An anonymous Microsoft developer spilled some juicy opinions about why Windows kernel performance isn’t all it could be. Although he has recanted much of what he said, some of his insights make a ton of sense.
All posts tagged adobe
The explanation about Windows vs. Linux kernel performance makes sense
Posted by Dave Farquhar on May 13, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/05/the-explanation-about-windows-vs-linux-kernel-performance-makes-sense/
The trouble with bringing your own software
PC Magazine is advocating a bring your own laptop, with your own software approach to business. It likens it to mechanics who bring their own tools. The trouble is that while mechanical tools in a toolbox operate autonomously and don’t interfere with one another, software residing on a computer does.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on May 3, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/05/the-trouble-with-bringing-your-own-software/
The ethics of writing nefarious security instructions
This week I posted a link to a video showing how to crack a WPS-enabled wifi network, and this week, Ars Technica wrote a firsthand account of cracking a password list. I’m sure this raises questions of ethics in some people’s minds. To be honest, spreading this kind of information makes me a little uncomfortable [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on March 28, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/03/the-ethics-of-writing-nefarious-security-instructions/
Welcome, Tony’s Kansas City readers
Thanks to Tony’s Kansas City for the link this morning. Tony noted that “Security dude reminds us that Google Fiber could kill the software industry.” That’s an interesting spin. I do think it will affect the software industry–but so long as Kansas City stays at the forefront and the rest of the country is content [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on March 24, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/03/welcome-tonys-kansas-city-readers/
Kansas City and Google Fiber
I get a few questions about Google Fiber, because I have Kansas City connections, and I work in computers. People who’ve known me long enough know that I upgraded to first-generation DSL about 30 minutes after it became available at the apartment complex I lived in at the time. The question then was the same [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on March 23, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/03/kansas-city-and-google-fiber/
Use Secunia PSI to keep all your programs up to date with minimal effort
Did you know Adobe released three Flash updates this month? And that every last one of them was absolutely, positively necessary? (At the time. They’re cumulative.) Seriously, you need a computer to keep track of all this stuff. Secunia PSI is a free program to keep track of these updates and pull them down and [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on March 1, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/03/use-secunia-psi-to-keep-all-your-programs-up-to-date-with-minimal-effort/
Firefox 19 is a big security improvement
Mozilla quietly released Firefox 19 this week. Its biggest selling point is a built-in PDF viewer (like Google Chrome does), which makes me more comfortable than having Acrobat Reader installed–Mozilla is generally faster at fixing security holes than Adobe. Besides that, the built-in reader is fast. No waiting for Acrobat to launch. Short documents like [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on February 21, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/02/firefox-19-is-a-big-security-improvement/
Book scanning on the (relatively) cheap
Ars Technica has a fascinating article on the trials and tribulations of building a book scanner from a kit. They lament the lack of software support, however–namely, a program to convert the image files generated by the digital camera into a PDF. Should I point them in the right direction? Why not? The key is [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on February 15, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/02/book-scanning-on-the-relatively-cheap/
Update Flash now
Adobe updated Flash today, to fix a couple of 0-day vulnerabilities. Here’s how to force a manual update on Windows and Mac OS X. I put on my sysadmin hat and looked over the update scripts on the page; they’re a little complex but don’t do anything nefarious. Grab the appropriate update script for the [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on February 8, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/02/update-flash-now/
The lines between white hat/gray hat/black hat hacking and moral laws
Longtime reader/commenter Joseph asked two questions yesterday: What’s the boundary between gray and black-hat hacking, and is it moral to pick and choose between moral and immoral laws? The first question is easier than the second. So I’ll tackle that one first.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on January 26, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/01/the-lines-between-white-hatgray-hatblack-hat-hacking-and-moral-laws/