I have no idea what this means. Have fun!

Sharon Gaudin, | September 6

Information Week - The Storm worm botnet has grown so massive and far-reaching that it easily overpowers the world’s top supercomputers.
That’s the latest word from security researchers who are tracking the burgeoning network of Microsoft Windows machines that have been compromised by the virulent Storm worm, which has pounded the Internet non-stop for the past three months. Despite the wide ranging estimates as to the size of the botnet, researchers tend to agree that it’s one of the largest zombie grids they’ve ever seen — one capable of doing great damage.  Read more 

So I just made the switch from one large corporate email system to another. It’s confusing! Why should it be so? I’m stupid, yes, but I’ve switched before…it wasn’t this hard the last time. Or, I’m getting older and more stupid. Both likely. Anyway- when incomprehensible features become as common as demons at an all-virgin naked night swim, there is a problem. There is such as thing as “too much innovation, too fast.” If you don’t see me for a while, it’s because I’m trying* to master “the impossible.”  Read more 

This story continues to horrify. Every new detail I read just turns my stomach. I don’t know when we will be able to do it (probably not until the next generation is pushing daisies) but we really, really need to have clarification and honest discussion about “child protection” laws in this country. A foily member of my family believes that they are created by law enforcement types who are mostly crooked, and who need a quick way to guarantee their enemies will be locked up for life. This woman is on the verge of getting 40 years in a real jail for felons, because she didn’t know how to use a computer. She’s being sentenced very soon, and if the new pro bono lawyer in her case fails, she will spend a long time in prison. Ach. I’m too angry to write effectively on this. Lindsay has the additional goods and background. This is a modern day Kafka situation, and if you live in CT, I urge you to make a phone call or write a letter in defense of this poor woman, who will suffer in the worst possible ways in jail “You know what they do to kiddie rapers, don’t you?” because in this country, our children don’t deserve computers that have updated software, when they get them in schools at all.

Ahem, Mr. Morris. Your attitude is displeasing. I don’t think I can top this total smackdown, but to say that I don’t even give it six months. Corporate arrogance never ceases to amaze me. This may be a “product review” but it feels political to me:

No, the Zune’s sole wireless feature is “squirting” — I know, I know, it’s Microsoft’s term, not mine — music and pictures to any other Zune device within direct Wi-Fi range. Even if the track is inherently free (like a podcast) the Zune wraps it in a DRM scheme that causes the track to self-destruct after three days or three plays, whichever comes first.  Read more 

I’m here at CAP for this event; if it’s worth talking about I’ll blog on it later. But I just have to make a comparison about my week in the District. Using my computer to liveblog at CAP: easy, high speed, friendly people sharing access codes. Using my computer at Brookings: a hassle, fake-friendly assistants annoyed by my request for access, PC only, eventually proved impossible.

Clearly, liberals understand computer hospitality better than neocons.  Read more 

A shift in perception – a shift in interface. Finally, scientist are learning that large, complex data structures (DNA, computer data) are best perceived by their patterns. We have better evolved systems of pattern recognition than our eyes and the linear processing associated with syllogistic reasoning. Soon the autistics will be doing our data processing,hooked up directly to supercomputers like Blue Brain. Its all in the interface. Scientist are using music to code for proteins.  Read more 

I saw this a while back, and now it’s offical: take your machine on the road, and it could “inspected” by some border guard yahoo for…well, you can just imagine what they’d think, for example, of some of my stored writing on Iran, the Bush administration, and/or lesbian sex:

 Read more 

Fess up, geek. Sometime, somewhere in your life, there was last year’s machine, sitting in some closet or basement, gathering dust as you got over your proud (however quiet) assertion in your own mind that you’d “rebuild” or “fix” it. There may even be the Uncorrect among you, who have thrown away computers and parts into improper and illegal dumpsites. Well, time to atone for those sins.  Read more 

I’m crowing today. Why? Because my computer has come back to life. Goddess be praised, all hail the Cult of the Righteous. That’s right kiddies, my Mac rawks.

I’ve heard all the arguments, and I’m sorry, but they’re just bullshit. Five days on a loaner PC have re-convinced me of that. Stealing from Skippy, let me offer up this lovely little ditty:

Would you tolerate this in a car? The why do you on your machine?

for no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.

every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. you would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. for some reason you would simply accept this.  Read more 

Troy McClure Voice

Hi there! I’m Geeky McIdiot. You may remember me from such films as “Star Wars: The Screensaver” and “Science Babes Gone Wild.” I’m here to remind you to never, ever, not even if it brought about the end of the Bush Regime, forget to back up your machine.

screen fades

Well, I guess I just got a little carried away there, ho ho, yuck yuck, and let the majesty and breadth of the Intertubes overwhelm my little pea brain. That’s right kids, my old workhourse ibook coughed and doesn’t seem to want to come back, and I, well, um, sort of haven’t backed up in a while.

There! I confessed! What more do you want? Stop kicking me! /uncontrollable sobbing sounds/  Read more 

I’m no computer expert, that’s more than clear. But if I ran an important government agency that had a lot of sensitive information to deal with, I’d insist that computers in that department maintained the very highest levels of security. Why do I have the feeling that part of the reason we’re reading about this, again, has to do with some crony no-bid contract and a couple of higher-ups who don’t know how to use email?

State Department Computers Hacked
Large-Scale Computer Break-Ins Appeared To Target Specific Offices

(CBS/AP) The State Department is recovering from large-scale computer break-ins worldwide over the past several weeks that appeared to target its headquarters and offices dealing with China and North Korea, The Associated Press has learned.

Investigators believe hackers stole sensitive U.S. information and passwords, said U.S. officials familiar with the hacking. Whoever did the hacking reportedly tried to leave so-called back doors so they could come back later and keep intruding into the computers, CBS News correspondent Jim Stewart reports.

Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the widespread intrusions and the resulting investigation.  Read more