Switch off, fly safe

Every time I fly, I see people put their phones under their thighs, look in the other direction and try to act deaf, all because the cabin crew has announced that all electronic devices, including their precious cellphones, have to be switched off for the duration of the flight. Recently, a man sitting next to me refused to do so. The flight was delayed and he was still on the phone.

Reprimanded a couple of times by the airhostess, the man decided to put the phone on airplane mode. The crew explained that he would have to switch it off completely. But the man countered that his calls were important, especially as the flight was late. As the debate turned into a heated argument, I tried to explain why it is important to switch off the phone in an airplane. But our friend was not convinced.

That episode made me decide that it was time I explained how a small mobile phone can cause havoc in an airplane. Though electronic equipment on airplanes is designed to ignore interference, there have been several instances when their navigational equipment showed errors. This was linked to a cell phone being used on board, though scientifically there are difficulties in proving that the gadget alone was the cause of the errors. But, I guess, it is better to be safe than sorry.

All electronic equipment, especially our phones, laptop computers and BlackBerrys, have a communication engine that not only listens for radio frequency signals, but also transmits them. Similarly, our iPods have Wi-Fi, while many other gadgets have Bluetooth. The airplane mode switches off the radio, but there are still chances that the device may send out signals, and that’s why we have to be cautious.

The aircraft uses sensitive navigational equipment, similar to a GPS in the car. The equipment depends on communication from the airfield below as well as satellites above to know where it is going. As all this communication is on radio frequencies, disruption or disturbance can make the plane deviate from its track. This can have disastrous effects, especially during poor visibility when the pilots are almost completely dependent on electronic navigation. Things can become even more complicated if the interference happens during take-off or landing.

The Government of India’s Civil Aviation Department circular dated September 12, 2003, categorically says that passengers can only use mobile phones as long as the aircraft is on the ground with its doors open. But, the phone cannot be used when the aircraft is refueling, when pre-flight functions are on, or when aircraft communication is happening. In no condition should the phones be used after the doors are closed, and this is a legal requirement, not a request.

But, why switch off an old Walkman or CD player which have no transmitters? These devices emit electro-magnetic radiation, which at times can exceed the prescribed limits and interfere with the onboard equipment like the auto-pilot.

The latest planes have a shield to protect their navigation equipment and some carriers have started allowing passengers to use cell phones mid-air. But till those planes come to India, it better to just switch off your phone and relax, maybe even chat up your fellow passengers and make some friends.
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The Above article appeared in the Indian Express, on Sunday August 01, 2010

Staying invincible - Big Geek Brings You a Double Whammy on the Internet Explorer

Everybody knows that Internet Explorer is unsafe. But, trust me, though there are many good options, some corporations and governments still stick to Internet Explorer as their preferred browser and many applications do not work properly on any other. Also keeping in mind that IE is fully integrated into the Windows operating system and you just can't uninstall it. So, how do you make sure you are secured and have the latest updates to avoid a cyber attack?

Stop piracy
It is important to stick to genuine software. All of us want to run the prohibitively costly Adobe Photoshop to edit our pictures. But it is better to opt for freeware applications that let you do similar functions. The same is the case with operating systems. If you feel you do not want to spend on Windows, go ahead and give Linux a try. Or else, check out cheaper Starter Editions that offer limited functions but are good for home use. Anyway, make sure your OS is genuine and not pirated.

Antivirus
A good antivirus does not mean that you got it from your friend who bought a CD, it just means you paid for the antivirus or got one free from a great company like avg.com. With companies losing revenue to pirated software vendors, more and more companies are dropping prices. So it makes more sense to buy a paid version. Check with your friends and read some reviews if you can’t decide which antivirus is better. As we spend more time online and with the threats becoming more potent, it is advisable to get an antivirus with an inbuilt firewall to protect your computer from getting hijacked. While products like Bit Defender and Kaspersky are cheaper, high-end products like McAfee and Norton Antivirus will cost more. The choice is yours; just make sure you are buying a legal version.

Updates
Having a legal version of a software itself removes a lot of bugs, but it is also important to update your system regularly. Though most OS come with a built-in auto update utility, I have seen users disable this to save their bandwidth. If you want to disable the automatic update, it is suggested that you manually check for updates every fortnight. Update your OS every 15 days and your antivirus, antispyware and firewall everyday

Storage & file transfer
With the floppy drive era over, thumb drives, memory cards and Bluetooth file transfers have become the latest way to get a virus. In case you use memory cards or pen drives it is always suggested that you scan them immediately on connect. It might seem like a waste of time, but the first five minutes is when the virus enters the system. Try not to share thumb drives and memory cards. If your friend wants a file, email it to him.

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The above article appared in the Indian Express on Sunday 24th of January 2010. The Above video was a part of the news builiten on CNN IBN

The rogue quartet

Last week, I told you how to save your computer from viruses. This week we will take a look at the top four viruses and malwares infecting computers in India.

