bioneural.net » firewall

SkypeOut + Cyberphone K VoIP phone

Bruce — Sat, 20 Aug 2005 07:18:46 +0000

After a recent run of rants, it's about time I found something to rave about. Enter "a low cost way to make calls from Skype to friends who still use those traditional landlines or mobile phones. That means calling anyone, anywhere in the world at local rates" (q.v. SkypeOut). Add to this a USB phone that does VoIP (voice over IP) and integrates with Skype (q.v. VoIPVoice Cyberphone K). We have family and friends in Germany and New Zealand and international calls contribute to most of our £80-90 per quarter phone bill. If you're serious about reducing BT's profit margin, you might want to check out this pairing. SkypeOut I've looked at Skype before, here. Until recently I used it for Mac to PC Internet telephony, but have been disappointed with the call quality (especially to my parents in NZ who use a dial-up modem, but also to family in Germany who are on broadband like us). Such calls are routed from computer to computer over the Internet, and thus require the remote end to be online (shame Skype's online status indicator seems a bit flakey). SkypeOut means you can use your computer (with or without accessories) to call someone on their landline or mobile phone. This time the call is routed over the Internet for some of the time, then gets passed on to the public telephone or mobile network. The most important implication of doing this is that you aren't paying for an international call, but for a local one! Calling ...

Mac OS X malware and spyware

Bruce — Wed, 06 Apr 2005 13:24:22 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net :

Every time a potential exploit is discovered in the "secure" Mac OS X operating system alarmists cry "the sky is falling". It hasn't fallen yet: you simply don't hear about OS X viruses and other nasties. But Apple releases a steady stream of security updates indicating there is some substance to the perceived threat. Obviously it makes good sense to download and install these updates promptly, and to use antivirus software (Virex comes with a .Mac account). But is there any need for, or means of, protection against spyware? Problem? What problem? Apple's Support database, as of this writing, is unaware of the search terms "spyware" or "adware". Microsoft's support database, however, is all too familiar with both terms—reflecting the relative size of the problem on the Mac vs. Windows platforms. A quick Google search for links to information about spyware or adware and Mac OS X turned up very little aside from scare-mongering. It did, however, lead to this article on The X Lab that documents the existence of spyware and solutions for detecting it under Mac OS X. Spector is a commercially available spyware application that can be installed on a Mac: Spector automatically takes hundreds of snapshots every hour, very much like a surveillance camera. With Spector, you will be able to SEE EXACTLY what your spouse, kids and employees have been doing online and offline. Most of us are probably more concerned about spyware we can inadvertently download from the Internet, rather than paranoid or voyeuristic partners or employers that have ...

Instant messaging matrix

Bruce — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 10:10:05 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net :

You have a Mac; they have a PC. What IM software will let you type, talk, see, and send across the Great Divide? The IM phenomenon According to Wikipedia: An instant messenger is a computer application which allows instant text communication between two or more people through a network such as the Internet. This definition accurately describes the situation in the 1990s, but the phenomenon that is instant messenging (IM) today is much broader than the exchange of realtime text messages. Type Good old-fashioned typing still has its uses, and it doesn't require much in the way of bandwidth or processing power. Perhaps the main advantage is that you don't have to think about a reply in realtime as on the telephone—but nor do others wait hours or days for your e-mailed reply. Typing gives you time to think of a suitable and reasoned reply (with spell checking!)—without being put on the spot or having to endure an uncomfortable silence. It's also very easy to copy-and-paste a URL or other information into a chat window. Talk Sometimes, as BT say, "it's good to talk". Voice calls can be made PC to PC and North to South hemisphere for no additional communications cost, even if both parties have 56K modem access. Broadband is better of course, but even then call quality can be variable. Getting this to work from behind your firewall and/or NAT router can pose something of a challenge. See If talk is good, then talk with moving pictures must be better, right? Sure, it is nice to "see" ...

Work on your desktop Mac via your PC laptop

Bruce — Thu, 29 Jul 2004 12:28:09 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net :

Sit in the conservatory with your WiFi-equipped PC laptop, and control your desktop Mac in the upstairs office to check your e-mail, chat via your Internet messaging service, write a letter, or surf the web. As described here: VNC (Virtual Network Computing) software makes it possible to view and fully-interact with one computer from any other computer or mobile device anywhere on the Internet. VNC software is cross-platform, allowing remote control between different types of computer. For ultimate simplicity, there is even a Java viewer, so that any desktop can be controlled remotely from within a browser without having to install software. On the Mac For Mac OS X, download the OSXvnc VNC server software here and place it in your Applications folder.If you're running Mac OS X's firewall (you should be), go to System Preferences > Sharing > Firewall > New... and select VNC from the pop-up list of Port Names; click OK and make sure your firewall is running. Launch OSXvnc and configure it (e.g. add a login password), then push the Start Server button. On the PC Download VNC viewer (client) software here and install it. Use the Run VNC Viewer shortcut to open a new connection. Enter the IP address of your Mac followed by the server password you configured above, when prompted. Your Mac desktop should now appear: Update 10.12.05: If you're running OS X 10.4 (Tiger) you no longer need to download and install a VNC server as it's built right in. As described here, to access this "hidden" feature turn on Apple Remote ...

Access Mac's Internet on Palm via Bluetooth

Bruce — Sun, 12 Oct 2003 07:25:03 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net :

Surf the Web, send and receive e-mail by creating a wireless Personal Area Network between your Palm T3 and Mac... This guide is no longer being updated. Getting this to work is evidently dependent on many variables and it is highly likely that your set-up differs from mine. I no longer have Mac OS X Panther or Palm Desktop installed so cannot help you problem-solve; all I know is on this page. I don't know if it will work with Mac OS X Tiger (note: the Bluetooth Serial Utility no longer exists; see System Preferences > Bluetooth). The solution I recommend for sharing your Mac's Internet connection to the Palm is not free, but saves much frustration. If this is functionality that you simply must have buy The Missing Sync for Palm OS. The following setup uses a QuickSilver G4 PowerMac running Mac OS X 10.3.2, fitted with a D-Link DBT-120 USB Bluetooth Adapter, connected to the Internet via a Vigor 2200USB NAT router and ADSL, and a PalmOne T3 running Palm OS 5.2.1. PC users can check out Dean's guide here. There are 10 steps: Step 1: Enable Bluetooth on your Mac and Palm You probably already know how to turn on Bluetooth on the Mac and Palm. If you haven't activated it, do so. If you don't know how to, you probably don't want to read any further :-). Step 2: Pair your Mac and Palm T3 Before beginning, you'll need to pair your Palm and Mac. To do this, use Mac OS X's Bluetooth Setup ...

Windows Messenger via a NAT router

Bruce — Fri, 03 Oct 2003 13:39:17 +0000

From http://www.bioneural.net :

So you need to enable voice and video communications with Windows Messenger through a non-UPnP firewall... To enable voice and video communications with Windows Messenger (4.7) through a non-UPnP firewall (such as the brilliant Vigor2200usb), configure the firewall to allow incoming traffic on UDP ports 5004 to 65535. For other purposes, enable the following ports: File Transfer: 6891 (to allow 10 simultaneous file transfers open ports 6891 through 6900); Application and Whiteboard Sharing: 1503; Remote Assistance: 3389.