I thought that it could be interesting for you to know, that GUI design of the upcoming SmartHide Macintosh Edition is based on our SmartHide Homepage European Mirror available at http://www.smarthide.eu.
We have created a beautiful neat and clean layout for both SmartHide.eu and SmartHide for MacOS.
Who knows, maybe in the nearest future the idea of our European website will be the basis for the redesign of our main SmartHide Homepage.
Under the court decision, the “Revinform” blog, which criticizes the local administration, will not be accessible in Bashkiriya. Grani.ru reports that the Kirov Court of Ufa found this site extremist.
As the Republic Prosecutor’s First Officer Larisa Kuchina, responsible for the interaction with mass media explained, the articles published on this site contain appeals stimulating the formation of opinions about the necessity of taking actions aimed at forcible change of the constitutional order and Russian Federation integrity violation. Besides that, articles contain statements forming the positive attitude towards terrorist organizations, she added.
“Kirov district Prosecutor’s Office of the city Ufa sent a petition to the court in compliance with the Federal Law “on Counteracting Extremist Activity“. The prosecutor’s petition was satisfied, the news agency was found extremist”
, said Mrs. Kuchina and added that very soon the access to the site will be closed for Bashkiriya residents.
However, as blog users observed, the provider-monopolist “Bashinformsvyaz” blocked the access to the whole Livejournal, instead of one blog, leaving most of Bashkiriya users without opportunities to write anything into the journal or to read friends’ entries. The site is still accessible via “Ufanet” provider, but the company must actually enforce the court decision as well.
Copyright (c) SmartHide Security Octopus
Following last weekend’s deadly riots in its western region of Xinjiang, China’s central 
government has taken all the usual steps to block citizens from accessing foreign web services: aside from crippling Internet service in general, the authorities have blocked Twitter, removed unapproved references to the violence from search engines and has now apparently moved to bar its citizens from accessing Facebook from most parts of Mainland China just now. Two weeks ago, the government had already blocked just about every Google service, including communication tools like Gmail, Google Apps and Google Talk.
Web2Asia’s George Godula writes:
“As of today 8pm Chinese time Facebook seems not to be accessible from most parts of China Mainland anymore. On the China Telecom connection of our Shanghai office the service vanished at around 7:45pm. Friends in Hong Kong are reporting that they can still access the website.”
A quick test on WebsitePulse confirms the blocking of Twitter and YouTube (which have been restricted for a while) and now Facebook too, at least in some parts of the country.
Source: TechCrunch.com
Keeping the tradition that all “SmartHide with Danny” blog readers are first to find out about everything happening behind-the-scenes of SmartHide development – I am eager to let you all know that we are in the final stage of introducing a fundamental addition to our SmartHide Service.
We are about to offer Personal USA IP’s for everyone! I am still not able to announce the cost and the type of the packages USA Ip will come with, but for the current moment I can make the following statement:
Each and every internet user will be able to obtain his/her Own Personal USA IP address, that will stay fixed in any spot of the planet. Whenever you are traveling Worldwide by Sea, by Car, by Train or by Airplane – your USA IP will always stay with you with the help of SmartHide Service.
If you are a frequent traveler you know for sure how cumbersome it is to change your IP address regularly. The same Internet services may become inaccessible for you because of the IP link. However using your Personal IP you have a fixed IP address no matter in what part of the world you are now. All you have to do is just launch SmartHide.
That is just one of the benefits Personal USA IP will give you. I will tell you more in a few days, right after the launch of the new packages with Personal USA IP’s.
Stay safe with SmartHide Service and stay tuned for our news!
On the 4th of June 2009 China has blocked most major social networks and search engines during the 
anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre. Now, the Chinese authorities want to take it a step further, ordering that all PCs sold in the country, starting July 1, must come with software that blocks certain websites.
According to the Chinese government, who haven’t yet gone public with the announcement, but have warned PC makers about the deadline, this measure’s aim is to protect the Chinese from harmful content, primarily pornography. But since this same government has blocked sites like Twitter, YouTube, MySpace and Bing, it’s quite possible that this software’s primary aim is adding another layer of censorship over the existing Great Firewall.
