checking

The 404 211: Where Wilson wears a BeenVerified condom all day

Our reservoir of embarrassing stories about Jeff is bottoming out, so we're happy to welcome his old chums from BeenVerified.com to refill the glass. Josh, Ross, and Jay are ushering in a new generation of background checks for employers and job seekers, but today they're not afraid to use their powers for evil to dish the dirt on our fellow co-host. They also help us weigh in on virtual larceny, the problem with young whippersnappers, how to answer a professional call of doodie, and Josh spouts praise for his favorite luxury gadget: the $5,000 toilet.

We spend the first half of the show talking to the guys about their brand-new company, BeenVerified. They're no strangers to starting innovative sites, and this one is no different. In an age where employers are starting to perform pseudo background checks through social networking sites like FaceBook and MySpace, BeenVerified takes it a step forward and offers a background checking service for employers and job seekers alike. After talking to Josh, Ross, and Jay, we're afraid to see how many skeletons in our respective closets, but here's the beauty of the site: users must approve the release of their information to the public before anyone can see it, so if don't want to be exposed, just say no! Of course, seekers will benefit from being an open book in general, so let that freak flag fly. Best of all, you can apply it to other transactions in your personal life, for example, screening Craigslist meetups, online daters, and nannies. Listen to today's knee-slappin' show and check out the animated short below for more about BeenVerified.

Episode 211 Download today's podcast … Read more

CheckUp is your Mac's first-aid kit

Most of the time our Macs run smoothly due to the well-designed Mac OS X (choose your big cat) operating system. But over time, as you download more applications, visit more Web sites, and begin to use up space on your hard drive, your Mac won't run as quickly and smoothly as it did out of the box. Some users reason that it must be a RAM or hard-drive issue, but more often than not it's a question of maintenance rather than inadequate hardware.

I've talked about programs for uninstalling old or unused apps in an earlier post, … Read more

Is Check Point's security profile the broadest?

Recent Enterprise Strategy Group research points to two evolving trends:

Information security practices are merging into other IT areas, such as regulatory compliance and IT operations.

Enterprise users are leaning toward integrated security suites rather than "best of breed" security products.

With these trends in mind, it is safe to assume that the market advantage goes to security vendors with integrated product portfolios that cover security, compliance, and IT operations. Firms like EMC's RSA Security, McAfee, and Symantec are betting on this happening soon, but these industry heavyweights are not alone.

Case in point: Check Point Software … Read more

NYPD probes cop in YouTube body-check video

A New York City police officer was stripped of his gun and badge after a video posted on YouTube showed him body-checking a bicyclist during Friday's Critical Mass bicycle ride.

The video (see below), which was shot by a tourist and posted on the video-sharing site Sunday, shows bicyclists whizzing past uniformed officers during the Times Square protest. One officer begins to stride across the street, picking up speed and violently tackling a bicyclist into a crowded sidewalk.

The video sparked an immediate public outcry and led the department to place the officer, identified by several news agencies as … Read more

ZoneAlarm updated after Microsoft's DNS patch

On Thursday, Check Point Software Technologies released updated versions of all its ZoneAlarm products, addressing an incompatibility with a patch Microsoft released earlier this week.

The fix requires ZoneAlarm users to download the latest version, 7.0.438.000, from its site. A reboot is required to complete installation.

Since Tuesday, ZoneAlarm customers have complained that access to the Internet was denied after installing MS08-037, a patch designed by Microsoft to correct a vulnerability in both the client and server Domain Name System packages within Windows. Earlier on Tuesday, a security researcher announced a massive, multi-vendor patch release to address … Read more

Some ZoneAlarm users in the dark after Microsoft patch

Check Point Software Technologies, maker of ZoneAlarm, on Wednesday said it is working with Microsoft to resolve an issue with one of the patches within the software maker's July 2008 Patch Tuesday release.

At issue is the Microsoft Update KB951748 (MS08-037) from Microsoft, which addresses the flaw in DNS made public on Tuesday by security researcher Dan Kaminsky.

For ZoneAlarm customers who have automatic update selected for Windows Updates, and whose ZoneAlarm Internet security level is set to "high," they will experience a loss of Internet connectivity upon reboot.

ZoneAlarm users without automatic update may wish to … Read more

Acxiom gets personal with authentication

The process of logging into your stock portfolio online is about to get a lot more personal, according to Acxiom.

The Little Rock, Ark.-based data warehouse company last week announced FactCheck-X Authenticate, a new biographical authentication service that asks users random questions based on their personal lives. But some privacy advocates say the added layer of security is not worth the extra intrusion into our personal lives.

Acxiom's Web site says its "products and services help companies improve their results by providing greater insight into what drives their business--their customers, specifically their needs and wants." Jennifer … Read more

A cigarette machine that recognizes faces

This "Child Check System" introduced by Japanese company Fujitaka uses facial recognition to determine if the person buying cigarettes is over the legal age limit, which is currently 20 in Japan. A camera embedded in the vending machine takes a picture, then compares it with its database of 100,000 faces.

The system even checks for lines and skin tones to estimate a person's age. It will be installed in about half a million vending machines in Japan from July this year.

Whether this actually works in stopping underaged consumers from smoking is still too early to … Read more

Stimulate this: Buy American-made audio with your tax rebate check

The Federal Economic Stimulus program checks are in the mail. When you get yours try and be a good consumer and spend it right away. That'll help our economy and remember the checks will do the most good if they're spent on made in America products. One of my favorite high-value, high-end audio brands, Outlaw Audio, would be a good place to start. Its multi-channel home theater power amplifiers are in fact proudly made in the USA. Outlaw sells direct on its website and all of their amps are now on sale--with free FedEx Ground shipping! If you'… Read more

ZoneAlarm virtualizes the desktop Internet browser

Recent attacks on legitimate Web sites may have left some end users vulnerable. But on Monday, Check Point Software Technologies released ZoneAlarm ForceField, which might provide some with the safe surfing protection they need.

ZoneAlarm ForceField sells for $29.95 (for a single user license) or $49.95 (for a three-user license) and currently works only with Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 2, and the Firebox 3 beta. In tests at CNET, ZoneAlarm ForceField did not work with Apple Safari for Windows or Opera 9. Installation doesn't require a reboot. When you open your Internet browser, the edges will be … Read more