.com

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ARCHIVING
by James Muendo 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

Hi Skunk(ettes); Any company that deals with this get in-touch off-list. Work is as much as archiving information for an organisation that has been around since 1964. So, quote and include all the details possible. Regards; James Muendo Leerick Office & Tech Supplies P.O Box 28016 - 00200 Nairobi,Kenya. Phone: + 254 725 567 508 gtalk: timrick Skype: tim.rick rickdeesadvantage.blogspot.com

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MDaemon Help Needed
by Simon Mbuthia 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

Hi guys, I have just been informed by my ISP that our network is spamming :-( Some network engineer tells me that normally, it is the mail server that sends out SPAM. Our server happens t run MDaemon, whose configuration appears kinda cryptic to me. the said engineer tells me that there are settings that need to be applied on MDaemon to prevent it from spamming, but she doesn't remember exactly how that's done. It is on this basis that I am imploring MDaermon gurus [if there's such a thing as that] on the list to kindly throw me a lifeline as guys have started complaining of emails not getting delivered to their intended recipients. Please help. Me. -- שִׁמְעוֹן

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How the CoE is promoting abortion and homosexuality
by Mikey Tirop 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

Dear Fellow Kenya, Contrary to what some media people (especially The Daily Nation – Nation Media Group) wants Kenyans to believe, the following is what the so called harmonized draft constitution will mean to the society if it is passed as it is: 1. Abortion will officially be legal 2. Homosexuality will officially be legal Let me explain: A. THE ABORTION ISSUE: The previous draft discussed extensively at Bomas concluded the following: Right To Life 35.(1) Every person has the right to life except as may be prescribed in an Act of Parliament. (2) The life of a person begins at conception. (3) Abortion is not permitted except as may be provided for by an Act of Parliament. The Harmonized draft created by the Committee of Experts (CoE) says the following: Right to life 35. (1) Every person has the right to life. (2) A person shall not be arbitrarily deprived of life. With the above in mind, please note the following changes in the harmonized draft: a. The sentence "(2) The life of a person begins at conception." has been removed from the former draft. This was removed because pro-abortion groups usually dismiss the fact that life begins at conception. This is so as to allow babies to be killed while in the womb because according to them, life of a “person” begins at the point the baby is born. b. The sentence "(3) Abortion is not permitted except as may be provided for by an Act of Parliament." has also been removed from the former draft. Removing this sentence therefore means that if the harmonized constitution is passed, abortion will be permitted and millions of babies will be killed! B. THE HOMOSEXUALITY ISSUE: The previous draft discussed extensively at Bomas concluded the following: Family 42. (1) The family is the natural and fundamental unit of society and the basis of social order. (2) Every adult has the right - (a) to marry a person of the opposite sex, based upon the free consent of the parties; and (b) found a family. (3) A person shall not marry another person of the same sex. (4) Parties to a marriage are entitled to equal rights in relation to the marriage at the time of the marriage, during the marriage and at the dissolution of the marriage. (5) Parliament shall enact legislation that recognizes— (a) marriages concluded under any tradition, or system of religious, personal or family law; and (b) personal and family law under any tradition, or adhered to by persons professing a particular religion, to the extent that such marriages or systems are consistent with this Constitution. The Harmonized draft created by the CoE says the following: Family 42. (1) The family is the natural and fundamental unit of society and the necessary basis of social order. (2) Every adult has the right to marry a person of the opposite sex, based upon the free consent of the parties. (3) Every adult has the right to found a family. (4) Parties to a marriage are entitled to equal rights at the time of the marriage, during the marriage and at the dissolution of the marriage. (5) Parliament shall enact legislation that recognizes— (a) marriages concluded under any tradition, or system of religious, personal or family law; and (b) personal and family law under any tradition, or adhered to by persons professing a particular religion, to the extent that such marriages or systems are consistent with this Constitution. With the above in mind, please note the following change in the harmonized draft: The sentence "(3) A person shall not marry another person of the same sex." has been removed from the former draft. This is so as to make sure that when the draft constitution there is ambiguity as to what a "family" really is and by so doing pave way for homosexuality and destruction of the traditional family. C. HOW THE COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS PLANS TO ACHIEVE THIS EVIL PLAN The strategy being used by the CoE, pro-abortion groups and homosexuals is as follows: 1. Certain people in the media and columnists are supposed to create the impression that homosexuals have been marginalized by this new constitution. This is so as to allow you to ignore paying much attention on the evil changes that have been made by the CoE and by so doing vote YES for a constitution that goes against the religious and cultural beliefs of the majority. 2. The 30 day period for debate has been specifically been made that short so that there is no time for the word to spread. 3. Certain people in the media are supposed to only create the impression that the only major contentious issue is devolution of power. This is therefore meant to make the public concentrate on only that issue and forget about abortion and the family. 4. Since the sections on abortion and homosexuality will not be discussed widely by the public, the impression created by the CoE will be that the abortion and homosexuality issues are not contentions and so they will not be put under a referendum. We all know that a majority of Kenyans are pro-life and they also reject homosexuality. Therefore putting such issues under a referendum will be a big blow to the pro-abortion groups and homosexuals. What you can do to stop this madness: - Email all major and minor newspapers, magazines, TV & Radio stations and inform them of these evil plans by the CoE, abortionists and homosexuals - Use word of mouth to talk to your friends, co-workers, neighbors, fellow commuters, classmates, family members and basically everyone you come in contact with. - Talk to your pastor, priest, imam, guru and tell them to use the pulpit to stop this evil - Forward this message to all your email contacts - Forward this message to all your contacts on Facebook, twitter and other social networks - Create Facebook groups and invite your friends to spread the word - Go to the Commitee of Experts website (www.coekenya.go.ke) and inform them through their forums and email address of your displeasure that they are tying to push us towards the culture of death and homosexuality by making the changes mentioned above - Talk, write, email your Members of Parliament and tell them that if the draft reaches parliament in the current state, they must change it immediately to include the sentences that CoE removed. Otherwise they can kiss their re-election goodbye. - Pray very hard that the constitution does not pass with the current format that promotes abortion and homosexuality Please note that if you do not take action: - Millions of babies are going to be murdered. - Homosexuals will promote their sinful ways openly since the law will be on their side and you will even be sent to jail for discriminating against them. It is now up to you. Yours, Very Concerned Kenyan. 23rd, November, 2009

