Home insurance rises due to Social Networking

Social networkers to see home insurance prices rise

Posting location could be classed as negligence

Social networkers who use location-based services such as Facebook Places should expect to see their home insurance premiums rise, says Confused.com.

The online insurance firm, which predicted earlier this year using social networks could plead to hikes in insurance premiums, issued the warning after a burglary scam in the US saw 50 homes broken into $100,000 worth of goods stolen.
The criminals used Facebook to monitor when web users 'checked in' to places on the social network, highlighting the fact they were away from home, and then targeted the empty properties.
"What's happened in the US could be the start of a worrying trend and if insurance providers see it as a potential risk, you can bet your home contents on the fact they'll start pricing for it," Gareth Kloet, head of home insurance, at Confused.com
"Something like Places on Facebook broadcasts people's locations on a platform which has 500 million users - you don't need to be an insurance provider to see the risk that poses. I wouldn't be surprised if we see rises of up to 10 percent for social media users in the future."
Kloet said criminals are increasingly using the web to help gather information and insurance providers are starting to take this into account when they are assessing claims.
"We may, in future, see insurers declining claims if they believe the customer was negligent," he said.
"We would always recommend that our customers have adequate security and insurance in place to protect them should the worst happen, however they need to be aware that home security doesn't just mean physical locks."
Confused.com also urged web users not to post home addresses or personal information on social networks, as well as turning-off location-based services and only 'following' or connecting with people you know.





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Music and movie searches give people more malware

Music and movie-related malware on the up

McAfee says searching for 'free' files increases risk

Music and movie fans should be on their guard when searching the web as the amount of malware hidden within video and music-related sites and services has surged, says McAfee.

According to the security firm's '2010 Digital Music & Movies Report: The True Cost of Free Entertainment' report, the number one risk when looking for digital entertainment online used to be that of poisoned search results. However, as web users have become more aware of this, cybercriminals have shifted their lines of attack to malicious ads and video viewing tools.
McAfee identified more than 700,000 malware-infected web pages that were designed to look 'identical' to YouTube, as cybercriminals attempt to fool web users into downloading malicious software.
It's hardly surprising cybercriminals are switching to this method of distributing malware, as the number of videos viewed online has surged by 37 percent since February 2009, to more than 5.5 billion, according to comScore.
McAfee also discovered thousands of malicious and highly suspicious URLs associated with fan clubs or comments made on social media sites, such as YouTube and Twitter. Malicious advertising or 'malvertising', where an ad is used to distribute malware or exploit the user's browser, is a common means of infection. The security firm said that in June it identified 'malvertising' on perezhilton.com, the website of a popuar celebrity blogger.
When it comes to music, the security firm said adding the word 'free' to a search for music ringtones offered 300 percent more malicious search results than searching for just 'ringtones'. Furthermore, searching for an artist's lyrics is twice as likely to result in poisoned links than simply searching for ringtones.
Searching for paid-for MP3s also resulted in a large number of links directing web users to websites offering pirated content. Between 2009 and 2010, there was a 40 percent increase in the websites delivering infected MP3 files. McAfee said the US is home to a third of pirated music, movies and software available on the web, while Russia hosts 13 percent and Germany was responsible for 10 percent.
"Consumers are visiting fan sites, downloading movies and reading celebrity news, but generally aren't aware of the risks," said Paula Greve, director of web security research for McAfee.
"They can access 'free' content quickly and easily, but it actually comes at a price. Consumers must stay aware of the risks and be on the lookout for potential new dangers."
Greve urged web users to avoid searching for the term 'free' or clicking on banner ads on music and movie download sites that are not well established.
"Although this news isn't a surprise, it does highlight that, in an age where many PCs are connected to the internet 24 hours a day, protecting the browser itself is absolutely critical. It’s not just about protecting individual websites from cybercriminal," said Mel Morris, CEO of internet security firm Prevx.
"PCs must be protected on all websites at all times. There is no reason why the internet should be synonymous with crime – consumers should be able to browse safe in the knowledge that their personal information is still private"
Morris suggested web users install two or three in-the-browser security solutions to offer a multi-layered form of protection, which is vital because "it ensures that, should one vendor's software not detect a piece of malware, another one will".
"It's all about defence in numbers. The more protection your browser has, the harder it will be for cybercriminals to get through. Of course, when it comes to illegal downloads, the most effective defence to to steer clear!"
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New link to sponsor the cycle for Crumlin Hospital
http://ping.fm/uIMnu

