After the Rapid7 acquisition of Metasploit, things are beginning to shift in the Vulnerability Scanning and Penetration Testing market. The basic trend is one of merging the small independent players into larger organizations with a product portfolio covering a wider area.
Rapid7 published the NeXpose Community edition, which pairs with Metasploit. At this moment it still has some early adoption issues – like problems with working on Windows 7, but these will be resolved.
The NeXpose Community may prove to be a strong adversary to Nessus in the free tools market, and by presenting the possibilities of NeXpose to a wider community it will enter the minds of more potential commercial users.
Immunity CANVAS being one of the commercial leaders in penetration testing frameworks and
DSquare enriching the set with additional exploit packs for CANVAS
While this joint offer is not new, with the current moves from Rapid7, it may be quite possible for the other players to join forces for a stronger approach to the market.
What do you think? Is the merger of Tenable and Immunity possible? Will it provide a better product and will the users benefit?
ethorad writes “In the UK, in an attempt to promote the work the police do, some forces name and shame criminals that they catch and prosecute. All good so far as it helps the community see that crimes are being tackled (assuming they are …)
However the Ministry of Justice has now said that police forces who do that must remove the details from their website after one month. Yeah, good luck with that. Place your bets now on how many third party websites (especially local community ones) will start scraping the details from police websites for long term storage?”
The web can be a wonderful resource for all kinds of information, but language is as much of a barrier as ever. It doesn’t really matter if you can access a piece of information if you can’t understand it. Translation tools have been around for years now, and Google is certainly interested in the space. Google Translate is a very useful tool, if not perfect, but, even after the recent update, using it still requires too many steps for most cases. Google knows this, so it took the obvious step, it integrated translation features into the search engine.
“Today, we’re excited to introduce a new “Translated search” tool in the Search Options panel that makes finding and reading content written in other languages easier. Translated search is great because it helps you find information from sites written in other languages. We’ve offered this feature in Google Translate for a while, but now we’re integrating it fully into Google search, making it easier for you to find and read results from pages across the web, even if they weren’t written in a language you speak,” Maureen Heymans, technical lead, and Jeff Chin, product manager, wrote.
Among the Search Options available on the search engine there is now a “Translated search” link. This opens up a box on top of the results whe… (read more)
With this application, you can define your Conveyxonic belt for your roller conveyor in just a few clicks!
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A businesswoman who had been harassed by an anonymous Wikipedia contributor just won a landmark legal battle to have her accuser’s identity revealed. The victim reportedly had someone write ‘confidential and sensitive’ details about her professional life and that of her child’s on her online encyclopedia page. She also received anonymous threatening letters suggesting that her accuser would reveal other incriminating information to the press.
The website has now been ordered to release technical information in order to help track down the blackmailer. This case is the latest example of Wikipedia – which has approximately 325 million visitors a month and can be edited by anyone – being used for malicious or mischievous reasons.
The alleged victim denies any wrongdoing regarding her expenses and there hasn’t been any story about her published. The woman believes that her accuser might be a person she is currently ‘in dispute with’, but that person denies the allegation. The judge on the case said ‘the range of suspects’ could also include employees or professional advisors working at the same company as the victim.
Following this complaint, the woman’s improperly altered web page was removed by the U.S.-based Wikimedia Foundation, which supervises the encyclopaedia. Wikipedia does not store the names of those users writing or editing its entries – but it does keep the Internet Protocol (IP) address, which can identify every computer on the Internet. Courtesy of dailymail.co.uk
Around 10 million women at high risk of breast cancer are eligible to take a drug called tamoxifen to prevent the cancer. Yet, very few women choose to take the drug for prevention.
Despite the availability of information about tamoxifen, most women in the study elected not to take the cancer-preventing drug. Of the 632 women in the study, 80% were worried about side effects. The study results were reported in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
Senior author Peter Ubel, M.D., professor of internal medicine and director of the Center for Behavioral and Decision Sciences in Medicine at the University of Michigan said:
“Experts have bemoaned the dearth of women taking these pills, worried that word has not gotten out about tamoxifen’s ability to prevent breast cancer in high risk women. Our study shows that even when the word does get out, most women are too concerned about the pill’s side effects to want to take it.”
