First was the Linux Standards Base, which made users of and developers for Linux servers and clusters able to depend on common interfaces and (to some extent) file locations.
Now, vendors are coming together to create similar standards for desktops and desktop applications. Oddly enough; the problems for desktop Linux were not a lack of standards, but too many and conflicts between them.
It is a step forward in gaining acceptance for Linux on the desktop. Just how much effect this move will have depends on too many variables to predict. Unless those concerned really blow this chance it will be to the good. The question is only how much.
Jack
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Where Vista Fails
In fairness, this is part 5 of a review and I haven't read the first 4 parts yet. I will as soon as I find them, and I urge you to do the same.
As you read this mind-numbingly scathing piece, please remember that the author is a genuine Windows fan and supporter. I truly believe that he is writing this piece in the hopes that Microsoft will listen and fix some of the most aggregious things before release. So as harsh as it is, read it as constructive criticism from somone who dearly wants to see Windows Vista be a rousing success.
As you read this mind-numbingly scathing piece, please remember that the author is a genuine Windows fan and supporter. I truly believe that he is writing this piece in the hopes that Microsoft will listen and fix some of the most aggregious things before release. So as harsh as it is, read it as constructive criticism from somone who dearly wants to see Windows Vista be a rousing success.
NeXT's OpenStep OS up and running on a MacBook Pro
In the back to the future theme, today....
I wonder if many of the readers of this blog ever had a NeXT - Wikipedia computer? Let us know in the comments, please.
Thanks to Parallels Workstation virtualization software, OpenStep 4.2 is up and running on a MacBook Pro at blazing speed and with a high resolution, true-color display. A definite "back to the roots" moment.
--MissM
read more | digg story
Opera 9 Beta Released
If you're feeling just a bit adventurous and your computer is well backed up, you might want to give the next version of Opera a test drive.
The link above is to the changlog at Opera.com. There's an awful lot to look at there.
The thing I like most is the content manager, which appears to be the most "family friendly" I have yet seen.
Remember; Opera is now free. No ads, no charges for a "higher" version. This is a wonderful alternative to FireFox and IE and well worth checking out.
Jack
The link above is to the changlog at Opera.com. There's an awful lot to look at there.
The thing I like most is the content manager, which appears to be the most "family friendly" I have yet seen.
Remember; Opera is now free. No ads, no charges for a "higher" version. This is a wonderful alternative to FireFox and IE and well worth checking out.
Jack
From DOS to XP on one desktop
Link to pics of 9! yes 9 different Operating Systems from Microsoft via Virtual PC. Its pretty kewl. I thought many who read this blog would appreciate this :)
Courtesy of Fred Langa at Langalist.com, an excellent newsletter. There is a free newsletter and a $12 subscribe option (a portion of which is used to support children in 3rd world countries), which I do.
--MissM
From DOS to XP on one desktop
Courtesy of Fred Langa at Langalist.com, an excellent newsletter. There is a free newsletter and a $12 subscribe option (a portion of which is used to support children in 3rd world countries), which I do.
--MissM
From DOS to XP on one desktop
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Dell unveils 'fastest' consumer laptop
Apple got to release the first machines containing Intel's "Core Duo" processors. This Dell is the second one out. It's a VERY impressive machine. If a quick perusal of the specifications for the XPS M1710 does not set your mouth to watering, go to the Emergency Room, now.
Jack
Jack
Critical Windows Security Patch Butts Heads With HP Software
I know there are many using HP products among us. If you've been having problems since Patch Tuesday, read this. This may be the reason.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Sony Laptop Supposed to Be Carbon Fiber - Is Plastic
It seems Sony's SZ160 series laptops are not what they're advertised to be, at least some of the time. And it looks as if they're working hard to turn this into another public relations disaster. Buyers expecting carbon fiber cases are getting plastic. And support is making a mess of it, eerily similar to Gail's experience with Electronic Arts.
The link will take you to a story at The Inquirer which will give you the gist of it all. Plus, there are links to more information.
(Try as I might; I couldn't figure out some way to work in the idea of setting Gail loose on the Sony support folks. I tried, though. Oh, how I tried.
Jack
The link will take you to a story at The Inquirer which will give you the gist of it all. Plus, there are links to more information.
(Try as I might; I couldn't figure out some way to work in the idea of setting Gail loose on the Sony support folks. I tried, though. Oh, how I tried.