New link to sponsor the cycle for Crumlin Hospital
http://ping.fm/qvpol

Another fine day in the mountains around Riccone.5KM pure steep mountain I thought it was like the corkscrew only far far worse,30 + Degrees

Fancy loosing a bit of the belly?????
Enda Coyle Finn Valley Centre Mon & Thurs between 1 and 2 pm. Great lunchtime breakOUT

Whats going on with Google's Balls?
Read at PC Clean Blog:
http://ping.fm/SMuPZ

Whats up with Google's Balls?

What’s Up With Google's Bouncy Ball Logo?

www.pcclean.ie

Google launched another Google Doodle guessing game Tuesday, with a new interactive Google logo that you can manipulate with your mouse. Google replaced its static logo with a set of dynamic colored balls that make up the Google logo. Move your mouse pointer near the logo and all the balls disperse and don't settle down until the pointer stops moving.
It's a lot of fun to try out, and will most likely be blamed for another dramatic dip in worldwide productivity. Another neat trick you can do is to get the balls to move by shaking your browser window.
What's behind Google's balls?
It's not clear what prompted Google to launch the playful design, but many are guessing it's a celebration of Google's anniversary. The company was incorporated on September 7, 1998.
Softpedia points out that Google's logo is a JavaScript-based particle movement simulator, suggesting the logo may be in honor of a scientific achievement or notable personality. You may remember that Google released a series of sci-fi related Google Doodles in September 2009 to celebrate the 143rd birthday of author H.G. Wells. So this may be the first doodle in a series of tributes just like last year.

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Modern Web
Whatever the occasion for Google's new Doodle, the search giant's design team has also used the occasion to show off the capabilities of modern Web technologies. The logo depends largely on JavaScript to create the particle simulator effect.
This is the fourth interactive design that Google has used on its front page. In January the search giant celebrate Isaac Newton's birthday with a falling apple animation, according to Search Engine Land. In May, Google turned its logo into a Pac-Man game to celebrate the iconic video game's 30th anniversary. Most recently, the Google logo was changed to an interactive Buckyball on September 4 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its discovery. The Buckyball, also known as the Buckminsterfullerene C60 is a molecule made entirely of carbon. It was named after the engineer and architect Richard Buckminster Fuller who invented the geodesic dome. The Buckyball is one of many tech-related silver anniversaries being celebrated in 2010.
One More possibility
It's also worth noting that JavaScript was first released on September 1995 under the name LiveScript as part of Netscape Navigator 2.0, according to JavaScript Basics by Christian Wenz. So maybe this doodle has something to do with the 15th anniversary of JavaScript.
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Internet Explorer ha

Internet Explorer had Twitter security flaw for 2 years. Read at Pc Clean Blog: http://htxt.it/fqDA

