NEWS: Russell's server was hacked....

Outcha, Russell Beattie's website was seriously hacked. Have a look at his story, good reminder for all of us (back-up, security)....

Okay, so how did the guy get in? No idea. The logs were gone. My best guess is a PHP CLI script I had running which allowed a Flash IRC app to re-route through my server to the freenode IRC servers. It was probably running as root and hackable as hell. I've also been playing with Apache and PHP 5 lately, so that was running on port 8080, and I really hadn't made any effort to secure it. Or it could have been any number of exploits out there that I never bothered to patch, or it could've been a bad password. We'll never know. Whatever it was, it was my fault for not maintaining my site better. Hopefully this new setup is more secure, enough to deter another attack for a while at least.

Okay, lessons: back up your data, NOW. I backed up my server last month, but the files were incomplete and a freakin' mess. So don't just back up, do it cleanly and in an organized, easy-to-find manner. Secondly, re-check your security. I've got a few more things to clean up and harden myself and I've been banging at the server all weekend.

BUSINESS: Jim Collins

Rodrigo posted a book's review of Jim Collins. I find Jim's ideas very valuable and I already published some abstracts about his work in my Corporate Entrepreneurship section (9 to 14).

Have also a look at Jim Collins' website (no blog yet as far as I know).

PRIVATE: H - 4

BUSINESS: Software vendors

[via Dilbert]

It sounds quite familiar :-)

REMEMBER - Lest we forget

After the 60th anniversary of the D-Day (I posted about that on 5th of June 2004), the World is marking the anniversary of the death camp liberation of Auschwitz these days.

Do not forget our duty of memory, specially for our children.

Lest we forget that...
...about 6 million Jews were systematically murdered, 1.5 million of these were children. This represents 2/3rds of the European Jews and about 1/3rd of the worldwide Jewish community at this time. 6 million people, it's about the current population of Austria or Switzerland, annihilated in 6 years, 1.5 million children. One and a half million children were killed. God....

A concentration camp survivor wipes a tear during a ceremony at the former death camp Auschwitz Birkenau. World leaders and elderly survivors of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz gathered in Poland on Thursday to mark the 60th anniversary of its liberation by Soviet troops and remember the victims of the Holocaust.

[via Reuters]

NEWS: Fitting roosters with little boxing gloves :-)

[via Seth]

I couldn't believe it was not a joke. Incredible, this is *so* ridiculous! As Seth says, the most important question is:

Who, exactly, makes the little tiny gloves?

OKLAHOMA CITY -- With cockfighting now banned in Oklahoma, one legislator is proposing a blood-free alternative: fitting roosters with little boxing gloves and letting them slug it out.

"Who's going to object to chickens fighting like humans do? Everybody wins," said Democratic state Sen. Frank Shurden, a protector of the gamefowl industry and a longtime defender of cockfighting, in which birds are fitted with razor-like spurs and often battle to the death.

Oklahoma voters banned cockfighting in 2002. The practice is still legal in Louisiana and New Mexico.

"To me it answers everything. It saves the industry, takes blood sport out and generates revenue for Oklahoma," Shurden said.

Janet Halliburton, a lawyer who led the drive to ban cockfighting, dismissed Shurden's idea as the first step in a scheme to bring back the sport.

NEWS: Second Mozilla developper joins Google

[via BetaNews]

Following news that lead Firefox engineer Ben Goodger has been hired by Google, fellow Mozilla developer Darin Fisher has announced that he, too, has joined the search giant. With at least two high-profile browser developers under its belt, rumors have begun swirling about Google's future plans with the Mozilla platform.

BUSINESS: The CEO's path to the Top

Knowledge@Wharton released an article about typical CEOs background, education and carriers, based on a comparison which compares the "typical" executives in the 80s and in 2001. Quite interesting to observe the shifts in a lot of fields.