Jack
Sunday, April 16, 2006
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 04-16-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 04-16-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Why Windows is less secure than Linux
Richard Stiennon makes this point graphically in this blog entry.
His point is that Windows makes so many more system calls than Linux does while accomplishing exactly the same operation that it cannot be adequatly secured. The article is not definitive and does not try to be. It is food for thought, though.
Jack
His point is that Windows makes so many more system calls than Linux does while accomplishing exactly the same operation that it cannot be adequatly secured. The article is not definitive and does not try to be. It is food for thought, though.
Jack
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Electronic Arts Missing CD-Key Hell
I'm too tired fighting them to tell the whole story right now, but yesterday I received a purchase from EA (bought at the EA online store) and the CD-Key was missing from the back of the manual (the designated location). So far I've spent about 4 hours, 3 phone calle, 2-emails and 1 fax trying to get a CD-Key. And guess what? I still don't have a CD-Key so my game CD is merely a coaster at this point.
So far I've received no reply from the fax and a different answer from each e-mail and phone call. The answers range from we can't do anything, to be sure to keep your your CD-Key in a safe place (which I have never had), to "send us the manual."
Come on folks, it just shouldn't be this difficult for a legitimate user who can document their purchase to rectify this situation! BTW, there is no direct phone line I that can find for the EA Store -- it all goes through EA support and is passed on to the store. It appears that their warranty is worthless because you can't get through to them to even get an RMA and I'm not sending anything back without documentation and authorization.
Funny, but I've done nothing wrong. I received a defective product, and now I have to jump through oh so many hoops. This experience cleary tells me there is a major problem at Electronic Arts. I see this as a deeply flawed support system and corporate culture. I venture to say that they've already spent more in support costs than they made from my $20 purchase. It is a lot to lose over $20. Of course, I've already spent more time and energy than I should have on it. If this were my customer, I would at the least have sent them a new copy of the game with a call tag to return the defective one.
Not only that, but we all know that they could simply call or e-mail me with a CD-Key. That would solve the problem. But for fear that I might be a pirate, they are cutting off their proverbial nose to spite their proverbial face. Funny but they have all the documentation of the purchase since I bought it from their store. What I'm not willing to do right now is send back my manual back to an address with no person or department designation. That was just one of their many requests, which came late today, after I had already faxed them scans of the front and back of the manual -- a project that took me close to an hour, since I'm not set up to fax.
Those who know me know I'm computer literate and Web savvy. If I'm having this trouble, I can just imagine what happens to some poor kid. Is the plan for me to give up and buy another copy if I really want it? I wonder how many people do just that. This seems to be a company in disarray and entrenched in a stance that we are all pirates to the detriment of its legitimate customers. Of course, no company can sustain that attitude towards its customers forever. I'll really think twice about any more of my money ever going to EA again.
Update: 4/15/2006
This morning there was a CD-Key in my e-mail inbox. I'm certainly mollified, but it still took an awful lot of effort.
So far I've received no reply from the fax and a different answer from each e-mail and phone call. The answers range from we can't do anything, to be sure to keep your your CD-Key in a safe place (which I have never had), to "send us the manual."
Come on folks, it just shouldn't be this difficult for a legitimate user who can document their purchase to rectify this situation! BTW, there is no direct phone line I that can find for the EA Store -- it all goes through EA support and is passed on to the store. It appears that their warranty is worthless because you can't get through to them to even get an RMA and I'm not sending anything back without documentation and authorization.
Funny, but I've done nothing wrong. I received a defective product, and now I have to jump through oh so many hoops. This experience cleary tells me there is a major problem at Electronic Arts. I see this as a deeply flawed support system and corporate culture. I venture to say that they've already spent more in support costs than they made from my $20 purchase. It is a lot to lose over $20. Of course, I've already spent more time and energy than I should have on it. If this were my customer, I would at the least have sent them a new copy of the game with a call tag to return the defective one.
Not only that, but we all know that they could simply call or e-mail me with a CD-Key. That would solve the problem. But for fear that I might be a pirate, they are cutting off their proverbial nose to spite their proverbial face. Funny but they have all the documentation of the purchase since I bought it from their store. What I'm not willing to do right now is send back my manual back to an address with no person or department designation. That was just one of their many requests, which came late today, after I had already faxed them scans of the front and back of the manual -- a project that took me close to an hour, since I'm not set up to fax.
