Creating Strong Passwords

To create a strong password, you should use a string of text that mixes numbers, letters that are both lowercase and uppercase, and special characters. It should be eight characters, preferably many more. A lot more. The characters should be random, and not follow from words, alphabetically, or from your keyboard layout.

So how do you make such a password?

1) Spell a word backwards. (Example: Turn "New York" into "kroywen.") 2) Use l33t speak: Substitute numbers for certain letters. (Example: Turn "kroywen" into "kr0yw3n.") 3) Randomly throw in some capital letters. (Example: Turn "kr0yw3n" into "Kr0yw3n.") 4) Don't forget the special character. (Example: Turn "Kr0yw3n" into "Kr0yw3^.")

You don't have to go for the obvious and use "0" for "o," or "@" for "a," or "3" for "e," either. As long as your replacement makes sense to you, that's all that matters. A "^" for an "n" makes sense to me.

Other Tips
Choose something simple to remember as a password, but whenever you type it, put your fingers on the wrong keys—maybe one key to the left or right. Then a password like "kroywen" becomes "jeitqwb" or "ltpuerm." This is only going to work for non-perfectionist touch-typists. And skip this tip if you type passwords on your phone; you'll only sprain a thumb trying to be inaccurate instead of letting the inaccuracy flow naturally.

Another option is to pick a pattern on the keyboard and type based on that. For example, a counter-clockwise spin around the letter d could result in "rewsxcvf." Throw in some random caps and numbers to really lock it down.

Perhaps the easiest thing to remember is an acronym from a phrase of your choice. "We didn't start the fire, it was always burning" becomes "wdstfiwab" based on the first letters of each word.

Remember, the longer the password, the stronger it is. Always. Something more than 15 characters is very difficult to remember, but it'll be a breeze with a mnemonic.

Third-Party Passwords
If you don't trust yourself to create an unbreakable password, there are plenty of tools that will make one for you. The PC Tools Secure Password Generator, for example, makes one based on your criteria: how long, include (or don't) mixed case, numbers, punctuation, similar character replacement, etc. It even provides a phonetic pronunciation guide that you use as your mantra while typing the password, for example:

MA7ApUp# is MIKE - ALPHA - seven - ALPHA - papa - UNIFORM - papa – hash

Password Testing
If you're worried that your password of choice isn't strong enough, check it at How Secure is My Password?. The site will even tell you how long the average PC would take to crack it. For example, cracking "kroywen" would take 13 minutes, "kr0yw3n" would take about 2 hours, "Kr0yw3^" 15 days, and "MA7ApUp#" about 3 years.

You can tell from these results that mixing capital and small letters are better for strength and more characters (eight instead of seven) also make a huge difference. Adding a single capital letter to the end of "Kr0yw3^," such as "Kr0yw3nZ," boosts the crack time to 3 years. Throw another special character in ("Kr0yw3^Z!") and it jumps to 237 years.

The Right Advice is Wrong
Some experts will tell you to do a couple of things that go against conventional password wisdom. And the reasons are simple: productivity.

For example, I read a treatise on why you should write down your passwords, especially if you actually go the distance and use a unique string of characters for every log in. The amount of time you could lose trying to remember each password whenever you have to type it in may not be worth it. Just try to keep the list somewhere that's not readily accessible, such as in your wallet. A desk drawer at work is not optimal for keeping out snooping co-workers.

Related advice from a Microsoft researcher says that having multiple passwords is also not worth the effort. Or, more specifically, the indirect costs of the effort of tracking them all. That's right, that big list of passwords I just said to put in your pocket? Maybe it's not worth it.

Of course, all such worries are moot if you follow the advice above and create super-seekrit-strong passwords that you can easily remember.

Inspired by article in PCMAG by Eric Griffith 11/29/11

10 Silliest Tech Company Names Of 2011

Tech companies have created some of the strangest and funniest company and product names in business. Here's the most recent evidence that this trend is only accelerating.
 
Blekko

When you hear the word "blekko" what comes to mind? Personally, it makes me think of the sound a little kid makes when confronted with vegetables on a dinner plate (broccoli! Blekko!!). But Blekko.com is actually an interesting new beta search engine that lets users define groups of sites in order to focus search results and cut down on unhelpful links.

