Ölbaum’s Delirium

For its birthday, my blog gets a new template. How timely.

# Posted by Ölbaum, the wee hours | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Am I hooked to PulpFiction if I’m reading MacAddict and want to hit Command-Shift-L to flag an article for later reading?

# Posted by Ölbaum, late at night | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

When I post a comment in a TypeKey-enabled weblog, my nickname, Ölbaum, appears like this: Ölbaum. It looks a lot to me as yet another example of software not tested with international charachers.

Pas bieeeeeen!

# Posted by Ölbaum, late afternoon | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

codepoet identified a new kind of computer security hole. It affects Macs, Windows, Linux, PDAs, phones and even paper agendas and is really easy to exploit. So easy that I wrote my first trojan horse today:

• Pick up the phone;
• Call @stake, Intego or Techworld;
• Tell your correspondant that you discovered a new trojan horse that affects Macs. You should have him hooked by now;
• Ask him whether he uses any of the following: Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, a PDA, a paper agenda;
• For each device that he uses, indicate the proper action to be taken in order to be protected:
  • Mac OS X: shut down the Mac, put it back into its box and donate it to the nearest primary school, where it will become immune to the trojan;
  • Linux: log-in as root and erase the kernel, which contains most of the code used by the trojan to damage the computer;
  • PDA: make sure the trojan doesn’t get the power required to complete its task by short circuiting the battery;
  • Paper agenda: prevent unwanted access to your data by burning it;
  • Windows: just leave the PC as is, making sure it’s connected to the Internet and that Outlook is checking your e-mail regularly. The new trojan won’t stand a chance to do evil before the multitude of viruses out there;

• Explain that the final step in order to stop further spreading of the trojan is to flush his phone down the toilet.

# Posted by Ölbaum, the wee hours | Comments (29) | TrackBacks (0)

Techworld:

Apple, despite the trenchant support of its users, has now been accused by three highly respected security companies of knowingly downplaying critical security holes in its software […]

Among these three companies are Intego and @stake (they don’t tell the name of the third one). These might well be highly respected security companies, I agree, but only because they sell highly respected security products, not because they give accurate and disinterested information on security issues.

Do you trust an umbrella merchant that tells you, under a bright sun, that it’s going to rain in the afternoon?

# Posted by Ölbaum, evening time | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)