Those who know me know I'm computer literate and Web savvy. If I'm having this trouble, I can just imagine what happens to some poor kid. Is the plan for me to give up and buy another copy if I really want it? I wonder how many people do just that. This seems to be a company in disarray and entrenched in a stance that we are all pirates to the detriment of its legitimate customers. Of course, no company can sustain that attitude towards its customers forever. I'll really think twice about any more of my money ever going to EA again.
Update: 4/15/2006
This morning there was a CD-Key in my e-mail inbox. I'm certainly mollified, but it still took an awful lot of effort.
Vista has a surprise for pirates!
I see Microsoft is moving forward in their war on Pirates. I say good for them!
Friday, April 14, 2006
Does Your Wi-Fi Hotspot Have an Evil Twin?
I'm not sure what I was doing mid-March, but I missed this entirely. If you use WiFi and haven't heard of the Evil Twin yet, then you need to read this.
One more thing to look out for.
One more thing to look out for.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Best Buy's 'Geek Squad' Accused of Pirating Software
I know I risk whatever journalistic karma I might have by citing Fox News, but this was just too good to pass up.
It seems Best Buy's vaunted Geek Squad has been using software they didn't buy. At least the evidence was strong enough to get an injunction in Federal Court.
Jack
It seems Best Buy's vaunted Geek Squad has been using software they didn't buy. At least the evidence was strong enough to get an injunction in Federal Court.
Jack
Google, eBay and Amazon to Build Own Internet?
Easy now! It's all speculation, fueled by articles like the one above, where Investor's Business Daily's Reinhardt Krause opines that, now that the telcos have gotten permission to extort more money from sites that generate loads of traffic (irrespective of the fact that we, the users, have already paid for the bandwidth once) the "Big 3" sites will simply build their own Internet.
There are huge chunks of radio spectrum up for auction soon. Google could probably afford to do this alone, but will almost certainly combine with the others, and perhaps more partners are in the wings. The rumors say they'll put up a national wireless Internet access system. In reality, it will most likely exclude thinly populated areas, just like everyone else does when their grand plans are detailed. Even so, wouldn't it be nice to see the telcos stuck on their own spit and roasted over the lost income?
This is one to watch.
Jack
There are huge chunks of radio spectrum up for auction soon. Google could probably afford to do this alone, but will almost certainly combine with the others, and perhaps more partners are in the wings. The rumors say they'll put up a national wireless Internet access system. In reality, it will most likely exclude thinly populated areas, just like everyone else does when their grand plans are detailed. Even so, wouldn't it be nice to see the telcos stuck on their own spit and roasted over the lost income?
This is one to watch.
Jack
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Microsoft releases critical Internet Explorer patch
None of my computers received this patch automatically yesterday. I was unwilling to wait, since so much doesn't work without ActiveX. I went ahead and got the patch yesterday evening using Microsoft Update.
I learned a lot about how many programs use ActiveX for one kind of Web access or another theses past few weeks. I wish we could all do without ActiveX but life without it is miserable in Windows. Trying to figure out what needs to go into the Trusted Zone if ActiveX is turned off in the Internet Zone is no small task. I never could get the Microsoft http://safety.live.com site to work even though I made everything that came up blocked there as "trusted".
I learned a lot about how many programs use ActiveX for one kind of Web access or another theses past few weeks. I wish we could all do without ActiveX but life without it is miserable in Windows. Trying to figure out what needs to go into the Trusted Zone if ActiveX is turned off in the Internet Zone is no small task. I never could get the Microsoft http://safety.live.com site to work even though I made everything that came up blocked there as "trusted".
Intel's chip management system has security hole
This could be really serious or simply a theoretical attack vector. My best guess is that it is serious and that we will be seeing a lot about this in the next week or two.
Jack
Jack
Free Anti-Virus for the Mac OS X
I run ClamAV on all my Linux machines. I have not bothered to try it on Windows boxes, though there is a Windows port and binaries available. The main reason I run it on Linux is to prevent my inadvertantly infecting the Windows machines on our LAN and those belonging to folks who have me work on them. I frequently transfer files back and forth to these machines and it is possible I might infect them without this precaution.
Mac OS X users tend to feel safe from malware, but this is an illusion. Exactly how much danger they are in is definitely debateable and the actual danger is probably relatively small. Even so, if I were you, I would run AV software as a basic precaution against any danger that might arise.
