It’s Like Mint… For Businesses
As I was surfing through Robert Scoble’s blog, I found an article that only caught my eye because it mentioned my home state of North Carolina. (“There’s tech companies here?”, ha) Any-hoo, a couple of guys that were fed up with Quickbooks, an accounting software suite from Intuit designed to help businesses track their expenses, deciding to create their own. Firelace, the name of their company, created Merchant’s Mirror that most importantly, is cross-browser supported (unlike Quickbook’s requirement of IE 6).
The fundamentals behind Merchant’s Mirror are similar to other traditional accounting systems. It allows you to create customers and vendors, add users, send invoices, enter payments, and much more. The difference comes in two ways. First, Merchant’s Mirror is web-based. That means it is available to you from any Internet-connected computer. It also means that your data is automatically backed up and managed without you having to lift a finger.
The cool thing about Merchant’s Mirror is that it’s 100% web based. Now I don’t have to explain why this is a benefit (access from anywhere and ease of sharing). I have since contact the developers of this interesting software package to see if I can hop on board to do an official review for you guys. Stay posted.
~Cory
wubi: The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
Ever wanted to try Linux but were too afraid that you would mess something up? What if I told you that there was a simple way to run Linux, risk-free, and could guarantee that you would fall in love? No I’m not talking about a Live-CD, I’m talking about a full fledged version of Ubuntu, downloaded and installed all from within Windows!
I’m talking about this great, fully supported, installer called Wubi. When I first read about it on a thread at the How2Hack-Security group forums, I assumed it was just a thrown together version of Linux but no, this is Ubuntu!
No need to burn a CD. Just run the installer, enter a password for the new account, and click “Install”, go grab a coffee, and when you are back, Ubuntu will be ready for you.
Wubi not only installs Ubuntu for you, from Windows, it also creates a boot loader so that you can choose between Windows and Ubuntu at start-up. Find out that you don’t like Linux? Un-installing Ubuntu is as easy as un-installing any other application on your computer by using the Add/Remove Programs tab in the Control Panel. How sweet is that?
Even though I’m pretty good with messing around with Linux, I would probably use Wubi just for the simplicity of it. I’ve been meaning to throw a version of Ubuntu on my new laptop but just haven’t had the time to sit down and do it. I might use Wubi just for the heck of it and write a full review sometime soon.
Has anyone else tried this genius software yet? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.
~Cory
Oh The Good ‘Ole Days
So I came across this article on Digg the other day and the similarities between this student and me were unbelievable. I assumed my case was one in a million, but apparently not. For those that don’t know what I’m talking about, let me do a little summary.
During the first semester of my sophomore year of high school, I was in a Networking class (you know, this is a modem, this is a router, that kind of BS). During the course of this class, I found myself messing around with the school networks and what not as the teacher rambles on about nonsense. One day, this led me to a find that to this day I never wish I found. By just navigating through the windows explorer window of directories, I found myself in the root folder of the entire DPS (Durham Public Schools) file server. Included in this server were copies of network applications (a version of Office, student attendance tracking, grade books, etc) but this really didn’t mean much because all of these apps required a unique user/pass to access separate from the WindowsXP logins every student/teacher had. Deeper into this directory I came across a Student Information Management (SIMS) application. No big deal because I don’t have a user/pass right? Wrong. This particular application allows for it to be backed up at any intervals. For DPS, this was weekly. This is a normal ability with any program, but whats not normal, is the administrators of this network’s idea to save these backups on an unprotected server for anyone to take. Needless to say I opened them up and quickly started telling the people around me their addresses and home phone numbers. It was great when I raised my hand and asked my teacher if 1234 Rainbow Lane was her address. The look on her face was priceless.
After class I sat down with this teacher and addressed my concerns with not only mine, but 40k+ students and 15K+ teacher/staff information was available so easily and asked if I could talk to the head IT guy to discuss how to fix this. At this point, I thought I was the good guy. I was wrong.