Only 6% of women in the study said they were likely to take tamoxifen for breast cancer prevention. Three months later, fewer than 1% of women in the study had started taking the drug.
Tamoxifen’s side effects include:
Increased risk of endometrial cancer and uterine sarcoma
Increased risk of blood clots and cataracts
More common side effects: symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, irregular menstrual periods, headaches, fatigue, nausea, vaginal dryness or itching
(Source: National Cancer Institute)
Note: Some of the side effects mentioned above are rare, and not all women experience all side effects. Visit cancer.gov for more information on tamoxifen studies and side effects. Tamoxifen is also used to treat breast cancer.
If you’ve declined tamoxifen, what were your reasons?
Eco Factor: Concept shower designed to cut water consumption.
When water conservation is a demand, cutting down on shower use could be a beneficial solution. However, there is no dearth of ecofriendly showers and concepts that let you enjoy a hot shower after a tiring day at work, while saving water and energy at the same time. Industrial designer Alemina Vranas from the University of New South Wales has proposed a water-saving shower system that can transform your showering experience into an oasis of comfort.
What I am about to tell you might be utter nonsense. My sole qualifications are that in recent months I have done a lot of binging and recovering. I certainly don’t advocate this, and I’m usually quite annoyed with myself when it happens; but given it does, one must be prepared.
The 3-day plan places structure and context around what I think are important principles, but I suggest you tailor your own strategy based on those principles, rather than assume the three-day timeline has any special meaning.
Less Illness?
Before I describe the plan, I will say this: my theory is that this approach makes illness less likely because it coaxes the body back to full strength rather than frog-marching it there. Being an obsessive, I have in the past worn the hair shirt on days following bad behaviour. In the past, a few binges close together have caused illness. This year, an unprecedented number of consecutive binges have not yielded illness. Anecdotal, but for me, powerful.
Day 0: The Binge
You drink too much alcohol. You probably also eat too much, some or all of which is junk – sugary food, salty food, and processed food – all the things you would normally avoid. The following day, recovery must start.
Day 1: Healthy Food and Fresh air
Eat healthy food: but don’t go hungry; eat as much as you need to satisfy. You may be worrying about all the excess calories you ate/drank the day before. Forget it – there will be an opportunity to compensate on days 2 and 3. Perhaps have some healthy treats. Plan to cook your favourite meal .The spectre of comfort eating will loom – if your binge included alcohol, the chances are your salt and sugar balances will be all over the place, so you may want to have more fruit than usual if you are craving sweetness.
Don’t try to fast: this will be a struggle if you have a hangover – better to provide your body with the nutrients it has been deprived of forced to give up in the last 24 hours.
Don’t go to the gym or exercise: it is tempting to go to the gym on day 1 – you will feel so much better afterwards. But resist this temptation – your body is at a low ebb and the risk of illness is probably greater later on if you kick it while it’s down. Feeling good in the short term does not mean it’s the best thing to do. Let your body recover first, then the benefits of the exercise will be most fully realised, and not at the expense of illness risk. ABOVE ALL, do not do some kind of long, hard cardio session – this will definitely knock back your immune system.
Get some air: you won’t get the same buzz as you would from a gym session, but you will feel better nevertheless. A good walk will make you feel better about the night before without hitting your body in any significant way.
Day 2: Fast
Fast / reduce your food intake. Today, this will be easier. If you already do intermittent fasting, it will come naturally; if you don’t, then just do whatever you can to reduce your calories and give your system a day of rest.
Still don’t go to the gym or do hard exercise! This will be getting tough, but you must continue to resist the temptation. One thing at a time. If you wait one more day then the chances are you won’t suffer a decline in performance as a result of the binge. Plus, if you are fasting or eating less, then the increased appetite from exercise might make it harder, give that you are still not fully ‘in balance’, appetite-wise.
