Browser Wars - a security perspective

OK, here I go again, promoting Microsoft.  Gosh, I just be in their back pocket, or stupid, or something, eh?  Everyone knows that Firefox is better than IE, and Safari is the best browser around, and Chrome is going to kick Microsoft's butt, and Opera, well, it's just the best.

And everyone knows that Internet Explorer is buggy, and full of security holes, and, well, just stupid, as is anyone who uses it, right?

Not so fast!  What about facts?  I like facts.  Facts are stubborn things, as someone once said, and that's true.  They are often inconvenient, too, when they fly in the face of what people feel, or want, or believe.  Feeling and wanting and believing are great things - most of the world runs on those and they are valuable and important.

However, when assessing technology, facts are just so good to have.

Here are some:

http://nsslabs.com/test-reports/Q309_Browser_Security_Summary_Final.pdf

The net of this.  Internet Explorer isn't all that bad.  In fact, it's better than the others in two key areas that are central to security in today's world.  Read, if you like facts.  It's only one page!

If you want to see the full reports, they're here:

http://nsslabs.com/browser-security

Update on Saturday, October 13, 2012 at 9:47AM by Don Ferguson

This topic comes up often. In the three years since the original post on this topic, IE appears to have gotten stronger, and Firefix weaker. Chrome and Safari are in about the same shape they have always been: erratic and weak, respectively.

See the original post for an overview, and this graphic for a sample of what's what as of September, 2012.

More detail here: https://www.nsslabs.com/system/files/content/report/files/2012_AB_Is-Your-Browser-Putting-You-At-Risk_0.pdf

People ask me about Mac vs. Windows - here's what I say

OK, I don't have time to flesh this out right now, but I did pick up one example that supports one piece of this outline, and so I thought I'd start.  More as I have time. 

Please, dear Windows or Apple fanatics or opponents, before you say "well, that's not been MY experience!!", keep in mind that I'm talking TRENDS and AVERAGES and prevailing conditions here.  I deal with a base of thousands of computers in everyday use over more than 15 years.  One can always find a specific counterexample.  That does not disprove a trend or negate my view of the prevailing conditions.

And please, dear Apple fanatic, don't try to compare an ancient PC to a new Powerbook, nor Snow Leopard to Windows XP.  Unless, of course, you want me to compare Windows 7 to MacOS 8, or my ThinkPad x301 to an 8-year-old Mac.  

It's easy to get swept up in emotion here (especially since Apple has always sold, and Microsoft and the PC hardware providers are currently selling, emotion).  When you're dealing with your money and your life (which is where these very personal devices now intersect, even at the office), it's important to at least *start* with some level of objectivity.

AND, while there are those currently saying that none of this matters since everything will be in the cloud and everything will be appliances that interact with the cloud in real time and so who cares, I say:  yes, that's true.  But not right now,  And not next year, or the year after.  In 10 years, maybe.  Maybe 5.  But I'm addressing what people should think about right now, not in the year 2525.

And finally, to those who would say "well, you just don't like Apple," that's just simply not true. I've liked and admired Apple hardware and software (and style) since I encountered my first original Mac while recovering at Stanford University hospital after Knee Surgery Number One.  A dear friend brought me his (black and white, all-in-one) Mac to occupy my time while recovering from the barbaric type of surgery they did back then, and I've admired Apple ever since.      

Outline:

1. Apple hardware is purchased at roughly a 50% to 100% price premium over non-Apple hardware.  This immediately disqualifies them for most general business and general office purposes.  Yes, you can find Apple hardware on sale, and yes, there are Windows machines that cost more, and on and on and on.  I'm talking prevailing pricing, not special cases.
2. While it is unquestionably among the best designed and most beautiful computer hardware out there, it is no more reliable than the typical retail HP or Toshiba laptops that one can buy.  Dell and Lenovo both make more reliable hardware than Apple, HP or Toshiba.  Lenovo makes more reliable hardware than any of them. There are few Apple owners whom I know who have *not* had to send their hardware in for service.  There are few Lenovo owners who have.
3. With around 5% market share compared to 90+% for Microsoft, many applications are simply not available for MacOS.  Quickbooks used to be a prime example of this. Recently they put out a somewhat limited version for MacOS.
4. With that small market share, users of MacOS, especially children that have used Macs through school and try to enter the working world, are at a skills disadvantage, facing a substantial learning curve that historical Windows users do not face.  And please, I can hear people out there saying "well, if everyone used MacOS everyone would be better off an nobody would have to face that" and "well, that's just because Windows is so much harder to use than MacOS."  I'm not arguing those points (although I disagree with both).  I'm just discussing the consequences of reality being what it is.  The overwhelming majority of schools and organizations use Windows. One argues with reality at one's own peril.
5. With that small market share and user base, MacOS users face the challenge of maintaining compatibility with everyone else.