ClamAV is free, open source software. It is of a high quality and well maintained. It is very frequently updated. It also does not take much in the way of computer resources. Frankly, there is no reason I can see not to run it. I have installed and used the Mac OS X port, though only for a few hours. It seems to work as well in OS X as in Linux.
Click the link above and check it out. Be safe.
Jack
Mac OS X users tend to feel safe from malware, but this is an illusion. Exactly how much danger they are in is definitely debateable and the actual danger is probably relatively small. Even so, if I were you, I would run AV software as a basic precaution against any danger that might arise.
ClamAV is free, open source software. It is of a high quality and well maintained. It is very frequently updated. It also does not take much in the way of computer resources. Frankly, there is no reason I can see not to run it. I have installed and used the Mac OS X port, though only for a few hours. It seems to work as well in OS X as in Linux.
Click the link above and check it out. Be safe.
Jack
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
geekmeet06 Wiki!
geekmeet06
Last year, Leo and I had a brainstorm at the same time. And I just remembered it.
It seems like Geek Meets are the perfect use of a wiki. So, what did I do? You ask yourself. ;)
I created one! :)
It even has an RSS feed (copy and paste to your aggregator, you DO use an aggregator, right????), and it is totally free! What more could you ask for??? Oh yeah! People contributing to it!
I've got a to do list, a wish list and the website info. So, check it out, change it. Go wacky! :)
What's a wiki???? The grandfather of all wiki's has an explanation, of course.
--MissM
geekmeet06
Last year, Leo and I had a brainstorm at the same time. And I just remembered it.
It seems like Geek Meets are the perfect use of a wiki. So, what did I do? You ask yourself. ;)
I created one! :)
It even has an RSS feed (copy and paste to your aggregator, you DO use an aggregator, right????), and it is totally free! What more could you ask for??? Oh yeah! People contributing to it!
I've got a to do list, a wish list and the website info. So, check it out, change it. Go wacky! :)
What's a wiki???? The grandfather of all wiki's has an explanation, of course.
--MissM
geekmeet06
Monday, April 10, 2006
Webaroo takes the internet offline
This reminds me of what AvantGo does for PDAs, only for laptops. I'm downloading it now to give it a try.
"The software works by downloading sections of the internet to a portable device. Webaroo's servers then scour the internet to create relevant packs of information from which users can choose.
'Once you download web packs or websites onto your mobile device, you can search them anytime, anywhere without a connection,' said a statement on the Webaroo website.
The company provides packs on topics including news and sports, as well as information on major cities such as London and New York.
'As mobile use grows, consumers want to be able to do more with their mobile devices,' said Webaroo chief executive Rakesh Mathur."
Build Your Own Linux Supercomputer Cluster
It will forever be a joke among the show's listeners and my other friends that I once experimented with running a cluster of 486s. (Thanks to all for only using kind humor. No one has ever been mean to me over it.)
I am not enough of a programmer to pull that off, but I had a lot of help. The link above will take you to an article at Linux.com detailing basically how mine was done, though things have advanced since then and that is reflected in the article. If you've ever had a curiosity over it, or just want to run your seti totals up, you can do this. It is not easy, but neither is it beyond a dedicated hobbiest with a friend she or he can talk into doing the heavy coding. You do not need specialized hardware or matched machines. Just a few old Linux boxes and some sort of problem to apply the finished product to.
Jack
I am not enough of a programmer to pull that off, but I had a lot of help. The link above will take you to an article at Linux.com detailing basically how mine was done, though things have advanced since then and that is reflected in the article. If you've ever had a curiosity over it, or just want to run your seti totals up, you can do this. It is not easy, but neither is it beyond a dedicated hobbiest with a friend she or he can talk into doing the heavy coding. You do not need specialized hardware or matched machines. Just a few old Linux boxes and some sort of problem to apply the finished product to.
Jack
Intel Pentium D 805 is a bargain basement processor
This was posted at The Inquirer during the show, today.
Basically, the Pentium D 850 is Intel's last generation dual core. If you build a machine around one, nobody is going to faint at the specs. Even so, it is much less expensive than any comparable dual core chip and gives tremendous bang for the buck. The article points out that you can build a very powerful dual core box for very little money, compared to other solutions. I found the idea attractive and think those of you who lean toward rolling your own might want to read this.