Internet Explorer held Twitter bug for 2 years

Microsoft Investigates Two-Year-Old Bug In Internet Explorer

Microsoft is looking into a long-known vulnerability in Internet Explorer that could be used to access users' data and Web-based accounts.
The bug can allow hackers to hijack Web mail accounts, steal data and send illicit tweets, Google security engineer Chris Evans said in a message posted on the Full Disclosure mailing list.
Evans also published a demonstration that showed how the flaw in IE8 could be used to commandeer a user's Twitter account and send unauthorized tweets.
The vulnerability, known as a "CSS cross-origin theft" bug, has a long history. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, who recently published a paper ( download PDF ) on the subject, have traced it back as far as 2002. Those researchers will present their paper at the Conference on Computer and Communications Security next month.
Even so, the flaw received little attention until Evans blogged about it in December 2009 . He had submitted a bug report for Chrome eight months earlier.
Although Microsoft has not patched the vulnerability in IE8, other browsers, including Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera, have fixed the flaw. Google patched the bug in Chrome last January, while Mozilla did the same in July with Firefox 3.6.7 and Firefox 3.5.11.
IE9 includes a fix for the vulnerability. Microsoft plans to ship a public beta of IE9 on Sept. 15.
On Friday, Evans explained why he was adding to the patch pressure by crafting a proof-of-concept. "I have been unsuccessful in persuading the vendor to issue a fix," he said of Microsoft.
Microsoft issued a statement Friday saying it was investigating Evans' reports, but declined to answer questions on Monday, including whether earlier versions of IE were vulnerable or why it has not yet addressed the bug.
"We're currently unaware of any attacks trying to use the claimed vulnerability or of customer impact," said Jerry Bryant, a group manager with the Microsoft Security Response Center, in the e-mailed statement.
Microsoft should not have been surprised by Evans' disclosure. In early August, Evans blogged that IE8 was the "most vulnerable" to the flaw. In that blog, Evans also said he had a proof-of-concept able to appropriate a Web mail account. "It's a nasty attack," Evans said, "E-mail someone a link and if they click it, they are owned with a pure browser cross-origin bug."
This isn't the first time that someone from Google has released information about a bug in Microsoft software after claiming he got the cold shoulder. Earlier this summer, Tavis Ormandy -- like Evans a Google security researcher -- went public with a Windows flaw after he said Microsoft wouldn't commit to a patching deadline. Microsoft disputed Ormandy's account.
Microsoft eventually pushed up the patch date for Ormandy's bug by a month.
On Friday, Bryant reiterated Microsoft's position on early disclosures. "To minimize risk to computer users, Microsoft continues to encourage coordinated vulnerability disclosure," he said, referring to his company's new term for keeping vulnerability information secret until a patch is available.
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Anyone that has a spare 40 mins at lunchtime on Monday and Thursday at Finn Valley Centre with Trainer Enda Coyle. Great fitness for winter

Not often Toshiba have faults, but a simple workaround for a big problem:
Please read at PC Clean blog:
http://ping.fm/WcUEu

iTunes Ping Social Network now at 1 Million users
Read more at Pc Clean Blog:
http://ping.fm/2dMp0

Best 18 apps for your iPhone.
Read at Pc Clean blog:
http://ping.fm/y7cKS

iTunes ping reaches 1 Million user Mark ALREADY!!

Ping tops million user mark

Apple rocks social networking

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Internet | 06 Sep 2010 : 
Apple's new music social network Ping has passed the million user mark. The network, integrated into iTunes 10 was launched last week.
"One-third of the people who have downloaded iTunes 10 have joined Ping," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of Internet Services. "As many more people download iTunes 10 in the coming weeks, we expect the Ping community to continue growing."
Ping lets you follow artists and contacts listening patterns, with the former able to post unique content like pictures and tour dates - much in the same manner as a Facebook 'wall'.
The news comes after initial criticism of the service, with security experts accusing it of "drowning" in malware.
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Pc Clean, Navenny, Ballybofey, Co. Donegal
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Important to some Toshiba Laptop Owners!!!

Major recall for overheating power supplies

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Hardware & Equipment | 06 Sep 2010 : 
Toshiba has issued a recall for T130 Satellite laptops after some melted, burning two people.
A flaw with the power adaptor is causing overheating across three lines - the Satellite T135, Satellite T135D or Satellite ProT130.
"The defective harness may, in some circumstances, overheat to the point of melting the computer's base at the location where the AC adaptor plugs into the unit," Toshiba said.
The heat has led to 129 complaints and reports of two minor burns and property damage, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission said.
Worldwide, 41,000 laptops are affected, but Toshiba did not say how many were sold in the here, however, a list of affected models is available, as well as a BIOS update to identify machines.
The action is being referred to as a recall by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Health Canada, and Toshiba in North America.
A spokesperson for the company in the UK said customers simply need to install a BIOS update to check for the flaw. "Should the BIOS determine that a harness failure is occurring, external power will immediately be disabled eliminating the possibility of the overheating," Toshiba said. "You will then need to contact the Toshiba call center to set up a warranty repair."
Toshiba said anyone noticing an overheating laptop should unplug it, save any work while battery power remains, and take it in for repair.
The full list of affected models and the BIOS update are available here.
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Top 18 iPhone Apps

The 18 Best iPhone Apps

Productivity tools

Sync your calendar
CalenGoo syncs with your Google Calendar and even has a similar look. Other neat features include the ability to invite people to events, plus an integrated task list.
Price: £3.99
Browse in style
Re-creating a desktop browser on the iPhone's screen, Atomic Web Browser has tabs, ad blocking, multitouch gestures, a passcode lock, Facebook/Twitter integration, and more.
Price: Free basic version, 59p premium version
Manage your reading
Through Instapaper you can save web articles you browsed on your iPhone for later reading, using a browser bookmarklet. The Instapaper website reformats your saved articles (sans Flash ads and clutter) for quick reading on the desktop.
Price: Free.

