What's that Internet Thing?

An Open Letter From Internet Engineers to the U.S. Congress

2011-12-15T20:18:59Z

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Today, a group of 83 prominent Internet inventors and engineers sent an open letter to members of the United States Congress, stating their opposition to the SOPA and PIPA Internet blacklist bills that are under consideration in the House and Senate respectively.

iPad OS 3.2.2 is Now Available for Download from iTunes

2010-08-12T16:00:15Z

Image by Taro416 via Flickr

iOS 3.2.2 Software Update for iPad

Fixes security vulnerability associated with viewing malicious PDF files.

Products compatible with this software update:
• iPad
• iPad WiFi + 3G

For feature descriptions and complete instructions, see the user guides for iPad at:
    <http://support.apple.com/manuals/ipad>

For more information about iPad, go to:
    <http://www.apple.com/ipad>

To troubleshoot your iPad, or to view additional support information go to:
    <http://www.apple.com/support/ipad>

For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website:
    <http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222>

Facebook: List of Fake Applications (Mafia Wars, FarmVille, etc.)

2010-05-13T17:50:23Z

Image via CrunchBase

As many games and applications become more popular on social networking websites such as Facebook, people will try to take advantage of people's curiosity (and sometimes, greed) to coax users into joining or adding applications that promises to give you rewards in return. This is not true and will most like result in sort of phishing for user information.

Some of the games targeted have been Zynga's more popular Mafia Wars, CafeWorld and FarmVille. Here are some of tags to look for and avoid (use the Facebook feature to 'Hide' unwanted application postings)

"Farmville v"

http://www.facebook.com/pages/FV-Filter/

"via Farmville"


http://www.facebook.com/pages/FreeFarmGiftscom/

"Mafia Wars Bonus Checker"


http://apps.facebook.com/mwgames/

]]> "Mafia Wars Secret Weapon"
http://apps.facebook.com/mafiawarssecret/
"Café Win"
http://apps.facebook.com/bonuscafe/

"Super Wok"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cafe-Cash/

"Red Goat"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Goat-Released/

"Red Sheep"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Sheep-released/

Updated: 2010-05-17

"Mafia Wars Ultimate Strategy Guide"
http://apps.facebook.com/mafiawarsguide/

Updated: 2010-05-18

"Mafia Wars Advanced M-48 Army Tank"
http://apps.facebook.com/mafiawarsadvanced/

Updated: 2010-05-19

"brand new"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mustang-Foal-Released/

"FarmVille Filter"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Feed-Filter/

Updated: 2010-05-21

"Mafia Wars Tank"
http://apps.facebook.com/mafiawarsweap/

Updated: 2010-05-25

"Farmville." (note the 'period' at the end)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/FV-Bonuses-Rewards/

Updated: 2010-05-30

"Mafia Wars BG"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mafia-Wars-Bonus-Gift/

Updated: 2010-06-01

"rtmustang"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mustang-Released/

Updated: 2010-06-07

"Secret Cow"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Secret-Cow/

Updated: 2010-06-10

"Belted Cow"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Belter-Cow/
"Farmer Items"

http://bit.ly/chthsU

Now they're using URL shortener's to conceal their nefarious looking URLs.

"Secret Sheep"

http://www.facebook.com/pages/FV-Secret-Sheep/

Updated: 2010-06-11

"GameSecrets"
http://shorturl400.com/FVsecretbonus

Other known Game Cheat/Scam Facebook pages:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Secret-Cow-Released/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Restaurant-City-Tips-Tricks-Cheats/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Country-Life-Tips-Tricks-Cheats/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nightclub-City-Tips-Tricks-Cheats/

If you know of others, please provide a link to the posting of the application.

Facebook: Fake Applications Based on Popular Applications - Farmville

2010-05-10T20:54:10Z

There appears to be a growing number of users being duped into thinking that the application they're joining or signing into is tied into games/applications that he/she uses on the popular social networking site, Facebook.

Image via Wikipedia

One example is based on the popular Facebook application, Farmville (by Zynga).

The premise of the game, given a plot of land, you grow crops, grow fruit-bearing trees and raise farm animals and their off-springs. Like many of the applications on Facebook, players are welcome to send out gifts to other friends to elicit help or to get them join and add the application.

It's this feature that the scammers and info gathers are gambling on to get unsuspecting players to click, join and, in the end, have him/her post links on his/her news feed to try and get their friends in participating.

In the image above, you can see the icon that this fake application is using is the same as the actual application, not to mention the wording. There are some slight differences like instead of "Farmville", there's "Farmville v". If you move your mouse over the "Find a collectible" link, you will see that it's pointing to

http://www.facebook.com/pages/FV-Filter/116000185105701?ref=nf

and not to the real application.

Here's another variation based on the game Farmville:

Again, the fake application is using the same icon as the real Farmville but posting time with the application name is slightly different, "via via Farmville" instead of just "via Farmville". The link "Adopt the Percheron Foal" actually points to:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/FreeFarmGiftscom/332104581865?ref=nf

Many of these applications are designed to collect as much information about the users and because it's on a social networking website, collect information about your friends and their friends. It's also possible that the creator of the fake application might be delivering an unknown payload (e.g. malware) onto your system.

