T11M

Check out these links I’ve found!

• Black hat, blank face: researchers crack biometric scanners – Gotta love the guys at Black Hat…
• 2009 piracy watchlist names usual suspects—including Canada – Gotta love the US and our "diplomacy"
• Judge throws out lawsuit against Google Street View –
• 12 Long-Exposure & Time-Lapse Photographers – A pretty cool set of pictures.
• Pirate Bay floats safe harbor claim, owns Big Content on PR –

In an effort to move all non-academic departments out of academic buildings the UO has opened up space in the first floor of Chapman Hall.  We are currently working on taking over that space and moving our professors into it – the goal being all Honors College profs having offices in Chapman.  During this time the subject of confidentiality/privacy has come up.  For some reason certain people believe that their new offices are not going to be confidential and that conversations will possibly be overheard by those outside of their office.  Obviously this could be of concern if very confidential meetings are taking place in these offices.  However, professors don’t generally hold super-secret meetings in their offices and if they do, those conversations aren’t usually loud enough to penetrate through walls.  But alas, paranoia has set in the minds of a few and now the Dean has taken up their cause.  Enter me.  I’ve been charged with finding a way to ensure the privacy of conversations conducted in these new offices.  Since this topic does come up on occasion and I haven’t found any good overviews of it, this post will outline my findings, reasoning, and recommendations.

Some Definitions:

• Decibel (dB) – in sound: a logarithmic unit used to express the magnitude of sound intensity.
• White Noise – noise with the same intensity at all frequencies.  Basically the noise is the same dB level and is produced at all frequencies.
• Ambient Noise – the pervasive noise associated with a given environment.  Basically the lowest dB sound you can hear and comprehend.
• Sound Masking – the addition of sound into an environment to cover up unwanted sounds.

How sound masking works:

Sound is a pressure wave that is received by the mechanisms of the ear and translated by our brain into comprehensible sounds.  When the ear receives these sound waves two things affect the way they are heard.  Without going too in-depth, these two things are the frequency of the sound and the power (also known as volume, magnitude, or pressure) of the wave.  Frequency is normally measured in cycles per second or Hertz (Hz) and is what determines a sound’s pitch.  The power of sound is measured in decibels (dB) and is commonly referred to as the volume of the sound.  The human voice can produce sounds with frequencies between 250-6,000 Hz and an ordinary conversation is generally conducted at about 60 dB. (About Decibels)  Because of the nature of pressure waves and the way the ear receives them, the highest power pressure waves are heard by the ear.  This means that the ear can hear multiple frequencies at the same time so long as they are at similar decibel ranges.  If for example a sound is created at 500 Hz and is 60 dB and another is produced at 1000 Hz and 60 dB, a person will be able to hear both and comprehend the difference between them.  However if one sound is produced at a much higher decibel level than the other it will be difficult, if not impossible, to hear the other sound.  One other principle that affects the way sound is heard is the way pressure waves of the same frequency will combine.  Thus if two sounds of the same frequency are produced they will combine together to become one wave and this new wave is what is heard.  It is these principles that make sound masking possible. 

According to Lencore, a prominent manufacturer of sound masking systems: “Sound masking works by subtlety raising the ambient background sound level, thereby reducing sound’s dynamic range. This effectively “masks” unwanted noise, makes speech unintelligible (creating privacy), and makes the work environment acoustically comfortable. (Lencore)“  Basically a sound masking system produces constant sound at a wide range of frequencies.  These sounds then combine with the sound waves you are trying to cover up causing the person to hear only a slight increase in magnitude of certain frequencies.  This increase in the magnitude of frequencies is incomprehensible because those frequencies are still surrounded by the constant production of sound at all other frequencies.  However, if an outside sound is produced that has a much higher decibel range than the sound masking system the sound will be heard and comprehended.  Again Lencore speaks to the appropriate adjustment of a sound masking system: “To be effective, the masking level should be 3 to 5 decibels louder than incoming speech from adjacent work stations. (Lencore)“  For example, if a person sitting in an office is able to hear through the wall another person speaking at 50 dB then the sound masking system must produce sound at 55 dB to adequately mask the sound. 

It should be noted that sound masking does not mask sound at the point of generation – it masks sound at the point of reception.  So in an office environment all people must be exposed to the sound masking

Keys to Effective Sound Masking:

Much of the following information was gleaned from Lencore’s website and the Wikipedia article concerning sound masking.  Some keys to effectively implementing a sound masking system are:

• Sound masking must produce sound at all frequencies that can be created by the human voice.
• Sound masking systems should be barely perceptible.  Generating too much sound makes them distracting and obvious.
• The sound generated should be non-directional.  If a person can tell where the sound is generated it is no longer subtle and may be distracting.
• The sound should be uniform throughout the space.  If it is not then the system does not provide complete sound masking.  It will also be noticeable that sound masking is being used because people will be exposed to different dynamic ranges of sound. (Example: If sound masking is being used in an office but not in the adjoining hallway then the sound masking will be noticed everytime a person enters the office from the hallway)

Options:

A well implemented sound masking system will use all of the keys to effective sound masking (listed above) and will be minimal in cost.  Unfortunately these two goals tend not to be compatible.  Sound masking systems appear to either provide all of the keys to be effective and are very expensive or do not provide the keys to be effective and are reasonably priced.  I have reviewed three products that I believe best represent the possibilities for sound masking in an office environment. 

