Saturday, June 5, 2010

Summer Time

Hello everyone and welcome back to BCB. I apologize for the long delay but May is never a good month for my family as there are some many things going on. Just a reminder to everyone that the semester is nearing the end and if you have not registered for the summer time is running out. So much has occurred over the past month which is why i have not been able to post. The major thing is my wife unfortunately has been very sick for the month of May with some sort of mysterious ailment of her stomach. She has been to three different doctors and we are awaiting the results of an endoscopy that she took a week ago. In the middle of it all was my birthday, mothers day, a wedding, my daughters 3rd birthday and school. I have also been doing some extra curricular studying for some IT certifications. I achieved my first official certification which is the CompTia Network+ exam. It is a non-vendor specific and it is the start of the rest of the certifications i will be attempting. If all goes planned by the time the summer is over i will have a total of 3 certifications, Network+, Security+ and CCNA.

May was not only a hectic month but also a very positive month for me and my family. About a week and a half ago i received my acceptance email from Boston University into their Master of Science program. I feel confident that Berkeley has prepared me to tackle the Master program and that experience combined with my work experience is going to lead me to success. As for the progress of this semester it is going very well for my final semester. I am batting an A in poetry and i would recommend anyone who wants an easy grade and fulfill an upper level liberal arts requirement to take poetry. I finally got my midterm grade from International economics and i got an 87. So as it stands with three weeks left i am in excellent shape to finish strong.

I had a very interesting conversation with some of my classmates in my economics class. We were discussing our future plans and what is needed to succeed. One of my classmates is an Accounting major and has two more semesters left at Berkeley. His goal is to try and get as many Master degrees he can because he is running out of time due to his age. I basically agreed, except for the age, but i want to get my degrees and certifications before my daughter is 5 and my son is 4 which gives me 2 years. The reason why is I want to be able to go to ball games and dance recitals without having to worry about school or studying for exams. We both agreed that security in IT and Accounting are fields that are growing and that we both are respectively trying to get into. Anyway that is all for now i will see all of you later on this week.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

MTA and McAfee Fail

Hello everyone and welcome back to BCB. Just a reminder for everyone that registration for summer semester has begun so please register in order to allow you get the classes you want. As posted in my last post i have a very interesting news regarding our very own MTA as well as a security fail from McAfee.

It seems like this is becoming a weekly occurrence. Huge companies having complete lapses in security. This weeks victim is New Yorks very own MTA. We all know the MTA is under extreme pressure to validate their budgets and explain where the money goes without raising our fares (which they will do regardless). The latest security issue can possibly cost the MTA millions of dollars which can spell bad news for New York transit riders. I first heard the story on a Paul DotCom Security Weekly podcast and read it on The Renderlab. The story was originally reported in the NY Daily News on April 24th. Supposedly the MTA has an issue with people selling Magic Keys for $27 a piece, why this is an issue is because the Magic Key is a key that allows riders to not have to pay for rides on the subway and also opens some private areas in stations. According to the NY Daily News article the police have been diligent in arresting people either using or selling the Magic Keys but it is still an ongoing problem. To make matters worse is in the NY Daily News article there is a picture of one of the reporters holding up a key that may be the actual “Magic Key.” The problem with that is that hackers and professional locksmiths can make copies of these keys using the photograph. The Renderlab article explains how this can be done and that researches have successfully made working copies of keys using photographs. If this is an issue the MTA will have to replace hundreds of locks on security gates and doors at hundreds of stations costing millions of dollars, and who do you think is going to pay for it, you guessed it every New Yorker and every rider of the subway.

This is a serious issue and i hate to see what the fall out will be if the MTA investigation into the issue comes up with the solution to replace all the locks. The next security fail story is from McAfee.

As many know on April 21, 2010 McAfee had what we call in the IT realm as an “Epic Fail.” As reported on CNET on April 22nd, McAfee released a buggy virus definition that attacked a specific Windows XP executable. The virus software registered the SVCHOST.exe as a virus and either quarantined the file or deleted it. This prompts a Blue Screen of Death that starts a reboot process. Upon reboot the system cannot find the SVCHOST.exe and reboots again and this continues. Svchost.exe is an executable that is needed to run certain services on your computer such as audio, themes and DHCP to name a few. Without that file these services cannot run and crashes the system. Many businesses such as police, hospitals, financial institutions and jails were brought to a grinding halt when their systems crashed. McAfee quickly pulled the bad file from its distribution servers but the damage had already been done. This raises a whole slew of questions such as, “Are Anti-Virus companies actually testing the virus definitions?” If the answer to that question is yes then how did this get out without being noticed? The biggest concern is if all it took was one bad bug to cause this much disruption, what must we do to fix this? Just some food for thought!!!

