She was like, “Was this e-mail really sent by my friend?  It is a different sender address *wondering*?”

I explained her that the person used Hotmail to send the e-mail. Hotmail uses its own servers to send messages. Since you can use your own e-mail address with Hotmail, problems might arise if a message appears to be sent from your e-mail address, but not from your server (from Hotmail’s server instead).

This is why Hotmail is respecting the sender authentication and is using both the From and Sender headers to indicate that the mail was sent correctly. Yet, using these headers results in the On behalf of view in some e-mail programs, including Microsoft Outlook. The On behalf of line, however, is what makes people like my mom wonder what this is all about.

Yet, there is an easy solution to fix this. How? To get an idea, let’s take a look at how Google has solved it with Gmail. Look at this photo:

Instead of sending messages through Gmail’s servers, you may choose to send e-mails via your own SMTP (outgoing mail) server. This way, there is no authentication problem, as messages are only sent from the “correct” server.

Question being—why doesn’t Hotmail offer the custom SMTP feature? You may well receive messages from other accounts using POP, so why not send them via other accounts using SMTP? That’s one of the unanswered questions I have in mind.

Then the portal faced some Denial of Service attacks (DoS), causing their DNS provider to worry about the servers. EveryDNS then became the next one breaking up its friendship with Wikileaks. Consequence: Wikileaks was not or hardly accessible for hours and had to change domain names repeated times. Nobody can tell me that this is by random. Rather, it sounded like a concentrated series of action. For sure, somebody is behind all of this trouble, and nobody should be surprised if it’s the CIA. You need a certain level of power (or “convincing talent”) to move companies like Amazon or PayPal to cancel a contract. Such a thing is extremely rare.

We can be tensed how this will go on. One thing is sure: Wikileaks cannot be turned off easily.

Not a single week is passing without talks about privacy problems at Facebook. Not surprising, as the problems happening don’t have to be big ones — privacy problems can arise even when everything works smoothly, from Facebook’s viewpoint. Worldwide, more than 400 million people are registered at Facebook. And all of them deliver data 24/7 to the U.S.-based social network — sometimes even without wanting to, and sometimes even data about friends or relatives that do not know about it and do not want it to happen.

Facebook for mobile phones

For a while, Facebook has been spreading on cell phones, too. On the Facebook homepage, using it on your mobile phone is recommended, regardless which model you are using. On modern mobiles, Facebook does look really good — and is fun. You can reach nearly all important features and keep in touch with your Facebook friends while you aren’t at home. Generally, contacting Facebook or other social networks while being on the way is okay. It can even be fun.

Comfortable, yet not harmless

The problem is: Your mobile phone might send more data to Facebook than you want to — and than you are aware of. This is because Facebook offers a “Synchronize” feature. Sounds comfortable: You can link all contacts, that is, all names, addresses and phone numbers stored in your cell phone, with your Facebook account and thus make them available everywhere. But that is where you might run into problems: By doing this, you transmit the phone numbers and names of all your friends, colleagues and relatives to Facebook. And Facebook will store these data, regardless whether the people are registered or not.

Watch out while “synchronizing”

Take a closer look: You will find a note in your display informing you that you should only use this feature if all contacts, that is, all your friends, have agreed. To be honest: I don’t know anybody calling all friends stored in their mobile phone to get to know whether they want it and agree. But Facebook moves the responsibility towards us. So: Watch out while using the “synchronize” feature with your cell phone — or just don’t use it at all. Once the names, mail addresses and phone number data are submitted, you are not in control of them anymore.

Data collection mania at Facebook

However, you have to be watchful even if you are not using Facebook on your mobile. Facebook promises to help you find your friends. Sounds tempting. So, many people accept the offer to get their contacts uploaded. Facebook is interested in everything: may it be e-mail addresses or instant messaging, Facebook takes everything. Thus: be on the look out here as well.

Potential new members — free delivery

That is how Facebook’s address database continues to grow. Facebook gets to know more and more people, even those that have never registered at Facebook before. The network grows and grows … Facebook increases its knowledge about who knows whom, who is in contact with whom, and can suggest friends. This way, tons of data are sent to Facebook — with free delivery for the company. Doesn’t have to be like that, in my opinion.