Jack
Basically, the Pentium D 850 is Intel's last generation dual core. If you build a machine around one, nobody is going to faint at the specs. Even so, it is much less expensive than any comparable dual core chip and gives tremendous bang for the buck. The article points out that you can build a very powerful dual core box for very little money, compared to other solutions. I found the idea attractive and think those of you who lean toward rolling your own might want to read this.
Jack
White Paper Repository at The Register
Okay; I realize most of you don't get quite as excited over IT industry white papers as Peter and I do. However; they are a good way to learn about what is going on and what some folks think will be going on in the reasonably near future.
The Register has started a repository of such papers. You have to sign up for it, but there are several teasers linked to from the link above that you can read without signing up. I just got done with one about how businesses will likely go slow in adopting Microsoft Vista. Don't worry; they're not all that obvious. You might want this url as a resource. I do.
Jack
The Register has started a repository of such papers. You have to sign up for it, but there are several teasers linked to from the link above that you can read without signing up. I just got done with one about how businesses will likely go slow in adopting Microsoft Vista. Don't worry; they're not all that obvious. You might want this url as a resource. I do.
Jack
Giant retro microphone PC surfaces
If this doesn't bring a smile to your face, nothing in computing will. This is not a case mod, but a complete case made from scratch. Enjoy!
Jack
Jack
Sunday, April 09, 2006
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 04-09-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 04-09-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
XGL Preview
I've been talking about XGL for a couple weeks now. This short article is the best description of it I have seen, as well as the least technical. It is surely the most exciting graphic development in open source at this time.
Enjoy,
Jack
Enjoy,
Jack
Friday, April 07, 2006
Kaspersky warns of cross-platform virus proof of concept
This one is nothing to get overly worried about. However; it does portend the future, I'm afraid. It is written in assembler, meaning it is OS independant, to some degree. And it can infect both Windows and Linux machines, at least. It's possible some of the other *nix systems are vulnerable, as well.
Jack
Jack
AT&T forwards all Internet traffic into NSA
"More than just threatening individuals' privacy, AT&T's apparent choice to give the government secret, direct access to millions of ordinary Americans' Internet communications is a threat to the Constitution itself. We are asking the Court to put a stop to it now," said Bankston.
Now we know how they do it, eh?
--MissM
Spam Daily News | EFF: AT&T forwards all Internet traffic into NSA
read more | digg story
Now we know how they do it, eh?
--MissM
Spam Daily News | EFF: AT&T forwards all Internet traffic into NSA
read more | digg story
USATODAY.com - Apple launches software to run Windows XP on Intel-based Macs
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple (AAPL) unveiled new software Wednesday that allows Intel-based Macs to run Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows XP. Apple shares rose nearly 7% in early trading.
The computer maker said its new "Boot Camp" software is available as a download beginning Wednesday. It allows users with an XP installation disc to install XP on an Intel-based Mac.
"Apple has no desire or plan to sell or support Windows, but many customers have expressed their interest to run Windows on Apple's superior hardware now that we use Intel processors," said Philip Schiller, Apple senior vice president of worldwide product marketing. (Comment: Does XP on Macs rock your world?)
[snip]
Boot Camp's step-by-step guide makes it easier to install Windows software on an Intel-based Mac. It also lets users choose to use either Mac OS X software, or the Windows software when they restart their computer.
Users can download the new Boot Camp software from Apple's website. A final version of Boot Camp will be available as a feature in the upcoming Mac OS X version 10.5 "Leopard."
This surprises me on several levels:
1.) Microsoft would sell more windows if it ran on the Apple intel platform.
2.) Apple is so protective of their hardware. It could be said this is done for usability, but I think the majority of the reasons are market and control.
3.) The anticipated ease that it should work. As opposed to what I expected Microsoft to hash together through some bizarre driver configuration, cause of the Apple BIOS scheme (cause I can't remember the official name ;) ).
USATODAY.com - Apple launches software to run Windows XP on Intel-based Macs
--MissM
update: Tech Republic has Images: Installing Windows on a Mac with Boot Camp It really does look easy. The pictures are not really geek enough for me, but I guess it really isn't geeky at all, to the user. As usual, when Apple does it, it works. I did hear an interesting quote about this:
"Will it make Windows run better, or the Mac run worse?" I guess its all a matter of perspective. ;)
further update: Courtesy of The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) Vista on a MacBook Pro ZDnet tried to install Vista. How'd it go? You ask??? I guess you have to click over ;)
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
How capable is a 'Vista-capable' PC?
Here's an article from TG Daily that boils down some numbers into terms that most of us can understand.