This goes to show you that no matter how much big companies focus on security and making sure things are working properly. For these two companies to have such huge lapses in security is baffling and the bottom line it will or has cost consumers millions of dollars.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Graduation and Week 5

Hey every one and welcome back to the BCB. A reminder to all students that registration for the summer session is now underway and to register as soon as possible in order to insure that you get the classes you want. I cannot tell you how many times i have heard students complain about their schedule because they waited to long to register. I want to apologize for taking so long to post but i am now just coming off my Graduation/Birthday high. As many Berkeley college students know commencement took place last friday April 30th at the IZOD center. A total of 1400 students graduated as the class of 2010 but by my estimate we had about 500 or so in attendance for the ceremony. Despite having that many students the ceremony took only 2 hours and 15 minutes which is outstanding. I remember going to my wife's graduation from LaGuardia Community College which had roughly about the same amount of students and it took over 3 hours to get done so i tip my hat to Student Development and Campus Life.

We have just finished week 5 and are entering the half way point of the Spring semester. Week 6 is usually Midterm week so i wish everyone who is taking a Midterm this week good luck. So far classes have been good so far. Poetry is a really easy Upper Liberal Arts class to take. I would recommend it to anyone that needs to get rid of an Upper Liberal Arts class but are already taking a lot of difficult classes. International economics is an interesting class because there is a lot of stuff going on now that pertain to the class. One of those topics are what is currently going on in Europe with Greece. Greece as a country is practically bankrupt and is soliciting the European Union (EU) for some help. There are a lot of issues that led to Greece's downfall and it is a combination of investing in a lot of public works and countries while not keeping money in the country. What didn't help is they have not been collecting the taxes needed to keep the country afloat. This has spurred a lot of controversy among the EU to solve the issue of helping Greece.

It also just so happen that on the day of class we had the biggest swing in stock prices dropping all the way down by 1000 points before rebounding. That alone opened up a discussion in my class about the volatility of the markets. The next day NASDAQ confirmed that it was not a computer glitch and cancelled all trades that were executed during the time frame when the markets plummeted. It looks like this is going to be even more of an interesting class given the current state of the world markets. Anyway that is all for now i will have a new security post that will be important for all New Yorkers and I will also have some album reviews for Sevendust, Bullet For MY Valentine, Godsmack and Deftones. I will also be going to a Korn concert so i will have all these details for everyone.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Countdown to Graduation

Hello everyone and welcome back to BCB. Just a few administrative announcements, we are currently now in week four of the spring semester. Registration has now begun for the Summer semester. Please register early in order to be able to get the classes you want as well as give you enough time to clear for the Summer semester. Graduation is this week and i want to take this time out to say Congratulations to the class of 2010. The journey has finally come to an end for many of us and either we will continue on or enter our respective fields. So I tip my cap and look forward to seeing all of you on Friday.

As many of you know despite the fact that i am walking on Friday i am still in my final semester at Berkeley. One of the classes i am taking this semester is Poetry and so far it has been pretty easy going. This past week we read a sonnet written by Shakespeare. It focused on the true meaning of love and how true love can endure anything. It got me thinking a lot about my life and my marriage to my wife. I am happy to say that i celebrated my 3 year anniversary last week I have been with my wife for almost 6 years. I still can remember when we were dating and i asked her to marry me. She said yes but had all these concerns and always focused on her weaknesses instead of her strengths. I told her that all her weaknesses are my strengths and all her strengths are my weaknesses. I told her that together we can work to strengthen those weaknesses, i told her that 6 years ago.

Last night we were talking about a conversation she had with a friend of hers earlier in the day. The friend was astounded how mature my wife had become and how her thoughts and ideas were so much well structured. Needless to say that was one of the weaknesses she thought she had. I always knew she was intelligent, trust me i wouldn't have married her if i didn't think she was. I also knew that given the right encouragement she could tap into what she thought was a weakness. It has been a long battle but i am seeing it pay off. The way she is able to educate the kids all the way through our conversations, she has become more and more sophisticated. The difference now is that other people are noticing it. This is where true love is shown in the fact despite her negative view of herself i only saw the positives. She still has work to do but then again so do i. Anyway that is all for now, i will see you guys later on this week as i recap graduation.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

CPR

Hello everyone and welcome back to BCB. Just a reminder for everyone that registration for the summer will begin next week. Please make sure you register early to ensure that you get the classes you want. For all the graduates a reminder that graduation is next Friday April 30th at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ. All graduates must be at the Center by 8 am and commencement will start promptly at nine. This blog post is going to focus on the NYPD motto of CPR, Courtesy, Professionalism and Respect.

