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1) Symantec/Norton AV2K Plugs Its Security Hole

It took a long time to get here, but a patch released a few days ago appears to have fixed the online security holes in AV2K:

I've written about the security holes in previous newsletters. (See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/jan-3-00.htm#8 and http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/jan-6-00.htm#1 and http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/jan-10-00.htm#1 )

In short, when you use Norton to scan incoming email, it opened a "port" to the outside world, potentially allowing hackers either into your PC, or at least far enough in to crash your system using a technique known as "buffer overrun." Symantec initially denied there was a problem, but then took steps to fix the buffer overrun problem they said didn't exist. 8-)

But their fix for the buffer overrun problem still left a "port" open and visible to the outside world. Symantec said that this also wasn't a problem because their software would block anyone trying to access your PC through the port.

But again, after denying there was a problem, they went ahead and fixed that one as well.

And that's good: An invisible port invites no attacks--- hackers won't even know there's a PC there, and thus won't even try to get into your system. That's far safer than needlessly opening a port to the outside world and relying on clever software to try to block illegitimate access attempts.

If you're using AV2K, grab the current patches from the Norton site: You'll be able to resume email scanning AND your "port 110" will not be visible to the outside world.

I'll be covering "port monitors," "port blockers" and other related security issues in an upcoming newsletter: Stay tuned! 

But meanwhile, grab the latest (Jan 14th)  patch if you're running AV2K. And for more third-party info, see http://grc.com/faq-shieldsup.htm#017

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2) "AO Hell" Saga Continues

In the last issue, I told you about The AOL 5.0 "Upgrade of Death:" After performing a clean install on a test system,  I found AOL had added or altered 229 files, including over 4.5MB of Windows system files! It significantly (and unnecessarily) altered my networking setup. It even diddled with Power Management settings in my Registry! 

Some readers mistakenly thought that by using the "bring your own access" option (where you pay a cut rate for AOL access and use your own ISP to connect to AOL) you could avoid the networking hassles I encountered.

Nope. 

AOL appears to install everything, all the time. The "bring your own access" option only changes things on AOL's end of the connection---how you're billed and how you're allowed into their system. It doesn't change anything on your end: You'll still end up with your networking and dial-up settings unnecessary diddled with.

I discuss all this in this week's WinMag column. Some readers tried to read the full column and join the week-long discussion at the WinMag site a day early this week (Monday was a US holiday)--- but it's up and running now:

In that online column, I detail everything--- including what files were altered, how you can tell what files and settings AOL altered on your machine, which kinds of users and systems AOL is good for, and which it's really bad for.

Join in! Is your AOL experience different from mine? Have you found ways around the upgrade hassles? What do you think the future will hold as AOL emerges as the biggest media company on the planet? The discussion is ongoing at http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/explorer/2000/02.htm

See you there!

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3) It Just Keeps Going and Going And Going...

I've been a WinZip user for years: It's become my standard for compressing or decompressing ("zipping" or "unzipping") files; for translating UUEncoded files, and more. I use it almost every day.

A beta of WinZip 8.0 is now available for download. According to info on the WinZip site, some of the major new features of WinZip 8.0 include:

Zip and E-Mail: zips a document and attaches it to an e-mail message without leaving Windows Explorer.

Enhanced WinZip Wizard: now creates and updates Zip files, and it can extract and install from MIME and similar encoded files (great for e-mail attachments).

More Windows-like Classic interface: for example, an optional Explorer-style toolbar is available, and, when creating or updating an archive, WinZip automatically stores the same subfolders and folder information that Windows Explorer would use for a similar copy operation.

Desktop theme and screen saver installer: makes it easy to install those very popular desktop themes and screen savers from Internet downloads.

Part One of this online discussion--- the things I like best about Win2K--- is winding down. Next week, I'll post the things I most DISlike about the new OS.

But to get the balanced picture, you really need both sides: For example, in the discussion area attached to the column, an official Microsoft representative has chimed in, as have a number of readers. In all, it makes for informative and interesting reading that can help you understand the pros and cons of this major new release from Microsoft--- due out in less than a month! 

But what's *your* take? What are the things you most like about the new OS? What are the most-welcome (or most-needed!) improvements over NT4 and Win9x? Come check out the rest of the column, and then voice your  likes and dislikes about the new OS--- in the discussion area.

Click to http://www.informationweek.com/langaletter !

