Security for Your Business – Part 2

May 25, 2011 Leave a comment

Statistics of IT Security Threats

This article is a continuation of Security for Your Business – Part 1. We will discuss various statistics related IT threats and security concerns. This article points out clearly the importance and significance of securing your IT infrastructure. Do not hesitate in anyway from ensuring proper security measures, as not doing so can lead to damage and theft of your business data.

Phishing Scams

Phishing scams come under social engineering attacks. They provide a fake e-mail or website that looks like an authentic one and tricks you into putting your username and password. Once they capture your username and password, they now have access to your bank account or whatever website they are pretending to be.

A disputed study by Trusteer showed that spear phishing a hundred LinkedIn users resulted in a failure rate of 68%. That would mean that around 30% of those targeted with phishing attempts disclosed their personal data. That is significant enough for businesses to lose a substantial amount of money once their bank account information has been captured.

Cnet interviewed Michael Barrett, chief information security officer at PayPal (online payment processor) in April, 2011. This is what he had to say regarding the question of PayPal’s weakness to phishing attempts:

“I joined PayPal almost exactly five years ago and it’s fair to say the company had not realized at that point the true significance of phishing. But since that time we’ve put in place a number of defenses against it. It probably will never go away completely as a problem, but it can be substantially minimized. We’re at No. 8 on a list of most phished sites, which is better than being No. 1. I’m not satisfied with being No. 8 and I’d really like to obliterate the crime completely, but I realize that will take another five years to get to that state. A few years ago we started digitally signing all our outbound e-mail and we worked with Yahoo and Google so if they saw e-mail that purported to come from us but wasn’t signed they would block it. That has been stunningly successful. Now we’re trying to get the whole industry to take up that type of approach. But it will take several more years of pushing to get the rest of the industry to do that.” (1)

Malware

Malware is software that is damaging to your computer in various ways. Spyware is a type of malware that infects a computer and relays information of your computer use to different parties.

In 2007, Kaspersky Labs was seeing new malware samples every two minutes, but in 2010, just three years later, that had increased to one new sample every two seconds.

This is what InformationWeek has to say about small businesses and virus threats:

“Small business respondents’ other top concerns were Trojan applications (60%), malware designed by criminals expressly to steal data (59%), data leaks (56%), spyware (55%), and fake AV (52%). Spam and phishing threats ranked lowest. Most of today’s antivirus software suites protect against many viruses and worms. But when it comes to data-stealing malware, 21% of small U.S. business respondents said that their IT department could do a better job of protecting end users. Notably, only 47% of small businesses install security software to help stop such malware, 30% offer related security policies, and 28% provide relevant education or guidance.” (2)

Some are touting Cloud resources as the answer to fighting back malware spread. That remains to be seen.

Security Breaches – Hacks

It’s interesting to note that organizations attribute 59% of all security breaches to human error. This can occur if the network administrator has failed to set up the proper security barriers, or it can occur by inadvertently giving our information that a hacker can use to compromise the system.

About half of all organizations consider IT security a top priority. This stat indicates two scenarios. One, namely that there are pockets of IT infrastructures that don’t need high security. Perhaps these are small businesses that have a wireless network setup, and they don’t see themselves as a potential target from hackers. The network is small and their data isn’t all that critical. The second is that IT security is seen as a big issue for larger organizations. They have important data that cannot be leaked and as such they are prime targets for hackers. Hackers use stolen company data to sell to competitors and it is quickly becoming a lucrative business. Larger organizations need security for their systems and that entails purchasing the right equipment and having it administered properly.

The cost of an individual data breach – including lost business and the burden of responding to the incident – in 2010 increased 13% year-over-year for U.K. companies. That roughly equals $3 million for each breach, which is quite substantial. Needless to say, every organization, small or big, should pay close attention to its IT security needs.

Viruses

Small businesses still fear the virus according to a new survey of 1,600 end users in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and United States. Conducted by antivirus vendor Trend Micro, viruses are the leading concern for 63% of small businesses.

A CompTIA stat shows that 33% of law firms admit to experiencing a security issue such as a virus. That’s only law firms, if you total firms from other fields the number is much higher.

Conclusion

The presentation of stats and facts in this article is only intended to create an awareness of various cyber threats. Cyber security is a huge issue and should not be taken lightly.