Check your profile

You want to check which contacts are stored within your own profile: Click “Edit Friends”, then “Phonebook”. A list of all so-called friends is displayed, including contacts from your mobile phone’s address book. And if you want to view if Facebook has already sent invitations on your behalf: You can check that too, with the feature “View all invitations”.

User data without consent

Privacy advocates consider it problematic when a Web service like Facebook gets hold of user data without having their consent. Primarily, Facebook should make everything more transparent. And everybody who does not want to register at Facebook should get a way to remove his or her data from the database permanently. This feature does not exist. Yet.

Use privacy settings

It is useful to check your privacy settings in Facebook. They exist for contacts as well. Here, you can control in detail what friends or strangers can get to know about you. It is worth the efforts to check every single setting — and edit it, if needed. You can take a close look at what should be visible, and what shouldn’t. You can even control which details about you are displayed in a search result.

I like to share news with friends, colleages and other people in social networks. What I do not like is the missing transparency and the self-service mentality regarding personal data. This is where something has to happen as soon as possible.

Since yesterday, you can buy it in Germany and several other European countries: the iPad. Apple succeeds in making true what other manufacturers can only dream of: People flood stores and order a device for several hundred Euros—without knowing what the device can do.

iPad “worship”

Fancy. Innovative. Multifunctional. This is how Apple presents their newest achievement, the iPad, in TV spots and on its website. A computer to take with you, wherever you go… In the U.S., the flat tablet computer has triggered a true mass phenomenon: More than one million sold devices in the first month. The concept seems to be right.

The iPad is definitely changing the way how we use computers, especially at home. This is what iPad is made for: To be used at home, to surf the Web in your living room or at the table, to check mails, view photos or movies.

Its touchscreen makes it possible

In situations like these, you don’t need a keyboard—or very rarely. A finger tip is enough to display the content you want—whether it is photos, web sites, documents or anything else. Everybody can deal with the touch-sensitive screen. It is not important how you hold your iPad.

Without a doubt, the battery lasts for ten or more hours. I was really surprised by that, as the iPhone runs out of battery quite fast when you use the device much.

Excellent display quality—with just one disadvantage

You have to say it: The display quality is really excellent; the speed is impressive. But: the display is a reflecting one—extremely much. Depending on the lighting and outside, you will have difficulties reading the display contents. However, you will see fingerprints the more. That doesn’t look good, and of course, Apple won’t tell you.

iPad as reading device

Primarily, iPad wants to be a reading device. You should read books, newspapers and magazines—you can get all of these onto the iPad. The font is clear and crisp, photos look sleek as well. You can turn pages and zoom in for details. Some ebooks also offer interactive elements and are thus quite vivid. Reading on iPad works nicely. The device weight though is higher than you might assume at first hand. Rather make use of a table or desk, or your arm is going to be harmed…

You can buy books and newspapers in the new iBook Store. Publishers in non-English store versions though are holding back a bit yet, so there is not much to search through yet.

Gaming on the iPad

Gaming is an important sector, as the rather high number of iPad games indicates. For example, there are racing games where you take the whole device as stirring wheel replacement, instead of pushing buttons. You control the game with simple movements. The iPad detects them with integrated sensors.

Advantages

Some tasks are really fun to do with the iPad, foremost surfing the Web, watching videos—or browsing photos. That works really well on the iPad: You can organize your photos in albums, check their contents, and if you got the right album, you can view its photos and take a look at them in detail. Slideshows are available as well, really nice.

Disadvantages

However, other tasks can drive you crazy. This is true always when you try to accomplish something that Apple doesn’t provide. Apple is controlling everything: You can only install applications offered in the AppStore. That’s somehow worrying, maybe less for a mobile phone, yet definitively for a computer at home.

No computer replacement

While we’re talking about computers… You might ask: Can the iPad replace a normal computer? Clear response: No! The iPad is NOT a full-featured computer. You cannot store files on the iPad easily—or download files from it. You cannot even simply connect a USB stick.

You even need a real computer to use the iPad. To activate it, to update the system software, to make back-ups. You could say: The iPad is too stupid to work this out on its own.

Expensive fun

The iPad costs between 499 and 799 Euro, depending on its available memory. So, not a cheap thing. And: extras like keyboard, docking station or adapter cable to connect the iPad to your TV or to plug in a digital camera, add to that cost—and aren’t cheap either. Expensive fun, the iPad.

iPad alternatives

Without a doubt, the iPad is fun. It can be useful, especially at home. But it has its bad sides as well—and Apple earns, much. Some manufacturers, like Intel or Google, have announced iPad alternatives—but you cannot buy them yet. Thus, Apple is the first.

