CourseCast of the Week

Episode 0071, 10/25/2008

Title/Description: China Attacks Microsoft, Google knows where you live

Welcome to Course Technology's CourseCast of the week, Episode 72, recorded October 25th, 2008. This is Ken Baldauf bringing you this week's technology news and information. This CourseCast is brought to you by Course Technology. Check out www.cengage.com/coursetechnology for innovative textbooks and creative electronic learning solutions.

Story 1 - China Attacks Microsoft

This week, Microsoft rolled out a software update for Windows XP to users around the world. The update included the Windows Genuine Advantage or WGA technology. WGA is used to identify versions of Windows that are not legally registered. After installing the update, users of pirated copies of Windows find their Windows desktop changed to solid black with a notice posted informing them that they are using an unregistered copy of Windows. Although inconvenienced by the message, users are still allowed to continue using the product, with no interruption to service and no loss of data.

Well, apparently many of China's Windows users are using pirated copies of XP, as thousands of complaints have been lodged and several law suites are being threatened over Microsoft's WGA. Chinese users and professional organizations are seeking the support of the Chinese government complaining that their livelihoods are being threatened and their privacy invaded. Dong Zhengwei, a Beijing lawyer, described Microsoft as the "biggest hacker in China with its intrusion into users' computer systems without their agreement or any judicial authority," the China Daily said.

When confronted with the fact that they are using pirated software, some Chinese users argue that the software is too expensive to purchase legitimately. However, Microsoft has already reduced the price of Microsoft Office in China from $100 to $30 and dramatically cut the price of Windows Vista as well.

China's strong reaction to the Windows update and WGA, causes one to realize how complacent US consumers have become regarding invasive software practices. US consumers seem to tolerate whatever the software companies say they need to do in the name of intellectual property rights, information security, and alleged software improvements. In the US, no user in his or her right mind would dare complain about being abused by the owner of the software that he or she pirated. Here, we tolerate automated software updates even though most of us have no clue what the updates are actually improving and what data is being transferred from our PCs to the software companies. For example, recall how shocked users were when they discovered that Microsoft Media Player was uploading the titles of the songs and movies they watched to Microsoft. The outrage from that incident and others has subsided over the years as many users have come to accept that their online activities are being monitored and recorded by Google, Apple, Microsoft, AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, and most every company who's software controls our digital lives.

Apple and Google are both under fire this week for including a "Kill Switch" on their cell phone platforms. Apple is able to monitor what software is installed on all iPhones and kill software that it doesn't like. Google is able to do the same with up and coming cell phones using the Android mobile platform. Both companies say that they need this ability in order to safeguard users from unstable or unsafe software.

All of these issues cause us to pause and consider the question, what rights do we have regarding the software on their computers and other digital devices? When we purchase software, we don't become the owner of the software, but rather we purchase a license to use the software. Does that automatically give software vendors the right to manipulate software on our PCs and cell phones without our knowledge? Is this a necessary practice in order for software to stay safe and secure? These issues are sure to gain an increasing amount of attention as software and network owners become bolder in their control of their products and users become more concerned about their privacy and rights.

Chinese users blast Microsoft over new 'black screen' piracy notice [Computerworld]
Microsoft lets 1,000 blackouts bloom, Chinese users upset [Ars Technica]
Chinese surfers see red over Microsoft black-outs [Reuters]
Microsoft Uses Black Screen To Fight Piracy in China [NewsFactor]
iPhone hacker says the device 'calls home' to Apple, allows apps to be remotely disabled [Engadget]
Android comes with a kill-switch [The Register]

Story 2 - Google knows where you live

Location, location, location---the mantra of real-estate agents, is now the mantra of Web developers. This week, Google unveiled an application programming interface for Web developers that enables them to create software that has access to information about the user's current location. Two weeks ago, I reported on a Firefox add-on called Geode that identifies user location by Internet connection and IP addresses. Now, thanks to Google, it looks like location-aware applications will be springing up all over. Such applications will make it easy for travelers to find restaurant, hotels, s and other businesses while on the road. Mobile computer users will also be able to easily find nearby "buddies". And Google will be able to serve up helpful and lucrative location-based advertisements.

iPhone users are already familiar with location-aware applications as there are many available for the iPhone. Location-aware applications on the iPhone prompt the user to share location information or keep it private. Still many users worry about their privacy when using mobile devices that always know where you are controlled by companies that are very interested in knowing where you are.

Google unveils API for building apps that can track laptops [Computerworld]

And that brings us to News Briefs.

  • Microsoft pushed a software patch to Windows this past Thursday in order to address a critical security hole. An exploit for the security hole was developed by hackers and available online within two hours of the patch release.
    Attack code for critical Microsoft bug surfaces [Computerworld]
  • Google Android is now Open Source. Google released the source code to its Android mobile operating system to the public including anxious mobile software developers.
    Google releases Android source code [Computerworld]
  • Watch out for applications and Web pages that offer to fix your sick PC or Mac. 30 million INternet users have fallen for fake antivirus programs that end up stealing their money and identification.
    Report: Fake antivirus programs claim 30 million victims [Ars Technica]
  • Comcast is rolling out some super high-speed services in the NorthEast US. Comcast customers in Boston can choose from seven faster levels of Internet service ranging from 12 Mbps for $42.95/month to 50 Mbps for $189/month.
    Comcast Offers Three New Internet Service Plans [eFluxMedia]
  • A 22-year-old University of Pennsylvania student has been sentenced to three months in prison and $36,000 in fines for his part in utilizing a botnet to take down university servers.
    Student gets jail for crashing university servers [Computerworld]

That's it for this week's CourseCast. Links to this week's stories and many more news and information resources are provided at the CourseCast Web site at coursecasts.course.com. Email us with your suggestions for the show at course.coursecasts@cengage.com. Until next time, have a great week and be sure to take advantage of the Power -- of Technology!