References

(1) http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20052310-245.html#ixzz1MvDmlGv5
(2) http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/vulnerabilities/228200171

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Google Chromebook: The Future?

May 18, 2011 Leave a comment

Cloud Computing to the Next Level

There’s another player in the IT operating system (OS) market now, and it’s by Google. The Google Chromebook offers a web (or Cloud) OS that derives its applications from the Internet and thereby reduces the need for expensive hardware. Although the Cloud has been in existence for sometime now, Google offers a PC that is solely geared for a web interface. At the heart of the Chromebook is the Chrome web browser that acts as the portal to the whole web experience. No complications with installations, patches, or viruses as all of this is administered through the Internet with the full support of Google.

Business Mechanics

How does this benefit businesses? Google claims that businesses can save up to 70% off their IT costs by contracting Chromebooks (more or less a mini laptop) for $28/month. The supposition here is that with the tech support of Google in areas of software and hardware maintenance, businesses can dramatically reduce their costs. Is this probable? Probably not. Google’s upper bound number of 70% is obviously stretched, but there does seem to be some possibility of reducing a certain amount of IT operating costs. Businesses that rely on applications that are Windows based probably won’t jump to this side of the coin. But, businesses requiring basic office applications and portability may love this. Along side this, nobody likes to rent a laptop for an indefinite period of time. It would be cheaper for businesses to actually go out and purchase a brand new laptop than pay $28/month for ever. This generalization doesn’t apply to all business though.

New Take on I.T.

Google’s new idea is kind of interesting, but I feel it lacks the technical depth needed to win over IT professionals. It is likely to gain momentum as the whole Cloud infrastructure takes off, but there’s nothing to administer. I don’t see how IT professionals will like that. Also, what are the applications that Google is touting? Can it provide hardcore Photoshop like programs that many businesses need? Can it provide printer management in the local or remote sites? Certainly there are big holes to fill before Google can gain dominance in this area. Applications over the web or software-as-a-service isn’t for many businesses. It’s is hard to port hundreds of megabytes of data that a program requires in a fraction of a second that today’s local storage systems provide. Yes, office type apps can run, but not heavy duty programs like Adobe Premiere Pro, etc.

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Usage Based Billing for the Internet: Canada’s Economic Folly

April 29, 2011 Leave a comment

What is Usage-Based Billing?

Usage-based billing (UBB) is something that was introduced to the CRTC in 2008 by Bell. What it does is, it puts a cap on the amount of Internet you consume and applies a fee for every gigabyte you use thereafter. What’s the problem with that? Well, it stifles Canada’s economy’s by downsizing the amount of consumer business done on the Internet, it limits the number of YouTube videos you can watch, and it makes sure that you get a minimum amount of Internet for a maximum amount of price. This great idea was put forth by Bell, in attempts to make sure that the 2% of its customers that use more Internet than others, makes the rest of the 98%, who don’t use much Internet, pay for it when they go over. It was also done in response to limit Bell’s competitors in the Internet service providers business.

How it Affects Canadians

Consumer use of the Internet is only increasing. With the advent of smartphones, tablets, and laptops, leisurely use of the Internet from home is consuming more and more gigabytes. It is projected that by 2015, video and Internet use will surpass 2.1 billion gigabytes in Canada. Who benefits from this? Service providers like Bell do. This proposed ruling was actually accepted by the CRTC to take place in March of 2011, but outrage over this from many Canadians caused the CRTC to review its case. The Conservative government has expressed concern over this ruling and has vowed to make sure Canadians are put in priority and not “taxed” over communicating over the Internet.

The Case for More Internet

We need more Internet for less. Simple. It costs less than a penny to route 1 gigabyte of data through the Internet. Bell is ready to charge you upwards of $5 a gigabyte. Gouging? I most certainly think so.

The Internet has become a universe in itself. In fact, companies are taking the Internet to outer space in the International Space Station and to planets in the future. We can’t be taxed over using the Internet because it has become so ubiquitous as a means of communication that we all rely on it. From businesses to schools, and from recreation to revolutions, the Internet is not only expanding our knowledge of things, but is accelerating it at an unbelievable pace. Putting a cap on how we interact in the digital domain will severely affect our economy and our social lives. Facebook, Twitter, and all of the social media sites will be taxed.