Connection and configuration as error sources

Wireless routers are pure high-tech. Normal users cannot simply understand how they work in detail—and how they send and receive all these data. That is why most people rely on the default settings to be trustworthy and secure.

Sadly, that’s wrong: Though newly bought wireless routers have quite good security settings as default. Old ones do not have these. And now few users make errors when connecting and configuring—and sooner than later the important security settings are in vain, your own WLAN is public. The device itself won’t warn… I think it would be a good idea for manufacturers to display the security level directly on the device.

Check security settings manually

As they don’t, you have to check the corresponding settings in the device. Just sit in front of your computer and enter a quite uncommon number combination. A quite complex-looking menu will appear. However, you have to go through this. You should pay close attention to the security settings—so everything is set as secure as possible.

Here the most important tips so your neighbor or anybody on the road can go online with your wireless access point:

Tip 1: Encrypt

Make use of a secure encryption method! Best are WPA or WPA2. If your router offers these, then do use it. WEP is considered relatively insecure these days and should normally not be used anymore. And in any case, do not use a wireless network that is unencrypted. Modern routers can store the chosen wireless passkey on a USB stick. You can then plug this stick into your computer or notebook and thus copy the passkey easily and yet securely.

Tip 2: Change password

That is important too: Each WLAN sender (router) is protected by a password. Most PC users keep the default password set by the manufacturer, or even disable it completely. That’s bad. As any hacker can manipulate your wireless access with ease. Thus: in any case change the device password. You’re done fast, I promise.

Tip 3: Restrict access

People with more experience can get maximum protection. In the WLAN sender, you can set which computers, notebooks and mobile phones may establish connections. All other devices don’t get a chance. That’s the most simple way—yet a bit complicated.

Tip 4: Reduce signal strength

Normally, wireless routers send and receive with maximum signal strength. However, that is not always possible. Especially not in small apartments. A reduced signal strength is often sufficient. Then neither neighbors nor other unexpected surfing guests get wireless contact, your wireless network is more secure.

Public hotspots

Am I legally responsible for actions that strangers take on my public wireless network? They might share illegal copies of music, videos or software. While that is horrible enough for private wireless owners, but for public hotspot operators, like in coffee shops, restaurants or at public squares, that would be a desaster. Here access is mostly always unprotected, otherwise not everybody could connect with their notebook or smartphone.

If the legal responsibility is coming, surely many of these publicly accessible wireless networks will be closed down, or get restricted access only. For sure this is nothing to be fond of in our modern information society.

Add-ons for Firefox, IE, Safari and more

Modern browsers like Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari or Chrome are able to do lots of things. They are comfortable, easy to use and fast. As different users have different needs though, browsers are extensible. So-called add-ons extend a browser, adding additional features to it.

Browser add-ons for small wishes

The concept is great: All browsers ship with the most important features that everybody needs. You can go online, open websites, manage bookmarks. Everything is there – and that’s enough for most users. At the beginning, that is. Sometime extra wishes might arise in you, and you will expect more from your browser or want more comfort. Then you simply download the necessary extensions. They are called add-ons or plugins. Such add-ons are small programs that you can download for free. Just for Firefox, there are more than 6,000 of these extensions. For free. For any case to imagine.

Good-looking photo search: Cooliris

If you work much with photos and find the photo galleries in Google Search boring, you can install an extension creating appealing 3D views from them. A good-looking photo canvas, much more comfortable for finding your desired image. This extension is called Cooliris. Sure, that’s something for the eyes only. Other extensions help with hiding advertisements in websites, speeding up your browser – or they make it easier to manage music, videos or photos. In short: It’s worth taking a look at the extensions available.

Simply turn off ads: Adblock Plus

Firefox has the largest add-ons repository; more than 6,000 add-ons are available. The most popular one is Adblock Plus. That’s a really useful ad blocker, hiding most of the advertisements displayed in websites. To install an add-on, just click “Add” — that’s all you need to do.

