While people have been very critical of Window's Vista, Microsoft is hoping to 'come clean' with the release of their next operating system - Windows 7.
By Elizabeth Montalbano
October 28, 2008 (IDG News Service) Microsoft Corp. today for the first time publicly demonstrated Windows 7, the next major release of its PC operating system, and the software maker insisted that Windows 7 will reflect lessons learned from the widely panned Windows Vista.
Microsoft also laid out a road map for the release of Windows 7 and handed out a pre-beta version to developers at its Professional Developers Conference (PDC), where it also demonstrated new features.
The first public beta of the operating system will be available early next year; it will be followed by test releases and release candidates that incorporate feedback from users of the public beta, said Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft's senior vice president of Windows and Windows Live, in a keynote address.
Windows 7 is still targeted for release three years after Vista, he added. This would put its business release in late 2009 and general availability at the end of January 2010 if the operating system remains on schedule.
In his speech, Sinofsky said Microsoft is learning its lessons from Vista, which was widely criticized by users and the press, and spoofed famously in television advertisements by Apple Inc.
Sinofsky acknowledged that some of the criticism was deserved, particularly around Microsoft's failure to adequately prepare its hardware, software and peripheral partners for Vista's release, even though it was more than five years in the making.
Early Vista users experienced incompatibility with applications and found that devices and peripherals would not work with the operating system because drivers weren't available.
Microsoft won't repeat this mistake with Windows 7, Sinofsky said, and because the operating system kernel is the same as the one in Vista and Windows Server 2008, all of the devices and applications that work with those operating systems should also run on Windows 7.
"All of this device and compatibility work will pay off in Windows 7," Sinofsky said.
Microsoft also will tweak the User Account Control feature (UAC), which was new in Vista, so it will be less of an inconvenience and work more efficiently, Sinofsky said.
UAC prevents users without administrative privileges from making unauthorized changes to a PC. But because of how it was set up in Vista, it can prevent even authorized users from accessing applications and features they should be able to use.
UAC did this through pop-up windows, which also were spoofed by Apple in television ads after Vista users reported that they appeared extremely frequently, even when users were performing authorized tasks.
Sinofsky acknowledged that Microsoft "went a little too far with UAC," but as a result the Windows client operating system is now more secure. In Windows 7, Microsoft will focus on the security aspects of UAC but will ensure users won't find it to be an invasive feature, he said.
During the keynote, Microsoft showed some new features in Windows 7, including a streamlined view of all the files and folders contained not only on a user's PC, but also any other PCs on networks that he is allowed to access.
This feature is called Libraries, and it will improve desktop search in Windows 7 by allowing users to search more comprehensively across PC folders than ever before, according to Microsoft.
Microsoft also changed its Gadgets feature, another Vista addition. Gadgets are mini-applications that give users quick access to information, such as stock prices or weather reports, via icons. In Vista, gadget icons were confined to a task bar; with Windows 7, users will be able to move them around the desktop.
Perhaps the sexiest new Windows 7 feature demonstrated was the touch-screen interface, which lets people use their fingertips and small hand gestures to control applications.
Microsoft demonstrated how touch-screen controls can replace the mouse for actions such as opening the task bar and choosing a Windows Explorer window. If a user opens a folder with photos in it, he could, for example, scroll through those photos using his fingers and drag a photo into a Windows Paint application window and draw directly on the photo.
Access the article here.
Would you like to update to Windows Vista or need help learning the new operating system? Friendly Computers can help! Call 888-PCFRIEND or find a store near you.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Google offers Gmail users a window into Calendar and Docs
Search engines are competing with each other to provide the best of services to their users. Google Docs has been a popular and convenient application for many users. Read below to see how Google is improving the way users can access such applications.
By Heather Havenstein
Google Labs rolls out gadgets for viewing Calendar, Docs data from Gmail interface
October 28, 2008 (Computerworld) Google Inc. this week unveiled gadgets created by its Google Labs project that allow Gmail users to look at Google Calendar and Google Docs data without having to open the hosted applications.
For example, Gmail users can use one of the gadgets to see their Calendar agenda and get alerted when a meeting is scheduled, Google said. Another gadget could show users a list of recently accessed Google Docs and let them search across all documents from within Gmail.
Google Labs, which solicits user feedback as it develops products, also created the ability to add any gadget to Gmail by pasting in the URL of its XML file, noted Google engineer Dan Pupius in a blog post.
The new products are the latest in a series of offerings to come out of Google Labs in recent months.
Earlier this month, Google Labs rolled out Mail Goggles aimed at preventing Gmail users from sending e-mail that they might later regret. Last month, Google Labs rolled out a test version of an audio search indexing system that is designed to find specific words in videos and let users jump to the portion of the video where the words are used. And in August, the company unveiled Google Labs-developed Google Suggest, which suggests search queries as users type words or letters.
Pupius said he hopes to get more feedback from users on the new gadgets. "We realize this isn't very user-friendly right now; it's a sandbox mainly aimed at developers who want to play around with gadgets in Gmail. There are also some downsides to the iframe-style Gadgets we're using today -- they can sometimes slow down the page. We're fanatical about speed, so we'll be keeping a close eye on performance," he added.
He went on to note that not all of the new gadgets are fully compatible to HTTPS, so users connecting to Gmail via an HTTPS connection may see content warnings caused by parts of the gadgets being served over HTTP.
Rick Turoczy, a blogger at Read Write Web, said that many users of Google Apps spend a lot of their time in Gmail, where the majority of activity happens. However, he noted that they likely are still interested in keeping tabs on their schedule and what is happening with their work.
"The new Gmail gadgets are designed to make your Gmail interface more inclusive by providing views into your other Google apps -- without having to leave your Gmail in-box," he added. "While the real estate is constrained, the view manages to provide just enough detail, giving you access to upcoming meetings and appointments and a glimpse of the latest documents on file."
Turoczy also said that Google Labs likely holds the key to future Gmail features.
"It will be interesting to see what users choose to install and adopt from Labs -- and equally interesting what they choose to ignore -- because that will determine what Google decides to bake into future features of Gmail, itself," he said. "I think it's safe to assume that these two latest gadgets from Labs are leading candidates for core Gmail functionality, especially given how simply and effectively they combine access to the most popular Google apps in the place where most users live and breathe -- their in-box."
Access the article here.
Do you need training to use your software? Are you having computer problems? Call 1-888-PCFRIEND or visit our Web site.
By Heather Havenstein
Google Labs rolls out gadgets for viewing Calendar, Docs data from Gmail interface
October 28, 2008 (Computerworld) Google Inc. this week unveiled gadgets created by its Google Labs project that allow Gmail users to look at Google Calendar and Google Docs data without having to open the hosted applications.
For example, Gmail users can use one of the gadgets to see their Calendar agenda and get alerted when a meeting is scheduled, Google said. Another gadget could show users a list of recently accessed Google Docs and let them search across all documents from within Gmail.
Google Labs, which solicits user feedback as it develops products, also created the ability to add any gadget to Gmail by pasting in the URL of its XML file, noted Google engineer Dan Pupius in a blog post.
The new products are the latest in a series of offerings to come out of Google Labs in recent months.
Earlier this month, Google Labs rolled out Mail Goggles aimed at preventing Gmail users from sending e-mail that they might later regret. Last month, Google Labs rolled out a test version of an audio search indexing system that is designed to find specific words in videos and let users jump to the portion of the video where the words are used. And in August, the company unveiled Google Labs-developed Google Suggest, which suggests search queries as users type words or letters.
Pupius said he hopes to get more feedback from users on the new gadgets. "We realize this isn't very user-friendly right now; it's a sandbox mainly aimed at developers who want to play around with gadgets in Gmail. There are also some downsides to the iframe-style Gadgets we're using today -- they can sometimes slow down the page. We're fanatical about speed, so we'll be keeping a close eye on performance," he added.
He went on to note that not all of the new gadgets are fully compatible to HTTPS, so users connecting to Gmail via an HTTPS connection may see content warnings caused by parts of the gadgets being served over HTTP.
Rick Turoczy, a blogger at Read Write Web, said that many users of Google Apps spend a lot of their time in Gmail, where the majority of activity happens. However, he noted that they likely are still interested in keeping tabs on their schedule and what is happening with their work.
"The new Gmail gadgets are designed to make your Gmail interface more inclusive by providing views into your other Google apps -- without having to leave your Gmail in-box," he added. "While the real estate is constrained, the view manages to provide just enough detail, giving you access to upcoming meetings and appointments and a glimpse of the latest documents on file."
Turoczy also said that Google Labs likely holds the key to future Gmail features.
"It will be interesting to see what users choose to install and adopt from Labs -- and equally interesting what they choose to ignore -- because that will determine what Google decides to bake into future features of Gmail, itself," he said. "I think it's safe to assume that these two latest gadgets from Labs are leading candidates for core Gmail functionality, especially given how simply and effectively they combine access to the most popular Google apps in the place where most users live and breathe -- their in-box."
Access the article here.
Do you need training to use your software? Are you having computer problems? Call 1-888-PCFRIEND or visit our Web site.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Another Satisfied Customer!
Below is an email from a very satisfied customer of Friendly Computers in Logan Township.
Hi Dude,
This is a unsolicited endorsement of your exceptional company. After Many, many years of having the privilege to be your neighbor and now engaging your services as a computer expert,you have taken Phil and I out of the dark ages. We are part of the new generation of Baby-Boomers thrust into an unfamiliar and unfriendly technology...VCR's..DVD's...Computers...Touch screens..cell phones...I-Pods...Printers, that Fax,scan,copy of course. Our children..grandchildren have reached a level with explaining these things to us and the time it takes todo that and set up what we need. This is followed by endless phone calls to our kids for help, they are frustrated with us and our lack of retention of what they have just taken many hours and trips to our home to set up and try and teach. In hiring You and your company you have in a sense given us our independence and confidence back. We are the Parents...We're not senile, we are full of knowledge and generosity towards our fellowman. That's why we volunteer our time at different venues, that's why we need you and your company. Retaining you we get the best of both world's a compassionate friend and an expert in the awesome computer world. Please feel free to print this as an endorsement to you and your fine company.
Thanks so much...and your name and card will be at the ready to distribute to my fellow neighbors and friends and strangers I engage in my every day encounters. I will not be sending you any further E-mails, unless solicited by you. Don't forget to get out and vote Nov. 4th, as you know I have the honor of doing the Presidential Election in Logan township once again....I look forward to seeing you and your family members that day unless it's the time in the morn when I will take an eary lunch break to travel over to Mullica Hill to cast my vote at the Library on Rt 45...There will be lines..really no break for lunch just travel time, wish me luck!
Sincerely
Connie Bauer!
Find a Friendly Computers near you!