Today's executives are younger, more likely to be female, and less likely to have Ivy League educations. They make their way to the executive suite faster than ever before about four years faster than their counterparts in 1980), and they hold fewer jobs along the way. They spend about five years less in their current organization before being promoted, and are more likely to be hired from the outside. What's more, the Organization Man, the lifelong corporate employee who worked his way faithfully and slowly up the executive ladder, appears to be headed out the door -- increasingly nudged, apparently, by women.

MUSIC: U2 - Vertigo//2005 World Tour

The dates for the coming U2's Vertigo Tour are online since 3 days. I will try to get some tickets for Zürich on 11th July 2005.

'VERTIGO//2005' WORLD TOUR - EXCLUSIVE!
The dates, cities, venues and ticket information on the tour we've all been waiting for!

U2 will begin the first leg of their Vertigo//2005 world tour in San Diego on March, 28th 2005.

Vertigo//2005 will visit 13 cities in North America before arriving in Brussels on June 10th for the first of 24 scheduled European performances, finishing up in Lisbon in the middle of August.

[Thx Patrick]

PRIVATE: H - 8

I was yesterday in St.Gallen - Switzerland at our Headquarters. Quite snowy, more than 40 cm in town :-)

BLOG: Blogroll updated & Seth Godin

I haven't updated my blogroll for a while, oups.
So, that's now corrected, I've added the blogs of Jeff Clavier - Musings of a software developer/entrepreneur/senior executive/VC - and Marc Goldberg - A VC perspective on technology and investment confusions. I'm reading this both blogs for a while, definitely worth a reading :-)

I've also added a link to the book of Seth Godin, The bootstrapper's Bible (pdf), which is really great. If you are working in a small company/unit and if you are confronted with big companies (as client, provider, etc.), have a look!

The book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial - No Derivs license. And, Seth gives an explicite authorization to spread his work electronically!

You are given the unlimited right to print this manifesto and to distribute it electronically (via email, your website, or any other means). You can print out pages and put them in your favorite coffee shopʼs windows or your doctorʼs waiting room. You can transcribe the authorʼs words onto the sidewalk, or you can hand out copies to everyone you meet. You may not alter this manifesto in any way, though, and you may not charge for it.

A "normal" book is also available at Amazon.

NEWS: Tom Peters was a bit ... irritated :-)

[via @rgumente]

Wow, Tom Peters seems to be quite irritated by some CEOs. Worth a reading, including the comments.

It's rude to call people "idiots."
It's rude to call CEOs "idiots." (I am assuming here that "CEOs" are "people.")
It's really rude to call people "idiots" when you are a Guest.
It's really, really rude to call people "idiots" when you are a Guest in another country.
It's really, really, really rude to call CEOs "idiots" when you are a Guest in another country [...]

NEWS: Firefox passes 20 million downloads

[via BetaNews]

Two and half months after Firefox's 1.0 launch, the Mozilla Foundation has more to celebrate than non-stop media coverage: Firefox has surpassed 20 million downloads. The milestone comes just days after new tallies of Web browser usage shows strong gains by the open source newcomer, which is slowly chipping away at Internet Explorer's dominance.

Last November, Microsoft IE product manager Gary Schare told BetaNews, "We think that getting the first set of early adopters is a lot easier than getting the next set, and then crossing over into the mainstream is pretty difficult." But Firefox is refusing to relent, garnering up to 270,000 downloads per day.

In the past month alone, Microsoft's IE market share has dropped 1.5 percent, according to WebSideStory, while Firefox has picked up a full percentage point. In an interview with BetaNews, Firefox architect Blake Ross said he expects the browser's growth "to remain vibrant as more and more people learn about Firefox and tell their friends and family members."

BLOG: playing with BlogShares

You surely already know BlogShares, the "fantasy stock market where weblogs are the companies. Players invest fictional dollars on shares in blogs. Blogs are valued by their incoming links and add value to other blogs by linking to them. Prices can go up or down based on trading and the underlying value of the blog."

I've received an email from BlogShares for two days saying that my account balance was credited from ... B$184'667.85 because of the merge of "Didier Beck\'s Weblog" in "Didier Beck's Weblog". I don't really understand but anyway, I decided to play a little bit with my new cash.