If we reverse the CRTC’s decision, we can expand our economy and better compete with countries like Japan who make our Internet service look a like snail in terms of how fast they have it there. The more we regulate Internet use, the less flexibility we’ll see our industries. On the contrary, having a less regulated Internet can spur new innovations and help place Canada at the top in the IT world.

What Can You Do About It?

Luckily we have an advocacy group that is doing a real good job on protesting this ridiculous UBB ruling. The group is called Open Media and you can visit their website at: www.openmedia.ca. Be sure to sign in on the petition to make you voice heard to the government and to the CRTC. Last I heard, we had close to half a million signatures. Let’s trump this decision once and for all for the sake our digital freedom!

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Prospects of Tablet PCs

April 19, 2011 1 Comment

With the decline of first quarter PC sales in 2011, tablet PCs are becoming the new primary computing device. A recent survey conducted suggested that around 25% of computer users now use their tablet as their main device for checking email and surfing the Internet. So is it likely that the tablet PC will replace the good old desktop computer? Well, let’s have a look.

Neither a Laptop Nor a Smartphone

By far, the most popular tablet is the iPad. The price and software options make it the front runner of all tablets. That’s not to say that other tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab or the Blackberry PlayBook aren’t worthwhile. I’m sure they have certain advantages, but Apple has really seemed to have knocked their device in this category off the playing field. In the past, laptops seemed like the right solution to a portable PC. Desktops were just that, they were meant to stay on top of your desktop, whereas laptops provided the student, the travelling business man, and the IT pro desktop mobility. Laptops now out-perform lower end desktops, and with that power comes a lot of heat being generated by the hardware. Some thought that the hot bottom surface of the laptop disqualified it from being called a “laptop” as it could not be comfortably placed on one’s lap. Hence, the secondary classification called notebooks. But laptops weren’t really notebooks either. They were heavy and had a screen that popped up and blocked your view of the meeting or the class lecture. Another solution proposed: netbooks. Small, light, and exactly what we need? Not really. They too were hard to use as the keyboard was typically small and during typing the hand would hit the mouse pad and mess up everything.

Here in comes the perfect in-between: the tablet. It’s actually way lighter and has the basic functionality of a laptop and a smartphone combined. The touch interface actually solves a lot. No need for a popup screen that blocks the view. An iPad can use its smartcover to prop it up so that one can write using the touchscreen (something one needs to get used to) and it doesn’t block the view.

Functionality and Use

The tablet seems to be the true notebook as its physical form resembles that of a real notebook. Like a paper pad or portfolio, it is easy to carry around from office to office or from class to class. The essential use of a tablet for a home user would probably come under using it as a casual email checking device or quick web browsing. Its ecosystem would probably entail a kitchen, living room, family room, and bedroom. Tablets are good for e-reading as well, so a quick check of the newspaper in the kitchen or a silent read in backyard would be one of its uses. That may not seem like much, but keep in mind that a tablet is an instant-on device. There’s no boot up time like a laptop or a desktop PC. So the quick access allows users in the home to not be hindered by a delay in turning it on. Tablets can also be used for viewing photo albums. Although media players and HTPCs allow the viewing of pictures on a TV, the feel and experience of a looking at high resolution pictures on a tablet is quite reassuring, kind of like flipping through a real photo album.

There are a host of business apps that allows creation from AutoCad to tracking statistics of sales and profit on the device. I believe development will yield better functionality and use in the coming years as tablets progress from their infancy to a wider range of implementations. I am setting forth a note taking process for my IT consulting business. My handwritten notes will be taken on my iPad and I will sync them with Google Apps. Here, I’m involving a digital process of record keeping and utilizing the Cloud at the same time. EMR systems are allowing doctors to take their notes on a tablet device and sync it with their server database as well as online Cloud storage. The flexibility of tablets is huge.

Future of Tablets

The prospects of tablet PCs seems to be bright. From the medical field to academics to professional business use, tablets will set a new paradigm in human interaction with technology. Tablets did make an early appearance in the year 2001, but they didn’t cook up a stir due to Microsoft’s lack of user interface cohesion. This rebirth, incited by Apple, seems to be more promising.

