Remote PC Is Accessed Even When PC Is Turned Off With LogMein

I heard about the LogMeIn technology, just now reaching the market, that enables not just remote diagnostics of computers but also access to data on the hard drives of PCs that are turned completely off.

That last technology, part of Intel's VPro system architecture, has just started to ship in a few new PCs. It's designed for corporate networks so that support personnel can get into a machine--to run a backup, for example--regardless of whether it's running Windows, has crashed into a blue screen, or has been shut down. As long as the PC is plugged into the wall and to an Ethernet connection, the computer, even though in an off state, will continue to draw a small amount of power (about 4 watts) while it monitors the network for control packets.

The technology is getting built into motherboards using the Q45 support chipset. Only a few corporate desktops use this technology, in particular HP's DC 7900 and Lenovo's ThinkCentre M58 lines.

This remote access technology does not provide a wide-open backdoor. There are security protocols. The user has to agree to use the technology, and like all LogMeIn remote-control products, remote access isn't possible unless the computer's owner agrees to it. And in many ways, it is similar to current remote-access products that rely on "Wake-on-LAN" packets to power up a PC so it can then be controlled remotely. The difference here is of degree.

It's LogMeIn's exceptionally robust connection technology that makes it all the more so. Unlike Wake-on-LAN technologies and other remote-control products, LogMeIn is very good at connecting to a computer, no matter how far away it is on the Internet or how deep behind firewalls it is. It's robust and secure in the hands of its users but it's a scary tool, if the wrong people get into it.

This technology just gives IT pros more capabilities, and it sounds like a very useful tool.

Google Hack: "All Results Were Harmful"

I just ran a search on Google, and oh, all the results were “harmful!”

For the first time in its recent history, the most popular search engine in the world malfunctioned. In what could be a temporary delight for Microsoft and Yahoo, users Googling for anything were warned about each result, that “this site may harm your computer.” Even results pointing to Google sites were marked as harmful. Clicking on the link explaining why a particular site was harmful would lead to a 502 Server Error page.

At first, it would seem like a malware attack on your own computer. But observing online discussions would reveal the issue.

The problem was there for at least half an hour, starting just after 14:30 GMT (January 31, 2009). The shock of users was palpable by the rate at which queries appeared at Yahoo Answers – more than 200 appeared in a span of just an hour.

News websites had been speculating over what could have been the cause for this major issue. The speculation ended when Google itself acknowledged that a human error was behind the problem.