SocialMe is a small app. on Facebook that lets users see other users SocailMe profile, pics and tag them as they please. The more tags and comments you receive, the more your virtual score increases. It lets people get attention and socialize in a virtual way, which is good.

The bad part – the application is exploited. I discovered this sometime at the beginning of 09, while I was browsing through SocailMe profiles, Firefox blanked out and asked to close the browser as it had detected an intrusion. After that incident, smelling something fishy on SocialMe/ Facebook, I decided to replicate the problem. For security, I installed McAfee Enterprize edition with firewall on my system and went back to browsing on SocialMe. And to focus on my target, I just had Facebook with SocaiMe open. And I used a brand new Windows installed system that had been patched and shielded with latest updates and detection rules.

Surely enough, after an hour of so of browsing on SocialMe, Firefox detected an intrusion and asked me to close, while McAfee displayed a message saying that it had detected and deleted an infection. A Trojan Virus. I left Firefox window open, and McAfee continued to detect and delete the same Virus over and over again.

Report the incident to Facebook help – I reported the incident to SocialMe development team and also in Facebook feedback under help section. I did not hear from SocialMe at all, but Facebook did reply back to my saying that I had to contact the developer of the application as Facebook did not support any third party applications. In other words, Facebook washed their hands off from policing any rogue application that is using their site as a launch pad to spread malicious software? Weird for a big guy like Facebook to shrug the responsibility off from their shoulders, when they have ample resources to stop their site from being exploited and abused. Of course it is not them, but it is someone that is using their site as a launch pad to spread malicious software. If a hacker exploits my site and uses it for malicious intent, it becomes my moral and professional responsibility to clean up and NOT allow that application in again. But I am sure, they have a clause somewhere in the agreement which says that they are not responsible for any damage caused by other third party applications on Facebook. Easy, so now Facebook does not have to police these application that are launched from their site.

Third Attack - After few months of not using SocialMe, I went back to using it again, hoping that they might have fixed the issue. NO, I was so wrong. This time my laptop got infected even though McAfee claimed that it had deleted the Trojan Virus and had cleaned the infection. However, it was a little too tale. This version of the Virus had already become resident to my system and was now replicating itself in any thumb drive that I inserted in my system. My system crashed trying to rid itself of the virus, and I had to reinstall Windows, and format all my drives.

Solution - STOP using SocailMe. Since Facebook is going to leave you in the wet and not take any action against SocailMe, you got to take your own cover.

It makes my wonder how many such “third party” rouge applications are exploiting good sites like Facebook, Orkut and MySpace? The industry got to change their attitude towards these third party applications, else they will continue to take shelter under these big trees, and keep spreading their nasty poison.

But here is something that is already taking shape. The computer system that takes input from hand gestures rather than keyboard and mouse. Not just that, it sees what you see, records video and sound when you want, displays information when you want, where you want, almost like your computerized “sixth sense”. The brains behind this new device being devoloped is Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry from MIT. Hats off to them!!

Source:http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/481

Follow UP:
At TedIndia, Pranav Mistry did a follow up of his invention and gave us more insight as to what really is the potential of his code and designs. I am super excited thinking and letting my imagination loose. And as he said, your imagination is the limit with this. This has the potential of being the next big leap in computer usage since the dawn of the Internet, and yet he has agreed to provide the source code for free to rest of the world instead of raking millions from his code. Hats off to you Pranav. I wish the big guys in the IT industry thought like you. Well, here is the video of Pranav Mistry, speaking at TedIndia conference and enlightening us with his invention, that will change the way we interact with digital information, forever.

Source: Ted.com [ted id=685]

Source: Ted.com

These 3 seem to be originating from the same scammer -

SCAM Email no.1:
asah witney; asahwitney04@live.com; asahwitney02@live.com

Hello to you overthere?
I am Originally from good year AZ ,am  nurse in
Arizona,i and my husband are presently in China and will be coming back from
china next month,we are going to settle and put up our big computer store as
this is what we are here for. Checking on the craigslist ,I read your
description and am interested in your service,we have about 20 laptops that
we want to install softwares on and clean them up.We are sending the
computers over and they  are laptops Hp centrino(intel) computer ..i want you
to Install softwares such as Microsoft Office and Antivirus, clean inner &
outercomputer components, update software to current status.We will like to
know if you will be able handle this job.so please get  back to us with you
total cost for the services of 20 computer excluding the shipping cost cus we
have a shipper that will come with the computers and the necessary
Softwares to you.
We await your urgent response so that we can put the arrangement in order.
Thanks