Fluxx

Fluxx, from fluxxlabs, is a cloud-based business management platform designed to help businesses manage all of the data that is generated today, which sounds pretty useful. But flux is also what they used to call dysentery, and I'm not sure I'd like for my business to be associated with a terrible disease. Or perhaps it will make you think of the famous flux capacitor in the geek-favorite movie, Back To the Future.

Footfeed

Ever see those videos of people who can use their feet to eat dinner? It's simultaneously fascinating and disgusting and is, unfortunately, the image that pops up when I see the name Footfeed. Footfeed is a startup designed to consolidate all of the services like Foursquare and Facebook that encourage people to check into locations. For example, Footfeed makes it possible to let multiple services know that you've checked into that new cool restaurant. Just remember to keep your shoes on while eating.

Gimme

It used to be that characters who walked around saying "gimme" were portrayed as spoiled jerks, such as Veruka Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Today, someone who walks around saying "gimme, gimme" ends up getting his own reality TV show. Gimme! is a startup company that is offering a new twist on mobile coupons, making it possible to get cash-back discounts and bonuses on purchases and have them delivered to a personal PayPal account.

Gnip

I think I know where the name Gnip came from. It's Ping backwards, and it kind of makes sense for a company that provides data integration for real time social media feeds from services like Twitter and Facebook. I just can't wait until Gnip integrates with a company called Gnop. And then a friend of mine can use that. And while I'm gnipping, my friend will be gnopping.

Gwabbit

As a company name, gwabbit fits more in the straight silly but not that embarrassing category of names. The product is an award-winning app to ease contact management in Outlook and Blackberry. But I did witness an occasion where an executive was recommending it to a colleague, who laughed upon hearing the name.

Poosh

If you're a fan of Olympic gymnastics, you've probably seen clips of legendary coach Bela Karolyi exhorting his young charges on during training: "Work hard, poosh." Well, that is actually kind of the idea behind Poosh. This startup lets users signup to get regular motivational messages from athletes.

Unrabble

When I saw the product name "Unrabble," I assumed it was something cities would use to clear out Occupy Wall Street camps. "This will get rid of those pesky protesters. Activate Unrabble! Bwahahaha!" Actually, Unrabble is a human resources product designed to help businesses evaluate potential hires.

Winobot

This is my award winner for goofiest company/product name of the year. Isn't the WinoBot a character in Futurama? WinoBot is a mobile app, but it isn't designed to help find which stores have the lowest prices on Night Train. What the app does do is help you pick the best wine based on the wine list available at a given restaurant. Which actually sounds pretty useful, despite the name.

Zazu

In the Saturday Night Live skit Boston Teens, which featured Rachel Dratch and Jimmy Fallon, Dratch played Zazu, a partying, often drinking girl with a strong Boston accent. Zazu is a mobile personal information app that wakes you up with all of the information for your upcoming day. Not sure if it can be configured to wake you up by yelling "Nomahhh!!"

Source: Informationweek Jim Rapoza 11/30/2011 

11 Tips for Safe Online Shopping

Billions of dollars will be spent online over the course of this Holiday Season and unfortunately there are those that will be looking to steal some of it. Make sure you're not a victim.

There's every reason in the world to shop online. The bargains are there, the selection is mind-boggling, the shopping is secure, shipping is fast and even returns are pretty easy, with the right e-tailers. Shopping has never been easier or more convenient for consumers. But there are those bad guys who lay in wait?  eCrime Reports for 2011 indicate that phishing attacks (where thieves attempt to swindle you out of your sign-in credentials and credit card info by pretending to be a real website, or even an online bank) is down, as much as 11 percent since the third quarter of last year. That's good news, but the same report says  that sites with malware (malicious code aimed at compromising your privacy) has increased by 89 percent since the second quarter.

While somewhat alarming, these stats should not keep you from shopping online. You simply need some common sense and practical advice. Follow the following basic guidelines and you can shop online with confidence.

