HackNotifier

There is new site that seems to get a lot of attention lately. It is called HackNotifier.

Basis premises are quite easy. You give them e-mail and they will check whether it appears in any of hacker released databases. For small sum of $5 per month they will check your account in real-time and notify you if it appears in fore-mentioned databases. For two bucks more it will even send you a SMS.

On their main page they claim total of 1,485,523 e-mail accounts that were hacked and invite you to check yours. In order to protect you they even have https certificate. But I keep on wondering how big an idiot you need to be in order to give them your e-mail…

Way I see it this is ideal e-mail gathering site. All that site operator needs to do is to save each e-mail that gets checked. After you get an e-mail, just increase counter on main page and tell user whatever. Most users either will not check or are not able to. Easiest way to collect accounts if you ask me…

Even if we assume that this site is legitimate (and that is huge stretch) what do you gain by checking your mail there or (in case of chronic stupidity) subscribing to their service. They let you know whether your e-mail is in some database. And what will you do with that information? Get new account? If you intend to do so, save yourself trouble and get new account each day. You will be safe.

P.S. Site can be found at www dot hacknotifier dot com. I do not want to link to them.

Real Thing Indeed

I arrived to USA on a Lufthansa’s flight from Frankfurt. While flight was normal in every way possible - whether it is lousy choice of movies, sadistic headset or bad food - there was one thing I actually enjoyed tremendously.

We got real knife and fork for our meals!

Yes, someone from Lufthansa figured that not everybody flying is terrorist and they gave us proper stainless steel knife. Words cannot describe enjoyment of using proper silverware (stainlessware?) instead of plastic rubbish. And it wasn’t some flimsy dull knife either. It was proper heavy and sharp piece of metal. Yes, food was still not great, but at least I could cut through it like a human being.

Thanks Lufthansa.

Yet Another State

In one of previous posts I said that next post will be from Irving.

However, plans change. After a night in Irving my wife and I drove all the way to the small town of Herndon, Virginia. And this will be place we call home for (hopefully) a few months at least.

P.S. There will be few more non-computer related posts while I settle into routine here. I promise that I will be back to programming soon. :)

Microsoft's Skype

It is now an old news that Microsoft bought Skype. Such a big purchase usually takes time and product is almost on hold for that time. That is why I was surprised with big change new version brought.

Skype Home window is finally gone! That bastard offspring of facebook integration does not appear on startup anymore. Yes, you can show it again if you are feeling mazohistic but you might as well saw off your foot and get same level of enjoyment.

I have no idea whether this was Microsoft initiated change or not but it is definitely step in right direction.

Irving

If everything goes fine, next post you’ll see will be from Irving, Texas. My previous trip to USA landed me in Redmond WA and I felt like I was in Europe (if you disregard automatic gear changer and bad beer).

From what I hear Texas is totally different experience. Bigger cars, bigger steaks and bad beer (ok, some things are constant in USA :)). In any case, I am looking forward to spend few months immersed in land of Chuck Norris.

I just pray that my weird sense of humor won’t land me in any trouble. :)

[For future reference: It all ended up with me landing in Dallas and then driving to Virginia…]