Dictionary, Maps, …

Internet Explorer is extensible too, especially with features helping to research something. For example, a word in a foreign language. Just select the word and look it up in a Web dictionary. Or an address. Just select it: Internet Explorer displays the address in a Web map. Such useful extensions exist for other browsers too, like for Chrome, Safari and Opera. There are not that many add-ons available for those — yet. But: There are some useful ones among them too. It’s worth the effort.

Browser add-ons not compatible with each other

You ask yourself: Why are there different extensions for the different browsers? Sadly, you cannot swap extensions like you want, the add-ons are not compatible. A Firefox extension cannot run in Internet Explorer — and vice-versa. That is something you cannot change.

Simple to install — and as simple to remove

Important: Trying an extension is free — and mostly risk-less. You decide when you want to get rid of an extension. Each browser has an overview displaying all currently loaded add-ons. You can disable them one by one — and remove if you don’t like or need one anymore. It’s just a matter of one mouse click.

Fun and useful add-ons

Just for fun? Sometimes that’s true. There are even small games available for download, for example a 3D car racing for Chrome. With an extension for Firefox, you can watch TV while surfing. But most extensions are just useful. It is worth browsing the extension galleries and just try the one or other add-on.

More information

• Cooliris (www.cooliris.com)
• Adblock Plus (addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/1865)
• Firefox Add-ons (addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/)
• Internet Explorer Extensions (ieaddons.com)
• Pimp my Safari (pimpmysafari.com)
• Opera Add-ons (www.opera.com/addons/)
• Chrome extension gallery (chrome.google.com/extensions)

Opera, Firefox, Internet Explorer—everybody may and must decide which program to use for surfing.  Professionals are glad, for newbies this can be messy.  What now, which program to pick?  Let’s talk about the backgrounds—and get some tips.

Many Internet Explorer alternatives

Probably every Windows user is familiar with Internet Explorer, as the Microsoft browser was pre-installed by default on every Windows computer.  Just there.  And that is why most people went online with it.  At least for first.  However, there are so many alternatives: Opera.  Firefox.  Safari.  Chrome.  Just to mention some.  But not every Windows user knows about these alternatives, or hesitates in switching because he doesn’t know how to install them.  There are still such people.

Ballott Screen

That is why the EU Commission has forced Microsoft to leave it up to each and every Windows user in Europe to choose a browser they want to use for surfing the Web.  Now this user choice has come reality: All Windows computers are about to get such a choice.  After updating, you are presented with a selection dialog, called ballott screen, listing the five most popular browsers, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari and Chrome.  The order in which these browsers are displayed is by random—and determined from scratch each time the dialog is displayed.  This is how it looks like:

Exploding download counters

One mouse click is sufficient for installing a different browser and setting it to be your new default application.  You can also install and use multiple browsers in parallel—no problem at all.  Obviously, many users make use of this.  Since days, Firefox and Opera notice exploding download figures—good for competition.  Here in Germany, Firefox is the most-used browser anyways since a while.

Just one mouse click

Important: It has never been that simple to use a different browser on your Windows computer —and you should make use of it.  To install one of the suggested browsers, one mouse click is sufficient—and all the rest happens automatically.  It is also possible to install multiple browsers and use them in parallel.  Here’s a tip:  Only five browsers are displayed—but there are more to choose from.  Simply drag the scroll bar to the right, then more alternatives are shown.

Manual Windows Update

However, only the first five browsers are really interesting, the others are not well-known.  And if you know them, you are able to get them without such an aid, too.  If you want such a choice dialog as well, but you cannot see it on your Windows computer yet: Launch Windows Update from the Control Panel.  You will get a corresponding update that you can download and install to get the comfortable browser choice window.  All newly sold Windows computers get shipped per default with the browser selection.

Browser summary

Some like the new freedom of choice—others are overwhelmed as they do not know which browser to use.  So, here is a short summary what the five most important browsers are like:

Firefox

In Germany the most popular browser.  It is fast, reliable—and customizable.  What I like most: You can easily extend the browser and thus integrate new features.  The optimum for individualists.

Internet Explorer 8

I think Internet Explorer is better than its reputation, at least in the most recent version, and it is relatively fast, too.  However, there are still too many security issues—that are often not removed fast enough.

Opera

Insides like it very much, as it is very fast and innovative.  Opera offers many interesting features.  However, its usage can be thrilling to get used to.  I don’t have to use it—but a good browser without a doubt.