1. Use Familiar Websites
Start at a trusted site rather than shopping with a search engine. Search results can be rigged to lead you astray, especially when you drift past the first few pages of links. If you know the site, chances are it's less likely to be a rip off. We all know Amazon.com and that it carries everything under the sun; likewise, just about every major retail outlet has an online store, from Target to Best Buy to Home Depot. Beware of misspellings or sites using a different top-level domain (.net instead of .com, for example)—those are the oldest tricks in the book. Yes, the sales on these sites might look enticing, but that's how they trick you into giving up your info.

2. Look for the Lock
Never ever buy anything online using your credit card from a site that doesn't have SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed—at the very least. You'll know if the site has SSL because the URL for the site will start with HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://). An icon of a locked padlock will appear, typically in the status bar at the bottom of your web browser, or right next to the URL in the address bar. It depends on your browser. Never, ever give anyone your credit card over email. Ever.

3. Don't Tell All
No online shopping store needs your social security number or your birthday to do business. However, if crooks get them, combined with your credit card number for purchases, they can do a lot of damage. The more they know, the easier it is to steal your identity. When possible, default to giving up the least amount of information.

4. Check Statements
Don't wait for your bill to come at the end of the month. Go online regularly during the holiday season and look at electronic statements for your credit card, debit card, and checking accounts. Make sure you don't see any fraudulent charges, even originating from sites like PayPal. If you do see something wrong, pick up the phone to address the matter quickly. In the case of credit cards, pay the bill only once you know all your charges are accurate. You have 30 days to notify the bank or card issuer of problems, however; after that, you might be liable for the charges anyway.

5. Inoculate Your PC
Swindlers don't just sit around waiting for you to give them data; sometimes they give you a little something extra to help things along. You need to protect against malware with regular updates to your anti-virus program.

6. Use Strong Passwords
We like to beat this dead horse about making sure to utilize uncrackable passwords, but it's never more important than when banking and shopping online.

7. Think Mobile
You may be one of the 5.7 percent of adults who will use their mobile devices to do comparison shopping before making a purchase. There's no real need to be any more nervous about shopping on a mobile device than online. The trick is to use apps provided directly by the retailers, like Amazon, Target, etc. Use the apps to find what you want and then make the purchase directly, without going to the store or the website.

8. Avoid Public Terminals
Hopefully, we don't have to tell you it's a bad idea to use a public computer to make purchases, but we still will. If you do, just remember to log out every time you use a public terminal, even if you were just checking email.

What about using your own laptop to shop while you're out? It's one thing to hand over a credit card to get swiped at the checkout, but when you must enter the number and expiration date on a website while sitting in a public cafe, you're giving an over-the-shoulder snooper plenty of time to see the goods. At the very least, think like a gangster: Sit in the back, facing the door.

9. Privatize Your Wi-Fi
If you do decide to go out with the laptop to shop, you'll need a Wi-Fi connection. Only use the wireless if you access the Web over a virtual private network (VPN) connection.  By the way, now is not a good time to try out a hotspot you're unfamiliar with. Stick to known networks, even if they're free, like those found at Starbucks or Barnes & Noble stores that is powered by AT&T. Look for the network named "attwifi," then open a browser to click into the "walled garden" to get final access. You can also find free Wi-Fi at McDonalds, Panera Bread, and FedEx Office locations, not to mention libraries and local cafes.

10. Count the Cards
Gift cards are the most requested holiday gift every year, and this year will be no exception. Stick to the source when you buy one; scammers like to auction off gift cards on sites like eBay with little or no funds on them.

11. Know What's Too Good to Be True
Beware of the "coupon scam" offers of a free product with purchase, in particular an iPad (a very coveted gadget at any holiday) or even holiday job offers. Many of these "offers" will come in via social media. Beware even of your friends, who might innocently forward such a thing. Be very wary even if you get a message from friend claiming he or she has been robbed, especially a friend overseas looking for money to be wire transferred, unless you absolutely can confirm it by talking to him or her personally. Skepticism in most cases can go a long way toward saving you from a stolen card number.

Adapted from an article in PC Magazine By Eric Griffith  November 21, 2011

Steve Jobs – 1955-2011 – RIP

This was to be my Nov.'11 Blog message, however some how it never got published. But here it is now...

I was never a fan of Apple, but I must say that the death of Steve Jobs on Oct. 5^th at the age of 56 gave me pause. There is no doubt that Steve Jobs was a visionary.  It is amazing to look back on his life in the technology arena.

