Facebook Denies, Then Changes Logout Cookie Behavior

This is interesting. Yesterday, Facebook Denied tracking you based on their cookie behavior (From our KC IT News post yesterday).

And today Nic comes back and analyzed the entire process of how Facebook is using Cookies again and shows in detail what Facebook has changed.

Which is to say, Facebook was cought with their hands in your cookie jar, said they didn’t do it, and changed how Facebook works so they couldn’t be accused of it down the road.  Which is okay.  An awful lot of these occurances are due to developers just not thinking through what they’re doing and why.  Especially an organization that is more marketing than technology driven.

Even After You’ve Logged Off, Facebook Tracks Your Every Move

The new Facebook Changes do more than alter how you use Facebook.  It seems that your now being “watched” whever you go on the Web..  By Facebook, even if you’ve logged out.

In a blogpost today by Nic Cubrilovic (a highly technical and thorough post I might add).  Nic shows you the exact mechanisms Facebook is using to track every page you visit on the Internet.  And if you thought logging off would prevent that, well, no it doesn’t.  There are a range of various “cookies” being set when your on Facebook and these don’t go away when you log off.  And the mechanism is there for every website you visit, every page you read, every Google Search you do to be logged and tracked.

Does Facebook actually log all of this data?  It’s sure to happen if you click a “Like” button on a news website, share button on an article, etc.  Beyond that, only the people at Facebook know for sure.  And it looks like they are, Nic conducted an experiment where he created a couple of facebook accounts.  Then he discovered..  As Nic puts it, “Somehow Facebook knew that we were all coming from the same browser, even though I had logged out.“.

His suggestions?  Use a different browser for Facebook, and only Facebook.

Microsoft Wants a Piece of Your Software

Windows8 has been released to developers and so has the “Metro” interface.  And the Metro interface is both the same, and different than what your used to.  To put it simply, Metro is like your Android or iPhone screen, and the regular Windows interface is more like Windows LiveMail.  The old Windows interface is gone.

Along with that is a general “disdain” for the Windows interface in Microsoft documentation itself.  Perhaps giving a clue that Metro is where Microsoft wants all your Desktop computers to run with all your applications running under it.  And no wonder.  All Microsoft Metro Applications will be exclusively delivered by…  The Windows Online Store!

To directly quote Microsoft documentation…  “Speaking of discoverability, all roads, as the saying goes, lead to the Windows Store.”, and “For Metro style apps, that is, the Windows Store is the only means of general distribution”.  And finally, “As such, your relationship with the Store really defines your business, whether you’re in it for fame, fortune, fun, or philanthropy.”.

Which means Microsoft wants money for every application installed on Windows even if (especially if) that application comes from a company other than Microsoft.

And that’s okay.  The model works well for the iPhone, iPad and other devices.  And Microsoft stands to make a ton of money doing it.  But this will drive your IT costs higher.  Your a couple years from full out deployment of Windows8 and Metro, so you have time to plan accordingly.

Google Buys Motorola And What It Means For Small Businesses

UPDATE! – It seems my musings about a “SuperApple” type strategy have not gone unnoticed.  For example, the musings of the Wall Street Journal….. Which begins “Google Inc.’s proposed $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Inc. underscores the allure of a business model pioneered by one of the company’s rivals: Apple Inc.“

Big News this morning..  Google just announced they’re buying Motorola Mobility.  Which (we believe) will generally benefit our small and medium sized business customers.  Here’s why:

• Google Doesn’t Discriminate Against Small Businesses.  All their platforms are universally available (i.e. AdWords, Video Advertising, Voice, Search).
• Google Integrates their Acquisitions.  Blogger, Gmail, Docs, Voice, Google+ are tightly integrated.  Expect the same from their Motorola Products.
• Google Gives Away Android.  The Number One Mobile Platform.  Expect Motorola’s innovative adoption of Android to continue.

In the short term, don’t expect to see much.  Just the Xoom Tablet, excellent phones, etc. to keep coming out the doors of Motorola.  But downstream (and I would expect sooner rather than later, Q1 or Q2 2012) I would expect a significant rollout of more advanced tablets and what we call “crossover” systems…  Essentially tablets with all the power and storage of netbooks and notebook computers.  All with tight included integration of Google platforms on Android.

Of course, there is another possibility…  Could Google be looking to build themselves they’re very own “SuperApple” type of company?  Where they control Android, and the hardware?  All coupled to Google’s virtual services?  Might be a little far fetched, but stranger things have happened.

Factory Installed Maleware In Your Computers?

An intresting article came out yesterday in the blogs at Hewlett Packard about Malware, Viruses, etc. and the threat of them being “built in” to the computers and peripherals you buy.  And just what a threat it is.

