corruption

A number of owners of the 2007 and 2008 MacBook Pro systems found that there were some graphics problems that showed either scrambled video output or sometimes black screens. Many people suspected this was because of faulty graphics processors, and had to get their systems serviced to fix the problem.

Recently a settlement was achieved in a class-action lawsuit against Nvidia over faults in the GeForce 8600M graphics processors included in a variety of notebook models primarily from Dell and HP, but also in Apple's 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro systems.

People who have MacBook Pro systems manufactured between … Read more

Corrupt files can cause the database equivalent of a freeway pileup, leading to lost data and expensive, time-consuming recovery and rebuilding efforts. DataNumen's Advanced DBF Repair (ADR) can repair corrupt database (DBF) files in any version of dBASE, "xBASE," and compatible programs like Visual FoxPro. It can automatically split DBF files and tables when they reach predetermined limits, perform batch fixes, and fix DBF files stored on corrupted media, among other capabilities.

ADR opens as a tiny dialog packing all the essentials into a compact, efficient, tabbed layout with entry fields, selection boxes, and clearly labeled buttons … Read more

Although its scans are effective, this bug cleaner is a real let down. Any problems found will have to be removed manually or with another program.

PC Bug Cleaner has a simple, functional interface that's easy for anyone to understand. Three action tabs offer all the options you'll need. The scan tab lets users choose which sections of the Registry to check for errors. A quick visit to the "select all" button is the easiest and safest option. Although it's not as fast as other scanners, this program is effective in its search. Users are … Read more

Larry Lessig, professor of law at Stanford Law School, is leaving the West Coast to head to the Stanford of the East, Harvard Law School, according to Harvard. Lessig used to teach at Harvard Law School, so it should prove to be a comfortable change, and perhaps in keeping with his shift from "West Coast code" to "East Coast code", to an emphasis on overcoming corruption in politics. (No, not that kind of corruption.)

Lessig was my professor at Stanford Law School, and became a mentor to me there, though I fought his ideas for the … Read more

On Tuesday, Apple released iPod Touch version 2.1 to address several security issues. Among them are the DNS vulnerabilities first reported by Dan Kaminsky of IOActive in July. Other issues include vulnerabilities in Webkit, CoreGraphics, and the Application Sandbox.

Earlier on Tuesday, Apple released updates to its QuickTime media player.

Apple notes that this update is only available through iTunes as part of the iPod Touch updating process and will not appear in your computer's Software Update application, nor can it be found on the Apple Downloads site.

Application Sandbox This patch affects users of iPod Touch v2.… Read more

Apple on Tuesday released QuickTime 7.5.5, a version that includes nine security patches, some of which could lead to denial of service or allow an attacker to run code on a compromised machine. The patches cover both Windows and Mac OS X versions of QuickTime. Earlier Tuesday, Microsoft released two bulletins addressing serious vulnerabilities in its Windows Media Player.

QuickTime 7.5.5 may be obtained from the Apple Software Update application or you can download the latest version of free Quicktime player here.

QuickTime 1 This patch affects users of Windows Vista, XP SP2, and SP3. The … Read more

Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-Hee was indicted on charges of evading taxes on billions of dollars he hid in stock accounts under the names of his aides, The New York Times is reporting.

He also faces criminal charges of breach of trust, stemming from his involvement in arranging for company subsidiaries "to sell stock to his son" at "unfairly low prices" to help his son "take over management control," The Times says. Lee was cleared, however, of more serious allegations he starting a slush fund worth $215 million used to bribe prosecutors, judges, and other public officials.… Read more

Back in December, Microsoft dutifully notified the (few) people using its Windows Home Server software that a bug in the product could corrupt files.

Typically, when Microsoft posts a bulletin outlining specific problems in its products, as it did in this case, a fix is usually right around the corner.

Not so for Windows Home Server. According to a bulletin posted this week, the bug will not be fixed until June, when the company posts a patch. That means, in essence, Windows Home Server will be on the market for a year before the fix comes.

When certain programs such … Read more

Update: This blog post has been modified since it was first published. Click here for more details, or scroll to the bottom to see the original text.

A pro-consumer, bipartisan data-breach bill was stripped of most its provisions before its feeble remains were finally passed by an Indiana Senate committee on Tuesday.

This came after two weeks of intensive lobbying by AT&T, Verizon, Microsoft, and LexisNexis, all of which wanted to kill the bill. For the most part, they were successful.

In a blog post last week, I explained how I had worked with my state Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington) … Read more