Safari

Apple’s browser used to be much faster than other browsers.  In the meantime though, the others have gained speed—and I don’t know any good reason why to use Safari in Windows.  Unless you are a real Apple fan.

Chrome

That’s Google’s browser.  Extremely fast and very ordered.  Pages display with high speed really.  If you surf much and get impatient quickly, you should take a look at Chrome.  But only if you trust Google.

The good thing is: It has become much simpler to try out other browsers—and to stay with the browser you like most.

More information

• Browser choice (www.browserchoice.eu)
• Firefox (www.firefox.com)
• Internet Explorer 8 (www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/)
• Opera (www.opera.com)
• Safari (www.apple.com/safari)
• Chrome (www.google.com/chrome)

CeBIT in Hanover (Germany), it is still the largest computer trade fair worldwide, even with having shrunk in the past years — this year again with fewer exhibitors and fewer visitors. Some companies though have a CeBIT booth for the first time, like the Web gigant Google. Google has built a booth — and now have a guess what they are showcasing there: The search engine? Their online services? Google Earth? Not at all. They show something completely different — and you would be really surprised.

Google Streetview

Now it is not black limousines anymore rolling through the cities, but multicolor painted ones — let’s call them artworks. Much more elegant, true? Will this convince Google Streetview’s adversaries? Hardly, I’d say. A really strange booth, the Google one. Instead of showing products and telling people about the services, Google only does PR. Really surprising.

3D television

To make 3D television possible, everything has to be recorded differently. In 3D, that is. And the devices have to be 3D-ready as well, even computers that should show games in 3D. Well, honestly spoken, I don’t think this trend will succeed.

Subtleties of the Fraunhofer Institute

It is more interesting what the Fraunhofer Institute is playing around with. Namely, they are working on threedimensional objects literally hovering in the air – and that can be moved and directed by hand gestures. Kind of a hologram, somewhat like in the Minority Report movie. So that is what researchers are currently working on — very impressive.

Not much of news for normal computer users

For normal computer users, there are not really that many news on the trade fair. Microsoft presents the new Office 2010, that is, Word, Excel and Co. The main news with the new Office version: Soon we will be able to use the applications for free, as trimmed-down program versions on the Web. You will even be able to use Office with your mobile phone.

More information

• CeBIT 2010 – website (www.cebit.com)

Where are you right now?  That is a question you don’t have to ask many people, as they are constantly informing their friends and the whole world where they are, with geo-tagging services and their cell phone.  That can be useful and intelligent, but also problematic.  On the one hand, everybody will know where you are at the moment, on the other hand these data are abused already — for example by burglars.  It’s clear: when you are abroad, you are surely not at home…

Burglars and robbers are up-to-date as well — nowadays they use the Web to fetch important information.  Like where they can rob without worries, as nobody is at home.  The website PleaseRobMe.com demonstrate how simple that can be today.  Here people are listed who are not at home — and who have informed the public about this via Twitter.

Information can be abused

If you send a note with your cell phone to Twitter that you are just sitting in a certain coffee shop, maybe even with exact time data how long you are going to stay (so friends know), you will probably not worry about these data being abused.  That’s where the problem is, and that is what pleaserobme.com wants to change.  Sure, pleaserobme is not an official tool for burglars and robbers.  No, the website wants to awake us.  The creators want to show us how simple it is nowadays to extract sensitive data from the infinite data stream on the Web.

Burglars use data

And there are already, that’s proven, burglars using these data precisely.  Each second, people appear on pleaserobme.com sending tweets that they are not at home at the moment.  The service just scans all current tweets for specific keywords.  Sure, you do not know what the person’s name is and where he or she lives, but getting to know that is usually not too complicated.  Often, these data are listed in the social network profiles.

Online services use GPS receivers

Now you might think: Why should somebody constantly send tweets about his current location — that would get annoying.  Well, that is only partially true, as modern smartphones have GPS receivers.  Thus, they know where you are at the moment, and there are several Web services making intensive use of these data.  In the U.S. and in Asia already very popular and slowly coming over to Germany as well: The free Foursquare service.  Once set up in your phone, the device sends your current position automatically when you enter a coffee shop or restaurant.  The idea: Your friends should always know where you are — for the purpose of meeting for a coffee, for example.

