The Internet May Be In Trouble. Big Trouble.

The internet as we know it is in trouble. The “PROTECT IP Act” or S. 968 in the Senate and the “Stop Online Piracy Act” or H.R. 3261 in the House are two very real threats to what we've come to know as the biggest open source place for information; the internet.

The PROTECT IP Act , and the Stop Online Piracy Act, give the government the right to blacklist domains that they think infringe upon copyright laws. While this may not sound like a bad thing, it opens up a number of problems. It gives the government the ability to bully sites like Google, Yahoo, and a number of others [even social media] into censoring their information and taking down links at command, under penalty of lawsuit. It takes sites with good intention, such as file hosting services, and shuts them down due to copyrighted content uploaded by an individual [lets face it, with the millions of users on most of those sites, they can't monitor, no matter how hard they try].

It can also stop small web-based startups from making business, and put regular people in prison for up to five years/get them heavy fines simply for having a copyrighted song in the background of a video they post to Youtube.

To learn more about these bills, here's a short video explaining a bit more about them, and what they mean to us:

PROTECT IP Act Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

If you would like to contact a representative, and let them know you are against these bills, here's a helpful link that will connect you to the right person: http://www.tumblr.com/protect-the-net 

Your voice will be heard.

Don't be afraid to call; they're really nice. =)

Patents "Grab"

Nowadays, in the ever expanding world of technology, manufacturers of tablets, smartphones, and touchscreen devices have been running into more and more lawsuits over patents. To counter this issue and cover their ground when it comes to their products, most companies have a very thorough legal department that investigates a new device before it is built, making sure there are no patents out there that could cover it and that it is not infringing on any copyrights, etc. Another thing many companies have started to do, however, is buying patents from other companies, businesses, individuals, etc.

The more patents the company owns, the more rights to technological designs, innovations, and ideas they have, which gives them an upper hand as it both protects them from legal issues of that nature and it gives them the rights to something no-one else has [excluding the creator of the patent who may retain rights to having come up with the idea].

What does this all mean?

If you have a good idea for something that could be applied to a smartphone or tablet, you may want to check and see if it is out there yet. Chances are, your idea could be worth something to the right people. Who knows; maybe your idea could turn into the next big thing!

in·no·va·tion

   [in-uh-vey-shuhn]  Show IPA

noun

1.

something new or different introduced: numerous innovationsin the high-school curriculum.

2.

the act of innovating; introduction of new things ormethods.

Linux: Ubuntu In The Workplace

Chances are if you work in a business enviornment, your computer is running a Microsoft Operating System, such as XP, Vista, or Windows 7. Ubuntu is looking to enter the business market with a new business class version of the Ubuntu Operating System. Ubuntu Desktop claims a number of features that Windows 7 lacks for the business enviornment [when installed], such as a personal productivity suite, Anti-Virus, a PDF reader, Instant Messaging, and other features that are improvements from the basic Windows 7 features [Firewall,  Archiving/Compression software, Backup software, and Multiple browser options].

One of the many benefits to running this business class operating system - It can run alongside Windows! If your company did decide to switch to it, you can dual boot, or set up another partition [without damaging windows] to install it on, using the utilities in the Ubuntu Desktop installation.

Another main benefit to be found, is the ability to exchange files with Windows users. The exchanged files work the same on either operating system, and will not have trouble transferring. Even if you pull a Microsoft Office file over to Ubuntu Desktop, it will work flawlessly.

Ubuntu is very big on compatability, so no matter what hardware is in your system, Ubuntu Desktop will work right away. No searching for drivers, or hoping things work when you plug them in. It works from the get-go.

Lastly, the latest noticeable thing about the release of Ubuntu Desktop is the price. Usually, Linux products are open source, and free [as a regular version of Ubuntu is]; however, seeing as you are getting a business class operating system with Ubuntu Desktop, it is like that of an Enterprise Edition Linux OS. Therefore it's going to cost you. For the standard version, it would cost $105 per year per machine. For the Advanced version, which includes some extra features, it would cost you $165 per year. To read up on some more of the features of Ubuntu Desktop, click here.

To get your hands on Ubuntu, click here.