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IPV6 – The New Internet Scheme

April 18, 2011 1 Comment

Believe it or not, the Internet has run out of addresses. This means we need to transition to a new addressing scheme, IPv6, that facilitates our growing need for Internet addresses and that helps our businesses grow. To access company networks and the Internet, each device or computer is assigned a logical address. That basically means that the address assigned to the computer or device (ie. smartphone) is temporary and can be easily assigned to any other device regardless of physical location. The Internet addressing scheme is known as IP – Internet Protocol. We’ve been using version 4 of the IP addressing scheme ,also known as IPv4, for quite some time.

IPv4 Limitations

The main problem with IPv4 is that there aren’t enough addresses for all the computers and Internet devices in the world, and that can result in lost connectivity. An IPv4 address is composed of 32 bits, or 32 ones and zeros. Any combination would result in a specific address. These 32 bits are represented in decimal form in the following notation as an example: 192.168.1.101. This results in a total theoretical base of 4,294,967,296 addresses that can be used. Since, we have run out of these addresses we need a new scheme that provides us with more addresses. This new scheme is called IPv6.

IPv6, The Savior

IPv6 uses 128 bits and that gives us 212˄8 (approximately 340 undecillion or 3.4×103˄8) addresses. That’s enough for 5×10˄28 addresses for each of the 6.8 billion people alive (as of this writing). This, for now, solves our problem with the limited addresses that IPv4 yields. This also saves us from using NAT (Network Address Translation) technologies, which usually results in security problems for devices inside the company network. The IPv6 protocol header is more efficient for routing of network data than the IPv4 header. This results in more efficient processing of data. Mobility with IPv6 is better than IPv4; as it allows mobile devices to move between networks while keeping the same IP address.

How to Transition to IPv6

IPv6 is installed on all new Microsoft Windows operating systems. This includes Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008. The network infrastructure itself also needs to be IPv6 capable. This means that the routers and layer 3 switches need to upgraded in order to process the extra address bits of IPv6. There are a number of techniques that you can use to gradually shift your business to using IPv6 from IPv4. Names and a brief description of each transition scheme is listed below:

Dual-Stack
This technique uses both IPv6 and IPv4 at the same time. Each network devices is usually capable of both protocol versions. If not, then it only communicates with those devices that are of its own protocol version. This method of transition is meant to slowly transfer control from IPv4 dependant devices to IPv6 devices.

4to6
These are IPv4 addresses that are mapped to an IPv6 address. The last 32 bits of the IPv6 contain the IPv4 address. This allows both IPv6 and IPv4 to run at the same time.

Tunneling
Tunneling involves encapsulating an IPv6 into a IPv4 header. The network uses two IPv6 points on an IPv4 infrastructure to transmit the data. There are many types of tunneling methods such as 6to4, Teredo, and ISATAP.

As you can see, there are a number of benefits and ways to transition your business from IPv4 to the new IPv6 addressing scheme. There is some security concern regarding IPv6 and the use of unidentified addresses to generate SPAM. IPv4 addresses that generate SPAM are blacklisted and are usually blocked, but since IPv6 opens up a new lot of available addresses, this can be used to generate SPAM. Although, eventually the IPv6 addresses would also be blacklisted, it may take sometime. Nevertheless, the transition to IPv6 is continuing, albeit at a slow and gradual pace, and the new avenues that it opens up for placing new devices on the growing Internet will be needed for some time to come.

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The New Grounds for Cybertheft

April 5, 2011 Leave a comment

Theft used to be limited to stealing of physical goods or the classic burglar robbing the bank for cash. Now the concept of theft has radically changed as the digital age advances and the lines between the physical and virtual become blurred. Most people know cybercrime for its stealing of people’s money from their bank accounts through hacking, but new reports, from companies like McAfee, indicate that cybertheives are targeting intellectual data such as company trade secrets, proprietary patents, and valuable company information.

Personal Information Still Hot

The market for hacked bank accounts and personal information is still hot. Links have been made to the mafia and underground street gangs that use that information to do identity theft – posing as someone else with forged documents. Most of this information is available on IRC chat rooms, where anyone can join the low-profile chat sessions and scroll through lists of credit card numbers, social insurance numbers, and various sensitive personal information being sold for nominal amounts. Believe it or not, stealing of personal information is quite easy. Sniffers and packet grabbers can easily be used to catch data from wired and wireless networks. Social engineering is even easier as people are duped into giving their information thinking that they are accessing a real website, while they’re only accessing a fake website created to capture personal information.

