-36 I/O error code

Error Code Ref page: http://www.svn.net/helpdesk/mac/macOSerrors.html

Macintosh computers who have external firewire hard disks should make sure that their disks are formatted as "Mac OS X Extended" and not MSDOS (aka FAT32). Unfortunately, most commerically purchased firewire hard drives are preformatted as MSDOS/FAT32.

Partitioning a hard drive is the process of dividing a hard drive into separate, discrete sections, called 'volumes'. You can create up to 16 different partitions on a hard drive, each one can be of different size and format, even including the 'MS-DOS' format for use with PCs on a network. With hard drives getting bigger there are reasons why you might want to partition a hard drive. Partitioning can be used for organization purposes, i.e., each volume could be used as a media (scratch) drive, each for a different FCP Project. I typically partition into two volumes, one for FCP Captured media, the second for DVD SP projects, for Builds and MPEG 2 encoded files. With FireWire external hard drives reaching one Terabyte in size, partitioning the drive can make project and file management much more manageable.

Formatting
When you purchase a new hard drive for your Mac, either SATA/ATA (internal) or FireWire (external) the box that the drive comes in will likely tell you that the drive will run on both Macs and PCs. This is true, but because the drive is formatted for cross platform compatibility, some stability and facility issues could arise. It is possible that your new cross platform hard drive could have a 2 gig file size limit. Using the drive for FCP (and encoded files for DVD SP) could cause problems. 2 gigs is good for about 9 minutes of DV capture. Capturing clips longer than 9 minutes could result in the captured clip being broken into separate files. So ... whether you intend to partition your hard drive or not, you really should reformat your new hard drive for the Mac. If your new hard drive is FireWire and you intend to use it with both Macs and PCs, then leave it as is and do not reformat.

If you are going to partition your new drive you can skip down to the Partition section below, as when you partition your hard drive, you will reformat the drive during the partition process.

1. After you plugin your new hard drive and attach it to your Mac via a FireWire cable, the hard drive will mount on your desktop.

2. Open Disk Utility. Applications folder > Utilities folder > Disk Utility. Select the hard drive in the left hand column and click on the Erase tab.

3. In the Volume Format drop-down menu, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) if you plan to place the Mac Tiger operating system on this drive to make it a bootable drive. Select Mac OS Extended if you plan to use the drive as a media (capture scratch) drive.

4. Name the drive.

5. Install Mac OS 9 Disk Driver

There is an option to Install Mac OS 9 Disk Drivers. If you plan on using the hard drive with a Mac booting from OS 9, or believe that this might be a possibility, then select the checkbox to install the Mac OS 9 drivers. You do not need to install the Mac OS 9 drivers to use the disk with the Classic environment. (or not because you will not connect the drive to a Classic 9 system)

6. Security Options. When the default setting 'Don't Erase Data' is used, only the Directory information (information used to locate files on the hard drive) is erased leaving the actual files intact. This means, that for awhile, there is the possibility of recovering files. Over time the files will be over-written with new files thus destroying the data. For the paranoid there are three additional settings to insure that no data can be recovered from the hard drive.

7. Once you have selected the format and have named the drive, click on Erase. You will be presented with the 'Are you Sure' dialog box. Note that the volume still has the name 'untitled' because the process has not yet run. After 'Erase' the name will change to your new name.

8. Click the Erase button again. The Erase process will take just a minute to erase and reformat your new drive.

Source: K. Stone, Thanks

IE7 Flawed???...

