Google in KL

Google's Southeast Asia Managing Director Julian Persaud said the investments included the opening of its Kuala Lumpur office Wednesday which was in line with Google's commitment to provide Malaysians with local products.

He said Malaysia has now reached 17 million Internet users and high growth was expected from the wireless markets as the online environment in Malaysia was growing rapidly with significant developments taking place in both broadband Internet access and e-commerce activities.

Google to open office in Malaysia!

US President Could Get Power to Turn Off Internet...

A US Senate committee has approved a wide-ranging cybersecurity bill that some critics have suggested would give the US president the authority to shut down parts of the Internet during a cyberattack.  Read more... and more news here...

But  do not worry... you too can do the same! Just go HERE and try it.  BUT do it at your own risk!

Important Firefox AddOn from MyCERT

MyCERT cares about Malaysians online banking needs. DontPhishMe is an initiative of MyCERT, CyberSecurity Malaysia, to provide a security mechanism in preventing online banking phishing threat specifically for local Malaysian banks.

DontPhishMe is an addon to Firefox browser that alerts you if an online banking web page that you visit appears to be asking for your personal or financial information under false pretences. This type of attack, known as phishing or spoofing, is becoming more sophisticated, widespread and dangerous. That's why it's important to browse safely with DontPhishMe. DontPhishMe will automatically warn you when you encounter a page that's trying to trick you into disclosing personal information.

List of supported online banking websites :

• Maybank2u
• CIMBclicks
• Public Bank
• Bank Rakyat
• Bank Islam
• HSBC
• EON Bank
• UOB
• AMBank
• OCBC
• RHB
• Citibank
• Standard Chartered Bank
• Al Rajhi Bank
• Affin Bank

Your bank(s) in the list? So why wait? Download and install it now! Better late than never... :-)  Especially when you are not using a top notch commercial Internet Security Suite.  This addon runs fine on my Firefox version 3.6.8.

DontPhishMe

Online Internet TV

Connect to  4000 Live TV channels from your computer. Not required of a TV hardware. Pure picture - no subscription needed.

Watch TV shows live anywhere. All you need is  our IP television software,  your PC, and Internet connection. Watching online TV is very convenient and affordable without all the wires and installation charges it takes for regular cable or dish TV services to be connected.

With live television, all you simply need is a PC and the internet, it's that easy. Most services are available on the Web for no charge and almost all large broadcasting stations like Fox, NBC, and ABC have web-sites where their stations can be viewed. There is no need to buy cable if you hardly ever watch TV when everything is available online, even live streaming of the news. Lots of other web pages that are geared specifically to Online Television. Pages like our IP television software give you the option of watching whatever you want.

Users can either search or look at the different genders of channels they offer.  For example, if you're looking for series of Larry Sanders, then look under the Comedy section. Just put together a PC, and ISP (Internet Service Provider) and our IP TV software, which hosts TV content.

You can find a few free services or you can purchase a software to join one of the many services catering to that market.  Lot of your favorite channels will also allow you to connect to their programs and watch them.  If you missed a part of your favorite show, never fear, in some cases you can search it and watch it on the web.

Finally...

... for 5 days...

... nowadays but disconnected once in a blue moon...

This happened to me once since 2007... ;) So not a big case.  Speed is also fair to other continents tested via speedtest.net via wired or wireless computers on my network (2 wired desktops and 2 wireless lappies).  So far this is the most reliable ISP... Hope so.

 

Update...

Can't do much now. My internet connection is sluggish!

My ISP can't help me much... same script reading!

GRRRR....!

Angry I am.

Cloud Computing...

We are always on the watch for the next best thing when it comes to technology and the Internet. Certainly no one can doubt that the next generation of the Internet (known as Web 2.0) has had a dramatic affect on how people interact and connect with each other – both from an individual standpoint and a business one.

Another emerging concept that has the power to change how we perform tasks is taking place before us as well, and it is called cloud computing. Simply put, it is the ability to use resources and tools via the Internet without actually owning or being near them. The only requirement is to be able to access them.

The term cloud is used to indicate the whole of computing services accessible via the Internet. It is an all encompassing description of the complex internet connected networks that exist in datacenters all over the world that power services and applications behind the scenes.

The concept of utilizing resources in these networks is being adopted by businesses both large and small. These resources are categorized to describe their function, and include:

1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
2. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
3. Software as a Service (SaaS)
4. Web 2.0

In the most general terms, Infrastructure as a Service means that companies may no longer need to own and house their own back end servers and other network computing infrastructure besides an internet connected PC or laptop in order to maintain business functionality. This capability can be purchased on a subscription basis from entities that market these services in a virtual manner. This allows businesses to keep their costs low by not having to purchase, maintain and recycle their own equipment for this purpose, and also mitigates the possibility of business interruption due to the highly available nature of these solutions. This equates to increased uptime and profitability for Infrastructure as a Service customers.

