Are we about to witness a real OS X virus?

Mac antivirus maker, Intego, has published an interesting alert about a potential OS X virus that an enterprising individual is trying to sell through auction. With absolutely no technical information to go on, the antivirus maker is treating the announcement with caution.

Based on the rate and type of vulnerabilities identified by projects like the Month of Apple Bugs it isn't too far fetched to expect that there are dozens or even hundreds of OS X specific viruses/malware creations that are sitting on the systems of their developers but which do not have many opportunities for widespread distribution.

Some of the more successful OS X-specific pieces of malware have been distributed through file sharing sites and P2P applications, usually claiming to be for highly desirable software. A 5-10MB download for an application suite that should be 500-600MB generally leaves clues as to something not being quite right. More common, though, are exploit attempts against QuickTime and popular OS X web browsers, with US developer Sunbelt Software having identified and tracked a number of these types of vulnerability, though their effectiveness at infecting OS X targets in the wild isn't known. The exploits used in these types of attack will compromise a victim's system, but there aren't any readily available figures as to how many victims have actually been affected by them. From Intego's posting, it appears that the enterprising auctioneer seems determined to make sure that his name is one that is not forgotten when it comes to Apple security, claiming that his exploit is a poisoned ZIP archive that will "KO the system and Hard Drive" when unarchived. He may not be operating on the scale of David Maynor, Tom Ferris, or Kevin Finisterre, and there might not even be the kernel of truth that InfoSec Sellout had with their claimed OS X malware, but it is feasible that there is something in the OS X Archive Utility that lends itself to exploitation and system control like the recent ARDAgent vulnerability did.

From appearing on July 21, to disappearing soon after Intego's post, there is more mystery than substance about the hacker, the claimed vulnerability and the site itself. There are plenty of ways to take an OS X system to its knees by manually launching malicious software or content, there just aren't very many that have demonstrated a capability of being set up for malicious use (despite their potential) and there are even fewer that demonstrate any sort of viability for (semi-)autonomous spreading.

FDA limits salmonella warning to Mexican peppers

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Only Mexican-grown raw jalapeños and raw serrano peppers have been linked to the salmonella outbreak, a spokesman for the Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

Mexican officials said the findings were "premature," even as the FDA issued an advisory stating that a contaminated jalapeño pepper originated in Mexico. The news came just days after the FDA announced it discovered salmonella on a jalapeño imported from Mexico at The Agricola Zarigosa produce-distribution center in McAllen, Texas. But Mexican Embassy spokesman Ricardo Alday noted that the investigation is ongoing. "Mexico strongly urges the FDA to abstain from making any further public comment implicating Mexican produce in this outbreak until it has completed its investigation of jalapeño peppers in Mexico, and until the United States has assured the result with their Mexican counterparts," Alday said. Peppers grown in the United States have not been connected to the outbreak that has sickened more than 1,000 people since April, said FDA spokesman Michael Herndon.

Initially, tomatoes seemed the most likely source of the outbreak. The FDA told consumers to avoid certain raw tomatoes on June 7, prompting grocery chains and some restaurants nationwide to stop offering them.

The agency lifted that ban last week, determining that tomatoes currently in fields and stores are safe. Learn about the differences between salmonella and E. coli » The FDA now advises consumers to avoid raw jalapeño peppers grown in Mexico and any foods containing raw jalapeño peppers grown in Mexico. Only immune-compromised people, the elderly and infants should avoid raw serrano peppers from Mexico, Herndon said.

Cooked or pickled peppers from cans or jars are not part of the warning. Learn how to keep your food safe » Tomatoes, which were the original focus of the investigation, still have not been ruled out as a possible source of the outbreak, said Dr. David Acheson, director of food safety for the agency. "The science that indicated that tomatoes were implicated was strong and is still strong," he said "It's not that tomatoes have been exonerated." He said officials do not believe that tomatoes currently on the market are contaminated. Officials said earlier this week that tomatoes could have been paired with another food that was contaminated, prompting the outbreak.

Fake RM50 notes

Here's some clues upon checking a fake RM50 note(s), well no disclaimer is set upon this email though, and the public has the right to know, the cross means fake, the tick sign means genuine.:










Well, I hope these are the right method to differentiate. Public safety first.