Dealing With Viruses - Part 3: What To Do

Combating Viruses

There are certain steps you can take when dealing with viruses. Depending on what kind it is, certain methods would be far more effective than others. Granted, we won't be giving away all the secrets in this article. ^_~

If it seems you've tried everything, can can't get rid of the virus, you should call us at 863-838-2663, or if you're not in Central Florida, get a hold of your local tech support.

Firstly, if you suspect that a virus is on your computer, and someone might be controlling it, you need to disconnect your computer from the internet immediately.

Secondly, you should always have an anti-virus client installed and up to date.

We reccommend the following.

AVAST! Anti-Virus: Free Edition

Avast! Antivirus: Free Edition is a free anti-virus client that monitors everything as it happens, while a real-time scanner continuously keeps a look for viruses in the background. It is one of the best free anti-virus clients out there. To download and install it, click here.

Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free antivirus client from Microsoft, which self updates, monitors your downloads for viruses, and scans real-time in the background. It is one of the best free scanners out there aside from Avast!.

To download it, click here.

Aside from preventative maintenance, if you cannot manage to get the virus off with these clients, you may want to call us or your local tech support. It is definitely a serious virus to be causing that kind of trouble.

To contact us, you can call us at 863-838-2663
OR

E-mail us at etech@compsultinc.com

If you're not local, but cannot get assistance, e-mail or call us anyways. We should be able to walk you through getting rid of the virus.



Dealing With Viruses - Part 2: Types of Viruses

Types Of Viruses

Viruses all have different strings, and different names as they come out. New viruses come out daily, and there are so many different ones out there. In this article, the second of three, we will be identifying a few of the basic types of viruses not by specific names, but by nicknames given to them by their functions.


Why are viruses created?

When you think of viruses, you may wonder where they come from, and what they are for. Viruses are written by hackers, crackers, and programmers; some for specific purposes, but most with the intent to drive you crazy and as a sort of prank.

Below are listed the different kinds of viruses you will run into, and what they were designed specifically to do.


Restricted Access; Lockout Virus

This virus typically locks you out of your system, restricting access to your personal folders, desktop, control panel, task manager, and a slew of other things. It won't allow you to do much of anything. While it has you locked out, in the background, it is doing even more damage, and possibly even pulling personal data back to the creator such as online banking information, usernames, passwords, etc.

Why would someone make something this aggravating? More often than not, this virus is designed as a prank, to frustrate the user. Other times, it is designed to keep the user from being able to find a way to disable the virus while it searches for information, or does more damage to the computer.


Imposter Trojan [Fake Software]

This virus installs a fake program, and adds it to the startup entries, so whenever your computer starts it loads. It usually comes in the form of a fake anti-virus client, which pretends to scan your computer and tells you that it is full of Trojans, then prompting you to buy the software to remove them. The program it's self is the virus.

This virus is made for two purposes. Firstly, it is created to annoy the user to no end. Secondly, it is set up to scam the user, hoping that they will be foolish enough to believe that the software is real, even though they did not put it on the system themselves. It then takes your credit card information after you have entered it in to pay for the "full version".


Web Browser Specific Viruses

This is a very generalized category, as there are many different types of viruses that could fall under that title, but we will elaborate on some of the more common ones in this section.

Sometimes toolbars can cause this, as there are fake toolbars that would fall under the previous category in this article. Those toolbars cause your browser to have problems, log where you go, change your settings, or just slow you down in general. If you install a toolbar, always make sure you know where it's from, and that you actually want it on your system before installing it.

Another kind of virus that can make it's way onto your computer causes pop-ups to continuously come out of nowhere. It is a Trojan that stores in the temporary internet files [usually], and triggers pop-ups, which can either be false ads, or more viruses making their way on to your computer. You may also notice your home page has changed randomly on it's own.

While these viruses can be mostly browser specific, they may also be part of a greater virus, that expands beyond Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc. to drive you crazy. It may also be changing your personal settings on your computer, or it may even be this virus with a combination of others.

RAT [Remote Access Trojan]

A remote access Trojan allows the creator of the Trojan to see everything you are doing, control your computer remotely, and make changes to your registry, settings, etc.
Everything that you do, they see. Your cursor might start moving on it's own, and programs, folders, etc. may begin to open on their own. Strange things will happen. The hacker is basically either going to toy around with you, or search for for personal information.