In 1974 Jobs worked for video game maker Atari and attended meetings of the Homebrew Computer Club with Steve Wozniak, a high school friend. Two years later they formed Apple Computer operating out of a Silicon Valley garage and the Apple I computer went on sale by the summer for $666.66.

In 1977 Apple was incorporated and they unveiled the Apple II, the first personal computer to generate color graphics. In  1980 Apple went public, raising $110 million and in 1982 annual revenue climbed to $1 billion.

In 1983, the Lisa computer (named after his daughter) went on sale with much fanfare, only to be pulled two years later. Jobs lured John Sculley away from Pepsico Inc. to serve as Apple's CEO. And in 1984 the Iconic "1984" Macintosh commercial directed by Ridley  Scott airs during the Super Bowl. The Macintosh computer goes on sale.

In 1985 Jobs and Sculley clashed, leading to Jobs' resignation and Steve Wozniak also resigns from Apple that year.

In 1986 Jobs started Next Inc., a new computer company making high-end machines for universities. He also bought Pixar from "Star Wars" creator George Lucas for $10 million. In 1989 the first NeXT computer went on sale with a $6,500 price tag.

In 1991 Apple and IBM Corp. announce an alliance to develop new PC microprocessors and software amd Apple unveiled a portable Mac called PowerBook. In 1993 Apple introduced the Newton, a hand-held, pen-based computer. The company reported a quarterly loss of $188 million in July and Sculley was replaced as CEO.  

In 1994 Apple introduced Power Macintosh computers based on the PowerPC chip it developed with IBM and Motorola. Apple decided to license its operating software and allow other companies to "clone" the Mac, adopting the model championed by Microsoft Corp and in 1995 the first Mac clones went on sale. Microsoft releases Windows 95, which is easier to use than previous versions and is more like the Mac system. Apple struggles with competition, parts shortages and mistakes predicting customer demand. Pixar's "Toy Story," the first commercial computer-animated feature, hits theaters. Pixar goes to Wall Street with an IPO that raises $140 million.

In 1996 Apple announced plans to buy Next for $430 million for the operating system Jobs' team developed. Jobs is appointed an adviser to Apple and the next year Jobs becomes "interim" CEO. He foreshadows the marketing hook for a new product line by calling himself "iCEO." Jobs puts an end to Mac clones.

1998 saw Apple return to profitability and shakes up personal computer industry with the candy-colored, all-in-one iMac desktop, the original models shaped like a futuristic TV. In 2000, Apple removes "interim" label from Jobs' CEO title.

Apple then went on a tear: 2001saw the first iPod goes on sale, as do computers with OS X, the modern Mac operating system based on Next software. Apple also releases iTunes software. And in 2003 Apple launched the iTunes Music Store with 200,000 songs at 99 cents each, giving people a convenient way to buy music legally online. It sells 1 million songs in the first week.

In 2004 Jobs underwnets surgery for a rare but curable form of pancreatic cancer; Apple discloses his illness after the fact.

In 2005 Apple expands the iPod line with the tiny Nano and an iPod that can play video. The company also announces that future Macs will use Intel chips.  In 2006 Disney bought Pixar for $7.4 billion making Jobs Disney's largest individual shareholder.

In 2007 Apple released its first smartphone, the iPhone. Crowds camp overnight at stores to be one of the first to own the new device.

2008: Speculation mounts that Jobs is ill, given weight loss and in September he kicked off an Apple event and says, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated," making a play off a famous Mark Twain quote after Bloomberg News accidentally publishes, then retracts, an obituary that it had prepared in advance.

In 2009 Jobs explained his severe weight loss by saying he had a treatable hormone imbalance and that he will continue to run Apple. Days later he backtracks and announces he will be on medical leave. He returned to work in June and later it is learned that he had received a liver transplant.

In 2010 Apple sold 15 million of its newest gadget, the iPad, in nine months, giving rise to a new category of modern touch-screen tablet computers.

On Jan. 17, 2011 in a memo to Apple employees, Jobs announced a second medical leave with no set duration but Jobs retained his CEO title and remains involved in major decisions.