Later that day during my lunch, a police officer approached me and asked me if I was Cory Holt. I responded yes and I was forced to follow him to a small room inside the school. As I entered I found my principle, the head IT guy for all of DPS, and a detective from the Durham County Sheriffs office. As the questions began I finally realized that they didn’t find me as the saint that I thought I was. Short and simple: I had the police bust in my house and take all of my computers and things making a huge mess for me to deal with all the next year. It took 11 months to get all of my property back, and to this day, the Durham County Sheriffs office still has my 512mb flash drive, but I’m not too worried about that.
Now in my case, no charges were filled and I was just given a slap on the wrist. In this kids case, he’s in a lot more serious trouble which leads me to an interesting question: Why prosecute the people that are trying to help you when its obvious you cant help yourself? I remember in the “interrogation room” that I was in for upwards to 8-9 hours, mentioning “Do you think I’m a terrorist?”. They didn’t like that very much.
So other than all the technology teacher’s knowing my name and every student fearing that they’ll have horrible credit reports, I thought it was quite an interesting experience and an example of how ignorant people can be when it comes to them not doing their job right. In my opinion, charges should have been filled against them for not properly securing the personal data that they REQUIRE to attend school. It’s their responsibility and when they don’t follow it, nothing happens. But the second I step out of line, everyone is quick to jump on the gun. Just my $0.02.
~Cory
What’s So Shiny About Chrome?
I have been hearing all this hype about “Googles new browser” and thought: What better of a developer to make browsers than a company that makes websites, right? Being a developer, I know the pains of IE hacks in CSS, breaking standards to make sites look the way they’re supposed to, its not fun. So anyways, I decided to give it a try today and this is what I thought.
Surfing the web is simple with Chrome.
At first glance, I kind of thought I was using a new version of IE. The missing file menu from the top made a 10+ yr Windows user a little un-easy but I’ll get over it. Also in terms of design, I’ve never been to found of applications breaking the borders of their operating system. Attempting to double click the left top corner of the app turns out doesn’t close it, only mins and maxs. A little bit of a bummer but not that serious of an issue.
I'm lovin the multi-process browsing.
Being a hacker, lets talk security. This whole “multi-process” business also improves security. Essentially, using Google’s “sandbox” approach “we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites.” When a tab goes bad, you get a cute little sad face to let you know somethings up. Kind of like when you drop your iPod down a flight of stairs.
Google knows that people like porn 
So, in all, I’m liking Google’s newest approach at invading the desktop computing market, and hope to see more innovative ideas and projects coming from Google in the near future. Whats your favorite part about Chrome? Share them below in the comments.
When The Apple Grows, So Do The Worms
I have always been a big follower of not only Apple products and services but more of as a company itself. Apple’s ability to give it’s users what they want, how they want it, and deliver its service and support better and more productively than any other company in its niche has ever possibly been able to do.
As the company grows, its strives to keep out the worms.
Apple has always had fun, exciting, and most of all: innovative products. Back in the day you could always tell a mac from any other computer on the market. Whether it was the desktop that reminded you of the PiXAR lamp or the trippy color clamshell notebooks, Apple has always been defferent. Plus, they always “Just worked.” Although I never owned a mac myself but I had the pleasure of using them often.
Even with their branch off to the music industry with their iPod, Apple showed that they still had it going. A revolutionary way of playing music plus a kick ass advertising campaign that allowed for its entrance into today’s widespread pop culture. Using what Apple already had they integrated an easy to use music store combined with Apples gift of writing amazing code to assist their products well. Apple has always been a good company for one reason and one reason only (aside of innovative and creative ideas). Now this reason, to some, is the same for its downfall, but I’ll get to that in a second. Apples main thing it has going for its is its choice and ability to be 100% proprietary. Apple always had the ability to control their market because their systems only worked with their software and their software only worked with their systems.
This idea was great from a support and development standpoint, because Apple could develop their products exactly how they wanted and support them as easily as they made them.
