Saturday, November 17, 2007

My computer was hit by a trojan

My laptop computer was recently infected by a trojan.  The nasty thing took over my computer’s homepage, attached its name to every page I surfed, and installed some adware.  I know exactly where it come from; I downloaded a file of questionable origins.  However, I thought I was being careful because I made sure to scan the file with Windows Live OneCare before I opened it.  OneCare said the file was fine, but that was obviously incorrect!

I’ve been using OneCare on my Vista laptop for almost a year, and I chose it because it integrates so nicely with Vista.  I’ve used other programs, like CounterSpy and McAfee, and they seemed to use a lot of system resources.  I also like the price of OneCare, but I guess I didn’t get much value if the program allowed my computer to be infected.  News reports from about nine months ago were reporting that OneCare wasn’t very effective at protecting computers, but I liked to think that Microsoft has been actively making improvements since that time.  I’m sure it has, but perhaps they haven’t done enough.

I’m not writing this to bash Microsoft, and I’ll continue to use OneCare.  What I’ll also be doing (and what I want to recommend), is that computer owners keep more than one antivirus program running on their system.  I helped a neighbour remove spyware from his computer a few years ago, and in that case, it was McAfee which let something through.  I needed to use CounterSpy to clean it up.  It’s unfortunately true that not every antivirus program can detect every possible intrusion, so it’s good to have a backup in play.  Here are a few to choose from:

Google offers a download package of utilities called ”Google Pack”.  You can pick and choose which programs you want to install, and one of the options is Spyware Doctor Starter Edition.  It features all of Spyware Doctor’s virus and trojan-detection features, so there’s no reason to not include it as part of your antivirus arsenal.  Make sure you download it via the Google Pack link, because if you go to the main Spyware Doctor website, you’ll be charged $29.95.

AVG also offers a free anti-virus program called AVG Free.  The program will only detect viruses, but you can also install AVG Anti-Spyware Free, and AVG Anti-Rootkit Free.

If you find your computer suddenly infected by malware and you just want to do something, now, there are a couple of programs which offer fully-functional 30 day trials.  That will allow you to try the software to see if it repairs your problem, and then you can decide to pay for it or remove it when the month is up.  As not all programs will remove all infections, it’s great to be able to try before you buy.  Programs offering this option include the aforementioned AVG (visit their website and you’ll find 30 day full trials for all of their Internet security products).  Another very reputable program offering 30 days is Kaspersky Anti-Virus.  If a 15 day trial will fit your needs (and it should, in an emergency), check out Sunbelt Software’s Counterspy, and Zone Alarm’s Internet Security Suite (it cleans viruses and spyware).

Lastly, the “bit whammy” to beat malware infections is a program called Hijack This by Trend Micro.  The program does a system scan and then produces a text log of what it’s found.  If you’re not a complete computer expert, you should then take that log and post it on a Hijack This support forum.  Forum admistrators will quickly look at your log, and give you instructions on how to repair your computer virus problems.  Hijack This often flags items in your computer registry which are not virus or spyware-related, (and which should not be removed), and that’s why it’s best to let the program experts walk you through the repair process.  Hijack This should be your last resort for fixing a malware infection.

I hope you’ll install one of the free programs listed here, and use it to do an investigation into how well your current antivirus/spyware software is working.  Run a complete computer scan and make sure that there’s nothing residing on your system which shouldn’t be there.  Tens of thousands of MySpace users were infected with trojans earlier this year because of a security hole in Flash-animated advertisements, so your computer can catch something through very passive means.  You really can be infected by just visiting a website, although your chances are much higher if you dp something sort of stupid and open a questionable file like I did!

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 11/17 at 02:32 AM
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Friday, November 16, 2007

Most annoying online ads

PC World has compiled a list of the most irritating, annoying, and all-around frustrating online advertisements.  The ads included styles such as pop-ups, interstitials (those ads that “float” across your screen), and ads with flashing graphics and/or music.  Expect annoying ad techniques to continue to dominate, because online marketing budgets are growing every year, and those annoying ads are often as effective at selling a product as they are at annoying you!  If it helps, remember that online advertising is the main reason that there’s so much free content on the Internet.  Without those ads to finance the servers and the content you enjoy reading and watching, you’d have to pay for most online activities individually.

If you want to see the entire list of the 10 Most Annoying Ads, here’s a link to jump straight to that part of the PC World article.  Enjoy, and try not to clench your fists!

You might want to consider following up the above list with another list, 15 downloads that will block annoying ads and popups. 

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 11/16 at 08:51 AM
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Thursday, November 15, 2007

CAPTCHAs usefulness in decline

I couldn’t possible write an entry better than this eWeek story which details the growing failure of CAPTCHAs as spam-prevention devices.  Read the entire thing, and check out some of the stories linked within the article, too:  The Decline of the CAPTCHA

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 11/15 at 07:08 AM
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Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Nintendo WII in short supply for holidays… again

This holiday season, harried parents will feel a sense of deja vu as they hurry from store to store, desperately trying to get their hands on the Nintendo WII Console their child wants so badly.  Despite the fact that Nintendo is manufacturing as many consoles as they possibly can, they still can’t keep up with worldwide demand.  13 million have already been sold and demand shows no signs of slowing down.  Most retail stores will get in a few consoles every couple of weeks, and try to stagger their availability so that one lucky person doesn’t buy out the entire shipment.  The best way to buy your WII this year is to stake out your store, let them know what you’re looking for, and check back daily.  Perhaps you’ll build some goodwill with an employee who will at least give you a hint about when the consoles will be on the shelves.

The WII’s unexpected popularity is due to the fact that it appeals to all age ranges.  Parents approved of it because the interactive games keep their kids from being couch potatoes.  Adults who usually aren’t interested in video games are intrigued by WIIs selection of real-life sports which involve real movement.  Even the elderly are getting involved, getting a bit of exercise have having fun with simple WII activities.  The simple, almost non-existent learning curve makes the console perfect for just about anyone.

Even I, the ultimate couch (or computer) potato, would love to find a WII on my doorstep, courtesy of the nice UPS delivery man.  It’s impossible to find a low-priced WII on the Internet, however… the ones available on eBay (and there are a lot of them), are being sold at double, sometimes even triple, their suggested retail value.  I’m not going to reward someone who’s taking advantage of short supply around the holidays.  I’ll just sit patiently, and I’m sure I’ll be able to get my own WII, priced at $250, sometime next August.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 11/14 at 07:31 AM
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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

It’s better than an alarm clock

A few years ago, manufacturers started to create alarm clocks which gradually made the room lighter before the wake-up buzzer sounded.  The idea was to gradually ease your body into waking by tweaking your circadian rhythm.  The problem was that the light on the alarm wasn’t particularly bright.  If you didn’t have the light just a foot or two away from your face, it did little to help waking up seem less startling.

Two inventors, Eoin McNally and Ian Walton, have made an improvement on the original alarm clock idea.  They’ve created the “glo Pillow”.  An LED light is embedded in a pillow, and it gradually glows more and more brightly over a 40 minute period.  Once the light is at full-strength, the sleeper should awaken naturally, as if awakened by sunlight.  No nasty beeps and clangs or other unpleasant noices to start your day with a jolt.

The glo Pillow is unfortunately still in prototype mode, so you can’t run out to your nearest Target to pick one up for Christmas.  With a little luck, someone will bring it to market in the near future.  If you’d like to encourage the inventor to get this pillow onto your bed, stat, you can contact them via their website, Embryo.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 11/13 at 07:11 AM
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