Platform as a Service is also known as cloudware, and refers to the availability of development tools in creating web applications and services to the end user. Like IaaS, you never see the inner workings of this environment unless you are a computer programmer or IT resource, but it exists nonetheless and again affords those who use these tools the ability to reduce costs while running their businesses.

Sofware as a Service is defined as software applications that are subscribed to and accessed only through the Internet, and not installed on local PCs or laptops. Applications built by and accessed via Google fall into this category, as well as the many photo sites to which you can upload your pictures and videos, edit and share them with others. These solutions are gaining tremendous popularity, because end users do not need to install, update and maintain software locally – only connect to it and use it when the need arises.

Web 2.0 describes the whole of the social networking movement on the Internet, and includes but is not limited to destinations such as Facebook, MySpace, eHarmony, LinkedIn and Twitter. These sites offer the ability for people all over the world to share common interests, stay connected and learn more about each other – and these sites aren’t just for the young. Statistics show that the over 50 generation is logging onto these sites in greater numbers than ever before. In fact, in one month alone, Facebook adds over 17,000 new members.

The next time you are on the Internet and upload a photograph and use the online tools to modify that picture, you are participating in cloud computing. The picture is probably loaded to a site that uses IaaS for their servers, PaaS in order to provide the visual interface in which you modify the photograph, and SaaS applications you’ll use to access your email program and social networking sites in order to send it to or post it for those with whom you would like to share the picture.

Wiki


 

 

Internet Banking

With all the attention online banking has received in the last couple of years, it seems there are new online banks popping up everywhere. Users are choosing online banking for its ease and convenience. And while issues of identity theft are important factors to consider with online banking, it has not stopped people from utilizing the Web to streamline their finances.

Even more importantly, recent studies suggest that Internet banking doesn't just make life easier, customers who choose it seem to be more satisfied with their bank. The two areas of greatest satisfaction fall in the categories of the convenience online banking provides and the ability to pay bills online. The report also shows that users who pay their bills online experience not only satisfaction with the ability to bank online, but with their specific banking institution, suggesting users have strong confidence in their bank's ability to secure identity. In fact, similar reports have also shown that those who pay bills online retain their business longer at a particular bank than those who do not use a bank's online service.

Many first-time users come to online banking to access their account information such as account balances and check activity. That is followed by the ability to transfer funds between accounts. And finally, many users then move into online bill payment.

Perhaps they start with paying a few utilities online at the utility's website. They may then look into the online bill payment service offered by their bank. Now, banks are seeing more and more users receiving bills electronically.

Yet for some bank customers, concerns about identity theft keep them from trying online banking. Interestingly, their counterparts who do use the Internet to conduct banking do not seem to hold those same perceptions. Most are satisfied with the level of online security offered by their banks. The challenge then for banks lies in the continued education of their customers to try online banking and discover for themselves the high level of security in place at most banks. Once those customers give online banking a try, perceptions of risk seem to decrease, reports indicate. Surprisingly, these same reports discovered that today's security measures put in place by PC users and banks have many ID thieves targeting potential victims offline.

The following are a few tips to consider when choosing an Internet bank account:

• The Annual Percentage Yield (APR) may be higher with Internet bank accounts, and therefore one of the most important attractions for those looking for a high yield. Conducting transactions online may save the bank money, and those savings may then be passed on to the online customer, most often in the form of higher savings rates.
• Ability to access money. Online users need to consider what steps are involved in accessing their money in an online account.
• Ability to link accounts. Users want the ability to link various accounts to one another, making it easy to move money seamlessly between online bank accounts.
• What types of additional services are available? Potential users should be interested in not only banking online, but purchasing CDs, applying for a mortgage, and paying bills online.
• Security. Users must confirm that their online bank is FDIC insured and that the security system can be trusted.
• Ability to set up automatic savings account. There's no reason not to save today with an online account that electronically deposits money into a savings or money market account.

Gumblar Still At Large...

What is it?
Gumblar is another multi-faceted, ninja-quiet website attack. Gumblar is named after the Gumblar.cn exploit, which so far targets users of Internet Explorer and Google search, delivering malware through compromised sites that infects a user's PC and subsequently intercepts traffic between the user and the visited sites. This means that once infected, anything the victim types could be monitored and used to commit identity theft, such as stealing credit card numbers, Web passwords or other sensitive data. Visitors encountering the compromised website also risk having their subsequent search results replaced with links that point to other malicious websites. The malware can also steal FTP credentials from the victim's computer and use them to infect more sites, thus increasing the spread of this threat. So far, more than 3,000 websites have been attacked including Tennis.com, Variety.com and Coldwellbanker.com.