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5) An RTF Security Bug!

The "Rich Text Format" is a nearly universal file format that lets you share formatted documents almost without regard for which program created or will read them. RTF is great for anyone who has to share files.

For example, I write for a number of different publications. Some of the editors use Macs, others use PCs; they run different OSes and different word processors--- but everyone can accept and read RTF files. Regardless of the system they have, the recipients see my formatting (bold, italics, line/paragraph breaks, etc) exactly as I intended---RTF is *that* generic. As a result, I send all my columns in RTF format. 

RTF has been around for years; it's practically universal. So I was amazed to see a new security bulletin from Microsoft about a "Malformed RTF Control Word" Vulnerability. Microsoft says:

Windows 95:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/WUCritical/rtfcontrol/default.asp  

If you use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a friend, it will cost you nothing, it costs them nothing, and it just may help them out. You make out, too, because you just may win a Palm III organizer for your trouble (full details also available via this link):

http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#1

The "Recommend-It" service (above) is an ad-based site (you’ll see banners and such). The advantages to you of using the Recommend-It service (above) are that you can win a Palm III and that you can add a personal message to your LangaList recommendation.

But if you’d rather use the tried-and-true, ad-free recommendation form, you’ll still find it at: 

http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#2 . 

Once a month or so, I draw one name, at random, from among those who have used that recommendation form, and award a thank-you prize--- a free copy of the $30 book "Poor Richard's E-Mail Publishing: Creating Newsletters, Bulletins, Discussion Groups and Other Powerful Communications Tools."  (Note that this isn't some big-company sweepstakes: It's just my informal way of saying thanks for your help in spreading the word about this newsletter.) Full details also available via the link above.  

In fact, either way, thank you!

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7) SprachFähigkeiten, er, Capacités linguistiques, er, Habilidades De Lenguaje, er...

"Language skills." That's what I was trying to say! 8-)

You see, reader Stéphane Racette asked "Is it possible to have all of those LangaList e-mails in french???"

The answer is yes---in French, German, Portuguese, Italian or Spanish---but maybe not the way you think. 8-)

The LangaList is a one-man operation. There's only so  much I can do, and producing multi-language versions of the newsletter is pretty far down my to-do list. <g> (See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/1999/oct-18-99.htm#anniv )

But if you go to http://babelfish.altavista.com/  and put in the URL of the web version of this newsletter (or any web page), you'll get a fast, free translation. It's not elegant--- it's often more of a simple dictionary-lookup transliteration than a true translation--- but you'll get the gist.

For example, put in the URL of this issue of the LangaList (http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/jan-20-00.htm ) and BableFish can generate the following (I'll just show you the first few lines of each translation--- the BabelFish engine actually translates the whole newsletter):

Le LangaList
Un bulletin libre d'email de Fred Langa au sujet de BrowserTune,
HotSpots, colonnes, extrémités et tours, et d'autres activités

Das LangaList
Ein freies emailrundschreiben von Fred Langa über BrowserTune,
HotSpots, Spalten, Spitzen u. Tricks und andere Aktivitäten

Il LangaList
Un bollettino libero del email da Fred Langa circa BrowserTune,
HotSpots, colonne, punte & trucchi ed altre attività

O LangaList
Um boletim de notícias livre do email de Fred Langa sobre BrowserTune,
HotSpots, colunas, pontas & truques, e outras atividades

El LangaList
Un boletín de noticias libre del email de Fred Langa sobre BrowserTune,
HotSpots, columnas, extremidades y trucos, y otras actividades

The BableFish translation engine also work in reverse--- from, say, French or German to English. Plus, you can enter any text---typed on the spot or cut-and-pasted--- to get an instant free translation of anything.

But again, be warned: The translations are pretty crude---in fact, they can be so rough they're actually funny.

If you want to see how rough, type in a phrase and let BableFish translate it twice--- once to whatever language you wish, and then from that language back to English: 

The phrase "I'm glad I get Fred's newsletter" becomes the very rough "Ich bin ich erhalte Rundschreiben Fred froh" in German. Letting BableFish translate that German back to English yields "I am I keep circular Fred glad." Huh?

So you're not going to be able to use BableFish to translate poetry (or anything highly language-sensitive)--- but it's better than nothing. Check it out!

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Sehen Sie Sie folgende Ausgabe!

Best,

Fred

(fred@langa.com)