These kinds of viruses are created as pranks, to snoop around on people, and to steal personal information/data.


Worms

This is a term that has been around for many years. Most people know a worm as a virus that eats away at your hard drive, and that basically is the case. A worm will slowly pick away at your registry [or quickly], and damage it, or key files needed to run your operating system and/or programs.
The basic effect is a slower computer, with lots of crashing [unless you have a powerful worm, in which case your computer may stop working a bit more instantaneously, or quickly]. Slowness in your computer does not always mean a virus though, so be sure to run a virus scan if you suspect one.

Dealing With Viruses - Part 1: Identifying Viruses

Identifying Viruses

Most people are uncertain when it comes to viruses. What exactly is a virus, and what is not? How can you tell if you have a virus or not, and what type do you have? What do viruses do? Why were they even created in the first place? This three part article should help you to answer these questions, and learn how to better deal with viruses.

Signs Of A Virus

There are many different signs of a virus. Below are listed some of the most common.

1) Restricted Access

One surefire way to know there is a virus on your computer is if programs and normal operations start to go haywire. For example, if you try to go to a folder on your desktop, or "My Documents", and get an error message like these:

Another example is programs that usually work just fine will not start, and will show errors as to why they cannot start. If one of these programs is your virus protection not starting up and giving you an error when you start your computer, then chances are you have caught a virus.

2) Malicious/Impostor Programs

Another good way to tell you've got a virus is if an Anti-Virus program you have never seen before is showing up when you start your computer, saying you have a ton of viruses, and you need to purchase the full software to get them off. That program it's self is a virus, and a hoax used to scam people.

3) Excessive Pop-ups/ Web Browser Problems

If you get excessive pop-ups, and/or your browser is acting strange, or not working as it should, whether it is Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, etc., you likely have a virus. Especially if your homepage has been changed to something strange without your knowledge of having changed it. If opening your web browser causes your computer to freeze up, and/or crash, you definitely have a virus.

4) Strange Things Happening/Possessed Computer

You may notice your cursor moving on it's own, or your keyboard's lights flickering on and off on their own. Programs, folders, and other things may open on their own, and it might seem as if a ghost is using your computer, or it has been possessed. This is a sure sign that you have a nasty kind of virus. *Note: If you notice you have this problem, unplug your computer from the internet immediately.

5) Excessive Slowness

Sometimes excessive slowness is a result of a virus. This isn't always the case, however. If your computer is acting extremely slow, you should run a disk cleanup and defragmentation. If that doesn't fix the problem, it is possible you have a virus. [In which case, if you're in Central Florida, feel free to give us a call at 863-838-2663 !] If you're in any other area, you will want to contact a computer technician, and have them assess the system to find the cause of the slowness.

6) System Hang-Ups/Crashes, Fatal Errors, and Blue Screens

Often, system hang ups, fatal errors, blue screens, and crashing systems are caused either by viruses or the aftermath of one [you may have recently caught it with your antivirus, or had someone remove it for you]. If this is the case, run a virus scan, and if it comes up empty, you will want to give a computer technician a call, and have him look at it. [Again, if you're in the Central Florida area, nearby Lakeland, give us a call!]

Windows 8 - Live ID Sign-In

As time goes on, we're discovering more and more interesting features of Windows 8, as Microsoft announces them. One of the latest innovations that they've released a video on is the ability to migrate user customized desktops using your Windows Live ID. You simply sign in with it, and it will migrate all of your settings, app data, etc. to the system you are using. Below is a video from Microsoft, demonstrating just this.

*All credit for this video goes to Microsoft, and the Windows 8 Team. 
Compsult Inc. had no part in the creation of this video.

To those of you who follow our blog...

...our TechForums are down at the moment. They are currently being rebuilt, and should be up within the next day or so. Unfortunately, users of the forums will have to re-register, and re-create their user profiles. We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience, and are taking steps to make sure this does not happen again. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Windows 8: News

Microsoft has been hard at work, preparing their latest operating system, due to be released in 2012. They've recently released a number of updates and videos, showing the basics of what to expect. The new operating system is quite impressive, and incorporates an app system, along with a new design of Windows Explorer that makes navigation much easier.