Google Latitude

Even more popular and known: Google Latitude.  If you are using this service with your mobile phone, you can let the whole world know where you are currently — and what you are doing.  Once set up, the mobile phone will do this automatically, in continuous intervals.  The idea is the same: Friends will know if you are around as well.  Then the phone vibrates and you can call each other to meet.  I admit it: The idea of knowing better where friends, work mates or the family is at the moment, the idea can be somewhat interesting.  However, there are many traps.  The problem: If you forget that you have once set up such a geolocation service, you might get irritated days later that everybody can see where you are.

Movement protocol

For example, some bloggers embed a small web map into their website, displaying publicly where you are currently.  Or you can get info about places where you have been: That’s called location history, but it means an exact movement protocol.  If you are using such services, you have to pay attention to the settings and preferences you set up.

Watch out for bad surprises

If you don’t like bad surprises: Be sure to check the geo services settings.  There, you can set up in detail who may have a look at the location data.  For example, Google Latitude users can set whether they want to display only the current city — or an exact position, including your street.  You may use such features, but you should take care of your data.

More information

• PleaseRobMe (http://pleaserobme.com/)
• Google Latitude (http://www.google.com/latitude/intro.html)
• Foursquare (http://foursquare.com/)
• Localizr (http://www.localizr.de/landingpages/localizr2/)
• Geo-Tagging (http://www.geo-tagging.de/#/geo:0.000000,0.000000,2,k/)
• Windows Live Photo Gallery Wave 4 to support Geotagging (http://livesi.de/cHGfEP)

Whether Facebook, MySpace, Orkut, LinkedIn or Twitter, one thing is common to all of them: Registering is very easy.  Just choose an account name, enter an e-mail address, and you’re done and now a member.  It is only later that social networks ask for more data.  Registering is quickly done and without any hassle.  But sure: Each social network wants as many members as possible, that is why the registration is as simple as possible.

Touching your feelings when deleting your account

It gets more complicated if you want to unregister from a social network.  First of all, the deletion feature is mostly well-hidden, you even have to search for it.  And after your found the feature, for example in Facebook, your feelings are touched: All your dear virtual friends look at you, Kip will miss you, Keiji will miss you, Joshua will miss you, do you really want to disconnect — or will you think about it once again?  You will have a hard decision… and you must be strong enough to execute what you want to do.

Deleting your data manually

In general: If you want to unregister from a social network, you have to have a good sight to find the feature.  Mostly, the disabling link is hidden somewhere in your account area.  Thus, you have to log in first, then look around.  Twitter’s delete option for example is just at the bottom of the page, and somewhat small too.  Of course, there is a security confirmation.  And — very important: I recommend deleting all data, photos and videos prior to closing your account.  Manually.  That is the only way of being sure that photos, videos and information are really disappearing from the network completely, also on your friend’s and contact’s profile pages.

Web 2.0 Suicide Machine

Thus, it takes really effort and time to disconnect from social networks.  Furthermore, most users are registered with multiple networks, your time to invest will double or multiply if you want to unregister everywhere.  It could come in handy to have kind of a butler that can do the job for you.  But wait: Such butler really exists.  For example there is the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine, a Web service that is able to unregister you with several big social networks, like Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter.  Saved time: several hours, according to its creator.

Automatic data deletion

The Suicide Machine takes over the annoying deletion and disconnection tasks.  You just have to enter your login credentials for the networks and Web services, the rest is done automatically.  If you’re not concerned by the somewhat cruel name, the Suicide Machine might be a useful service.  If you want to unregister e.g. from Twitter, you get worthy help here.  The service doesn’t only close the Twitter account, but also tries to delete all tweets, that is, your messages sent via Twitter.

Disconnection made hard

Other accounts, like Facebook, LinkedIn or MySpace can be closed via the Suicide Machine as well.  However, Facebook denies access therewhile.  Official reason: The service is a violation of the Terms of Use.  In reality though, Facebook just wants to make the disconnection harder.  A Web service or social network that makes disconnection hard is somewhat strange to me… That’s not the right decision for sure.