Who is at risk?

Users of Internet Explorer and Google's search engine.

How do I know if I've been infected?
(as reported by Elinor Mills with data from ScanSafe):-

1. Locate sqlsodbc.chm in the Windows system folder (by default under Windows XP, the location is C:\Windows\System32\).
2. Obtain the SHA1 of the installed sqlsodbc.chm. FileAlyzer is a free tool that can be used to obtain the SHA1 of a file.
3. Compare the obtained SHA1 to the list located on the ScanSafe STAT Blog.
4. If the SHA1 and corresponding file size do not match with a pair on the reference list, it could be an indication of a Gumblar infection.

More info about Gumblar
Link1
Link2
Link3

Broadband: Understanding the Jargon and How to Get the Best Plan

If you find yourself reading this article online, then odds are you are no stranger to the vast wilderness that is the internet. Uploads, downloads, blogs, videos, podcasts, pictures, forums, games, news, email, animation, flash, webmail, webcams and music can all make for a vast and limitless real-time environment that is constantly changing. It is often the seemingly inexhaustible amount of resources that has many net users tearing out their hair due to strolling performance and extended loading time for content. However, in many cases, the real culprit is not the content or the website itself, but rather the combination of an ill-equipped connection speed and an internet plan that does not adequately address specific user needs.

Before roaming free in the World Wide Web, every internet user must first choose a connection plan and connection speed that will be able to accommodate both their budget and their user needs. The following article seeks to outline some of the basic areas that novice users should address when deciding to connect to the internet. For some, it may seem like commonsense, but for those suffering easily avoidable headaches and long load times it may just make a world of difference.

Connection Speeds
Before beginning it would first be wise to explain the two types of connection speeds and how they fundamentally differ. All methods of internet usage around the globe only use either one or the other of these types of connections.

Kbps: Is the common acronym for ‘Kilobits per second’. A Kilobit is one thousand bits of data – a ‘bit’ being the most fundamental form of binary code that makes up all information available both online and on your home PC. Essentially, a ‘bit’ is the building block of all computer technology and communication. In layman’s terms it is simply the combination of 1s and 0s that form the language of computers.

Mbps: A much larger unit of data, Mbps refers to the term ‘Megabits per second’. A Megabit is one million ‘bits’. This form of data transference is used by every internet connection above Dial-Up speed.

Types of Connection
Dial-Up: The most basic connection available, a Dial-Up connection uses the existing phone line in a business or household to transfer data at around 56Kbps. This is the slowest connection currently available in Australia and is in the process of steadily being outdated due to faster connections being more widely and readily accessible for a lower cost.

ISDN: Is an Integrated Services Digital Network and is twice the speed (at 128Kbps) of Dial-up. It can be difficult to obtain due to its reliance on what is fast becoming outdated technology. ISDN was essentially the technological stepping stone between Dial-Up and ADSL.

ADSL: Stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, also most commonly referred to when the term ‘broadband’ is used, and is a one-way connection where the download speed is much faster than the upload speed. This is a common trap for the average consumer because the speed of the connection is always referenced in terms of the maximum download speed (i.e how fast a page loads up / time it takes to save a file), rather than the much slower upload speed (i.e how long it takes to send an email / send a file to another computer).

Cable: The fastest connection available for both business and residential use (Fibre Optic connections, which are the next level up, are currently exclusive to business due to the high cost of installing and maintaining). Cable internet uses a similar system of connections to most pay television providers. It is completely separate to the household phone line and connection speed is substantially faster for both uploads and downloads. However, speed can be compromised by the number of separate households located in close proximity that use the same cable as only one cable is generally provided for a whole neighborhood. Generally cable runs at around 1.5 – 6 Megabits of bandwidth which is substantially faster than ADSL.

Connection Plans and Common Traps
To maintain a steady and consistently fast connection you need to take care in the selection of your plan. Having selected the telecommunications company with which you wish to subscribe for the service you then need to select a plan based on the cost of installing and maintaining your connection, the type of connection you wish to have installed, the speed of the connection, the download limit, if any, and the consequences if that download limit is exceeded.

The download limit or ‘shaping’ of your plan dictates how much information you can access from the internet within a month before being subjected to either additional costs (which can be significant) or slower connections (usually Dial-up).

