In the time it takes you to read this sentence, the number of respiratory infections in the world will rise by at least 50. If you doubt this, just check out

http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf, the World Clock website and watch the numbers whirl by as the Northern Hemisphere enters the flu season (376,004,924 at this writing).

And this is not the only thing you can spend time watching. How about the US prison population? Or the numbers of barrels of oil being pumped?  Or jet fuel burned?

Or are you more interested in learning how many robberies or murders are reported in the US? Or the number of Nigerian bank scams (419 for $168,304,426 as this article was written)? You can also track the world’s population and causes of death worldwide. You might not believe that war ranked last in the “death by injury” category, a tenth of traffic accidents (1,072,812).

Is it all true? The site lists its sources, including the World Health Organization, CIA Factbook , US Census, StationMaster and NationMaster. But then there’s also Wikipedia and advocate groups like the National Wildlife Federation and Earth Policy.

Regardless, it’s a site that will make you think about the larger picture of our world and our fate and impact on it.

It’s called your C drive, but everybody knows its where the crap hides in your computer. And this product, Piriform’s CCleaner, quickly and reliably removes unused or temporary files, cache and cookies, browsing histories, recycle bin contents and anything else that clogs your system or compromises your privacy.

This highly regarded decrapifier cleans all areas of Windows PC, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, and registry entries. Best of all it is fast and contains NO spyware or adware.

The free product was developed by a highly motivated and skilled staff at a privately owned UK software house in the heart of London’s West End who say they owe their success to “late working … and a heavy dose of caffeine.”

So if you want to leave no trace of your online activities AND have a faster machine, check it out at http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner.

What does the future of technology look like? What is Cloud Computing — and are you doing it today but just don’t know it? We’re bringing a “crystal ball” discussion to you with Applied Tech’s James Walstad. He says the future is now – tune in to learn what that means to you!

Podcast now available! http://ibmadison.com/podcast?podcast_id=573

Microsoft’s SkyDrive: Look, Ma, No Wires!

If you’ve ever been caught away from your computer when an important business question came up, Microsoft SkyDrive is for you.

The application is part of Microsoft’s Windows Live range of online services that lets users store files and share them through the Internet cloud, accessing them anywhere from any web browser.

Accessibility is the key benefit for this app, though the cost (free!) is also compelling. But the flexibility of using simplified versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote through a browser anywhere (even printing the documents) makes this a Cool Tool worth using over and over.http://explore.live.com/windows-live-skydrive

Just think: users can upload, create, edit and share Microsoft Office documents directly within a browser. And the app also allows users to upload photos and let other users access them via a web browser.  Move over Google Apps!

This Cool Tool will increase productivity and collaboration among your employees everywhere, all the time. That means less cost and overhead — and more profits!

Learn more about Microsoft SkyDrive:http://explore.live.com/windows-live-skydrive

Dying for Coffee?  Yelp it!
If you haven’t tried this site yet, you must know someone who has.

Yelp is one of the emerging websites that offers a fun and easy way to find, review and talk about what’s great – and not so great – in your town.

With its easy to read and use site, www.yelp.com lets everyone become a critic of restaurants, bars, boutiques, mechanics or dentists.  Overall, Yelp proves that you can’t please everybody, as even the best places may have a scathing review from a disgruntled writer. Still, a quick scan through a dozen or so Yelp reviews offers a pretty good idea of what to expect when you choose a place to get your favorite scone or brew.

And what’s even better is the Yelp smartphone app that lets you find the nearest food, gas or service you want. Just type in ”Coffee” when you come off the trail and YELP will tell you the nearest place for your caffeine bath. That alone makes it worth trying out!

Google’s Newest Baby: Meet the Wonder Wheel!

Ever heard of “mind mapping”?  Well that is the premise behind one of Google’s latest innovations in the battle to be the Web’s dominant search engine.

Introduced in May, it’s called the Wonder Wheel, a wheel-shaped tool which tries to simplify and arrange your search results. It operates a bit like a story board by connecting relevant and related searches to something you’re already looking for.

Take a look at it and see if you don’t agree it is pretty cool: http://tiny.cc/zf106

The wheel is definitely taking off worldwide and has reached 1 million users already. The fact that Google defines it as a “pre-defined mind mapper which helps the user get all the related search results in a wheel shaped like display (similar to mind mapping softwares which are commonly used by many),” has given users another reason to use it in addition to the features already provided by the company.

Want to know more? Find the company’s spin on this at http://www.googlewonderwheel.com/

It seems that even the most innocuous machines in the workplace can serve as a security threat to companies. According to this report from CBS News, many office copiers save the images they copy on a dedicated hard disk installed inside them. This means that everything from mundane memos to your most sensitive information such as financial statements and contracts are stored – and could potentially extracted.

So the next time you dispose of a copy machine, if you’re not sure what’s stored on it and how to get it off – give us a call to help out.

To see the news report, watch this video.

Users beware of ransomware: malicious software that extorts money from users in exchange for freeing the user’s computer or data. One particularly nasty version was recently discovered by researchers at CA which came bundled with a software download called uFast Download Manager. The malware blocks Internet access for users until they pay the publisher a fee via SMS. Users who download the software are immediately infected, seeing a message posted in Russian demanding a ransom under the guise of activating the uFast Download Manager application. To keep your computer environment safe, always be wary of downloading suspicious free software on the Internet. If you need help or are unsure, please contact us first so we can help!

Spanish authorities report that they have arrested the masterminds behind a string of online criminal activities using the botnet dubbed Mariposa. Mariposa is the original name of a commercially distributed Do-it-Yourself malware kit, sold online for 800/1000 EUR for “wannabe” hackers.  Along with the arrest, authorities seized sensitive data belonging to about 800,000 users in 190 countries, gathered from an estimated 12M+ infected host computers on the Internet.

What’s particularly interesting is that the cybercriminals arrested were not themselves the author of the malware, nor were they any more techincally adept than many ordinary users. They simply had access to malware widely available on the Internet, and were able to conduct a crime of such a wide scale and reach.

This illustrates that it’s become easier for many cybercriminals to conduct their nefarious deeds online, and highlights the need for more vigilance on the part of law-abiding netizens in keeping their network secure from hackers and malware.

Is your network safe? Contact us to find out.

Related articles:

• How FBI, police busted massive botnet (go.theregister.com)
• Botnet takedowns ‘don’t hurt crooks enough’ (go.theregister.com)
• Vodafone distributes Mariposa Bot, Conficker and Lineage in HTC Magic (techie-buzz.com)

Microsoft recently released a number of security bulletins and patches addressing vulnerabilities in Windows and Office that are of high risk to users. It’s widely believed that many will be exploited by hackers within the next 30 days. One of them could potentially allow hackers or malware authors to easily compromise systems by tricking users to download malicious AVI-formatted files. Others require nothing more than just visiting a website. Another specifically targets Powerpoint Viewer 2003, and opening a malicious .ppt file could affect your system.

This latest round of patches and vulnerability updates is really nothing new – although the sheer number made public in one day is notable. This highlights the need for a comprehensive security policy, because vulnerabilities do exist in even the most mundane or old versions of software. Customers under our Managed Services plan can rest easy since we monitor and update their computers as soon as these patches and advisories are released. Find out more about what we do to make your systems safe and secure. Contact us today.

Related links:

• Patch Tuesday: Microsoft plugs critical Windows worm holes (zdnet)
• Researchers warn of likely attacks against Windows, PowerPoint (computerworld)
• Microsoft delivers huge Windows security update (computerworld)