The best way to avoid it is to look closing at the application before you click on it, make sure that the URL links to the actual application and if you come across a fake application like posting, click on 'Hide' near the top right corner of the entry itself. This way, you won't see it again (until the next variation).

PS3 Firmware 3.30 System Update

2010-04-22T01:30:49Z

Image via Wikipedia

Eric Lempel, Director of Sony's Playstation Network Operation writes:

Hi everyone, in our continued effort to provide the best, most comprehensive entertainment experience possible, we'll be adding a few new features to PlayStation 3 (PS3) via the latest system software update, which is a mandatory update and will be available shortly. Most notably, you'll see some new sorting options within Trophies that make it easier to claim bragging rights among your friends on PlayStation Network.

As before, the firmware update is mandatory.

PS3 Firmware 3.30 System Update (US)
PS3 Firmware 3.30 System update (EU)

The new enhancements include the following:

Trophy enhancements -- Now you can more easily sort trophies in the [Trophy Collection] and [Comparing Trophy] sections. Sorting can be done with [Trophy Collection] in the [Game Category] and also when comparing trophies with your friends in the [Friend Category]

Trophy Folder (Title List) can be sorted by game name/ by title according to the date in which you earned your last trophy (ascending/descending)
Add-on list (Group list) can be sorted by original/the date in which you earned your last trophy (ascending/descending)
Trophy list can be sorted by original/trophy name/grade/date of obtaining the trophy (ascending/descending)

In addition, this update preps the PS3 system for some upcoming new features, including 3D stereoscopic gaming, which is coming soon to PS3, in time for the launch of Sony's 3D BRAVIA TVs.

Facebook: How to Limit Your Application Postings to a Certain List

2010-04-14T13:54:00Z

Image via CrunchBase

Unlike your other friends on Facebook, you like to log onto the social website and play the various apps (e.g. Mafia Wars, FarmVille, Restaurant City, Mob Wars, etc.). Most of those games have something in common, they depend on your friends to help out. What this means is that you need to post messages on your wall. Unfortunately, these game postings will appear on your friends' news feed and this might anger some of them, that they don't even play the games, why must they endure this nonsense?

Here's a quick way to limit who can see what you posts.

First, you'll need to edit your friends list (see image Facebook Friends #1)

( image: Facebook Friends #1 )

Once you're on your 'Edit Friends' page, you'll need to create a friends list that you will use to mainly categorize/associate to other friends who participate in using the games/apps on Facebook. Click on the button marked 'Create New List' (see image: Facebook Friends #2)

( image: Facebook Friends #2 )

Call it whatever you want, (e.g. "Game Players Only") and while creating the new list, you can directly add friends that also play (see image: Facebook Friends #3)

( image: Facebook Friends #3 )

You can either use the 'Edit List' function to add more friends or with your friends listed, you can use the drop menu (see image: Facebook Friends #4)

( image: Facebook Friends #4 )

Now, the next time you're about to post a game message, select the little lock symbol to select who you want the message to be viewed by. Select the 'Customize' option (see image: Facebook Friends #5)

( image: Facebook Friends #5 )

Selecting 'Customize' will pop-up another window that will allow you to select 'Friends of Friends', 'Only Friends', 'Specific People...' or 'Only Me'. Select 'Specific People...' (see image: Facebook Friends #6)

( image: Facebook Friends #6 )

You can either start by typing text for pattern matching or use the drop down option to select the list you wish to allow access, in this case, select "Game Players Only" or whatever list name you have chosen (see image: Facebook Friends #7)

( image: Facebook Friends #7 )

Once you've done that, click on the 'Save Setting' button and then click on 'Publish'. Now only those friends that have been added to that specific friends list will be able to see your postings.

Facebook with Malformed URLs causing issues with Firefox

2010-04-12T04:24:01Z

Image via CrunchBase

It appears that I'm the only one experiencing problems with Facebook while using Firefox v3.5.9 (yes, I know that 3.6.x is available but upgrading to the newest version is not supported by F5 Networks plugins to establishing a VPN via Firewalker).

Anyways, just so you know I'm not talking crazy, I went to the main URL of Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com

Now I click on the 'Messages' link on the left sided menu and this is the resulting URL:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/?sk=messages

Now, I'm going from messages to my 'Profile' link that's on the top right corner of Facebook and the resulting URL:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/johnhighway?ref=profile

Note the malformed URLs.

In some cases, I go to my photo album:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/johnhighway?v=photos&ref=profile

Click on a specific album:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=27439&id=503264990

And the click on the "Facebook" logo to head back to the main page:

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/?sk=media

What's up with that?

This malformed URL is plaguing my ability to accept new friends, gifts, etc. Now this appears to only affect Firefox, however the malformed URL also appears on Internet Explorer but IE is apparently more forgiving and not as strict. So, I'm having to switch to IE just so I can respond to requests but I would return to Firefox just so I don't have to deal with all the ads.

What's that Internet Thing?

An Open Letter From Internet Engineers to the U.S. Congress

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