Adventures in Underland

http://bit.ly/eReaderReview082010

The date was set, now the focus is defined, and the agenda being developed.

We’ll be briefly discussing the general direction of IT in the WVLS system, then focusin primarily on eReaders and eBooks for libraries, and we’ll also be doing a bit of clarification and hand-on playing with computer virtualization.

So I haven’t posted in a while, but I’m too busy right now to do a real content post so here’s a link to a pretty simple tips & tricks article on InfoSoup about keeping your iPhone battery

http://blog.techsoup.org/node/1364?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=btc

I’ve been running Windows 7 since beta and I only just found out about this feature called XP mode for Windows 7 (Professional and Ultimate versions only).  I still haven’t tried it much, I have yet to see a need for it, and I run tons and tons of old junk.  However, in the off chance that you have an application that will run in Windows XP, but just refuses to function in Windows Vista or Windows 7, this tool may be for you.

I won’t go into to much detail, but it’s built on top of Windows Virtual PC technology (which used to be Microsoft Virtual PC 2007).  Windows XP mode is basically an installation of Windows XP, that runs transparently in a Virtual machine on your Windows 7 desktop.  Complicated … ish … the technology is complex, but the simple integratioin makes the usage very simple.  Whatever the difficulty level, it’s Friggin Cool for Shizzles!!!

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/features/windows-xp-mode.aspx

This XP mode is only supported in the Professional and Ultimate editions of Windows 7, just another reason to shy away from using the Home versions in a business environment.  It is a seperate download, but is free.

With Martin Luther King Day coming up next Monday I thought it would be nice to share a video project my girlfriend recently put together for her uncle, who wrote the song heard in this video.

This morning, a director asked me about alternative state products and mentioned that Steady State does not work on Windows 7.  It bugged me all morning and finally I was able to find some time to research the issue.  After digging as deep as I could and reading several articles on the history of the matter, the bottom line is this:

There’s no workaround for getting Steady State on Windows 7.

I did happen across an unofficial survey in the Microsoft forums asking about usage, so I crafted a response and shipped it off … maybe my letter will be the one that tips the balance in favor of future (hopefully more comprehensive) Steady State development and support.  I don’t take this as a sign that Steady State is going away … yet … I want to learn more before jumping to that particular conclusion.

Here is a copy of the letter I sent to Microsoft:

——————————————————————————-

To Microsoft, Windows Steady State Group:

Survey Info:

1)      Wisconsin Valley Library Service
2)      USA
3)      Approximately 200+ computers using or potentially using Steady State

We are a government (state level) organization that manages a system of libraries.  We represent 26 Public library entities (37 branches), 3 public higher education organizations with multiple locations, and many more k-12 school libraries and private libraries.  While we mainly provide support for the Public Libraries, our services are available to all mentioned.

Of the Public Libraries there are over 400 computers in play, and a significant portion of those have been using Steady State on Windows XP and recently Windows Vista.  We have initiated discussion on the topic of state software and are researching centrally managed solutions.  I’ve seen good positive feedback on the Steady State product, not all based on cost; many current users like the easy to use interface.  As a system of public institutions with a fixed budget that is closely tied the state of the state and national economies, we look very closely at overall bottom line.  If we can save resources overall by implementing a centrally manageable system, then that will be our most likely path.  

Supporting Steady State on Windows 7 would be a short term bonus for many members of our consortium.  Creating an easier-to-manage server\end-point solution – possibly integrated with Active Directory services – would make the product something worth investing in for the entire consortium.  Free is obviously great, but even a nominal licensing fee for such a product would not dissuade us from researching it as a competitive product to other, established products.  I’m sure this is a common sentiment among many of our fellow Wisconsin Systems and likely among most medium to large public facing organizations as well. 

Thank you,

 Joshua Klingbeil – IT Director
Wisconsin Valley Library Service

Few things in life hurt more than getting a static shot in both ears from your iPhone\iPod earbuds … I was hearing stars …

Update: This screencast is already out of date as I’ve taken some user suggestions and chaged around a bit of the site configuration.  There are are now 3 required fields on the registration page which will help other users to more easily recognize posters.  The Time Zone option should be defaulted to CST now but I haven’t verified that yet.

After publishing the WVLS IT Forum I received some requests asking about how to use it.

This tutorial got a little verbose and it was 12:30ish AM so I was speaking soft and quiet … just turn the volume up a bit if you need to. I’m going to work on future casts being a bit more concise and targeting one specific thing at a time. It’s hard for me to watch anything longer than 2 minutes so that’s my target time for future tutorials …. in fact, maybe I’ll create a section called Two Minute Tutorials … I’d go with Two Minute Tutes … but that sounds …. odd … and TMTs is too close to TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) which to this day gets me chanting “Go ninja go ninja go … Go ninja go ninja go! and hopping and skipping around like Vanilla Ice.”

I’ve been meaning to write up a bit about these fake virus warnings but haven’t had the time to go out and find some good screenshots and info. Well I was “lucky” enough to get one such attack tonight while tooling around on Facebook. Below are some screen shots showing the progression of this style of attack as I attempt to close out the windows.

This image shows the initial phaze of the attack: deception\immitation.  It is attempting to look like a valid Windows Security Component.  There are a few key points that give away the ruse:
1) This is still an Internet Explorer window (could be FireFox or Safari – same thing – it’s still a browser window).
2) The web address in the Internet browser is not easily identifiable as a credible security source and is DEFINITELY not a Microsoft or windows system address.
3) The “System” items which the false page displays do not match up with the actual system… and in my case I’m running a version of windows that looks completely difference than this.

4) After attempting to close the window by clicking the [X] button, this pop-up labeled “Message From Webpage”. If you weren’t leery yet you should be now. Lets click the [X] on this message box and see what happens.

Another pop-up displays which is again designed to look like a legitimate windows component. If I were running Windows XP at this point I might have been a bit nervous at first but a second glance reveals the false nature of the window. I’ve never personally heard of Windows Web Security and after reading the entire window the grammar is the biggest give-away. I’ll click the [X] here too.

After making it past the first few somewhat well crafted attempts at subterfuge, this is a pretty paltry attempt to keep my interest. The grammar again is the big give-away on this window.

Bottom line? If you see antivirus\anti-spyware messages be wary and vigilant. Don’t take any pop-ups or the messages they claim at face value. Read them, and understand them before continuing.

Modern attacks are aware of antivirus software being present and are designed to That’s a basic walk through of a typical fake Windows Security attack. Identifying this type of attack and avoiding it is the most important step in avoiding its damaging effects. What I have not yet mentioned is almost as important. If you get through the windows before realizing what’s up, do NOT restart your computer until you’re fairly sure a cleanup has occurred. That can be difficult due to the nature of these programs, but your best chance of recovery will be to undo the damage before a restart. Give your local PC service provider a call as on site service will be your best bet. And of course you can always call me and I’ll do my best to help you work through it.

I’ve created a new website http://wvls.jajulu.com/itforum to use as a gathering place for technology related discussions within the WVLS community.

I’ve written a brief introduction to the site which can be found here:
http://bit.ly/WVLS-TechForumIntro

And have started the first topic for discussion which can be found here:
http://bit.ly/WVLS-TechForumAV