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SMS Interconnect Fees
by saidimu apale 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

I didn't know it cost Safaricom so much to terminate SMSes on their network. Poor MJ ;) http://manypossibilities.net/2009/11/sms-interconnect-fees/

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video compression and analysis software for MPEG-4 (H.264)
by nyarotho kennedy 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

morning happy people, i need thorough assistance on the above subject. am currently working on my project - I*PTV Service optimization on an IMS network*. The main objective is to reduce bandwidth consumption(typical for the kenyan market!) and improve scalability. one way to achieve this is by choosing a suitable video codec for transmission. But as is with academia i need to analyse different video signals (compressed differently) and justify my choice. that is why i need compression software and probably software for VIDEO signal analysis. Please try and keep it FOSS :). all help appreciated. God bless y'all! NB: Any Zuku guyz can let me in on the codecs they use for their service. and it doesnt have to be h.264! BR, Nyarotho Kennedy -- People should know when they are conquered.

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How the CoE is promoting abortion and homosexuality
by Mikey Tirop 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

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Anyone supplying Ericsson PB 250 VMU Cards ?
by benson maina 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

Gentlemen kindly assist on this one ASAP

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ANALOGUE DIGIUM CARDS ANYONE?
by davis muriuki 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

Anyone with the above cards please email me offlist -- Thiong'o Muriuki,

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if you ever need to rename 100+ files...
by saidimu apale 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

I needed to quickly and painlessly rename some files by replacing spaces with underscores (_). Here's a quick and dirty python script that did it for me. I ran it from the python interpreter command-line (I didn't save the script to a file... lazy). ----- begin script----- import os for file in os.listdir(os.getcwd()): newname = "_".join(file.split()) os.rename(file, newname) ----- end script------ It's a quick and dirty script so there's no error-handling of *any* sort. But that's trivial to add if you needed it.