Autorun malware
The most common infection is the autorun malware. Autorun is a brilliant utility built into all Windows systems, but sadly it has been causing more harm than gain in the last few years. Autorun enables designated files to run when an enabled drive (a CD or USB thumbdrive) is inserted into the computer. If your thumbdrive is infected, it will automatically run an installer infecting the PC. The autorun malware will usually download more malware, additional backdoors and password stealers, most of which also have the capability to disable your anti-virus, leaving your system vulnerable. The best way to tackle the malware is by disabling autorun.

IE start page changes
Spyware and adware often change your browser’s start and search pages. Even if you remove the malware using your anti-virus software, you will still need to reset the settings of Internet Explorer, so as to get your default pages back. For Internet Explorer 6, right-click the IE icon on the desktop, choose ‘Properties’, click the ‘Programs’ tab, then the ‘Reset Web Settings’ button and click ‘Apply’ and ‘OK’ to reset settings. In IE 7, click Tools/Internet Options in the Internet Explorer menu, click the Advanced tab and click Reset.

Downadup/Conficker
If you are on a network, or have a PC that often links to one, there are chances you may get infected by Downadup, a malicious worm that uses your computer resources to replicate, and make copies of itself. It can also include other malwares that damage both the computer as well as the network. Once executed, it disables a number of important Windows services, including automatic updates, security centre, Windows defender and Windows error reporting. After infecting and shutting down services it uses your Internet connection to download more malware. However, removal tools are available.

W32/Netsky-P
Ever wondered why there is spam being generated using your email address? Most probably, you are using Peer-to-Peer Networks to share files, or to download pirated music or movies and may have infected your PC with W32/NetSky-P. The worm copies itself to your P2P shared folders and adds files such as ‘britney spears song text archive.exe’, ‘harry potter all e.book.doc.exe’, ‘microsoft office 2003 crack best.exe’ which steal data from your local files and spreads by emailling a copy to your colleagues, with subjects such as Re: Thank you for delivery, Re: Status, Re: Notify. The worm is also known to delete registry entries. Tools to remove the worm are available on the Net.

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The above story was printed in the Indian Express on Sunday 15th Feb 2009.

Why Choosing your Web Host is important

I have a Gmail account, I think most of us do, it's made our lives simpler, I envy Gmail (ahem Google) to have made this brilliant an email client, and at times wonder, if email hosting will make revenues for System3 going in the future, but as long as people need support, and feel any free system is bad, we can still live with our services.

Anyway, some of you would have heard of the (yet again) Plastic Bag Ban in Delhi, while browsing through Gmail today morning, I came across the following ad



And I clicked it, why - Two Reasons, 1. I found the Ad funny, 2. I wanted to this post for sometime.. Now you must be wondering why and how this is related

I run A Hosting Company, incorrect, I run a data center, and when we see customers design their web applications, the web designer is all but bothered about one thing, cost of hosting.

Take for Example Kurkure.in ( A Pepsico company ), they chose the right host, the host is Net4India, I have nothing against them, though people have told horror stories, but then people tell horror stories about any hosting company they have worked with, but here, I think, the people who made the site, did not design the server well.

1. You place an Ad on Gmail, you pay x amount to Gmail to show that Ad
2. Someone clicks, and if the ad is on adwards, a lot of people click
3. You choose cheap hosting, shared, limited bandwidth, limited resources, and what is the end result

Page takes atleast 2 minutes to load, what is the end result

I saw the ad, but not the site. Why, Choose the Right host people. Spend Time with the hosting company (sorry, with the IDC Providers, and not hosting resellers), to size your hosting properly, make sure you have a plan, that helps you grow, helps you cater to the traffic, and shared hosting for something like Kurkure (hey, get rid of Kareena Kapoor, save on that budget, and pay for your hosting), or stop advertising online.. stick to regular mass media.. Tv rules man.

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You are Liable to Pay Government Debts - Proposal to Levy a Licence Fee on Every TV you own

From Yesterday's Times of India

Govt mulls Rs 500/year fee on every colour TV
Himanshi Dhawan | TNN

New Delhi: Television viewing could soon be a more expensive affair. The government is considering imposing a recurring annual ‘licence fee’ of Rs 500 for each colour television set, and Rs 200 for a black & white TV, owned by consumers as a bailout measure for the cash-strapped Prasar Bharati.
Sources in the information and broadcasting ministry said imposing the licence fee on consumers is among a slew of options before the government — others include making TV manufacturers and broadcasters pay up — all or some of which could be implemented. Part of the money raised will go into providing government pay scales and other benefits for the 38,000-odd Prasar Bharati employees. Sources said the licence fee plan alone could raise an estimated Rs 23,871 crore.
The government can, in fact, impose such a fee by invoking section 17 of the Prasar Bharati Act as recommended by the Sengupta Committee report. A final decision on the issue is expected to be taken at the Group of Ministers’ meeting on Wednesday.
The GoM is also likely to consider levying a 10% licence fee on television and radio manufacturers to raise an additional sum of Rs 896 crore as recommended by the Financial Restructuring Committee in 2005.
BAILOUT BITE
Annual licence fee of Rs 500 for colour TVs and Rs 200 for B&W TVs being studied Cash raised through proposed levy could be used to bail out Prasar Bharati Licence fee plan could raise about Rs 23,900 cr every year Final decision to be taken at Group of Ministers’ meeting on Wednesday ‘Service fee’ will help raise Rs 800 cr/yr
New Delhi: A Group of Ministers is considering a proposal for a ‘public broadcasting service fee’ on the lines of the telecom sector so that all players in the field are required to share the cost of making television available nationwide on a nondiscriminatory access basis. This is likely to raise another Rs 800 crore at 5% per annum from broadcasters.
The final option is payment of an annual grant by the government to the pubcaster to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore. The government has been pushed to the wall on the Prasar Bharati employees’ issue. According to a Supreme Court order, the ministry is expected to resolve service-related matters of Prasar Bharati employees by August 2.
Ensuring government pay scales, retirement and pension benefits, facilities like government accommodation and health benefits is estimated to cost the public exchequer Rs 81 crore. The report on capital and financial restructuring of Prasar Bharati pegs its outstanding liabilities to the tune of Rs 2,503 crore, as of April 2005.