1. Sonet Acoustic Privacy System (by Speech Privacy Systems) – This is a system designed specifically for home use.  It is advertised as producing a sound like the whoosh of a high quality ventilation system and is adjustable in volume.  However, there are no listed specifications regarding the frequency or decibel ranges that this device can cover.  It comes with a sound generator and two speakers with extensibility of up to four speakers.  It’s effective range is 50 – 500 square feet depending upon the number of speakers used.  The minimum $200 price tag makes it the cheapest solution considered.  The biggest benefit of this system is the lack of set up time needed along with the minimal (in comparison) cost.  The main downfall to this solution is it lacks the ability to produce non-directional, uniform sound.  It also uses residential grade, not professional grade hardware. 
2. Voice Arrest Speech Privacy System – This system is designed for business use and is composed of a central control module and a large number of sound emitters.  There are two different central control modules – one can handle 1-30 emitters and the other can handle 1-300 emitters.  This scalability allows for better customization to the office environment and the ability to better provide non-directional sound.  Again there are no specifications listed as to the frequency and decibel ranges capable by the system.  The central control module is priced at $679.95 for the smaller unit and $1,099.95 for the larger unit.  The emitters are sold separately and are $79.95 each.  While this solution is highly customizeable and will provide a very good sound masking environment it will prove to be very costly.
3. Custom Designed Implementation – There are a number of businesses that are willing to do custom implementations of speech privacy systems – Lencore and Speech Privacy Systems are two examples.  These companies will do full evaluations of your current operating environment and will design systems specifically for your facility.  These systems are best deployed in large, open offices (“cube farms”) and are going to be very costly.  Neither company gives any sort of estimate as to the cost because their solutions are custom built and vary widely in cost.

Recommendation:

It is imperative there be empirical evidence showing that there is a need for a sound masking system before any purchases are made.  Tests should be conducted using different levels of sound to find if people outside of each office could overhear a normal conversation.  Then if it is indisputably found that conversations cannot be conducted in private I suggest that a decision be made based upon three criteria – cost, the ability to install the system, and input by both the concerned people and the people who will be affected by the implementation of a sound masking system.  These three criteria have to be weighed and balanced against each other.

I personally would most likely choose the Voice Arrest Speech Privacy System because of its ability to be customized.  This allows for the system to meet most, if not all, of the key criteria for an effective sound masking system.  In my opinion, anything less than this will probably be more of annoyance than good solution.

Here is a video that I was decently impressed with.  I say decently because I am by no means a connoisseur of classical music, but every once in a while I will listen and see if my tastes have improved.

Check out these links I’ve found!

• Universal Phone Charger Coming –
• Stop iPhone Auto-Correct with a “Z” [IPhone] –
• New resource for IT Administrators is being built –
• GoDaddy 500 Internal Server Error | Ramblings of a Bored Geek – Easy caching on Godaddy shared hosting.

Links for February 16th through February 17th: [Google]

• Keeping violent media away from boys could be a bad idea – An interesting new take on an over-talked about subject.
• Keeping violent media away from boys could be a bad idea –
• Microsoft launches Thrive to assist IT workers –
• Charges dropped—”making available” now focus of TPB trial –
• Disruptive Backup Platform –
• Official Google Reader Blog: Share anything. Anytime. Anywhere. – This is a pretty sweet deal. I love G-Reader.
• Storing solar energy by turning over a new leaf –

A large part (to be honest over 90%) of my consulting business is based upon fixing computers that have been infected with viruses and malware. The majority of the time these infections could easily have been prevented.  However, over the past few years we have seen a serious escalation in the abilities of Black Hats (malicious computer crackers) to create near believable phishing attempts, pop ups, and other delivery methods for their malicious software.  One of the most recent viruses that I have dealt with on multiple user machines is “Microsoft Antivirus 2009″.  This virus can be exceptionally malicious and does an amazing job of hooking into the operating system and altering your ability to remove it.  The worst part is the longer you allow these new viruses to operate on your computer the more damage they cause.  In every case I have completely wiped the computer’s hard drive and started over with a fresh installation of Windows.  Side note: It is best practices to always perform a complete reinstallation of a computer’s operating system when it has been infected with malicious software.  The extent to which viruses and spyware can penetrate your computer have reached the point where regardless of the anti virus software you use, it is nearly impossible to know if you have purged your system of the malicious software.  So here are a few guidelines to hopefully help you avoid malicious software on the internet.

