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August 30, 2007

Naomi 3.0 is an advanced internet filtering program

Filed under: Security Focus, Technology — paragonhost @ 3:36 am

NAOMI 3.0 (en)
family-safe internet

© 2004-2006 Radiant Morning

uses madCodeHook © 1999-2005 Mathias Rauen

Table of contents
Introduction
Installing and uninstalling
User interface
Usage precautions
Final notes
License

Introduction
Naomi 3.0 is an advanced internet filtering program, easy to use and totally free, intended for families and parents in particular.

Naomi 3.0 is able to constantly monitor all internet connections, protecting children from inappropriate online material (such as obscene or violent contents; pornography and erotism in the form of images or texts; sites that popularize drugs; gambling games; terrorism; hate propaganda; occultism; sects; blasphemy, etc.)

The filter does not rely on a mere list of banned sites; instead, it examines all data that are transmitted or received from the internet using applications like web browsers, chat programs, newsreaders, file sharing tools, and more.

The filtering technology employed in Naomi 3.0 features:

Heuristic analysis capable of recognizing new sites automatically.
Semantic analysis of web pages contents and analysis of their addresses and links.
Recognizes the major languages.
Recognizes ICRA labelling system.
Monitoring is not limited to web sites, but covers the whole local internet traffic.
Works with any software application, and does not alter their settings.
Password-protected (the password is chosen by the user during the installation).
User interface is extremely easy to use.
Does not require configuration.
Can be used on slow connections (it does not perform any download in background and does not need to contact sites, proxies, databases, etc.)

Installing and uninstalling
Installation of Naomi 3.0 only requires a few seconds. You just need to launch its installation (setup) file. Then, you will be promped to choose a password, to prevent unauthorized access to the program. This password is essential for accessing the program’s interface, and also for deactivating or uninstalling it. You are advised to choose a password that is difficult to guess (e.g. you can use letters and numbers) and to remember it or keep it in a safe place.

The program is now ready and it immediately starts its monitoring activity. Whenever a potential access to inappropriate sites or material is detected, the application in use is terminated. If, for example, a pornographic website is accessed - on purpose or not -, the web browser is immediately closed, both to prevent further exploration and to avoid the user from seeing any partially downloaded material (e.g. photos, banners, etc.)

User interface
To access the user interface, you just need to click twice (left mouse button) on the flower-shaped icon near the Windows clock:

You will be asked to enter the password that you have chosen during the installation.

Once you have entered the exact password, you’ll see the user interface. The following buttons are available:

Hide: hides again the interface and keeps monitoring the internet connections.
Stop: temporarily stops filtering; the buttons name changes to “Start”. Pressing it again restarts filtering.
Uninstall: stops filtering and uninstalls definitively the filter.
Help: shows this manual.
Web site: to visit the official web site from where you can download updates and new versions (you must be connected to the internet to use it).

Usage precautions
In some cases, it is possible that the filter detects “false positives”, that is, it could result in blocking of legitimate sites. This may happen in the following cases:

Search engines: many porn sites use common keywords so they can get listed in the results of different searches and entice users to visit them.
Spamming (unsolicited advertising) received via chat programs like icq or mirc, and on forums, newsgroup, etc. (often they are obscene messages inviting the user to visit a certain site or to join a chat room for adults).
Advertisement of inappropriate material (for example, porn banners) on “regular” web sites.
If you find that a kids-safe site is erroneously blocked, or that an inappropriate site is not filtered, or if the program does not work for you, please contact me. Your report shall be taken into account for the next versions and updates of the filter.

Final notes
Using a software filter allows parents to exert less vigilance or internet surfing, but no program can be considered a substitutive of the parent’s action of education and control. Don’t forget that, unless internet access is limited to a few selected sites, it is not possible to block the 100% of inappropriate contents: programs, in fact, do not “understand”; they just make choices based on criteria that can prove to be more or less valid according to the different cases.

I dedicate this program to a dear friend’s baby girl; her name, naturally, is Naomi :-)

http://www.naomifilter.org

August 26, 2007

What’s the Difference between DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM?

Filed under: PC Tech 101, Technology — paragonhost @ 4:57 pm

Q:

Dave, I have just installed a new DVD burner in my computer (a Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-105 internal drive) and am trying to figure out what kind of blank disks I should be using. There are apparently five different blank DVD formats. Do I want DVD-R? DVD-RW? or ??

A:

Well, there are really only two “families” of DVD at the moment (unless you want to count the red laser vs. blue laser stuff that’s starting to come on to the market at the high end), and one “outcast”. You’ve got the “minus” (”-”) formats (DVD-R, DVD-RW) and the “plus” (”+”) formats (DVD+R, DVD+RW), then there’s the older DVD-RAM format that’s harder to find these days. All of these are for data, of course — all but the newest DVD video players will choke on those, in the same way early CD players choked on CD-R discs.