Here is a demo video from Microsoft's official YouTube channel:

Another announced benefit of the new Windows 8, is an extremely fast boot time.
Below is a video from Microsoft demonstrating just that!

To make this possible, a new method, which was a sort of cross between shutting down and hibernation, has been developed. To read more from Microsoft on this new startup method, click here.

Windows 8 is releasing for any form of computer, whether it should be a laptop, Desktop PC, or Tablet. It definitely seems geared towards touch screen capabilities, but it will also work just fine with a keyboard and mouse.

Google Takeout: Support For Google Voice

Google Takeout, a service offered for Google's various web services, has added on support for Google Voice recently. What does this mean? Firstly, I'll explain this service for their services.

Google Takeout allows users of Google Buzz, Picasa, and other Google services to export their pictures, videos, documents, files, and other data to simple, easy to use file formats. The new addition of support for Google Voice to the service will allow Google Voice users to export voicemails, texts, and contacts with ease. The voicemails can now be saved as MP3 files, while the texts and contacts can be saved as documents.

Facebook, and some other sites have also developed a similar service, allowing you to export your personal info and other data. The Facebook service, however, exports to a .zip file, which some users have difficulty with. Google Takeout fouses on the ability to export the data to common file extensions, such as .mp3, .doc, .jpg, etc.

Here is the short, comedic video that Google used to announce the news.

Original article via (TechCrunch): http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/06/google-now-lets-you-export-google-voice-data/

Wifi News That Will Blow Your Mind!

Ever have trouble with your WiFi signal? Say you're sitting on one side of the house on your laptop, and the wireless router is on the other end of the house. You're trying to surf the net, or play an online game, and the internet is continuously giving you problems due to less signal on that side of the house. Well, believe it or not, in late 2011 there is a new wireless standard coming out that can cover up to 12,000 square miles with signal!

After cleaning the orange juice I had been drinking off my screen, I read on to discover the technology that is being utilized to make this possible is the very same as TV broadcasting. The signal will be broadcast over UHF, and VHF frequencies, which will allow it to cover an extremely large area. The new 802.22 standard will be using the "white spaces" in between regular TV channels, and vacant channels to broadcast at 22Mbps. The new technology is planned to be used with rural areas where service cannot be provided through most ISPs, and also in developing countries, and areas that need it. Even with the different standard, geotagging, and other location based technologies will still function normally as well.

We're not yet certain on an exact date when we will be seeing this technology used with the public, but it has been developed, and it is in the works.

Internet Censorship

Internet Censorship is becoming a big topic on the web over the last few years. More and more, governments are trying to gain control of the internet, and monitor or censor what their citizens can view, and do on the web. 

The Turkish government has blocked quite a few websites and blogs as of late, and a filtering system is in the making, that may possibly go live on the 22nd of August. This filtering system will make it possible for the government to keep logs of every individual user's activity. As to why or how the system is being put into place, no one really knows. This filter however is an invasion of privacy, as noted by a group of hackers known as "Anonymous". In protest to this recent announcement, they took down Turkey’s Telecommunications Communication Presidency (TIB) which [at the time of this article having been written] is still down.

"Anonymous" and many other hackers have taken to attacking government websites, and other acts of the sort to protest the censorship that is constantly rising in many countries, and they are gaining notice.

Recently, the Protect IP Act has been under the spotlight in the United States, as it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously. If passed, this bill would give authorities the right to legitimately seize any domain name they deem to be facilitating copyright infringement. The bill, also however, states that if a domain is not registered or controlled by a U.S. company, the authorities can also order search engines to take it completely out of their search results, have ISPs block it, and order the ad-networks (that fund the sites operations in most cases) along with the payment processors for said sites to stop providing their services to the site being blocked.

This new bill is targeting mostly "pirates", and those who distribute copyrighted goods over torrent trackers. While this is all fine and dandy, there are more circumstances to be noted with this idea.

One of the more important notable problems that will arise is the fact that not all torrent trackers are used for illegal sharing. In fact, there are many torrents out on the web right now that are perfectly legal. Many webmasters, individuals, and even companies have taken to using the peer to peer technology that took off in the early 2000's to share their freeware programs, and many other free creations of their own, along with other non-copyrighted materials.

