Facebook Code Leak

Facebook, while performing maintenance on a web server over the weekend, apparently displayed code that generates its user interface. WOOPS.

Facebook claims that the code that was leaked did not threaten their users data. But security analysts argue that it very well may have.

The thought is this, a well versed hacker could look at the code and learn some of the inner workings of Facebook. This tidbit of knowledge, mixed with some sql injection and fake FaceBook pages on another web server is a cookbook for disaster.

A statement was made from Brandee Barker of FaceBook:

A small fraction of the code that displays Facebook web pages was exposed to a small number of users due to a single misconfigured web server that was fixed immediately. It was not a security breach and did not compromise user data in any way. Because the code that was released only powers the Facebook user interface, it offers no useful insight into the inner workings of Facebook. The reprinting of this code violates several laws and we ask that people not distribute it further

As posted on TechCrunch:

It seems that the cause was apache and mod_php sending back un-interpreted source code as opposed to output, due to either a server misconfiguration or high load (this is a known issue). It is also apparent that other pages have been revealed, and that this problem has occured before, but only now has somebody actually posted the code online.

So, I invite hackers to view the code at Facebook Secrets. This invitation is for educational purposes only, not to mention if you find security holes, maybe you could charge FaceBook to fix them.

Chris

TeleBlend: Small Business Owner Deals w/ Poor Service

Teleblend continues to blame shortcomings on SunRocket's mess. ComputerWorld describes how one business owner is dealing with the poor service that TeleBlend continues to provide. The article can be found here.

Microsoft Office alternatives: Open Word docs without opening your wallet

Microsoft Office is probably the most recognized productivity suite known in the world, but it comes with a hefty price tag. Ranging from $130 for Student edition to $540 for the Ultimate edition, many users find themselves in need of the ability to create and save Word and Excel files but cannot afford the Microsoft Suite.

If you are one of the many users who cannot afford Microsoft Office 2007, then you are in luck. In recent years more and more options have come available to users who need to be able to create documents.

• ThinkFree Online - ThinkFree's Online edition is a very powerful and robust office suite. It has word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation apps which are all compatible with Microsoft Office Formats. Store documents online, allow friends to join you in creating and editing documents as well as share documents by email. Price = FREE.
  
• ThinkFree Premium Edition - ThinkFree Premium Edition is a desktop application that gives you all of the functionality of ThinkFree Online but Offline. It has the ability to auto synchronize your documents online and off, so wherever you are you can access your documents. Because the Premium Edition is still in beta, it is also FREE.
  
• Google Docs & Spreadsheets - Google Docs and Spreadsheets plays a similar tone to Thinkfree. It is great for quick on the fly creation of documents. I have found limitations in its Spreadsheet tool that made totaling hours difficult. For example, as a consultant I keep track of my hours worked for people using ThinkFree Online. Well when I attempted this in Google Docs & Spreadsheets, it would not total hours in the fashion that I needed. Price = FREE.
  
• OpenOffice - OpenOffice is developed in conjunction between Sun Microsystem's and a community of volunteer developers. It is a very powerful and robust application. Having word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, database, illustration and math calculation software packed in, makes it a very worthy adversary to the Microsoft Office Suite. Price = FREE.
  
• Sun's StarOffice - Normally sold for $70. StarOffice is now available through Google's "Google Pack" for FREE. The only difference is that the Google Pack version has a Google search bar embedded within the application. Google's choice in using StarOffice over OpenOffice is still fully unanswered, but speculation leads to believe that it was because of a software use agreement shared between Sun & Google back in 2005. Price = FREE.
  
• Corel WordPerfect Office - Corel's WordPerfect Office suite is probably the most competitive suite to MS Office in that it is competitive packaged, priced, and marketed. It is cheaper than MS Office, but not by much. Ranging from $99 to $350, it doesn't offer much more than the free alternatives listed above. But some people just enjoy sticking with what they know, and since WordPerfect has been around nearly as long as Word if not longer, Corel has established a loyal user base. Price = $99 to $350.
  

ViaTalk: Fed up. Hope in sight?

I have been continuing to have issues with ViaTalk.

I submitted a ticket attempting to address poor quality of service on August 5th and have not received a response. I attempt to call them from my ViaTalk phone but it doesn't ring. It dials and then is quiet. I try from my cell phone, it works but then I hear that I am caller 54. Fun huh. No way on a weekday I am going to wait through 54 callers on my cell phone.

I receive notice on August 6th that one of my numbers was to be ported on the 9th and one on the 13th. I received notice on the 10th stating that my number was ported successfully. I logged in, there is no sign of my old number that should have been
ported.

I received an email on the 10th, stating the following:

Dear Chris Mancini,
Notice: Your invoice 393875 has been processed by ViaTalk.com.