Reference apps

Get answers
The WolframAlpha app is the ultimate tool for know-it-alls. Ask questions in sentence form, and the semantic search engine returns the answer. Though it can already answer just about any question you ask, the creators are constantly updating it with new information, making it an ideal companion for pub trivia night.
Price: 59p
Discover healthful recipes
In the Whole Foods app you can find creative recipes using what you have on hand, and see them in an easy-to-read interface.
Price: Free

Cook with a pro
The How to Cook Everything app, based on Mark Bittman's book of the same name, gives you access to 2000 recipes, as well as to no-nonsense cooking advice, how-to illustrations, ingredient information, built-in timers, and organised shopping lists.
Price: £2.99

Utilities and timesavers

Watch your calories
For keeping track of your caloric intake, Quikka Calorie Pro is a handy tool. The app tells you exactly what you're eating during the day, and it gives you a chance to enter your food intake on the go, so that you don't forget to do so later.
Price: 59p
Add a phone line
SecondLine brings a second line to your phone (with a special number). Calls on that line connect as free or cheap VoIP calls over a Wi-Fi or 3G data connection, but they can move to a mobile network (which costs you plan minutes) when such connections are unavailable.
Price: Free
Never forget passwords
To maintain your usernames and passwords on your iPhone in one place, try 1Password. The mobile app syncs with the desktop version, as well. If you wish, you can use it to store other personal information, too, such as your National Insurance number and credit card numbers.
Price: £5.99 basic version, £8.99 premium version
Locate Wi-Fi anywhere
A must-have for travelers, Wi-Fi Finder is a directory of paid and free Wi-Fi hotspots in over 280,000 locations in 140 countries. You can filter results by provider or by location (restaurant, café, and so on).
Price: Free
Find your way
The TomTom app turns your phone into a GPS navigation device with turn-by-turn directions. Maps and routes are stored in your phone's memory, so updating maps and changing routes happens quickly and without requiring a wireless network connection.
Price: £42.99

Audio and photo tools

Revisit the photo booth
One of the first apps to use the iPhone 4's front-facing camera, IncrediBooth gives you an almost genuine photo-booth experience (minus the shopping centre atmosphere). You get three 'retro effects', and you can share a photo strip or just one image with Facebook friends.
Price: 59p

Make trippy photos
In Diptic you can combine two or three photos to create a cool new image. Juxtaposing a close-up of your cat with a photo of your pals has never been so addicting.
Price: £1.19
Hear new music
In Last.fm you enter the name of an artist you like, and the app recommends other artists based on your preferences. You can listen to as much music as you want, too.
Price: Free
Find public radio
With Public Radio Player you can hear public radio stations from all over the country. After detecting your location, the app can supply a list of the stations around you.
Price: Free

Entertainment apps and games

Keep it rolling
In the bizarre but fun I Love Katamari, you're a pint-size alien prince who has been ordered by the King of All Cosmos to collect objects by rolling a highly adhesive Katamari ball. You use the phone's accelerometer to control the Katamari.
Price: £2.99
Slay the undead
The Plants vs. Zombies strategy game has you defending your home from zombie invasion with an arsenal of deadly flora. Cute animation, witty humour, and addictive gameplay make this title one of the best paid games in the App Store.
Price: £1.79
Play word games
In the Scrabble-like Words With Friends you can play against buddies or strangers. The game cleverly uses push notifications to tell you to take your turn, and you can invite pals to play via social networks.
Price: £1.79
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Apple announce Tv Rentals at 720p High Def
Read more at Pc Clean Blog:
http://ping.fm/BDqER