More information

• Web 2.0 Suicide Machine (www.suicidemachine.org)
• Facebook (www.facebook.com)
• LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com)
• “What’s happening?” (www.twitter.com)

Entry points for hackers

Internet Explorer.  Outlook.  Outlook Express.  Windows Mail.  Windows Live Mail.  Microsoft Help System and the Microsoft Sidebar.  There are a half dozen of commonly important programs and features in Microsoft Windows that have become attackable.  That is very dangerous, which is why everybody is concerned about it.  Even several governments, like the German Federal Office for Security in Information Technics (BSI), have intensely warned about the security holes.  The “easy” solution:  Don’t use Internet Explorer—or at least use it in the so-called Safe Mode, so the danger can be reduced.

Alarm Level Red

The malicious thing about the current security hole: It is sufficient to navigate to a modified website—and the hole can be abused.  You won’t notice anything, you cannot see it on the site, maybe not even the site owner knows that their site is being abused for such purposes.  A nightmare concerning security.  Absolutely.

Quick Reaction by Microsoft

But gladly Microsoft reacted quite fast this time.  Within few days, the developers have removed the security holes.  Now the patches only have to find their way on your computer.  You have to install an update.  Some computers do that automatically, but I wouldn’t rely on that.  Luckily it is not very complicated to install the security update.

How to Fix the Hole

And this is how you can fix the security hole on your Windows computer: In the Start menu, call the “Windows Update” feature.  There is also a menu entry in Internet Explorer.  The computer then searches for current updates and important patches that you can download with one mouse click.  It will only take some minutes.  If you are advanced and want to learn more details: On its homepage, Microsoft explains all changes detailed and informs which holes have been closed.  After the update, your Windows computer is safe again—and you can continue to surf with Internet Explorer.

By the way: Not every security hole gets as prominent as the latest.  Nevertheless, there are lots of them.  That’s why you should run Windows Update on a regular basis, perhaps once per week.  It won’t take long—but you will be safe.

Using Alternative Browsers

With or without a known security hole: It can’t hurt to play around with other browsers as well.  Whether Firefox, Opera, Safari or Google Chrome: There are lots of possible alternatives.  If you test a different browser when it is calm and have it already installed, then you don’t have to waste lots of time looking around for an alternative when you mustn’t use Internet Explorer for a while.

Firefox

Largest competition for Internet Explorer: without a doubt Firefox.  Version 3.6, even faster, has only been published yesterday.  You should simply take a look at this browser.  Just download it for free and check it out, then it will be available anytime.  But other browsers like Safari, Chrome or Opera are interesting as well and have many fans.

Security Holes in Other Programs As Well

To stay fair: Over the past year, it was not Internet Explorer being the software with the most newly found important security holes, but a different software—Adobe Reader.  Nearly everybody has it installed, because it serves for viewing PDF documents.  Thus, it has become a favorite target for hacker attacks.  Many people just don’t think about that.  My tip: Keep important default programs, like Adobe Reader, up-to-date as well.  Just call the update feature within the software…

Cloud computing is currently a hyped phrase on the web.  Everybody plays with it and promises the moon.  In the end, it is about never having to install software anymore.  No problems with system crashes.  And your personal data aren’t stored on hard disks or USB sticks, but in the cloud.

Get more done on the Web

In the end, the ‘cloud’ is just the Internet.  There are tens of thousands of servers, and your data are stored somewhere on them.  In the cloud.  The idea by itself is great: Most of us are connected to the Web permanently anyways, so why not get everything working in the Internet, save your data there and launch programs from there?  That is the basic concept of cloud computing.  Get more done on the Web, less on your own computer.  That could make your home PC cheaper, as the real work is done by the Web instead.

Google Chrome OS

Google has just launched their own operating system for small computers, “netbooks”.  Chrome OS is free and is more or less just the browser, Google Chrome.  You can use it to go online—and that’s it.  You launch programs that are stored on the Web, and just do your whole work on the web.  Everything happens online.  Yet, Chrome OS cannot do everything that Windows can, but if you only want to accomplish certain tasks, such as writing letters, sending and receiving mail, surfing the Net or editing photos, you don’t need anything more—thus you can save money on hardware and software.

Writing letters on the Net

However, you don’t need a new operating system to participate at cloud computing.  Best example: Google docs & spreadsheets.  A free online text processor that cannot do everything that Microsoft Word can, but that is free.  Just enough for many things like writing letters or designing invitation cards.  You don’t have to install any software and you save your texts directly on the Net.  That’s cloud computing.