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Flex Adobe Air Runtime
by Mr. Lawi 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

Flex gurus? If I have the Flex SDK, do I need to install the Adobe Air runtime? There is a .air app I want to run and it does require I install adobe runtime and I am not sure I need to download it if I already have the sdk. Thanx in advance.

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web developer needed
by Gichingiri Kuria 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

kindly circulate* The Company* Sokoletu is a company involved in design for web and print. We build and develop great websites; also involved in graphic design for print-work including logo design, branding, book layout, etc (see our website for more info www.sokoletu.co.ke) *Position* *Assistant Web Developer* *Duties* - Coding functionality into a provided website draft - Applying content to layout on website - Testing of website for compatibility on various browsers - Updating of content on existing websites *Requirements* - A passion for the web - A preference for Mozilla Firefox over IE - Desire and potential to learn - Understanding of XHTML, CSS, PHP, MySQL - know how to use applications used for: 1. bitmap editing (e.g. Photoshop) 2. vector editing (e.g. Illustrator) 3. WYSIWYG editing (e.g. Dreamweaver) *Experience* Some form of experience is necessary, on the minimum through formal education or apprenticeship. *Apply* - send an email of introduction to info(a)sokoletu.co.ke before 13th December 2009 - attach CV as Word document or PDF, no longer than 2 pages - attach samples of your work in .jpg or PDF, no bigger than 2MB if sending a sample website, ZIP it - (if available) send links to an online CV or to works you've done --------------------------------- Gichingiri Kuria, Design, Sokoletu. www.sokoletu.co.ke

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Re: [Skunkworks] Kebs targets makers of software with quality rules
by Steve Obbayi 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

To all those who are against reinventing the wheel, i will give you a simple illustration: Take these two apps: for those who have been around since the early days of mysql, remember "mysql front". this App was the main interface to the mysql database but thank God for Indians. they went ahead and developed "mysqlyog". years later mysql front couldn't compete simply coz these indian fellows reinvented the wheel and gave us mysqlyog. These two applications did exactly the same thing but mysqlyog capitalized on mysql fronts weaknesses. They turn to development on win32 api an produced a lighter and faster front end to mysql. eventually almost everyone stopped using mysql front and turned to mysqlyog. i dont thinks its in production any more @Peter I am afraid I still have to agree with Aki on this one... 1. you say Kenya produces software for intl market? eg isys and verviant. don't these guys have offices in Denmark/USA or rather they seem to be like local partners for these foreign companies? That to me isn't local software. 2. Even though code reuse is inevitable eg like in c++ I would use the STL which comes as part of the core language is one argument to that. I write an algorithm that does task X then when I need task X i would get that algorithm and use it. Is a better form of code reuse Code reuse however doesn't mean downloading an entire app and choosing your favorite theme and pluggins and using them. That is simply using software, period!!! don't need to be a genius to do that. code reuse simply means bundling code into classes or reusable objects and not entire applications. 3. One thing you should note is that the international software market isn't hard to penetrate coz what the international software market want to see is demo software or sample code. But the thing is Kenyan Software developers don't have original apps to even use as demos and that why Kenyan developers are having problems. You cant use a borrowed App as a demo. Then I have had the privilege of spending a lot of my time jumping between USA and today and with time you tend to notice differences. I noticed in USA (not just IT industry but all) the people want the government to stay out of the way. while in Kenya we want the government to do things for us. 4. How does one have the nerve to call themselves a software developer and yet they cannot develop anything from scratch? How can you be a developer when you cant even optimize your own code. When google adopted the code for mysql they modified it, fixed bugs, patched up the code and contributed part of it back to main code base. How many developers here fr example those that use Joomla or drupal a lot. how many of these have rooted out bugs or improved the code and sent the modifications back to the source. If any developer who uses those apps does that let us know. I will start with myself. many years ago I used to use phpcollab and found very many bugs. I went in fixed them and sent the changes back to the developers. Kenyan developers need to step up the plate to earn the 100% Kenyan made mark. SKYPE: sobbayi US: +1 202 297 6831 +1 202 470 0525 KE: +254 722 627 691 http://blog.sobbayi.com http://sobbayi.blogspot.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Karunyu" <pkarunyu(a)gmail.com> To: "Skunkworks Forum" <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 3:33:26 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] Kebs targets makers of software with quality rules My point: concluding that Kenya does not produce software for the local or international market simply because of the prevalent use of FREEWARE, is, for lack of a more polite word, a fallacy. Aki, you are making one large assumption: That the reason Kenya does not produce software for the local or international market is because of code reuse. Here are my thoughts; 1. Kenya does produce software for the local and international market, two outfits come to mind, iSys and Vervient 2. Code reuse is inevitable, unless you want to start by writing your own BIOS, device drivers, OS, compiler, web server etc. Assuming you drive a toyota camry, can not the same argument you are making be applied to it? (they tend to reuse the same powertrains) 3. Finally, the fact that Kenya does not produce software for the international market can be attributed to several variables, not just FREEWARE, for example: a. The local software market is still relatively 'virgin' such that the few companies that do produce software for it are satisfied b. The international software market is relatively hard to penetrate such that local companies find it easier to stick to the local c. Kenyans have peculiar coding habits d. "Tunaomba serikali itusaidie" e. FREEWARE f. etc _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks ------------ Skunkworks Rules http://my.co.ke/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=94 ------------ Other services @ http://my.co.ke Other lists ------------- Announce: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce Science: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science kazi: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general