Okay, maybe "understand" is a little too strong a term. More like imagine and guess.
Okay, maybe "understand" is a little too strong a term. More like imagine and guess.
Spitzer Goes After Spyware
From WCBS 880 NY:
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer today accused a major Internet pop-up advertising company of secretly installing spyware and sending ads through spyware already installed on personal computers.
Good luck you are going to need it. ;-)
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer today accused a major Internet pop-up advertising company of secretly installing spyware and sending ads through spyware already installed on personal computers.
Good luck you are going to need it. ;-)
Microsoft Says Recovery from Malware Becoming Impossible
No, we are not piling on MS this morning -- really. Actually, I think this article makes MS look kind of good. They are addressing the issue and not hiding from it.
If after reading the article, you are feeling a little uneasy, run this:
RootKit Revealer
or try this:
Windows Defender
If after reading the article, you are feeling a little uneasy, run this:
RootKit Revealer
or try this:
Windows Defender
IBM and Rapport unveil energy efficient processor
IBM and a small California startup named Rapport are producing a small, energy efficient derivative of the Power line of processors that gives enough throughput to handle dense video streams, among other things. Called the Kilocore 1025, it is intended for things like very smart phones, mobile devices in the class of Microsoft's "Origami" appliances and entertainment devices on the order of game consoles.
Each chip has over 1000 8 bit computing structures on the die, arrayed around a Power core. Rapport's "Kilocore" technology and sophisticated energy management may allow a breakthrough in mobile computing. However; every reference to this I have read cautions that without excellent execution in design and marketing, this could simply be another Transmeta. Transmeta's tech was and is very good, but it did not catch on. To date, the company and their breakthrough technology have lost well over half a billion dollars and profitability is still a ways over the horizon, if ever it comes into view.
Still, this is an interesting development and it will be fun to watch IBM fit it into the "real" world.
Jack
Each chip has over 1000 8 bit computing structures on the die, arrayed around a Power core. Rapport's "Kilocore" technology and sophisticated energy management may allow a breakthrough in mobile computing. However; every reference to this I have read cautions that without excellent execution in design and marketing, this could simply be another Transmeta. Transmeta's tech was and is very good, but it did not catch on. To date, the company and their breakthrough technology have lost well over half a billion dollars and profitability is still a ways over the horizon, if ever it comes into view.
Still, this is an interesting development and it will be fun to watch IBM fit it into the "real" world.
Jack
Unofficial zero-day patches gain corporate support
This one surprised me and probably will surprise you, as well.
As of this morning, there are at least two "third party" patches for the outstanding IE vulnerability, they are gaining acceptance among those who make the decisions about what to install and when in the data center.
With the availability of a perfectly effective workaround (disabling ActiveX controls) I can't see any sense in using that and waiting for Microsoft's precious patching schedule to deliver the official one. The only possibly mitigating factor in this decision is if my users depend on ActiveX for some important functionality. Absent that, I wait for MS.
Perhaps MS should break their schedule and release early. As I don't know the ins and outs of what is happening in Redmond, I can't say for sure whether or not they could successfully do that.
Of course; I can just use Firefox.
Jack
As of this morning, there are at least two "third party" patches for the outstanding IE vulnerability, they are gaining acceptance among those who make the decisions about what to install and when in the data center.
With the availability of a perfectly effective workaround (disabling ActiveX controls) I can't see any sense in using that and waiting for Microsoft's precious patching schedule to deliver the official one. The only possibly mitigating factor in this decision is if my users depend on ActiveX for some important functionality. Absent that, I wait for MS.
Perhaps MS should break their schedule and release early. As I don't know the ins and outs of what is happening in Redmond, I can't say for sure whether or not they could successfully do that.
Of course; I can just use Firefox.
Jack
People Don't Trust Microsoft
The link will take you to a page in The Inquirer. (I sure link to them a lot, lately, don't I?)
Microsoft came in with the automatic transmission repair guys and roofers in a recent Forrester Research survey for it's "2005 Technology Brand Scorecard". Dell, Apple Computer and Bose came in around the top of the list.
Forrester seems to think this means big trouble for MS down the road, including mass customer defections (assuming something comes along for them to defect to besides Macs, I guess). This agrees with the general conclusion that Linux distros geared toward the desktop, especially Novell/SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop. (SLED? Wasn't that an insult to a slow car when we were growing up?)
