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Thursday, February 09, 2006

IE7 beta released + weird behaviour

The beta version of Microsofts Internet Explorer 7 is available for download. Please note that as a beta release this experimental software could cause untold havoc on your PC so unless you are OK with that wait until the first real version is released. I have done so and am impressed by the anti-phishing tool and with the inclusion of the ever popular 'Spoofstick'. Along with tabbed browsing and a sort-of decent RSS feed detector this browser will at least help to protect the hundreds of thousands of folks who are as yet clueless to the fact that IE6 is a security hole that you will eventually fall into!

One strange bit of action I am unhappy with is the occasional behind the scenes execution of a scheduled task called "System_Feed_Sync_Scheduler.job" which is I assume the RSS feed checking for updates except I don't have IE7 running when it happens!

If you check your %Windir%tasks\ directory you will see two new jobs:

  1. System_Feed_Rescheduler
  2. System_Feed_Sync_Scheduler

Both jobs accesses "rundll32.exe" and "msfeeds.dll" which appears to be how Bill updates yer feeds.

I am no expert but it seems registering new scheduled events with privileges could be a problem?
Posted by Matthew Carrick at 11:49.37 AM EST | Permanent Link
| Categories: RSS Applications, Security Alerts

Monday, January 16, 2006

Apple iWeb - RSS for Macheads

Apple has introduced an RSS reader/writer as part of the iLife suite. iThink mac users will love it :-)
Hotwired has the info here: http://www.hotwired.com/webmonkey/06/02/index3a.html.
Posted by Matthew Carrick at 9:26.50 AM EST | Permanent Link
| Categories: All Things Mac, RSS Applications

Thursday, June 30, 2005

Microsoft & RSS security

It seems I'm not the only one concerned about the implications of integrating RSS into every application via the OS. Check the earlier post here: Longhorn RSS Support
Posted by Matthew Carrick at 10:32.17 AM EDT | Permanent Link
Edited on: Wednesday, July 20, 2005 4:10.56 PM EDT
| Categories: RSS Applications

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Longhorn RSS Support

While browsing the web, users will be able to easily discover RSS feeds through an illuminated icon, as well as read the feed while still in the web browser. Additionally, users will be able to subscribe to an RSS feed as easily as adding a web page as a favorite. Once a user chooses to subscribe to a feed, the fact that the user has subscribed is available to any interested application.

Uh-huh. How long will it take until some nasty script automatically and in the background subscribes me to ad-driven crap that proceedes to infiltrate to my other interested applications?

Unless the security of Internet Explorer + Longhorn is substantially improved there is no way in hell I'm letting this loose on my system.
Posted by Matthew Carrick at 3:47.52 PM EDT | Permanent Link
Edited on: Wednesday, July 20, 2005 4:14.47 PM EDT
| Categories: Best Practices, RSS Applications

Saturday, November 20, 2004

Project Gutenberg Recently Posted or Updated EBooks

Drag the link (below) into your favorite newsreader & start reading some classic text courtesy of Project Gutenberg.

http://www.gutenberg.net/browse/recent/today.rdf
Posted by Matthew Carrick at 10:57.37 AM EST | Permanent Link
Edited on: Wednesday, July 20, 2005 6:57.05 PM EDT
| Categories: RSS Applications