The organizers of the biggest Apple show of the year are discounting registrations by 25 percent through midnight, Nov. 29. Use code CREATE25 as you check out of the registration site.

This year the conference includes a first ever Mac Work track in the User’s Conference. The eight sessions in the track are designed to ease a user into employing a Mac in a business environment. The session lineup:

Thursday, February 11
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM Branding Your Small Business Better
1:00 PM – 2:15 PM Mac at Work
3:00 PM – 4:15 PM The Paperless ‘Mac’ Office

Friday, February 12
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM SOHO Survival Guide
1:00 PM – 2:15 PM Connecting with Your Customers Using Snow Leopard

Saturday, February 13
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM Social Media Demystified

The User’s Conference also includes tracks on the new Snow Leopard environment, Music, Creative Tools, Video and a lot more. A discounted registration is less than $150 using the above code.

This morning we just got word of a last-minute deal from a good supplier of classy iPhone cases. Uniea is having a 50 percent off sale on everything in its vast lineup of cases. It starts tomorrow and runs through Saturday.

We posted a review of some Uniea products recently. Use a code special code when you order. Michael Nace reports:

The code is “Uthanksgiving” and it is good for 50% off on any purchase in the online Uniea store at http://www.unieastore.com. The offer is valid from 11/26 – 28.

What the Computer Security Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know
Review by Steve Hardwick, CISSP

I have worked in the information security business for more than 10 years, and I’ve learned there is one constant throughout – change. Keeping up with the ever-present cat and mouse battle between the hackers and security industry is a full time job. The Myths of Security by John Viega (O’Reilly Media, $29.95) provides a good view of what the security industry faces and why they sometimes fall short in the eyes of many people. So the next time you are hitting your computer with your keyboard in utter frustration, put it down, pick up this book and take a look at why computer security is so hard. You can also learn what doesn’t work to secure computers – and by extension, good security practices. Some of the biggest security weaknesses will surprise you.

This book begins by outlining how easy it is to have a security problem. Early chapters cover the methods of attacking computer systems and how they have evolved. These include simple viruses focused on specific operating systems up to more sophisticated Web-based attacks and social engineering exploits. New attacks are independent on the operating system; rather, they exploit the lack of knowledge of the user. (Despite their sanguine outlook, even Apple users are wide open to these types of attacks.) Chapter 15 has an excellent example of a phishing attack that demonstrates how the bad guy can get key information without ever touching the operating system. According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, June of 2009 was the second-highest month for number of new phishing sites detected.

The author makes two very crucial points: First, it is no longer just a battle of viruses anymore – any computer user is vulnerable. Second, users will want an antivirus application that can deal with all manner of information security threats — viruses, malware, adware, phishing, cross site scripting and more.
Read the rest of this entry »

iPhones have become important business tools. If nothing else, they offer a great way to check e-mail while you’re away from the office.

But the tool of choice for smartphone business users can always use a carrying case. We look at four here from UNIEA. Think of them as uniforms or costumes for helping your iPhone go to work.

At the top of the price line is the U-Suit Premium, built out of leather with an open face to use the phone while wearing the suit. This is the kind of dress-up you might want if you’re taking a new client to lunch and expect to answer a call, or make a point of checking a text during the meeting. I look ed the Intreccio leather, a classy grain pattern. You don’t get the sense that the iPhone is much protected here, but it adds a subtle, debonair look. $34.95 retail.

Next on the cost path is the U-Suit Hip Pop. Also built of leather, this belt-ready case has a tight profile against the waist. The cover has a clean magnetic snap to it (or at least it seemed magnetic, and sturdy.) The Hip Pop was my favorite in the rotation, since it was protective and made carrying the phone easier. The fit is a little snug, so this case might not be a good choice if you’re expecting to whip out the iPhone for calling. But the combination of function and design makes it among the best cases I’ve used. $29.95.

Another two cases came in the review pack, but at $19.95 retail these models didn’t show off as well. Read the rest of this entry »

The Web is full of so many free offers, but there’s one online right now that adds several business-ready tools to a Mac user’s tool box. MacHeist, which must be doing this to collect e-mail addresses, has offered “indie” software for a free download. You can look over the offer at the MacHeist site. But it all expires in five days (perhaps Thursday, Nov. 12 at the latest.)

The business-related programs are

• Write Room, which provides a clutter-free screen for writing without distractions. Not easy to get something written with all those Web pages, e-mails and Facebook feeds all around you.
• Tiny Grab, which snaps screen shots off of your Mac and plants them in your clipboard. Very handy for posting to a blog or a, yeah, Twitter/Facebook page.
• Then there’s Mariner Write, a full-featured word processor-writing suite that is an alternative to Microsoft Word. It also saves in Word format. The catch here is that 500,000 people have to download the rest of the programs for Mariner Write to be “unlocked.” It usually happens. In the meantime, five other programs are already unlocked and ready to use.