There are other candidates. Ubuntu/Kubuntu GNU/Linux, Sun's Java Desktop System and who knows how many other flavors of *nix wait in the wings. Should Apple drop prices some and become a bit more forthcoming about matters of security, Macs could see a huge jump in share over this, as well.
It's all conjecture, admittedly. Well, that and the IT equivalent of reading tea leaves (counting the flecks of Cheetos adrift in a can of Jolt. No cheating now. Only the ones on the surface count.). Even so, they may be on to something here. Friends, clients and other people with my phone number are expressing exasperation with MS over a variety of matters where those people would have simply written their concerns off as a cost of doing business juat a few months ago.
Jack
Microsoft came in with the automatic transmission repair guys and roofers in a recent Forrester Research survey for it's "2005 Technology Brand Scorecard". Dell, Apple Computer and Bose came in around the top of the list.
Forrester seems to think this means big trouble for MS down the road, including mass customer defections (assuming something comes along for them to defect to besides Macs, I guess). This agrees with the general conclusion that Linux distros geared toward the desktop, especially Novell/SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop. (SLED? Wasn't that an insult to a slow car when we were growing up?)
There are other candidates. Ubuntu/Kubuntu GNU/Linux, Sun's Java Desktop System and who knows how many other flavors of *nix wait in the wings. Should Apple drop prices some and become a bit more forthcoming about matters of security, Macs could see a huge jump in share over this, as well.
It's all conjecture, admittedly. Well, that and the IT equivalent of reading tea leaves (counting the flecks of Cheetos adrift in a can of Jolt. No cheating now. Only the ones on the surface count.). Even so, they may be on to something here. Friends, clients and other people with my phone number are expressing exasperation with MS over a variety of matters where those people would have simply written their concerns off as a cost of doing business juat a few months ago.
Jack
Hitachi releases 500GB hard drives
It is just a blurb at The Inquirer. No pricing info is given. The basic specs for the drives are there, though, and they're impressive enough without the potential of sticker shock.
3 Gb/sec. SATA drives with 160 GB per platter is cool enough. Hitachi now has an entire line of these things, with the 500 GB units being the largest.
I'm going to have to quit buying the coffee for my friends who work at Hitachi until they start coughing up these things before I read them online. [grin]
Jack
3 Gb/sec. SATA drives with 160 GB per platter is cool enough. Hitachi now has an entire line of these things, with the 500 GB units being the largest.
I'm going to have to quit buying the coffee for my friends who work at Hitachi until they start coughing up these things before I read them online. [grin]
Jack
A Closer Look at Microsoft's Vista Delay
In some ways, the NewsFactor.com linked to above is a rehash of the reasons for Vista's delay that we've all seen over and over. However, this story also blames the delay on a big part of Microsoft's corporate philosophy and methodology; the insistance on backward compatibility.
Noting the size of the Windows/Vista code base, the bundling of applications that increases that and the perceived need for backward compatibility, the authors theorize that turning such a huge ship (and the gigantic ecology of Windows computing) simply requires too much for the company to deliver on any realistic schedule - period! The authors note that since the debut of Windows XP, Apple has managed to pump out 4 major revisions of their operating system and with compelling innovative features every time. They argue Apple's smaller size, and the smaller size of their code base, not to mention that at every release they have abandoned some backward compatible functions, shows that Microsoft, simply by being so big, cannot effectively innovate any more.
It's worth a read, so you can judge for yourself.
Jack
Noting the size of the Windows/Vista code base, the bundling of applications that increases that and the perceived need for backward compatibility, the authors theorize that turning such a huge ship (and the gigantic ecology of Windows computing) simply requires too much for the company to deliver on any realistic schedule - period! The authors note that since the debut of Windows XP, Apple has managed to pump out 4 major revisions of their operating system and with compelling innovative features every time. They argue Apple's smaller size, and the smaller size of their code base, not to mention that at every release they have abandoned some backward compatible functions, shows that Microsoft, simply by being so big, cannot effectively innovate any more.
It's worth a read, so you can judge for yourself.
Jack
Monday, April 03, 2006
Why Phishing Works
This article at News.com, by Will Sturgeon is a brief synopsis on research done by academics into thee subject. I found it very informative and hope you will, as well. It won't take you long to digest the information.