Intellectual Theft

The more lucrative market for cybertheft is based on stealing company secrets. Proprietary information such as patents, company plans, R&D information, etc are all areas where higher level of hacking is occurring. Doug Cooke, director for sales engineering for McAfee Canada, said that while companies do good in protecting credit card information,

“…they don’t do as well in protecting intellectual capital like trade secrets.”(1)

This information can be sold to competitors both national and international. This leads us to a whole different discussion about how hacking is used against competitors on a regular basis to edge the other out, but what Cooke does say about this new level of cybercrime is that:

“We think cybercriminals are now researching the companies they want to go after.”(2)

This is scary news for any business. Not only are these hackers targeting trade secrets, they are precision planning their attacks, and that means more damage for the companies being attacked. This type of crime seems far easier to get away with as compared to credit card theft where the credit card companies actually try to hunt down the cybercriminals.

Small and medium business can protect themselves to a large extent by using proper procedures to guard their network. Although most networks can be broken into, having better security measures does help reduce the impact of an attack. For this, I would refer you to my article series on Security which you can access here: http://soulistech.com/2011/03/25/security-for-your-business-part-1/

References
(1) http://www.echannelline.com/usa/story.cfm?item=26699
(2) http://www.echannelline.com/usa/story.cfm?item=26699

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What’s the Deal with Macs?

April 4, 2011 Leave a comment

I’m often confronted with businesses that do not know quite what to make of the Apple revolution. They don’t understand the difference between a Mac and a PC and are baffled by the hype surrounding Macs. It’s kind of like the war on Afghanistan, PC vs Mac is a vague and ambiguous fight. I have serviced networks where Windows and Mac work together, but their use totally depends on the work environment and the type of business being conducted. I hope to detail here the differences between a Mac and a PC and which one is more suitable for you.

The Difference in Operating Systems

PCs mostly run Windows, while Macs run their own type of operating system known as Mac OS X. The difference between the two systems boils down to two things: the OS (operating system) and the hardware platform. Mac OS X is derived from Unix, which makes it similar to Linux. Windows is based off of DOS (Disk Operating System) and follows a different directory structure than a Mac. Both OS’s cannot run the same programs. Macs can only install programs that are designed for Macs, and PCs can only run programs designed for Windows. This major difference is where a lot of problems happen for businesses. There are a lot more applications written for Windows than there are for Macs. Most businesses want the versatility of running most of the programs, and since Windows offers that versatility it makes sense to operate with PCs.

When people ask me about Macs, I tell them that they are smooth running machines that look great, but when I tell them about the software limitations, then they seriously begin to double think their decision on a Mac. I know that Macs are having a lot more software made for them now; however, in comparison to Windows, it’s still quite lacking.

The Hardware Difference

Macs use a customized form factor that enables them to come out with sleek looking computers. Repair is also higher for Macs than it is for PCs as the parts and technicians cost more. The specially designed hardware has drivers specially built into Mac OS X. Windows cannot handle the hardware of a Mac. That doesn’t mean you can run Windows on a Mac. Mac OS X Snow Leopard comes with a program called Boot Camp, which allows you to install Windows on a Mac through a boot environment of Mac OS X. The drivers for the Windows OS come on the Snow Leopard disc; basically, Boot Camp creates the environment for running Windows in a native way.

I have seen some people do a workaround and get Mac OS X to run on a PC, but that is a very intricate process, and not recommended for business use. Mac OS X doesn’t have the driver library to support PC hardware.

In the end, the deals with Macs are that they are sleek, good looking, function well in terms of providing a solid user experience, but their minority status limits the array of software that can be installed and used. Businesses that use Macs for graphic designing, find it more applicable to their needs, while PCs offer the same, if not more, of an experience for less of a cost. Don’t forget that Apple computers typically retail for prices higher than regular old PCs.

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Virtualization For Businesses

April 3, 2011 Leave a comment

One of best ways to streamline business infrastructure is to use a process called virtualization. Virtualization basically reduces the need for physical hardware as it uses software environments to create and share hardware resources. On one physical desktop computer you can run multiple operating systems, each sharing the hardware of the desktop computer to give portals to “virtual” computers.