I did the following:
- buy 4'000 shares of my own blog
- buy 2'500 shares of the blog of Laurent
- buy 500 shares of the blog of Le Danois
- buy 4'000 shares (!!!) of the blog of Loic Le Meur (English)
- buy of 350 shares of the blog of Loic Le Meur (French)
- buy 125 shares of the blog of Rodrigo Sepulveda
- buy 350 shares of the blog of Jeff Clavier
- buy 4'000 shares (!!!) of the blog of Marc Goldberg

I found particularly funny to be able to buy the complete shares of Loic and Marc (4'000 for each blog) for about nothing (Loic => B$2.57 per share, Marc => B$.98 per share).

Good portfolio? Let's see :-)
Investment: B$176'787
Current portfolio valuation: B$709'980

NEWS: no mass destruction weapons found in Iraq, as planned....

via Washington Post (free subscription)

Did you hear something? Great, no?

Search for Banned Arms In Iraq Ended Last Month
The hunt for biological, chemical and nuclear weapons in Iraq has come to an end nearly two years after President Bush ordered U.S. troops to disarm Saddam Hussein. The top CIA weapons hunter is home, and analysts are back at Langley. [...]

President Bush, Vice President Cheney and other top administration officials asserted before the U.S. invasion in March 2003 that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear weapons program, had chemical and biological weapons, and maintained links to al Qaeda affiliates to whom it might give such weapons to use against the United States. [...]

Bush has expressed disappointment that no weapons or weapons programs were found, but the White House has been reluctant to call off the hunt, holding out the possibility that weapons were moved out of Iraq before the war or are well hidden somewhere inside the country. But the intelligence official said that possibility is very small.

PRIVATE: H - 18 days

NEWS: Cassidy - Huygens

via ESA.

This image was returned yesterday, 14 January 2005, by ESA's Huygens probe during its successful descent to land on Titan. This is the coloured view, following processing to add reflection spectra data, gives a better indication of the actual colour of the surface. Initially thought to be rocks or ice blocks, they are more pebble-sized. The two rock-like objects just below the middle of the image are about 15 centimetres (left) and 4 centimetres (centre) across respectively, at a distance of about 85 centimetres from Huygens. The surface is darker than originally expected, consisting of a mixture of water and hydrocarbon ice. There is also evidence of erosion at the base of these objects, indicating possible fluvial activity.

NEWS: Oracle and PeopleSoft merge

via BetaNews.

Oracle today further revealed its plans for both PeopleSoft and its employees as the two companies continue to integrate. Over the next ten days, Oracle plans to slash as many as 5,000 jobs in an effort to bring the combined workforce down to 50,000.

The cuts will come in both companies, and in a bid to satisfy current PeopleSoft customers, the plan includes keeping more than 90 percent of the existing PeopleSoft development and support staff.

The technical staff will remain onboard at least long enough to give customers release 8.9 of the PeopleSoft product, and a version 9.0 upgrade.

BLOG: busy, busy, busy

I am really sorry, I couldn't post anything the last days, I'm simply too busy. The things are going ahead efficiently and are in time. I will have a lot to relate :-)

Have a good time!

TOOLS: Skype v1.1

Not really "new" but as a reminder, Skype launched on 5th of January a new version (v1.1.0.61) of its great tool.

Version 1.1 introduces the new multi-person Chat feature and new visual enchancements.

My last extensive post about Skype.

BUSINESS: My new smartphone - Nokia 7760

On 27th December 2004, I received my new gadget / smartphone / Nokia 7760. After some days of intensive usage, my first opinion about it.

Description

This model is similar to Nokia 7610 but differs in preset applications and a more strict design for business users.



Nokia's website about the 6670.

List of features

• eGSM900/1800/1900


• Battery life: talk time up to 3 hours, standby time up to 250 hours


• Full charging time 1.5 hours


• High-contrast graphic display shows 65000 colors (TFT) and has the resolution of 176x208 pixels, 35х41 mm, not a touchscreen


• Navi key has 5 positions


• Symbian OS version 7.0s


• Megapixel camera - max resolution is 1152 x 864 pixels, recording 3GP clips with sound (Sub QCIF or QCIF) with the duration of up to 10 minutes. A possibility to edit photos and video. Night mode


• Weight: 118 g


• Memory: 8 MB of memory are shared dynamically between the phone book, a calendar, messages, images and applications, RS-MMC cards expansion connector (64 MB card in a standard kit) A possibility to assign a photo to a name in the phone book


• Vibrating alert, polyphonic call melodies, True Tones


• Loud speaker


• Connectivity: WAP 2.0, Bluetooth, GPRS (4+2), synchronization with PC via Bluetooth or IrDA, SyncML, SMIL, Instant Messaging, MMS


• Dictaphone


• mp3 player

Size compared to the Nokia 6610i

TOOLS: MS AntiSpyware v1.0 (beta)

I installed on Friday the first beta of Microsoft AntiSpyware v1.0. Seems to work well and stable, very good user-interface. Very extensive advanced possibilities too. By me, AntiSpyware detected 7 more spywares as ad-aware. Let's see on the long-run.

Windows AntiSpyware is a security technology that helps protect Windows users from spyware and other potentially unwanted software. Known spyware on your PC can be detected and removed. This helps reduce negative effects caused by spyware including slow PC performance, annoying pop-up ads, unwanted changes to Internet settings, and unauthorized use of your private information. Continuous protection improves Internet browsing safety by guarding over 50 ways spyware can enter your PC.

TOOLS: Adobe Reader Speed-up v1.32

A new version (v1.32) of Adobe Reader Speed-up is available.

Adobe Reader Speed-Up significantly decreases the amount of time required for Adobe Reader to start by disabling most of the least used plugins. Plugins can be freely enabled and disabled, if required.

WEEK-END: Therm and relaxation today :-)

This morning, as the weather was quite bad (exceptionally warm for January, about 12°C, but cloudy and rainy), we went to the Cassiopeia Therm of Badenweiler in Germany, about 50 km from where we are living. Wow, that was really helpful for me with all this good stress and pressure in the last time :-) Also very funny with our kid.

Badenweiler

Situtated in the southernmost region of Germany, protected by the Black Forest and Vogesen region, a unique cultural landscape has emerged, whose silvery light brings back memories of Tuscany. Rolling hills, beautiful vineyards, and the Black Forest with its dark contrasts, and in the middle of it all, the enchanting Badenweiler. A paradise where you can replenish your energy and relax.

The Cassiopeia therm

BUSINESS: The Bootstrapper's Bible - Seth Godin (03)

From Seth Godin and its Bootstrapper's Bible:

Bootstrapper's manifesto

I have initiative and insight and guts, but not much money. I will succeed because my efforts and my focus will defeat bigger and better-funded competitors. I am fearless. I keep my focus on growing the business—not on politics, career advancement, or other wasteful distractions.

I will leverage my skills to become the key to every department of my company, yet realize that hiring experts can be the secret to my success. I will be a fervent and intelligent user of technology, to conserve my two most precious assets: time and money.

My secret weapon is knowing how to cut through bureaucracy. My size makes me faster and more nimble than any company could ever be.

I pledge to know more about my field than anyone else. I will read and learn and teach. My greatest asset is the value I can add to my clients through my efforts.

I realize that treating people well on the way up will make it nicer for me on the way back down.

I am a salesperson. Sooner or later, my income will depend on sales, and those sales can be made only by me, not by an emissary, not by a rep.

I will measure what I do, and won’t lie about it to myself or my spouse. I will set strict financial goals and honestly evaluate my performance. I’ll set limits on time and money and won’t exceed either.

Most of all, I’ll remember that the journey is the reward. I will learn and grow and enjoy every single day.

NEWS: Blogs usage - status 2004

[via Loic]

Interesting information about the blogs' usage in the US from Pew Internet and American Life Project.