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MOA Compliant Accident at rout 111.
by Lawrence Kago 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

Anyone using route 111? I have a problem with MOA compliant,they've only operated the route for 2-3Yrs now.We thought they were a good idea since they'd go to the city center(Licensed) but we now have mixed reactions. I don't know if its the buses(Poor maintenance) or the drivers who are reckless.Jana another bad accident happened at a place called Juanco/VET n enough have happened before involving buses from the same company. I tried to compare them with another company which has been plying the rout for the last 6 or so years(at least since i came to know them) and i think MOA Compliant need some sound advice. Is there anybody in the forum who can contact the management.

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Ericsson PB 250 VMU Cards
by benson maina 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

Morning Where can I get this cards & at how much? Best regards

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Re: [Skunkworks] Power of Innovation: TED Talks
by S. U. Mawiyoo 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

Speaking of TED.com.. Is there a Local chapter of this.. ? Anyone interested in organising a local chapter via TEDx<http://www.ted.com/tedx> <http://www.ted.com/tedx>A local chapter in Tanzania just got Legit recently. (tweets @TEDxDAR <http://twitter.com/TEDxDar>) ___________________ S.U. Mawiyoo +27 78 747 0240 (SA) 15196704-2007 International Office (RW Wilcocks South, Victoria Street, Stellenbosch 7600.) (Private Bag X1, 7602 Matieland) South Africa ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Confidentiality Notice: This message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. __________________________________________________________ http://sm1810.blogspot.com/ Updates, ~ Spasmodic ~ 2009/11/22 David Kiania | Asentric Consulting Ltd <kianiadee(a)gmail.com> > I have just watched one of the most amazing technology presentations > at TED Check this out. > > http://www.ted.com/talks/pranav_mistry_the_thrilling_potential_of_sixthsens… > > All I can say is woow! > > Rgds > > Kiania > -- > > [Asentric Consulting Ltd] > > If a man has in himself the soul of a slave will he not become one no > matter what his birth .... > > -Richest Man in Babylon > _______________________________________________ > Skunkworks mailing list > Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks > ------------ > Skunkworks Rules > http://my.co.ke/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=94 > ------------ > Other services @ http://my.co.ke > Other lists > ------------- > Announce: > http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce > Science: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science > kazi: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general >

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A thought to all phone programmers/developers.
by Lawrence Kago 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

May be my phone is old/doesn't support the feature if they exist. A phone has a storage capacity of upto 500 contacts,clients sometimes save numbers under name X and eventually forget who the person is.Most people end up saving numbers as...X-Fundi,John-Driver,Joel-(person who connected you to him),for easy reference so that you don't end up deleting important contacts. Is there a phone that has ability to save contacts and maybe create/show mutual frnd.or at least how the contact ended up in your phone ie.the way access shows tables relationship.Is it possible to develop something of the sort so that one can create contacts relationship on the phone.... Just a thought.