October 2006
First security flaw signaled in IE7.
Less than 24 hours after the launch of Internet Explorer 7 (IE7),
security researchers are poking holes in the new browser. Danish security company Secunia reported Thursday, October 19, that IE7 contains an information disclosure vulnerability, the same one it reported in IE6 in April. The vulnerability affects the final version of IE7 running on Windows XP with Service Pack 2. If a surfer uses IE7 to visit a maliciously crafted Website, that site could exploit the security flaw to read information from a separate, secure site to which the surfer is logged in. Secunia rates the security flaw as "less critical," its second_lowest rating, and suggests disabling active scripting support to protect the computer.
Secunia advisory: http://secunia.com/advisories/22477
Source:http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/10/19/HNie7securityflaw_ 1.html

FBI, Privacy and ISPs

October2006
FBI director wants ISPs to track users.
FBI Director Robert Mueller on Tuesday, October 17, called on Internet service providers (ISPs) to record their customers' online activities, a move that anticipates a fierce debate over privacy and law enforcement in Washington next year. "Terrorists coordinate their plans cloaked in the anonymity of the Internet, as do violent sexual predators prowling chat rooms," Mueller said in a speech at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Boston. Law enforcement groups claim that by the time they contact ISPs, customers' records may have been deleted in the routine course of business. Industry representatives, however, say that if police respond to tips promptly instead of dawdling, it would be difficult to imagine any investigation that would be imperiled. It's not clear exactly what a data retention law would require. One proposal would go beyond Internet providers and require registrars, the companies that sell domain names, to maintain records too.
Source: http://news.com.com/FBI+director+wants+ISPs+to+track+users/2100−7348_3−6126877.html

IE7 for WinXP

October2006
Microsoft releases IE7 as free download. Microsoft made the newest upgrade for its Web browser, Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) for Windows XP, available for download Wednesday, October 18. The browser, which can be downloaded at no cost, is currently available only in English and runs on Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows XP 64−bit Edition and Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1. IE7 for XP will be made available in 23 Windows−supported languages over the coming weeks, said Gary Schare, director of Windows product management. Microsoft is also offering unlimited free phone support to consumers in North America who decide to run IE7. This support will be extended as additional languages are released, he said.
IE7 download: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx
Source: http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2032804,00.asp

Hackers & Zombies

October 2006
Cybercrooks shift towards new Web−based techniques.
Cybercrooks are moving to new Web−based techniques to control the machines they have commandeered, popularly referred to as "zombies." Before, they used to send orders via Internet chat services, but with that method, they ran the risk of inadvertently revealing the location of the zombies and themselves. The change in tactics makes it harder to identify zombies on a network, and it becomes tougher for security professionals to use the hackers' own tools to spy on them. In addition, the switch to Web−based control increases the threat of zombies to enterprises and other organizations, as that method can't be blocked as easily as the previous technique.
Source: http://news.com.com/Zombies+try+to+blend+in+with+the+crowd/2100−7349_3−6127304.html

DHS Spies...

October 2006:
Web could be terror training camp:
Disaffected people living in the United States may develop radical ideologies and potentially violent skills over the Internet and that could present the next major U.S. security threat, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff said on Monday, October 16. "They can train themselves over the Internet. They never have to necessarily go to the training camp or speak with anybody else and that diffusion of a combination of hatred and technical skills in things like bomb_making is a dangerous combination," Chertoff said. To help gather intelligence on possible home_grown attackers, Chertoff said DHS would deploy 20 field agents this fiscal year into "intelligence fusion centers," where they would work with local police agencies. By the end of the next fiscal year, he said the department aims to up that to 35
staffers.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061017/tc_nm/security_chertoff_dc;

and Colplay sings:
I awake to find no peace of mind
I said how do you live
As a fugitive?
Down here, where I cannot see so clear
I said what do I know?
Show me the right way to go

And the spies came out of the water
But you're feeling so bad 'cos you know
And the spies hide out in every corner
But you can't touch them no
'Cos they're all spies

They're all spies

A Few Words Abot WMM...

The following instructions were formulated for
Widnows Movie Maker running Windows XP:

1. Create a folder in which you will save your end product. On the desktop, right click. Select “New” > “Folder”. Give your folder a name -- any name will do.

2. Move any sound files, video files, images, etc. that you will be using into that folder. If you have not yet captured your files, proceed to step 3.

3. Click on “Start” in the lower left corner of your screen > “All Programs” > “Accessories” > “Entertainment” > “Windows Movie Maker”. If you have no sound files, video files, or images that you want to import, skip to step 12.