Editing photos on the Web

Even photo editing or graphics creation doesn’t require setting up software locally.  There are several web sites that can do the job nearly as good.  You can edit photos, optimize them, print them.  That’s also cloud computing.  There are many more examples.  If you are storing your photos at flickr or sharing your videos at YouTube, you are in fact using cloud computing.

Lots of advantages

Cloud computing is not necessarily completely new, only its name is relatively new—and most of us are already a part of it somehow.  There are many advantages.  You can access documents stored on the Web from anywhere, so you don’t have to take them with you.  And you can share them with work mates or friends easily—for example with Windows Live SkyDrive.  Collaboration is easy, even working on projects simultaneously.  And: you don’t have to install any software.

Concerned about your privacy?

What about your privacy?  Many people feel uncomfortable with storing everything on the Web—and that has its reasons.  Surely you can set up permissions and access rules, like who may view your photos or edit your texts.  But you cannot control it.  You should rather not store very private or sensitive data on the Web.  What might happen as well: You’re offline, there is no web connection.  You won’t be able to access your data.

Summarized: Cloud computing has its good and bad sides.  The solution: think about the advantages and disadvantages of storing specific data on your local disk—or, if they are not too private, easily on the Web.

More information

• Google Chrome OS
• Windows Azure
• Google docs & spreadsheets
• Snipshot—Edit pictures online
• flickr
• Windows Live SkyDrive

Invisible additional info

Whether Word, Excel or PowerPoint—the innocent icons don’t tell what is inside them. Normally it is documents like texts. And they contain much additional info. That can be comments, but also revision notes. However, there is surely information which is not suitable for the public.

Awkward potential

In business it is truly important to be careful. When several collaborators work on a document, send it back and forth via e-mail and make corrections, such a document can contain inflammable matters. The problem: when you hide the comments and annotations, they are no longer visible at first sight. And that is exactly what is dangerous. Because, when you send such a document to a customer, for example via mail, resourceful users can make the data visible again anytime. And that’s what can get awkward.

Remove personal data

But private computer users should know, too, that their documents contain a massive amount of data, data that might not be suitable for everybody. That can be data like a counter how often a document was edited—and by whom it was edited last. People who save the texts, spreadsheets or presentations normally and distribute them, is likely to distribute their indiscreet data as well. But: you can change that. The latest Office version can remove all personal data.

Useful feature in Office 2007

Office 2007 has a really useful feature, called “Inspect document”. The feature checks whether there is any hidden information. If yes, these data can be removed from the document with a single click. Only after having done this, you should send the document to other people via e-mail. Older Office and Word versions cannot do this, sadly.

Free tool

However, Microsoft offers a free tool to remove hidden data in Office documents. “Office Add-in: Remove Hidden Data” is the name of this useful extension. Once installed, it can “clean” any document with a single click. Important thing, you should really take a closer look at this, especially when distributing documents, sending them via mail or publishing them on the Web.

Indiscreet photos

Photos can be really indiscreet as well. Not only concerning the motive, that is sure. When you take photos with your digital camera nowadays, you have to be aware that there is a massive amount of data hidden in the photos, data that we normally don’t see. For example, let’s take a photo that I just took of a nice espresso machine. Looks great—and nobody knows what I used to take the photo. Nobody? As if! The photo contains many hidden data. And you can make these data visible. And behold: The photo has been taken with an iPhone. Even the used aperture, time and date date hidden within the photo.

EXIF data

This information hidden in the photo are also known as EXIF data. They can be extraordinarily useful, for instance for hobby photographers, as they can find out easily what aperture and exposure time they used to take a photo. If colleagues extract these data from a photo, that could get uncomfortable. For example, when you are discovered to be skiving off work because your colleagues found a party photo being taken just while you were ill.

JPG & PNG Stripper

Generally, it is very easy to make these EXIF data visible, for example in Windows: Just select the photo and click on details in Windows Explorer, and info like creation time, aperture, exposure time, camera type and much more are shown. The Mac can show these data easily as well. If you want to remove your data from your photos, for example because you want to publish the photos on the Web, you can remove the additional data from the photos. Just use special programs like JPG stripper, and you’re done. The photos are retained. Only the additional data are removed from the photos. If you don’t want everybody to see the additional info, you should always do this. In any case, it is more discreet.

More information

• Office Add-in: Remove Hidden Data
• JPG & PNG Stripper for Windows
• Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF)