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Is location-based social media an incredibly innovative technology that will garner relationships and bring them to the real world, or a creepy way to help evildoers find out where you are, or where you aren’t? One thing is for sure, this new trend is big business and a lot of money is being thrown at companies that are at the forefront.

SchneiderMike knows a thing or two about this latest trend and where it may be headed. In this interview we cover topics including the hype behind Color, security, and the future of location-based social networking.

Tech Interruption is dedicated to arguing about the tech issues of today and trying to predict the future. They have had some pretty serious heavy-hitting guests on their show in the past and tend to focus on what’s hot at any moment in time – which is why they’re so focused on location-based technology right now.

Mike and I were laughing that BlogWorld was happening in the same building at the same time as a book expo. It’s confusing, eh? Who reads books? Mike quickly jumped in to tell me about a recent conversation with his publisher. He would love to see more communication between readers while they are reading. He’d love to see people put notes and treat it more like a community while reading something on your device of choice. I’m surprised someone like Amazon hasn’t thought of this yet.

There’s a group trying to take textbooks to this level – at least on the iPad – but I don’t know about regular old novels. Anyone can publish and sell a book and anyone can read one. There’s just no glue to hold everyone together. There needs to be something ridiculously awesome in order to pull people together in this way.

So how could location-based services be used around books? It might be interesting to see where people are that are reading the same thing you are. It’s hard to peg down what people want to see and know about others, which is why we’re not seeing anything much in the way of “fast” innovation in this area.

People are giving out so much information about themselves. They throw it out there without realizing the possible ramifications. You have to be completely serious and conscious about who you’re pushing your location to online. The most important thing is you – your family, your life and your safety. Before giving out your location to anyone, ask yourself if it is something you need to do and check to see who it’s going out to. What are they going to do with this information? Is it going to bring any value to yourself or others?

Be sure to check out what Mike and the rest of the Tech Interruption team are up to. They’ve got some fantastic work ethics and a lot of passion.

How To Stay Secure While Using Social Media

Apple was silent for far too long on the matter of the Mac Defender Malware, a Rogue anti-virus application like those seen on Windows machines for the past few years. This type of malware tricks users into thinking they are protecting their computer by displaying false “infection” messages and offering a fix in exchange for money. There have been thousands of reports by irate OS X customers in recent weeks. Many of the people who called Apple support were referred vaguely to the forums for help. It was almost as if Apple didn’t want to have to acknowledge that they are not invulnerable after all.

Late on Tuesday, the Cupertino company finally released a support article which explains how to eradicate this nasty piece of so-called software. The article begins by admitting that a recent scam has targeted their fans by “redirecting them from legitimate websites to fake websites which tell them that their computer is infected with a virus. The user is then offered Mac Defender “anti-virus” software to solve the issue.” The rest of the piece gives detailed instructions on ridding yourself of this pesky problem.

Within the next few days, Apple promises to release an update to OS X which will automagically find and remove Mac Defender and all of its known variants. The update should also help protect users by giving warnings if they download the malware. The problem, as Windows users and security experts know, is that these malware writers pump out newer versions very quickly… which take a while to detect and fix.

Rogue anti-virus programs are quite the lucrative business. According to McAfee, the number of these types of programs has increased by nearly 400% since 2009, causing computer users a loss of about $300 million. I don’t really care if you’re a Mac or Windows fanatic. If something pops up on your screen that you haven’t already installed yourself and then claims you are infected… click NOTHING. Don’t be fooled into downloading or buying anything. Look for a fix immediately, and follow the recommended guidelines. One of the most reputable sites out there which is FULL of guides of this sort is Bleeping Computer. If you have trouble fixing the machine up yourself, their free forums are full of security experts who will gladly help you – for nothing more than your thanks.

Apple Finally Releases Fix for Mac Defender Malware

Newsflash: your Apple machine actually can become infected. Wait, what? You didn’t already know that? Seriously? I’ve been telling you for years that it’s possible. Other writers have attempted to educate you. Your Mac is not a steel wall against malware, people. It’s always been possible for an Apple computer to be infested with some type of malware – it just hasn’t happened very often.