For the first items above, more will be forthcoming when I have time to pin it down and further support my assertions.

It is for #5, above, that I have an example, which I will reproduce here.  This is an email I recently received through a Yahoo group of which I'm a member.  What you'll see below could be blamed on all sorts of non-Apple things (Yahoo, Outlook, the weather), but the fact is that these only come like this from MacOS systems; never from Windows or web-based email systems.  It doesn't matter whose *fault* it is.   It's results with which we concern ourselves at Interconnected Technologies, and here is one result that strongly counters the claims of compatibility maintained by MacOS proponents:

(By the way, you don't have to scroll through the whole thing - you'll get the point quickly)

(Second note:  I put xxxxxxxx where specific identifying or email content information appeared, but I left all the special characters, weird formatting, etc. intact)

X-YMail-OSG: q5CLX88VM1kPm7yopulQfPIJdCn0Lq0VgblOH0GnkwE29kolL8BvLj8ID20n4QvadES2gRRIVYOU

CXg5f0hWY7VQ7bkzHbnVzl_2X_KXm.OGRcRawAYmNq2eS2GrtW76X6ockMBWOIyCvfatcZH2xr

yCKD6Cn7CQnEt770ncLkIl51o.i0NHgwU0GT0lqojy4iLgES0noHApPiNnOkfvQG9iShhWRuj2bANg

IxNEO8_PkPK3yJUCcXpffcin8m61nWNgYjdeWyQwPGPeOywCUhnIrNr_oIleoDwsknvke1wFU1h

fjvjNj0LPHa_aTUMxgrYXwfKES_5hNm4azEugg4EKsGuknNBXKtgx.bZdTI5a3bJOiVlBHDDfM1Las

2OWg8tx1KLCoom_jKV_2YHJaOdZIXeNyB0yidGMLST6SGGhgEN3mD2H2jbMKgKbH9oC8W.EO

kX0LzN9FwREAoctuPTqOKasK7Z_R_SLEvZgrTo6USDoZGPipysgWW5XFoZc9ir139U3qvCimnzw

zE3CwpHDyLrqFb9w8RsRMJKm6jrlwTjs85mIUUZfUhxnm6x9GRksP9kLEQ1gsTj.McH.NfJDuHf0P

zy523TzeMqKRx2FfX7g4vS__scLA55JM0u.TLwF0mUlZZpSZ.0Vuf0PBpbuCmMjje5MVyWKCgE0

gN6ytkp0GF3G5oZ8PgYS5ORBQKIj7w_Ka38COatIVytMLmCPEytAS0blJ74mJQh7utsb78FjkufvZ

gebj1fp.cmrj6MmepkXdD19XEEhmPgJmoK.fQUegjmsWsnIARvY2l0Ix3RjVWV4lSSTJnmuSvMj6i

x2vAwEZPPvbj_YgEZ0dS1.rKKIPdxwV2ElP1ZUdlZViOU1cJ6cOjHdMgjJBHh9gU2f_olZZL7klNQZp

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r8IScP2VAhMzNGp4wKsM_FE4GZBJQJ3tVqmS8Bl9ieH3SN09MhTfLb2xh.aozYBtq1.WSpO1yW

bhHay6XSJC.uqNjCfQ8LcBs6cPe03g2.TWO6m1ctT.BlYX9dWhgbnfUEnWwMuFTObQc9hqBtU

TWL1m7G.f0U3.0JqNEra3quO7YsO.hoUTRS1qxQ7oFNfCfiyZb9_A.ljc3BxjYB4Eua9RiGHlCdF.

mX2tNUc1o2dJfO5RTaaOU_qT6ZbMExq7PBXUGPqdrHMITTHU_7pNjeMipOdPgEizo2VW1c-

X-YMail-OSG: X-Received: from [211.243.40.37] by web110801.mail.gq1.yahoo.com via HTTP; Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:45:17 PST

X-Mailer: YahooMailRC/272.7 YahooMailWebService/0.8.100.260964

References: <71c399fa1001151424r79af082i291dbed073641e97@mail.gmail.com> <004601ca9671$63efef20$2bcfcd60$@us>

To: xxxxxxx

In-Reply-To: <004601ca9671$63efef20$2bcfcd60$@us>

X-Originating-IP: xxxxxxxx

X-eGroups-Msg-Info: 2:4:8:0:0

From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

X-Yahoo-Profile: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

X-eGroups-Approved-By: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx via email; 17 Jan 2010 17:46:33 -0000

Sender: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

MIME-Version: 1.0

Mailing-List: list xxxxxxxxxxxx; contact xxxxxxxxxxx

Delivered-To: mailing list xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