So just imagine this, if the Government tomorrow, can't pay the bills for it's Met Department or the Air Quality Control department, they may just levy a charge of Rs. 500 per annum for you to breathe air.. Funny...

GS

Maybe some more trouble for Google - Assam militants use Orkut to attract sympathisers for their cause

Google has shared a love hate relationship with the Government in India, especially with Google Earth. The Government wants the image quality of sensitive sites reduced in Google Earth, and the debate of Government censoring information has been on the forefront anytime this news came about. On my meanders across the Internet, I came across this interesting article on Aloo Techie, about Assamese Millitants using Orkut, to have people sympathise with their cause. What next, the world's Terorists on Linked IN ?

GS

Is this Technology Abuse ?

Ever had the weather play spoilt sport with you, or been to a wedding that was delayed, because of incessant rains that decided to pour at the n'th hour. Well this news article on CNN IBN, is really cool.

Somnath Chattopadhyay, A priest in Kolkatta, recently solemnised the wedding of Debasree Roy of Kolkata with Dhritiman Dutta of Silchar in Asaam over the mobile phone after the weather gods decided to play spoilsport.

The other day though there was news, that no one can get a divorce over the phone by saying Talak Talak Talak, but getting married on the phone, seems to be still acceptable.

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BPO's and Data Secrecy

System3, My company has been toying with the idea, of opening a Training Institute, a Technology / Skills finishing school, and while the Internal discussions were going on, we were thinking of making sure that about 15 - 20 hours of training time is spent on Ethics / Values / Morality training.

Since Customer Support Executives at companines like mine, and larger corporates at times have access to critical information related to the customer, well anytime you call your cell phone company, they take all your details this includes, your Date of Birth, your Wife's name, your land line number, your home address, and they already know your credit card numbers, so what stops them from defrauding you, ethics / morality.

A big story on CNN-IBN today about the fraud at HSBC Back Office in Bangalore, where the kid managed to cheat HSBC customers to the tuen of 2,33,000 pounds.

Interested, well CNN IBN raised a question, how safe are our bank accounts. Well how safe.. keep strong passwords, make sure you know what information you need to disclose.. be careful, there is someone watching you.

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The First Case of Gadget Misuse for Tax Evasion in India

It's out, It's public, It's no news, INDIA IS ALL ABOUT JUGAAD. Times of India, Page 13, June 13,2006 Reads

New Delhi: If you thought iPod was just a device to store music, get a second opinion from revenue intelligence officials. The department has unearthed a slew of cases where taxevaders had stored records of their illegal transactions in iPods and pen-drives — devices that can be easily concealed or destroyed.
During a raid on an industrialist in Haryana’s Yamunanagar town last year, the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI) found excise evasion of over Rs 55 lakh. However, no incriminating documents were found on computers or files. The sleuths then scanned a pendrive and an iPod to find details of undeclared dealings stored there. The pen-drive was hidden in the industrialist’s bathroom.
This is hardly an isolated case. At another raid in Ludhiana, DGCEI officials seized a pen-drive allegedly belonging to the owners of plywood company, Perfect Agro. After deciphering its contents, officials found evidence of largescale evasion of excise duty.
Concealing secret transactions in pen-drives and iPods is fast catching up as a trend, say income tax and directorate of revenue intelligence officials, who now take special care to seize these devices before laying hands on account books and computers during a raid. The internet too is a favoured hideaway for taxevaders, who post details of illegal accounts on the web before deleting these files from their records.
Though these gizmos are small enough to fit into a shirt pocket, they have immense memory — ranging from 1 to 30 giga bytes. They are also very easy to discard. Officials believe that during many raids, pen-drives have been put into burning furnaces, crushed under car wheels or thrown into dustbins. In one case, a pen-drive was recovered from the driver of an accused.
Three rolling mills were raided in Shahdara area of east Delhi last September, where transactions worth Rs 40 crore was unearthed from data tucked away in iPods and pen-drives. Clearly, as gizmos get smaller the headache for enforcement agencies gets bigger.

There is more, try to grab a copy. You had never thought of this, ahem, you had.. and you thought you could get away with it, well not really, the Tax Man is smartening up.. Be ware.. But hey.. JUGAAD is big..

I don't think anyone in the world, thought about this.

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