Think of it this way, your brother, who is a PC user, is having a problem with his computer. He calls Microsoft in the middle of India to get WinXP support, not only can he not tell what the operator is telling him, the operator really doesn’t know much. They don’t know what kind of computer he is using, the system specs, what accessories and expansions he has installed, not to mention the plethora of installed demos and spyware installed by the vendor of the machine. And on top of that, chances our your brother doesn’t know much about his computer either. Now, on the other side, your sister, and avid Mac user, calls Apple and instantly the operator knows that because she is running her system (with probably only 1 or 2 areas of customization possible that only affects the speed of the machine) with version whatever of MacOS and is running this machine. Because they have manufactured their own parts and written their own software, they are easier informed and equipped to support it.
The problem comes in when Apple looses it’s ability to have this proprietary control over its market. This doesn’t come by fault of Apple directly due to any mess up of their own surprisingly, their expansion and growth. With Apples recent dive into the music industry and even more recently into the mobile communications industry, Apple has been itself in a position where forming cooperate partnerships and and relying on companies like AT&T and Intel to be just as strong as they are to provide their users with the same quality support has they had when they were mostly proprietary. Without this ability, Apple feel as if Apple will loose its edge in its ability to be as creative and as innovative as they have in the past.
We all love comics right?
Is Apple going anywhere anytime soon? Yeah, right! Apple will be able to keep us entertained for quite some time so there’s no reason for concern just yet. I’m pretty sure the public will stay excited with Apple’s ability to release glass trackpads and color changing iPods for just a little while longer.
~Cory
Are URL’s Really Becoming Extinct?
I was reading an article earlier this morning on one of my favorite blogs, Wisdump, about how “normal people” don’t tend to use URLs as much as they used too, blaming search engines like Google for the extinction of said technologies. Sure, built-in technologies such as search bars from Google or separate toolbar for your favorite website make things easier and faster, but they don’t always provide the most practical solution. Me? I think URLs aren’t going anywhere, and I’ll tell you why.
Security
The article dips very lightly into the idea that by eliminating the use of the URL as we know it now, web security and the potential for “normal” computer users to be maliciously attacked drop. Yea, if we were still in 1995. Today when you think of people web surfing, you think of what? People going from web page the web page looking at information, hence the name “surfing” right? Who actually does that? People that use the internet are continually being sucked into just a few handfuls of site and services they use.
Think social networking. Users go to websites like Facebook and MySpace, but instead of surfing on to other websites around the net, they stay on that site. It offers more than just text to read and videos to watch, its a network of people to communicate with (social networking). Now I know by now you all are thinking “Cory, why are you explaining how social networking sites work? Its not rocket science!” I’ll tell you why: How many URL’s do you use to go to Facebook or MySpace? One.
Most of the URL spoofing attacks come from internal actions taken by parties during the attack. Think a message directing you to a wrong link or a those tricky seductive images (those get me all the time). So actually, if you were to get rid of URLs, how would you know your still on the same website? Seems like URLs are the only secure thing out there these days. Hmmm….
Attack of the Invading Google
In the article, the other shows a screen shot of your standard Firefox install plus adding the Google toolbar, stressing the idea that every computer user (a)Still has the default firefox/google search page (b)Has their search box set to use Google and (c)Actually installs and uses the Google toolbar. Either these “normal people” have a Google fetish or like searching right?
But Wait…
By “normal people” I mean those who are mere computer users, not literates nor enthusiasts nor experts.
So normal people, who are not computer literate, know to install Firefox because its a better browser and because its safer and easier to use, but can’t figure out how you have to put WWW before and .COM after your URLs.
Conclusion
Don’t get me wrong, I love Wisdump, always have, they have interesting articles on things that interest me plus they allow my brain to wonder, leaving you with blog posts to read. I’m not trying to blow them out of the water and call them out. The article still proves a good point that its easier to tell your friend to search for ________ on YouTube than to be able to remember the completely randomly generated ID.
~Cory
Mozilla Shiretoko Alpha 1 Release
Cruising around the net early this afternoon I came across the download link for the new alpha version of Firefox, “Shiretoko”. So being the curious one that I am, I downloaded it and tried it out. Luckily I took a few screenshots 
This release of Firefox shows off some really neat features both visually and behind the scenes to improve your browsing experience. Here are some of them. (more…)
