Or call anywhere else, for that matter. What started as a Gmail to Gmail service (with both users at their computer) has expanded to allow Gmail users in the U.S. and Canada to call regular telephone numbers for free (to the U.S. and Canada, at least through January 2011) with low rates for International calls.
The posting on Google’s blog – Call phones from Gmail lays out the process. Essentially, you log into your Gmail account and under Chat choose Call phone.
If you have a Google Voice account that number will be listed as the caller ID. This feature has been slowly rolling out over the last week or so, but is now available to everyone with a Gmail account.
You can use Google Checkout to pay for International calls. Here is a list of phone rates. But calls to the U.K., France, Germany, China, Japan—and many more countries—are as little as $0.02 per minute
You use it just by entering a telephone number or, if your contact list has phone numbers in it, just enter the contact’s name. But first, you will be prompted to install Google’s Voice and Video Chat software.
This is another great added service from Google, one that may actually compete with Skype. Give it a try..
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Adobe is releasing an out-of-cycle patch for Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat today to patch a vulnerability for iPod Touches, iPads and iPhones.
The patch will affect all operating systems, not just Apple products. The next scheduled release of Adobe patches was October 12th, but due to the critical nature of this vulnerability Adobe is releasing the patch early.
From the Adobe Security Bulletin:
Adobe is planning to release updates for Adobe Reader 9.3.3 for Windows, Macintosh and UNIX, Adobe Acrobat 9.3.3 for Windows and Macintosh, and Adobe Reader 8.2.3 and Acrobat 8.2.3 for Windows and Macintosh to resolve critical security issues, including CVE-2010-2862 discussed at the Black Hat USA 2010 security conference and the Adobe Flash Player update as noted in Security Bulletin APSB10-16. Adobe expects to make these updates available on Thursday August 19, 2010.
Adobe’s Flash Player was just patched yesterday. If your Flash Player hasn’t automatically updated, go to adobe.com to get the update..
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Computers don’t feel pain. At least, up until now. Trust me, I’ve done things to my computer that defy the Geneva Conventions and while acting surly for a week or so, it didn’t show any evidence of real pain.
But, a group of researchers at Florida Tech is exploring ways to have future computers experience pain.
The problem, according to Richard Ford, a computer science professor and head of the research team, it that computers, for all their computing ability, are essentially dumb.
“Computers are brittle,” Ford said. “Your computer will screw up in the same way every single time. It doesn’t learn. It doesn’t adapt. If there is a (string of code) that’s messed up in your computer, it’s going to crash in the same place every time. It’s all just ones and zeros at the end of the day.”
So he’s started looking at ways to teach a computer to feel pain so it can determine there’s a problem and heal itself, much like humans use fevers and antibodies to overcome infections.
The idea is to model the human immune system in computers – to become aware of an attack, overcome the attacker, repair the damage, and be immune from the same future malware attack, all without external assistance.
Estimated time to mass production? 10 – 15 years.
Further Reading:
Machine, Heal Thyself.
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Apple is a secretive company by nature, but there are always people who were born to take things apart to see how they work and delve into area where they’re not wanted.
One White Hat hacker came up with a program called JailbreakMe 2.0 to allow you to run unapproved apps, themes and tweaks on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.
However, there are also Black Hat hackers out there, too. Jesus Diaz at Gizmodo just released a vulnerability on all three above mentioned gadgets from Apple that don’t even need any action on your part other than opening a PDF file.
From the Gizmodo post:
Right now, if you visit a web page and load a simple PDF file, you may give total control of your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to a hacker. The security bug affects all devices running iOS 3.1.2 and higher.
Update: Initially we thought that this exploit only effected iOS4 devices, but it turns out all iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads running 3.1.2 and higher are susceptible.
The vulnerability is easily exploitable. In fact, the latest one-click, no-computer-required Jailbreak solution for iOS 4 devices uses this same method to break Apple’s own security (although in a completely benign way for the user).
How it works
It just requires the user to visit a web address using Safari. The web site can automatically load a simple PDF document, which contains a font that hides a special program. When your iOS device tries to display the PDF file, that font causes something called stack overflow, a technical condition that allows the secret ninja code inside the font to gain complete control of your device.
The result is that, without any user intervention whatsoever, that program can do whatever it wants inside your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Anything you can imagine: Delete files, transmit files, install programs running on the background that can monitor your actions… anything can be done.
It’s not just a problem with Apple. Virtually all smart phones are susceptible to hacking and viruses. Security and antivirus apps have yet to catch up. But secrecy is not a good defense.
The vulnerability is easily exploitable. In fact, the latest one-click, no-computer-required Jailbreak solution for iOS 4 devices uses this same method to break Apple’s own security (although in a completely benign way for the user).
How it works
It just requires the user to visit a web address using Safari. The web site can automatically load a simple PDF document, which contains a font that hides a special program. When your iOS device tries to display the PDF file, that font causes something called stack overflow, a technical condition that allows the secret ninja code inside the font to gain complete control of your device.
The result is that, without any user intervention whatsoever, that program can do whatever it wants inside your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Anything you can imagine: Delete files, transmit files, install programs running on the background that can monitor your actions… anything can be done.
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“I need a web site.” How many times have we heard those words?
We try to explain – you need more than a web site, you need an online strategy. It includes a web site, probably a blog, a mail list, SEM/PPC/Local marketing strategy and more. Web design is just a small part of it.
However, if you are going to outsource your web design, it pays to know the difference between a web designer, print designer, graphics designer and online marketing firm.
A true web designer concentrates on many things:
- Clean code (e.g. layout using CSS instead of tables)
- Browser compatibility
- User interface (easy navigation, most important content where the viewers eyes go first, set the viewer on a predetermined path)
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Landing page design – which can be different from overall site design
Depending on their ability in graphics, they should at least be able to tell you the header goes here, a picture goes here, and leave it up to a graphics designer to fill in the blanks.
We constantly tell our clients that you don’t need a web design that wins awards, you need a web design that converts traffic. Continue reading .
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