Day 3: Gym/Exercise
Go to the gym or do some hard exercise: now you are ready. By now most of the garbage has worked its way through your system and you are restored to something approximating the day before your binge. As well as making you feel good afterwards, the stresses you apply during exercise will now also confer their usual benefits in the medium term. Short, interval-based intense exercise is better – but of course this applies at all times, not just post-binge.
Eco Factors: Solar-powered bus shelter made from recycled glass bottles.
We’ve seen glass bottles being recycled to make houses and even temples. Eco-minded artist Aaron Scales has his hands on bottle recycling and has come up with a sustainable bus shelter that has been constructed from soft drink bottles.
Eco Factor: Dust-repellent nano-coating developed by researchers at Tel Aviv University.
While attempting to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, researchers at Tel Aviv University have accidentally discovered a new nano-material that can repel dust and water and could give rise to self-cleaning skyscraper windows and highly efficient solar panels.
In attempt to prepare for my first night shift, I have taken the liberty of trying to stay up as long as possible tonight, so I can sleep into the day tomorrow. So far? not working. I’ve been tired since 10pm and it now 1:30am.
So far, I have been smart enough to leave some chores for after THE AWESOME BILL MAHER, such as:
-doing the dishes
-ironing my uniforms
-cleaning the kitty litter box
-taking out the garbage
All that held me over until about, oooh, 11:15? yeah. I have also gorged on some Lindt Dark chocolate orange…oops? So much for eating healthy.
In my attempt to stay awake, I purchased some new teas to try out on the night shift. I don’t do coffee.
Black tea it is…
Organic Chai–spiced black tea.
Vanilla Bean–Madagascar vanilla bean with premium black tea.
I’ve tried exhibit A so far and it was pretty good. I’m still undecided how much I like black tea, but I’m learning to like/love it.
Sipped it in this cute cup I bought at the grocery store:
I then proceeded to munch on popcorn and order “The Ugly Truth.” Ugh, I knew it would suck, but it kept me awake.
Here’s some random photos for your viewing pleasure:
My favorite part of this photo is the lady yawning:
That actually was Bill Maher, I promise.
And yes, he rocked.
Damn, it is only 1:45. My goal was 3am, but I don’t see it happening? I love going to bed…It is like torture staying up:( I really just want to cry right now. I was not meant for the night shift. I like to sleep at 10pm and wake up with the sun!!
I just need to focus on the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
wish me luck
Eco Factor: Low-emission car powered by a hybrid engine.
Volkswagen has unveiled its new low-emission vehicle, the Up! Lite, which gets powered by a hybrid diesel-electric engine. The sporty four-seater is being touted to be a direct cousin to the company’s L1 two-seater car that was showcased at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
There’s been some buzz about a recent research report claiming that streaming services are popular. There have been a few such reports, and there’s not much surprising in them. They basically point out that if people can stream certain content, that’s often easier than firing up a non-user-friendly file sharing service to get the same content. But, does that necessarily lead to the conclusion pushed by many in the industry and the press that “streaming kills piracy”? Not at all. As the folks at Freakbits note, this particular study didn’t even bother to separate out authorized streaming services and unauthorized streaming services — and includes YouTube in the calculations, which (as Hollywood keeps trying to let us know) often has a fair amount of unauthorized content. So, perhaps, people are suggesting that if the content is just “streamed” it doesn’t count as “piracy.” And, as someone who doesn’t like the term “piracy” in the first place, perhaps that makes sense. But it does not appear that this is what’s being argued. Instead, people are just assuming that all streaming is authorized, when that’s hardly the case.
I’ve talked at length about the importance of vitamin D in health – particularly its role in maintaining immunity and protecting fertility. Moreover, insufficient and deficient levels of vitamin D are linked to chronic disease: autoimmune disorders, infertility, cancer, depression, chronic pain, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, cognitive dysfunction, you name it. This nutrient – truly a pre-hormone – is critical to overall health and well-being. It is vital to health.