As most New Yorkers know that the NYPD motto that is written on every squad car is CPR. This motto should not only apply to our police officers but should apply to everyone, everywhere whether your on the job or not. One of the many things i have learned and that is constantly told at my job is that we represent the company no matter where we are, on or off the clock. Showing Courtesy, Professionalism and Respect reflects well not only on you but for the company that you work for. Many people tend to think that because they are off the clock they can act anyway they want with no consequences. Normally that is fine as long as your behavior is not something that will get you in trouble with your employer.

We see this problem in every facet of employment. The NFL is currently dealing with this issue in regards to Ben Rothelesberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Although he has not been charged with any crimes he has had two cases brought against him of sexual assault. This is in violation of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy since it is a result of pattern behavior. He is facing possible suspension from the League and also a suspension or fine from the team itself and it has warned everyone that issues like this will result in being traded or cut. My job is the same way in the fact that if you do anything that can reflect negatively on the company you can and will be terminated.

Always remember to be courteous, professional and respectful in your day to day transactions, whether it is with a client or a fellow co-worker. It also benefits you if you apply CPR to your personal life as it tends to keep you out of silly situations that can be avoided. Anyway that is all for this blog i will see you guys next time.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Week 2 and iPhone 4.0 overview

Hello everyone and welcome back to BCB. Just a reminder that in 2 weeks registration for the summer will begin so start looking at your Degree Audit to see what classes you may want to take. So far week 1 is in the books and so far it is pretty easy going. Unfortunately due to Physical Therapy i was unable to attend my thursday class but i will definitely make it this week. I will let all of you know how International Economics is. Today's blog is keeping up with the technical aspect that i am trying to introduce into my blogs. Last week on Thursday, Apple, Inc. had a press conference to announce the next iPhone OS which is OS 4.0. They also took the liberty of announcing sales statistics for the iPad which was released the prior weekend. I was one of many eagerly awaiting the conference to find out what they would be deploying with this release. I am sharing this with you because a couple of months ago Berkeley had a poll about iPhones and many people had either the iPhone or the iPod Touch. So here is the overview and my perspective on the release:

The iPhone OS 4.0 is based around seven key developments that Apple has been working on. Apple called them "Tentpoles" during the conference and those tentpoles are:

1. Multitasking
2. Folders
3. Enhanced Mail
4. iBooks
5. Enterprise Support
6. Game Center
7. iAd

Here is the break down of each tentpole.

1. Multitasking: According to Apple it is built on 7 API's (Application Programing Interface). The first is background audio. Apple worked on trying to get streaming audio to run in the background so the user can use a different app. This was important to Apple as one of the most popular apps on the iPhone and Touch is Pandora which provides streaming music. With the update you will be able to stream music in the background without killing the battery. This API also applies to other apps that stream audio such as MLB at Bat. The second API is VoIP (Voice over IP). Applications such as skype can now run in the background while you are in another app. You can recieve calls and an interface pops up just as if you were recieving a call over the AT&T network. It even will display incoming calls while the phone is locked, so skype users rejoice. The next API is GPS. Right now the GPS program closes when a call comes in or you cannot play music from your iPhone or Touch and still recieve directions. With the new OS you will be able to do both and not have to relaunch the application. The other aspect is social networking as certain apps like Loopt track you through GPS. As it is now with the current OS the application will always ask if you want to use you current location. In the new build their will be an indicator that the application is still tracking you through GPS. The fourth API is push notifications. This was added to the most recent updates of the OS but now these notifications can be done locally. So lets say you use a third party alarm clock, right now your phone must be on all night in order for the alarm to work, not any more in 4.0. The fifth API revolves around task completion. Some apps like Flickr take awhile to upload, now it can continue to uploading in the background while you use other apps on your phone. The sixth API is based on notification services which can now be controlled through the settings menu. The final API is fast app switching. When you switch to another app the app you were just using gets stored in the background. When you switch back you don't need to relaunch the program or restore the session becuase everything is as exactly the way you left it. In order to switch between applications just double click the home button. If running four or more apps after you double click the home just swipe left or right.