Hi Dude,
This is a unsolicited endorsement of your exceptional company. After Many, many years of having the privilege to be your neighbor and now engaging your services as a computer expert,you have taken Phil and I out of the dark ages. We are part of the new generation of Baby-Boomers thrust into an unfamiliar and unfriendly technology...VCR's..DVD's...Computers...Touch screens..cell phones...I-Pods...Printers, that Fax,scan,copy of course. Our children..grandchildren have reached a level with explaining these things to us and the time it takes todo that and set up what we need. This is followed by endless phone calls to our kids for help, they are frustrated with us and our lack of retention of what they have just taken many hours and trips to our home to set up and try and teach. In hiring You and your company you have in a sense given us our independence and confidence back. We are the Parents...We're not senile, we are full of knowledge and generosity towards our fellowman. That's why we volunteer our time at different venues, that's why we need you and your company. Retaining you we get the best of both world's a compassionate friend and an expert in the awesome computer world. Please feel free to print this as an endorsement to you and your fine company.
Thanks so much...and your name and card will be at the ready to distribute to my fellow neighbors and friends and strangers I engage in my every day encounters. I will not be sending you any further E-mails, unless solicited by you. Don't forget to get out and vote Nov. 4th, as you know I have the honor of doing the Presidential Election in Logan township once again....I look forward to seeing you and your family members that day unless it's the time in the morn when I will take an eary lunch break to travel over to Mullica Hill to cast my vote at the Library on Rt 45...There will be lines..really no break for lunch just travel time, wish me luck!
Sincerely
Connie Bauer!
Find a Friendly Computers near you!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Entire world is at your fingertips when you browse the Web
When it comes to surfing the Web, do you ever wonder what the fuss is all about? How can the computer provide information that is vital to our everyday lives? The packaging of the World Wide Web might not be as visually impressive as the facade on a university library, but its volumes are virtually boundless.
There are several very popular search engines that can make the information on the Web accessible and manageable. MSN, Google, or Yahoo, among others, provide that little box in which you can enter two or three words that briefly describe what you are looking for. In a moment, you will see the top page of a list of sites that contain those words. The search engines attempt to list the most suitable, or the highest bidder, in regard to your search terms. Usually you will find hundreds of thousands of sites.
Realize that your search results will include sponsored sites of those who pay to advertise with that search engine. Usually highlighted at the top of the list, or along the right side, are sites that pay to appear when key words are searched. These might or might not be useful sites so click with care.
Advanced Internet searches can narrow results by specifying what type of Web site is preferred such as .org for nonprofit, .edu for education, .gov for government and .com for business/retail. Other criteria include when or where the site was created and words to avoid. For example, search for albums, but not “photo albums,” and whether you want to filter for “unsafe” sites.
Making it to the top of the list is a large advertising industry. Search engine optimization can be contracted through advertising companies. Industrious business owners can find ways to achieve similar results, but it takes attention and insider knowledge.
Two very intriguing new developments are Google Earth and Google Street view. Google Earth provides aerial shots of the entire globe, many times in surprising detail. Google Street View provides 360 degree photography from roads and streets across the country and around the world. Google has endeavored since 2007 to take these photos using cars equipped with 11 roof-mounted cameras.
Wikipedia is an excellent source of common knowledge. Users are allowed to submit information for Wikipedia pages. Their editors decide what is fit to print, but the result is a vast collection of facts on varied topics.
Other practical sources of information are phone directories, which include reverse look-up capabilities; map sites to obtain directions, such as maps.google.com or mapquest.com; movie theater info and movie reviews; listings of local events and chamber of commerce; recipes; a movie/TV personality database to settle friendly disputes, and health.nih.gov for health information.
Get creative with your searches and find .org sites for museums, gardens and favorite nonprofit groups. Google favorite topics or academic subjects. Find local groups in your area of interest.
Remember that the entire world is under your fingertips.
Patty Harshbarger, the owner of Computer Renaissance in Bradenton, can be reached at mailto:patty@cr-bradenton.com.
Access the article here. Looking for computer repair services? Find a store near you!
There are several very popular search engines that can make the information on the Web accessible and manageable. MSN, Google, or Yahoo, among others, provide that little box in which you can enter two or three words that briefly describe what you are looking for. In a moment, you will see the top page of a list of sites that contain those words. The search engines attempt to list the most suitable, or the highest bidder, in regard to your search terms. Usually you will find hundreds of thousands of sites.
Realize that your search results will include sponsored sites of those who pay to advertise with that search engine. Usually highlighted at the top of the list, or along the right side, are sites that pay to appear when key words are searched. These might or might not be useful sites so click with care.
Advanced Internet searches can narrow results by specifying what type of Web site is preferred such as .org for nonprofit, .edu for education, .gov for government and .com for business/retail. Other criteria include when or where the site was created and words to avoid. For example, search for albums, but not “photo albums,” and whether you want to filter for “unsafe” sites.
Making it to the top of the list is a large advertising industry. Search engine optimization can be contracted through advertising companies. Industrious business owners can find ways to achieve similar results, but it takes attention and insider knowledge.
Two very intriguing new developments are Google Earth and Google Street view. Google Earth provides aerial shots of the entire globe, many times in surprising detail. Google Street View provides 360 degree photography from roads and streets across the country and around the world. Google has endeavored since 2007 to take these photos using cars equipped with 11 roof-mounted cameras.
Wikipedia is an excellent source of common knowledge. Users are allowed to submit information for Wikipedia pages. Their editors decide what is fit to print, but the result is a vast collection of facts on varied topics.
Other practical sources of information are phone directories, which include reverse look-up capabilities; map sites to obtain directions, such as maps.google.com or mapquest.com; movie theater info and movie reviews; listings of local events and chamber of commerce; recipes; a movie/TV personality database to settle friendly disputes, and health.nih.gov for health information.
Get creative with your searches and find .org sites for museums, gardens and favorite nonprofit groups. Google favorite topics or academic subjects. Find local groups in your area of interest.
Remember that the entire world is under your fingertips.
Patty Harshbarger, the owner of Computer Renaissance in Bradenton, can be reached at mailto:patty@cr-bradenton.com.
Access the article here. Looking for computer repair services? Find a store near you!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Hats Off to Friendly Computers
Recently a satisfied customer wrote us about their fantastic experience with Friendly Computers, Tampa.
"I must compliment you on two outstanding individuals in Tampa, FL, Victor and Dan. I had a computer problem a couple of weeks ago and placed a call to your affiliate in Tampa; Victor was the first person I talked to. He was very helpful on the phone, but of course had to set an appointment to come to my house. He was here bright and early the next morning and spent a lot of time with me and my ailing computer. Unfortunately the problem couldn't be corrected here and Victor had to take my computer back to his shop. Victor had to erase the hard drive and reinstall my programs. Two days later I had my computer back.
Now this is where Victor really earned his stripes. He helped me reinstall some vital programs that I use to make a living. I am a freelance voice talent and use my computer with ancillary recording equipment to record commercials. Unfortunately I couldn't get a software program called Adobe Audition to install properly. Victor jumped in and did everything conceivable to help me including calling vendors and speaking with them himself. I never could resolve the problem, but he did. I can't tell you how much that means to me! I don't know how many computer technicians would take the time to do that, but he did, and it put me back to work.
Unfortunately my computer malfunctioned again in just a day or two, and Victor was out here again to check it out. By the way, I'm a fair drive from Tampa. The computer again had to be returned to Victor's shop, and two days later the verdict wasn't good, the computer was dead or dying. Luckily Victor had saved all my important files. I now have a brand new computer; Dan drove out and spent quite a bit of time downloading my data and I'm as good as new. These two gentlemen (especially Victor) went way above and beyond what was expected. The service was fast, excellent, and professional. I will now go way out of my way to recommend Friendly Computers to friends and acquaintances. I just wanted you to know about Victor and Dan."
Dave McElroy
Sun City Center, FL
"I must compliment you on two outstanding individuals in Tampa, FL, Victor and Dan. I had a computer problem a couple of weeks ago and placed a call to your affiliate in Tampa; Victor was the first person I talked to. He was very helpful on the phone, but of course had to set an appointment to come to my house. He was here bright and early the next morning and spent a lot of time with me and my ailing computer. Unfortunately the problem couldn't be corrected here and Victor had to take my computer back to his shop. Victor had to erase the hard drive and reinstall my programs. Two days later I had my computer back.
Now this is where Victor really earned his stripes. He helped me reinstall some vital programs that I use to make a living. I am a freelance voice talent and use my computer with ancillary recording equipment to record commercials. Unfortunately I couldn't get a software program called Adobe Audition to install properly. Victor jumped in and did everything conceivable to help me including calling vendors and speaking with them himself. I never could resolve the problem, but he did. I can't tell you how much that means to me! I don't know how many computer technicians would take the time to do that, but he did, and it put me back to work.
Unfortunately my computer malfunctioned again in just a day or two, and Victor was out here again to check it out. By the way, I'm a fair drive from Tampa. The computer again had to be returned to Victor's shop, and two days later the verdict wasn't good, the computer was dead or dying. Luckily Victor had saved all my important files. I now have a brand new computer; Dan drove out and spent quite a bit of time downloading my data and I'm as good as new. These two gentlemen (especially Victor) went way above and beyond what was expected. The service was fast, excellent, and professional. I will now go way out of my way to recommend Friendly Computers to friends and acquaintances. I just wanted you to know about Victor and Dan."
Dave McElroy
Sun City Center, FL
Invites go out, say bloggers; beta to hit select testers within weeks
Friendly Computers always urges their customers to keep their machines installed with the latest updates. Read the article below to learn more about the coming of service pack 2 for Vista.
Invites go out, say bloggers; beta to hit select testers within weeks
October 19, 2008 (Computerworld) Microsoft Corp. will begin beta-testing the next service pack update for Windows Vista within weeks, according to a Windows enthusiast Web site.
Testers have received invitations to beta test Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2), reported Neowin.net on Friday. Betas are expected to be released to invited testers, but not to the general public, in approximately four weeks, Neowin.net said, citing multiple tipsters.
Service packs typically consist of collections of the patches, hot fixes and reliability updates released since the original edition of the operating system or its service pack, whichever came latest. At times, however, the company introduces new features to its software via such packs.
Among those features, reported Neowin.net, Vista SP2 will include Windows Search 4, Bluetooth 2.1 wireless support, and support for Via Technologies Inc.'s 64-bit processor. Currently, Via is best known for its C7 chip, which powers some ultralight "netbook" laptops, including Hewlett-Packard Co.'s Mini-Note.
Windows Search 4.0 is the newest version of Microsoft's desktop search engine and was issued to current Vista users via Windows Update last July.
