yon Leveron blog

John's musings on the Interknot cowpath

Archive for the 'Tech' Category

Ever wonder what a bot net looks like?

Posted by John on 27th August 2010

Here you go :)   Hits from around the world, in a few minutes time, all using the exact same browser version.

Yes, obviously there’s a new vulnerability in the package they were trying to reach.  It’s how the Borg – make more Borg ! (click pic to open full size)

bot net display

That url has now been added to the “deny” statements, which’ll drop further messages from an attacker at that IP  into the bit-bucket for a week, at least for my domain . . .
—————-
Now playing: john lee hooker – 1 bourbon, 1 scotch, 1 beer
via FoxyTunes

  • Windows Live Favorites
  • Technorati Favorites
  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: ,
Posted in Security - Crypto, Tech | No Comments »

HTTPS everywhere : good stuff !

Posted by John on 25th July 2010

(and of course, your humble site here supports SSL as well :) )

HTTPS Everywhere

HTTPS Everywhere is in Beta!

HTTPS Everywhere is a Firefox extension produced as a collaboration between The Tor Project and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. It encrypts your communications with a number of major websites.

Many sites on the web offer some limited support for encryption over HTTPS, but make it difficult to use. For instance, they may default to unencrypted HTTP, or fill encrypted pages with links that go back to the unencrypted site.

The HTTPS Everywhere extension fixes these problems by rewriting all requests to these sites to HTTPS.

Encrypt the Web: Install HTTPS Everywhere

The plugin currently works for:

  • Google Search
  • Wikipedia
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • most of Amazon
  • GMX
  • WordPress.com blogs
  • The New York Times
  • The Washington Post
  • Paypal
  • EFF
  • Tor
  • Ixquick

(and many other sites)

Note that some of those sites still include a lot of content from third party domains that is not available over HTTPS. As always, if the browser’s lock icon is broken or carries an exclamation mark, you may remain vulnerable to some adversaries that use active attacks or traffic analysis. However, the effort required to monitor your browsing should still be usefully increased.

Answers to common questions may be on the frequently asked questions page.

You can help us test forthcoming rulesets and features by installing the development branch of the extension.

Send feedback on this project to the https-everywhere AT eff.org mailing list. You can also subscribe.

(more info at their site, linked from the pictures above, and what not!)

—————-
Now playing: Modettes – Paint It Black
via FoxyTunes

  • Windows Live Favorites
  • Technorati Favorites
  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , ,
Posted in General, Security - Crypto | No Comments »

TrueCrypt 7.0 released today

Posted by John on 19th July 2010

via http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/?s=version-history

download @ http://www.truecrypt.org/downloads

Version History >  Part 1 External Link



TrueCrypt – Free Open-Source Disk Encryption Software




7.0

July 19, 2010

New features:

  • Hardware-accelerated AES (for more information, see the chapter Hardware Acceleration).

    Note: If you want to disable hardware acceleration, select Settings > Performance and disable the option ‘Accelerate AES encryption/decryption by using the AES instructions of the processor‘.

  • A volume can now be configured to be automatically mounted whenever its host device gets connected to the computer (provided that the correct password and/or keyfiles are supplied).  (Windows)

    Note: For example, if you have a TrueCrypt container on a USB flash drive and you want to configure TrueCrypt to mount it automatically whenever you insert the USB flash drive into the USB port, follow these steps: 1. Mount the volume. 2. Right-click the mounted volume in the drive list in the main TrueCrypt window and select ‘Add to Favorites‘. 3. The Favorites Organizer window should appear. In it, enable the option ‘Mount selected volume when its host device gets connected‘ and click OK.

    Also note that TrueCrypt will not prompt you for a password if you have enabled caching of the pre-boot authentication password (Settings > ‘System Encryption‘) and the volume uses the same password as the system partition/drive. The same applies to cached non-system volume passwords.