Apple Tv and rentals

Apple also announced 99-cent rentals of 720p high-definition TV shows through iTunes (initially from ABC and Fox) and a new version of its Apple TV hobby device to boot. Jobs acknowledged that the latter hasn't been a huge hit with customers, but he's hoping that will change with the latest refresh. As expected, the Apple TV (no name change) is now a streaming-focused device with Netflix, YouTube, Flickr, and Mobile Me integration. It has HDMI, Ethernet, optical audio, and USB plugs around back, as well as 802.11n Wi-Fi and an all-time low $99 price tag.
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New Apple iPod Shuffle.
Read about it at Pc Clean blog:
http://ping.fm/5K882

New Apple iPod Shuffle

Apple has quietly refreshed its iPod shuffle line with a new unit that is bigger on the inside but smaller than an AA battery on the outside. Measuring just 48.2mm x 17.5mm x 7.8mm the new player is so small, in fact, that it has no buttons other than the shuffle mode switch – all the controls are now on the earbud cord. Storage capacity is now 4GB, enough to hold up to 1,000 songs, while the price remains at $79.


Also, in order to make up for the lack of display, a new VoiceOver feature will tell users which song and artist is playing at the touch of a button. It even announces the names of your playlists, which will come in handy since the tiny player is now able to hold at least twice as many songs as its predecessor. The new iPod shuffle comes in silver or black and features a sleek and wearable design with a built-in stainless steel clip. Battery life is said to be 10 hours.
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Has Apple just improvised on MySpace. New social network app with iTunes
Read Pc Clean Blog for more:
http://ping.fm/I7wCT

Apple iTunes new social network interface?

Just hours ago, Apple announced their new "Ping" social network, along with the latest update to iTunes. The software update has gone live, and Neowin has given the new social network a quick testing. While the service is still in its infancy, and therefore doesn’t have a whole lot to look at, this early look does give a nice sneak peek at what’s to come as more and more iTunes users sign up for the service.
Registering is pretty straightforward - just select “Ping” from the iTunes sidebar, log into your iTunes account, and create a basic profile. It then gives you a chance to “like” some of your music - it seems to auto populate with some music you’ve recently purchased, although the music it selected for me wasn’t quite what I expected. It chose two songs for me, from the two most recent albums I purchased, but there was nothing particularly special about them - their play count wasn’t higher than anything else, and I hadn’t rated them.
After setting up your profile and liking some music, you’re presented with a very simple “Welcome to Ping” screen. You’re given three immediate options: “Search for People or Artists”, “Invite Your Friends by Email”, and “Connect iTunes Ping with Facebook.” The third option is probably your best bet - it only found two of my friends from Facebook on Ping, but I began the process within an hour of the service launching. I could follow these friends without any issue, and they popped up in my “Recent Activity” feed instantly.

There are two kinds of people you can follow on Ping: people and artists. Facebook is great for finding your friends on Ping, but artists will most likely be found using the “Artists We Recommend You Follow” section or “Search for People or Artists.” Again, the service is so new that there’s very few artists to follow right now anyway - only 14 are recommended for “me,” and one of my colleagues seems to have the exact same recommendations. The content will - likely - fill up over the next few days.
The “Recent Activity” feed offers the equivalent of Facebook’s “News Feed,” but, of course, for music. You can see who started following who, and also recent purchases. In my case, one of the people I started following had just bought an album, and that showed up within “Recent Activity.” At the click of a button, I could preview or buy the album.

One thing that is notably missing, however, is the ability to use the network from outside iTunes. Having a social network tied to an application is a different approach - although Microsoft did also try it with the Zune Social - but if this is going to be a true success, there needs to be a way to access the network from outside the Apple ecosystem. An online, in-browser interface would be the obvious solution here, but there’s no hint of that here yet. It would be nice if it also tied into Facebook in some way beyond grabbing your friends list.
Also, it appears that iTunes ping is not yet active on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch; however, that is expected to go live in the near future.
Overall, it’s difficult to judge whether or not iTunes Ping will become the mega social network Apple wants it to be; however, many are already calling it a “MySpace killer.” At this point, it’s really too early to judge, but by the looks of it, the service could become a great way to share your music taste amongst your group of friends - so long as your friends are happy using iTunes to do it.
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Move over iPhone. What about the new Windows 7 phone??
Watch this
http://ping.fm/5tgff