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LangaList 2001-03-26 Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!
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the above is an advertisement )-------------- 1) Alert: Fake Microsoft Security Certificates!OK, this is a bad one:
In other words, a malicious hacker fooled VeriSign into thinking he or she was from Microsoft; VeriSign then issued "Microsoft" digital certificates to this individual. Those certificates would make it seem that the hacker's code was from Microsoft, and might fool people into downloading and running the code--- which could do almost anything to your system. Note that this is a VeriSign problem, not a Microsoft problem. VeriSign has revoked the bogus certificates, but there's still a residual risk that you could still end up being presented with the fake, and now-revoked, certificates due to a weakness in the way the VeriSign Certificate Revocation List works. To their credit, Microsoft is trying to develop a workaround that will give users pseudo-access to the Certificate Revocation List, but because this involves patching all Microsoft software that uses digital certificates--- and that goes back to 1995 and includes all versions of Win95, Win98, WinME, Win NT, and Win2000--- it's going to take a while. In the meantime: If you download software allegedly from Microsoft and see a digital certificate dated the 29th or 30th of January 2001, reject it: No bona fide Microsoft certificates were issued on these dates, so you won't be missing anything legitimate. In fact, all you'll be missing is bogus--- and probably hostile--- code. Lots more info: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS01-017.asp Click to
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the above is an advertisement )-------------- 2) More On The Closing of WinMag.ComSome readers have already reported problems accessing some links at WinMag.Com; it will probably only get worse, as all the content will be moved soon: When that happens, something like 200,000 external links (links from other sites pointing to specific WinMag.Com pages) will probably break, along with an unknown number of internal cross-links. (Interesting aside: Most search engines let you discover roughly how many sites point to any other site. For example, on Altavista.Com, you input whatever URL you're researching preceded by the word "link:" and Altavista will tell you how many sites link to that URL. For example, using "link:http://content.techweb.com/winmag/" will show you that 196,000+ external sites or pages point to the WinMag.Com area.) The impending link-breakage is all the more reason to grab the content now, while you still can. The tool I use when I want to capture a page is SurfSaver ( http://www.surfsaver.com/ ), available in ad-ware or ad-less commercial versions. It lets you capture a complete local copy of any web page you're on (including graphics), and store the saved page in a searchable database on your hard drive so you can easily retrieve it later. I've written about SurfSaver in the past, so I won't go into details here, but you can see the earlier stuff at http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=surfsaver&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000 . It's very handy. Fellow WinMag ex-columnist John Woram has set up a page at http://www.woram.com/winclose.htm that carries some additional detail on the closing of WinMag.Com, and includes links to the home pages of several of your favorite columnists--- Elgan, Methvin, Kenworthy, and of course John himself...), so you can still connect with them. (Thanks, John!) Click to
email this item to a friend 3) More ICQ-Related Info: AlternativesWe covered the appearance of AOL-mandated "informational banners" (you and I call them ads) via an ICQ auto-update ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-03-19.htm#6 ) and then covered some people who found a way to remove the ad banners. ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-03-22.htm#7 ) A number of readers wrote in to discuss alternatives to ICQ, and these two emails touch on the most-often-mentioned stand-ins:
Thanks, Intelman and Ravi--- and all who wrote in! Click to
email this item to a friend 4) More ICQ-Related Info: Another Ad-RemoverThe aptly-named "Dan Messenger" wrote in with
Thank you, Dan! Click to
email this item to a friend 5) More ICQ-Related Info: TriviaICQ's been around for a loooooong time, in Internet-years. So long, in fact, that some once-obvious things--- like its name--- have become somewhat obscure. For example, reader "Tom" asks:
Part of the confusion is that it's not a true acronym, but rather a phonetic phrase: A three-letter representation of the sentence, "I Seek You." 8-) Click to
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the above is an advertisement )-------------- 6) "Return Receipt" HelperLast week's item on "Road Runner, Verizon, @Home Email Problems" ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-03-22.htm#3 ) suggested that you can use your email client's "return receipt" [sometimes called "read receipt"] option as a way to help verify that important email got delivered.