Vista SP1, the single service pack released thus far, went final in February 2008, just over a year after the operating system debuted in retail and was made available to consumers. The highly-anticipated SP1, however, suffered a bumpy launch, with some users complaining that they weren't able to upgrade and others reporting that their PCs were crippled by endless reboots.
Earlier this month, speculation that Microsoft would soon seed select testers with a beta of Vista SP2 began after users noticed that the company had added a placeholder to its support database for the service packs for both Vista and Windows Server 2008.
Others, including blogger Mary-Jo Foley, have confirmed the Neowin.net reports. In a post last week, Foley said that a few testers had already received Vista SP2 betas, and that Microsoft wanted to issue the service pack before it released Windows 7, Vista's successor.
Microsoft announced just last week that it would use the "Windows 7" code name as the product's official name. Also last week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer called Windows 7 "Windows Vista, a lot better."
Access the article here.
Invites go out, say bloggers; beta to hit select testers within weeks
October 19, 2008 (Computerworld) Microsoft Corp. will begin beta-testing the next service pack update for Windows Vista within weeks, according to a Windows enthusiast Web site.
Testers have received invitations to beta test Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2), reported Neowin.net on Friday. Betas are expected to be released to invited testers, but not to the general public, in approximately four weeks, Neowin.net said, citing multiple tipsters.
Service packs typically consist of collections of the patches, hot fixes and reliability updates released since the original edition of the operating system or its service pack, whichever came latest. At times, however, the company introduces new features to its software via such packs.
Among those features, reported Neowin.net, Vista SP2 will include Windows Search 4, Bluetooth 2.1 wireless support, and support for Via Technologies Inc.'s 64-bit processor. Currently, Via is best known for its C7 chip, which powers some ultralight "netbook" laptops, including Hewlett-Packard Co.'s Mini-Note.
Windows Search 4.0 is the newest version of Microsoft's desktop search engine and was issued to current Vista users via Windows Update last July.
Vista SP1, the single service pack released thus far, went final in February 2008, just over a year after the operating system debuted in retail and was made available to consumers. The highly-anticipated SP1, however, suffered a bumpy launch, with some users complaining that they weren't able to upgrade and others reporting that their PCs were crippled by endless reboots.
Earlier this month, speculation that Microsoft would soon seed select testers with a beta of Vista SP2 began after users noticed that the company had added a placeholder to its support database for the service packs for both Vista and Windows Server 2008.
Others, including blogger Mary-Jo Foley, have confirmed the Neowin.net reports. In a post last week, Foley said that a few testers had already received Vista SP2 betas, and that Microsoft wanted to issue the service pack before it released Windows 7, Vista's successor.
Microsoft announced just last week that it would use the "Windows 7" code name as the product's official name. Also last week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer called Windows 7 "Windows Vista, a lot better."
Access the article here.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Newer Chrome, Firefox show speed improvements
There are many Internet browsers to choose from today. The staff at Friendly Computers found an interesting article to help users differentiate between all the available browsers.
Posted by Stephen Shankland
Correction 12:00 p.m. PDT: This report has been updated to reflect Firefox performance with the TraceMonkey JavaScript engine enabled, in which case Firefox is fastest at the SunSpider test.
With new beta versions out for Firefox and Google Chrome, I thought I'd see how things have changed when it comes to testing the speed of JavaScript, the programming language that powers many cutting-edge Web applications such as Gmail and Google Docs. The answer: both browsers made big strides, but Firefox still beats Chrome on one widely-used performance test.
When Chrome was released, I ran Google's JavaScript speed test on Firefox 3.0.1, the initial Chrome beta, Internet Explorer 7 and 8 beta 2, and Safari 3.1.2. Chrome led the speed test with an overall score of 1,851 and Firefox in second place at 205. A bigger score is better on this test.
Running the same test on the latest developer version of Chrome, 0.3.154.3, boosted the browser's score to 2,265--a 22 percent increase. And Firefox jumped 15 percent to 235. Firefox 3.1 beta 1. However, that test measures Firefox without its new TraceMonkey JavaScript engine enabled; a bug in TraceMonkey trips up the test by invoking a print dialog box. (There aren't any new versions of Safari or IE to test, though Safari likely will see a boost from its earlier score of 170 from the SquirrelFish Extreme JavaScript engine.)
In September, Firefox backer Mozilla countered Google's benchmark suite, spotlighting Firefox's superior results using the SunSpider speed test. Here, TraceMonkey works, and Firefox maintains its lead over Chrome and the others.
I couldn't run SunSpider when Chrome was released because the site was out of commission that day, but it's up and running again now, so here's the latest results for the four browsers--and bear in mind here that a smaller score is best for SunSpider: TraceMonkey-enabled Firefox led with a score of 2,257; Chrome was second at 2,904; Firefox 3.1 beta 1 with no TraceMonkey next with 4,233; Safari 3.1.2 followed at 6,351; and IE 8 beta brought up the rear with 9,025.
Mozilla's Mike Shaver said the bug that impairs the Google JavaScript test--one reason TraceMonkey isn't enabled by default--should be fixed "soon." For those who want to try the their own tests, Tech-Recipes has useful instructions on how to enable TraceMonkey.
Why you should care
Why does all this matter? A few reasons.
First of all, JavaScript is widely used in innumerable ordinary Web sites, and Internet companies have found that even small improvements in Web page responsiveness increases user interaction with their sites. A snappier response is better for everyone.
Second, for the more avant garde, JavaScript powers many sophisticated Web sites and Web-based applications, endowing them with features such as drag-and-drop, pop-up dialog boxes. Faster JavaScript means companies such as Zoho, Google, and Yahoo can build more features into the Web applications and that users will find those applications easier to use. And these more interfaces are spreading to mainstream sites, too.
Last, on the programming front, JavaScript is vying with other technologies for building rich Internet applications. Microsoft steers developers to Silverlight, Adobe Systems continues to improve its Flash and Flex technology, HTML itself is getting more powerful. And of course there's the larger competition between Web-based applications and those that run directly on the PC, such as Microsoft Office.
A final note: The same benchmark caveats apply this time around, too. Your mileage may vary--my tests were on a dual-core Lenovo T61 with Windows XP. There are other performance attributes that affect Web browsing besides JavaScript performance. And even in the narrower realm of JavaScript, benchmarks like these don't necessarily represent the workloads that will have you pining for a faster machine.
Posted by Stephen Shankland
Correction 12:00 p.m. PDT: This report has been updated to reflect Firefox performance with the TraceMonkey JavaScript engine enabled, in which case Firefox is fastest at the SunSpider test.
With new beta versions out for Firefox and Google Chrome, I thought I'd see how things have changed when it comes to testing the speed of JavaScript, the programming language that powers many cutting-edge Web applications such as Gmail and Google Docs. The answer: both browsers made big strides, but Firefox still beats Chrome on one widely-used performance test.
When Chrome was released, I ran Google's JavaScript speed test on Firefox 3.0.1, the initial Chrome beta, Internet Explorer 7 and 8 beta 2, and Safari 3.1.2. Chrome led the speed test with an overall score of 1,851 and Firefox in second place at 205. A bigger score is better on this test.
Running the same test on the latest developer version of Chrome, 0.3.154.3, boosted the browser's score to 2,265--a 22 percent increase. And Firefox jumped 15 percent to 235. Firefox 3.1 beta 1. However, that test measures Firefox without its new TraceMonkey JavaScript engine enabled; a bug in TraceMonkey trips up the test by invoking a print dialog box. (There aren't any new versions of Safari or IE to test, though Safari likely will see a boost from its earlier score of 170 from the SquirrelFish Extreme JavaScript engine.)
In September, Firefox backer Mozilla countered Google's benchmark suite, spotlighting Firefox's superior results using the SunSpider speed test. Here, TraceMonkey works, and Firefox maintains its lead over Chrome and the others.
I couldn't run SunSpider when Chrome was released because the site was out of commission that day, but it's up and running again now, so here's the latest results for the four browsers--and bear in mind here that a smaller score is best for SunSpider: TraceMonkey-enabled Firefox led with a score of 2,257; Chrome was second at 2,904; Firefox 3.1 beta 1 with no TraceMonkey next with 4,233; Safari 3.1.2 followed at 6,351; and IE 8 beta brought up the rear with 9,025.
Mozilla's Mike Shaver said the bug that impairs the Google JavaScript test--one reason TraceMonkey isn't enabled by default--should be fixed "soon." For those who want to try the their own tests, Tech-Recipes has useful instructions on how to enable TraceMonkey.
Why you should care
Why does all this matter? A few reasons.
First of all, JavaScript is widely used in innumerable ordinary Web sites, and Internet companies have found that even small improvements in Web page responsiveness increases user interaction with their sites. A snappier response is better for everyone.
Second, for the more avant garde, JavaScript powers many sophisticated Web sites and Web-based applications, endowing them with features such as drag-and-drop, pop-up dialog boxes. Faster JavaScript means companies such as Zoho, Google, and Yahoo can build more features into the Web applications and that users will find those applications easier to use. And these more interfaces are spreading to mainstream sites, too.
Last, on the programming front, JavaScript is vying with other technologies for building rich Internet applications. Microsoft steers developers to Silverlight, Adobe Systems continues to improve its Flash and Flex technology, HTML itself is getting more powerful. And of course there's the larger competition between Web-based applications and those that run directly on the PC, such as Microsoft Office.
A final note: The same benchmark caveats apply this time around, too. Your mileage may vary--my tests were on a dual-core Lenovo T61 with Windows XP. There are other performance attributes that affect Web browsing besides JavaScript performance. And even in the narrower realm of JavaScript, benchmarks like these don't necessarily represent the workloads that will have you pining for a faster machine.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Latest Security Threats
The staff at Friendly Computers always urges customers to protect their computers from viruses and other malicious attacks. Many computer problems can be prevented by maintaining security.
Below is a list of recent threats, provided by Trend Micro, to help our customers properly protect their machines. The list provides the name, risk level and date.
MALWARE
TROJ_AGENT.BRQ Low Oct 16, 2008
WORM_AUTORUN.ASL Low Oct 16, 2008
TROJ_ZBOT.QT Low Oct 16, 2008
WORM_ONLINEG.AFU Low Oct 16, 2008
TROJ_BANKER.EDN Low Oct 15, 2008
VBS_PSYME.DJY Low Oct 15, 2008
TROJ_DROPPER.FV Low Oct 15, 2008
WORM_AUTORUN.CTO Low Oct 15, 2008
TROJ_RENOS.AMC Low Oct 14, 2008
WORM_SYSTEM.AP Low Oct 14, 2008
SPYWARE
TSPY_GOLDUN.RF Low Oct 14, 2008
TSPY_YALUDLE.M Low Oct 3, 2008
TSPY_ZBOT.TJ Low Oct 1, 2008
TSPY_BANKER.OAO Low Sep 30, 2008
TSPY_BANKER.EQ Low Sep 15, 2008
TSPY_BANKER.DX Low Sep 15, 2008
TSPY_ZBOT.BO Low Sep 15, 2008
TSPY_ZBOT.BD Low Sep 15, 2008
TSPY_ZBOT.WL Low Aug 29, 2008
TSPY_PAPRAS.AJ Low Aug 15, 2008
Access the updated list here.