Which brings up an interesting situation for businesses and the liability they may incur as a result.  For example, what would happen to your business if suddenly all your customers data (stored on your business systems) was being sold to identity thieves?  What if it was discovered that your systems contained Malware that enabled the breach of security?  How much money, time, effort, and manpower would it take to figure out what was going on with your computers?

Which is why OPENRSM humbly suggests that you need us to manage your systems and security for you.  Being proactive includes screening hardware and software systems before they’re installed in your business.  That takes a level of expertise and experience that you and your company simply don’t possess.  And why should you?  Your the experts in your own industry.  Let OPENRSM come in and audit your systems (For FREE) and provide you with a comprehensive report on the overall health and security of your network, a list of suggested maintenance, and a security review.  It won’t cost you a thing.  We’ll do it for free just so you can see how OPENRSM employs it’s “I.T. is a Process, Not a Project” approach and show you just how cost effective it is to not have computer issues.

Take a look at the HP blog HERE…  It’s an interesting read.

Is Your Business Ready For The Yearlong Power Experiment?

Tentatively set to start in mid-July, an experiment proposed by the major US Power companies (AP Source linked) will cause the frequency of the electrical current powering your computers, printers, phone systems, etc. to fluctuate to a much wider degree than in the past.  And many of the internal clocks in your computers, phone systems, and printers rely on the frequency of the electrical grid to help regulate their internal clocks.

What is this going to do to your business?  Just check out some of the things you use every day that rely on system clocks:

• Point of Sale Systems
• Employee Time Clocks
• Time and Billing Applications
• Phone Systems

Fortunately, we have the Network Time Protocol and Internet Time Servers we can use to help keep your systems properly “clocked”.  Unfortunately, many (if not most) systems we see for the first time havn’t been configured to use NTP properly!  This is okay as long as the power grid is at a constant frequency, but with this new yearlong experiment about to begin these systems are susceptible to disrupting your business.

Do you know if your business is at risk?  Call or Email OPENRSM and we’ll check out your systems, network, and peripherals and provide you the news, good or bad, and if anything needs to be done.  No risk, No obligation.  Just straight answers.

OPENRSM Unleashes ITaaS

Feb 28, 2011 – (Kansas City, Feb 28, 2011) OPENRSM (the Kansas City IT Company) has launched IT-as-a-Service (ITaS) targeting SMB customers. ITaS integrates hardware, networking and applications — Accounting, CRM, Data Integrity, AntiVirus, Office Applications, and more) — on the cloud and is available on a pay only for what you use basis.

“Customers may need a single application, some additional computing power, deploy an application of their own, or an upgrade to their entire IT Infrastructure”. They would also “get to use a variety of business applications, or their own existing applications, without integration or management headaches”, said Scott Medlock, CTO of OPENRSM.

OPENRSM has leveraged upon its years of business engineering and implementation experience with it’s existing Kansas City SMB customers to deliver a flexible, reliable, and scalable cloud service for those business customers to not only reduce cost, but to help increase productivity and profitability. While most Cloud Services are delivered on a temporary ad-hoc basis. OPENRSM’s ITaS Service is delivered as an integrated platform to enhance, extend, and reduce overall IT costs for it’s customers. The company also said that most third party solutions were targeted for large customers and did not meet the needs of small and medium sized businesses.

OPENRSM has crafted a platform especially for the SMB market that provides “Big IT Resources for SMBs”.

OPENRSM Founded over 15 years ago, OPENRSM, Inc. is a Kansas City IT services firm with offices in Odessa, MO and Cheyenne, WY. OPENRSM focuses on providing business customers with complete lifecycle IT management services as a valued partner for their customers byimplementing their “IT is a Process, Not a Project” philosophy. For more information on OPENRSM, please visit www.openrsm.com or call 816-200-2220. # # # Founded over 15 years ago, OPENRSM, Inc. is a Kansas City IT services firm with offices in Odessa, MO and Cheyenne, WY. OPENRSM focuses on providing business customers with complete lifecycle IT management services as a valued partner for their customers by implementing their “IT is a Process, Not a Project” philosophy. For more information on OPENRSM, please visit http://openrsm.com or call 816-200-2220.

OPENRSM Partners With Lenovo

Apple Support Forums Confirm Malware

Looks like our Apple customers will be very happy that OPENRSM has their backs. Implementing IT as a Process, Not a Project and proactively protects their systems.

 

Crying wolf? Apple support forums confirm malware explosion | ZDNet

www.zdnet.com

A couple weeks ago, the proprietor of the world’s number-one Mac site accused me of crying wolf over predictions that Mac malware was around the corner…



Another Reason You Need OPENRSM To Help Guide You Into The Clouds

And this is another reason why you need an experienced IT Company to help you manage your implementation and use of “The Cloud”

 

» Dropbox Lied to Users About Data Security, Complaint to FTC Alleges

www.wired.com

Dropbox, the wildly popular online storage system, deceived users about the security and encryption of its services, putting it at a competitive advantage….