Author: Dave Farquhar

Watch out for this Apache bug

Dave Farquhar Apache, security ,

There is a nasty Apache exploit going around right now that exploits a vulnerability in versions 1.3.x, 2.0.x and 2.2.x. Basically, it allows the process to exhaust all available memory and crash by sending GET requests with overlapping byte ranges. The methodology seems to borrow a page from the teardrop attack. Yes, I’ve been studying for a security certification….

And now it’s Apple’s turn

Dave Farquhar Macintosh , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s been a weird month for technology. And as always, Apple had a way to get people to stop talking about anything else, though it’s not the news Apple wanted do deliver this week. I can only think of one bit of news Apple would want to deliver less.

Steve Jobs is stepping down as CEO. He’s becoming chairman, but perception is everything. Especially with Apple. I don’t think any company in recent memory has leveraged perception the way Apple has.

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Lessons of the HP Touchpad

Dave Farquhar Hardware , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

At full price ($499 for the 16 GB model and $599 for the 32 GB model) the HP Touchpad was a colossal flop. Like AT&T’s first PC clones of the mid 1980s, it was a me-too product at a me-too price that wasn’t quite as good as the product it was imitating. So, basically, there was no reason to buy it.

At closeout prices, it became an Internet sensation. The few web sites that have it in stock can’t handle the traffic they’re getting. At $99 and $149, it’s selling like the Nintendo Wii in its glory days.

And I think there’s a significant parallel there that highlights the missed opportunity.
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Oracle’s bombshell: We might buy HP

Dave Farquhar Hardware , , , , ,

And if the HP situation couldn’t get any weirder, Forbes speculates that Larry Ellison and Mark Hurd might attempt a takeover of HP if its share price drops far enough. HP and Oracle once were close partners, but now they hate each other.

I think it might be a little more complicated.

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Should you sell your stock in 2011?

Dave Farquhar Saving money

I see this question coming through on Google all the time: Should I sell my stock in 2011?

Two letters: NO.

There. That was easy. But I’ll explain why.
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How about hard drives that vary their speed based on workload?

Dave Farquhar Hardware

Facebook wants hard drives that slow down when the data they hold isn’t in high demand. They estimate that slowing a drive from 7200 RPM down to 3600 RPM could cut its power usage from 7W to 3W.

We already do something like this with other hardware. Why not with hard drives?
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Is your neighbor hungry?

Dave Farquhar Christianity , , ,

I heard something really disturbing in church this morning. Something not terribly surprising, I guess, but something that isn’t right. There are kids in that community that aren’t getting enough to eat.

I go to church in Oakville, Mo. Oakville is a sleepy, isolated, upper-middle class suburb along the Mississippi River. On the surface, it’s the picture of affluence: Nice cars, manicured lawns, big houses. But somehow, there are homeless people there. Or people who are having to choose between buying groceries or paying bills, apparently.

If it’s happening in Oakville, it’s happening other places.

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Intel fixes a major issue with its 320-series SSDs

Dave Farquhar Hardware

Intel 320-series SSDs have an obscure bug in their firmware that can cause them to change from a multi-gigabyte SSD to an 8 MB pumpkin. Intel finally found the issue and posted a fix.

This might explain why supplies of Intel 320s have been a bit sporadic lately. If you have an Intel 320, get ready to download and install the update. You may want to wait just a few days to make sure there are no issues with it, as SSD updates in general tend to be, shall I say, rushed.

Psst! Want a cheap tablet?

Dave Farquhar Hardware , , , , , , , , ,

HP figured out what to do with all those unsold tablets. Friday they dropped the price in Canada to $99 and $149, depending on the memory. And this weekend, they’re doing the same in the States.

They’re underpowered and they’re orphans, but at that price, I’ll bet they’ll sell.

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Lenovo and IBM look back at IBM’s PC exit

Dave Farquhar Hardware , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Register reports that Lenovo is gloating over its purchase of IBM’s PC division and its turnaround efforts, while IBM doesn’t regret pulling out, at all, even going so far as to call the PC dead. Who’s right?

Lenovo. Though IBM was right to get out–but the PC is only as dead as the television. Old media doesn’t go away quickly. Radio was supposed to make newspapers go away, and it’s only now, 90 years later, that newsprint is hurting. The old stuff adapts and evolves and finds new uses. Some people argue that if newspapers were managed better, they wouldn’t be hurting, but that’s a different issue. Let’s talk IBM PCs.
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