Below is a list of recent threats, provided by Trend Micro, to help our customers properly protect their machines. The list provides the name, risk level and date.
MALWARE
TROJ_AGENT.BRQ Low Oct 16, 2008
WORM_AUTORUN.ASL Low Oct 16, 2008
TROJ_ZBOT.QT Low Oct 16, 2008
WORM_ONLINEG.AFU Low Oct 16, 2008
TROJ_BANKER.EDN Low Oct 15, 2008
VBS_PSYME.DJY Low Oct 15, 2008
TROJ_DROPPER.FV Low Oct 15, 2008
WORM_AUTORUN.CTO Low Oct 15, 2008
TROJ_RENOS.AMC Low Oct 14, 2008
WORM_SYSTEM.AP Low Oct 14, 2008
SPYWARE
TSPY_GOLDUN.RF Low Oct 14, 2008
TSPY_YALUDLE.M Low Oct 3, 2008
TSPY_ZBOT.TJ Low Oct 1, 2008
TSPY_BANKER.OAO Low Sep 30, 2008
TSPY_BANKER.EQ Low Sep 15, 2008
TSPY_BANKER.DX Low Sep 15, 2008
TSPY_ZBOT.BO Low Sep 15, 2008
TSPY_ZBOT.BD Low Sep 15, 2008
TSPY_ZBOT.WL Low Aug 29, 2008
TSPY_PAPRAS.AJ Low Aug 15, 2008
Access the updated list here.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Searching The Internet Increases Brain Function
Friendly Computers is always on the look out for technology news. While it's great to know about the latest security issues & new gadgets, it's also interesting to see how all this technology effects our brains. Read the article below to learn the effects of surfing the Internet.
ScienceDaily (Oct. 14, 2008) — UCLA scientists have found that for computer-savvy middle-aged and older adults, searching the Internet triggers key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning. The findings demonstrate that Web search activity may help stimulate and possibly improve brain function.
The study, the first of its kind to assess the impact of Internet searching on brain performance, is currently in press at the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and will appear in an upcoming issue.
"The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerized technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults," said principal investigator Dr. Gary Small, a professor at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA who holds UCLA's Parlow-Solomon Chair on Aging. "Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function."
As the brain ages, a number of structural and functional changes occur, including atrophy, reductions in cell activity, and increases in deposits of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, which can impact cognitive function.
Small noted that pursuing activities that keep the mind engaged may help preserve brain health and cognitive ability. Traditionally, these include games such as crossword puzzles, but with the advent of technology, scientists are beginning to assess the influence of computer use — including the Internet.
Additional details on the study and further research on the impact of computer technologies on the aging brain are highlighted in Small's new book, "iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind," published today.
For the study, the UCLA team worked with 24 neurologically normal research volunteers between the ages of 55 and 76. Half of the study participants had experience searching the Internet, while the other half had no experience. Age, educational level and gender were similar between the two groups.
Study participants performed Web searches and book-reading tasks while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, which recorded the subtle brain-circuitry changes experienced during these activities. This type of scan tracks the intensity of cell responses in the brain by measuring the level of cerebral blood flow during cognitive tasks.
All study participants showed significant brain activity during the book-reading task, demonstrating use of the regions controlling language, reading, memory and visual abilities, which are located in the temporal, parietal, occipital and other areas of the brain.
Internet searches revealed a major difference between the two groups. While all participants demonstrated the same brain activity that was seen during the book-reading task, the Web-savvy group also registered activity in the frontal, temporal and cingulate areas of the brain, which control decision-making and complex reasoning.
"Our most striking finding was that Internet searching appears to engage a greater extent of neural circuitry that is not activated during reading — but only in those with prior Internet experience," said Small, who is also the director of UCLA's Memory and Aging Research Center.
In fact, researchers found that during Web searching, volunteers with prior experience registered a twofold increase in brain activation when compared with those with little Internet experience. The tiniest measurable unit of brain activity registered by the fMRI is called a voxel. Scientists discovered that during Internet searching, those with prior experience sparked 21,782 voxels, compared with only 8,646 voxels for those with less experience.
Compared with simple reading, the Internet's wealth of choices requires that people make decisions about what to click on in order to pursue more information, an activity that engages important cognitive circuits in the brain.
"A simple, everyday task like searching the Web appears to enhance brain circuitry in older adults, demonstrating that our brains are sensitive and can continue to learn as we grow older," Small said.
Small added that the minimal brain activation found in the less experienced Internet group may be due to participants not quite grasping the strategies needed to successfully engage in an Internet search, which is common while learning a new activity."With more time on the Internet, they may demonstrate the same brain activation patterns as the more experienced group," he said.
Researchers noted that additional studies will address both the positive and negative influences of these emerging technologies on the aging brain.
The study was funded by the Parvin Foundation.
Additional study authors include Teena D. Moody, Ph.D., a senior research associate at UCLA's Semel Institute, and Susan Y. Bookheimer, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute.
Access the article here.
ScienceDaily (Oct. 14, 2008) — UCLA scientists have found that for computer-savvy middle-aged and older adults, searching the Internet triggers key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning. The findings demonstrate that Web search activity may help stimulate and possibly improve brain function.
The study, the first of its kind to assess the impact of Internet searching on brain performance, is currently in press at the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and will appear in an upcoming issue.
"The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerized technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults," said principal investigator Dr. Gary Small, a professor at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA who holds UCLA's Parlow-Solomon Chair on Aging. "Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function."
As the brain ages, a number of structural and functional changes occur, including atrophy, reductions in cell activity, and increases in deposits of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, which can impact cognitive function.
Small noted that pursuing activities that keep the mind engaged may help preserve brain health and cognitive ability. Traditionally, these include games such as crossword puzzles, but with the advent of technology, scientists are beginning to assess the influence of computer use — including the Internet.
Additional details on the study and further research on the impact of computer technologies on the aging brain are highlighted in Small's new book, "iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind," published today.
For the study, the UCLA team worked with 24 neurologically normal research volunteers between the ages of 55 and 76. Half of the study participants had experience searching the Internet, while the other half had no experience. Age, educational level and gender were similar between the two groups.
Study participants performed Web searches and book-reading tasks while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, which recorded the subtle brain-circuitry changes experienced during these activities. This type of scan tracks the intensity of cell responses in the brain by measuring the level of cerebral blood flow during cognitive tasks.
All study participants showed significant brain activity during the book-reading task, demonstrating use of the regions controlling language, reading, memory and visual abilities, which are located in the temporal, parietal, occipital and other areas of the brain.
Internet searches revealed a major difference between the two groups. While all participants demonstrated the same brain activity that was seen during the book-reading task, the Web-savvy group also registered activity in the frontal, temporal and cingulate areas of the brain, which control decision-making and complex reasoning.
"Our most striking finding was that Internet searching appears to engage a greater extent of neural circuitry that is not activated during reading — but only in those with prior Internet experience," said Small, who is also the director of UCLA's Memory and Aging Research Center.
In fact, researchers found that during Web searching, volunteers with prior experience registered a twofold increase in brain activation when compared with those with little Internet experience. The tiniest measurable unit of brain activity registered by the fMRI is called a voxel. Scientists discovered that during Internet searching, those with prior experience sparked 21,782 voxels, compared with only 8,646 voxels for those with less experience.
Compared with simple reading, the Internet's wealth of choices requires that people make decisions about what to click on in order to pursue more information, an activity that engages important cognitive circuits in the brain.
"A simple, everyday task like searching the Web appears to enhance brain circuitry in older adults, demonstrating that our brains are sensitive and can continue to learn as we grow older," Small said.
Small added that the minimal brain activation found in the less experienced Internet group may be due to participants not quite grasping the strategies needed to successfully engage in an Internet search, which is common while learning a new activity."With more time on the Internet, they may demonstrate the same brain activation patterns as the more experienced group," he said.
Researchers noted that additional studies will address both the positive and negative influences of these emerging technologies on the aging brain.
The study was funded by the Parvin Foundation.
Additional study authors include Teena D. Moody, Ph.D., a senior research associate at UCLA's Semel Institute, and Susan Y. Bookheimer, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute.
Access the article here.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Computer users overeager to click popup 'OKs'
When browsing the Internet, it is easy to allow pop ups just to get the window out of your sight. Read the interesting article below.
They quickly try to get rid of the irritant without thinking and open themselves up to security threats
By Robert McMillan
September 25, 2008 (IDG News Service) Web surfers have a standard reaction to error messages that pop up in their Web browsers, according to new research published this week: They click "OK" and hope it will disappear.
Psychologists at North Carolina State University found that computer users have a hard time distinguishing between fake Windows warning messages and the real thing. In an experiment that tested the responses of 42 Web-browsing university students, they found that almost two-thirds of them -- 63% -- would click "OK" whenever they saw a popup warning, whether it was fake or not.
"Many people fall for this style of attack by not recognizing the visual elements that separate real and fake warning windows," the researchers concluded in a paper delivered at an academic conference in New York this week.
That's bad news, security experts say, because fake popup messages can take you to some very bad places on the Internet.
In the experiment, users tended to see the popup windows as an irritant that they needed to get rid of as quickly as possible, said Mike Wogalter, a psychology professor at North Carolina State who co-authored the study. "They really didn't think about it at all," he said.
Clicking on a fake popup window can take you to a Web site you may not have intended to visit, but there can be nastier results as well. In one well-known scam, victims are sent an e-mail with a link to a Web page that promises an interesting video clip. When they try to watch it, however, a popup message tells them they need to install special codec software to view the video.
In fact, the software is a Trojan downloader that then laces the victim's computer with malicious software such as keyloggers that track usernames and passwords.
To make matters worse, fake popups are increasingly found on legitimate Web sites, often delivered via online advertising networks, said Eric Howes, director of malware research at security vendor Sunbelt Software. "It's becoming a real problem, because a few years ago, you would only see these fake popups on some of the seedier places on the Internet."
Harvard assistant professor Ben Edelman agrees that deceptive popups are a big problem. "These are widespread, particularly when you stop one notch below the very fanciest news sites," he said. "If you go to MySpace or if you just run Google searches and click on results, you're likely to stumble on such ads."
While it's easy to blame users for missing bogus error messages, Wogalter said software developers who have overwhelmed their users with too many warning messages should also share the blame. "They shouldn't be putting people into this sort of position," he said.