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Java Store - Hijakced from: Kebs targets makers of software with quality rules
by Steve Obbayi 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

This is a spin-off of the thread "Kebs targets makers of software with quality rules" just didnt want to hijack it entirely, I picked off from the conversation between @AKi and @Murigi about developers pulling off solo moves instead of working together. Anyway, for those who might not know that Sun has been trying out Apple's model of distributing Apps and now Java developers have got an avenue of distributing desktop apps, games etc using the Java Store. I remember @Wesley floated a similar store to distribute Kenyan Apps on some past thread and I am not sure what happened to that idea. So Sun has done exactly what Wesley was thinking about. Here is the catch for now it is only available to USA residents to buy and sell their Apps (so for those that cant access it, I have attached a screen shot of my page to this email). Sun has gone further and now opened it to other selected countries who can put only free apps for the time being, but will soon be allowed to put up apps for a fee. I tried to set up a second account as a Kenyan developer but unfortunately they wont allow me to do it until the demand for developers wishing to develop for the Java Store goes up... plus other things. I am encouraging developers from Kenya to sign up so as to build that demand and have them include Kenya in the next list of countries that can create Apps for the store. Thats what @Aki said in the previous thread that Kenyan developers must work 10 times harder to keep up with developers in other countries. Its not so much the lack of developers but lack of innovation within the developers. I am not sure if the link is accessible from Kenya but here's the link: http://java.sun.com/warehouse/index.jsp If you can access the link please go ahead and register. Steve Obbayi SKYPE: sobbayi US: +1 202 297 6831 +1 202 470 0525 KE: +254 722 627 691 http://sobbayi.com http://blog.sobbayi.com

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Ubuntu Developers Agree to Help with Chrome OS
by aki 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

By Brian Heater - PC Magazine - Fri Nov 20 Google has an important ally in its newly revealed Chrome OS<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/zd/tc_zd/storytext/246248/34159120/SIG=128…>. Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu--one of the more user-friendly versions of Linux around--has agreed to contribute engineering to the project, under contract. "In the interest of transparency, we should declare that Canonical is contributing engineering to Google under contract," Chris Kenyon, vice president of OEM Services at Canonical, wrote in a blog post<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/zd/tc_zd/storytext/246248/34159120/SIG=112…>. "In our discussions, Sundar Pichai and Linus Upson made it clear that they want,wherever feasible, to build on existing components and tools from the open source community without unnecessary re-invention. This clear focus should benefit a wide variety of existing projects and we welcome it." While there are certainly some similarities between the two Linux-based operating systems, Ubuntu and Chrome are sufficiently different, Kenyon wrote. "Ubuntu will continue to be a general purpose OS running both web and native applications such as OpenOffice and will not require specialized hardware."

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New Malware Affects Jailbroken iPhones
by aki 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