  • Partition/device-hosted volumes can now be created on drives that use a sector size of 4096, 2048, or 1024 bytes (Windows, Linux).  Note: Previously only file-hosted volumes were supported on such drives.
  • Favorite Volumes Organizer (Favorites > ‘Organize Favorite Volumes‘ or ‘Organize System Favorite Volumes‘), which allows you to set various options for each favorite volume. For example, any of them can be mounted upon logon, as read-only or removable medium, can be assigned a special label (which is shown within the user interface instead of the volume path), excluded from hotkey mount, etc. The order in which favorite volumes are displayed in the Favorites Organizer window can be changed and it is the order in which the volumes are mounted (e.g. when Windows starts or by pressing the ‘Mount Favorite Volumes‘ hotkey). For more information, see the chapters Favorite Volumes and System Favorite Volumes.  (Windows)
  • The Favorites menu now contains a list of your non-system favorite volumes. When you select a volume from the list, you are asked for its password (and/or keyfiles) (unless it is cached) and if it is correct, the volume is mounted. (Windows)


Security improvements:

  • In response to our public complaint regarding the missing API for encryption of Windows hibernation files, Microsoft began providing a public API for encryption of hibernation files on Windows Vista and later versions of Windows (for more information, see the section TrueCrypt 5.1a in this version history). Starting with this version 7.0, TrueCrypt uses this API to encrypt hibernation and crash dump files in a safe documented way. (Windows 7/Vista/2008/2008R2)

    Note: As Windows XP and Windows 2003 do not provide any API for encryption of hibernation files, TrueCrypt has to modify undocumented components of Windows XP/2003 in order to allow users to encrypt hibernation files. Therefore, TrueCrypt cannot guarantee that Windows XP/2003 hibernation files will always be encrypted. Therefore, if you use Windows XP/2003 and want the hibernation file to be safely encrypted, we strongly recommend that you upgrade to Windows Vista or later and to TrueCrypt 7.0 or later. For more information, see the section Hibernation File.

Improvements:

  • Many minor improvements.  (Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux)

Bug fixes:

  • Minor bug fixes.  (Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux)

Removed features:

  • TrueCrypt no longer supports device-hosted volumes located on floppy disks. Note: You can still create file-hosted TrueCrypt volumes on floppy disks.

  • Windows Live Favorites
  • Technorati Favorites
  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , ,
Posted in General, Security - Crypto, Tech | No Comments »

spare resource utilization

Posted by John on 9th June 2010

Pretty interesting stuff : http://silverline.librato.com/ that’s in open beta right now.

Join our free Beta! Librato’s new Silverline service enables you to get more work done in your existing cloud or datacenter servers by letting workloads that are not time-critical run in the same servers as your primary applications, and “sponge up” the unused resources. With that, Silverline allows you to process your workload on a smaller number of servers without any impact on the Quality of Service provided by your primary applications; guaranteed!

Whether you utilize a server for 10% or 90%, it will cost the same; Silverline helps you to make the most effective use of the server resources you pay for. Sign up now for the free Silverline beta program and get special benefits when Silverline is officially launched.
Beta users will receive a 20% discount during their first year of use if they decide to use Silverline after the official launch! Sign up and start using Silverline for free today!

  • What can it do?

    Silverline restricts background workloads to safely only use spare resources not required by the primary application running on a server. For EC2 users: Silverline provides similar benefits as spot instances, but with lower cost and without interruption of service. It allows you to fully utilize your server resources by:

    • Running grid workloads along-side interactive or transactional applications
    • Completing background tasks, such as data analysis, media conversion, web crawling, or search indexing in parallel with the primary application running on a server
    • Performing backups and other maintenance tasks without impacting the primary application on a server
  • How does it work?

    Librato Silverline encapsulates background applications in a “virtual application container” that only consumes resources not used by the primary application running on a server. This allows the background application to utilize all unused resources on the server, accomplishing additional work without additional cost, and with absolutely no impact to the primary workload.

    Silverline monitors resource consumption 100 times per second, guaranteeing that “Silverlined” applications will not affect the primary application. It supports Linux and Windows running on virtual or physical servers, and requires that the primary and “Silverlined” applications run on the same Operating System. The Silverline technology is part of Librato’s Load Manager, deployed in Enterprise data centers since 2008.

  • How do I use it?

    Silverline is easily downloaded and installed on virtual or physical servers running Windows or Linux.

