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INTRODUCTION — news about your newsletter We're giving away 25 travel radios We spent months looking for the smallest, lightest travel radio and alarm clock worthy of the name. When we found it, we knew we had to give some away to our loyal readers. With a thickness of only 0.6" (1.5 cm), these FM radios can slip into even the most crowded suitcases, purses, and briefcases. Even better, they break into components to become still more compact. They're not available in stores or online. We obtained them only through special order.  The radio (at left in photo above) includes: • Removable base (pack it or leave it behind) • Telescoping antenna extends to 7" (17.8 cm) • Detachable speaker for an even tinier radio • Radio part has belt clip and TWO speaker jacks • Plug in 1 or 2 pairs of earbuds (1 pair included) • Or attach 1 or 2 pairs of self-powered speakers • Auto-scan button finds the strongest stations • Alarm bell rings at a time you specify • Operates worldwide on 2 AAA batteries It's absurd to buy disposable alkaline batteries these days, so we're also giving the winners four long-life Jetcell NiMH AAA batteries and a recharger. After extensive research, we've selected the Lightning Pack 4000N (at right in photo). This device is top rated as the smallest, lightest, and safest AA/AAA fast-charger on the market: • Fast Mode charges batteries in 2 hours or so • Slow Mode restores worn batteries to life • Smart circuitry minimizes heat buildup • Less overheating lengthens battery life • Charges both older NiCd and newer NiMH batteries • Auto-detects NiCd or NiMH without switches • Adjusts worldwide to any country's voltage • No transformer "brick" or any cords at all • AC prongs retract into body — no protrusions • Optional adapters fit any country's AC outlets • Rave reviews in Steve's Digicams and Digital Photography Review All readers with updated preferences can win We'll pick 25 subscribers at random to receive these prizes. You're eligible to win if you've correctly updated your newsletter preferences page with: 1. The country where you live; and 2. Your area code (if in the U.S. or Canada). These fields on your preferences page must be filled in by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Jan. 19, 2005, when the winners will be chosen. We're planning a series of free seminars in 2005 or 2006. We need to know the general location of our readers to help us decide which cities and countries to visit. |
WINDOWS SECRETS NEWSLETTER (formerly Woody's Windows Watch and Brian's Buzz on Windows)  ISSUE 45 — 2005.01.13 • We're giving away 25 travel radios • All readers with updated preferences can win • Top Story: Strengthen your security baseline • Building a sea change in safe computing • New sections for our most dedicated readers • The Index of Reviews • Are Microsoft's new tools what you need? • "Tools" don't substitute for real antivirus apps • AntiSpyware beta offers slimmed-down Giant • Unpatched security holes still plague users • XP SP2 and other versions vulnerable to hacking • Almost all browsers at risk of pop-up takeovers • Firefox 1.0 allows hackers to cover up security warnings • ASP.NET hole is still unpatched, but help is available • Free browser security check is available • Microsoft's three new patches for January • XP SP2 gets patched against Xfocus flaw • Dangerous cursor files are rendered harmless again • Your indexing service needs updating • Infected PDFs force Adobe Reader upgrade • Woody witnesses Asian tsunami • Gates gives CES the demo from Hell • Useful Links NEWSLETTER CONTROL PANEL • Windows Secrets home page • How to subscribe • Change your delivery address • Change your preferences • Access past free issues • Access past paid issues • Submit a Windows tip • Get subscription help • How to unsubscribe CIRCULATION: over 145,000 |
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We'll notify the winners via e-mail by Jan. 20. Winners have two business days
to accept before an alternate recipient will be selected. We'll print the names
of the winners in the Jan. 27 issue of the newsletter. We're excited about changes we're making to improve the newsletter for you in 2005 (see our top story, below, for details). Giving away our favorite little radios and planning free seminars are just two ways that we can say "thank you" for your support. Have a great new year! —Brian Livingston, Editor ^ TOP STORY — info you need to make Windows work Strengthen your security baseline By Brian Livingston It's always darkest before the dawn. That's why I believe we have a hope of correcting the terrible mess that Windows users are facing from constant patching to combat viruses, spam, and identity theft. I wrote in the Sept. 23 issue of the Windows Secrets Newsletter that an astonishly high 30% of American consumers had experienced online identity theft, according to Gartner Inc. This is just one of the many unacceptable, lawless assaults that we face, including ever-expanding waves of viruses, worms, spam, and phishing attacks. I described in the June 3 issue five essential components of what I called the "security baseline." I now feel that a sixth component, upgrade-management software, must be added to my definition of the security baseline. These are the minimum hardware devices and software applications, therefore, that are currently needed by any individual or company that connects a PC to the Internet:
WindowsSecrets.com, therefore, plans to redesign its content and dedicate itself to two goals this year: 1. Explain the security baseline to consumers and executives alike; and 2. Pressure retailers and ISPs to fix the PCs they sold or linked to the Net. These are ambitious goals. But the current takeover of the Internet by thieves is extremely frightening and borders on making our cherished public resource too much of a hassle to use. We have to make computing safe again, and you can help. Building a sea change in safe computing As described at the top of this issue of the newsletter, we're planning a series of free seminars in 2005 or 2006 in various countries and cities where we have a large number of readers. We'll keep you informed in the coming months about our plans and the locales of these events. Until then, we're reorganizing the newsletter to make it pithier, tighter, and (at the same time) more useful to you. It's ironic that today's wave of attacks is not just overwhelming Windows users with security assaults. It's also overwhelming them with "security bulletins" they're supposed to read and understand. It's great for security consultants to spend 40 hours a week studying these bulletins. But consumers and business executives simply can't. One respected firm, Secunia, issued more than 350 security advisories in December 2004 alone. There are scores of companies that generate an analysis of every threat and a summary of every Windows patch. The Windows Secrets Newsletter is taking a different approach. We're committing ourselves to give you information you can read in 10 minutes, twice a month, that will tell you primarily about those threats that would penetrate your security baseline. You can read more about these threats if you like. But if not, at least you'll know what steps to take to protect yourself against the newest and most novel attacks for which no patches yet exist. This approach makes the following assumption: You have your security baseline installed and constantly updated. (Be sure to see the June 3 newsletter for expert recommendations on products you need to install.) To that end, we plan to add a sidebar that will appear in every issue (starting Jan. 27), summarizing the security baseline. The sidebar will link to the latest recommendations of top experts on the best free and inexpensive products in each of the required categories. New sections for our most dedicated readers In addition to the new sidebar, we're adding four concise sections to the newsletter. Each will be written by experts who are dedicated to helping you understand the latest information at a glance. These four new features are:
We have no set fee for the extra information. Any subscriber to the free version can get the longer, paid version by making a contribution of any amount. We want this service to be available to anyone, whatever monetary value they may feel it has. If this effort is worth something to you, see the Here's a Tip section below or use this link to upgrade. As always, we'll continue to put as much information as we can in the free version of the newsletter. We'll continue to keep you up-to-date on whatever free sources of information we can find. We're all in this together, and we PC users need to support each other in every way we can to overcome the perps who are now running riot over the Net. To send us more information about the security baseline, or to send us a tip on any other subject, visit WindowsSecrets.com/contact. You'll receive a gift certificate for a book, CD, or DVD of your choice if you send us a comment that we print. ^ INDEX OF REVIEWS — our directory of product shootouts The Index of Reviews To make room for the four new sections we're adding (described above), we're permanently moving the Index of Reviews from the paid section of the newsletter to the free section. In the Index of Reviews, we summarize and link to respected expert tests of the best Windows-compatible hardware products available today. (Reviews of software products will be added at a later time.) Only head-to-head ratings of competing products — not individual reviews of single products — are indexed here. The links below lead to information from U.S. sources. For information from sources in other countries, enter the name of a reviewed product into a search box at one of the following links: Canada / U.K. / Elsewhere
HERE'S A TIP — you'll get a better newsletter if you choose the paid version New benefits for readers in our paid version  Susan Bradley (photo, left) joins the Windows Secrets Newsletter today as a valuable resource. She's the author of the new Windows Patch Watch section
that will appear in every issue of our paid version.
Recognized as a guru of Windows server and security technology, Susan is a partner in a CPA firm and has in-depth,
hands-on knowledge of what works and doesn't work for Windows users and businesses of all sizes.Some of the extras that subscribers to the paid version of the Windows Secrets Newsletter are receiving this week are:
Make a contribution to support our research into Windows and you'll immediately be able to read and search through scores of valuable articles. In addition, paid subscribers are entitled to download valuable content that we license for them at least once every calendar quarter. To upgrade, simply make a contribution of any amount that you choose If you do this by January 26, 2005, you'll instantly be sent the full, paid version of today's newsletter. To upgrade to the paid version of Windows Secrets, please visit WindowsSecrets.com/upgrade. Thanks in advance. ^ FORWARDING INSTRUCTIONS — news gains value when it's shared Please share this information with your friends You're encouraged to refer your friends and colleagues to this free newsletter. Because most e-mail programs don't correctly display a formatted message that's been forwarded, simply call people's attention to the permanent Web address of this issue: WindowsSecrets.com/050113. REPORT FROM THAILAND — living through a disaster
HOT TIPS — the latest for your PC Infected PDFs force Adobe Reader upgrade PDF (Page Description Format) files are usually considered harmless to open. Unfortunately, a flaw has been found in PDFs, requiring an update to Adobe Reader and Acrobat software. This is apparently the first security vulnerability in PDFs since November 2000, when a hole was found in Adobe's version 4 software. To eliminate the risk, take one of the following three steps. (1) Rename Adobe's eBook.api file, if you don't use Adobe eBooks; (2) Install the Reader 6.0.2 upgrade; or (3) Upgrade Reader and Acrobat to version 7.0. We recommend upgrading to Reader 7, just released last month, which is reportedly much faster than Reader 6. How to upgrade Security firm iDefense has posted a description of the problem and workarounds for it. More info Blogger Jonathan Hardwick has posted an excellent guide to speeding up Reader 7.0 even more, including deleting a memory-resident file it installs. More info Finally, AcroPDF.com released on Jan. 1 its new PDF Speedup 1.42, an excellent utility that supercharges Adobe Reader for you automatically. More info ^ ELECTRONIC BOOKSHELF — new e-books from the editors
WACKY WEB WEEK — playing for you the Internet's greatest bits
USEFUL LINKS — more stuff that's good to know Protect your passwords Carrying your passwords around in a Flash drive isn't a secure way for you to use public-access PCs to log in to your accounts. Passwords themselves are the problem. But the solution is at hand, and it may free us from having to remember passwords at all. (By Brian Livingston, Datamation) More info Eliminate passwords with OATH Someday soon, you'll be able to forget your passwords and still access all the secure servers you use now. That's the future that's quietly being developed by an important but little-known organization called OATH. (By Brian Livingston, Datamation) More info The NEW road to Windows Longhorn Longhorn will still be released to manufacturing in May 2006, according to senior Microsoft executives. But the rest of the development schedule has had some fairly significant shifts. (By Paul Thurrott, SuperSite for Windows) More info ^ ABOUT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION — we're here to serve you The Windows Secrets Newsletter (formerly Woody's Windows Watch and Brian's Buzz on Windows) is published twice a month, except for breaks in July and December. The newsletter is published on Thursdays, two days after and sixteen days after Microsoft releases its new Windows patches on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Publisher: The newsletter publisher is WindowsSecrets.com LLC, 300 Queen Anne Ave. N. #456, Seattle, WA 98109 USA. Vendors, please send no unsolicited packages to this address (readers' letters are fine). Editor: Brian Livingston is the co-author of Windows 2000 Secrets, Windows Me Secrets, and eight other books. Associate Editor: Paul Thurrott is the author of Windows XP Home Networking, 2nd Ed., and Great Digital Media with Windows XP and the author or co-author of several other books. Contributing Editors: Woody Leonhard, Susan Bradley. Research Director: Vickie Stevens. Program Director: Ian Maddox. Trademarks: "Windows" is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The "Windows Secrets" series of books is published by Wiley Publishing Inc. "The Windows Secrets Newsletter," "WindowsSecrets.com," "WinFind," "Windows Gizmos," "Index of Reviews," and "Wacky Web Week" are trademarks and service marks of WindowsSecrets.com LLC. All other marks are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. How to subscribe: Anyone may subscribe to this newsletter by visiting WindowsSecrets.com/info. How to change your delivery address: To change your delivery address, log in at WindowsSecrets.com/prefs/?a=cP. How to change your other preferences: To change from HTML format to a plain-text notification and to set other preferences, log in at WindowsSecrets.com/prefs. How to get subscription help by e-mail (fastest method): Visit WindowsSecrets.com/contact. Subscription help by facsimile: 206-282-6312 (fax). Emergency subscription help by phone: 206-282-2536 (24 hours). How to unsubscribe: To unsubscribe from the Windows Secrets Newsletter, • Use this Unsubscribe link; or • Visit WindowsSecrets.com/unsubscribe. All subscribers are covered by our Ironclad Privacy Guarantee: (1) We will never sell, rent, or give away your address to any outside party, ever; (2) We will never send you any unrequested e-mail, besides newsletter updates; and (3) All unsubscribe requests are always honored immediately, period. Privacy policy Copyright © 2005 by WindowsSecrets.com LLC. All rights reserved. ^ |
