So in less than a month Grisoft has issued false-positives for their AVG (free and pay editions, 7.5 and 8 versions) virus definitions that claimed the incredibly commonly used firewall - CheckPoint Zone Alarm - is a virus, as well as that almost always used (because it’s Windows)  Microsoft Windows XP kernel file: user32.dll.  Now one, but two extemely commonly used files marked as viruses when they’re clearly not.  This should have been caught in testing before release to the world at large, because if these programs aren’t installed on the test bed, then what the heck is?

Well, it ain’t over.  Not by a long shot.

Because now in less than a month we have three, yes, count them, three false-positives from commonly used software.  That’s right.  Just shortly after smearing egg on their face with the Windows user32.dll false positive, Grisoft went and released a false positive of … Adobe Flash.  Yes, that’s right.  That little bit of software used all over the place on the internet.  That practically anyone who surfs the web has installed.  That just as clearly should be in Grisoft’s test bed.  That Adobe Flash.

I don’t think it could possibly get much more embarrassing for Grisoft at this point.  I mean it was bad enough when they instituted their Link Scanner that automatically pre-scanned common search results, causing web page hits across the world to jump insanely high when people weren’t actually visiting the sites, just getting them returned as search results.  That was bad.

But now three major false-positives, one of which rendered customer’s computers inoperative if they acted on it, in less than a month.

Hello?!

There was a time when I would have said that Grisoft AVG was hands down one of the best anti-virus software packages out there.  It had a lot to offer, and was well refined, even for the free version.  It used less resources than the majors from Norton and McAfee and worked just as well.  And so I’d used it for years.

In all fairness, I can no longer make such a statement.  There are others out there that are better.  There are others out there that are actually taking the time to test before release.

I’m not saying don’t use Grisoft.  If you have it, and like it, then by all means, the choice is yours.  But if you’re looking for something new, maybe, sadly, it’s time to look somewhere else.  Grisoft no longer inspires confidence.

Grisoft, makers of the AVG anti-virus software, have made a bad mistake.  Correction, have made two bad mistakes.  The first was identifying CheckPoint’s Zone Alarm as a trojan not long ago.  The second, was identifying a Windows system file (user32.dll) as a virus.  Of course it wasn’t.  It’s a false positive.  But if you make the mistake of believing your AVG antivirus, you’re going to end up with a computer that can’t boot up.

Now, false positives happen.  But false positives on core software, like a very commonly used security firewal, or worse, like an extremely often used operating system, these shouldn’t happen.  Any basic testing should catch these false positives before the virus definition update is released to the public.

Clearly, that isn’t happening.

Grisoft is failing to perform even basic quality assurance.  And customers have every right to complain.  Free and pay users of AVG 7.5 and 8 are all affected by these obviously untested virus definition updates.

For what it’s worth, Grisoft has fixed their virus definitions, so if you have performed an update as of today, you’re safe.

And for those who let their AVG anti-virus break Windows, Grisoft offers a support page, without a direct link.  Look for item 1574 here.  Let’s hope that you still have your Windows XP install CD handy.  Heck, with as many OEMs that just ship recovery CDs instead of Windows install disks, and as many OEMs that don’t even ship you an actual CD - just an ISO you can download or an equally useless measure, let’s hope that you actually have a Windows XP install CD, period.

Random false positives are to be expected.  Nothing is ever fool proof.  But false positives on operating system files are just unconscionable.  Grisoft, you should be ashamed.

Trick or treat everyone!

Just when you begin to think this whole exploding battery nightmare is finally over, like a bad Halloween horror film, it strikes again.

About 35,000 Sony laptop batteries sold in the US are being recalled.   They were used all across the board in notebook models from Dell to HP to Toshiba.  So far there are reports of 19 units overheating, 17 of which actually caught fire, 10 of which actually resulted in minor property damage.  More information on the affected laptop models and pictures to help identify them are in the link.  But if in the course the years these were deployed, only 19 of 35,000 have gone bad, chances are you don’t so much need to freak out as just attend to it with a modicum of alacrity.

Sony blames the “defect” (that causes their laptop batteries to explode) on changes to their manufacturing line between October ‘04 and June ‘05.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that affected users remove their battery and contact their laptop’s manufacturer to request a replacement. Probably best to do post haste, but no need to trample anyone to get your battery to safety before it explodes.

Happy Halloween everyone!

(And yes, this is a real product warning and recall.)

The title of this blog entry pretty much sums it up just so.  Apple is recalling the power adapters for their 3G iPhones.

Apparently the prongs are prone to breaking off.  Oops!  Because, you know, that’s just so hard to engineer these days.  We don’t have billions of products that can plug into wall sockets without that happening or anything…  (Do I even have to point out that’s sarcasm?)

So yeah, the quality of Apple.  The same folks that brought you the Scratch-O-Matic iPod Nano screen.

So if you own an iPhone 3G, stop using that power adapter.  Contact Apple for an exchange.  And use your computer’s USB port to recharge the bloody thing in the mean time.  Better safe than sorry.

You bought yourself an iPhone from Apple.  You decided to password protect your phone in case evil insurgents try to use it for nefarious means.  And you slept better at night, knowing You Did The Right Thing.

Until you read this.

As reported by the MacRumors: Forums, breaking into a password protected iPhone is as easy as 123.

1) Tap “Emergency Call” keypad from passcode entry screen.

2) Double-tap home button.

3) Tap blue arrow next to contact’s name.

“You now have full access to applications such as Safari, complete Contacts list, SMS, Maps, “full” Phone access, and Mail by accessing various entries on the Favorite’s page, i.e. tapping their home page brings up a full, unrestricted Safari.” says greenmymac.

Can anyone say “Oops!” over at Apple?  I sure know that we can say it here.

A workaround to prevent this horrendous security snafu is to disable the home button double-tap.  (Settings > General > Home Button > Checkmark Home)  In the mean time though, Apple sure better be working on fixing this security blunder, because never has a hack been so easy as this.  It makes Microsoft look secure!