If you like smoking while working or using your laptop, then you ought to know that second hand smoke is dangerous to your health. I am not here to discuss the effects of smoking to our bodies but to share this video on how to reduce the smoke from cigarettes.

This is a simple how-to to create a simple yet effective way to reduce smoke from cigarettes. The ashtray is pluggable into a USB port so you can place it near your computer while it filters the smoke and turns it to a clean air. Enjoy the video

The voice was a bit sleepy but nevertheless, it is great to know that this kind of ashtray can be done in a few simple steps.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Working as a system administrator requires a lot of memory power with all the servers that I am managing at work. Not to say the huge amount of passwords that go with it. And I must admit that my memory is not to be trusted (hey, even Einstein once suggested not to trust your memory!) with these credentials that if compromised or forgotten, will mean death to my career.

Anyway, my boss from our California office gave me a little piece of technology that I carry around with me and though I have read it a few times before, I never got the chance to own one. I am talking about the IronKey, a military-grade secure flash drive that is designed to protect the stored files.

This drive claims to be the most secure drive in the world. It’s design lies in its hardware-based AES encryption that resists any attempt to bypass the password, and provides a tight security for the drive. It also protects your encrypted data from brute-force attacks by initiating a self-destruct process if the password is typed in incorrectly after the tenth try. Any attempts also to tamper the casing will trigger the drive to self-destruct the data, making sure that no one will get the data even if physically tampered.

The bundled software also provides the security needed to access the files by asking for a password to unlock the USB drive. Locked drive means no read-write access whatsoever. Secure backup is also provided so encrypted backups of the contents can be created without compromising the data.

All in all, IronKey is perfect for confidential files and should be the standard of all USB flash drives.

Popularity: 6% [?]

I just found out that Mozilla Firefox, the world’s favorite web browser, has a portable version that can be stored in a USB storage device.

Bring your bookmarks with you with Portable Firefox

Firefox is bundled with PortableApps.com launcher, a free and open source platform you can use with any storage device like flash drives or iPod. So when you combine a portable app with Firefox, what you will get is a super fast and free browser that you can carry anywhere with you. And yes, it means you also have your bookmarks and extensions in your handy lil’ Portable Firefox. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 13% [?]

Days are coming nearer for the upcoming US Presidential Elections and security standards for electronic voting machines are getting higher. Security is the major factor in every electronic transaction including bank accounts and voting machines so the State of California requires that voting machines undergo a strict security testing. Security experts hacked and cracked the machines to ensure that the standards are met however, there are flaws found in the machines that may compromise the results of the election.

arstechnica.com writes:

Previous Red Team tests commissioned by the state of California revealed significant vulnerabilities in devices sold by Diebold and Sequoia. At the time, ES&S declined to participate in the testing, citing lack of preparedness. The tests on the ES&S machines were finally conducted in October, and the results, which were recently published (PDF), show that products from ES&S are as insecure as the rest.

The article further states that the tamper-proof paper seals on the machines are easily removed by common household items, which can be sneaked in without detection making the machine vulnerable for unauthorized access to its components. Furthermore, the key lock can be unlocked by using a simple office item without removing the seal.

These vulnerabilities gave the “attacker” access to its BIOS and able to modify the boot sequence. An external device loaded with bootable Linux can be used to give the attacker access to passwords.

ES&S is already in serious trouble in California for selling uncertified voting machines to several counties in violation of state law.

Popularity: 4% [?]