VoIP

Trojan that targets Skype users.

An Australian website posted that the Skype Trojan can log VoIP calls. Here is an insert

“An infected machine will use the software that handles audio processing within a computer and save the call data as an MP3. The file is then sent over the Internet to a predefined server where the attacker can listen to the recorded conversations.”

It is also possible that this trojan can affect other popular VoIP applications, although this isn’t proven.

The Trojan is named Trojan.Peskyspy. So to all you Skype users do some reading and research on how to protect yourself. Here are some articles that you all can browse through.

Trojan.Peskspy | Symantec

Trojan.Peskspy Blog by a Symantec Employee

And here is an interesting story about how Trojan.Peskspy attacks Skype encryption though Windows API.

Happy Surfing!

NS

Facebook Lite to challenge Twitter

Okay I know this isnt exactely tech news, or news about Vmware, or anything else. BUT it is news about two of the most popular socializing networks, Facebook and Twitter.

Picture this a stripped down version of facebook, where you can do everything you need to stay in touch with your friends, post to peoples wall, check out pictures, and message people, all while suppressing the games and videos that annoy people.

They may be catering to low bandwidth people also, but i think its a move to make it quicker and easier, while keeping all the core components. I say do it.

Facebook Lite was exposed to the masses when invitations to try out the new version were sent out. The new URL did not work of course… but it will eventually, the URL took keep a lookout for is lite.facebook.com.

NS

Blackberry Curve 8900 Smartphone

Well, I said I was going to be one of the guys that bought a Palm Pre, but fate stepped in and dealt me a Blackberry Curve 8900 Smartphone, and what a beauty she is, with its crisp and clear screen(480×360), to its speedy WI-FI connection, and its awesome camera (3.2 MP), I am very happy man. I have had the phone for less than a month, but its truly is an amazing phone. I had unplugged it from the charger yesterday am at about 3am(don’t ask me why I was up at 3am on a Saturday night and not out!) and haven’t plugged it in yet and its 10:15pm on Monday evening. WI-FI and Bluetooth were also on the whole time. One of the things I did was turn the brightness down on the Curve 8900 from100% to 20%, you barely notice a difference yet, apparently it nets you 25+% battery life… if you interested in reading about the full specs check it out here.

Another thing to mention is “BlackBerry App World” if you haven’t installed it yet, you should do so now… check it out here.

The Curve 8900 is a GSM(non 3G) phone, for you CDMA(EVDO) people, there is a new smartphone that has already shown up in Canada, its called the BlackBerry Tour, check it out here. Judging from the specs it seems that it is 3G capable, so I am guessing that there will be a GSM “3G” version that we could just swap out our SIM cards and start using the new “Tour” also.

NS

Whats Up and Coming in Gaming?!

All this tech talk, month in and month out… what about gaming? Anything new there? Of course, Microsoft’s Project Natal. Check out the video here.

Some points mentioned, full body control, multiple players can participate, and it will work with all Xbox 360 consoles.

And if you read the article here, you get so see another video that showcases the Project Natal in a more, commercialized instance, also Facebook on Xbox 360… no one reading this is on Facebook are they?!

NS

Citrix Receiver for iPhone

Here’s an inserp from eWeek on the new Citrix Receiver for iPhone.

“The Citrix Receiver for iPhone uses the Citrix XenApp infrastructure to neatly deliver Windows applications to the small screen. Users of Apple’s iPhone can tap the freely available Citrix tool to access data in the field and do some document editing. Although I found that the app is most useful when the iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network, it is possible to use it through the 3G cellular connection. If the AT&T Edge network is your primary connection, the Citrix Receiver likely won’t be a satisfactory option for accessing enterprise applications in the field. “

I myself don’t have or will have an iPhone, but a couple guys at work do, and I was quick to point out this little bit of information to them. I wonder if they will release this for windows mobile or BlackBerry in the near future?!

Read up on it from Citrix themselves, click here to read.

Hereis the link from eWeek in which I so stealthfully quoted(above) them on

NS

ProCurve POE Switches

Just configured my first set of POE switches. Funny how hard it was to find a working COM port, I wish HP would just enable some sort of USB connection to configure their switches. Ah well, I hooked up a ProCurve 2600-24-PWR to an old system I had, connected the RJ-45 to Serial adapter to the system, fired up Putty-Portable, and got connected via SERIAL connection. Once you assign an IP address to the device you can connect to it via Telnet, again through Putty-Portable.

Obviously I am not going to get into the setup of the device but I wanted to point out one crucial command that must be entered. Its called “Power Pre-Std-Detect”. This allows the detection of pre-standard PoE devices, then provides power to them; see list of supported devices in the product FAQ at www.procurve.com If this isnt enabled, its a good chance that your PoE devices will start to reboot spontaneously. Note that after updating the firmware on a 8-Port PoE switch the “power pre-std-detect” was enabled by default.

If this helps just one person then my job is done

NS

Lesson Learned…

Just recently I got a POE (Power-over-Ethernet) switch installed by a co-worker. Lets just say it didn’t go to well. It worked for the first day or so, but then client was complaining of network slowness and blue screens(while opening larger files) Now I am pretty diligent on updating firmware on servers and controllers, but I never figured not updating a switch’s firmware would bring down a companies VoIP and Data network. As I said in the title… I sure learned my lesson, from now on, nothing leaves the office without upgrading every possible piece of hardware!