A DVD-R is a write-once format: once you’ve burned the data onto that DVD platter, the disk is forever frozen with that information. Add the “W” to that, and you’ll find that DVD-RW can be erased or rewritten up to a thousand times. Seems kinda weird, but if you can do so, DVD-RW obviously has significant advantages over DVD-R. DVD-RAM was even more flexible, however, since it let you erase and rewrite sections of an existing DVD, something that you cannot do with DVD-RW.

Moving to the plus side is where things get a bit confusing, because DVD+RW came before DVD+R. The plus formats have the same data storage capacity as the minus formats (4.7GB), but DVD+RW offers faster writing, better internal linking (a technical obscurity you don’t have to worry about), and support for drag-and-drop desktop files, which makes it easy to compose the contents of a disk. DVD+R is a write-once format intended to be more compatible with more DVD players, though at this point it seems to be about even with DVD-R, which remains the most compatible computer-burned DVD format.

In your case, since your drive is a DVD-RW, you’re effectively limited to DVD-R and DVD-RW format discs. Stay away from any of the “plus” formats, as those won’t work with your drive (and being newer, they cost more anyway). As to whether you want to use DVD-R or DVD-RW, that depends on what you want to use them for. DVD-R is a write-once format, just like CD-R, and you can’t erase the data once it’s written. DVD-RW is rewritable, so you can use it somewhat like a 4.7GB floppy disc, for all intents and purposes. In general, I suggest that you use DVD-R for archival purposes — stuff that isn’t going to change, and DVD-RW for more fluid data. DVD-RW discs are more expensive than DVD-R discs, so that may also influence your decision.

How do you confirm what format your drive works with? One way, if you’re on a Mac, is to use the System Profiler application. You’ll find this useful utility in Applications -> Utilities. Launch it, then click on the “ATA” item on the list. If you have an internal DVD burner, you’ll see something like what I get: “PIONEER DVD-RW DVD-106D”. If it’s an external DVD drive, you might find it in SCSI, USB or FireWire, depending on how you hook it up.

As far as your second question, your data-burning application definitely has to be aware of the DVD format you want to use (i.e. DVD-R or DVD-RW in your case). For Windows, you can use GEAR for burning CDs, but you’d need to upgrade to GEAR Professional Edition to be able to burn both CDs and DVDs. Toast Titanium does burn DVD-R and DVD-RW so you should be set in that department.

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Web Content Filtering: http://www.ScanDefense.com

March 16, 2007

TeamViewer Remote Access 4 Times Faster 500,000 Installs

Filed under: Network 101, PC Tech 101, Technology — paragonhost @ 11:54 pm

TeamViewer.com

openPR) - The remote control and presentation software TeamViewer offers a fast and simple solution for desktop-sharing on the Internet. After running the small software package and entering an automatically generated session id an immediate connection to another desktop anywhere on the Internet is established, without any installation or firewall modifications.

Starting with version 2.0 a completely reworked communication protocol offers connections that are up to 4 times faster than comparable products. The new Multi-Channel-Routing Protocol, which was developed by TeamViewer GmbH, automatically detects the optimized connection path between two partners and can in many cases directly connect two computers even if both are located behind a firewall or NAT router.

TeamViewer now has more than 500 000 installations in over 50 countries of the world and is one of the big players in remote control. The solution is available in eight languages. Pricing starts from 298.- Euros, usage fields range from remote support to the presentations of any kinds of products and solutions.

Further information and a free trial version is available from the developer website www.teamviewer.com

TeamViewer GmbH
Stuttgarter Str. 159
D-73066 Uhingen

Press contact:
Tel. 07161 606920, press@teamviewer.com

The German TeamViewer GmbH was founded in 2005 and is fully focused on development and distribution of high-end solutions for remote support. A fast start and high growth rates have led to more than 500.000 installations in more than 50 countries all over the world.

March 13, 2007

Updating Cell Phone for New Daylight Savings (MS Powered)

Filed under: General Stuff, Technology — paragonhost @ 4:32 pm

Updating Windows Mobile-powered devices for the new Daylight Saving Time

Updated March 5, 2007
Congress has changed the dates for Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the United States starting in 2007. Canada has adopted similar DST dates. These changes could cause clocks and Microsoft Outlook calendar appointments on Windows Mobile-powered devices to display incorrect times for March 11 – April 1, 2007 and October 28 – November 4, 2007 and again in subsequent years. You can find more information about the exact dates and potential impact in the Changes in DST section.

