Tuesday
02Feb2010

Sikuli picture-driven scripting language

DateTuesday, February 2, 2010 at 1:43PM | | Print ArticlePrint Article

I found the coolest new scripting language called Sikuli, and it's an MIT project so it's bound to get even better. Sikuli does something called Picture-driven computing. Below is a screenshot of a script that can answer a Skype call from one person and ignore a call from another person. This is a fancy example. You can get much more simple with just the click() or rightclick() functions and not put any logic in. This is a free language and works on Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. I can think of tons of uses for this where there is no API to do something behind the scenes but one of these scripts could click all the right things to configure a program how you want. Automation of software testing could work as well as long as you throw in error dialogs that your script would look for to know it had a failure. They have a bunch of demo videos posted you should check out.

AuthorJoshua Levitsky | CommentPost a Comment | |
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Friday
29Jan2010

False positives in Symantec Endpoint Security

DateFriday, January 29, 2010 at 10:12AM | | Print ArticlePrint Article

The other day I started noticing that our SEP clients were saying that install_flash_player.exe was a Trojan Horse. I got a lot of alerts like the below;

 At least one security risk found:

Risk name: Trojan Horse
File path: C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\Downloads\install_flash_player.exe
Event time: 2010-01-28 09:35:13 GMT
Database insert time: 2010-01-28 15:25:05 GMT
User: SYSTEM
Computer: XXXXXXXXXX
IP Address: 0.0.0.0
Domain: system
Server: XXXXXXXXXX
Client Group: My Company\XXXX
Action taken on risk: Quarantined

We found this thread on Symantec's forum;

And this on Internet Storm Center;

To eliminate this issue you need to update your virus definitions to 1/28/2010 rev. 20 and above and it will take care of the False Postive detection.

Unfortunately today I started seeing Spotify.exe get captured on our UK machines. Spotify is a music service in the UK. The file name and location, and that 3 machines sent an alert all at once make me think that this might be another false positive so now we need to open a ticket with Symantec and work with our UK folks to find out. For anyone running SEP I strongly encourage you to enable Single Risk Event emails and read them. That's how I caught the Flash issue and now the Spotify possible issue.
AuthorJoshua Levitsky | CommentPost a Comment | |
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Wednesday
27Jan2010

Apple iJumped the Shark with the iPad

DateWednesday, January 27, 2010 at 2:42PM | | Print ArticlePrint Article

So the iPad was announce today. I watched the press briefing and had hopes for a real tablet that could run Snow Leopard. Instead I see a 9.7" iPod Touch that is overpriced and redundant when you already have an iPhone. Why would I pay AT&T more money for their shit network to run this device? Apple plays like they know how bad AT&T is, but they stay with AT&T anyway. It's like they are a couple and AT&T is the brain damaged jock who beats his cute cheerleader girlfriend, but she stays with him anyway for some demented reason. Come on Apple... AT&T? Are you serious?

Watching the video on the iPad site you'll see Jonathan Ive saying the iPad is "magical" and "exceeds your ability to understand how it works." That is when I say Apple has jumped the shark. This is just absurd. The new device would maybe be useful if priced at $100 with $5/month service but that's about all I'd pay for it. I certainly wouldn't pay $499 for the low end model that doesn't include 3G, and $829 for the high end model including 3G. Nor would I pay for anything in the middle. Add to that either $15 or $30 a month for data and you must be kidding me.

As a device with a 9.7" screen can you imagine trying to read your email on the bus with the big screen? It's hard enough for me to tilt my iPhone away from prying eyes. Now I'll have twice the screen to try and tilt away from others. The iPhone is perfect for the bus, and my laptop is perfect for the plane. I just don't see a need for this in-between device the way Apple made it, and by making a new form factor they are splintering application development once again. Now there is the option to make an app for the Mac, iPhone/iPod Touch, Classic iPods, or iPad. It's just too much, and Apple constantly changes things so with every generation of Operating System on each there are things you need to change to keep working. Was there really a need to now have an additional class of applications?

Add to that a complete lack of camera so forget about video Skype, and also no background apps so forget about listening to Pandora or Last.fm while you work on email. The typing experience can't be all that wonderful since they built a dock with keyboard for this when Apple never did that for the iPhone. The claim has always been that the soft keyboard is the best, and now Apple has made a physical keyboard. That would seem contrary to their previous assertion that the soft keyboard is the best you can do. 

I vote NO to purchasing the iPad. That's my opinion anyway. I love Apple products, but this one is a dud for me.

AuthorJoshua Levitsky | CommentPost a Comment | |
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Sunday
24Jan2010

GoToAssist Express vs. LogMeIn Central for IT Consultants

DateSunday, January 24, 2010 at 4:08PM | | Print ArticlePrint Article

 Everyone who has ever supported either their mom or a business client knows that it's hell to try to and visualize what a user has on their screen, and even worse to understand the user's interpretation of what they see on their screen. At my primary job we use a product called Bomgar which I know and love. That product requires an appliance device and really isn't a good fit for me running a tiny consulting business. One of the most important features of a remote support solution is the ability to reach a machine that is behind a firewall. Both GoToAssist and LogMeIn fit that requirement, and both also support Mac and Windows which is my other main requirement.

 I want to say that I really like LogMeIn Central a lot. I think it's a very mature product and it's priced at $334.83 per year if you let the demo run out and then login to the site at the end of the demo to get the discount offered to you. GoToAssist comes in at $462.00 for the year if you do the same. It's important to know that whichever you try you should run the demo for the full 30 days and then go back any time after the 30th day and both services offer a large discount to get to those prices.

 LogMeIn Central offers a virtual VPN type service with the yearly fee. This is really nice and lets you make computers think they are on the same LAN. Two things about LogMeIn Central really tick me off however; 

  • You still need to pay for LogMeIn Pro agents if you want to use alerting/monitoring. Seriously? You already got a pretty good chunk of money and you still want to get me for $80/year/client for Pro?
  • If I support someone new with LogMeIn I have to walk them through installing the agent. It's a bit of a hassle and requires them to pick a password if they have no Windows password. It was confusing for several people I worked with. Plus on the tail end I have to uninstall it from their system in some cases so that means walking them through that process. GoToAssist has a MUCH better method for starting up and tearing down a session.

 GoToAssist Express has a couple of annoyances as well;

  • There is no Unattended support for Macs. Is it that hard? LogMeIn does it.
  • There is no iPhone app. I love that I can reach my clients on LogMeIn via the iPhone app.
  • The price. It's basically $38.50/month if you pay $462.00 for the year. That means unless I work with at least one person a month for an hour at a minimum then I lose money. It just drives up costs for me, and I feel the price is basically out of line.

 At the end of the day I think LogMeIn Central is a better product overall, but GoToAssist Express wins my business because of the better setup and tear down of a support session. I think that if I was supporting a small to medium business of machines that were 100% mine to support that I would go with LogMeIn Central because then I wouldn't be removing the agents and assuming the business would pay for it then the LogMeIn Pro client not only offers advanced monitoring of CPU, RAM, Disk use but it provides the end users with an easy way to share their desktop or files with others for presentations. For the consultant doing lots of work that is 1-off where I'm not returning to the same machines all the time then GoToAssist is a much better fit even if I'm bummed about the lack of iPhone application and lack of Unattended Mac support. 

AuthorJoshua Levitsky | CommentPost a Comment | |
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