Another important consideration to be made is, if this bill does pass, and the government gets the right to being censoring these domains, that might make way for them to grow with their censorship. This bill is already walking a fine line on infringing rights in The First Amendment [despite it's main alleged intent being to combat piracy].

What is your opinion?

Feel free to share them in a comment below, or discuss it on the forums!

Walk Into A Business... On Your Web Browser!

So far, Google Maps and Google Earth have proven to be some of the most innovative tools out there for finding directions, searching a location, education, and general fun. When Google added "Street View" to those two services, it allowed the user to see first hand everything 360 degrees from a point on a road of their choosing, and jump from point to point, as if they were walking along the road.

Today, at the Social-Loco Conference in San Francisco, Marissa Mayer [Vice President of Google Maps & Location] announced a new feature that will allow users to see inside of local businesses and buildings from their browser as well, just like Street View! With the use of this technology, users will be able to look around inside of a local restaurant before going to eat there, or look around the inside of a business before a visit.

So, when can we expect this new feature?

It will be available in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada this coming week! It will be available in other countries in a month or so as well.

Commodore 64 Re-Released!

Commodore USA has recently developed and released a re-make of the old-school Commodore system. The system has been designed with some new 21st century features in mind, such as a DVD/RW drive, or even a Blu-Ray drive [depending on which configuration you order], and also a multi-card reader!

The new system currently comes bundled with the Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Operating System, and the Commodore 64 OS that is currently in development for the system will be mailed to the buyer as soon as it becomes available. The system contains a modern mini-ITX PC motherboard, with a Dual Core 525 Atom processor and the latest NVidia Ion2 graphics chipset.

For more information on the new system, click here.

To look at the different configurations available, or to look into ordering one, click here.

Real Snail Mail: E-mails Delivered At The Speed of A Snail

You may have heard someone refer to their "snail mail" before, as they patiently waited for an e-mail to come through, but that was just a nickname. The folks down at boredomresearch took the phrase a bit too literally, and have created the internet's first ever E-mail service run by snails. 

At RealSnailMail, when you send a message, the message is immediately sent to their servers, and assigned a snail. Once assigned, the message is transfered over into a small memory unit attached to the back of the snail via a circuit and antennae. The Snail will be on the receiving side of the enclosure when the message is assigned to it, and once the message is copied over, the snail is released. Once it reaches the other side of the enclosure, the mail is transferred back to the servers, and delivered to the recipient; hence the speed of a snail.

The project has been an educational project to inspire creative minds to think beyond the norm in regards to technology. A good portion of the snails were collected by the children from Castle Hill Community Primary School in Folkestone, and the drawings from the children were used on the Snail Profile Page. This is definitely one of the more creative and funny projects I have seen in technology to date.

"Please tap your phone here to pay, sir."

With today's technology making a move towards mobility, and the market for smartphones growing everyday, cellphones are gaining new features, updates, and models at a higher rate than ever before. Apps are being developed everyday with new useful, entertaining, or even silly purposes. With all of these mobile technological advances, the promise of a new standard that may be implemented in the near future has revealed its-self; mobile payments. Not mobile payments as in buying something over an eBay app on your iPhone, and paying for it using PayPal over your 3G connection, but as in paying for something at a gas station or restaurant.

Yes, mobile phones are now looking to gain the technology to replace Credit and Debit cards!

Using a technology known as N.F.C. (Near Field Communication), the phone would be able to send a short-range wireless signal to the N.F.C. reader, which would then process the payment. The chip designed to send the N.F.C. signals are being designed by Qualcomm, a well known company that innovates in Wireless and Mobile technology. If you have a newer phone, and look on the back cover, there's a good chance you'll see the name Qualcomm etched right above "3G CDMA".

When can we expect to see this technology emerge? There is no official date, only the news that it is in the works; thus it may be some time before we will see it first hand. Right now, both Apple and Google are planning to develop and incorporate the technology into the iPhone, and Android devices.