Thanks, Dave. I don't know if there a version issue here, but my copy of O2K offers a "read receipt" under "Tracking Options" on the View/Options dialog. But no matter: the "confirm.to" service works with Outlook Express, Outlook Netscape Messenger Eudora Hotmail, AOL mail, Yahoo mail, and (they claim) "all webmail services," so it's still good to know about for those cases when a built-in return-receipt isn't available. Click to
email this item to a friend 7) Last Week To Enter March's FREE DrawingOn March 31, I'll choose another monthly winner of a no-strings $30 Gift Certificate for any item at Amazon.Com--- books, software, hardware, kitchenware, toys... To have a shot at winning, just use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful information; I just may gain a new subscriber; and you just may a $30 shopping spree! (Full details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#2 The more times you make a recommendation, the greater your chances are of winning! Or, if you'd like to try to win
$10,000(!), try this link (full details also available here): Either way, thank you, and good luck! Click to
email this item to a friend 8) They Loaded The CodeDo you have a home page or website? (It doesn't matter what size.) Please click over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join the hundreds and hundreds of LangaList readers who have "Loaded the Code!" (If you've already "Loaded The Code" and are wondering if your site will appear here or on the Langa.Com web site, please see http://www.langa.com/link.txt ) Speaking of which: Here's another eclectic sample of reader sites--- some professional, some very personal: View A
Randomly-Chosen Reader Site Manually Browse All
Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At Environmental Computer
Recycling Company "Dad's PC
Chronicles" Alaska: the Last Frontier "Fun Stuff To Do In
Windows" Tom's Page O' Links Magic & Mirth by Paul
Sponaugle Klik hier om de favoriete
sites van de Lanjouw... Stirrett-Johnsen Mechanical
Contractors (Washington) Sports Card Shops TwilightSurfers Click to
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LangaList grows by thousands of new readers every month! --------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 9) New Version Of Ad-AwareWe've covered Ad-Aware--- a free and excellent spyware-remover--- before. (see http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=ad-aware&sp-a=0008002a-sp00000000 ) Reader Jim Gleeson reports that version 4.55 is now available--- plus, he found another interesting program besides:
Thanks. Jim! Click to
email this item to a friend 10) Just For GrinsSometimes, it's a special gift to be able to take a dark and unsavory topic and find some bit of humor in it. Reader Michael D. Noonan was the first of many readers to send along a wonderful bit of satire that does just that:
There's lots more in the original item, which comes from the folks at SatireWire: http://satirewire.com/news/0103/outlook.shtml Click to
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Your Inner Geek: --------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 11) Plus! Edition HighlightsToday's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten items above, plus about 30% more content including: Additional (and free!) ways to facilitate transferring huge files from machine to machine; more on the new private site for Plus! subscribers and early access to BrowserTune's successor; and ways around several "Clear History" glitches in Internet Explorer. Plus! Edition info: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm Click to
email this item to a friend See you next issue!
Best, Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000!I) An easier-to read formatted HTML version is available in the "Current Issue" section of http://www.langa.com. (The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [UT-5] of the issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available at the Langa.Com site. Why are you getting this newsletter? This is a 100% OPT-IN newsletter: There are only three ways to get on the list--- signup via direct email request from you, or signup via the WinMag newsletter page or signup via BrowserTune's email-notification service. If you're getting this newsletter; your name came to me through one of those signup channels. At signup, you also received a confirmation email from my list software---no one is signed up secretly or against their will. SUBSCRIBE (it's free!): Create and send a new email address it to subscribe-langalist@lyris.dundee.net For even more content, downloads and special services, check out the LangaList Plus! Edition: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm UNSUBSCRIBE: From the same address you used to sign up with (it's shown on the first line in the body of each email issue you receive), create and send a new email address to unsubscribe-langalist@lyris.dundee.net . CHANGE ADDRESS? LIST TROUBLE? HAVE QUESTIONS? NEED HELP? See http://www.langa.com/help.htm About the advertisers: Langa Consulting LLC will never knowingly accept advertising for a fraudulent product, company or service. However, Langa Consulting LLC makes no implied or explicit warranty, recommendation or endorsement of or for the products, companies or services mentioned in the ads. Disclaimer: (Please see full disclaimer here: http://www.langa.com/legal.htm.) Abbreviated version: The tips and other information given in the newsletter are researched and are believed to be accurate, but we cannot and do not guarantee that all the information here will work on all systems, for all users, all the time. All information herein is offered as-is and without warranty of any kind. Neither Langa Consulting LLC, nor its employees nor contributors are responsible for any loss, injury, or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from application of any information presented here. This newsletter is a service of Langa Consulting LLC and is Copyright © 1997-2005Langa Consulting LLC. All rights reserved. LangaList: ISSN 1533-1156 |
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