According to Miles Humphrys, IT Manager for Corporate Executive Offices, one of the largest international chains of serviced offices throughout the Asia Pacific Region, a common pitfall when deciding on your internet plan is, “not knowing what it is that you, or your business, wish to use the connection for”. According to Mr Humphrys, “Before connecting the business or user must first decide what their primary methods of usage will be. Will they be sending a substantial amount of emails? Downloading live videos or music? Or simply surfing for information? All these factors must be weighed up before signing up to a limited connection or one with a capped amount of usage. Nothing is more frustrating for a business, or home office, than being crippled by an incredibly slow connection because they have gone over their download limit during the day-to-day requirements of the business or user.”

If you are unsure of the amount of data which you are likely to download in a month make sure you select a plan that gives you sufficient download capacity to enable you to then monitor your usage without fear of exceeding your limit. Make sure that your plan is flexible enough to then change if your download requirements are either substantially less or more than you expected.

“The one piece of advice that I would give for anyone looking to connect to the internet either now or in the future, above all, is to - read the fine print! The things to look out for are capped plans, download limits, shaping and especially ‘extra charges’. If you see anything that looks a little odd, always ask questions or consult an IT Professional”, concluded Mr Humphrys.

About The Author: Karen Vosjan is the owner & operator of Domain Design, Australia's leading image driven portal featuring leading Architects and Designers, and showcasing their projects, and capabilities.

Social Networking - Do You Practice Netiquette?

Over the years, the beauty of the Internet has opened many different doors pertaining to socializing, networking, and the overall art of communication. Today, computer users of all ages are exploring the possibilities associated with chat rooms, discussion boards, forums, and online personals. Sending emails, instant messaging family and friends, and relaying text messages across the World Wide Web are also popular forms of contact. Despite the fact that users are unseen behind the guise of their computer, there is still a written and unwritten code of conduct that exists about the Internet.

Even in the world of online communication, one may offend, confuse, and irritate the people they send emails to or speak with in a chat room. Just as you participate in face-to-face communication, you are often aware of the way you move your body, execute hand gestures, or raise your voice. When contacting others across the Internet, there are also certain messages conveyed through the way you type out your thoughts. One of the most irritating online habits involves the use of all-caps when typing to others. Not only are long strings of capped words a strain on the eyes to read, but is often viewed as shouting.

When typing emails or chatting with others while online, spelling and grammar really does count in not only making people see your side of things, but also promoting intelligent and free-flowing conversation. Usually, glaring spelling mistakes cause a distraction and confusion in correspondences. Additionally, just because you attempt to avoid making spelling errors and lapses in grammar – doesn’t mean you have the right to criticize others for their poor use of the English language. It is highly suggested to ignore the spelling mistakes of others and concentrate on the way you communicate while online.

Additional email etiquette rules include the avoidance of sending or forwarding junk mail and Internet hoaxes, forwarding virus warnings (which are sometimes hoaxes), replying to all recipients of a collectively sent email, and sending unnecessarily large attachments.

There are also plenty of netiquette issues to recognize when communicating with others in online communities (chat rooms and forums). One of the first things to do when joining a chat room, forum, or other online group is familiarize oneself with the rules or guidelines of the service. This practice comes in rather handy and helps one avoid any future online confrontations or misunderstandings.

At all times, your privacy should be protected, as well as other members of the online community. It is unwise to use full names in chat room correspondences and is rude to ask the full names of those you come in contact with. Staying on topic is also a rule of Internet etiquette. For instance, if you have joined a chat room community regarding model airplanes, it is often inappropriate to start sharing your marital problems with others. Using offensive language is warned against and is usually punished (suspension or ban).

When chatting, it is also suggested to keep messages short and present information in the most concise manner. Also, a common practice is to use abbreviations, but not everyone is familiar with the current lingo and this should be kept in mind – the abbreviation of your words and phrases should be used sparingly.

Overall, it is suggested to treat communication across the Internet in the same manner that you like to receive correspondences. Usually, the things that irritate you are the same actions others dislike as well.

by: L. J. Allen

About The Author Linda Allen is the co-founder of
GirlfriendsCafe, a popular social networking site for
women throughout the United States and Canada.

Internet

For you to be here reading this article we all of have some one to thank for the invention of this communication platform called the internet. Some of us are avid users of the internet who might be a fellow blogger, a surfer, an online business owner, a student, teacher, a stay at home mom and the list goes on but, have you ever wonder who invented the web? If you do know, then congrats but I hope you did not say Bill Gates. William "Bill" Henry Gates III is the cofounder, chairman and Chief Software Architect of Microsoft Corporation. He controls the largest software company in the world and is also the worlds richest individual. Well, if that was your answer or you cannot answer the question above then, that’s where this article comes in.

How it all began - a quick synopsis of the internet history
The pavement for the internet was sparked by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) launching of the first earth satellite called Sputnik in 1957. The United States was shocked by the USSR advancement in technology and out of fear, they envisioned the danger of the Soviet creating weapons in space that could strike them anytime and place in the US. Seeing the danger that they would be helpless and susceptible to such a potential attack they quickly responded by forming an organization called Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) in 1959. This organization came under the umbrella of the Department of Defense (DoD) and was given the responsibility to establish the United States as a military leader in the advancement of science and technology. This set off the space race between both countries.

[Note: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was commonly called Soviet Union or Russia. Abbr. USSR.]

By the year 1965 due to the theories of computer networking development, ARPA sponsored a study on 'co-operative network of time-sharing computers'. In 1968 Pentagon (the United States military head quarters) put forward a proposal for the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) - a pioneering wide area computer network- to unite America's military and scientific establishments. In 1972 The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) was renamed The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The genesis of the Internet
By the late 1980’s researchers (from around the world) contributing at the European Particle Research Laboratory (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland were having problems organizing and formatting documents that they wanted to share since their different computers and software system had to be compatible with the main CERN computing system. This caused frustration which lead to an unwillingness to comply to the CERN computing system. In addition, CERN being the premier Internet site in Europe were having serious problems locating all their data information. There system was quickly becoming overwhelmed by daily data information and urgently need a system that could readily correct this problem. There problem was however answered by a young computer researcher named Tim Berners-Lee.

The inventor of the web
Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist invented the World Wide Web in 1990. He graduated from the Queen's College at Oxford University, England, 1976. In 1980 he spent six months at CERN as a consultant software engineer. While there, he wrote his own personal software program as a memory substitute for storing data information called "Enquire". Even though this was not published it set the foundation on which the internet concept was built for the future. In 1984 however, he took up a fellowship at this same organization and in 1989 in response to the problems that was facing CERN he submitted a proposal called the global hypertext project. The purpose of this project was for the development of a data information system that would create a network (web) of information. This information system is now known as the World Wide Web.

In 1990, he wrote the first World Wide Web (WWW) server called the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). This “WWW” system that he would design was the method in which computers would communicate over the internet using hypertext documents. This system worked by assigning a universal system of written documents with addresses and hypertext links to all information. He called the system of written addresses a Universal Resource Identifier (URI). This is now known as Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

A hypertext link is a computer-based text retrieval system that enables a user to access particular locations in webpages documents by clicking on links within specific webpages or documents. By October 1990 Tim Berners-Lee started working on his proposal and wrote a program - hypertext browser/editor -that would allow hypertext documents to be retrieved and viewed. In the summer of 1991 his WorldWideWeb browser/editor and web server software, that was originated within CERN, became available on the Internet. Researchers and computer enthusiasts from around the world began setting up their own web system by downloading the browser and the web server software using File Transfer Protocol (FTP). His goal became a reality that would now solve the problem that the scientist at CERN where facing. Scientists were now able to send and post information documents on the web that could easily be assessed by anyone around the world that needed that specific information. This therefore means that they didn’t have to worry or get frustrated of whether the operating system used by other scientists were compatible or not due to the difference in the different operating systems used.

During the next three years as users of the internet spread, Berners-Lee worked on refining the internet through feedback from its users. In 1994 he went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he worked in the Laboratory department for Computer Science (LCS). He wanted the World Wide Web to be free and not to be controled by any company or institution manipulated by destructive competition and so, he envisioned a consortium that would enhance the full potential of the Web development thus ensuring stability and evolutionary transformation of the web in a standardize democratic process. Thus, through the help of MIT he head the new consortium as Director, known as the World Wide Web consortium (W3C) and coordinates all three centers world wide MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) in the US, European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics (ERCIM) in France, and Keio University in Japan. The goal and mission of W3C is to ensure the web stability by standardizing the technical specifications of the WWW and laying down guidelines by which to follow by a democratic process. These standards and guidelines are not enforced but are recommended by W3C . This they achieved by bringing together all its members and other internet/software companies such as Microsoft, Sun, IBM, Apple and Netscape just to name a few.

Discussion
The internet might have just started 15 years ago but it is now one of the most important universal communication platforms. In spite of all this, Tim Berners-Lee development of the web has not brought him wealth and fame. However, it can be concluded that the purpose of his invention of the Web was not for monetary gains. We all owe the “father of the web” for this great invention that has improved our way of life in so many different ways.

Extra - did you know?
The first e-mail program was created in 1972 by Ray Tomlinson of Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN).