I have a backup log that I create every night…on three different servers. They are all separated by many miles across the Internet. I wanted to find an easy way to send them all to one central location, but at the same time I did not want to have any extra software to do it.

The key requirement of not needing additional software meant that I would need to script FTP in some way.

After playing around with it at the command line, I discovered the -s option. It allows you to feed it a file that it will use to play back ftp commands.

Lets look at what I need to do to send this file

1. Connect to the host (ftp.somesite.com)

2. Send the username and password (administrator/Password1997)

3. Send the file (c:\logs\backups.log)

4. Disconnect

In FTP commands this converts to:

open ftp.somesite.com
administrator
Password1997
bin
put c:\Logs\Backup.log
quit

the bin command makes sure that ftp does not try to do any text conversions with the file.

Save the script to a file (In my case I called it FtpScript.txt)

Now if we call it at the command line it will automatically upload the file

(ftp -s:FtpScript.txt)

Now I can schedule it to run every night, and the backup logs are uploaded automatically.

At the Influence Forum 2007 in Australia, AMD Australia’s technical manager Michael Apthorpe suggested the upcoming “Fusion” architecture for a hybrid CPU/GPU design on a single chip design will offer (at the time of release) similar graphics performance and capabilities to those mid-to-high-range graphics cards today.

Still expected to ship between late 2008 and early 2009, initially Fusion will be targeted at the integrated value space for UMA-based notebook systems. Because the integrated market is very price sensitive, the price point will be quite low, but perhaps still marginally higher than current integrated alternatives. In return, notebook users will enjoy considerably better graphics capabilities and performance for the cost difference.

The question of motherboards capability was raised by the audience to which Michael stated AMD are currently looking into possible backwards compatibility but suggested it will most likely require a new motherboard.

Ever since eBay bought Skype back in 2005, there’s been wild speculation on how eBay will integrate Skype into its services. Today eBay Australia’s head of community and PR Daniel Feiler said there are no further plans to integrate Skype into eBay’s auctions or communications services beyond what is already capable to include Skype buttons in auction listings.

During the “living online” session at the Influence Forum 2007 in Australia, Sarah Stokely from lifehacker asked the question if and how eBay plans to extend the Skype integration into eBay. Another attendee also noted how eBay doesn’t even use Skype to provide customer support services.

It sounds like eBay doesn’t really have a plan for Skype, or at least not in Australia. However Daniel did note there are particular regional eBay markets where Skype has a much higher rate of adoption.

One journalist also had a personal issue with PayPal which he felt was suitable to share with everyone in the forum.

This is David Hall, consumer product marketing manager from Symantec. You might be wondering why he looks like he wants to inflict harm on somebody. That’s probably because he does.

The person David is looking at is Kim Brebach, who runs an Australian technology marketing firm whose clients includes ESET NOD 32 – a competing antivirus product. But Kim didn’t compare products, Kim spoke the truth and that is a majority (if not all) of “anti-stuff” products suck and it’s easy to blame the users for less-than-optimal security products in the past.

Kim also had an interesting spin on the viral “if operating systems were airlines” joke, “if antivirus was airline security”. It went something like, everyone had to be body searched and scanned which took an incredibly long time before even getting on the plane. Passengers would be forced to sit on the tarmac practicing emergency drills over and over again. The plane would have two seatbealts instead of one. After the plane eventually takes off, if you wanted to go to the toilet, a stewardess would tell you that might not be a good idea and they’re not liable in the event of an accident. All whilst knowing there is still a 10% chance the plane might be hijacked.

Besides Kim, other panelists included Michael Greene from PC Tools, pictured above who I’m not sure if was looking directly at me the whole time; and Mike Cohen from Computer Associates.

All of them spoke highly of an emerging but long foreseeable trend of behavior-detection-enabled security softwares. In contrast to the largely signature-based industry where threats are analyzed after they are made public, behavior-based security software has the potential to detect malicious activity as it’s happening, rather than reactive after it’s already happened (once).

The example one presenter used was a bank robbery. Traditionally, in a signature-based system the security guard would fingerprint everyone who comes into a branch to detect known criminals. The problem with that is that the person needs to have committed a crime before to be a criminal. In a behavior-based system, as soon as a person draws a weapon, the security is aware of the motive to rob the bank.

The severe drawback is that behavior based systems are more system intensive, just when you thought signature systems were enough load. A hybrid mix will be the optimal solution for now and the near future.

As a result of the Australian government’s recent decision to distribute a free internet filter, a discussion of a “public-funded” security system also emerged between the panelist and audience. Could it be possible and would it be productive to establish a multi-government-funded and publically owned security software company that distributed free security solutions for everyone?

Unfortunately we were out of time to argue that one out, but it seemed like a lot of journalists should definitely consider a career change into security consultancy by the feel of it.

VeriChip, maker of implantable RFID-powered identification microchips, are being accused of withholding information from the public with regards to the dark side of their “lifesaving” chips. Don’t say you haven’t been warned: the signs have been there for a decade, available for all to see. No, you needn’t be a doctor, radiologist, or nano-technician to have seen them and heeded their warning, you just had to watch a couple of episodes of one of the 90s most popular hit TV shows ever: The X-Files.

Apparently Chris Carter’s insanely-popular X-Files (and its cult following) had more than just the plot lines down right, it seems that The Truth really is out there after all! A startling article on on MSNBC today reveals that implanted “medical” microchips used for the purpose of the identification of cats, dogs, horses, and the elderly really can cause cancer after all, just like their TV counterparts.

 For those of you not yet enlightened by Chris Carter’s science-ficitional work of art, here’s the gist of what happened (which is, by no means whatsoever, to be considered a substitute to actually watching the X-Files!). In the X-Files TV series, FBI Special Agent Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson) was kidnapped by “aliens” who had a unique identification microchip implanted in the base of her neck. Seasons later, Agent Scully discovers the microchip and has it removed, triggering a malignant nasopharengeal tumor to develop (in her nasal cavity). Later on in the storyline, Agent Scully’s cancer is healed by finding a replacement microchip (and we later discover that the microchip can cure cancer and most other bodily illnesses).