Computer Blogging

So just how do spammers get your email address? Interesting Question.

Well one thing is certain they don’t wait for you to contact them!
Here is a few of ways they can obtain your email address:

If you used your email address to signup for something on the Web and the company you signed up with sold your address.
Most companies do not and will not sell the addresses odf subscribers, customers, or members, but then there are always some companies that will! Their rights, if that’sad what you want to call it, is usually hidden in their license agreements that most people don’t read, who does?

Read the full aSo just how do spammers get your email address? Interesting Question.

Well one thing is certain they don’t wait for you to contact them!
Here is a few of ways they can obtain your email address:

If you used your email address to signup for something on the Web and the company you signed up with sold your address.
Most companies do not and will not sell the addresses of subscribers, customers, or members, but then there are always some companies that will! Their rights, if that’s what you want to call it, is usually hidden in their license agreements that most people don’t read, who does?

R ead the full article in our forums.

Does Microsoft need to take on Google? Are they not making enough money with all there grossly overpriced products? - apparently not! SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp made a bid to buy Yahoo Inc for $44.6 billion in cash and stock, seeking to join forces against Google Inc in what would be the biggest Internet deal since the Time Warner-AOL merger. In its boldest-ever acquisition move, Microsoft sent a letter to Yahoo’s board on Thursday night, offering $31 per share for the Internet media company, a 62 percent premium over its Nasdaq closing stock price that day. The price is still below Yahoo’s year-high of $34.08 in late October. Yahoo said on Friday its board will evaluate the offer.

Read the full article here.

Who created the first computer virus? Many believe that it was the work of a 15 year old ninth grade student called Rich Skrenka, as a prank on his mates. He wrote the Elk Cloner virus that infected Apple II machines back in 1982 but after researching up and down the net, I found that there were viruses long before his!

Websites that publish the history of computer viruses state that viruses were present back in the 1970s. One that sprang up was called the Creeper virus which was first detected on ARPAnet, a U.S. military computer network. According to www.viruslist.com, the creeper virus was capable of gaining access through a modem onto a remote system. Once the system was infected, it would display a message that said “I’M THE CREEPER: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN”

To disable the creeper virus, a new one called The Reaper was created. This virus would spread to networked machines and delete the Creeper virus.

And so the story goes on.

There are interesting links here and here on the History of Viruses showing some of the nastiest to emerge.

Alan Wade 2008

Insignia, manufacturers of a 10.4″ digital picture frame (model number NS-DPF10A) released a statement on January 19th stating that this product has a virus which could attach to and damage your PC or it’s files.

The virus was identified as an ‘older virus . . . easily identified’ by some of the latest versions of popular anti-virus software such as Norton, McAfee or Trend Micro. This statement seemed to encourage consumers to keep their frame since the anti-virus software would supposedly catch their own mistake. Thankfully, the company did the right thing and has now discontinued the model, pulling it from the major stores, including Best Buy. This is the only model from the Insignia line to include this virus, according to the manufacturer.

If you were one of the people who bought this digital frame, you can call Insignia’s customer care line at 1-877-467-4289.

Here is a demonstration video of a laptop and Lithium Ion Batttery Explosion. The system was forced into an unstable state so that they could record the results. The battery in this generic laptop was not on the list to be recalled.

Watch and you might be surprised at the results.