Status:Manual Payment
Invoice Number:393875
Invoice Amount:$3.95
Date Paid:2007/08/10
Amount Left:$0.00
Trans ID:1520358057

Outstanding Balance: none

You may login to view your invoice(s) online at any time:
https://support.viatalk.com/billing/

Thank you,

Billing Dept.
ViaTalk.com

I went online, curious to know why I was charged $3.95 to my credit card. This is what I saw:

2007/08/10 Manual: Generated Invoice 393875 $3.95 $0.00 $-3.95
2007/08/10 Manual Payment (181074) 393875 $0.00 $3.95 $0.00

This gave me no information on why I was charged $3.95.

While searching through my account options on ViaTalk's website, I found an option labaled priority support. So apparently for $1.95 per month, you can receive "cut in line" priority when calling ViaTalk. Ok so I signed up, tried it, lets just say, nothing was "priority".

So, I started as caller 16 as I began my call as a priority support subscriber, it took 1 hour and 50 minutes to get on the phone with someone. I felt like a VIP, I swear.

So here is a condensed version of my conversation with Collin of ViaTalk.

I asked Collin how they could charge $1.95 a month for priority support if I was still waiting 1 hour and 50 minutes to speak with someone. He apologized on behalf of the company, and informed me under normal circumstances, their priority support subscribers usually experience less than 5 minutes of wait time.

He also informed me that ViaTalk has been on a hiring spree. They have doubled their staff in the last three weeks. There is only one problem, all of those new employees, are just finishing training. Hence the long wait times.

Collin has informed me that ViaTalk has opened its doors to over 20,000 SunRocket refugees. Thats about 10% of SunRockets original subscriber base, thats quite a bit of growth in such a short time.

In regards to the $3.95 charge was because I had transfered 2 numbers from SunRocket. The first number was free, the second was $3.95. Ok I am fine with that, but I informed Collin that it is good business practice, to inform the customer of charges before they occur. Even if they included in the invoice what the $3.95 was for, I would not have become upset over it.

He informed that because the number that had ported already had been my second number, it is setup automatically to forward to my ViaTalk number. It is considered a virtual number, that is why it does not display in my account. Personally I think it should, it is almost as if it doesn't exist. In order to use it, I would need to subscribe to a second line.

I asked him why I couldn't call ViaTalk from my ViaTalk phone. He said that this was not new regarding BYOD customers with SunRocket phones. Apparently, SunRocket may have configured the devices to prevent their users from contacting the competition, honestly I can believe that. So I will research and see if I cannot find a resolution for this, Collin was unable to provide one.

He also gave me some tips in improving my call quality, I will post them in a separate article.

My overall conversation with Collin was pleasant. He was obviously American, no outsourced support with ViaTalk which is good to hear. He was sincere and responsive to my distress. Under the circumstances, I feel that ViaTalk is reputable and that I feel that other subscribers having issues should hang in there. ViaTalk is working hard to meet the needs of their 20,000 new subscribers, which I believe must be a difficult task.

Google GPhone: Is it just a rumor or a definite possibility

There are rumors stirring that Google has begun R&D of a mobile telephone. This rumored phone would have built in all of Google's greatest apps such as search, gmail, and maps just to name a few. It would be an open platform phone with many options to customize the software loaded on it.

Personally, this is no surprise. Just look at Google's mission statement:

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.

With their recent efforts to mix it up regarding the upcoming 700Mhz wireless spectrum auction, this I believe is a strong possibility.

Google wants to make the internet and information accessible to anyone anywhere, in doing so they gain a strong advantage over competitors such as Yahoo and Microsoft in search advertising. This sort of upper hand advantage could seriously bury Microsoft.

Many people will find decreasing need for computers at home, with many of the abilities of a home computer becoming more and more available on mobile devices.

I can guarantee that if Google releases a phone, it will be one that is compatible with any wireless standard (bluetooth, wifi, and all of the cell phone frequencies), it will be highly customizable and it will have a very intuitive interface. It will stir up a very uncompetitive market. Palm, LG, Motorola and Ericson will have to make some great strides in the development of future pda phones.

Google continues to refuse to confirm the rumor, but expect an announcement regarding a GPhone in probably 3-6 months.

Chris

Google is No Dummy

In July, Google has made a stand in their commitment towards open broadband platforms. Basically, they have lobbied the FCC to change policy's ruling the 700Mhz spectrum. The full post can be read here.

Current wireless standards are not open, have you tried to change cell phone providers at all recently? If you are not locked in a 2 year contract, you will be. Not to mention you have to buy a new phone to try a new service. Or how about the fact that if you want to have an Apple iPhone, that you have to use AT&T's network.

Most people do not know that the cell phone technology here in the United States is far behind that of Japan's and many other nations. In Japan, you can walk down an urban street, purchase a new cell phone from a vendor with a table on the street. Then pop a card out of the back of their current phone, put it in their new one, turn it on and dial a call. They don't even have to have their service provider transfer their contacts, its already on the new phone using that little card.

