Alexander’s Blog

According to Microsoft “Some 2007 Office programs that run on Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) and on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 use Microsoft Application Error Reporting (DW 2.0) to report problems to Microsoft. If an unsafe COM control is detected, these programs may unintentionally send problem reports to Microsoft without first verifying that you have granted permission for the reporting operation. The problem reports that may be sent to Microsoft do not contain personal information.”

I strongly recommend that you do not enable Error Reporting to Microsoft on any computer under any condition. The information is sent to Microsoft unencrypted and according to Microsoft’s own security experts, error reporting should be disabled. You should keep a close eye on each Microsoft operating system and application because even if you have error reporting disabled, Microsoft may enable it at some point without notifying you, either with an update or service pack. Sometimes it may be intentional, while other times it may bee accidental, as explained in the KB article 932080. The title of the article should have been “Application errors may be sent to Microsoft without notifying you” but it only says “Description of the update for the 2007 Office programs: April 9, 2007.”

You can either download the patch from Microsoft Download Center or install it as part of Windows Update.

Google, the search engine giant, is once again caught in another controversy. This time it’s a privacy issue that have people up in arms. Google recently started the new “Street View” feature, to go along with its other views, such as satellite, hybrid, and map view. The street view is little too close for comfort for some because it allows Web users to see people not only on street but also in their homes and backyards. You can easily zoom into people’s cars in their driveways and read the license plate numbers. You can even rotate the view 360 degrees to see it all. The view is amazingly clear. The Street View is available for several major cities, such as New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami and Denver.

Check out this guy, is he breaking in or just entering his own apartment? Read the entire story here.

At least 10 bizarre sights in Google Street View are already posted on the Internet. Next time you step in your own private backyard, just smile because you could be showcased on Google’s street view (without your permission, of course).