The state of blogging

By the end of 2004 blogs had established themselves as a key part of online culture. Two surveys by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in November established new contours for the blogosphere: 8 million American adults say they have created blogs; blog readership jumped 58% in 2004 and now stands at 27% of internet users; 5% of internet users say they use RSS aggregators or XML readers to get the news and other information delivered from blogs and content-rich Web sites as it is posted online; and 12% of internet users have posted comments or other material on blogs. Still, 62% of internet users do not know what a blog is.

Report also available as PDF.

PRIVATE: new PC finished at home :-)

Ok, it was time for me to upgrade my PC at home. The last one crashed twice: HDD and power supply. It was also definitely too old (AMD 1700+ with a Voodoo2!!). You know, Doom3 is waiting for me :-)

So, after some analysis, I decided myself for the below described configuration. I hope I was not too bad, considering the optimum "price-power" solution. And, for sure, the fact that I like to play video games. Who is laughing? Not a joke, I really like, and for years. I got a Philips video-game first, then a Commodore 64. Then, the first PCs, following the launches of the Doom and Quake versions. Remember?

Configuration

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (2.2GHz, Socket 939)

Graphic card: Gygabyte ATi Radeon X800 Pro (256 MB, 12 pipelines, GPU: 475 MHz, RAM: 450 MHz)

Sound card: SoundBlaster Audigy2 ZS

Memory: 1 GB PC3200 (400 MHz)

Motherboard: ASUS A8V Deluxe K8T800Pro

Storage: Maxtor 250 GB Serial-ATA (7200rpm, 16 MB cache)

Power supply: Tagan TG480-U01 (480W, ATX12V 2.0)

Case: CoolerMaster 710-GX2 Server-Tower

Before

After

Rome - Total War Demo
[click pictures to enlarge]





Doom3 Demo
[click pictures to enlarge]





Installing this f***g Serial-ATA drive was really damned boring under WinXP, which is not supporting this directly. You need to install special drivers during the install of WinXP. To do that, you need a ... floppy drive!! I had to cannibalize a very old PC. Who is still using a floppy drive? Pfuuuu. This process was crazy :-(

I will publish some tests of my new machine in the coming days.

NEWS: Google Dance

[via Pr Weaver]

New Google Dance started on 1st of January. This time, it is not "just" a change in the number of backlinks and their updates (quite a permanent process now) but a real update of the PR. The real PR update seems to happen each 3 months now.

TOOLS: Mega Codec Pack v1.17

New version 1.17 of the K-Lite Mega Codec Pack released here. And it is free!

Mega Codec Pack includes everything needed to play online and offline computer media. This pack is from the makers of the K-lite codec pack. This version includes the Full K-lite codec pack as well as Quicktime and Realplayer codecs, and BS Player. This Pack includes codecs for the most popular compressions like Divx and Xvid as well as some of the less popular but still necesary codecs. This is your one stop codec resource.

BLOG: Happy New Year 2005

I wish you all a very happy, exciting and peaceful year. I hope that you entered well this new year :-)

The end of 2004 was catastrophic for a lot of people, specially in Asia. So my first thoughts are going in this direction. Do not forget, there are a lot of different ways to help them!

Google: Ways to help with tsunami relief.

U2: New Year's Days

All is quiet on New Year's Day
A world in white gets underway
I want to be with you
Be with you night and day
Nothing changes on New Year's Day
On New Year's Day

I will be with you again
I will be with you again

Under a blood red sky
A crowd has gathered in black and white
Arms entwined, the chosen few
The newspapers says, says
Say it's true it's true...
And we can break through
Though torn in two
We can be one

I...I will begin again
I...I will begin again

Oh...
Maybe the time is right
Oh...maybe tonight...

I will be with you again
I will be with you again

And so we're told this is the golden age
And gold is the reason for the wars we wage
Though I want to be with you
Be with you night and day
Nothing changes
On New Year's Day
On New Year's Day