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April 1 , 2003

On March 18th, President Bush began a long-anticipated war against Iraq. Technology is playing an important role in the conflict. Spectators of the US war in Iraq are seeing unprecedented virtual coverage including breaking news flashes available through e-mail and a streaming "raw video" feed from Reuters.

Advances in technology are allowing almost real-time access to war-related events. The video from the war that you can see on the web and TV are brought to you courtesy of systems such as the IPT Suitcase, a briefcase-size satellite broadcasting system.

The widespread distribution of computers and the Internet worldwide has ensured that this war will be documented like no other. Blogs (short for web logs) have become a fixture of the Internet in recent years. Through blogs, soldiers relate their experiences, embedded journalists report from the front, military families tell about their loved ones, people protest the war, and Iraqis document life in Baghdad.

Tech News Highlights

Vulnerability identified in Windows.

Microsoft revealed a serious vulnerability in all versions of Windows that could allow a website or e-mail message to take control of a PC and run malicious programs. The flaw is serious and all Windows users should apply the Microsoft supplied update. If recent history is any guide, this vulnerability is likely to be exploited and be at the heart of a major virus event.

Homeland Security alert level raised to Orange.

On March 17, the Department of Homeland Security raised the threat advisory level to Orange -- the second highest level. Most security experts think that a well-organized attack on technology infrastructure is inevitable and could prove costly American business. The success of such an attack depends on how effectively the private sector is prepared for it.

For computer users, an alert level of Orange is a reminder to review computer technology practices. We have put together a list of ten things that small businesses should be doing to safeguard their computers. We base this list on the recommendations of the National Infrastructure Protection Center. No, you won't need any duct tape. I promise.

A bad week for the Al Jazeera website.

The website of Middle East news service Al Jazeera was hijacked on Thursday the 24th. The attackers caused web browsers that attempted to go to the Al Jazeera website to be sent to a pornographic site or a site with pro-American slogans and graphics. The redirection may have been accomplished by tricking a Network Associates employee into giving out access codes. Al Jazeera's website has since been completely shut down by distributed denial of service attacks.

Cisco to buy Linksys.

As part of a major strategy shift, Cisco Systems Inc. is buying Linksys Group Inc. for $500 million in stock. The deal is seen as a way for Cisco to become a major force in the small office/home office market. Cisco's core market has been corporate customers who need products to link hundreds of computers. "This is a very big step for Cisco, the decision to take on a different business model," said Dan Scheinman, a vice president of corporate development at Cisco.

Ask Randy

Streaming Video Problems?

Q: I cannot play streaming videos on my computer anymore. I have reinstalled Real Player and still cannot get any videos to play. What can I do to fix this problem?

A: This sounds like it could be a problem with your Internet Explorer. Here are a few things to try:

• Clear your Internet cache - In Internet Explorer select Tools -> Internet Options - General. Click on "Delete Files" (then walk away from your computer, this can take a while).
• Restore IE Security Defaults - In Internet Explorer select Tools - Internet Options -> Advanced -> Restore Defaults. Then select Security and click on default level. This is a useful thing to try whenever you have Internet functionality issues.
• Reinstall Media Players - Uninstall Windows Media Player and Real Player and then install the newest version of Media Player and the Newest version of Real Player.
• Repair Internet Explorer - The way to repair Internet Explorer depends on the version of Windows and the version of Internet Explorer. In Windows 2000 and with Internet Explorer 6.x go to Control Panel, and select add/remove programs. Then select Internet Explorer and select "Repair Internet Explorer."

Tip of the Month

Delete quarantined viruses.

When Norton Antivirus -- and many other virus detection programs -- cannot remove all traces of a virus from a file, the program will put the file in a specially protected folder called "quarantine." Then you can check the file and make sure you're not throwing out important information along with the virus. Most files that are quarantined don't have any useful information, but you should still view the files before deleting them just to make sure.

To view quarantined files in Norton AntiVirus 2002, click the View Report button. In 2000/2001, double-click View and Manage the Items in Quarantine. Select the files you don't recognize and click Delete Item.

If you aren't using Norton AntiVirus you can find out how to clear out your quarantine by going to Help and then searching for the words "delete quarantine."

Places on the web

A Good Blog Host

Blogger is a web-based tool that helps you publish your thoughts to the web instantly.

Truth or Fiction

"I just got this virus warning (picture of the shuttle blowing up, scandalous information about Hillary Clinton's great grandfather, prayer request, letter from a Nigerian princess) in e-mail. Should I send it to everyone I know?" Truthorfiction.com is a website that will answer the question for you (if you really need an answer). Whatever you do, don't send it to me.

Flash Psychic

Not only is your computer out to get you, it also knows what you're thinking.