The North Carolina State researchers said that their subjects chose the best course of action -- clicking the red X "close window" button at the top right corner to close their fake popups -- just under a third of the time.
But Sunbelt's Howes said scammers are so clever these days that the "close window" buttons are often fake too. "You can get into this sort of 'Alice in Wonderland' desktop where nothing responds like you think it should," he said.
Users who are really concerned about a popup message should close the window from the Windows taskbar at the bottom of the screen.
Or some may feel compelled to take more drastic action. "Sometimes the safest thing to do is to kill the entire browser," Howes said.
Access the article here.
Are you a victim of falling into the spam trap? Call 888-PCFRIEND or visit our Web site. The technicians at Friendly Computers can get your machine running like new again.
They quickly try to get rid of the irritant without thinking and open themselves up to security threats
By Robert McMillan
September 25, 2008 (IDG News Service) Web surfers have a standard reaction to error messages that pop up in their Web browsers, according to new research published this week: They click "OK" and hope it will disappear.
Psychologists at North Carolina State University found that computer users have a hard time distinguishing between fake Windows warning messages and the real thing. In an experiment that tested the responses of 42 Web-browsing university students, they found that almost two-thirds of them -- 63% -- would click "OK" whenever they saw a popup warning, whether it was fake or not.
"Many people fall for this style of attack by not recognizing the visual elements that separate real and fake warning windows," the researchers concluded in a paper delivered at an academic conference in New York this week.
That's bad news, security experts say, because fake popup messages can take you to some very bad places on the Internet.
In the experiment, users tended to see the popup windows as an irritant that they needed to get rid of as quickly as possible, said Mike Wogalter, a psychology professor at North Carolina State who co-authored the study. "They really didn't think about it at all," he said.
Clicking on a fake popup window can take you to a Web site you may not have intended to visit, but there can be nastier results as well. In one well-known scam, victims are sent an e-mail with a link to a Web page that promises an interesting video clip. When they try to watch it, however, a popup message tells them they need to install special codec software to view the video.
In fact, the software is a Trojan downloader that then laces the victim's computer with malicious software such as keyloggers that track usernames and passwords.
To make matters worse, fake popups are increasingly found on legitimate Web sites, often delivered via online advertising networks, said Eric Howes, director of malware research at security vendor Sunbelt Software. "It's becoming a real problem, because a few years ago, you would only see these fake popups on some of the seedier places on the Internet."
Harvard assistant professor Ben Edelman agrees that deceptive popups are a big problem. "These are widespread, particularly when you stop one notch below the very fanciest news sites," he said. "If you go to MySpace or if you just run Google searches and click on results, you're likely to stumble on such ads."
While it's easy to blame users for missing bogus error messages, Wogalter said software developers who have overwhelmed their users with too many warning messages should also share the blame. "They shouldn't be putting people into this sort of position," he said.
The North Carolina State researchers said that their subjects chose the best course of action -- clicking the red X "close window" button at the top right corner to close their fake popups -- just under a third of the time.
But Sunbelt's Howes said scammers are so clever these days that the "close window" buttons are often fake too. "You can get into this sort of 'Alice in Wonderland' desktop where nothing responds like you think it should," he said.
Users who are really concerned about a popup message should close the window from the Windows taskbar at the bottom of the screen.
Or some may feel compelled to take more drastic action. "Sometimes the safest thing to do is to kill the entire browser," Howes said.
Access the article here.
Are you a victim of falling into the spam trap? Call 888-PCFRIEND or visit our Web site. The technicians at Friendly Computers can get your machine running like new again.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Firefox add-on blocks 'clickjacking' attacks
Clickjacking is a new security threat that has been in the news quite often. Mozilla has developed an add-on to protect user's from clickjacking. Read the article below to learn more.
NoScript now stymies new class of exploits by revealing secret content
By Gregg Keizer
October 9, 2008 (Computerworld) A popular Firefox add-on designed to block scripts and plug-ins has been updated to stymie the new "clickjacking" class of attacks, the extension's developer said today.
The latest version of NoScript, a free extension for Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox browser, now boasts something that Italian developer and security researcher Giorgio Maone calls "ClearClick" to protect users from clickjacking attacks.
"Rather than relying on frame/plug-in blocking, which were already available, I decided to move on and add a brand new feature, developed from scratch, for people who couldn't bear blocking frames outright," said Maone in an interview conducted via instant messaging.
In a blog post earlier this week, Maone spelled out what ClearClick does in greater detail. "Whenever you click or otherwise interact, through your mouse or your keyboard, with an embedded element which is partially obstructed, transparent or otherwise disguised, NoScript prevents the interaction from completing and reveals [to] you the real thing in 'clear,'" he said.
At that point, users can decide for themselves whether to continue clicking, or free up the mouse from the underlying -- and potentially exploitive -- content.
Clickjacking, which was coined just last month by a pair of American researchers -- Robert Hansen of SecTheory LLC and Jeremiah Grossman of WhiteHat Security Inc. -- describes attacks in which hackers and scammers hide under the cover of a legitimate site, then use that cover to disguise clicks. Among possible clickjacking exploits was one that Adobe Systems Inc. described this week in Flash that lets attackers secretly spy on users by getting them to turn on their computer's webcam and microphone without realizing they've done so.
"Clickjacking is bad, old and difficult to protect from because it depends Web features modern sites heavily rely upon today," said Maone. "It's also quite easy to pull [off] and unlikely to be fixed by a mainstream browser in the short term."
Although Hansen and Grossman have not yet released technical information of their clickjacking research -- they only outlined the threat in any detail yesterday -- Maone was able to create ClearClick by piecing together what clues had been made public in the last two weeks. He also got help from other researchers, including Hansen.
"Even without knowing the gory details of the [then still undisclosed] Adobe vulnerability, it was not hard analyzing the problem from a general mitigation perspective," said Maone. "[And] after I started speculating on the effectiveness of already existent NoScript features against clickjacking, notably IFRAME blocking, [Hansen] pinged me, also because he's a NoScript user himself, and we had some deeper discussion on NoScript's alternate and specific defenses."
NoScript uses the "canvas" HTML element to draw two snapshots, one of the clicked component only, the other of the top page with all its content, then compares the two images. If they differ, the extension triggers the ClearClick warning.
Maone was confident that NoScript with ClearClick would stop virtually every conceivable clickjack attack. "It conceptually shuts down any kind of clickjacking, either based on transparency, overlays, position, redressing and so on, because all the variants boil down to 'hide the element user is interacting with,'" he explained.
Hansen was not as certain that NoScript is the right answer.
"Giorgio is doing Mozilla a huge favor," he said in an interview Wednesday. "But I don't think that it's the best way to protect users." His objections: NoScript blocks much of the content that users expect to find on sites, and it's aimed at technical, not mainstream, users. "If my Mom was using NoScript, I'd be taking all kinds of technical support calls," he said.
Not surprisingly, Maone sees NoScript differently. "The problem is that many of the problems we're facing, and not just clickjacking, originate from the 'flat' security model of the Web, where everything is equally trusted and the boundaries between Web applications are very fragile," he said.
"NoScript takes a radical approach to this, dividing the Web in[to] 'trusted' and 'untrusted' -- the latter includes both unknown sites and those you explicitly marked as bad -- and this allows greater margin to outmaneuver Web-based threats," Maone added. "Playing on a field where all is trusted by default, like mainstream browser vendors are forced to do, makes security much harder, and in many cases impossible."
NoScript, available free of charge, works only with Firefox and other Mozilla-based browsers, such as Flock and SeaMonkey. Version 1.8.2.1, released Wednesday, includes ClearClick.
Access the article here.
Is your computer a victim of viruses, spyware and other malicious activities? The staff at Friendly Computers can help! Call 888-PCFRIEND or visit our website to schedule a technician to clean up your system.
NoScript now stymies new class of exploits by revealing secret content
By Gregg Keizer
October 9, 2008 (Computerworld) A popular Firefox add-on designed to block scripts and plug-ins has been updated to stymie the new "clickjacking" class of attacks, the extension's developer said today.
The latest version of NoScript, a free extension for Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox browser, now boasts something that Italian developer and security researcher Giorgio Maone calls "ClearClick" to protect users from clickjacking attacks.
"Rather than relying on frame/plug-in blocking, which were already available, I decided to move on and add a brand new feature, developed from scratch, for people who couldn't bear blocking frames outright," said Maone in an interview conducted via instant messaging.
In a blog post earlier this week, Maone spelled out what ClearClick does in greater detail. "Whenever you click or otherwise interact, through your mouse or your keyboard, with an embedded element which is partially obstructed, transparent or otherwise disguised, NoScript prevents the interaction from completing and reveals [to] you the real thing in 'clear,'" he said.
At that point, users can decide for themselves whether to continue clicking, or free up the mouse from the underlying -- and potentially exploitive -- content.
Clickjacking, which was coined just last month by a pair of American researchers -- Robert Hansen of SecTheory LLC and Jeremiah Grossman of WhiteHat Security Inc. -- describes attacks in which hackers and scammers hide under the cover of a legitimate site, then use that cover to disguise clicks. Among possible clickjacking exploits was one that Adobe Systems Inc. described this week in Flash that lets attackers secretly spy on users by getting them to turn on their computer's webcam and microphone without realizing they've done so.
"Clickjacking is bad, old and difficult to protect from because it depends Web features modern sites heavily rely upon today," said Maone. "It's also quite easy to pull [off] and unlikely to be fixed by a mainstream browser in the short term."
Although Hansen and Grossman have not yet released technical information of their clickjacking research -- they only outlined the threat in any detail yesterday -- Maone was able to create ClearClick by piecing together what clues had been made public in the last two weeks. He also got help from other researchers, including Hansen.
"Even without knowing the gory details of the [then still undisclosed] Adobe vulnerability, it was not hard analyzing the problem from a general mitigation perspective," said Maone. "[And] after I started speculating on the effectiveness of already existent NoScript features against clickjacking, notably IFRAME blocking, [Hansen] pinged me, also because he's a NoScript user himself, and we had some deeper discussion on NoScript's alternate and specific defenses."
NoScript uses the "canvas" HTML element to draw two snapshots, one of the clicked component only, the other of the top page with all its content, then compares the two images. If they differ, the extension triggers the ClearClick warning.
Maone was confident that NoScript with ClearClick would stop virtually every conceivable clickjack attack. "It conceptually shuts down any kind of clickjacking, either based on transparency, overlays, position, redressing and so on, because all the variants boil down to 'hide the element user is interacting with,'" he explained.
Hansen was not as certain that NoScript is the right answer.
"Giorgio is doing Mozilla a huge favor," he said in an interview Wednesday. "But I don't think that it's the best way to protect users." His objections: NoScript blocks much of the content that users expect to find on sites, and it's aimed at technical, not mainstream, users. "If my Mom was using NoScript, I'd be taking all kinds of technical support calls," he said.