List-Id: <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&gt;

Precedence: bulk

List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&gt;

Date: Sat, 16 Jan 2010 15:45:17 -0800 (PST)

Subject: Re: xxxxxxxxxxxx

Reply-To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

X-Yahoo-Newman-Property: groups-email-ff-m

Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

 boundary="0-1824902779-1263685517=:58264"

X-pstn-neptune: 0/0/0.00/0

X-pstn-levels:     (S:99.90000/99.90000 CV:99.9000 FC:95.5390 LC:95.5390 R:95.9108 P:95.9108 M:97.0282 C:98.6951 )

X-pstn-settings: 1 (0.1500:0.1500) cv gt3 gt2 gt1 r p m c

X-pstn-addresses: from xxxxxxxxxxxxxx&gt; [1146/45]

Return-Path: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

X-OriginalArrivalTime: 17 Jan 2010 17:46:26.0935 (UTC) FILETIME=[FE397070:01CA979C]

--0-1824902779-1263685517=:58264

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8

Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

- xxxxxxxxxx

________________________________

From: xxxxxxxxxxxx

To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: Sat, January 16, 2010 3:01:46 PM

Subject: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

=20=20

Interesting

documentation from him.  It has the sparse, cursory feel of something produ= ced by someone with either very thin, or quite extensive experience in an area.= =20 Clearly with him it=E2=80=99s the latter!

=20

xxxxxxxxxxxx!

=20

Thank

you =E2=80=93 you guys are amazing!

=20

Cheers,

Don

=20

From:xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Beh= alf Of xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 3:25 PM

To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Subject: xxxxxxxxxxxxx [1 Attachment] =20 =20=20

[Attachment(s) from xxxxxxxxxxxxx

included below]=20

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=20

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--0-1824902779-1263685517=:58264

Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8

Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

And on and on and on for page after page.  I have other examples of incompatibility that I can share.  And yes, sometimes it's not Apple's "fault".  Sometimes it's someone else's "fault".  That is beside the point.  The point I'm making is that there is incompatibility, and with over 90% of the market using Windows and Windows-based products and Windows-focused services, it rests with MacOS users to be compatible with the rest, not the other way around.

New technologies to watch

Just a quickie.  Two interesting technologies that bear watching:

www.contxts.com.  Try it.  Text "daf" to 50500 and see what happens!

http://www.getsatisfaction.com/.  Keeping an eye on online help/community software.  Zendesk is another (www.zendesk.com). 

More later!

How-to: Managing digital pictures

I've gotten sufficient requests for this that I thought it time to write it down!  The topic:  how to manage pictures taken with a digital camera.

There are three primary alternatives:

1. Use the software/cable that (probably) came with the camera.
2. Use one of the many photo library programs (like Picasa).
3. Do it yourself.

You will not be surprised that I choose option 3.  I'm not a control freak . . . OK, yes I am, especially when it comes to computers!

Here's why NOT 1 and 2: 

1. Using the software that comes with the camera is usually easy, and somewhat automatic.  The drawbacks that rule this out for me are:  a) the way the camera manufacturer's software does it might not be the way the user wants to do it, and, more importantly b) it locks you in to one camera manufacturer's software, or, worse, forces you to change programs every time you change cameras!
2. They don't address the whole process, and so aren't a complete solution.  I use Picasa, for instance, for some of its functions, but it can't do it all!

So, here's how:

You need:  a digital camera (http://www.amazon.com/Canon-SD1200IS-Stabilized-Dark-Gray/dp/B001SER492/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1259781842&sr=1-1) with removable memory cards and a way to access that removable memory card on your computer (http://www.amazon.com/Sandisk-MicroMate-Memory-Reader-Package/dp/B000QDZMOU/ref=pd_cp_e_3).  This will usually take the form of a camera that uses an SD card, and a computer with an SD card reader. 

This is what you do:

1. Take some pictures!
2. Take the card out of the camera and put it "into" the computer in whatever way you have worked out to do this.  The card will appear as a disk to the computer.
3. Open the folder that shows the pictures that are on the card.  Position that window so that it take up the left half of the computer screen.
4. Open up your My Pictures (Windows XP) or Pictures (Windows Vista) or whatever folder you have designated to hold your pictures.  We'll call it the Pictures folder.
   