By Mike Keller - 3:49PM EST Late last week, an Australian hacker dubbed *ikee* deployed the Rickrolling<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/newmalwareaff…>worm– a harmless and humorous worm that installs a picture of 80’s one hit wonder Rick Astley<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/newmalwareaff…>to affected users’ home screens. *Rickrolling* serves not so much as malware but as a warning to jailbreak users who have installed SSH in order to gain root access to their iPhone’s file system from the internet but have neglected to change the default password, even though not doing so is clearly warned against in the installation documentation. To the few users yet to heed the warning presented by *ikee*, it might be a good time to go ahead Intego<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/newmalwareaff…>reported the discovery of a much more harmful piece of malware that affects jailbroken iPhones and permeates in the same fashion as the *Rickrolling*worm. Once again exploiting the fact that many users who install SSH on their iPhones fail to change the default password, the *iPhone/Privacy.A *worm quietly copies personal information from an afflicted device and spreads itself to other unsecured iPhones on the same network. Unlike *Rickrolling, *which announces itself by changing the wallpaper, this worm gives no indication when a device has been infected. Since an unchanged SSH password grants root file system access, *iPhone/Privacy.A* has the potential to access any file stored on an affected iPhone- including, but not limited to e-mails, text messages, photos, music, videos and calendars. This news shouldn’t be read as a chastisement of jailbreaking but rather a reminder to use common sense. Especially when it comes to installing hackish software, know what you’re getting yourself into, and always read the docs.

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Power of Innovation: Sixth Sense
by David Kiania | Asentric Consulting Ltd 23 Nov '09

23 Nov '09

I have just watched one of the most amazing technology presentations at TED Check this out. http://www.ted.com/talks/pranav_mistry_the_thrilling_potential_of_sixthsens… All I can say is woow! Rgds Kiania -- [Asentric Consulting Ltd] If a man has in himself the soul of a slave will he not become one no matter what his birth .... -Richest Man in Babylon

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Google Unveils Chrome OS; Tech World Yawns
by aki 22 Nov '09

22 Nov '09

By Paul Suarez - Sat Nov 21, 2009 5:05PM EST Earlier this week, Google gave the world a first look at the Chrome OS<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/googleunveils…>. The press event confirmed what was suspected when Google announced it was working on a netbook operating system<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/googleunveils…>four months ago -- it would emphasize speed and simplicity<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/googleunveils…>. As the tech world tests versions of the operating system that were compiled from Google's source code<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/googleunveils…>it is looking like the project's priorities may be weaknesses. Chromium OS is simple; so simple that most hands-on impressions are calling it the Chrome browser with a few add-ons<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/googleunveils…>. The OS adds features such as a battery life indicator and window management, but lacks a few standards -- such as a way to shut down the OS. A big advantage to Chrome<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/googleunveils…>is that the cloud-based model has the potential for extremely fast computing, including a boot time as short as three seconds. Right now, Chrome OS is getting mixed speed results, which is probably because it is running through virtual machines<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/googleunveils…>. Vladislav Savov of Engadget<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/googleunveils…>reports his install booted to the login screen in fewer than ten seconds and was able to browse the Web in another five. Sean Kalinich from Tweaktown<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/googleunveils…>had a far more underwhelming experience. His machine was booting about as fast as a laptop running Windows 7 off a SSD. Here's what he had to say: *"Boot up - From pressing the start (power) link until we hit the log in screen was 14.8 seconds. After typing in our log in information (which HAS to be a Gmail account), it took a further 4.4 seconds to get to the "Desktop", so total boot up time is about 20-25 . . . " * It seems that it is too early to tell if the Chrome OS will be a hit<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/googleunveils…>or a flop<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/googleunveils…>. To be fair, this is a very early version of the OS that wasn't ever meant to be much more than a browser. As Harry McCracken of Technologizer<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/googleunveils…>points out, Google said the OS is subject to quite a bit of change before an official release next year, and critiquing the OS is premature until a close-to-final build is available

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Security Pro Says New SSL Attack Can Hit Many Sites
by aki 22 Nov '09

22 Nov '09

By Robert McMillan, IDG News Service A Seattle computer security consultant says he's developed a new way to exploit a recently disclosed bug in the SSL protocol, used to secure communications on the Internet. The attack, while difficult to execute, could give attackers a very powerful phishing attack. Frank Heidt, CEO of Leviathan Security Group, says his "generic" proof-of-concept code could be used to attack a variety of Web sites. While the attack is extremely difficult to pull off -- the hacker would first have to first pull off a man-in-the-middle attack, running code that compromises the victim's network -- it could have devastating consequences. The attack exploits the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Authentication Gap bug, first disclosed on Nov. 5. One of the SSL bug's discoverers, Marsh Ray at PhoneFactor, says he's seen a demonstration of Heidt's attack, and he's convinced it could work. "He did show it to me and it's the real deal," Ray said. The SSL Authentication flaw gives the attacker a way to change data being sent to the SSL server, but there's still no way to read the information coming back. Heidt sends data that causes the SSL server to return a redirect message that then sends the Web browser to another page. He then uses that redirect message to move the victim to an insecure connection where the Web pages can be rewritten by Heidt's computer before they are sent to the victim. "Frank has shown a way to leverage this blind plain text injection attack into a complete compromise of the connection between the browser and the secure site," Ray said. A consortium of Internet companies has been working to fix the flaw since the PhoneFactor developers first uncovered it several months ago. Their work gained new urgency when the bug was inadvertently disclosed on a discussion list. Security experts have been debating the severity of this latest SSL flaw since it became public knowledge. Last week, IBM researcher Anil Kurmus showed how the flaw could be used to trick browsers into sending Twittermessages that contained user passwords. This latest attack shows that the flaw could be used to steal all sorts of sensitive information from secure Web sites, Heidt said. To be vulnerable, sites need to do something called client renegotiation under SSL and also to have some element on their secure Web pages that could generate a particular 302 redirect message. Many high-profile banking and e-commerce Web sites will not return this 302 redirect message in a way that can be exploited, but a "huge number" of sites could be attacked, Heidt said. With so many Web sites at risk to the flaw, Heidt says he does not intend to release his code immediately. From the victim's perspective, the only noticeable change during an attack is that the browser no longer looks as though it's connected to an SSL site. The attack is similar to the SSL Strip<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/securityprosa…>attack demonstrated by Moxie Marlinspike [cq] at a security conference earlier this year. Leviathan Security Group has created a tool<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/securityprosa…>that webmasters can use to see if their sites are vulnerable to a SSL Authentication Gap attack. Because SSL, and its replacement standard, TLS, are used in a wide range of Internet technologies the bug has far-reaching implications. Thierry Zoller, a security consultant with G-Sec, says that theoretically, the flaw could be used to attack mail servers<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/pcworld/tc_pcworld/storytext/securityprosa…>. "An attacker can potentially highjack mails send over secured SMTP [Simple Mail Transfer Protocol] connections, even if they are authenticated by a private certificate," he said in an instant message interview. Zoller, who has not seen Leviathan's code, said that if the attack works as advertized, it will be just a matter of days before someone else figures out how to do it.

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Smiling on Facebook costs Canadian her insurance
by aki 22 Nov '09

22 Nov '09

MONTREAL (AFP) – Facebook can be a double-edged sword, a Canadian woman learned when an insurance company cut her health benefits, claiming she was healthy after seeing pictures of her smiling in bikini at the beach. Nathalie Blanchard, 29, took long-term sick leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, more than a year ago for severe depression. She was receiving monthly benefits from her insurance company, Manulife. When Blanchard called Manulife to inquire why the payments dried up, the insurance company said that "I'm available to work, because of Facebook," she told CBC television. She said that Manulife cited several pictures Blanchard had posted on her social networking website page, including some showing her enjoying herself during a male strip-tease show at a Chippendales bar, celebrating her birthday and bathing in the sun. Based on these postings, the firm claimed Blanchard was no longer depressed. Manulife declined to comment on the incident but said in a statement that "we would not deny or terminate a valid claim solely based on information published on websites such as Facebook." But the company did recognize that it uses such information to learn more about their clients.

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projector
by jacques munene 22 Nov '09

22 Nov '09

hi guys whats the best projector to buy and @ how much kind regards, Jacques Munene, Dew CIS Solutions Ltd, View Park Towers, P.O Box 45689, Nairobi 00100. Kenya. [T]: +254 (20) 243 097, +254 (20) 353 5560 [E]: info(a)dewcis.com Web: http://www.dewcis.com ________________________________ Disclaimer: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use by the individual(s) or entity to whom it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. Additionally, if you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately by a reply e-mail.

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