4. Make sure “Capture Video” is open. If you are importing files, click on “Import Pictures”

5. An “Import Files” window opens. Change the “Look In:” location to wherever you have stored the images you want to use.

6. Select the image(s) you want to import. (Note: to select more than one image, hold down the Ctrl key while you left-click on each image you desire. To import ALL of the images in that location, click on one image, then hold down the Ctrl key and press A).

7. Click “Import”. Your images will be imported into your “Collection”.

8. Next, import sounds. Click on “Import audio or music”.

9. An “Import Files” window opens. Change the “Look In:” location to wherever you have stored the images you want to use. In this case look in the folder you’ve created on the desktop.

10. Select the sound(s) you want to import. (Note: to select more than one sound, hold down the Ctrl key while you left-click on each sound you desire. To import ALL of the sounds in that location, click on one sound, then hold down the Ctrl key and press A).

11. Click “Import”. Your sounds will be imported into your “Collection”.

12. If all of your source material is already in your collection, proceed to step 14. If you still need to capture audio, video, or both, make sure the camera is properly attached to the computer. In the left hand frame, assure that the arrow next to "1. Capture Video" is pointing upward. If it is not, click on the arrow. Click on "Capture from video device."

13. If you are having difficulty capturing your video or with any other aspects of the project, click on the approriate subject listed under "Movie Making Tips" in the left frame of the screen.

14. Having imported all of the images and all of the sounds you want to use, you’re ready to start making your movie.

15. Locate the “Show Storyboard” or “Show Timeline” icon (near the left lower corner of your screen. If it says “Show Timeline”, click it. If it says “Show Storyboard”, do nothing.

16. Inside the “Collection” window, find the first image you want in your movie. Left click and drag that image to the “Video” portion of your timeline.

17. You can change the characteristics of your image by clicking on “View video effects” under “2. Edit Movie”. Left-click on the effect you’d like to apply to your image, drag it to the timeline and drop it onto the image you want to change. You can also change the length of time the image is seen by clicking on it, moving to the right of that part of the timeline until red arrows appear, then clicking and dragging on the arrows to shorten or lengthen the play time for that image.

18. Repeat steps 14 and 15 for the remaining images you want in your movie. Return to the collection of images and sounds by clicking “Show collections” under “2. Edit Movie”.

19. Left click and drag sounds in the same manner, dropping them onto the “Audio/Music” portion of the timeline. You may place the sounds at spacing you determine.

20. Make it fancy, add a title or credits. As an example, click on “Make titles or credits” under “2. Edit Movie”. Select the location for your title (or credits). For this example, select “Add title at the beginning of the movie”. Enter the text for your title. Notice that you can make a one-line title or, if you prefer, enter a second line as a subtitle.

21. You can change the title’s animation, the colors and/or font. Click the appropriate link. As an example, let’s click “Change the title animation”. One of my favorite title animations is for two lined titles. It’s called “Moving Titles, Layered”. Select your chosen animation and click “Done, add title to movie”. The title is inserted before your video. You may have to move your sound files to the right to accommodate the title’s insertion“ or you may choose to add the sounds AFTER you insert your title.

22. Similarly, you can insert video transitions (be aware that doing this may change the length each image is shown, since images may have to overlap to accommodate the transition. Again, you might be wise to add sound AFTER placing your transitions. To insert transitions, click on “View video transitions” under “2. Edit Movie”. WARNING, many video transitions can appear wrong, especially if you use too many. Most professional editors limit their use of transitions to direct cuts (no transition effect) and dissolve. They also use video effects (from the ‘View video effects” collection) such as “Ease In”, “Ease Out”, “Fade In, From Black”, and “Fade Out, To Black”.

23. Finally, you’re ready to save your work. Under “3. Finish Movie”, click on “Save to my computer”.

24. In item 1 in the “Save Movie Wizard”, type the title you want to save your movie under.

25. In item 2 in the “Save Movie Wizard”, record the location where you want to save your movie. I’d suggest you use the “Browse” button and select the folder in which you put all your resources for the movie (see item 1, above).