    After installation you can type:

    > silverline <application name>
    

    for any application that you want to take advantage of spare capacity on the server. This will launch the application in a background container and ensure that it only consumes resources not required by the primary application. You can be running your first Silverlined application in minutes!



—————-
Now playing: The Doors – Love Her Madly
via FoxyTunes

  • Windows Live Favorites
  • Technorati Favorites
  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: ,
Posted in Tech | No Comments »

Android 2.2: Froyo Is a Major Update

Posted by John on 25th May 2010

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Android 2.2: Froyo Is a Major Update

Google announced today Android 2.2, a major update for Google’s mobile operating system. There are many changes and a lot of new features that are really useful.

Android now uses a just-in-time compiler that improves the performance for some applications, especially for games. “The new Dalvik JIT compiler in Android 2.2 delivers between a 2-5X performance improvement in CPU-bound code vs. Android 2.1 according to various benchmarks,” says Xavier Ducrohet.

Android’s browser includes the V8 JavaScript engine created for Google Chrome, so web pages that use JavaScript heavily will load much faster (some benchmarks show a 2-3X improvement). Google claims that Android’s browser is the fastest mobile browser available today.

Developers have a new API for app data backup, which is really useful if you want to switch to a new Android device or you want to install a custom version of Android. There’s also an extremely useful messaging API for sending data to an Android phone from another device. For example, you’ll be able to send a link from your computer to your Android phone and the phone will automatically open the browser and navigate to the web address. You can also send files and install applications from your computer over the air.

Android Market will have a web interface, applications can auto-update and you can quickly install all the updates, instead of manually installing each update. Another change is that applications can be moved to the SD card. Google also announced that it has acquired SimplifyMedia, a company that developed some cool applications for streaming your music.

Android 2.2 has built-in support for tethering and it can transform a phone into a portable hotspot. Android Market includes some great applications for tethering, but it’s nice to see that’s now a built-in feature.

You can add multiple languages to the keyboard and switch between them by swiping across the space bar, there’s a new UI for the camera, there’s support for Exchange calendars and remote wipe, LED flash for the Camcorder, support for sharing contacts with other phones and much more.

Flash 10.1 is now available as a beta application in the Android Market, but it requires Android 2.2. Nexus One and Motorola Droid will be updated to Froyo next month. The other HTC phones launched this year will be updated in the second half of the year. “This includes popular models like the Desire and Droid Incredible as well as hotly anticipated phones like the Evo 4G, MyTouch slide and upcoming models.”

(yes, I’m hoping this capability comes to the HTC Hero (sprint version / cdma) soon :) ) – and for those wondering – relocation was typically painful, but is now complete ;)

—————-
Now playing: Rush – Rivendell
via FoxyTunes

  • Windows Live Favorites
  • Technorati Favorites
  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General, Tech | No Comments »

System Encryption: BitLocker And TrueCrypt Compared

Posted by John on 6th May 2010

System Encryption: BitLocker And TrueCrypt Compared

2:00 AM – April 28, 2010 by Patrick Schmid and Achim Roos
Table of contents
  • 1 – A Bit-Locking And Cryptography Exercise
  • 2 – BitLocker On Windows 7 Ultimate x64
  • 3 – TrueCrypt 6.3a On Windows 7 Ultimate x64
  • 4 – TrueCrypt, Continued
  • 5 – Test Setup And Settings
  • 6 – Benchmark Results: Archiving Tools
  • 7 – Benchmark Results: PCMark Vantage
  • 8 – Benchmark Results: SYSmark 2007 Preview
  • 9 – Conclusion

Now that Intel offers hardware-based AES acceleration in a number of its mainstream processors, it’s time to take a look at two of the most popular system encryption tools, BitLocker and TruCrypt, both of which are able to harness the hardware feature.

Microsoft has been shipping BitLocker drive encryption tool with Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems, but it’s only available on the two highest-end editions, Enterprise and Ultimate. Fortunately, there is a powerful alternative to BitLocker for everyone else. TrueCrypt is open source and offers even more flexibility. We decided to compare the features and performance of both solutions.