To make sure your appointments on your Windows Mobile devices are accurate, you’ll need to update your device. If you regularly synchronize your device with your PC, you’ll need to update Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Outlook as well.

We have three tools that will help your make these updates:

2007 Time Zone Update for Microsoft Windows Operating Systems
Outlook Time Zone Update Tool
Daylight Saving Time 2007 Update Tool for Windows Mobile

Note: All users in the United States, Canada and Mexico should immediately install these updates. Users in other countries should install these updates if they travel to the United States, Canada and/or Mexico or if they make calendar appointments that include attendees that are based in the United States, Canada and/or Mexico.

On this page:

Overview of Changes in Daylight Saving Time
Steps to update your device
Installation tips
Frequently Asked Questions

IMPORTANT

Please be sure to follow all steps below completely and in order. And be sure to complete ALL steps.

Follow only one set of instructions below, depending on if you synchronize your device to a PC:
If you connect your device directly to a PC with a USB cable or cradle, follow the instructions for Windows Mobile users who connect to a PC to synchronize.
If do not synchronize your device or phone with your PC or you only synchronize your phone or device wirelessly with a Microsoft Exchange Server or, other e-mail and calendar systems, follow the instructions for Windows Mobile users who do not connect to their PC.

For Windows Mobile users who connect to a PC

First make sure your PC is up-to-date.
(see http://www.microsoft.com/dst2007 for more details)
NOTE: Make sure you update all PCs that you may connect to your Windows Mobile device.

For Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003, the update has already been deployed using Automatic Updates and should be installed if you have Automatic Updates enabled. If you want to verify that it is installed, you can visit Windows Update and make sure all High Priority items are installed.
For Windows 2000 or earlier versions of Windows XP, see the 2007 time zone update for Microsoft Windows operating systems to the clock on your PC.
First make sure to update your PC by installing the 2007 time zone update for Microsoft Windows operating systems; which can be found here. This will update the clock on your PC.
If you use Microsoft Outlook to synchronize your calendar, download and run the Outlook Time Zone Update Tool which can be found here. If you do not use Microsoft Outlook, proceed to step 4.
Check to make sure you have the latest version of ActiveSync, which is ActiveSync 4.5.
Next, connect your Windows Mobile device to your PC, then download and run the Daylight Saving Time 2007 Update Tool for Windows Mobile which can be found here.

For Windows Mobile users who do not connect to their PC

For users that do not connect to PCs, there is an update file (CAB) available to make this update. (Note: there are a number of ways to install a CAB file and below outlines a popular method). Also, Microsoft Exchange users should contact your system administrator to make sure your Exchange Server has been updated as well.

Using the Microsoft Internet Explorer Mobile browser on your device, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/ and download the Daylight Saving Time 2007 Update your Windows Mobile device. This file will install the update directly on the device. On your device, navigate to the file you downloaded, and then click on it to install the update. If you are unable to download the link proceed to step 2.

If you are unable to access the link in step 1 on your device, open Windows Internet Explorer on your PC and click here to start the download process. After downloading the file, attach it to an e-mail and send it to an account you can access on your device. On your device, open the e-mail and save the attached file; on some devices, you may need to synchronize your e-mail a second time to download the attached file. Then navigate to the file on your device and click on it to install the update.

NOTE: After you install this update, your device will automatically restart to ensure that the update is complete.

Installation tips

Rapid succession of steps is important
Run the Outlook Time Zone Update Tool on your PC as soon as possible after the DST update is applied to all of your PCs. If meetings between March 11, 2007 and April 1, 2007 are scheduled after the DST files are installed but before the tool is run, meetings will erroneously be moved one hour earlier. To correct such calendar items, organizers should manually update such meetings to ensure they are scheduled accurately for themselves and all invitees.

All connected devices must be updated
Even if you correctly update your PC with the DST 2007 update, when you view your calendar from a non-updated mobile device running Windows Mobile, your meetings during the extended DST period will be shifted by one hour. Meetings created on your non-updated device will need to be updated on your PC by running the Outlook Time Zone Update Tool again.

If some users have not updated their Outlook, it will affect other users
The Outlook Time Zone Update Tool only updates meetings for which the user is the organizer, and then automatically sends updates for those meetings to attendees. Meetings that you are invited to but did not organize will not be updated until the organizer updates the meeting and prompts you to change to the correct time. Additionally, meetings created by a delegate on your behalf from an non-updated PC will need to be updated on your PC by running the Outlook Time Zone Update Tool again.