26. Click “Next”.

27. Leave the next setting “Best quality for playback on my computer (recommended)” as the default. Click “Next”.

28. Wait while Windows Movie Maker saves your movie.

29. Note the optional choice of “Play movie when I click Finish”. Choose whether or not you want this to happen. Click “Finish”. Your movie is saved in the folder you specified.
Thanks P. Metzler

IMovie Loves Ken Burns' Effects...Geez

When Using the New Ken Burns Interface you will wonder why all of your pictures are moving and you don't want them too.

The Ken Burns effect (a pan and zoom effect) allows you to add video motion to your still photos, and iMovie HD 6 features some nice enhancements to the interface. The Ken Burns controls now sit on a floating palette and the Preview window has additional controls—just like the video effects mentioned above. To play the effect, click the play button; click this button again to stop the motion. Click the loop button (the circling arrows) to loop the effect. To clear an effect, click the delete (X) button. You can also click the checkmark button to apply the effect.

Import one picture at a time, adjust the parameters for each and save when finished.
iMovie allows you to edit video to your heart's content without permanently altering the files. This is known as non-destructive editing. Here are four ways to edit clips without destroying your files. (If you ever forget which clips you've trimmed, remember that untrimmed clips have rounded corners at both ends, while a trimmed clip displays a straight edge on any side that was altered.)
Its touchy here so watch you click: Direct Trimming—Need to shorten a clip? Just select one, position the pointer at either end, and drag toward its center. Dragging from the left side trims the beginning of the clip; dragging from the right side trims the end of the clip. The farther you drag, the more you trim. For precision editing, watch the preview window as you drag to see your exact edit point.

Source: http://www.apple.com/support/imovie/hottips/

Hackers Exploit Microsoft...Again

October 2006
Hackers stepping up pace of Microsoft exploits. The cat_and_mouse game that Microsoft Corp. and hackers have been playing for years escalated last week, just as the software giant was addressing some of the biggest problems facing computer users. On Tuesday, October 10, the company released a record 26 security fixes for the Windows operating system and the widely used Office programs such as Word, Excel and Outlook. Thursday, October 12, hackers pounced again, posting on the Internet information about vulnerabilities in PowerPoint 2003, one of the Office programs widely used by business customers and increasingly used by students. Microsoft, whose products are the largest targets of hackers because its products are used on most computer systems, issues software updates to protect users' computers from the viruses, worms and spyware that are spread through their products via e_mail attachments and the Web.

But because those patches are released on a regular schedule __ the second Tuesday of each month __ the people who expose and exploit the vulnerabilities in the programs tend to wait until a day or so after the monthly release to reveal other vulnerabilities they have discovered.
Source:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp_dyn/content/article/2006/10/12/AR2006101201744.html

China's L.A.S.E.R.'s, US's Satellites

October 2006
China jamming test sparks U.S. satellite concerns. China has beamed a ground−based laser at U.S. spy satellites over its territory, a U.S. agency said, in an action that exposed the potential vulnerability of space systems that provide crucial data to American troops and consumers around the world. The Department of Defense remains tight−lipped about details, including which satellite was involved or when it occurred. The Pentagon's National Reconnaissance Office Director Donald Kerr acknowledged the incident two weeks ago, first reported by Defense News, but said it did not materially damage the U.S. satellite's ability to collect information. The issue looms large, given that U.S. military operations have rapidly grown more reliant on satellite data for everything from targeting bombs to relaying communications to spying on enemy nations. Critical U.S. space assets include a constellation of 30 Global Positioning Satellites that help target bombs and find enemy locations. This system is also widely used in commercial applications, ranging from car navigation systems to automatic teller machines. The Pentagon also depends on communications satellites that relay sensitive messages to battlefield commanders, and satellites that track weather in critical areas so U.S. troops can plan their missions.