Benefits of Virutalization

What benefit does this serve? Well, firstly, it reduces the need to purchase individual computing hardware and allows a single structure of hard disks, memory, and video graphics to be used in multiple environments within a single core operating system – Windows, for example. This saves money as you only need to purchase one physical computer. What you can do with the virtual machines, that use software applications like Microsoft’s Virtual PC or VMWare Workstation, is to run multiple servers for your company. Domain controllers, each serving a specific purpose, can all be handled on one physical machine. This also reduces the physical imprint as there s less required space.

Safe Environment for Testing

Another benefit that virtualization holds is that it allows new software to be tested in a secured environment. Since a virtual computer does not affect the operation of the host OS (operating system), it makes for a great tool to test different OS’s and applications alike. If you wanted to see how Ubuntu would work, but didn’t want to erase your current computer configuration, you could simply create a virtual machine and load Ubuntu on it and see if you like it or not. Also, you could test certain software to see how it works or to see if there are any conflicts with any other software configurations. Say, you wanted to see how Microsoft Office 2010 worked, you could install it on a virtual machine and test it out.

Backup and Restore Virtualized Data

The ease of transport of virtual machines makes it a great way to backup and restore computer images in a short amount of time. If the location of one virtual machine needs to shift to a physically different computer, all that is needed is to the virtual machine file along with its virtual disk file and you can setup that computer in minutes on the other machine. This can serve as an effective tool in disaster recovery where one physical machine goes down, and another is used to host the virtual machine files.

Hardware Resource Sharing

Virtual machines share the hardware resources. This means that the physical RAM, hard drive, and graphics adapter is shared amongst the virtual machines. Virtual disks are files that the virtual machines use to store data on their hard drive. There are usually options that allow you to allocate a fixed amount of hard drive space for each virtual machine and some even allow you to set a capacity, but only use as much as is needed and thereby using less actual disk space.

Legacy Systems Support

Virtualization also comes in handy when you need to keep an instance of a legacy system running. For example, some of your software is only compatible with Windows 98, but you’ve moved onto newer OS’s, you can create a virtual machine that runs Windows 98 and allows you to run your legacy applications.

I’ve used virtual machines for training and testing purposes. Virtual machines are great when you’re studying for courses like MCITP, where you need multiple servers and workstations. One single computer can handle the whole virtual network and there’s no worry in messing things up. I would highly recommend the use of virtual machines so that your company can benefit from the advantages outlined above.

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Samsung CLP-315W Laser Colour Printer

March 30, 2011 1 Comment

The Samsung CLP-315W Laser Colour Printer is among the smallest of the Samsung laser printers. It offers useful features, such as wireless networking to connect with multiple copmuters and No NOIS  quite printing. It makes for a great addition to any home or small business. The compact size is definitely a selling point.

The print quality is excellent with its resolution at 2,400 x 600 DPI. It comes with 32 MB memory and also uses USB 2.0 for direct connection. Here’s a detailed list of its features:

Overview Function colour print
Print Speed (Mono) Up to 16 ppm in A4 (17 ppm in letter)
Speed (Colour) Up to 4 ppm in A4 (4 ppm in letter)
First Print Out Time (Mono) Less than 14 seconds (from ready mode)
Resolution Up to 2,400 x 600 DPI effective output
First Print Out Time (Colour) Less than 26 seconds (from ready mode)
Duplex Manual
Emulation SPL-C (SAMSUNG Printer Language Colour)
Paper Handling Input Capacity and Types 150-sheet cassette
Output Capacity and Types 100-sheet face down
Media Size 76 x 160 mm (3″ x 6.3″) ~ 216 x 356 mm (8.5″ x 14″)
Media Type Envelopes, labels, card stock, transparency papers (pre-printed, glossy, punched, recycled)
General Processor 360 MHz
Memory / Storage 32 MB
OS Compatibility Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista Various Linux OS Mac OS X 10.3 ~ 10.5
Interface Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Noise Level less than 45 dBA (colour printing), less than 47 dBA (mono printing)
Duty Cycles, Monthly Up to 20,000 pages
Dimension (W x D x H) 388 x 313 x 243 mm
Weight 11 kg
Consumables Black Toner Cartridge Average continuous black cartridge yield: 1,500 standard pages (ships with 1,000 pages starter toner cartridge) (1)
Imaging Unit Approx. 24,000 pages (mono), 6,000 pages (colour)
Waste Toner Container Approx. 10,000 pages (mono), 2,500 pages (colour)
Yellow/Magenta/Cyan Toner Cartridge Average continuous yellow / magenta / cyan cartridge yield: 1,000* standard pages (ships with 700 pages starter toner cartridge) (2)