Photo credit to Precise Security.

We can argue until we’re blue in the face about the reasons why we haven’t seen much malware aimed at the Mac. Apple lovers will of course tell you that it’s nearly impossible for their precious machines to fall prey to hackers and script kiddies. Security experts will teach you that the reason is as simple as a popularity contest. Until recently, Microsoft computers were much more prevalent. It didn’t pay to expend time and energy writing malicious code for a Mac. Windows was everywhere – malware was written for the masses.

Many of us have said repeatedly that as Apple gained in popularity among consumers, so would malware written specifically for the operating system. While it still obviously isn’t as much of an issue as it is on the Microsoft platform… it IS out there, and it is growing. A quick glance through the Apple forums will show you several new cases every day of people begging for help removing the latest threat: a Rogue software known as “Mac Defender.”

Apple fanboys and security researchers are going to argue for weeks. Many will tell you that you still have nothing to worry about and you don’t need to protect your Mac with any type of anti-malware/virus/spam software. They’ll try to convince you to continue feeling all warm and fuzzy. You’re supposed to keep believing that your machine isn’t susceptible unless you use it in a stupid way. After all, smart computer users could never get infected, right?

I’m here to tell you that it’s better to be safe than sorry. Weigh your options and take a good look at the possibility that something could happen. Isn’t your information worth protecting? Resign yourself to the fact that malware is indeed “out there” which could infect your Mac and educate yourself as to how to stay safe.

Mac Malware on the Rise

Let me guess: you happen to think you’re pretty secure when you are online. After all, you use secure passwords! You didn’t subscribe to the Playstation Network. You are pretty smug, aren’t you? I have some news for you, though: even geeks and smart people can have their information stolen, and it’s easier than you think. Even the most seemingly innocent websites can contain malware or be capable of taking your information and using it for nefarious purposes. Heck, you might even get into hot water simply by trying to figure out what type of Royal you might be.

On Friday, women the world over lived out their fantasy by watching the Royal wedding. HRH William married his long-time sweetheart, Kate, in what was said to be a ceremony full of beauty… you know, the stuff fairy tales are made of. I actually know some pretty smart women – and even they were entranced by what unfolded at Westminster Abbey. With their heads in the clouds, they were only too happy to attempt to figure out what their Royal name might be. They chose one of those “OMG GET YOUR ROYAL NAME HERE!” random generator sites and happily Tweeted their results.

The problem is that this can actually compromise your security, ladies. The same holds true with the sites which I’ve seen men use to figure out their Star Wars name, their ideal woman’s name and yeah… you’re seeing a pattern here, right? Sites such as these tend to pair part of your real first name with things such as your pet’s name, your hometown’s name and more. Think about it a moment…

What types of “security” questions are you asked to answer when you choose a password for a new website? Yup! You give your pet’s name, your city’s name and even the name of your high school mascot. OMG! Those same things were just entered into that silly site – along with your actual moniker. Ding ding ding! Any criminal who hacks said website – or who set up the game solely for this information mining to begin with – has access to your security answers.

Do yourself a favor, friends. Think twice before you answer questions on ANY website which seem harmless. Ask yourself if the answers could possibly have been used elsewhere, especially for security purposes. Compromising your information is so much easier than you realize it is. Your Royal name isn’t worth that, I promise.

Don’t Compromise Your Safety Online with Cute Games

Ivan Kaspersky, son of a Russian software giant, has been missing since April 19th. It is believed that the young man was abducted. Security powerhouse Eugene Kaspersky, the CEO and co-founder of antivirus company Kaspersky Lab, has asked only that the media stop spreading rumors and speculation. Nothing official has come forth from the Kaspersky camp, despite claims from local law enforcement that the allegation is true. There has reportedly even been a ransom demand to the tune of $4.3 million.

Many blogs are claiming that a kidnapping is par for the course within any big business in that country. Could that really be what motivated the people behind this?