Not surprisingly, Maone sees NoScript differently. "The problem is that many of the problems we're facing, and not just clickjacking, originate from the 'flat' security model of the Web, where everything is equally trusted and the boundaries between Web applications are very fragile," he said.
"NoScript takes a radical approach to this, dividing the Web in[to] 'trusted' and 'untrusted' -- the latter includes both unknown sites and those you explicitly marked as bad -- and this allows greater margin to outmaneuver Web-based threats," Maone added. "Playing on a field where all is trusted by default, like mainstream browser vendors are forced to do, makes security much harder, and in many cases impossible."
NoScript, available free of charge, works only with Firefox and other Mozilla-based browsers, such as Flock and SeaMonkey. Version 1.8.2.1, released Wednesday, includes ClearClick.
Access the article here.
Is your computer a victim of viruses, spyware and other malicious activities? The staff at Friendly Computers can help! Call 888-PCFRIEND or visit our website to schedule a technician to clean up your system.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Microsoft promises huge patch day next week
It's very important to update your computer regularly. Read the article about future patches released by Microsoft. If you need assistance installing updates, or you think your computer is at risk for viruses - call 1-888-PCFRIEND or visit our Web site. Our experienced technicians can assist you.
Slates 11 updates for Windows, IE, Active Directory, Office and Host Integration Server
By Gregg Keizer
October 9, 2008 (Computerworld) Microsoft Corp. today said it will issue 11 security updates next week -- the same number it shipped in August when it pushed out the most patches in 18 months -- to fix bugs in Windows, Active Directory,
Internet Explorer (IE), Office and Host Integration Server.
Four of the 11 updates will be labeled "critical," Microsoft's highest threat ranking, with six pegged "important," the next-lowest rating, and one tagged as "moderate."
As is Microsoft's practice, it released only the most general information about the upcoming security patches in the advance notification it posted Thursday. Among the details that the company provided are the affected software, the severity of the security problem and the components involved.
Seven of the 11 updates will address vulnerabilities that Microsoft acknowledged can be used to execute remote code, a description that generally means hackers could exploit those vulnerabilities to inject their own malicious code into vulnerable PCs, often by convincing users to open a file attachment or tricking them into visiting a rogue Web site. All four of the critical updates were marked with Microsoft's "Remote Code Execution" label, as were three of the important bulletins.
Bugs in Active Directory, IE, Excel and Microsoft Host Integration Server were all tagged critical.
The Active Directory fix will apply only to Windows 2000 Server, said Microsoft, which has patched the component several times, most recently in June when it fixed a broader problem in validating client LDAP requests.
On the other hand, the patch for Host Integration Server (HIS) is a first for that software, a little-known enterprise product that connects Windows-based networks to the IBM mainframe and AS/400 systems. HIS 2000, HIS 2004 and HIS 2006 are all affected, said Microsoft.
Based on the versions affected, the Excel update will likely patch a file format problem; both Windows and Mac editions of the spreadsheet program will have to be patched, said Microsoft. When that has happened in the past, the update has usually addressed file format bugs.
The IE patch, meanwhile, will fix flaws rated critical in IE5 and IE6, but which Microsoft ranked as only important for the newer IE7. According to Danish bug tracker Secunia, which lists several vulnerabilities in IE that need attention, the most-pressing problem is a cross-domain scripting bug in IE6 reported more than three months ago.
Other updates, including all six marked important, will address bugs in various versions of Windows; the one bulletin labeled moderate affects only Office XP Service Pack 3 (SP3).
In a related note, Microsoft said last month that Tuesday's updates would be the last for Office 2003 SP2; after next week, the company will only support that version of Office as Service Pack 3.
Microsoft will release the 11 security updates at approximately 1 p.m. EST on Oct. 14.
Access the article here.
Slates 11 updates for Windows, IE, Active Directory, Office and Host Integration Server
By Gregg Keizer
October 9, 2008 (Computerworld) Microsoft Corp. today said it will issue 11 security updates next week -- the same number it shipped in August when it pushed out the most patches in 18 months -- to fix bugs in Windows, Active Directory,
Internet Explorer (IE), Office and Host Integration Server.
Four of the 11 updates will be labeled "critical," Microsoft's highest threat ranking, with six pegged "important," the next-lowest rating, and one tagged as "moderate."
As is Microsoft's practice, it released only the most general information about the upcoming security patches in the advance notification it posted Thursday. Among the details that the company provided are the affected software, the severity of the security problem and the components involved.
Seven of the 11 updates will address vulnerabilities that Microsoft acknowledged can be used to execute remote code, a description that generally means hackers could exploit those vulnerabilities to inject their own malicious code into vulnerable PCs, often by convincing users to open a file attachment or tricking them into visiting a rogue Web site. All four of the critical updates were marked with Microsoft's "Remote Code Execution" label, as were three of the important bulletins.
Bugs in Active Directory, IE, Excel and Microsoft Host Integration Server were all tagged critical.
The Active Directory fix will apply only to Windows 2000 Server, said Microsoft, which has patched the component several times, most recently in June when it fixed a broader problem in validating client LDAP requests.
On the other hand, the patch for Host Integration Server (HIS) is a first for that software, a little-known enterprise product that connects Windows-based networks to the IBM mainframe and AS/400 systems. HIS 2000, HIS 2004 and HIS 2006 are all affected, said Microsoft.
Based on the versions affected, the Excel update will likely patch a file format problem; both Windows and Mac editions of the spreadsheet program will have to be patched, said Microsoft. When that has happened in the past, the update has usually addressed file format bugs.
The IE patch, meanwhile, will fix flaws rated critical in IE5 and IE6, but which Microsoft ranked as only important for the newer IE7. According to Danish bug tracker Secunia, which lists several vulnerabilities in IE that need attention, the most-pressing problem is a cross-domain scripting bug in IE6 reported more than three months ago.
Other updates, including all six marked important, will address bugs in various versions of Windows; the one bulletin labeled moderate affects only Office XP Service Pack 3 (SP3).
In a related note, Microsoft said last month that Tuesday's updates would be the last for Office 2003 SP2; after next week, the company will only support that version of Office as Service Pack 3.
Microsoft will release the 11 security updates at approximately 1 p.m. EST on Oct. 14.
Access the article here.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
'Clickjackers' could hijack webcams, microphones, Adobe warns
The staff at Friendly Computers advises their customers to be aware of the latest security threats. Read the article below to learn more about "clickjacking."
It issues security advisory for Flash, but won't patch until later this month
By Gregg Keizer
October 8, 2008 (Computerworld) Adobe Systems Inc. warned users Tuesday that hackers could use recently reported "clickjacking" attack tactics to secretly turn on a computer's microphone and Web camera.
Flash on all platforms is susceptible to clickjacking attacks, Adobe said in an advisory posted Tuesday. By duping users into visiting a malicious Web site, hackers could hijack seemingly innocent clicks that, in reality, would be used to grant the site access to the computer's webcam and microphone without the user's knowledge.
"This potential 'clickjacking' browser issue affects Adobe Flash Player's microphone and camera access dialog," acknowledged David Lenoe, the company's security program manager, in a post to Adobe's security blog.
Although a patch is not ready -- Lenoe said one would be issued by the end of October -- Adobe's advisory listed steps users can take immediately to block webcam and microphone hijacking. Adobe recommended that users access Flash's Settings Manager using a browser to select the "Always deny" option.
Adobe rated the vulnerability as "critical," its highest threat ranking.
According to Robert Hansen, one of the two security researchers who first raised the warning about clickjacking last month, Adobe will patch the bug in Flash 10, which already has been pegged for other fixes, including a flaw that's been used by attackers for over a month to poison clipboards with URLs to malicious sites.
Hansen noted that Macs are particularly vulnerable to the Flash clickjacking attack, since all recent Apple notebooks and desktop systems include built-in cameras and microphones.
At the same time that Adobe posted its advisory, it gave Hansen and his research partner, Jeremiah Grossman, the green light to reveal clickjacking details that they had kept confidential at Adobe's request.
Hansen posted a long entry to his blog that spelled out a dozen different clickjacking attack scenarios. Two weeks ago, when they provided only a general description of clickjacking, Hansen stressed that it was not a single exploit, but a new class of exploits.
He hammered that theme again on Tuesday. "There are multiple variants of clickjacking," Hansen said in his blog post. "Some of it requires cross-domain access, some doesn't. Some overlays entire pages over a page, some uses iframes to get you to click on one spot. Some requires JavaScript, some doesn't. Some variants use [cross-site request forgery] to pre-load data in forms, some don't."
Access the article here.
It issues security advisory for Flash, but won't patch until later this month
By Gregg Keizer
October 8, 2008 (Computerworld) Adobe Systems Inc. warned users Tuesday that hackers could use recently reported "clickjacking" attack tactics to secretly turn on a computer's microphone and Web camera.
Flash on all platforms is susceptible to clickjacking attacks, Adobe said in an advisory posted Tuesday. By duping users into visiting a malicious Web site, hackers could hijack seemingly innocent clicks that, in reality, would be used to grant the site access to the computer's webcam and microphone without the user's knowledge.
"This potential 'clickjacking' browser issue affects Adobe Flash Player's microphone and camera access dialog," acknowledged David Lenoe, the company's security program manager, in a post to Adobe's security blog.
Although a patch is not ready -- Lenoe said one would be issued by the end of October -- Adobe's advisory listed steps users can take immediately to block webcam and microphone hijacking. Adobe recommended that users access Flash's Settings Manager using a browser to select the "Always deny" option.
Adobe rated the vulnerability as "critical," its highest threat ranking.
According to Robert Hansen, one of the two security researchers who first raised the warning about clickjacking last month, Adobe will patch the bug in Flash 10, which already has been pegged for other fixes, including a flaw that's been used by attackers for over a month to poison clipboards with URLs to malicious sites.
Hansen noted that Macs are particularly vulnerable to the Flash clickjacking attack, since all recent Apple notebooks and desktop systems include built-in cameras and microphones.
At the same time that Adobe posted its advisory, it gave Hansen and his research partner, Jeremiah Grossman, the green light to reveal clickjacking details that they had kept confidential at Adobe's request.
Hansen posted a long entry to his blog that spelled out a dozen different clickjacking attack scenarios. Two weeks ago, when they provided only a general description of clickjacking, Hansen stressed that it was not a single exploit, but a new class of exploits.
He hammered that theme again on Tuesday. "There are multiple variants of clickjacking," Hansen said in his blog post. "Some of it requires cross-domain access, some doesn't. Some overlays entire pages over a page, some uses iframes to get you to click on one spot. Some requires JavaScript, some doesn't. Some variants use [cross-site request forgery] to pre-load data in forms, some don't."