Sadly, approximately 70% of children suffer from suboptimal levels of vitamin D and so do most adults. While most of us in good health can manufacture vitamin D from adequate sun exposure, we’re still not getting adequate sun exposure. We spend our days indoors, and when we do venture outside we slather ourselves in UV-blocking sun creams which may very well block ultra violet light, but also block our bodies’ ability to produce vitamin D.
Now that the days have grown dark and the sun hangs low in the sky, we’re receiving fewer and fewer of its valuable rays. After all, the shortest day of the year is but a few weeks away. So as the days become colder and shorter, it’s wise to investigate alternative sources of vitamin D. Fortunately, nourishing foods offer a good source of vitamin D – and that’s without fortification.
Pastured Lard
Believe it or not, lard is a health food. Yes, really. You see hogs are monogastric animals – that is they have one stomach, and like all monogastric animals, they store vitamin D in their fat. Of course, hogs, much like humans must have access to adequate sunlight in order to produce adequate levels of vitamin D in their fat. The manner in which an animal is raised greatly affects the nutritional quality of its meat, fat and milk. Recent nutritional analysis indicates that the lard from a pasture-raised hog contains significantly more vitamin D than that of one that has been conventionally raised.
Pastured lard can be used in a variety of ways: homemade mayonnaise and potato chips, in biscuits and pie crusts or for frying and braising.
Cod Liver Oil
A Note on Seafood
Fish and shellfish have played an enormous role in traditional diets cross-globally; however threats of overfishing, polluted waters and damaged the sustainability of these foods. Visit Seafood Watch for more information about making sustainable choices in your seafood consumption.
Cod liver oil, especially fermented cod liver oil (see sources) is also a potent source of naturally occurring vitamin D as well as pre-formed vitamin A. Just 1 teaspoon of high vitamin fermented cod liver oil contains approximately 1950 IU of vitamin D – though the vitamin content may vary slightly from batch to batch since a good cod liver oil will not be augmented by potentially toxic synthetic additives.
Cold-water, Oily Fish
Oily fish provide an excellent food-based source of vitamin D. A 3-oz portion of sardines provide approximately 228 IU vitamin D. Herring, like other oily fish, is an excellent source of vitamin D with one 3-oz portion providing approximately 576 IU vitamin D. 100 grams of wild-caught, canned salmon with bones provides 763 IU vitamin D. 3 ounces of mackerel sashimi will provide approximately 300 IU of vitamin D.
While pickled herring may take some getting used too, other oily fish can be served in a variety of ways. Consider sardines on crackers or in a salad, and canned salmon can be easily served in a chowder or in my favorite version as salmon cakes with homemade wasabi mayonnaise.
Oysters on the Half Shell
Oysters are nutritional powerhouses, offering zinc, vitamin B12 and iron in addition to 269 IU vitamin D. While some folks prefer their oysters naked, dressing them with vinegar, relishes or even Moroccan Preserved Lemon can be a nice change of pace.
Pastured Egg Yolk
Pastured egg yolk, like pastured lard, offers more vitamin D than an egg from a conventionally raised hen; however, its a small amount by comparison to pastured lard and oily fish.
Caviar & Roe
While you’re at the sushi bar enjoying your vitamin D-packed mackerel sashimi, consider adding an order of ikura or other roe. Fish roe, like concentrated bubbles of nutrients, offer a fair amount of vitamin D as well as other fat-soluble nutrients. Roe can also be served over pasta, in dips or on blini in the Russian style.
Concrobium Mold Control is a product that fights and prevents mold without using bleach or ammonia. It also does not contain any VOCs. I personally do not have a moldy spot to really try this product out, but I do get a little pink mold along the molding of my shower door that is hard to clean. I sprayed Concrobium Mold Control on this spot, and the pink mold did wipe away easier than with a sponge alone. I also sprayed the entire molding hoping that this product would prevent future mold growth.