Malware writers infect your machines and muck up your day for one reason: to make money. We’re talking about mass quantities of green, people. The little script kiddies you find writing simple botnets for IRC are in it for kicks. REAL malware makers are out to make cold, hard cash. It’s a multi-million dollar business – and one that unfortunately won’t disappear any time soon.

Let’s imagine for a moment what else the alleged kidnappers could ask for – other than cash – in exchange for young Ivan’s safe return. How much do you suppose Kaspersky’s technologies and databases are worth to those with nefarious things on their minds? I’m quite sure they are worth far more than four million smackers… especially to criminals who have no regard for the rest of us. It’s more than possible that these people would much rather get their hands on information than money.

It’s true that kidnapping for ransom is on the rise in Russia. People are being targeted for their fortunes instead of the type of business they are in. We are hopeful that this is nothing more than a case of a young kid taking some time for himself without letting family members know. If it turns out to be true, we further hope that it is directly related only to the fact that the senior Kaspersky has amassed a fortune in his lifetime and not to the type of work he does.

We will be following this story as the details unfold. Our thoughts and support go out to the Kaspersky family during this time of uncertainty.

Kaspersky Son Feared Kidnapped

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Using Apple’s FaceTime, you can chat with someone in another part of your house or a person on the other side of the world. It’s simple to use your iPod touch, iPhone or iPad as a webcam when using this built-in feature. You’ll need to create an Apple account for each computer you want to connect with and let other users know which one they should use to chat with you. There are also a number of other ways you can use FaceTime – which don’t necessarily involve other people.

I was expecting a package recently and was afraid I might not hear the doorbell. I’ve been looking forward to this delivery for a while and couldn’t spare the time to sit next to the front door waiting for mister deliveryman. Instead, I connected my iPod touch to FaceTime with a computer up in my home office. The iPod was pointed out the front window so that I could easily monitor everything going on outside the door without leaving my desk or interrupting my work flow.

This will also work when you want to keep an eye on your home while you are away, of course. You’ll need to set up your Mac to automatically accept incoming FaceTime calls in order to do this.

With this script enabled, you can call yourself from your iPhone or iPod touch and the Mac will automagically pick up the call. When you disconnect, the script will close FaceTime and continue to watch for a new call. Once you get home, you can quit the app to keep FaceTime from answering everything that comes in. This lets you quickly check up on anyone – or anything – in your home while you’re out and about. I like to use it to make sure Wicket isn’t surfing those bad doggie sites.

What other uses can you think of for Apple’s FaceTime?

How to Monitor Your Home with FaceTime

UPDATE! – Earlier today, Samsung reported that this fiasco was nothing more than a case of mis-identification on the part of VIPRE. Apparently, VIPRE can be fooled by Microsoft’s Live Application multi-language supporter. This doesn’t explain why a supervisor with Samsung originally stated that a keylogger was intentionally placed on the machines in order to monitor what customers are doing with the machines. We will continue to monitor this situation and update again if any new information becomes available.

Here we go again, folks. Mohamed Hassan recently purchased a new Samsung R525 laptop. Like any geek worth his (or her) salt, he ran a full system scan with his favorite antivirus product prior to using it for the first time. Much to his surprise, he found a commercial-grade keylogger within seconds. The name of this nasty little program is StarLogger – and Samsung has admitted it was placed there on purpose.

StarLogger is not a nice piece of software. It records every keystroke on a machine – including on password-protected ones. The program automatically begins to run when the computer is booted. It will then randomly email results and includes screenshots. Samsung claims that this was only done in order to “monitor the performance of the machine and to find out how it is being used.”

Yup, you read that correctly. Samsung wants to know everything you’re doing on your personal laptop. Isn’t that nice of them?! Not only is this creepy on a level I have no words to describe, it’s also likely illegal. Back when we dealt with the whole Sony CD rootkit, then FTC chairman Deborah Platt Majoras stated that the “installations of secret software which create security risks are intrusive and unlawful.” It’s assumed that the company will fight the legalities and come up with some half-baked excuse as to why they should be allowed to do this.

