Jeff Rivett has worked with and written about computers since the early 1980s. His first computer was an Apple II+, built by his father and heavily customized. Jeff's writing appeared in Computist Magazine in the 1980s, and he created and sold a game utility (Ultimaker 2, reviewed in the December 1983 Washington Apple Pi Journal) to international markets during the same period. Proceeds from writing, software sales, and contract programming gigs paid his way through university, earning him a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) degree at UWO. Jeff went on to work as a programmer, sysadmin, and manager in various industries. There's more on the About page, and on the Jeff Rivett Consulting site.

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Adobe, Flash, Patches and updates, Security

Adobe Flash security updates

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Yesterday, Adobe announced a new version of Flash that includes fixes for several security holes in earlier versions. Anyone who uses Flash to view web-based video, which includes anyone who uses YouTube, should install the latest version of Flash as soon as possible.

The latest version of Flash for Windows is 11.5.502.110. Adobe also made available updates for older versions of Flash that address the same security vulnerabilities, but we recommend updating to the latest version.

A new version of Google Chrome, also announced yesterday, includes these security fixes. A similar patch for Internet Explorer 10 in Windows 8 was made available by Microsoft.

These updates resolve buffer overflow vulnerabilities that could lead to code execution, memory corruption vulnerabilities that could lead to code execution, and a security bypass vulnerability that could lead to code execution.

Microsoft, Windows 8.x

Confusion over Windows 8 retail version

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The Australian site pcauthority.com has an interesting post about consumer confusion related to the retail version of Windows 8.

Microsoft has made significant changes to the way Windows is being sold. The resulting confusion has retailers claiming that the boxed copies of Windows 8 they are selling are full versions, not upgrades. In fact, they are upgrades. Anyone wishing to purchase a non-upgrade version of Windows 8 can either buy a new computer that comes with an OEM version of Windows 8, or wait until the new “System Builder” version becomes available. The System Builder version is not yet available, and pricing is yet to be confirmed my Microsoft.

The pcauthority.com article explicitly demonstrates that retail boxed copies of Windows 8 cannot be used for new installs. And despite the source being Australian, the same rules apply here in North America.

Malware, Security

ZeroAccess botnet growing rapidly

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Growth of the ZeroAccess botnet is unfortunately showing no signs of slowing down. darkReading reports “2.2 million infected with fraudulent ad-click botnet’s malware“. The perpetrators make money by using infected computers to fraudulently ‘click’ on web-based ads.

Most current anti-malware software can detect and disable ZeroAccess-related malware. Make sure your anti-malware software is up to date, and run regular scans.

Microsoft, Windows 8.x

Windows 8 miscellany

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The new O/S is apparently selling well, or at least better than Windows 7 did at this stage, according to Steve Ballmer. Of course, when Windows 7 appeared, the previous viable version (Windows XP) was not imminently losing support from Microsoft. Clearly, the huge number of Windows XP systems out there have to go somewhere, and it looks like a lot of early adopters are going for Windows 8. I’m sure the much lower upgrade price ($40 as opposed to $100) was a big factor in those decisions.

ARS Technica has an extended look at the use of Windows 8 in the workplace, specifically the Enterprise edition. Their conclusion? That upgrading to Windows 8 isn’t really worth the trouble, unless your existing systems run Windows XP. In other words, stick with Windows 7 if that’s what you’re using in your business. There are simply not enough useful new or improved features in Windows 8 Enterprise. Add to that the increased training costs associated with the new user interface, and it’s best to stick with 7 for now.

Yet another post from ARS Technica looks at the viability of Linux as a replacement for Windows on the desktop. They conclude that the arrival of Windows 8 is not going to drive people to Linux, as others have predicted, and that the big beneficiary is actually going to be Windows 7. I think they’re right. However, if the current push towards mainstream gaming on Linux goes anywhere, that may change.

Microsoft, Windows 8.x

Windows 8 core apps not useful for desktop users

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According to a recent review over at ARS Technica, the core apps that come with Windows 8 (People, Calendar, Mail, etc.) may be okay for tablet users, but most desktop users will probably avoid them in favour of what they used previously.

Which raises the question: if the idea was to move toward a common user interface for all Windows platforms, but desktop users avoid apps that use the new UI, has anything really changed? Application developers (including Microsoft) will be working on software that supports the new UI, but for now, nothing much has changed.

Microsoft, Windows 8.x

Windows 8 overviews

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There’s a lot being written about Windows 8 on technology blogs. Below I’ve linked to a few recent posts from ARS Technica and The Verge. These articles are not reviews, so don’t expect much in the way of criticism. Still, for anyone trying to decide whether to try Windows 8, they might be useful.