My overall review of the Samsung CLP-315W Laser Colour Printer is that it’s an excellent buy for and home or small business. There’s still a couple of things that need to be tied up at Samsung’s end before I would give this printer a higher rating. The two main issues I am referring to are:

  1. Better drivers for wireless setup, especially when you want to hook up multiple computers to the printer through wireless connection.
  2. Fix the firmware that causes the printer to go to sleep every 2-5 minutes without allowing it to awaken, even if you’ve set the sleep time to a greater number through the SyncThru configuration page. This is a terrible flaw that they have failed to address; the last I heard about this issue was that they were going to fix this in February of 2011. It’s now almost April, and there is still no word as to when they’re going to come out with a fix.

Overall, the printer is a good fit for any SOHO (Small Office Home Office), but the thing to watch out for is the firmware problem, which is extremely annoying.

Rating: 3.5/5

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The Cloud, The Computer and the Human Brain

March 29, 2011 Leave a comment

Comparing the human brain with the computer is like comparing a car to a bicycle. The human brain has developed in great detail over the evolutionary patterns of time, whereas the computer is a creation of our brain in infancy. What we can do to revolutionize our IT industry is to think and innovate along the lines of creating the computer similar to how the human brain works, thereby unleashing the tremendous power of calculation and memory. To achieve a state of high efficiency, similar to that of the brain, requires innovated resource management, much like the services of the Cloud.

Let’s start off with the CPU. The CPU is the “core processing unit” of the computer. It manages many parts of the hardware to make them work together. It also processes numbers and gives rise to calculations. The hotter the temperature of the CPU, the more ware is done to its parts The human brain, in contrast, uses different parts of the brain to calculate certain functions and does not use one central location to process everything like the CPU. The cooling for the brain is done through the blood circulatory system, which is similar to overclocking a CPU and using liquid cooling. Some parts of the computer do resemble the functions of the brain, such as the processing unit on graphics cards. The video processing is established much like how our rear parts of the brain use the optical centre to process vision from our eyes – a separate unit for separate functions. In fact, dreams are known also to activate the optical centre of the brain while we are asleep. In this regard, we can enhance the functions of the computer by providing each separate part of the computer with its own CPU, giving rise to more processing power. By this, I mean we can create a high-powered processing unit for audio, video, accessing system memory, inputs ( i.e.: keyboard and mouse), and for external devices like the USB and eSATA.

Memory is another hardware element that is limited in a computer. Our brains have almost limitless abilities to store information. Whenever some new information is analysed by our brains, a new neuro-pathway is created. To mimic this in a computer is hard to do as hard drives and RAM come in limited quantities. Motherboards come with limitations on how much RAM and how many hard drives can be added.

One method of creating a limitless memory system like the brain, is to use the Cloud. The Cloud has the potential of possessing limitless memory. Hard drives can be stored on servers throughout the world, which functions much like a brain. It is known that our memory doesn’t store recollections in one single area; in fact, the recollection of, for example, an elephant, would use different locations of the brain to provide you with he memory of what an elephant looks like. Similarly, the Cloud can be used to allocate memory from different parts of the world.

Just as computers have audio units, so do our brains. Specific areas of the brain control how we hear and interpret sounds. Outsourcing the audio to the Cloud would require too much bandwidth and it would probably be best suited for being local to the PC.

Nevertheless, the Cloud has enormous potential to transform our computers into a working mesh like our brains. The CPU can be outsourced to the Cloud where multiple CPU’s or super computers process the information and send it back via the web. This is already happening, memory resources on the Cloud, as mentioned earlier, are working much like how our brains store information that is to be recalled. Thus, the similarities and contrasts between the Cloud, the computer, and the human brain are many and both can help each other in fields of medicine and technology.

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