IDM UltraEdit-32 v14.10.0.1018

IDM UltraEdit 是一套极棒的文字、Hex、ASCII 码编辑器，可以取代记事本，内建英文单字检查、C++ 及 VB 指令突显， 可同时编辑多个文件，而且即使开启很大的文件速度也不会慢。其并且附有 HTML Tag 颜色显示、搜寻替换以及无限制的还原功能；一般大家常会用其来修改EXE 或 DLL 文件。根据经验，文书处理的作业是大多数人使用计算机最常进行的工作，当然需要非常有力的工具。不过像 Word 这种文书处理程序，又太大了些，拿来处理普通的文字文件，有点杀鸡用牛刀，小题大作了些。普通文字文件在 PC 中可是无所不在的，像是各种各样的 readme「自述文件」、批处理文件等等，都是使用普通文字文件的格式。Windows 95/98虽然提供了一个简单的「记事本」来处理普通文字文件，但「记事本」又太阳春了，功能阳春不说，碰到大一点的文字文件，就当场拒绝工作；这个「特 点」可是令许多PC玩家哭笑不得。许多高手纷纷研发出各种处理普通文字文件的 Shareware。UltraEdit 可说是其中的佼佼者，更是各个 Shareware 推荐排行榜的常胜军！

UltraEdit 以磁片为基础的文字编辑包含 16位元版本用於Windows 3.x 与 32位用於 Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/2003 和 XP (不含 Win32s)。 UltraEdit-32 也同时支持 64位元(标准)档案处理在所有 32位元的视窗平台。

文书处理的作业是大多数人使用电脑最常进行的工作，当然需要非常有力的工具。不过像 Word 这种文书处理程式，又太大了些，拿来处理普通的文字档，有点杀鸡用牛刀，小题大作了些。
普 通文字档在 PC 中可是无所不在的，像是各种各样的「读我档案」、批次档案等等，都是使用普通文字档的格式。Windows 虽然提供了一个简单的「记事本」来处理普通文字档，但「记事本」又太阳春了，功能阳春不说，碰到大一点的文字档，就当场拒绝工作；这个「特点」可是令许多 PC玩家哭笑不得。

许多高手纷纷研发出各种处理普通文字档的软体。UltraEdit可说是其中的佼佼者，更是各个媒体杂志报导之推荐排行榜的常胜军！

除了可以像Word一样，提供强大的编辑与列印功能外，如果用它开启非文字档，UltraEdit-32就摇身一变，立刻成为可以直接编辑程式码的编辑器。

更好用的是，您可以在任何档案上按下滑鼠右键，在功能表中直接叫出 UltraEdit-32编辑这个档案，不用再去按开始钮。

UltraEdit 功能强大，实在是太棒了！每个人都应该赶快弄一套来，马上享受丢掉破烂记事本的快感。而且UltraEdit-32 也支持双位字元集 (DBCS)，编辑中文再也不会发生问题了！

●提供超强的文字档编辑、预视、列印功能。
●提供直接编辑十六进位码功能。
●可编辑 HTML 档案，以彩色显示HTML标记，方便网页编辑。
●新版在画面左边提供快速检视栏框，无论切换编辑视窗或档案都很容易。
●新增 Project（计画）功能，可以让您把数个文字档合成一个「计画」，方便您一次编辑数个彼此有关连的文件。

记事本的功能太阳春，WORD 太耗资源了(程式大又占宝贵的记忆体空间)，小作家又用不顺手，想要找个可以处理文字档和二进位档，又方便又好用的文书处理程式吗？用最新的 UltraEdit 就对了！更重要的是它支持 DBCS，中文编辑再也不成问题了！

What in the World Are You Doing?

by Chris Widener

This week we talk about leaving an impact legacy. "What is an impact legacy?" you may ask. It is how you impact people and the world around you. You see, many people glide through life and do not make much of an impact. That is unfortunate. Others though, those driven by a purpose and passion for living, are continually making the world a better place and making an impact wherever they go.

What in the world are you doing?

Here is the typical life - typical, though not everybody does it this way. But for the most part, people's lives generally go something like this:

You're born
You eat and sleep
You play with toys
You go to school
You play little league
You go to school
You learn to drive
You go to school
You leave high school
You go to more school, but you pay for it now
You get a job
You get married
You buy a house
You have kids
You watch your kids eat, sleep, play and go to school
You work, work, and work
You retire
You die

That's the basic life, isn't it? I know there is more to it, but that is about it for most people.

Here is that question again: What in the world are you doing?

I mean, what are you doing besides the typical "enjoying yourself while you are waiting to die" scenario? What kind of impact are you making?

What I believe sets the successful apart is that they don't just live the average life. They don't just pass time. They make an impact. They have something compelling in their life that drives them - something that gives them an answer when they are asked that question: What in the world are you doing?

I'm helping children.

I'm creating a business that supports many families.

I lead a church.

I am defending our liberties.

I am raising great children.

I'm teaching others to improve their lives.

I help people have fun.

I create memories for people.

In other words, successful people always come down to this:

I make an impact and help other people by (fill in your purpose here).

What in the world are you doing?

If you want to be successful, you need to be able to answer that by describing how you help others. Because if you aren't helping others - if you aren't making an impact - you are just taking up space, eating food and waiting to die.

Here's the question for you to answer this week and what to do with your answer:

What in the world are you doing?

If you know, then you are good to go - live it and make an impact!

If you don't know, then maybe you need to reflect on what you are doing, what your life is about, and how you can explode the mundane bubble you may be living in!

The world needs impact makers - so live to be one!

Have a great week!

Chris