Linux Iphone Killer On Way! »

The New Neo1973 is causing some buzz around the web, and it very well should. Linux is one of the best known open-source software platforms around the world, ranging from distributions for a user’s desktop all the way to managing a server with one of the most stable reliability ratings possible. With such success being shown in the Linux distributions across the internet Linux has appeared on more than just computers but actually spanned to the Ipod, among many other hand held devices, so the phone was only next.

Click here to read more »

Skype and Symantec Partner Up »

Symantec has announced that they are teaming up with Skype (our favorite VoIP ) to offer small office and home office users a way to protect their computers. Skype users will be able to click through to a co-branded site that will offer Norton products including Norton Internet Security and Norton Anti-virus 2007.

Skype has done a great job at keeping users of its VoIP service safe and this is another step in the right direction. But, I personally will not jump on the Norton bandwagon. Their program is way too “heavy” (takes up too much system resources) and it gets so intertwined with your Windows registry that it is almost impossible to completely remove it if you decide to use a different program later on down the road.

I will stick with Zone Alarm for my firewall (free) and AVG for my Anti-virus and spyware remover (free) .

But, it is good of Skype to give its users added protection. Now, we just have to wait to see what the offer will be.

Bluetooth Headsets Causing Hearing Loss? »

Last year, there was a lawsuit (maybe more than one, I am not sure) alleging that the Motorola Bluetooth headset causes hearing loss (here is a link to the PDF court document courtesy of Mae at TMCnet).

These are the little earpieces that work with your cell phone and that everyone seems to be using these days. I, however, cannot bring myself to plunk down $50 to get one, so I still use my little $4.95 plug-in special and fight with the cord .

At any rate, Brian at the Wireless blog posted about another lawsuit in Miami, Fla. claiming that Bluetooth headsets in general cause hearing loss.

This lawsuit is not just going after Motorola Bluetooth headsets – it is targeting lots of them. It appears that the makers of these things have failed to warn consumers of the health risks 8O. Are you serious? What do you think is going to happen when you put something right into your ear canal?

This is exactly the reason why the simplest purchase these days comes with a manual filled with lawyer jargon. I wonder if they have warned consumers that reading the entire manual could cause eyestrain and a headache….hmmmm.

Kind of off-topic but, when I was growing up, we had Yard-Darts. Do you remember those things? OMG they were fun! There was no warning of any kind saying that you should not throw them AT anyone. There was no need, everyone knew what would happen.

I also rode in a car that had a METAL dashboard! Everyone knew what would happen when your head collides with metal. You just had to use common sense, which has become rather uncommon these days.

Use Skype and Get Paid »

Bitwine has partnered up with Skype (free VoIP service through the end of this year – $14.95 per year thereafter) to offer the BitWine Taskbar Skype Edition. It is fully functional with the new Skype 3.0.

The basic idea behind this is to allow experts to dispense their advice for a small fee, everything from cooking to acting, automotive to business to sports. Up until now, these experts have offered advice and help for free on blogs or forums (and spend much of their time just helping out).

So here is a scenario: Let’s say I need to write a business letter and have no idea how best to proceed. I visit Bitwine’s site, search for an expert in that area (business letters) and view the profiles that are returned, complete with reviews and samples of past work, portfolio and cost for consultation (some are free and the average that I saw was about $0.70 per minute).

When I settle on one that I would like to contact, I choose whether I want video or just VoIp. I then call them right through the Bitwine’s toolbar. If my selection is offline, I can setup an appointment. Very nice.

It looks like it has some definite promise and will make it easier to tap into the vast knowledge available on the Internet.

No Worm for Skype »

This is great news to me. Earlier today, we posted about possible worm that was impacting Skype. However, it now seems that the first reports of that were incorrect.

Initially, Websense made the report on Monday. But it seems that after a little more digging and discussion with the Skype development team, it was determined that the vulnerability affecting Skype is not a worm but, rather, a Trojan.

A user that is targeted by this Trojan will be notified of what is happening and can then either allow or deny access (just say no ). Websense has since issued an updated warning that explains the problem in detail.