Google's vision would allow consumers to change networks on the fly, without having to purchase a new phone. It would allow consumers to buy a new phone, without having to notify their service provider or sign a new 2 year contract. It would make prices more competitive and would make it easier for smaller service providers to enter the market. It would allow tech users to choose their own software that operates the phone, no longer being restricted to the interface that comes with it.

In fact, if the FCC adopts the new rules of openness, Google will come to the wireless spectrum auction with at least $4.6 billion in their pocket in an effort to show the FCC Chair that openness in broadband platforms will not diminish the value at time of auction. Securing much needed revenue for the US Treasury.

Now why does it benefit Google to have open broadband platforms? Quite simply their mission statement says it all, taken from their website here.

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.

By organizing the world's information, they are making it search able, by making this information universally accessible, they are increasing their user base. With a larger user base, they make more money through advertising. Google is committed to their mission statement, that is why if necessary, they will be bidding at the next auction. If they win, do not be surprised if they build their own wireless infrastructure and become a major competitor.

Their goal is to remove the barriers and obstacles many consumers face in accessing the internet. Personally, I want an iPhone. I do not want to be on ATT's network, my whole family is with Verizon. I am also locked into a 2 year contract that ends in January of 2009. Fun huh?

The next step for Google, the GPhone... go ahead and laugh.

Another great article regarding this topic can be found at CNET.

Chris

Sherwood Violates Sunrockets Privacy Policy

Some of you that are exSunRocket customers may have received solicitations from Vonage. It was posted in a dslreports.com forum that one user had reason to believe that their customer information has been sold to Vonage. Their reasoning was as follows:

1. This users SunRocket account had both his name and his wife's name (hers being mispelled) on the account. The Vonage mailer had been addressed the same exact way(including the mispelling).
2. The Vonage mailer linked to a page on their website that specifically addressed displaced SunRocket customers. View the link here.
3. This user has never received Vonage mailings before this date.

Having reviewed the evidence, it is quite apparent that our information has been sold. Now the question is, is this a violation of policy?

SunRocket's privacy policy clearly states, "SunRocket does not sell, trade, or disclose personally identifiable information to third parties for unrelated marketing purposes."

SunRocket's privacy policy is still available online, here.

The real question, is whether or not the management of the liquidation process, Sherwood Partners, llc, is held responsible for violations of SunRocket's privacy policy. Personally, I think that as acting on behalf of SunRocket, they should be held responsible regarding SunRocket's privacy policy.

Chris

P.S. Just in case Sherwood Partners catches wind of this problem, I have made a copy of the Privacy Policy available here.

HowTo: How to promote your blog?

Hearing stories of professional bloggers making a living through their blog, reminds me of the Ebay seller turning a hobby into a million dollar company. Blogging is becoming a trendy activity. But like all things, your are not going to be able to quit your day job with out rolling up your sleeves.

So here we are, you have a blog and your goal is to walk into work one day and tell your boss you don't need his money anymore? This article will give you the knowledge and skills to accomplish that dream.

1. Make sure that whatever blogging software you are using, that it is pinging major blog search engines updates to your blog. For Blogger, this feature is under Settings --> Publishing and is called "Send Pings".
2. Make sure that you visit 5-10 blogs a week that are similar in topic to yours. Find a post that interests you and leave a comment. Leave a comment that will spark a reply from the author, not just spam. If the author feels appreciative of the comment you left, in most cases they will respond to your comment and visit your blog. Not to mention, the authors readers may visit your blog.
3. Carry your blog's url around as if it was your wallet / purse. On every one of your email addresses, add this url to your signature. In every social networking website that you are a member, include this url in your profile. On business cards, letterhead, forum posts, and comments on other blogs.
4. Visit forums that revolve around your topic. Genuinely engage the users of this forum. Chances are if they find your information useful or valuable they will visit your blog.
5. Travel over to feedburner.com, a service that was recently purchased by Google, begin to monitor and promote your blog. Feedburner has quite a few really neat gadgets and tools to help you promote your blog.
6. Submit your site to places like Open Directory Project, MSN and Altavista. There are many more than just these three, be creative and do some research.
7. Submit your blog to individual blog directories. Blog Connection has an excellent list here.
8. Find subjects within your topic that are trendy. For example, if your topic is mobile communications, then talk about the iPhone or Google's entry into the wireless industry. By writing about subjects that are trendy, there will be more users searching for information regarding those subjects.
9. No matter what the post is about, make sure that you use your keywords repeatedly within the post. Now lets be responsible and not keyword spam, but we do want to repeatedly use the keywords that users will use to find your blog. For example, when discussing the new iPhone, you should reuse the word iPhone and Apple probably 1-3 times per paragraph. This will bump you up in the results because Google will think that your post is more relavant than others.
10. Claim your blog / site on Technorati and Alexa.

If you follow these steps, you will see steady growth in the number of visitors and subscribers to your blog. Work hard, and you may have that opportunity to tell your boss, "go to hell!".

Chris