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Archive for December, 2009

Merry X-mas!

December 22nd, 2009 4 comments

Dear readers,

Thank you all for your support during these months. We started this adventure back in June and the experience has proven to be more and more rewarding every day!

We wish you all a very Merry X-mas and we want to share this little present with you.  Here are the ‘heart and brains’ of  the Panda Support Bloggers team. They are the ones that have made it possible!

Ana, Leyre, Cristina, Blanca and Nerea

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Categories: Security Tags:

Latest television news broadcast from Panda Security Germany

December 16th, 2009 5 comments

Published by Blanca, December 15th, 2009

Let us introduce you the Panda Security Germany TV channel.  They broadcast the latest technology news both in German and English. The latest news include a video informing about the Internet-Security for Teens, Best in Test and It is Christmas-Time at Facebook. Check it out!

 

Hope you like it!!!

Categories: Malware, Security Tags: ,

Imagination gone wild!

December 11th, 2009 No comments

It comes as no surprise that social networks can offer a wonderful opportunity to express your views and even to transform the world. Think of how politicians found a way to get their messages across through Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. Remember the Yes, you can campaign?? Or think of celebrities using these platforms to manipulate their already distorted image or sometimes to destroy it altogether ;-)

imagination

For all of them, Internet access is easy; they all have computers connected to the net or even whole infrastructures to mold their target audiences as they please. Ok then, being politically correct, to get their point across ;-)

However, today we would like to pay a little homage to those people with difficulties when communicating online either because of lack of resources, economic problems, and so forth and how through imagination, all these obstacles were overcome. For example, see how Yoani Sánchez, an incredibly talented Cuban writer, has made true the saying Imagination gone wild! Yoani found a way of publishing her own blog, Generation Y, despite the censorship in her country. How? Well, by recording her webcasts in tapes and giving them away to people with no resources, by asking people to create Twitter accounts with the names of Cuban bloggers from their mobiles phones and then resending the SMS messages sent by them, by sharing the very few allowed Internet connections with others, etc.

The same situation is also present in Africa. As Hindu Mint Ainina, editor of the French edition of Calame, an independent weekly magazine several times banned by the Mauritanian government, explains when talking about the use of Internet in this continent: ‘As for the question of whether illiteracy is a barrier to Internet access, you soon realize that this problem is very quickly overtaken by events. There is always somebody in the cybercafés who can type messages for those who cannot write…’ ‘… Or Development associations in villages where there are no telephones communicate via the Internet. Either they go up to the capital city, or they leave a message with a driver who goes into town and sends e-mails while he picks up the post.’ (read the full article at Unesco.org)

Even corporations have devised innovative means to bring the net closer to the people! Yes, you got it! Google have developed a really fun and brilliant initiative which will leave you speechless!
Check out the Google Internet bus!!

Can you tell us of more examples that exemplify how imagination can exploit the vast potential of social networks?

Categories: Security Tags:

HO, HO, HO!! 5 T-Shirts for the best La Piazza bloggers!

December 9th, 2009 No comments

Published by Ana, December 9th, 2009

ded_moroz1Well, well, well Santa has come to town before expected!! He has 5 wonderful Panda T-Shirts for 5 of you!! We would like to thank those of you who have participated in our fun quiz on Santa.

The question was:

Where are these Santas from? Olentzero; Gaghant Baba; Gwiazdor and Ded Moroz

And the correct answers were:

Olentzero (Basque Country), Gaghant Baba (Armenia), Gwiazdor (Poland) and Ded Moroz (Russia)

So, amongst those of you who have participated, the lucky winners are: Cyberdie, Jason, Sam, Alvaro and Marcelo R.

Congratulations!!! Santa (aka Olentzero, Ded Moroz, Gwiazdor, Gaghant Baba, etc) will deliver the present shortly!

Image source: Russia-IC

Categories: Security Tags:

Ho ho ho! I am on my way

December 1st, 2009 28 comments

Posted by Ana

December used to be the tenth month of the Roman year, and it gets its name from the word ‘decem’, which means ten. The Anglo-Saxons called it ‘Winter monath‘, or ‘Yule monath‘ because of the custom of burning the Yule log around this time. After many Anglo-Saxons became Christians they called it ‘Heligh monath‘ or jolly month, because of the birth of Jesus.

trineo_08Christmas is so called because it’s the day chosen by Christianity as the ‘birth of Christ’ (hence its name). Dec 25th is  very close to the winter solstice on Dec 21st, that is, the shortest day of the year (or the longest night, as you wish), when the North Pole (Santaaaaa…) is farthest away from the sun. This solstice was a pagan celebration, probably the most popular one, and it’s common belief that Christians chose Christmas Day on Dec 25th for this reason.

In most western countries, children (and adults too!) get their presents on Christmas Eve…to be opened up and unwrapped on Christmas Day, which is normally a family day. But in Spain and countries with Spanish influence, children get their presents on Jan 6th, the Epiphany, from the Three Wise Men or Three Kings, Gaspar, Melchor and Baltasar, who brought presents to the newborn following a star that lead them to Bethlehem. And the good thing is that they get some presents also on Dec 25th from Joulupukki or Father Christmas, Sinterklas or Kris Kringle, Bellsnickle or Père Noël. Whatever the name, Santa’s spirit is loved around the world!

The Panda Security Tech Support team also wants to celebrate this so special time with you. Therefore we will raffle 5 nice T-Shirts among those of you who can tell me where are these Santas from:

  • Olentzero
  • Gaghant Baba
  • Gwiazdor
  • Dyed Moroz

So easy ;-)

But, don’t think everything is love and friendship during X-mas time… Historically it is also the time some black hat hackers choose to send ‘their presents’… If you don’t believe me just have a look at the Panda Security Virus Enciclopedia and you will see it with your own eyes. So, once again, be careful, follow our recommendations and don’t forget to have your Panda Security solution always updated.

Enjoy December!


Categories: Security Tags: