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Show of 3-10-2012

Email and Forum Questions

  • Email from Geekchick: 60 minutes ( 3/4/12) had a segment on this. I wish U could please comment: Stuxnet – The sophisticated computer worm that sabotaged Iran’s nuclear program is now out there, its idea and methods exposed to terrorists or rogue nations who could use them to create their own cyberweapon. Steve Kroft reports. Graham Messick is the producer. Thanks!  Geekchick, a weekly listener
  • Tech Talk Responds: Stuxnet is a computer worm discovered in June 2010. It initially spreads via Microsoft Windows, and targets Siemens industrial software and equipment. While it is not the first time that hackers have targeted industrial systems, it is the first discovered malware that spies on and subverts industrial systems, and the first to include a programmable logic controller (PLC) rootkit.
  • The worm initially spreads indiscriminately, but includes a highly specialized malware payload that is designed to target only Siemens supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems that are configured to control and monitor specific industrial processes. Different variants of Stuxnet targeted five Iranian organizations, with the probable target widely suspected to be uranium enrichment infrastructure in Iran
  • Email from Margaret: I have an older laptop (Dell Inspiron I6400) ) running Win XP Media Center edition. I do know this is getting old…. I use Windows Live Mail as my for all email accts of which I have about 10 email accounts dumping into the WLM inbox. I was having a problem w/ emails not being able to be sent–sitting in out box*, though receiving email was working fine. SO, I called Verizon tech support and a tech had me go into some WLM settings and remove checkboxes in front of SSL something. NOW, the entire WLM will not open and this is a Royal problem. How do I fix this.  Your help is appreciated. Margaret
  • Tech Talk Responds: The error said that the outgoing mail server does not support SSL and yet you are sending the messages using SSL encryption. You must go to WLM setting and uncheck the SSL option. As for WLM not opening at all. I would need to know what actions you have taken since the last time it worked. I would first try and reboot the computer to make certain that you don’t have another instance running on the computer. Then I would look for and install any updates which may be available. I would not do a clean install because you would lose your data.
  • Email from Jim: Doc: A dear friend of mine has accepted a job in Istanbul, Turkey. She has a iPhone 3GS on the AT&T system. What will she need to do to enable the phone to work there? I suspect she will need a different wall charger. How does international calling work on a cell phone? Is it cheaper for someone in the US to call someone in Turkey or vice versa? Thanks. Signed -The guy on the other side of the console.
  • Tech Talk Responds:  She can get an adapter plug so that the charger will function properly. Most chargers will support either 220 or 110V. Then she will have to unlock her phone so that a new SIM card can be installed. Since ATT refuses to unlock iPhone, she will have to use an unlock service. The Apple store has some recommended unlock vendors. ATT should be ashamed of themselves.
  • Email from Peggy: Dear Tech Talk, I got this DVD at local county library. It is a BBC Earth series distributed in the US by Warner Home Video Inc. 99% of the DVD movies I get at this lib. go into my Sony DVD Player (SLV-D100)(that granted is now about 11 yrs old but seems to work FINE for all DVDs I feed it) and play without any issues. With this one–it does play fine in my Fujitsu laptop but I prefer to want it on my TV hooked up to the DVD player….
  • I called Warner Home Video Inc. They sent me to the piracy dept! not sure why all I want to do is watch this legit DVD. Anyway spoke to two people-neither knew what was wrong….One thought the region of the DVD was the issue–but the case says region is: Color NTSC and I read them the other stuff: Aspect Ratio: 16:9 enhanced; Main Sound Track: Dolby Digital 5.1; Disc Format: 3 X dvd9. Perhaps you may know what is wrong? Help appreciated,  Best, Peggy
  • Tech Talk Responds: I would also suspect that it is the region issue. Ensure the DVD region code and format is compatible with the player. Verify the disc playback is not being restricted by parental control options. Examine the DVD for fingerprints, smudges, or scratches. If necessary, clean the DVD using a soft dry cloth.
  • Email from Lois Lane: Dear Dr. Richard Shurtz, I have a Hotmail acct that I can’t remember the password for .Is there a way I can reset that? It seems to be rendering my Windows Live Mail unusable. It is one of several email accts that I access via WLM. This box keeps popping up in WLM asking me to enter my password–I don’t get how it was lost or removed since I’ve never done anything to change that! Your help is Most appreciated. Your are truly a great resource and man!! Best, Lois Lane, Bethesda.
  • Tech Talk Responds: You can reset your Hotmail password by clicking on Forgot Password on the Hotmail page. If you have provided a challenge question, it will allow reset after answering. If you have provided a secondary email address, it will send a reset password email to that address. Once the password is reset, you will have to change the password in WLM.
  • Facebook Comment by Ken Hutchinson: LibreOffice is a “free and open source office suite developed by The Document Foundation as a fork of OpenOffice.org.” It looks like OpenOffice but has improvements and is updated continuously. Both have annoying differences from Microsoft Office, but as free substitutes for an expensive set of Microsoft programs they really can’t be criticized.
  • Tech Talk Responds: That is a great suggestion. I did know about this fork in the Open Office code.
  • Facebook Comment by James Messick: How about a profile on Philippe Kahn? I always remember him for Borland and Turbo Pascal (among other products), a remarkable product in it’s day. He’s credited with inventing the camera phone!
  • Tech Talk Responds: This is a great suggestion which we have taken for today’s show.

Profiles in IT: Philippe Kahn

  • Philippe Kahn is credited with is credited with creating the first camera phone solution. In addition, he founded four software companies, starting with Borland.
  • Philippe Kahn was born March 16, 1952 in France of Jewish immigrants.
  • His mother was an Auschwitz survivor and his father a mechanical engineer.
  • In 1973, he received a BS in Math from Swiss Federal Polytechnic in Zurich.
  • In 1975, he received an MS in Math from the University of Nice.
  • He then received a Masters in music and flute from the Zurich Music Conservatory.
  • As a student, Kahn developed software for the MICRAL, the earliest non-kit personal computer based on a microprocessor.
  • Kahn moved to Silicon Valley in 1982 on a tourist visa and did not know anyone.
  • He landed a job building printer cables even though he did not have a Green card.
  • Kahn , co-founded Borland with three Danish programmers. Kahn served as CEO, President, and Chairman of the Board.
  • Borland launched Turbo Pascal in 1983, SideKick in 1984, Turbo C in 1987, and Quattro Pro spreadsheet in 1989. He toyed with purchasing WordPerfect.
  • Kahn used guerilla marketing tactics, low pricing, combined with fanatical developer support to build this company with no venture capital. He was a renegade.
  • Borland issued an IPO in 1989 with a second offering in 1991. All offerings were very successful and over-subscribed.
  • In 1991 Borland purchased Ashton-Tate, including the dBase and InterBase. This was the beginning of the end. Ashton-Tate’s product portfolio proved to be weak.
  • Kahn was forced by the Board to resign in 1995, after having taken the firm to $500 M run rate, without any venture capital. Board was bought by Micro Focus in 2009.
  • In 1994, Kahn co-founded Starfish Software with Sonia Lee. The founding vision of Starfish was global synchronization and integration of wireless and wired devices.
  • Starfish developed much of the core IP for device synchronization, especially in the wireless industry. Starfish was successfully acquired by Motorola for $325M in 1998.
  • Kahn is credited with creating the camera phone in 1997. The impetus for this invention was the birth of Kahn’s child, Sophie.
  • He jury-rigged a cell phone with a digital camera and sent off photos in real time.
  • He co-founded Lightsurf in 1997 to take advantage of the explosive convergence of wireless messaging technology, the Internet, and digital media.
  • This company was acquired by VeriSign in 2005
  • In 2003, he founded Fullpower, which focused on the convergence of life sciences, wireless technology, GPS, accelerometers, nanotechnology and Microelectromechanical systems, is known for its MotionX Technology Platform.
  • As of May 2010, Fullpower announced over 5 million MotionX users worldwide.
  • Fullpower’s MotionX Technology Platform has applications in renewable energy, mobile devices, wearable devices, imaging, sports, gaming, life-sciences, logistics and security solutions.
  • Kahn’s focus on the environment and the outdoors lead him to the sport of sailing.
  • Kahn’s team, Pegasus Racing, competes in many world championships each year.
  • Kahn is married to Sonia Lee, who co-founded Fullpower Technologies, LightSurf and Starfish Software.

iPad3 Released

  • The new iPad’s QXGA (Quantum Extended Graphics Array) display now has a resolution of 2,048×1,536 pixels. It has an excellent look.
  • Basically the same design, slightly thicker and heavier.
  • It will support 4G LTE networks and still maintain a 9 hour battery life.
  • The new iPad’s processor remains dual-core, but Apple upgraded it to an A5X and ramped up the graphics processor to quad-core.

