Recently webmail.us announced that they have swapped to Linux and Open Source software, and listed some of the relevant software here. Interestingly they are using a very similar system to the new mail system I just set-up. (except that I’m using Debian).

They are apparently as happy with their new system as I am with ours. It is getting harder for old school companies like Microsoft to tell people that it is better for you to give them your money in the long run when the facts keep getting in the way. More importantly the facts are coming from companies that have made the switch themselves and speak from experience.

In related news, Novell has decided to refute Microsoft’s funded “facts” campaign by launching one of their own and explaining in detail why Microsoft’s results are not credible. For one thing Microsoft paid for most of the studies, secondly they only show the bits of them that further their cause, and thirdly, why would anyone listen to either Novell or Microsoft to find out the truth:? If you want the truth, you either ask an independent 3rd party, or look into it yourself. I would not ask a GM dealer if GM cars were better then Ford, so why is this any different? Anybody that is swayed by Microsoft’s “get the fud” campaign really needs to ask themselves if perhaps some time in a mental hospital is called for. Can you imagine Microsoft saying “Well in some cases Linux is actually cheaper…..” ? No, me either.

Franki

The Mozilla foundation has just released version 0.9 of the Thunderbird e-mail client. Firefox tends to get most of the press releases, but Thunderbird is a brilliant product in it’s own right. I’ve been using it since early 0.3 releases and I’ve never had reason to complain. (My e-mail needs are quite extensive so I give it a huge workout.)

For well over a year, I have used IMAP and POP3 to retrieve over 1200 e-mails a day, and Thunderbird has held up very well. It fits very well with Firefox, in that it is small, fast, looks good and has all the cool features. (like SPAM filtering, HTML cleaning, themes and extensions and heaps of other goodies.) It will also import the address books and account settings from several different e-mail clients (including OE). If you are sick of the Microsoft Virus transport system. (Outlook Express and Internet Explorer) you really should be using Firefox and Thunderbird. Take my word for it, you’ll be safer and more efficient. You will not regret it. Plus both are free, so what have you got to lose by trying them?

Franki

A current study is underway to compare nasal flu vaccine to injections. Ironically, there is a big “scare” in the US this year because the flu shot is in very limited quantity because of a manufacturing problem. What people don’t know is that the mist for nasal inhaling is readily available. Of course, until this test is done, who knows if it is as effective … or could it be more effective.

For years I bypassed the flu shots and seldom got sick. Then I took a job that involved interaction with many many people, often with poor health, nutrition and hygene … and I got sick more than before. I started getting flu shots and again got sick very little. This year I cannot get the flu shot, so I may (like most of my family already has) go get the mist.

What happens when graphic artists become geeks? Why they get together and start a Miss virtual world pageant. That isn’t as bad as it could be I guess, but I find myself wondering how long it will be before virtual playboy comes out?

On the downside, this might lead heaps of geeks further away from reality, but depending on your perspective that might be an upside. 🙂 The other upside is that it will benefit the world if they can work together and figure out ways to make virtual girls look as good as real ones, without removing the “human look” but by the same token, I’ve seen a few real world models that seem to be missing the human look as well, so who can tell?

I notice on the top ten column is a picture of Bloodrayne, the only game I have actually bought in the last 8 years, and she looks better then any of them. That would tend to indicate that the path to the virtually perfect woman, is to be a nicely endowed half vampire. See? That was easy wasn’t it?
Wired have more on the story here.

Franki

TheRegister has an interesting article that talks about a new method spammers are using to get new email accounts that they can use to SPAM people. The new method entails tricking the gullible into creating the new accounts for them by suggesting that it will aid Yahoo prevent automated systems from creating SPAM accounts. (The big webmail firms have all created systems that make it extremely difficult to automate the creation of email accounts in an attempt to reduce spamming.)

Social engineering is becoming the biggest trick in a malicious hacker/spammers book. social engineering involves tricking the user into doing something that hands control over to the malicious party. Such tactics have long been used in the spread of Viruses, Trojans, Spyware and other such nasties. The trend appears to be gathering momentum.

Don’t follow the instructions of anyone you meet, or are contacted by online, unless you have some sort of proof that they are the trusted party they want you to believe they are. (after all, you wouldn’t in real life would you?)

Franki

This article from TheRegister, details security services firm ScanSafe’s report that tells us that Internet Explorer flaws were the biggest security threat to enterprise businesses. And they included Viruses and Trojans when making that pronouncement, noting that many Viruses use browser flaws as a means of infection.

Considering that Microsoft told us that SP2 was going to make a huge difference to security, it makes you wonder why the number of exploits found hasn’t really changed since SP2 was released and there is already a list of exploits that effect IE6 SP2 as much as previous version. No web browser can yet claim to be security perfect, but Internet Explorer currently has the worst security record of all of them, possibly counted together.

In case this is the first time you’ve visited us, I’ll make the same suggestion I make regularly on this site: Get your free copy of Firefox now. Firefox, the best browser on the Internet.

Franki

WebSideStory has released a report stating that the Mozilla foundation’s browsers have taken another bite out of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, that now accounts for just under a 3% drop in only months. It doesn’t sound like much until you consider just how many browser installs it accounts for. (we are speaking of many millions here.)

It is likely to cause Microsoft to rethink it’s policy of no new Internet Explorer versions that don’t come with a new version of Windows. I expect Microsoft initially thought that they could use a new version of Internet Explorer as another way to lure people to buy newer versions of Windows, and I don’t imagine they were expecting browsers as good as Firefox to show up at the crucial stage. After all, why would you pay hundreds of dollars to buy a new version of Windows to get a better browser, when you can get a much better browser right now for free?

I’m going to make a prediction, and that prediction is that Microsoft will pull a John Kerry (a flip-flop) and release Internet Explorer 7 sometime before Longhorn comes out. If they wait until the end of 2006 to update their web browser, they will likely have lost allot more then 3% of market share. After all Internet Explorer 6 is already about 4 years old, and in the software world that’s positively archaic. By the time Longhorn is released, IE6 will be at least 6 years old. The point to remember here, is that they didn’t update it, because they had no real competition for most of that 4 years, so why should they bother? (That is my way of pointing out that competition is a great way of making sure that huge companies like Microsoft offer value for money. They go on a lot about innovation, but unless they get real serious competition, they are apparently quiet happy to stop development and wait until they do. So regardless of what they would have you believe, they are not in this to help the customer, only to take his/her money.)

The WebSideStory story has been covered by TheInquirer and Eweek.

Franki