Think of it this way, though: if a nefarious person managed to hack into the databases at Samsung… imagine the potential catastrophe there. I don’t care how secure a company thinks it is, it can still happen. We’ve seen it time and time again. Every word you type into your machine – including passwords, banking information and much MUCH more – will fall into the hands of criminals.

At least Samsung is owning up to what they’ve done, and is already at work to correct it:

Samsung has launched an investigation into the matter and is working with Mich Kabay and Mohamed Hassan in the investigation. Samsung engineers are collaborating with the computer security expert, Mohamed Hassan, MSIA, CISSP, CISA, with faculty at the Norwich University Center for Advanced Computing and Digital Forensics, and with the antivirus vendor whose product identified a possible keylogger (or which may have issued a false positive). The company and the University will post news as fast as possible on Network World. A Samsung executive is personally delivering a randomly selected laptop purchased at a retail store to the Norwich scientists. Prof. Kabay praises Samsung for its immediate, positive and collaborative response to this situation.

I’m sorry, but that’s simply not enough. What is there to investigate? If the software was placed there intentionally then I’m not sure why time and money needs to be wasted determining what it’s doing there. The company needs to own up to this colossal breach of trust and security and take quick steps to correct it.

What are your thoughts?

Is Samsung Installing Keyloggers on New Laptops?

How many times have you ever wished that you could simply POW! – smack someone right upside the head? Come on, admit it – you know you’ve wanted to at least once in your life. The good news is that if you have an iPhone you can now do exactly that. Using Punch Your Friends, you can rough up your boss, coworkers and enemies with a tap of the finger. They’ll sport the bruises to prove it!

Admittedly, the app is pretty cheesy. But you still have to admit there’s a certain satisfaction in putting “bruises” onto photos of your enemies. At 1200 installations per day thus far, it’s apparent that SOMEONE appreciates the work the developers have done.

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Get Rid of Anger With Punch Your Friends

Even the cleanest of homes, hotel rooms and movie theaters could have a bedbug problem. I don’t know about you, but just thinking about them is enough to make my skin literally crawl. I’ve seen reports of even upscale hotels having an issue with the lovely little creatures. I happen to travel a lot, and would love to be able to quickly detect whether or not my room was infested. Thanks to the new BedBug Detective, I could be able to do just that.

This little handheld device – which should retail for about two hundred bucks – promises to detect the critters even if there is a small concentration of them in the room. Sweep it over bedding, furniture and walls. An alarm will sound when it sniffs the bedbug’s specific pheromones at 200 parts per million in the air. That tiny of a concentration is purportedly able to be picked up by the gadget.

No more worries about creepy-crawlies in your hotel room bed! The BedBug Detective should be released later this year, and will be marketed to exterminators, business and individuals.

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BedBug Detective Sniffs Out Critters

McAfee releases a quarterly report which details online threats. In the fourth quarter 2010 report, the company said that they have now identified almost a thousand threats which specifically target mobile devices. This is up about 46% over 2009. Most of these threats target Nokia’s Symbian operating system, as it is currently the most widely used in the world.

These days, we do everything with our phones: browsing, shopping and even banking. I’m not even sure I remember the last time I made an actual call with my iPhone. These devices need to be secure, and there are thankfully solutions available for your devices.

I talked to the team from King5 news here in Seattle about this growing problem, and some of the reasons I believe are behind it.

Cybercriminals currently have a window of opportunity to exploit a variety of mobile platforms. You could compromise your account information, your financial information and even your banking information.

I think that one of the largest areas of concern deals with app marketplaces which are offered by “outside” companies, such as with Android devices. Hackers know that free wallpaper, music and ringtones will tempt you so they often package spyware and malware. They turn you into an easy target, meaning you have to always use your thinking cap and best judgment. People are always going to be the weakest point for any amount of exploits out there.