Source: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx
?type=topNews&storyid=2006−10−05T164730Z_01_N02361333_RTRUKOC_0_US−ARMS−SPACE.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

China Hat Tricks

October 2006
Chinese Internet servers launch attack against U.S.

Commerce Department computer system.Hackers operating through Chinese Internet servers have launched a debilitating attack on the computer system of a sensitive Commerce Department bureau, forcing it to replace hundreds of workstations and block employees from regular use of the Internet for more than a month, Commerce officials said Thursday, October 5. The attack targeted the computers of the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), which is responsible for controlling U.S. exports of commodities, software and technology having both commercial and military uses. The bureau has stepped up its activity in regulating trade with China in recent years as the United States increased its exports of such dual−use items to the growing Chinese market. This marked the second time in recent months that U.S. officials confirmed that a major attack traced to China had succeeded in penetrating government computers. "Through established security procedures, BIS discovered a targeted effort to gain access to BIS user accounts," said Commerce Department spokesperson Richard Mills. "We have no evidence that BIS data has been lost or compromised."
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp−dyn/content/article/2006/10/05/AR2006100501781.html

Google Goes Deep...Real Deep...

Security professionals warned developers on Thursday, October 5, that they need to be aware that their open−source repositories can now be easily mined, allowing attackers to target programs that are likely to be flawed. While Google could previously be used to look for specific strings, now the search engine riffles through code that much better. "It is going deeper into places where code is publicly available, and it's clearly picking up stuff really well," said Chris Wysopal, chief technology officer of security startup Veracode. "This makes it easier and faster for attackers to find vulnerabilities −− not for people that want to attack a (specific) Website, but for people that want to attack any Website." Google announced on Thursday that the tool is now available for public use. Google Code Search digs through open−source code repositories on the Internet, compiling the large amount of source code available on the Web into an easily searchable database. Google reiterated on Thursday that the tool is intended to help programmers to find coding examples and obscure function definitions, not parse for flaws.

Google Code Search Engine: http://www.google.com/codesearch

Source: http://www.securityfocus.com/news/11417?ref=rss

Google Search

Google helps programmers find code online.
Google has created a specialized search engine designed to find software source code publicly available on the Web. The code search engine, which debuted on Thursday, October 5, is intended to help professional programmers, hobbyist developers, and code enthusiasts with the difficult task of finding source code online.
Google's code search engine: http://www.google.com/codesearch
Source: http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/10/05/HNgooglecodeonline _1.html

Screaming Cells Phones...

A new phone security system may work to halt a spiraling rise in phone theft in the UK. The system sets off a high pitch scream, permanently locks the handset and wipes all data if reported stolen. The Remote XT technology, designed to make phones unusable and therefore worthless if they are stolen, works by installing software onto the operating system of the device that can be activated via a call to a call center once users realize their phone has been stolen or lost. The phone is then remotely disabled, all the data held on it is wiped and a high−pitched screech is triggered.

According to UK government statistics, mobile phone theft has risen 190 percent in recent years, with one third of all UK robberies now solely involving mobile phones. The software currently works only on
"smart phones" that run operating systems such as Symbian or
Windows Mobile. But it is expected to be suitable for the majority of phones within two years.
Source: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9003788&intsrc=news_ts_head

The Vulnerable Mozilla Tools...

The Mozilla Foundation has released six security advisories specifying
vulnerabilities in Mozilla Firefox, SeaMonkey, and Thunderbird. These vulnerabilities allow attackers to: execute arbitrary code; perform cross−site scripting attacks; supply malicious data through updates; inject arbitrary content; execute arbitraryjava_script; crash affected applications and potentially execute arbitrary code. Other attacks may also be possible.

These issues are fixed in Mozilla Firefox version 1.5.0.7; Mozilla Thunderbird version 1.5.0.7; and Mozilla SeaMonkey version 1.0.5.
Solution: New versions of Firefox, SeaMonkey, and Thunderbird are available to address these issues. Referenced advisories for information on obtaining and applying fixes:
Source: http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/20042/references
Source: http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/20042/discuss

Firefox Flaws...