Access the article here.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Windows XP gets another lifeline
With all the negative talk about Vista, and the demand for XP - Microsoft has answered to the public and has extended the availability of XP an additional six months. The staff at Friendly Computers recognizes their customers frustrations with the Vista & XP tug-of-war. It's important to keep up-to-date on the newest technologies, yet it's also vital to be satisfied with the tools you use.
Read the article below to see how Microsoft is fixing the problem.
Posted by Ina Fried
Bowing to continued demand, Microsoft has again extended the life of Windows XP.
Although the largest PC makers can't sell XP anymore (except for ultra-low-cost machines), they can sell Vista Ultimate and Vista Business machines with XP discs in the box, or even Vista machines that are "factory downgraded" to Windows XP.
That option was supposed to go away early next year, as Microsoft was going to stop supplying Windows XP media after January 31. However, the company now says it will offer the discs through July 31, giving the option a six-month extension. In a statement provided to CNET News, Microsoft tried to put the best face on the move.
"As more customers make the move to Windows Vista, we want to make sure that they are making that transition with confidence and that it is as smooth as possible," Microsoft said. "Providing downgrade media for a few more months is part of that commitment, as is the Windows Vista Small Business Assurance program, which provides one-on-one, customized support for our small-business customers."
CEO Steve Ballmer said on Thursday in France that 180 million copies of Vista have been sold, but he noted that businesses continue to move at their own pace. When asked about whether companies should move to Vista or wait for Windows 7, even Ballmer said it depends on the business.
"So, my point isn't to encourage you to do it immediately; of course, we'd love you to do it immediately," Ballmer said. "My real advice is to do it in the natural rhythm of your PC upgrade cycle...Most of you will not upgrade the software on existing hardware. Some will. Most of you will actually choose to buy new machines when you move forward, and so we should work with you in that context."
The less major computer makers, known as system builders in Microsoft parlance, are still able to sell XP machines without having to do the Vista downgrade thing. That option is set to end Jan. 31 and Microsoft says that date isn't being extended.
Microsoft stopped selling Windows XP on June 30, though it continues to be available as retail supplies last. It has been a top seller on Amazon for some time, and several versions of XP are still among the retailer's top 25 best-selling software titles.
The six-month extension for XP discs was noted earlier by The Register, a tech news site.
Access the article here.
Read the article below to see how Microsoft is fixing the problem.
Posted by Ina Fried
Bowing to continued demand, Microsoft has again extended the life of Windows XP.
Although the largest PC makers can't sell XP anymore (except for ultra-low-cost machines), they can sell Vista Ultimate and Vista Business machines with XP discs in the box, or even Vista machines that are "factory downgraded" to Windows XP.
That option was supposed to go away early next year, as Microsoft was going to stop supplying Windows XP media after January 31. However, the company now says it will offer the discs through July 31, giving the option a six-month extension. In a statement provided to CNET News, Microsoft tried to put the best face on the move.
"As more customers make the move to Windows Vista, we want to make sure that they are making that transition with confidence and that it is as smooth as possible," Microsoft said. "Providing downgrade media for a few more months is part of that commitment, as is the Windows Vista Small Business Assurance program, which provides one-on-one, customized support for our small-business customers."
CEO Steve Ballmer said on Thursday in France that 180 million copies of Vista have been sold, but he noted that businesses continue to move at their own pace. When asked about whether companies should move to Vista or wait for Windows 7, even Ballmer said it depends on the business.
"So, my point isn't to encourage you to do it immediately; of course, we'd love you to do it immediately," Ballmer said. "My real advice is to do it in the natural rhythm of your PC upgrade cycle...Most of you will not upgrade the software on existing hardware. Some will. Most of you will actually choose to buy new machines when you move forward, and so we should work with you in that context."
The less major computer makers, known as system builders in Microsoft parlance, are still able to sell XP machines without having to do the Vista downgrade thing. That option is set to end Jan. 31 and Microsoft says that date isn't being extended.
Microsoft stopped selling Windows XP on June 30, though it continues to be available as retail supplies last. It has been a top seller on Amazon for some time, and several versions of XP are still among the retailer's top 25 best-selling software titles.
The six-month extension for XP discs was noted earlier by The Register, a tech news site.
Access the article here.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Chicken Electronics: A Technology Plucked from Waste
"Going Green" is a trend that isn't going to fade. From consumers recycling to manufacturers coming up with earth-friendly alternatives - society as a whole is making a difference. The staff at Friendly Computers recently heard of an ingenious approach to the building of circuit boards. Read the interesting article below to learn more.
Lance Frazer
The 8 billion–plus broilers produced each year by the U.S. poultry industry leave behind some 3 billion pounds of waste feathers. Traditional disposal strategies are less than perfect. Feathers can be processed into a low-grade animal feed, but this demands water and energy. They also can be incinerated or buried, which involves storage, handling, and, for incinerated feathers, emissions control and ash disposal. Richard Wool, director of the Affordable Composites from Renewable Sources (ACRES) program at the University of Delaware, believes he’s found a way to use these feathers that kills two birds with one stone, so to speak. Wool’s solution is a collaboration with poultry giant Tyson Foods to explore manufacture of another resource-depleting necessity—the circuit board—using chicken feathers.
A New Breed of Circuit Board
In its simplest form, a circuit board is a thin sheet of plastic with a glued-on layer of copper foil. Excess foil is removed, usually by a chemical etching process, and components are attached to the remaining foil. Dave Jones, an associate director in the Waste Management Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9 offices, says there are both manufacturing and end-of-life issues to be considered: “You have the issue of the consumption of copper and petroleum products to begin with, and anytime you’re dealing with the extraction and use of virgin resources, you have the potential for incredible environmental impact,” he says. “Then you have to consider what’s added to the petrochemical product to make the board—typically something like chlorine.”
When a circuit board reaches the end of its life, it’s typically taken to a smelter, says Jones. There, the metals are recovered and the plastic burned. “I think anytime we can find a way to preclude the need to use new resources, we’re better off on many levels,” he says.
When you’re dealing with signals sent within a computer, speed is critical, but electricity is a finicky thing, and easily distracted. In a phenomenon Wool refers to as “electron rubbernecking,” the negatively charged electrons can easily be lured down side streets if a material carrying too great an attractive charge is nearby (a situation further complicated by the diminishing size and increasing proximity of the components that end up on the circuit board). Wool’s goal, then, was to find something noninteractive to serve as the basis for a new breed of circuit board.
He also, he says, wanted something “light, yet strong, and with as much air involved as possible. Feathers are extremely light, and they’re hollow, yet very strong. That makes them ideal.” Feathers are made of the protein keratin, which in fiber form is both light and tough enough to withstand mechanical and thermal stresses. The hollow fiber is of very low density, providing strength without sacrificing weight.
Wool arranged a collaboration in which Tyson would provide waste feathers for experimentation. Tyson washed the feathers and stripped the quill material away, leaving behind the air-filled down, which the company pressed into thin mats.
Wool coated the keratin fiber mats with two different commercial soybean oil preparations in several different proportions. The resulting boards were tested for qualities including rigidity and wetting (the fibers must be saturated by the soybean resin to achieve the desired dielectric constant), as well as vibration damping and thermal expansion, physical performance attributes important in applications including electronic, automotive, aerospace, defense, and farming equipment.
The best end product so far, using 30% keratin by weight, has a lower dielectric constant than conventional semiconductor insulator materials such as silicon dioxide or polyimides. For comparison, Wool says, whereas the dielectric constant of air is 1.0 and that of silicon dioxide is 3.8–4.2, keratin fibers have a dielectric constant of 1.6. That means electrons can move on the feather-based printed circuit boards at twice the speed as traditional circuit boards.
The new circuit boards also had enough strength and rigidity to satisfy industrial requirements, and a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to silicon dioxide and polyimides. “That’s important,” Wool explains, “because a high thermal expansion coefficient can damage printed circuits and lead to brittleness and durability issues. Air has a very high thermal expansion coefficient, but an unexpected sidelight of this process is that the air merely expands out of the keratin fiber, giving you almost a convective cooling effect.” Wool presented these findings 2 June 2004 at the 11th European Conference on Composite Materials in Rhodes, Greece.
A Side Order of Soybeans
The soybean resins Wool used are based on the oil’s natural makeup of triglycerides: three fatty acids joined at a glycerol juncture. “Through fairly common refining techniques, we can get the fatty acid distribution desired,” he says. “Then, in another simple, low-temperature process, we treat the oils with hydrogen peroxide and formic acid, and then add acrylic acid to get the characteristics we want. The advantage to triglycerides is that they have positive, negative, and neutral groups, so they can adhere to almost anything as a substrate.”
Ideally, says Wool, you’d want to be able to grow the exact fatty acids desired in the field, without any modification. “That’s certainly well within the capabilities of modern genetic engineering,” he says. “In fact, we’ve already done that with a patented pressure-sensitive adhesive we created.”
Wool points out that all epoxide preparations use dangerous intermediates such as formic acids. “The [positive] environmental impacts [of this process] derive from the reduction in use of fossil fuels and related global warming gases through utilization of carbon dioxide by photosynthetic growth in the field,” he says. And once again, the dielectric constant comes into play: the dielectric constant of the current industry standard for circuit board epoxies, a composite known as FR4, can range from 3.9 to 4.8, depending on the manufacturer.
Wool estimates a manufacturer would require about 200 million bushels of soybeans to make enough epoxy to keep up with Tyson’s 2 billion pounds of chicken feathers. But that would be a drop in the bucket compared to soybean production in the United States, estimated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at nearly 3 billion bushels for 2003.
Wool is careful to point out that biobased products such as this soybean resin are not necessarily less expensive to produce. “Biobased is generally less energy-intensive,” he says. “There are exceptions like ethanol, which takes a lot of energy to make. But in general, biobased uses less water and energy than petroleum-based.”
The bottom line, says Wool, is that we’re running out of petroleum. As we do, the need grows to replace those resources with plant alternatives, which are more environmentally benign on many levels, as well as renewable. “And many of the oils are easily biodegradable at end of life for the product, which lessens the environmental impact on the other end,” he adds.
Henny Penny: The Economics Angle
Given the differences between keratin-based circuit boards and traditional ones, Jones notes that it will be necessary to conduct many comparative studies to determine the overall improvement. “How much energy is required to power the process that makes each type of board?” he asks. “How many and what kind of acids and other chemicals are used? How much water is required? How much pollution is generated by each one? All of these questions have to be addressed before you can proclaim one process superior to any other.”
Chavonda Jacobs-Young is a national program leader in the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program at the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. She says Wool’s research falls under her department’s purview in that, while helping U.S. farmers become more competitive globally, it could also allow for the development of a value-added product that not only avoids the use of nonrenewable resources, but also provides a constructive, environmentally sound use for something that has to date been little more than a waste product that needs to be managed.