What you can do to ease the transition
All Windows Mobile powered device users affected by the time change should give extra attention to meetings and appointments scheduled between March 11 and April 1, 2007, and between October 28 and November 4, 2007. View any appointments that fall into these date ranges as suspect until you communicate with all meeting invitees to make sure that the item shows up correctly on everyone’s calendar.

Include the time of the meeting in the e-mail request so that invitees can double check the correct meeting time. Example: “Project brainstorming - 11:00 a.m. Central Time.”
When in doubt, verify the correct time with the organizer.
Prior to applying the DST files, print out your weekly calendars for the affected time periods so that you can keep track of which meetings were scheduled before and after you run the tool.

Changes in Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time (DST) will now start three weeks earlier (2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March) and will end one week later (2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in November).

Change in Daylight Saving Time:
Previously started With the new law, will start Previously ended With the new law, will end
First Sunday in April Second Sunday in March Last Sunday in October First Sunday in November
Would have been: April 1, 2007 Will now be: March 11, 2007 Would have been: October 28, 2007 Will now be: November 4, 2007

Changes in DST will cause the following problems for Windows Mobile powered devices in the U.S. and Canada unless the updated detailed above are applied:

Impact between March 11, 2007
and April 1, 2007 Impact between October 28, 2007
and November 4, 2007
The device clock does not automatically update to DST and is one hour later than actual time.
Calendar items display one hour later than they actually occur.
The device clock does not automatically update to standard time and is one hour earlier than actual time.
Calendar items display one hour earlier than they actually occur.

Updating your device
Your device stores the pre-2007 DST dates in a table in its memory. Installing an update to the stored DST dates will prevent the problems described above. A separate update will fix Outlook calendar issues that might occur for appointments scheduled during the new DST-affected time periods listed above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. The update fails on my device
A. This error is rare, and can be fixed by restarting your device. Restarting usually means turning off your device and turning it back on (also sometimes called soft reset). Please refer to your devices user manual for accurate instructions on how to turn the device off and then on again.

Q. I get an error message that says “Error processing timezone, please manually set the timezone”
A. This error is rare, and can be fixed by restarting your device. Restarting usually means turning off your device and turning it back on. Please refer to your devices user manual for accurate instructions on how to turn the device off and then on again.

Q. I get an error message about an unsigned file
A. The installer will only work with devices that contain the Mobile2Market certificate. This certificate is installed on almost every Windows Mobile device ever released, this error is not expected on US devices. If your device rejects the update and shows you a security error, it does not have the required certificate. In this case you will have to wait for your mobile operator to issue this update signed with their own certificate. You should contact your Mobile Operator immediately.

Q. How do I know if I need to update my device?
A. You should update your Windows Mobilepowered Pocket PC or smartphone if it uses any of the following operating systems:

Windows Mobile 2003
Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition; or
Windows Mobile 5.0
To see the operating system on a smartphone, click Start > Settings > More > About. On a Pocket PC, tap Start > Settings > System tab > About.

Q. What if my device locks up during the installation?
A. This may occur in 2003 devices, and you should restarting the device. Restarting usually means turning off your device and turning it back on. Please refer to your devices user manual for accurate instructions on how to turn the device off and then on again.

Q. How can I determine how my device synchronizes with Outlook?
A. If you are not sure which set of instructions to follow, open Microsoft ActiveSync on your device. The ActiveSync screen will display either Exchange Server and/or Windows PC, along with the last date of synchronization.
If the most recent synchronization is with Windows PC, follow the instructions “For Windows Mobile users who connect to a PC to synchronize.”
If the most recent synchronization is with Exchange Server, follow the instructions “For Windows Mobile users who connect their device to Microsoft Exchange Server.”

Q. How do I know if my device is a Pocket PC or a smartphone?
A. Pocket PCs have touch-sensitive screens and use a stylus to select among options. Smartphones do not have touch-sensitive screens and use hardware buttons to select among options. See the help page on how to tell for more information.

Q. Where can I find additional information?
A. Information about updating the DST tables stored in the device is available at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923953. Information about calendar issues that might occur for appointments that fall into the new DST affected time periods is available at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931667/en-us.

Q. How are people in Mexico affected?
A. Mexico time zones have changed and customers also need to install the specific Windows Mobile updates.

Q. How are people in countries outside of the United States affected?
A. All users in the United States, Canada and Mexico should immediately install this update. Users in other countries should install this update if they travel to the United States, Canada and/or Mexico or if they make calendar appointments that include attendees that are based in the United States, Canada and/or Mexico.

Q. Are users of the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system affected?
A. No. Updated time zone definitions are included in Windows Vista.

Q. Does Microsoft’s recently released Windows Mobile 6 platform require this update?
A. No. It does not require an update.

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