Mac.LTL

I sometimes like to try and support the underdog in businesses if it’s not too much out of my way. I worry about monopolies and want to promote competition. But I think this search on Ask.com really exemplifies why other Search Engines aren’t always quite as good as Google and even Yahoo! and Live.

Awhile ago, I wanted to go to the Ubuntu website. Silly me, I forgot what the Ubuntu website address was. Did it end in .com or .org? Was it just “ubuntu” or “ubuntulinux”? So, like any other web surfer, I went to the search engine to type in Ubuntu, figuring it would be the first search result and I could just give it a click and go straight to the site. I figure, Ask.com could probably handle this; no need to expand the Google monopoly. Well, Ubuntu.com was not one of the search results for the first page and there was even an adult-oriented picture that was being displayed as one of the image search results. (Though, that image is still related to Ubuntu.) I took a screenshot, actually.

This was awhile ago when I did that search, so of course I thought I’d give it another try.  TheWikipedia entry aside, Ubuntu.com has managed to climb to the number two search result at Ask.com.  Not sure if I should be congratulating Ask or Ubuntu.  However, it does seem that the Ask.com search does still yield two particularly adult-oriented images.  Ask.com shows the results of the image search in the sidebar.

I should note that Google’s filter does also display those same two images in a search, but apparently Google favors breasts over butts.

I came across this posting today: Apple just gave out my Apple ID password because somone asked. So with all the hype about how OS X is so great and secure, what happens when the problem is with Apple corporate itself?

Here’s an excerpt from the post:

I tried to log in to Apple Developer Connection this morning to find out that my password had been changed and the email associated with my account was now a yahoo.com address that wasn’t mine. Luckily, my “security question” was still the same, so I was able to reset the password and email address back.

Based on the emails that have appeared in my .Mac mailbox, this was accomplished by sending this classy one-liner to Apple:

am forget my password of mac,did you give me password on new email marko.[redacted]@yahoo.com

So a little crude social engineering to compromise your data. I’ve had and heard issues about Apple’s lack of a privacy policy, data destruction, and how they will handle repairs of their computers. But this is pretty bad.

I was a bit leary when I had to drop of my MacBook for repair and the guy asked me for my password that he proceeded to type into his “genius” computer. I was also concerned about what they would do with the backup they made of my hard drive. While I had no problems, it is apparent that the system is not setup to protect you. I remember dealing with Dell and Gateway, they’d ask you to remove your hard disk before sending in a laptop for repair.

Does anyone else have any Apple stories like this?