2. Folders: Folders have now been added to the OS. To create a folder drag one app onto another and a folder is automatically created and named. The naming comes from the categories associated with the app. On the folder itself will have small tiles that will show you what apps are stored within the folder. When you tap the folder it expands down to display apps. You will also have the ability to change the wallpaper on the home and locked screens.

3. Enhanced Mail: Unified inbox, multiple email accounts and more than one Exchange account. All incoming mail is stored in one inbox. You can move quickly between inboxs by tapping the accounts list on top. There are threaded discussions and you can open attachments on apps you have downloaded.

4. iBooks: Smaller version of the iPad bookshelf and iBookstore. You will have the ability to sync page and bookmarks between devices (ie iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad).

5. Enterprise: The new OS will give you the ability to encrypt email including attachments using your pin code. Wireless distribution of applications to all company issued iPhones through company servers. There is support for multiple exchange accounts, Exchange 2010, and SSL VPN support for both Juniper and Cisco.

6. Game Center: The App Store boasts the largest number of game applications. Apple is going further by adding a social gamming network, where you can invite friends, auto-matchmaking, leaderboards and achievements.

7. iAd: iAd is moble advertising built directly into the OS. The advertising is built into the application itself. An example would be opening Yelp to find a place to eat and seeing an advertisement for a restaurant near by. The advertisements keep you within the app and allows you to close the ad at anytime using the X. The Ads are done in HTML5 and provide animation and video as well as games or other modes of interactivity. Advertisers will be able to provide wallpapers to be saved directly to the device, theater listing and embedded maps (for movies) and even games that you can buy directly from the advertisement without having to go to the App Store.

This new OS will roll out to iPhones and iPod Touches this summer with a fall release scheduled for the iPad. There are limitations a the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 2nd generation will not support multitasking.

Overall i think this is a step in the right direction for Apple. It was a little late in comming to the show with features such as Folders and Multitasking but the delay seems to be well worth it. I personally have an iPhone 3G so i wont get the chance to test multitasking when it first comes out but my contract is up shortly there after so i am not to worried. Anyway that is the end of this post, i will see you all later.


P.S. All information was gathered through Macworld.com.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Baseball is here! Time for new beginnings

Hello everyone and welcome back to BCB. As you can tell by the title i am extremely excited that baseball has now return to fill my sports void. It has been painful during this break between football and baseball since the team i normally watch for basketball has been horrible this year. Now as baseball season begins so does my final semester here at Berkeley College. It has been a long and hard trip through my two years at Berkeley and i want to take the time out to thank some of the staff at Berkeley that has made it easier. The biggest thank you goes to the whole continue education staff from Diana all the way to Carol Alleyne have made my experience with the department less stressful than it could have been. I would also like to thank all the people who have read my blog during this time and i hope it has been informative and fun.

As my last semester begins a new process begins which is application to a Graduate program. One of the tasks that i have to do for my application is to write a personal statement on why i want to pursue a Graduate program. This assignment is going to be used not only to gauge my writing skills but also as a way to see why i am even going for my graduate studies in the first place. This task can become difficult because you have to explain your reasons fully and clearly in order to convince them that you are right for the program. I have already done my draft and have begun revisions but i am sure this will be the most revised work i have ever written. This assignment has made me realize a lot about my goals and what i am on a mission to achieve.

Anyone that knows the IT field knows that there is so much information and so many different specializations that it can become overwhelming. This is especially true in the field i am focusing on and hoping to get my Masters in which is Information Security. At my current position i am just a help desk tech that does routine tasks re guarding computers. Most of it i learned on the job as i was actually pursuing a degree in accounting when i was first hired by my current employer. I have not taken any advanced computer classes until i started attending Berkeley but unfortunately it is not in the area i am pursuing. The classes are perfect for the Bachelors i am receiving though and it has given me a base to build my knowledge on. Most of the studying will have to be done on my own through self-study books which makes up a large portion of the computer bookshelves at any Barnes and Noble. Even taking the classes in my graduate program will also need to be aided by outside studying of different materials. This is a hard thing for one person to acquire and it is the current task that i have undertook. My goal is to have at least two certifications by the time i enter my graduate program and i hope to have a total of 5 or 6 by the time i graduate. Given the immense amount of information i have to study, i have my work cut out for me.

Well i hope everyone has a great semester. A reminder to those that are continuing on pass this semester that registration begins in week 4 so start looking at your degree audit and figuring out what you need. Thanks again to all those at Berkeley who have made my time there enjoyable and thanks to all the readers for sticking with me throughout the whole process.