Email no.2:
Jeremy Douglas; jeremydouglas101@googlemail.com

How you doing? My name is Jeremy Douglas, i from Jacksonville, FL and
right now i work in Valdosta, GA. I read your description and am
insterested in your services,I just brought some computers and they
are are laptops HP 530 computer ..i want you to Install software such
as Microsoft Office and Antivirus, clean inner & outercomputer
components, update software to current status,Get back to me with you
total cost for the services of eight computer excluding the shipping
cost cus i have a shipper that will come with the computers and the
necessary Softwares to you.
I await your urgent response so that i can put the arrangement in
order or Call 559-762-4247
Thanks
Jeremy

Email no.3:
Jeremy Douglas; douglasjeremy55@googlemail.com

My name is Jeremy Douglas, from Ocala, Florida work in Elizabethton,
Tennessee. I brought some computers and they are are laptops HP 530
computer. I want you to Format, Install software such as Microsoft
Office(2003), Antivirus(Avast), Corel Draw9, PhotoShop, Clean Inner &
Outer Computer components, update software to current status,
Get back to me with your total cost for the services of 8 Computers (Laptops).
I await your urgent response so that i can put the arrangement in order
Regard

Email no. 4:
orris jessica – orrisjessica@yahoo.com

Hello,
How you doing?
My name is Jessica,i hail from UK and right now i work in Germany I read description and am instrested in your services,I will be importing some computer into the United States.The PC are laptops pentium 4 dell computer ..i want you to Install software, clean inner & outer computer components, update software to current status.Get back to me with you total cost for the services of 10 computer.i will like You to know that my mode of payment is by check.I await your urgent response so that i can put the arrangement in order.
Thanks.

Email no. 5:

Courtesy Ted.com

Here is what you can do:

• STOP drinking bottled water. Get a large bottle delivered to you place instead of buying 24 packs.
• STOP using plastic shopping bags. Do your grocery in few large reusable bags instead of using a dozen plastic bags each time. Most stores sell you reusable bags for under a $
• Recycle the extra bags/ bottles etc. that somehow cling to you form somewhere
• STOP getting your coffee/ soda in plastic disposable cups. Keep your coffee mug in your car, work, etc.
• STOP getting your lunch in disposable boxes, especially at work where you can keep a lunch box/ container and ask the restaurant to pack your food in it.

If you just add all this up, you just reduced your plastic waste by 90%. Think about it. I have done it and we know we all should do it. Do it for your children, do it for the rivers, do it for the seas and above all, do it for our Mother Earth. PLEASE!!

Here is a good tip to get you started. If you live in Orlando, FL and want to recycle stuff like electronic waste, cardboard boxes [flattened of course], paper etc; but you live in an apartment or a place where recycling facility is not available, then you can collect your stuff and then drive to the main landfill in the area [end of Dean rd] where they have separate drop off bins for recycling. This a free service for Orlando residents and I encourage you to use it and recycle more.

Map for Orange county, FL, landfill and recycling facility:
Hrs of Operation: Mon – Sun [8:00 am to 5:00 pm]
Orange County Solid Waste Hotline 407-836-6601

View Orange County solid waste drop off in a larger map

Free Compost is also offered to all Orange County residents, provided they bring their own shovel and container. Residents may take up to one pickup truckload of compost free of charge. Compost can be picked up from landfill and transfer stations, Sun through Sat, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Hurricane Aftermath

It chokes my conscious to think how the $40 that I would have spent in a pub on booze or the $20 that I would have spent on a movie and the $50 that I might have spend on a Halloween costume could alternatively be used to relieve so many people from the extreme agony of hunger.

So I request all of you to come and join hands in raising some money for the hungry in Haiti by participating in a Car Wash event. All proceeds will be forwarded to FoodForThePoor.Org, which is an International organization working intensively in Haiti to solve the current crisis.

If you feel strongly about helping those who are in dire need, you are most welcome to come and wash cars with me and raise some money for the poor. Or if you want to support the poor and need a car wash, you are welcome as well. It’s an open ended invitation to all. If you have supplies that can be used in the car wash event, and you would like to help, place call me or email me and let me know.

Here is the details of the place and time:

PLACE: Drunken Monkey, 444 N. Bumby Ave., Orlando, FL 32803.

TIME: Sat. Nov. 1st, 2008.    10AM to 5PM

Link to Food For The Poor, Inc. http://www.foodforthepoor.org

Link on my Facebook as an event. If you are on facebook, please cascade and invite your friends. Its an open invite.

Thank You!

My contact: Amit Maskara, Cell# 407-242-1668

email: amitmaskara@gmail.com

Thanks to all the people who made an effort to help feed the hungry and poor. I have sent a check of $220.00 to Food For the Poor, Inc.

Every $12 donated helps feed a family of 4 for a month. So even though we were short handed and could not achieve much, but for the 6 of us that were there, we can be happy that this little money will feed about 70 people for a month.

May God work through you all for a lot more days to come.

Cheers!!

Source:http://www.Ted.com

Source: http://www.ted.com