We published a comprehensive article on TrueCrypt 6.1 just over a year ago. That story looked at the process of how to encrypt a Windows system partition, and we ran benchmarks, in addition to battery runtime tests on a notebook. The conclusion was promising: TrueCrypt 6 lets you encrypt and password-protect your entire system on the fly with only minor performance and battery life penalties.

By now, there’s really no need to rehash the merits of encrypting user data, especially for the folks who handle sensitive information. Losing information to a failed drive is one thing, and it can typically be addressed, even if it’s an expensive proposition (then again, you already know you should be running regular backups, right?). But data falling into the wrong hands can be an even more dire problem for businesses.

This time around, we wanted to double-check our findings with TrueCrypt against Microsoft’s value-added BitLocker. Does it make sense to pay up for a higher-end Windows version to get this extra functionality, or will TrueCrypt do the exact same thing at no cost? Another reason to revisit encryption solutions is the availability of AES new instructions (AES-NI) in Intel’s Core i5 mainstream dual-core processors (Clarkdale) and the top-end, six-core Core i7 (Gulftown). Can BitLocker and TrueCrypt truly showcase the benefits of hardware-based AES acceleration? Let’s find out.

(catch the full article @ http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/bitlocker-truecrypt-encryption,2587.html)

—————-
Now playing: Strontium 90 – 3 O’Clock Shot – Live
via FoxyTunes

  • Windows Live Favorites
  • Technorati Favorites
  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in General, Security - Crypto, Tech | No Comments »

New Panda Cloud Antivirus Beta version 1.1 – free ßeta test opportunity

Posted by John on 30th April 2010

Especially if you are not already running an antivirus solution, this may be a good time to help them test.  It’s a novel concept, at the least . . .

Dear beta tester,

We need your collaboration to test the new Beta version of Panda Cloud Antivirus 1.1. Your help is very valuable for us, as this will allow us to test the new features of the product like:

  • Advanced configuration
  • Behavioural analysis
  • Exclusions of files and folders
  • USB Vaccine
  • Shield to avoid killing the processes or delete the Panda Cloud Antivirus files

You can download this new Beta version of Panda Cloud Antivirus from the link below

(If the button doesn’t work, you can download it from this link)

To install it, just double click on the installer downloaded, and follow the steps shown.

Following the steps in this thread of the Panda Cloud Antivirus Support Forum, you can access to some recommended tests for this Beta version.

If you have any problem, comment or suggestion with your tests or about this Beta version of Panda Cloud Antivirus, please send us an email to beta@pandasecurity.com. We will be more than pleased to try to help you.

Thanks for your collaboration and best regards,

Panda Security Beta Center
beta@pandasecurity.com

© Panda Security 2010

—————-
Now playing: Jane’s Addiction – Been Caught Stealing
via FoxyTunes

  • Windows Live Favorites
  • Technorati Favorites
  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: ,
Posted in General, Tech | No Comments »

semi-affordable hex cores for 6-way processing?

Posted by John on 29th April 2010

I have a feeling the price point on these AMD 6-core chips makes a LOT more sense for most of us : http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/processors/phenom-ii/Pages/phenom-ii.aspx vs. the intel.

AMD 6-core pricing vs. Intel 6-core pricing

So you are thinking about upgrading your gaming rig or workstation to the latest AMD 6-core Phenom II X6 processor. While most of the components today will work with the new processor from AMD, not every case, power or cooler will provide the same level of performance to ensure optimal gaming or working experience.

So here are some of today’s hottest products for you next upgrade!

