Life in the wild wild web -- the unpatched XP machine has 20 minutes to live?

Slashdot - survival of unpatched systems

The Internet Storm Center published a graph showing historic trends for the "Survival Time" of unpatched, unprotected (windows) computers connected to the internet. Turns out, this number dropped from about 40 minutes last year, to 20 minutes this year. The survival time is calculated as the average time between reports for an average target IP address. If you are assuming that most of these reports are generated by worms that attempt to propagate, an unpatched system would be infected by such a probe. The data is collected from a large number of networks with different types of upstream protection. So if you are on an unprotected cable/DSL line, you may see probes much more frequently. Either way, 20 minutes is not long enough to download patches. The Honeynet Project did publish a paper with some stats back in 2001.

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This seems a bit extreme. Did they mean a machine running a server? I find it hard to believe a unpatched Win 98 machine would die that fast. I'll have to run a test someday.

It does explain why Microsoft is pushing XP SP2.

Buy a Mac.

Dan's flash recommendations

Dan's Data letters #122 (page 2): "Can't get a 550EX? Consider a 420EX. Can't afford that? Consider a Vivitar 850AF, or Sigma EF 500 DG, or Promaster 5550DX, or something. Anything you can angle up to bounce off the ceiling (assuming the ceiling isn't 30 feet up and dark brown...) is better than on-camera flash, provided it integrates with your camera's auto-exposure, or you've got your exposure act very thoroughly together and can set things up manuall"

CocoaBooklet: Booklet printing from OS X PDF output

CocoaBooklet

USB powered speakers: save a cord on your PC speakers!

usb powered speakers - compare prices, reviews and buy at NexTag - Price - Review

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Great idea, esp for a laptop. Whether sound is better than laptop analog depends on the DAC. SONY SRS-T100PC travel speakers look great, but Amazon user had them die just after the warranty expired. Also, their sound seems less good than the SONY battery powered analog travel speakers.

SendStation - Products - PocketDock Line Out

SendStation - Products - PocketDock Line Out

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This is a quite interesting product. The iPod standard analog out amplified to suit headphones. It works for speakers built for a headphone signal, such as most travel speakers. It's the wrong signal strength for a stereo system however, for that one should use the 'line out' signal from the iPod cradle (do not use the line-in for vinyl however, that's apparently an oddball standard).

This device is a more compact and less costly alternative to the cradle. It also allows an iPod to be charged with a standard 6 pin firewire cable. If you already own a Firewire cradle that's not being used, this is a real bargain at $30.

What I want in my next iPod, however, is a digital output option. Then I can bypass all the amplification and DAC issues and take advantage of digital speakers.

Boing Boing: Recycle your PC equipment at Office Depot -- one item at a time! (until Labor Day)

Boing Boing: Recycle your old electronics at Office Depot

Office Depot is doing a promotional event with HP in which the store will offer free electronics recycling through Labor Day for residents of the continental US.

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According to the Office Depot web site there's a limit of one item at a time and they really mean PC equipment (eg, what they sell). No TVs and no appliances.

It's a good deal in any case, it normally costs $25-35 to legally dispose of CRT. Of course if I make the trip I'll buy something at Office Depot as well.

Underground Paris: the catacombs tour

Underground Paris

A virtual tour of the catacombs of Paris.