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Linux Predictions for 2014? Let’s Talk Direction…

By Ken Starks on December 31, 2013 |

Software

2014 crystal ballThe last time I looked into my crystal ball, it told me to proceed with extreme caution if I invested in Google. Their business model was shaky at best. Needless to say, said crystal ball and I have parted company.

And yeah, I’m lousy at predictions. Sure, I could pick the “safe” things for 2014…

  1. Linux Torvalds will piss off a major tech company.
  2. Many will joke that 2014 will finally be “The Year Of Linux.”
  3. Apple will claim that Samsung infringed on their patent to patent patents.

So instead of predicting what might happen in 2014 within the Linuxsphere, let’s talk about what needs to happen and why.

Continue readingLinux Predictions for 2014? Let’s Talk Direction…
Is Rockstar Android’s SCO?SCO logo

Is Rockstar Android’s SCO?

By Christine Hall on December 30, 2013 |

Business, Internet, Mobile, News and Patents

Am I the only one who’s been having a bit of SCO déjà vu when it comes to Rockstar’s suit against Google and a bevy of Android handset makers?

You remember SCO, don’t you? They’re the company, once a major Linux player with the Caldera distro, that bought the rights to Unix then turned around and sued IBM for $1 billion, claiming that Big Blue had been copying Unix code into Linux. They’re also the company that sued two of their former clients, AutoZone and Daimler Chrysler, for moving to Linux. Trouble was, they had nothing, not even the copyrights to the code they claimed had been infringed.

SCO logoThere’s plenty about Rockstar vs Everybody Android to remind me of the SCO fiasco. Enough so to make me wish we still had PJ and Groklaw to take care of the play-by-play. Last week, Google returned fire. Wouldn’t it be nice to have PJ’s take on this?

Continue readingIs Rockstar Android’s SCO?
Google Fires Back, Alan Turing Pardoned & More…Flag of Canada

Google Fires Back, Alan Turing Pardoned & More…

By FOSS Force on December 27, 2013 |

Business, Internet, Media, News, Patents, Politics and Security

FOSS Week in Review

Just because Christmas week is supposed to be a slow news week doesn’t mean it’s a no news week…

Good news, bad news on the phishing front

First the good news. According to security company Websense, the amount of phishing attempts we’re finding in our email dropped remarkably this year, from 1.12% of all email volume down to 0.5%. Now, the bad news. The folks doing the phishing are getting better at targeting their attempts, so they don’t need to send as many emails to hook their prey.

Continue readingGoogle Fires Back, Alan Turing Pardoned & More…

The Ten Most Read Stories on FOSS Force in 2013

By FOSS Force on December 26, 2013 |

Site News

What were the ten best stories we published on FOSS Force this year? Well, that would depend on a lot of things, wouldn’t it, such as who’s asking? We could tell you what we think our ten best stories were this year, but we’ll hold that until next week. Today we’re going to look at the ten stories that got the most reads on our site this year.

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A Very Linux ChristmasReglue door

A Very Linux Christmas

By Ken Starks on December 24, 2013 |

Operating Systems

Since 2005, with the exception of last year, I have “worked” every Christmas day. I accentuate “worked” because I am lucky enough to have a job that feels more like a hobby than it does labor. I give computers to kids who cannot afford them. What’s not to like? I plan to work some of Christmas morning this year too.

This year is a special though.

Why?

Because I wasn’t supposed to be here. In fact, I wasn’t to be anywhere. Not in one piece anyway.

I was supposed to be dead.

Continue readingA Very Linux Christmas
Target Breach Illustrates Internet WeaknessTarget POS

Target Breach Illustrates Internet Weakness

By Christine Hall on December 23, 2013 |

Business, Internet, News and Security

In October, 2000, when Microsoft was presumably working on what would become XP, they were hacked. Somebody broke into their systems and managed to at least look at source code for Windows and Office. The folks in Redmond dutifully called in the FBI, examined their code and found it hadn’t been compromised. Or so they said.