Case
Armor A90<
(P/N: VL90001W2Z)
Black Armor Design for Combat w/ Massive Protective Mesh Door & Drive Accesses.
10 Drive Bays w/ Tool-Less Structural Mechanism.
Awesome Cooling Capability: Oversized Top 200mm Blue LED Fan, Rear 120mm TurboFan, Front 120mm Blue LED Fan (Supports 200mm Fan Upgrade) and Optional Side 120mm Fan Mount.
Element V<
Full Tower w/ 12 Drive Bays & 7 Expansion Card Slots
6 Color Shifting Modes & Speed Adjustable Cooling Fans for Optimal Gaming Experience.
Thermal Capability w/ 2 x 50mm, 3 x 120mm, 2x 200mm & 1 x 230mm Case Fans.
V3 Black Edition<
(P/N: VL80001W2Z)
Black Finishing Interior w/ 9 Drive Bays & 7 Expansion Card Slots
Omni Directional Thermal Solutions w/ Capability of Four 120mm Cooling Fans
Bottom-placed Power Supply Sign for Ease of Installation & Structure Gravitational Stability.
Power Supply
TR2 RX 750W <
Cable Management (P/N:TRX-750M)
80 PLUS Standard Certified: 80% or More Efficiency @ 20%, 50%, and 100% Load.
Ultra Quiet 140mm Cooling Fan delivers Excellent Airflow Thermal Solution.
Cable Management: Internal Airflow Improvement by Reducing Cable Clutter within PC to Promote accelerated Heat Removal.
5 Years Outstanding Warranty Guarantee.
Toughpower XT 775W <
(P/N: TPX-775M)
80 PLUS Bronze Certified: Provides up to 89% Effective Power Conversation to Cut-Down Electric Cost
NVIDIA SLI & ATi Cross Fire X Certified.
24/7 @ 50 °C: Guaranteed to Deliver 775W Continuous Output Power
Fan Delay Cooling Technology: Dissipate Remaining System Shut-Off Heat – Prolonging System Lifetime.
Cable Management: Conveniently Save Space w/o Cluttering Un-Needed Cabling Spaces..
TR2 700W<
(P/N: TR-700P)
80 PLUS Standard Certified: 80% or More Efficiency @ 20%, 50%, and 100% Load.
Stable 700W Continuous Output 40 °C Operating Environment.
99% Active Power Factor Correction provides Clean and Reliable Power
CPU Cooler
Frio<
(P/N: CLP0564)
Ultimate Overclocking Thermal Structure Design
Dual 120mm Performance VR Fans
5 X Ø8 mm U-Shaped Copper Heat Pipes for Accelerated Heat Conduction
SpinQ VT<
(P/N: CLP0554)
Optimized Spiral Aluminum Fins Structure & Smart 360° Airflow Design
Silent 80mm Blower VR Fan w/ Red LED
3 X U-Shaped Heat Pipes ensures Ultra High Efficiency
Contac 29<
(P/N: CLP0568)
3 X Ø8 mm Heat Pipes w/ Direct Contact processed Heat Sink for Rapid Heat Dissipation
Versatile Compatibility, No Cost for Future Processor Upgrades.
2 Sets of Anti-Vibration Soft Mounts allow transforming compatibility of Second 120mm Fan.
Sign Up for Thermaltake Newsletter
Join  Our Thermaltake Forum
Become a Fan on Facebook
Follow Us on Twitter
Be a  Friend on MySpace
Thermaltake on You Tube
Thermaltake Product Pictures on Flickr
If you no longer wish to receive your newsletter from Thermaltake, please unsubscribe here

—————-
Now playing: Creedence Clearwater Revival – Up Around The Bend
via FoxyTunes

  • Windows Live Favorites
  • Technorati Favorites
  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: ,
Posted in General, Tech | No Comments »

Introducing the Garmin nüvi 3700 series

Posted by John on 20th April 2010

As much as I admire how well my Garmin 1490T works, I think even devices like the new Garmin below are due for near-extinction in a few years.

The capability of the new Android phones, as well as the newer iPhones, is sure going to put a damper on single purpose devices. (why bluetooth link to your phone when you can dash-mount your phone, charge it there, and read it as a high-speed, fully featured GPS ???)

Tomtom even has that neat kit for the iPhone – wish the Androids had a mount like that, although I don’t need the receiver gain (I can typically get 8 satellites at middlin’ strength inside the center of the house!)

Anyway, here’s a new bit o’ Tech for ya :)

To view this email as a web page, go here.

Garmin  Spring 2010 Newsletter - Introducing the new nüvi® - uniquely personal  navigation.

Garmin.com
The new nüvi
Did you know?
Cool accessories
Garmin  nüvi 3790T

Introducing the new nüvi

- uniquely personal navigation.