Obama names new Chief Technology Officer

  • Todd Park, who has been chief technology officer at the Department of Health and Human Services since August 2009, replaces Aneesh Chopra, who stepped down last month.
  • The chief technology officer is tasked with using technology to support government priorities including job creation, health care, energy efficiency, open government and national security.
  • While at Health and Human Services, Park created HealthCare.gov, a website that provides consumers with information about health insurance plans.
  • He also launched the Health Data Initiative, which makes health information available to the public and to applications developers.
  • Obama ran the most technology-savvy US political campaign in history, leveraging social networks, email, text messages and other media to build a vast fundraising and political operation.

US Army: Geotagged Facebook Dangerous

  • Soldiers’ lives are being put at risk by geotagged photos – marked with a location – on social media sites like Facebook, the US Army has warned.
  • It says Facebook’s new Timeline feature, which creates a map of places geotagged by users, also poses a risk to soldiers and their families
  • Many smartphones automatically geotag photos with GPS co-ordinates.
  • In 2007 four US Army helicopters were destroyed in Iraq after geotagged photos were posted on the internet.
  • By posting photos on Facebook or checking-in on social media sites like Foursquare or Gowalla, soldiers may reveal the exact location of their unit or their family, the US Army said in a statement. The release follows an army warning last year that geotag data in photos could tip off criminals.
  • “Do you really want everyone to know the exact location of your home or your children’s school?”
  • “Before adding a location to a photo, soldiers really need to step back and ask themselves, ‘Who really needs to know this location information?'”
  • Facebook’s Timeline could also reveal soldiers’ routes and habits to terrorists, hackers or other criminals, he warned.
  • “Timeline presents some unique security challenges for users who tag location to posts,” Staff Sgt Sweetnam said.
  • Locations posted over the course of a month can create a pattern that criminals could use, he said.
  • More than one million mobile phone users in the United States now use smartphones, according to a study published this week by Comscore, a market research firm.
  • The British army has banned the use of all mobile phones in operational zones like Afghanistan, and cautions against soldiers taking pictures on smartphones in any circumstances.
  • Daniel Sherman, of defense think tank Royal United Services Institute, warned that anything personal posted by soldiers on a social media site, such as family pictures, could be used against them by the enemy if they are captured in action.
  • The Army also has guidelines about the use of social media sites by soldiers both in the UK and on deployment abroad, and social media training is given in barracks, an Army spokeswoman said.
  • The amount of guidance given to soldiers about social media usage is increasing, and the Army has a dedicated social media team which advises on guidelines.

Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job

  • LinkedIn has over 150 million members in over 140 industries.
  • Most of them are adults, employed, and not looking to post something on your Wall or date you.
  • Executives from all the Fortune 500 companies are on LinkedIn.
  • Most have disclosed what they do, where they work now, and where they’ve worked in the past. Talk about a target-rich environment, and the service is free.
  • Here are ten tips to help use LinkedIn to find a job.
  • If you know someone who’s looking for a job, forward them these tips along with an invitation to connect on LinkedIn.
  • Before trying these tips, make sure you’ve filled out your profile and added at least twenty connections
    • Get the word out.
    • Get LinkedIn recommendations from your colleagues.
    • Find out where people with your backgrounds are working.
    • Find out where people at a company came from
    • Find out where people from a company go next.
    • Check if a company is still hiring using the New Hires page.
    • Get to the hiring manager using connections no more than two degrees away.
    • Get to the right HR person by chatting with some from the company.
    • Find startups to join by searching for startup or stealth.
    • Build your network before you need it.

Dumb Idea of the Week: Mask to Charge iPhone

  • The AIRE Mask would help you cut down on electricity costs by using your own breath to charge your iPhone.
  • The mask was designed by Joao Paulo Lammoglia as a serious concept that won a Red Dot design award in 2011.
  • The device is basically a tiny wind generator that straps onto your face.
  • Your breath turns interior turbines that produce electricity which goes straight to your phone.
  • You can use it at any time – when you’re out exercising, at work, enjoying some quiet time with a good book or sleeping.
  • Although to keep the suspicious looks to a minimum we would have to imagine that wearing the mask while sleeping is the best choice.
  • According to the designer, the mask not only cuts down on energy usage but encourages users to be more active since more breathing = faster charging.