Tuesday, July 20, 2004

First Windows CE virus emerges. Security companies this weekend identified a virus that's designed to demonstrate security holes in Microsoft Corp.'s Windows CE operating system. [Computerworld News] Like I was saying... 1:10:57 PM    comment []

E-voting rejected in Ohio. The decision by Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell will block the deployment of e-voting systems from Diebold Election Systems in three counties. [Computerworld News] With the US elections only four months away (thank goodness), at least as scheduled, this should come not only as no surprise, but as a complete no brainer.  E-voting systems are NOT ready for prime time, because the underlying operating systems, most often a derivation of the one coming out of Redmond are not ready for truly secure operations being conducted on them. Now, don't get me wrong, I think some form of electronic voting is going to have to come into being.  There are far too many people casting ballots for each one to not only be counted by hand, but for them to be produced cost effectively in the first place (and we won't go into the Florida issue here).  Having run a small University election process with the old lever-type voting machines, I can tell you that counting the ballots is a PAIN.  However, most people are NOT comfortable with technology.  Don't believe me?  How do you think viruses are spread?  Not by those that know better.  Now, to build a truly secure electronic voting system, you will need to do a lot more than slap a copy of Windows(r) on a tablet PC and plug it into the wall - and not to belittle the efforts, but that is basically what they are doing.   1:09:29 PM    comment []

Apple Rolls Out Cheaper iPods (Reuters). Reuters - Apple Computer Inc. on Monday introduced lower-priced versions of its iPod digital music player with longer battery life, positioning itself against rivals trying to use lower prices to undercut iPod sales. [Yahoo! News - Technology] At one point I was seriously lusting after an iPod. I really wanted one.  I have over 30 Gigabytes of MP3s (all legally ripped from a collection of over 400 CDs in my basement) on my PC and loading my old, 64 MByte MP3 player was a bit of a pain.  Then I read an article in the Washington Post about a guy who's iPod battery had died.  Lo and behold, it had to be sent back to Apple for repair at a cost of about $200, or basically what the device was worth.  This got me thinking - who builds a device with a non-removable battery in it.  Turns out I own a couple of those devices, but so far (knock wood) I have not had an issue.  This got me thinking about the iPod.  Sure they look cool and they do have a couple of really good uses (besides being portable juke boxes), but the bloom is off the rose as they say.  I am NOT buying anything that is not user-serviceable in terms of the battery.  I don't care whether it runs on alkaline, Ni-Cads or Ni-MH batteries, but I want to be able to swap them when they go bad (and they ALL go bad eventually). So, longer battery life is not a big seller for me.  Replaceable batteries are...I think I will look at the Nomad...   12:58:27 PM    comment []

N.Korea Ready to Negotiate Nuclear Program-Official (Reuters). Reuters - A senior North Korean representative said on Tuesday his government was ready to end its nuclear weapons program if the United States changes its "hostile policy" toward Pyongyang. [Yahoo! News - Top Stories] Call me a cynic, but why did the United States send troops to Iraq when a much more oppressive and active nuclear power existed in the world in the form of North Korea?  Please explain this to me, because I just don't understand it. 12:49:45 PM    comment []

© Copyright 2004 David Lane.