How To Avoid Mal-ware On Your Android Phone

Most who own an Android phone may have recently seen in the news that new malware is appearing, targeting Android users. Google's App market for Android phones allows for developers to publish their newly designed android apps without having to be reviewed first, [unlike Apple's app store]. This has opened a lot of windows for developers, as well as a new one for hackers.

A new scare recently came up known as the "DroidDream" Trojan. Certain Apps were pirated, copied, and then re-constructed with malicious code within them, then put back on the Android market with similar names to the originals. If a user installed one of these apps mistakenly, once installed, the code would take over the user's phone, basically turning it into a paperweight [or staying hidden in some cases instead], while allowing the developer of the app to access all of the information on it, and take full control.

Google has since restored the effected phones to working order, and patched them to be immune if exposed to the Trojan once more. Also, Google removed the apps from the app store. This should serve Android users as a reminder that things like this can happen if you're not careful. Similar threats are quite possible in the future.

Here are some simple tips you can use to make sure you do not fall prey to malicious apps!

1) Check the name of the developer

If you're not sure, a surefire way to find out if the developer you're downloading from is legitimate or not is to check their name. If they have a name like "Iam21090402" or "grwowl2010" for example, there's a good chance the app you're looking at could be malware.

2) Check the description and screenshots

Another way to know whether or not the developer is trusted is to check the screenshots, and description. In the recent string of malware that was put on the store, the screenshots were simply pictures of the logo used for the app, instead of an actual screenshot of the interface of the app. Also, if the description doesn't look legitimate, or is non-existent, you will want to double-check on the app's credibility.

3) Research it

If you're not sure if the app is safe, and have tried both of the previous steps, another measure you can take is to look it up online, by searching it on Google, or otherwise on the internet using your computer. Read some user reviews, and see what people had to say about it.



4) Download latest Android OS updates as soon as you know them to be available


Patches, and OS updates are extremely important, as aside from fixing glitches and issues, they also address security vulnerabilities. Having the latest Android OS is a good way to make sure you're up to speed and protected from all of the latest malware app threats.

----

When installing an app, the user has to choose to install it before it will install. This goes for all apps, and therefore for the malware to get onto your phone, you will have to allow it's installation by mistake. That's why these steps will definitely come in handy when trying to determine what is safe, and what isn't on the app store.

Also, if you're uncertain of the integrity of an app, feel free to contact us on twitter, by tweeting @CompsultInc with the name of the app, or via direct message, and we will gladly look into it for you!

Bluetooth Jacking

Something unknown to most, that has in fact been an epidemic for quite sometime among hackers, technological pranksters, and people of the like, is Bluetooth Jacking. You may be wondering what is meant by this? What exactly is Bluetooth Jacking? What does it involve? Fear not! Your questions are about to be answered.

Bluetooth Jacking is a form of hacking that takes place over Bluetooth. It's primary targets are mobile phones, and smartphones. It has been around since the mid 2000's, and has been popular amongst hackers across the globe.

Bluetooth Jacking is a technique that involves exploiting vulnerabilities in Bluetooth devices to get into them, such as mobile phones, smartphones, etc. Bluetooth is a small range network type, primarily used for headsets, file transfer, and other phone-related devices/functions. It operates over low power radio waves, which can range up to 30 yards in signal. The frequency Bluetooth operates is known as the ISM band. 

Bluetooth technology has stayed the same over time for the most part, therefore, the security has not changed much either. Using a computer with a functioning Bluetooth signal output, hackers can use custom designed software, or tools from their arsenal to hack into your phone as soon as it is discovered. Typically sitting in an airport, coffee shop, or other local, heavily occupied area, they'll set to work. Once in, they can use your phone to do a various number of things. They can make calls, send SMS Messages, access the web, and even pull your contact list from your phone, getting the information of anyone on your phone that you have entered.

While this may seem frightening, there is one surefire way to avoid this happening to you. If you don't use it, simply go into your mobile device's settings, and turn off your Bluetooth discovery [which is typically on with most phones].

Here is a video showing you an example of a way hackers can use this exploit to scam you:

The Internet Kill Switch

[Note: This was written with an article via TechCrunch as it's source. You can read the original article here.]