“It is clear that hackers did see some of our source code,” Ballmer announced to a group of reporters and programmers at a seminar he was attending in Stockholm. “I can assure you that we know that there has been no compromise of the integrity of the source code, that it has not been modified or tampered with in any way.”

Target POS
The point of sale locations at Target stores — ground zero for the latest data breach.
At the time, this was disturbing, more so than if it were it to happen today. It was also an eye opener.

Continue readingTarget Breach Illustrates Internet Weakness
New Temp Patent Head, Amnesty for Snowden & More…Target logo

New Temp Patent Head, Amnesty for Snowden & More…

By FOSS Force on December 20, 2013 |

Business, Internet, News, Patents, Politics and Security

FOSS Week in Review

Credit card breach at Target affects over 40 million

Merry Christmas. Your bank account has been drained.

This week’s holiday cheer was marred for millions as they learned that their banking information might be in the hands of hackers.

Target has announced that over 40 million customer credit card transactions have been hijacked since Black Friday. The data was stolen from transactions at the retailer’s brick and mortar stores. Online transactions are evidently not affected. All information contained in a credit card’s magnetic stripe has been compromised, enough information to make counterfeit cards.

The story was originally made public on Wednesday by security expert Brian Krebs on his site KrebsonSecurity. This afternoon, Krebs wrote in an update that information pilfered from Target was making its way to the black market.

Continue readingNew Temp Patent Head, Amnesty for Snowden & More…
A Few Grains of Sand in the FOSS BucketFilling the Linux bucket

A Few Grains of Sand in the FOSS Bucket

By Ken Starks on December 19, 2013 |

Desktops and Software

Last week, we talked about just how important even your smallest contribution to FOSS might be. It doesn’t matter whether you occasionally spend time in forums helping others or if you submit code for review into the kernel. Everything you do goes into the sand pail. Eventually, everything you do filters down to the place it’s needed most: the everyday computer user.

This could be my sister, your cousin or the guy who bags your groceries at the supermarket…even your doctor. Your contribution benefits tens of thousands of people you will never know, people who will never know you even exist. Thus the beauty of what we do. “We” as in you and I.

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WordPress – Too Fast For ComfortWordPress logo

WordPress – Too Fast For Comfort

By Christine Hall on December 18, 2013 |

Internet, Software and Web Apps

Something’s got to give with the WordPress cycle.

Just three months ago, back in September, WordPress issued version 3.6.1 of their content management and blogging platform. Last week they issued 3.8. In between there was 3.7 and 3.7.1, the later release raising eyebrows when it included an automatic “minor point” upgrade feature that can’t be easily disabled.

That’s an average of one release per month, a burden for someone trying to keep sites safe from exploitation by the black hats. By quickening the pace of releases, WordPress may be inadvertently forcing webmasters into remaining with older versions, a potential security risk. Just as the enterprise balked at too much “release often” pressure from their vendors, folks who administer WordPress sites would be justified in complaining and pushing for a solution to this aspect of the WordPress development process.

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Oracle’s Oregon Website Failure

By Christine Hall on December 17, 2013 |

Business, Internet, News and Politics

So far the state of Oregon has paid Oracle at least $43 million dollars for a website primarily intended for residents to use to enroll for healthcare insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The site was initially due for delivery on October 1, which now has been pushed back on numerous occasions because the site doesn’t work. In fact, by all accounts, it’s an outright disaster.

The most recent missed deadline was announced on December 5, according to a report from KOIN TV.

“Cover Oregon’s former director, Rocky King — who took a long-term medical leave of absence last week — had said the online system would be ready Monday for insurance agents and community groups that have contracts with Cover Oregon, and then Dec. 16 for all individuals. King was replaced by Goldberg, who is the director of the Oregon Health Authority…

“Both those deadlines will be missed. In an email to KOIN Monday, Cover Oregon spokesman Michael Cox alleged that the Dec. 9 and Dec. 16 dates were ‘targets set by Oracle, not deadlines set by Cover Oregon.'”

Continue readingOracle’s Oregon Website Failure