You’ll notice that Apple’s iOS and RIM’s Blackberry OS are missing from McAfee’s list. I personally prefer Apple simply because they vet every single app that posts in their market. This is in direct contrast from what Google’s open Android Marketplace does.

Consumers feel safer with the way Apple does things – at least I know I do. I’m all about “open” as a concept, but come on. Do you REALLY want an open frontier on a device you do your banking on?

How Secure is Your Smartphone?

Not only will you unlock new love-themed levels with this Angry Birds update, you can also send an Angry Birds Valentine to your friends and loved ones! Connect the game with Facebook to send the missives or use the new Facebook application.

This update brings you fifteen new levels featuring the usual types of challenges and offering up three golden eggs. Special Bing integration will add in-game links to web searches giving out information, tips and tricks to help complete the game.

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Angry Birds Valentine’s Edition Ready to Perch on Your Device

Over on Lockergnome, a user was wondering what is the best way to get rid of old, unwanted electronics and devices. Several people chimed in with suggestions, most of which are excellent ideas. The problem is that while getting some cash back is tempting, most e-waste recyclers aren’t compliant with healthy & safe recycling practices. There are, thankfully, several reputable – and excellent – organizations out there.

InterConnection is right here in Seattle, and donates your old computers to organizations who may not otherwise have any. Electronic Recyclers International is in the process of becoming certified. There are any number of clubs, assisted-living complexes and companies right in your hometown who could put your old machine to good use, as well.

Be smart, and make sure you properly erase all of the information off of your device before handing it over to anyone.

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How to Get Rid of Old Electronics

We’ve thought for a while now that News Corp has given up on MySpace. We all speculated that the company would go up for sale when the big layoffs hit last month. Even though they aren’t advertising it, the website is most definitely for sale. News Corp COO Chase Carey told a reporter over at PaidContent that “With a new structure in place, now is the right time to consider strategic options for this business. The new MySpace has been very well received by the market and we have some very encouraging metrics. But the plan to allow MySpace to reach it’s full potential may be best achieved under a new owner.”

Carey makes it clear that while they haven’t offered the social space to the sale block, offers have been coming in. He is quick to point out that they will entertain all offers, including those which may keep his company involved in some way.

Subterfuge aside, it’s pretty clear that Tom’s site is about to change hands. What would it take for someone new to breathe life back into it and make it more viable again?

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MySpace is Totally For Sale

For those of you who have long enjoyed having an unlimited amount of space within your Mozy account to back up your data are about to cry on your keyboard. As soon as your current subscription runs out, there will be no more “unlimited” plans to choose from. Instead, Mozy will start charging nearly six bucks each month for up to 50GB of data. If you need more space, you will have to pay another two dollars per month per 20GB. If you have more than one machine to back up, you can choose the new multi-machine option: $9.99 per month for up to 125GB and three computers.

“There has been a change in consumer behavior,” said Russ Stockdale, Mozy’s vice president of product management. “What we have seen since we launched an unlimited service five years ago is there has been an explosion in digital content, specifically digital photos and video.” Many customers store many MANY Gigabytes’ worth of videos and photos on their machines – and on Mozy’s servers.

If you’re a Mozy customer, what’s your reaction? Do you plan to stick with the company or start shopping around for something new?

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Mozy Getting Rid of Unlimited Backup Plans

No, your favorite game isn’t taking a vacation. The Angry Birds are going to have some fun down in Rio thanks to a partnership with Fox and an upcoming animated movie “Rio,” which hits theaters in mid-April. The game is scheduled to be released sometime in March, just ahead of the film. In Angry Birds Rio, the original flock is kidnapped and taken to Rio, where they then escape and seek to help their friends–the two macaws Blu and Jewel, who are the stars of “Rio.”

The new movie-based game will start with 45 levels of angry fun. Additional levels will be unlocked via an update. The game will be available for various smartphones and tablets.

Angry Birds does have one detour prior to getting to Rio. Rovio is planning a Valentine’s Day update to the seasonal game.

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Angry Birds Heading to Rio