1. Never open email attachments from anyone you do not trust! NEVER! And sometimes don’t even open attachments from people you do.
2. Unless you know exactly what the files are and that they are trustworthy do not open files with these extensions: .exe, .bat, .vbs, .scr, or .pif.
3. Never click on a popup no matter how good the offer or how much it looks like a real windows notification.  If you have a web browser open (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, etc.) then any notification could be malicious.
4. If a window won’t let you close it, there is a good possibility it is trying to deliver malicious software to you.  Use the task manager to end that program.
5. If you are surfing the Internet, do not believe anything that states your computer has been infected with a virus.  Websites that say your computer is infected with a virus are only trying to con you in to downloading their software, which is most likely a virus.
6. Don’t disable Windows firewall or Defender.  These programs help block malicious software.
7. Test your firewall with ShieldsUP! to see if you have any rogue open ports.
8. Always update your computer’s operating system.  If you are still running Windows XP make sure that your computer is updating by visiting Microsoft’s software update site.  http://update.microsoft.com.  Vista users should ensure that their system is updating regularly.
9. Remember that anti virus (AV) software is a reactive measure, not a preventative measure – it doesn’t protect your system from viruses that it doesn’t know about.  Update your AV frequently.
10. Don’t give your user account administrative privileges.  If you don’t have the ability to install software then it is very unlikely that the malicious software won’t either.
11. Don’t let your children play games on the Internet or torrent (download) files.  There are just too many opportunities for your system to become infected.

Here are some good links to read.  They explain the various threats on the internet as well as some key methods to avoid infection:

• User’s Guide to Avoiding Virus Infections
• Top 10 Tips for Avoiding Viruses
• Don’t be a Computer Virus Victim

“It is harder to write one column a month than ten.  Because you never get in the groove…”

–John C. Dvorak

Since I have dedicated myself to posting at least once a day, blogging has become much easier.  I now have at least three or four topics in process at any one time.  If you want to blog more set deadlines for yourself and get in the groove…   

Check this out. I am once again astounded by the current R&D that is being done.

I always forget how much I like to travel.  I really do enjoy getting in the car or on an airplane and going somewhere.  This weekend Kendra and I visited my grandparents in Oceanside, OR.  The drive took about 3.5 hours and was surprisingly smooth.  The occasion for our trip was, of course, Valentines day, which turned out to be quite fun to celebrate at the beach.  Kendra loves to take pictures and I did my best to indulge her desire to snap photos of she and I on the beach and with my grandparents (I’m sure they are already on Facebook). 

Upon our arrival in the very late evening, we were greeted with the customary offering of food.  As usual neither of us were hungry and politely turned down the offer.  One must always strictly follow family rituals!  Bed time quickly followed the very short conversation over the two (or was it three) cookies that I politely turned down and then consumed.  The next morning we awoke to breakfast followed by a day of relaxation.  We all went for a walk on the beach and as usual Kendra took more photos of the rock outcroppings there at Oceanside.  They must be some of the most photographed rocks in Oregon – Kendra alone has taken enough to fill a small volume .  After returning to the house slightly damp we snacked on prawns, pretzels, and soda while watching home video.  For the very first time in my life I actually enjoyed watching a home video!  I know, I was stunned too.  The footage is a combination of a number of different events, the oldest of which was taken in the early 1960s when my father was no older than 8.  The film then traversed a piece of the 70s and quickly skipped to the 80s (can anyone say big hair?) where the plot of course favored me – the first born son/grandson/grand-nephew/great grandson (yes, I was #1).  After the very long trip down memory (or lack of memory) lane we spent the rest of the afternoon discussing various recent happenings and what-not. 

That evening we had dinner at Rosanna’s – the only restaurant in Oceanside.  The prices had obviously been raised for the occasion, but the food was outstanding so no complaints from me.  Immediately following dinner we retired home for drinks and conversation.  I managed to find an unopened bottle of Canadian whiskey which still had the 1983 label on it.  As expected it did the trick and my grandmother and I proceeded to enjoy a very long conversation about my parents ranch (of which my grandmother is a third owner).  It was the first time in my life that I was able to enjoy a couple of drinks with her and have a civil and frankly, enjoyable conversation.  I’m really glad that we could spend that time together.  Meanwhile Kendra and my grandfather proceeded to look somewhat bored and did not drink. 

The next morning we went to Mass – the longest mass I have ever experienced.  There was a baptism.  Baptisms we found out add about 20 minutes to the average Mass.  Thus instead of lasting the customary 1 hour it instead went a full hour and twenty minutes.  I felt like I was in a protestant church!  Anyway, afterward we had breakfast, said our good byes and returned to Eugene.  All in all it was a very enjoyable weekend.

I’ll be honest, I don’t use Gmail on a daily basis.  I use Mail.app.  In fact, I’m not a big fan of the Gmail web interface.  I don’t like the way emails are displayed in threads and I much prefer to file my emails in folders and have it done automatically with rules.  That way I can automatically triage my email and it keeps me with a nice, tidy inbox.  On the other hand, there are some pretty impressive features that Google has added and is continuing to develop for Gmail.  One of the more usable features that I have seen is the Advanced Search Features. 

Say you want to view all emails that you have received from a specific person simply type “from:(name)” (where name=the email address or name of a contact and without quotes) into the search mail bar and up pops all email from that name.  How about all email that has an attachment – “has:attachment”.  Or what about unread or starred mail – “is:unread” or “is:starred”. 

As usual Google has made search incredibly efficient and easy.  Now you never have to go scrolling through hundreds of emails looking for that lost attachment again.