The Chinese authorities have, however, taken a somewhat lax approach – for now. According to the WSJ, the software, whose Chinese name is “Green Dam-Youth Escort” needn’t be pre-installed on the PCs; it may simply come in the form of a CD, and the users can choose whether they want to install it or not. The software is designed in such a way that it allows transferring of user’s private information, as well as blocking sites other than pornography; according to software’s developer, Jinhui Computer System Engineering Co, it would have no reason to do so. It doesn’t sound very convincing, and given a choice, I’d definitely skip it; it’s unclear, however, whether the authorities plan to somehow pressure users into installing the software.
There’s always hope that the PC makers will try to resist these claims from the Chinese authorities, but it’s hard to imagine them saying no, given the importance of the Chinese market. Furthermore, as we’ve seen in this latest blockade, there’s always a technical workaround for these types of censorship attempts. However, if Chinese censors had control of what happens on user computers locally, as well as being able to block certain online destinations, it would make it much harder for users to circumvent such measures.
Eircom, Ireland’s biggest internet provider, has agreed to block access to any website the music industry says is responsible for illegal music-swapping.
In a letter sent to ISPs across the country last week, the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) disclosed the deal and warned others to follow suit or face legal action.
Bowing to legal pressure from the music labels, Eircom had earlier settled to implement a French-style “three strikes” rule to disconnect customers repeatedly accused of illegally accessing copyrighted material. But a recent letter revealed IRMA’s more worrisome scheme against internet piracy.
IRMA – which represents the “big four” labels; EMI, Sony-BMG, Universal and Warner – will compile a list of websites the group claims harbors illegal music sharing. The labels will then file a court order to attempt to force other Irish internet providers to block access to the site. Eircom’s compliance will be automatic.
Under the settlement deal, Eircom has agreed not to oppose any court applications to blacklist websites. Speaking to The Sunday Business Post, an Eircom spokesperson confirmed IRMAs claims of the provider’s automatic compliance.
The music labels said the notorious den of P2P, The Pirate Bay, will be the first website targeted under its new censorship regime before it moves unto “similar websites.”
IRMA’s letter demanded other Irish ISPs join blocking websites on the music group’s list or they’ll face a lawsuit the same as Eircom. ®
Source: TheRegister.co.uk
SmartHide Service technicians have been working hard last couple of weeks in order to implement a state-of-the-art system aimed to completely eradicate any type of SPAM outgoing from our system.
I am glad to say that we have finished the coding part and today the system is being implemented on all of our SmartHide servers.
Every SmartHide Service Client WILL be able to send anonymous and encrypted emails using SmartHide servers, but any attempt to send out SPAM will be identified and stopped immediately.
Every SmartHide client will benefit from this update as our IP’s will not get to the different blacklists because of a few individuals using SmartHide accounts to send their trash all over the World.
It is also a fact, that some of our clients do not even realize that their home computers are being used in evil purposes and the SPAM is being sent out of their PCs. The reason is simple – Viruses placed on their computers by hackers. There are a lot of ways for common PC user to get infected with a virus, but whatever it is – it has to be eliminated asap, as many people suffer because of it.
We always try to help our clients in all the ways we can, so have created a special Manual on “how to find and remove viruses from your computer”. Please read it, maybe you will find this instruction useful for you as well.
http://www.smarthide.com/help/viruses_removal_manual.php.
It will certainly help a lot of people to clean their home computers and stop being victims of hackers using their PC’s to spread SPAM around the world.
The problem has been addressed to and has been solved. SmartHide Team says: “NO SPAM! Today, Tomorrow, Ever!”
Cyber criminals are taking advantage of our increasing reliance on computers and the Internet, CNN reports on June 22. Panda Security, a Spain-based antivirus maker, has been monitoring an onslaught of links with malicious software, or “malware,” on Twitter that tag hot topics such as the Air France crash, the NBA finals and the new iPhone.
“Cyber criminals are creating thousands of messages on Twitter embedded with words involving trending topics and malicious URLs,” states Sean-Paul Correll, a threat researcher for Panda Labs.
The growing sophistication of malware attacks mirrors the growing threat — and cash — generated by online crime. Already, cyber crime is estimated to cost companies and consumers more than $100 billion worldwide. Some officials claim it has now eclipsed illegal drugs as a criminal moneymaker.
Cyber crime is one of the few industries benefiting from the financial crisis. Last year, antivirus maker McAfee saw a 500 percent increase in malware types — more than the company had seen in the previous five years combined. In the United States, the FBI reported a 33 percent increase in Internet crime last year.
Companies lost an average of $4.6 million in intellectual property last year, according to a survey of 1000 firms worldwide by Purdue University and McAfee.