The open−source Firefox Web browser is critically flawed in the way it handlesjava_script, two hackers said Saturday, September 30. An attacker could commandeer a computer running the browser simply by crafting a Webpage that contains some maliciousjava_script code, Mischa
Spiegelmock and Andrew Wbeelsoi said in a presentation at the ToorCon hacker conference.

The flaw affects Firefox on Windows, Apple Computer's Mac OS X and Linux, they said. The flaw is specific to Firefox's implementation ofjava_script, a 10−year−old scripting language widely used on the Web. In particular, various programming tricks can cause a stack overflow
error, Spiegelmock said. The implementation is a "complete mess," he said. "It is impossible to patch."
Source: http://news.com.com/Hackers+claim+zero−day+flaw+in+Firefox/2100−1002_3−6121608.html?tag=nefd.top

Apple & Adobe Vulnerable...

A p p l e h a s r e l e a s e d S e c u r i t y U p d a t e 2 0 0 6" 0 0 6 a n d M a c O S X 1 0 . 4 . 8 U p d a t e t o c o r r e c t m u l t i p l e v u l n e r a b i l i t i e s a f f e c t i n g M a c O S X , O S X S e r v e r , S a f a r i ,
A d o b e F l a s h P l a y e r , a n d o t h e r p r o d u c t s . T h e m o s t s e r i o u s o f t h e s e
v u l n e r a b i l i t i e s m a y a l l o w a r e m o t e a t t a c k e r t o e x e c u t e a r b i t r a r y c o d e .
I m p a c t s o f o t h e r v u l n e r a b i l i t i e s i n c l u d e b y p a s s o f s e c u r i t y r e s t r i c t i o n s a n d d e n i a l o f s e r v i c e .

S y s t e m s A f f e c t e d : A p p l e M a c O S X v e r s i o n 1 0 . 3 . 9 a n d e a r l i e r ( P a n t h e r ) ;
A p p l e M a c O S X v e r s i o n 1 0 . 4 . 7 a n d e a r l i e r ( T i g e r ) ; A p p l e M a c O S X S e r v e r
v e r s i o n 1 0 . 3 . 9 a n d e a r l i e r ; A p p l e M a c O S X S e r v e r v e r s i o n 1 0 . 4 . 7 a n d e a r l i e r ; S a f a r i W e b b r o w s e r ; A d o b e F l a s h P l a y e r 8 . 0 . 2 4 a n d e a r l i e r . T h e s e
v u l n e r a b i l i t i e s a f f e c t b o t h I n t e l" b a s e d a n d P o w e r P C" b a s e d A p p l e s y s t e m s .
S o l u t i o n : I n s t a l l A p p l e S e c u r i t y U p d a t e 2 0 0 6" 0 0 6 :
h t t p : / / d o c s . i n f o . a p p l e . c o m / a r t i c l e . h t m l ? a r t n u m = 3 0 4 4 6 0
T h i s a n d o t h e r u p d a t e s a r e a v a i l a b l e v i a A p p l e U p d a t e :
h t t p : / / d o c s . i n f o . a p p l e . c o m / a r t i c l e . h t m l ? a r t n u m = 1 0 6 7 0 4
U p d a t e s a r e a l s o a v a i l a b l e v i a A p p l e D o w n l o a d s :
h t t p : / / w w w . a p p l e . c o m / s u p p o r t / d o w n l o a d s /
U s e r s w i t h I n t e l" b a s e d A p p l e s y s t e m s s h o u l d u p g r a d e t o M a c O S X 1 0 . 4 . 8
U p d a t e ( I n t e l ) t o r e c e i v e t h e n e c e s s a r y s e c u r i t y u p d a t e s :
h t t p : / / w w w . a p p l e . c o m / s u p p o r t / d o w n l o a d s / m a c o s x 1 0 4 8 u p d a t e i n t e l . h t m l
S o u r c e : h t t p : / / w w w . u s c e r t . g o v / c a s / t e c h a l e r t s / T A 0 6" 2 7 5 A . h t m l