On Aug. 24 Apple announces that Jobs is resigning as CEO and named Jobs chairman.

On Oct. 5, 2011 Steve Jobs died at the age of 56; Apple announced his death without giving a specific cause.

Looking back, I am in awe of the technological accomplishments made at Apple under Steve Jobs leadership.

It's E-Publish or E-Perish

From paper to Web to e-readers, the publishing industry embraces a digital revolution. In the wake of the Kindle Fire, it’s e-publish or die. Amazon is chiefly responsible for the largest shift in consumption of the written word since Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. Just this week it’s announced not just the trailblazing tablet the Kindle Fire, but three new versions of the Kindle ereader. We’ve grown accustomed to flipping through pages on our Kindles (and Nooks, iPads, and the like). Now, authors, publishing houses, and agents must explore this brave new world, too.

Mapping this uncharted land has been a rocky road for writers and retailers alike. Borders emptied its shelves just this month, Barnes & Noble has reported losses each quarter so far this year, and much of the industry is still struggling against Google’s plan to create a virtual library by scanning in millions of book titles. Add to that the accessibility of self-publishing and self-marketing, which has led to many writers bypassing the traditional publishing process altogether, and you have a horror story for some.

For others, there’s a happy ending. In the stead of the old guard are indie publishers that use new media tools to print books faster and cheaper than ever before. Authors can market themselves through social media. Self-published writers cross the one-million mark in sales.
While e-publishing might span many genres, its story is nevertheless a gripping read.

Adapted from a Sept. 29, 2011 article by Chandra Steel

Let us never forget 9-11

Let us never forget!

Ten years ago the United States was attacked by a band of radical Islamists. Thousands of innocent people died as a result of this viscous attack. To this day, the world has not been the same. Over the past ten years, these animals have threatened and attacked people in many other countries. People all over the world will continue to live in fear until these radical, so-called religious fanatics are eliminated.

World Wide Web Turned 20

Twenty years ago, on August 6, 1991, a technological revolution took place at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) facility, when Tim Berners-Lee published the first Website and forever changed how we access and share information.

An independent contractor at the time, Berners-Lee developed a basic browser that could handle hypertext, and he started the WWW (World Wide Web) project, which was intended to help users learn more about Website creation and how to browse and search for information on the new Web. The WWW has changed our society. It has helped create new business models; it has helped to bring different people and cultures together; and, above all, it has brought many changes to the relationship between the people and their governments.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) , founded in 1994, has helped to create standards to ensure that different Websites work the same way. Despite some deviations in site and browser specs, this has ensured the success and the widespread adoption of the Web. Back in 1991, Berners-Lee may have expected little more than this basic setup.

As the Web has evolved, however, Berners-Lee has focused on how Web content could be better organized; he sees the need to associate meaning to the ever-increasing amount of Web data. The "Semantic Web," as he envisions it, would enable Web servers to understand and respond to complex human requests based on their meaning.
But the concept has not been fully implemented due to many challenges, such as the vastness of the information on the Web, the ambiguity of the meaning associated with some content, the inconsistency of some information, and possible deceit from content providers, as there is always the possibility that some might try to attach wrong "semantic" information to their content in order to lure users.

Also, Berners-Lee has been denouncing how social media and other telecommunications companies are "treating" content on the Web today. In a Scientific American journal essay published last year, he described how some of the Web's "most successful inhabitants," such as Facebook and large ISPs, have begun to "chip away" at the Web's founding principles, and he warned that Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networking sites represent "one of several threats" to the future of the World Wide Web.

Overall, though, Berners-Lee seems content with what emerged from his work. Nearly three years ago, in an article in The New York Times, Steve Lohr asked Berners-Lee what he would have changed about the Web if he was to do it again. Berners-Lee answered that he might make a small change. He would get rid of the double "//" after the "http:" in Web addresses. "Look at all the paper and trees that could have been saved if people had not had to write or type out those slashes on paper over the years -- not to mention the human labor and time spent typing those two keystrokes countless millions of times in browser address boxes." Surely, this isn't a significant regret.

Happy 20th Birthday, World Wide Web!

Based on an article by Hospice Houngbo, a former Fulbright scholar/researcher, currently a PhD student in computer science at the University of Western Ontario.