Traditionally, homeowners have tackled mold with bleach solutions, essentially poisoning the mold micro-organism. That leaves users and their families exposed to harmful chemicals.
And bleach only provides short term relief from mold. When the mold reappears, the toxic cleaning cycle begins again…
Concrobium Mold Control® is a revolutionary way to fight mold, with no bleach, ammonia or VOCs.
Unlike traditional “wet kill” products, Concrobium works as it dries – hardening over the moldy surface to form an invisible film that physically crushes the mold micro-organism underneath.
And Concrobium stays on surfaces to provide continual resistance against mold regrowth.
Concrobium Mold Control states their product is eco-friendly and a “100% natural solution”, although full disclosure of the solution is not given other than stating “two other ingredients” are combined with baking soda to create a “patented tri-salt polymer”. It certainly has to be better than bleach.
Disclosure: I was sent a quart of Concrobium Mold Control in order to complete this review. No positive or negative assurances were given prior to reviewing this product.
Youngsters can be inconsiderate when it comes to one another’s names.
Names image: sxc.hu
If it’s an unusual name, they might make fun of it. If an an adult mispronounces it, they may laugh and hurt a tot’s feelings.
I heard one principal handle this very well when youngsters were mixing up two students’ names on purpose. One didn’t mind, but the other was close to tears.
She had a discussion and mentioned the importance of a person’s names. She emphasized that each person’s name is special. This led to a discussion on where the students’ names originated and what they meant.
So they shared whether they were named for a parent, grandparent or other family member. Was that name a special one for mom or dad? Did it have a special meaning when defined? When the discussion was over, the children were proud of their names and realized that each person and their name was special.
I used this same approach in a second grade class when one of the boys was deliberately mispronouncing another student’s name. This led to the students sharing their names and I shared where mine originated, too.
Do you discuss the importance of family names and why you named your children as you did?
Eco Factor: Catamaran equipped with solar panels to harvest renewable energy.
Sunreef Yachts has introduced a new catamaran, which combines sustainability and luxury in a hydrodynamic superstructure. Dubbed the ONE FIFTY, the 45m superyacht is influenced by the design of racing cars, which minimizes resistance to better fuel efficiency.
Once mid-to late winter arrives or once you trees are free of foliage is a good time to prune. You can hold off until early spring, right before spring foliage starts but it’s up to you. One pro of spring pruning is that it you won’t be so flipping cold while outside – and it’s not as easy to prune well while wearing tons of warm layers.
Why prune?
To remove any dead, diseased, or broken branches.
To get rid of any suckers or wild growth.
If you’re transplanting a tree, pruning can help compensate for root loss.
To keep a tree within your yard boundaries.
To aid production of larger flowers or fruit.
To shape your tree in a specific way.
To keep branches away from creating potential hazards such as branches that are getting to close to power lines or a house window.
There are a few times you’ll want to prune typically – at first planting which helps the growing process, to get the tree to the desired height (which of course will vary), and after the tree is at the height you want you’ll want to prune when the above situations apply; for example broken or diseased branches.
The best way to learn to prune is with visuals or actual professional help if you’re nervous about it – cutting a tree at first can seem scary. You can hire a pro for the first one or two pruning sessions, watch them, then keep their skills in mind when you prune. OR get a book with adequate visuals. Most general gardening books have sections on pruning, just make sure the instructions come with images to help you along. One good, but slightly older book you can refer to is American Horticultural Society Pruning & Training. I like this book because it’s really broken up well into easy bite sized chunks with tutorials that take you step by step through the pruning process. That said, it might be more book than you need if you don’t prune often. You can also see some online pruning guidelines, but a take along book is still better IMO.
The web can be a wonderful resource for all kinds of information, but language is as much of a barrier as ever. It doesn’t really matter if you can access a piece of information if you can’t understand it. Translation tools have been around for years now, and Google is certainly interested in the space. Google Translate is a very useful tool, if not perfect, but, even after the recent update, using it still requires too many steps for most cases. Google knows this, so it took the obvious step, it integrated translation features into the search engine. 
