TechLifeWeb

Sites that I found interesting for November 11th 2009 through November 12th 2009:

• Microsoft probing Windows 7 zero-day hole – Microsoft said on Wednesday it is looking into a report of a vulnerability in Windows 7 and Server 2008 Release 2 that could be used by an attacker to remotely crash the computer.
• Hands-on: Netflix streaming on the PS3 – While Netflix streaming is nearly identical on most devices that support it, there are some significant differences with the PS3 that make it worth testing.
• Programmer 101: Teach Yourself How to Code – You've always wanted to learn how to build software yourself—or just whip up an occasional script—but never knew where to start. Luckily, the web is full of free resources that can turn you into a programmer in no time.

Sites that I found interesting for November 3rd 2009 through November 10th 2009:

• Computer Security Company Takes Out Enormous Botnet – Security firm FireEye has reportedly struck a massive blow against spam. The so called “Mega-D” or “Ozdok” spam botnet was effectively dismantled by these intrepid security researchers. After studying the beast, FireEye launched an attack by notifying ISPs, having command and control (CnC) domains removed, and then registering unused CnC domains.
• Kindle Gets Windows App – Mac Version Coming Soon – Amazon released it’s Kindle for PC app this morning. It’s available for download at Amazon.com now and allows you to read Kindle eBooks on your computer
• Ninite Easy PC Setup and Multiple App Installer – Great For Win7 Upgrades – 1. Pick the apps you want. 2. Start your customized installer. 3. You're done! Heard about this on Windows Weekly last week.
• Study Says Pirates Buy Plenty of Legitimate Digital Music – A United Kingdom research group, Demos, discovered that those people who confessed to pirating music were also those who spent the most on music. Pirates spend, on average, $126 per year on CDs, MP3s, and vinyl. Non-pirates (landlubbers?), on the other hand, only spend, on average, $72 per year.

Sites that I found interesting for October 29th 2009 through November 2nd 2009:

• Recovering from Twitter Phishing – Nice little how-to. via @chelpixie on Twitter.
• Enough, Microsoft. No One Is Endorsing Piracy. Obviously. – Hey, Microsoft. Duh.
• DIY Windows Home Server Build – JukeBox MkII – Nice article from Automated Home. via @isdixon on Twitter

Sites that I found interesting for October 9th 2009

• Microsoft adds free root certificate authority to Windows – Out-of-the-box in Windows 7 free digital certificates issued by StartCom will be inherently trusted by the operating system and its applications.
• Windows Home Server Add-ins: Lights-Out, WebGuide, and Whiist – Handy add-ins for Windows Home Server.
• How To Backup Your WordPress Blog In Three Easy Steps – Helpful article for all WordPressers out there. Via @davedelaney on Twitter.

Sites that I found interesting for September 12th 2009 through September 14th 2009:

• Intel announces storage- and communications-specific processor – The Jasper Forest enhanced Nehalem Xeon chip lowers system power consumption by 27 watts and is aimed at ultra-dense blades, VoIP, NAS, and SANs
• 10 Solid Tips to Safeguard Your Facebook Privacy #fb –
• Trojan Hides Its Brain in Google Groups – Recently, security vendor Symantec spotted a Trojan horse program that's been programmed to visit a private Google Groups newsgroup, called escape2sun, where it can download encrypted instructions or even software updates.

Sites that I found interesting for June 4th 2009 through June 8th 2009:

• Apple halves iPhone price – Apple halved the price of its entry-level iPhone to $99 (62 pounds) on Monday in a move that could widen the trendy device's mass-market appeal as competition for smartphones heats up.
• James Cameron: 'Avatar' Will Change Moviegoing – Director James Cameron urged Hollywood on Saturday to embrace 3-D technology, and to work together to make it the central focus of theatrical filmed entertainment.
• 'Google-like' Tool Aids Network Security – Dejavu Technologies recently released TrafficScape, an appliance that grabs network packets and converts them into XML documents, which are then pulled into a database that is searchable through a simple, Google-like toolbar.

Sites that I found interesting for March 24th 2009 through March 26th 2009:

• Apple Mac Trojan caught on film – This is a bit staged but still worth a view. Shows you have to be careful what links you go to.
• Media Center Plugin Brings Netflix Hulu and more Online Video via PlayIt – Brilliant. I'm going to give this a try as I already use the excellent PlayOn software.
• A guide to Silverlight 3 new features –

Sites that I found interesting for March 23rd 2009 through March 24th 2009:

• Worm breeds botnet from home routers, modems – Security researchers have identified a sophisticated piece of malware that corrals consumer routers and DSL modems into a lethal botnet.
• Twitter Tweaks Its Title Tags For Better Google Juice – My blog still comes up before twitter. Fine by me.
• Microsoft moves crash analysis tool to open source –

Sites that I found interesting for February 5th 2009 through February 7th 2009:

• Brand Source Redeeming Circuit City Credit Cards – Brand Source and its member dealers will begin offering holders of Circuit City credit cards a $25 gift certificate and 12-month, no-interest financing on purchases in exchange for the private label plastic.
• Users prevail: Microsoft changes Windows 7 UAC control panel behavior to address security flaw – The result is actually even slightly better than what I (Long Zhang) had hoped for. I originally proposed a secure confirmation to be displayed when the UAC level is changed, but Microsoft one-upped that proposal to also run the UAC control panel in high-integrity which means malicious applications cannot manipulate the user-interface of that window without first elevating itself.
• Watch a live video, share your PC with CNN – Many people who watched live streaming video of the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama on Jan. 20 may not realize that their PC was used to send the video to other PCs, too.

Sites that I found interesting for January 20th 2009 through January 22nd 2009:

• Native Win32 ports of some GNU utilities – Here are some ports of common GNU utilities to native Win32. In this context, native means the executables do only depend on the Microsoft C-runtime (msvcrt.dll) and not an emulation layer like that provided by Cygwin tools.
• Payment Processor Breach May Be Largest Ever – A data breach last year at Princeton, N.J., payment processor Heartland Payment Systems may have compromised tens of millions of credit and debit card transactions, the company said today.
• How to Learn Any Language in 3 Months –