Recently, in both Egypt, and now Libya, governments have decided to shut down the entire internet for their country. This not only fueled protests already occurring in said countries, but also arose the question, if our government wanted to shut down the internet completely to prevent a cyber-terrorist attack, or just in general to do so, would they be able to do so?

To turn off the internet in Egypt, the government simply forced their Internet Service Providers to shut down their servers. In Libya, the internet was still up, but the traffic allowed through it was throttled down to 0, so nothing could go in or out. Theoretically speaking, if the United States Government wanted to, they could simply force all of the major Internet Service Provides offline, but what they may have in the works is much simpler.

A new bill was been proposed, known as the "Internet Kill Switch" bill [even though those words are not included anywhere in the bill] some time ago. It has since stirred up a good amount of controversy, and in an attempt to make it more acceptable to the American people, it has been revised, and given the name “Cybersecurity and Internet Freedom Act of 2011" Early this year. [PDF]

While this bill has yet to be passed, and differs quite a bit from the original bill, it's still a great controversial subject in may conversations nowadays, as everyone contemplates the idea. It's main advocates; Joseph Lieberman, and President Barrack Obama are pushing the issue still, with it as one of their main hopes for the future.

Something most people are unaware of, however, is the fact that the President already has the power to turn off the internet. This power has been around for a long time, and derrives from the Communications Act of 1934. A section in it [702] gives the president the ability to, in the event of war, “cause the closing of any facility or station for wire communication” without warning. [PDF]

This topic in general has spawned a good amount of debate as to whether or not it is constitutional, or fair to the people. Do you think it's a good idea to have an "Internet Kill Swith" type option for the nation, in the event of a cyberterrorist attack? If you would like to discuss the topic in General, feel free to visit our forums, and talk with the community about it. Tell us what you think!

The current thread we have open for this discussion can be found here although you are welcome to start your own threads, and post wherever you like. See you on the boards!

IP Addressing - How To Count In Binary

"There are 10 kind of people in this world. The kind that know binary, and the kind that don't."
It's likely that you've heard the common fact that binary is a language computers, and other digital devices use to function, made up of only 1's and 0's. This is true! Have you ever wondered how it works though?

Here is a simple way to count in binary, that most I.T. Professionals have to use when subnetting a network.

There are 8 digits [bits] that you will use for most the most common form of binary counting.

00000000

Each bit has a value.

To give the bit a value, you simply change the digit to the number 1.
For example,

00001000 = 8
01000000 = 64
00000001 = 1
00000011 = 3

-and so on.

You may have noticed, with this method, you can only count up to 255.

That is because 255 is the maximum value representable in a standard 8 digit binary number.

To further explain subnetting, and it's relation to binary, and this post, an article will be written at a later date. When it has been written, this post will be updated with a link to it.

To read more on Internet Protocol Addresses, click here

The Future of Internet Protocol Adresses

February 1st was one of the most important days for the internet. The last 83.9 Million IPv4 Adresses were handed out via ICANN. If that statement made next to no sense to you, then fear not! This article is going to explain Internet Protocol Adresses, and give you a better look on the innerworkings of both the internet, and the devices that connect to it.

Internet Protocol

Internet Protocol is the set of rules for communication over a network. [By rules, basically meaning the way it is done.] On a network, everything has two addresses. A physical address, which is known as a MAC address, and an IP adress. The MAC Adress is assigned to any network component, and is physical, meaning it cannot be changed. The IP Address can, however, be changed.

There are different versions of IP Adresses. IPv4 is the current version we use today! It is made up of 32 bits, and is the most common form of IP Address. Chances are you've seen an IPv4 address before if you're on the computer a fair amount.
An IPv4 Address looks like this:192.168.1.1



IPv6
When it was discovered that we would one day run out of IPv4 Addresses, IPv6 was invented.
An IPv6 Address looks like this:
 2001:db8:0:1234:0:567:8:1

As you can see, both numerical and alphabetical characters are included in these addresses, and they are made up of 128 bits, making them much more complex; therefore, a wider variety of them can exist; eliminating the possibility of running out anytime soon.



Packets


On the internet, or over a network, data transfers, using IP Addresses to route them to the correct location. IP Addresses are placed on things known as "packets" to guide them to their destination. Packets are segments of data used to transport files to their destination on a network. A file is broken down into packets, and then sent over then network and re-assembled at the location they are directed to.