“Replacing traditional materials with biobased materials can have a positive impact on several fronts,” she says. “It can increase our national security by decreasing our reliance on foreign [oil] resources, and it can increase the viability of the farming industry in this country. And anytime you can convert what is normally a waste into an end-user product, that can only have a positive environmental impact.”
Circuit board industry consultant John Fisher says the industry is endeavoring to progress in a “green” direction on several fronts, including moving away from lead solders and developing halogen-free laminates. But there are a variety of factors that have to be taken into account. “The first factor in any new development will be cost, because with the rise in offshore competition, this has become an increasingly cost-competitive industry,” he says. “The other factors are the green aspects, and the electrical and mechanical properties. If someone comes up with something that impacts any of these criteria, it’s going to find a ready market in certain segments.”
For example, he explains, the low-end market—comprising televisions, washing machines, and similar products—are most interested in cost. “These users are working to take pennies out of their cost, so economics is a big driver,” he says. The high-end market, on the other hand, is more interested in electrical and mechanical properties. Meanwhile, environmental aspects are an umbrella of concern for the whole industry.
Will Chicken Electronics Fly?
What Wool says is needed next is an electronics manufacturer that is willing to see if the technology will fly—something that could be on the near horizon. “Things are at the stage at the moment where I can’t identify the manufacturer, beyond saying that it’s one of the world’s largest,” Wool says. “Right now, we have a proposal pending before the USDA to sponsor further research in collaboration with this manufacturer. We expect to hear from the USDA in about two months, and in the interim, this chip manufacturer is running some of its own process tests, to check for durability under high temperature processing, determine dielectric constant and loss factors, and [look into] other issues related to manufacturing processes.”
There are also still a few critical issues to be addressed, including the design and formulation of the soybean resin, to make sure it has the correct dielectric loss properties at the frequencies used by computers. And Wool is further modifying and refining the materials and processes used to make the circuit boards, for optimized electronic capabilities.
“Electronic materials aren’t going to go away,” Wool says. “Fossil fuels are going to go away, and because this is such an energy-intensive business, it falls to us to be able to do more with less energy. We have no choice but to minimize waste and maximize energy efficiency in every process, and this is one step in that area.”
Access the article here.
Lance Frazer
The 8 billion–plus broilers produced each year by the U.S. poultry industry leave behind some 3 billion pounds of waste feathers. Traditional disposal strategies are less than perfect. Feathers can be processed into a low-grade animal feed, but this demands water and energy. They also can be incinerated or buried, which involves storage, handling, and, for incinerated feathers, emissions control and ash disposal. Richard Wool, director of the Affordable Composites from Renewable Sources (ACRES) program at the University of Delaware, believes he’s found a way to use these feathers that kills two birds with one stone, so to speak. Wool’s solution is a collaboration with poultry giant Tyson Foods to explore manufacture of another resource-depleting necessity—the circuit board—using chicken feathers.
A New Breed of Circuit Board
In its simplest form, a circuit board is a thin sheet of plastic with a glued-on layer of copper foil. Excess foil is removed, usually by a chemical etching process, and components are attached to the remaining foil. Dave Jones, an associate director in the Waste Management Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9 offices, says there are both manufacturing and end-of-life issues to be considered: “You have the issue of the consumption of copper and petroleum products to begin with, and anytime you’re dealing with the extraction and use of virgin resources, you have the potential for incredible environmental impact,” he says. “Then you have to consider what’s added to the petrochemical product to make the board—typically something like chlorine.”
When a circuit board reaches the end of its life, it’s typically taken to a smelter, says Jones. There, the metals are recovered and the plastic burned. “I think anytime we can find a way to preclude the need to use new resources, we’re better off on many levels,” he says.
When you’re dealing with signals sent within a computer, speed is critical, but electricity is a finicky thing, and easily distracted. In a phenomenon Wool refers to as “electron rubbernecking,” the negatively charged electrons can easily be lured down side streets if a material carrying too great an attractive charge is nearby (a situation further complicated by the diminishing size and increasing proximity of the components that end up on the circuit board). Wool’s goal, then, was to find something noninteractive to serve as the basis for a new breed of circuit board.
He also, he says, wanted something “light, yet strong, and with as much air involved as possible. Feathers are extremely light, and they’re hollow, yet very strong. That makes them ideal.” Feathers are made of the protein keratin, which in fiber form is both light and tough enough to withstand mechanical and thermal stresses. The hollow fiber is of very low density, providing strength without sacrificing weight.
Wool arranged a collaboration in which Tyson would provide waste feathers for experimentation. Tyson washed the feathers and stripped the quill material away, leaving behind the air-filled down, which the company pressed into thin mats.
Wool coated the keratin fiber mats with two different commercial soybean oil preparations in several different proportions. The resulting boards were tested for qualities including rigidity and wetting (the fibers must be saturated by the soybean resin to achieve the desired dielectric constant), as well as vibration damping and thermal expansion, physical performance attributes important in applications including electronic, automotive, aerospace, defense, and farming equipment.
The best end product so far, using 30% keratin by weight, has a lower dielectric constant than conventional semiconductor insulator materials such as silicon dioxide or polyimides. For comparison, Wool says, whereas the dielectric constant of air is 1.0 and that of silicon dioxide is 3.8–4.2, keratin fibers have a dielectric constant of 1.6. That means electrons can move on the feather-based printed circuit boards at twice the speed as traditional circuit boards.
The new circuit boards also had enough strength and rigidity to satisfy industrial requirements, and a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to silicon dioxide and polyimides. “That’s important,” Wool explains, “because a high thermal expansion coefficient can damage printed circuits and lead to brittleness and durability issues. Air has a very high thermal expansion coefficient, but an unexpected sidelight of this process is that the air merely expands out of the keratin fiber, giving you almost a convective cooling effect.” Wool presented these findings 2 June 2004 at the 11th European Conference on Composite Materials in Rhodes, Greece.
A Side Order of Soybeans
The soybean resins Wool used are based on the oil’s natural makeup of triglycerides: three fatty acids joined at a glycerol juncture. “Through fairly common refining techniques, we can get the fatty acid distribution desired,” he says. “Then, in another simple, low-temperature process, we treat the oils with hydrogen peroxide and formic acid, and then add acrylic acid to get the characteristics we want. The advantage to triglycerides is that they have positive, negative, and neutral groups, so they can adhere to almost anything as a substrate.”
Ideally, says Wool, you’d want to be able to grow the exact fatty acids desired in the field, without any modification. “That’s certainly well within the capabilities of modern genetic engineering,” he says. “In fact, we’ve already done that with a patented pressure-sensitive adhesive we created.”
Wool points out that all epoxide preparations use dangerous intermediates such as formic acids. “The [positive] environmental impacts [of this process] derive from the reduction in use of fossil fuels and related global warming gases through utilization of carbon dioxide by photosynthetic growth in the field,” he says. And once again, the dielectric constant comes into play: the dielectric constant of the current industry standard for circuit board epoxies, a composite known as FR4, can range from 3.9 to 4.8, depending on the manufacturer.
Wool estimates a manufacturer would require about 200 million bushels of soybeans to make enough epoxy to keep up with Tyson’s 2 billion pounds of chicken feathers. But that would be a drop in the bucket compared to soybean production in the United States, estimated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at nearly 3 billion bushels for 2003.
Wool is careful to point out that biobased products such as this soybean resin are not necessarily less expensive to produce. “Biobased is generally less energy-intensive,” he says. “There are exceptions like ethanol, which takes a lot of energy to make. But in general, biobased uses less water and energy than petroleum-based.”
The bottom line, says Wool, is that we’re running out of petroleum. As we do, the need grows to replace those resources with plant alternatives, which are more environmentally benign on many levels, as well as renewable. “And many of the oils are easily biodegradable at end of life for the product, which lessens the environmental impact on the other end,” he adds.
Henny Penny: The Economics Angle
Given the differences between keratin-based circuit boards and traditional ones, Jones notes that it will be necessary to conduct many comparative studies to determine the overall improvement. “How much energy is required to power the process that makes each type of board?” he asks. “How many and what kind of acids and other chemicals are used? How much water is required? How much pollution is generated by each one? All of these questions have to be addressed before you can proclaim one process superior to any other.”
Chavonda Jacobs-Young is a national program leader in the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program at the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. She says Wool’s research falls under her department’s purview in that, while helping U.S. farmers become more competitive globally, it could also allow for the development of a value-added product that not only avoids the use of nonrenewable resources, but also provides a constructive, environmentally sound use for something that has to date been little more than a waste product that needs to be managed.
“Replacing traditional materials with biobased materials can have a positive impact on several fronts,” she says. “It can increase our national security by decreasing our reliance on foreign [oil] resources, and it can increase the viability of the farming industry in this country. And anytime you can convert what is normally a waste into an end-user product, that can only have a positive environmental impact.”
Circuit board industry consultant John Fisher says the industry is endeavoring to progress in a “green” direction on several fronts, including moving away from lead solders and developing halogen-free laminates. But there are a variety of factors that have to be taken into account. “The first factor in any new development will be cost, because with the rise in offshore competition, this has become an increasingly cost-competitive industry,” he says. “The other factors are the green aspects, and the electrical and mechanical properties. If someone comes up with something that impacts any of these criteria, it’s going to find a ready market in certain segments.”
For example, he explains, the low-end market—comprising televisions, washing machines, and similar products—are most interested in cost. “These users are working to take pennies out of their cost, so economics is a big driver,” he says. The high-end market, on the other hand, is more interested in electrical and mechanical properties. Meanwhile, environmental aspects are an umbrella of concern for the whole industry.
Will Chicken Electronics Fly?
What Wool says is needed next is an electronics manufacturer that is willing to see if the technology will fly—something that could be on the near horizon. “Things are at the stage at the moment where I can’t identify the manufacturer, beyond saying that it’s one of the world’s largest,” Wool says. “Right now, we have a proposal pending before the USDA to sponsor further research in collaboration with this manufacturer. We expect to hear from the USDA in about two months, and in the interim, this chip manufacturer is running some of its own process tests, to check for durability under high temperature processing, determine dielectric constant and loss factors, and [look into] other issues related to manufacturing processes.”
There are also still a few critical issues to be addressed, including the design and formulation of the soybean resin, to make sure it has the correct dielectric loss properties at the frequencies used by computers. And Wool is further modifying and refining the materials and processes used to make the circuit boards, for optimized electronic capabilities.
“Electronic materials aren’t going to go away,” Wool says. “Fossil fuels are going to go away, and because this is such an energy-intensive business, it falls to us to be able to do more with less energy. We have no choice but to minimize waste and maximize energy efficiency in every process, and this is one step in that area.”
Access the article here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