   A slight digression: In that folder, where you keep your pictures, create two folders:  "Digital Camera Pictures" and "Photo Album".  Continuing along:
   
   
5. Open the Digital Camera Pictures folder.  Position that window so that it takes up the right half of the computer screen.
6. Look at your pictures on the left.  You will probably see several groups of pictures, associated with different days or events or both.  You will see logical groupings of pictures.  Pick the first one.  That group of pictures will have a primary date associated with it.   The representation of that date we'll use is yyyy-mm-dd, so June 12, 2009 will be 2009-06-12.  Let's use an example of pictures taken on that date and of a birthday party for Little Johnny.
7. On the right, create a new folder with the date you intuited in the previous step.  In our example:  2009-06-12 - Little Johnny's 12th birthday party.
8. Now, select, using whatever way you know (there are three) all of the pictures of Little Johnny's birthday party, and move them from the left window to the right one.
9. Repeat this process until there are no remaining groups of pictures on the left that you haven't processed.

Now, you have all of your pictures off of the memory card (which is now ready for more action!), and in folders named with the date (which will sort in chronological order) and a short title (which will allow people to see what's in the folder).  Inside these dated, named folders, you have pictures with clever names like DSC_007.jpg.  You can go into each folder and name each picture if you want.  You can also delete some of the pictures if you want (blurry ones, duplicates, etc.). 

You will spot the good pictures, and for some small percentage of the pictures you will want to do something:  modify them, email them, print them, and so on. 

Here's how to handle that:

Close the left window (the one for the camera's memory card, which is now empty).  Move the Digital Camera Pictures folder over to the left of the screen.  Open another copy of the Pictures folder, and open the folder called Photo Album inside it.  Position the Photo Album folder on the right of the screen.  

Now, for each picture with which you want to "do something":

1. Using whatever method you like (there are two), copy the picture from the left (dated, named) folder to the right (Photo Album) one.  In the Photo Album folder, rename the picture to whatever you like.  Continuing our example, rename "DSC_007.jpg" to be "Johnny blowing out his birthday candles on his 12th birthday.jpg"
2. Using whatever photo manipulation software you like (there are MANY, but only two real choices for regular folks: whatever came with your computer's operating system, and http://tryit.adobe.com/us/photoshopelements/?sdid=EPZXF), update the picture as you like:  crop it, adjust the color, remove red-eye, and so on. 
3. Do whatever you intended to do with the picture:  print it, email it, or just keep it in the Photo Album folder as "the one" picture you really liked from the dozens or hundreds you took!
4. Keep the original DSC_007.jpg in the original folder, along with DSC_006 and DSC_008 and so on, since you may want to go back to the original source picture at some point. 

There, you have set up an organization that will help you know where pictures are, you have moved pictures off of your digital camera's card, and you know what to do with those special pictures that are a cut above!

Now, if you have your Pictures folder set to back up, automatically, off site (as you do, if you are an InterConnected Technologies client), you're all set!

Enjoy.

Quick summary- Exchange, Google, Palm Pre

This is an excerpt from a recent email.  It's captured here for reference, and will be fleshed out more later!

The topic:  what hosted email service to use when using a Palm Pre or other similar mobile device along with Microsoft Outlook.

You might want to look at these resources:

On my web site:

http://www.interconnected.com/the-productivity-perspective/2008/11/17/surprising-aspects-of-technology.html

and

http://www.interconnected.com/the-productivity-perspective/2008/12/31/google-may-have-something-marrying-gmail-with-ones-own-email.html

If you go the Exchange route, and you are not an InterConnected Technologies client, you might want to look at:

http://www.123together.com/Exchange-Hosting-for-Small-Business.xhtml

or

http://www.rackspace.com/email_hosting/

If you go this route, everything (email, contacts, calendar, tasks, memos) is sync’d between Exchange and Outlook.  Almost everything (email, contacts, calendar, tasks) is sync’d with the Pre.  Pre memos don’t sync with anything.

If you go the Google Apps route, and are willing to pay for Premier ($50/year), you can use Google Apps Outlook Sync:

http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/outlook_sync.html#utm_source=en-ha-na-us-glook&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=google%20apps%20outlook%20sync

If you go this route, email, contacts, calendar sync between Google apps and Outlook (and the Pre).  Google Tasks doesn’t sync with anything, yet. 

If you only want free Gmail or the Standard edition of Google Apps (free), you’re left with using IMAP in Outlook:

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=75726

If you go this route, on the Palm Pre you’ll be relying on your Palm Profile to back up your calendar, tasks, contacts and memos, since IMAP is email-only.  For devices other than the Palm Pre, you will be relying on whatever backup you have for your Outlook data file.

Clear as mud, eh?

If you are willing to pay for the best, I’d get the best:  hosted Exchange.  Then, everything that can sync, will sync.  You get to use Outlook, the Pre and the web-based Outlook Web Access to get at all your data (with the caveat about Pre memos, for now).

Any option is doable by mere mortals, but having some experience doing it speeds up the process, a lot, and gives a better overall result!  That's where the service and experience of InterConnected Technologies comes in.  In addition, with Exchange, we can get better pricing for my clients than what is shown on those web sites.