This is what a packet's structure looks like:

[Below, each section of the packet will be briefly explained]

Ver. [Version] - Explains which version of the Internet Protocol is being used. In this case, it is version 4.

Header Length - Is the length of the header, and the beginning of the data that is being sent in the packet.

Type Of Service - A part of the packet that contains five subfields. These subfields specify the delay, reliability, throughput, precedence, and cost desired for a packet. For a packet going over the internet, this field is not usually used.

Total Length - The length of the datagram and the header of the packet [the data being sent in the particular packet, along with the header of the packet].

Identification - A number assigned to the packet, which is unique to that fragment.

Flags - Indicates whether or not the packet is a fragment, and tells if it is the last one.

[Fragment] Offset - Tells where the fragment belongs in the original data being sent.

Time To Live - How many routers the packet can pass through on the way to it's destination. [With each router the packet goes through, this number decreases. After it reaches 0, the packet must be destroyed.]

Protocol - The type of high level protocol used.

[Header] Checksum - A computed number used to ensure the integrity of the header values.

Source Address - The address which the packet originated from.

Destination Address - The address of the destined location of the packet.

Padding - Null bytes used to make the header a multiple of 32-bits.

An IPv4 packet differs from an IPv6 packet slightly. Here's another image to give you an idea:

A bit simpler as you can see.

When you send a file, it is broken down into data segments, or packets, and sent over the internet, or network, to it's destination, using IP addresses as the destination (Much like an address and return address on an envelope or package). These are the basics behind IP addresses, and how they function in relation to our computers, and the data that is sent over the internet and networks. 

Browsing The Net With Internet Explorer 9 (RC) [Review]

Internet Explorer 9 - Reviewed

 

I've been itching to try out the new Internet Explorer 9 Release Candidate to see the changes that have been made to it, and how it runs as compared to it's would be predecessors, as well as how it stacks up to it's competitors. I finally got around to installing it near the end of last week, and after having used it for a few days, here is my general opinion on it.

Surprisingly enough, I... really like it! It runs surprisingly smooth, and I've only run into a few issues thus far in my time using it. The design of IE9 is similar to that of IE8, and other web browsers in its tabbed appearance, but it has a few definite design differences you will notice when you try it.

 

The first obvious difference is the placement of the Address Bar, and the Tabs. The Tabs are directly to the right of the address bar, to save space, and give you a larger browsing window. While you may be thinking this idea is a bit of a problem, and your tabs would be too closely bunched together, I've yet to run into any trouble with that surprisingly, even with 10+ tabs open. Also, while on the subject of tabs, I've had no problem with lag between them thus far. There is one issue I have noticed where sometimes you will have to double-click on a tab to get it to switch, but that presents its self rarely. 

The loading style of this browser is quite unique, as it does not have a bar across the bottom that tells you when it is loading, where you are going when you hover over a link, etc, but instead simply has a spinning ring on the tab that is loading. [Once again, a measure to save space for the user while they are browsing]. While this may seem to present a problem, as most users are used to hovering over a link to see the full and proper link listed below it, to make sure the link is not a fake which will bring them to an improper or harmful site, it isn't a problem at all. When you hover over the link, instead of showing the full link down at the bottom as before, it simply appears next to your cursor in a yellow box.

The only time I have had any trouble with the browser with all the sites I've visited thus far is Photobucket.

For some strange reason, the new layout of Photobucket causes a massive lag within IE9 on my laptop in particular. I'm sure there are other sites out there that have this trouble, but I've yet to run into them. [Every browser has moments like this. Firefox is a prime example.] It may even be simply the computer it is being tried on that causes it, so do not hold this against it. I will later try IE9 on another computer, and update this post accordingly as to whether the issue persists.

Overall though, I am thoroughly impressed with Internet Explorer 9, and have even switched to using it as my main web browser [from Opera] for the time being. The release date for Internet Explorer 9 is still yet to be announced, so if you aren't liking the idea of trying out the Release Candidate, you've definitely got something new to look forward to toying around with in the future.

-Preston M.

3/1/2011