Sleek and stylish, yet loaded with new and enhanced Garmin navigation features. Just look at it. The new nüvi is so elegant, so refined, less than 9 mm thick. Such a beautiful design, it’s award winning . It features a bright, clear, multi-touch full-glass display that offers you the convenience of both landscape and portrait views. But don’t allow its good looks to deceive you. It’s a powerful piece of technology.

Garmin's nüvi 3700 wins the 2010  reddot design award

What makes the new nüvi uniquely personal is the introduction of Garmin nüRoute™ technology with trafficTrends™ and myTrends™. As your new nüvi becomes better acquainted with your driving routines, it starts to recognize your routes by start location, end location, day of week, and time of day. It actually seems to learn your preferences, observe traffic flow and it may even start suggesting quicker ways to your destination. Just to be nice. Or is it because it hates to be late, too?

There are three new nüvi models and all include everything previously mentioned and the convenience of lane assist with junction view to help you navigate complex highway interchanges. So whether you’re exploring the city or the world, on foot or by car, this new nüvi is your uniquely personal navigator.

nüvi 3750 - Includes all the features mentioned above and more.

nüvi 3760T - Offers everything available on the nüvi 3750 and adds subscription-free traffic alerts and hands-free calling compatibility.

nüvi 3790T - Offers everything available with the nüvi 3760T and adds voice-activated navigation and 3-D building and terrain view.

Learn More

Did you know?

Did you know?


Multi-touch

Sure the new nüvi features the one finger drag to pan just like all touchscreen nüvis. But the new nüvi also responds to other simple finger taps and drags. There are 10 quick and convenient multi-touch commands in all.

  1. One finger drag: Pan like a nüvi always has.
  2. One finger tap: A map bubble gives location where you tapped.
  3. Double tap: Zoom in and center on tapped location.
  4. Two finger drag down: Changes perspective view to be more 3D.
  5. Two finger drag up: Changes perspective view to be more 2D.
  6. Two finger drag right: Rotates map to right.
  7. Two finger drag left: Rotates map to left.
  8. Two finger diagonal drag: Changes the perspective view and rotates at the same time.
  9. Pinch: Zooms in.
  10. Stretch: Zooms out.

Cool Accessories

footer-hr

Garmin nüvi portable friction mount Garmin nüMaps™ Lifetime Subscription Garmin replacement suction cup
.

Portable Friction Mount

Pliable, non-skid base molds to fit any dash. Easily moves from vehicle to vehicle. Order today!

Lifetime Map Update

nüMaps Lifetime™ subscription lets you download the newest map up to 4 times per year.

Replacement suction cup

Someone used your suction cup mount to hand a wreath on your glass storm door? Order a new one! It’s easy.

This email is an advertisement. You have received this email because you are a registered member of myGarmin. To unsubscribe from future myGarmin advertising emails, please click here.

Garmin, 1200 E. 151st Street, Olathe, Kansas 66062 | (913) 397-8200

Garmin.com | Privacy Policy

—————-
Now playing: Jimi Hendrix – The Wind Cries Mary
via FoxyTunes

  • Windows Live Favorites
  • Technorati Favorites
  • Share/Bookmark

Tags:
Posted in General, Tech | No Comments »

Access Ext2 and Ext3 from Windows using Ext2Fsd

Posted by John on 19th April 2010

Accessing Ext3 and Ext2 partitions from Windows can be accomplished using a few different methods, as previously noted in (How to access a Linux partition from Windows). However, one of the easiest methods is by using a tool called Ext2Fsd. This tool ships with the drivers necessary for windows to detect and mount an Ext2 or Ext3 filesystem as read only or read/write. Additionally, Ext2Fsd comes with a Volume Manager and many other useful tools like mke2fs.exe (allowing you to actually create an ext2 formatted partition from windows). Installation is simple and straight forward.

Ext2Fsd – Ext2 Ex3 Volume Manager Screenshot

Ext2Fsd Volume Manager

More at http://www.pendrivelinux.com/access-ext2-and-ext3-from-windows/ :)

—————-
Now playing: Rush – Tom Sawyer
via FoxyTunes

  • Windows Live Favorites
  • Technorati Favorites
  • Share/Bookmark

Tags: ,
Posted in General, Tech | No Comments »