I've pretty much quit making judgements about the security of a site. I just make sure I've typed in the url myself, or taken it from a list I've built and maintain control of, then cross my fingers and pray a lot. That I do so little business online is a reflection in part of my distrust, though I also try to buy locally as much as possible, to preserve resources (shops) near enough to me that I can access them quickly if needed.
Jack
I've pretty much quit making judgements about the security of a site. I just make sure I've typed in the url myself, or taken it from a list I've built and maintain control of, then cross my fingers and pray a lot. That I do so little business online is a reflection in part of my distrust, though I also try to buy locally as much as possible, to preserve resources (shops) near enough to me that I can access them quickly if needed.
Jack
Tuning Fork - Gizmodo
or why MS chose HD-DVD over Blu-Ray...
I'm curious about how this format wars pans out, and how it compares to the old VHS-BETA war that Sony lost.
There's more info at the link, check it out if you're interested in following the battle. I may hold a grudge longer than most, but I'm still furious at Sony's attempt to take over your computer without user input. Past posts from us here, here, here, and the rest are here.
--MissM
Tuning Fork - Gizmodo
I'm curious about how this format wars pans out, and how it compares to the old VHS-BETA war that Sony lost.
...I learned the real reason for Microsoft’s sudden change of heart regarding Blu-Ray and HD DVD.
It wasn’t that HD DVD has Mandatory Managed Copy, which is supposed to as about forcing Sony to delay the release of PlayStation 3, the game machine/home entertainment hub with built-in Blu-Ray playback capabilities.
“If it’s true, it’s very clever and shows Microsoft can still be aggressive on a number of different levels,” says Roger Kay, analyst and founder of Endpoint Technologies. “And it is in the mold of Microsoft’s style.”
[snip]
Then there’s the threat the PS3 could become a home’s entertainment hub. With all the money Microsoft’s sunk into Media Center, do you really think they’d stand for losing that position to Sony? Unlikely.
At the outset of the Blu-Ray/HD DVD snit, Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter told the Los Angeles Times, “If you hear Blu-ray wins, it’s over for Xbox. It’s not that [Microsoft] did anything wrong on the gaming side,” he said. “Sony is exploiting its position as one of the dominant consumer electronics manufacturers.”
There's more info at the link, check it out if you're interested in following the battle. I may hold a grudge longer than most, but I'm still furious at Sony's attempt to take over your computer without user input. Past posts from us here, here, here, and the rest are here.
--MissM
Tuning Fork - Gizmodo
Sunday, April 02, 2006
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 04-02-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 04-02-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Guest for this week's show
This week, we will be joined by Joseph Marino, CEO of Spam Cube to discuss their new Spam filter device designed specifically for home users.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
1-800-411-SAVE > How it works
I thought this was cool. Free 411, and you only have to listen to a 15 second commercial. It'll even text message you with the phone number! It gives addresses, all kinds of neat features, I heard about it via the Chris Pirillo podcast, and exclusive interview. Very neat, and did I mention FREE!?!?!
--MissM
1-800-411-SAVE > How it works
--MissM
1-800-411-SAVE > How it works
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Using the new camera on the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have been able to confirm that the Moon is made of green cheese. The telling clue was the resolution of a marked date after which the Moon may go bad.
In the interest of full disclosure, I include the last line of the picture explanation. ;)
It has been used historically in context to indicate a claim so clearly false that no one -- not even April Fools -- will believe it.--MissM
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Bill Gates lands role in Doctor Who
'Have you tried shutting down your TARDIS and rebooting it?'
It's either an April Fool's joke or for real. Either way, it's a fun thought.
Jack
It's either an April Fool's joke or for real. Either way, it's a fun thought.
Jack
Thursday, March 30, 2006
24,000 quad core Opteron system slated
24,000 processors, a terrabyte of memory. Sounds like my dream machine, assmuming it has a video card that's Linux compatible.
And they'll be available just before my birthday, (Hint, hint.)
Jack
And they'll be available just before my birthday, (Hint, hint.)
Jack
Is Palm Building their own OS?
The link above will take you to a story that can only be described as minimally informative. Never the less, the subject is interesting.
PalmOS, as it stands now, is quite serviceable for lower end PDAs, but apparently is not particularly extensible. Attempts to do so have met with resounding yawns by potential buyers. It makes real sense for Palm to come up with a truly extensible operating system that is as efficient as the current PalmOS is now. Basing it on Linux is a no-brainer for them, though there are other candidates with similar capabilities. (SkyOS, QNX and the BSDs come to mind and I'm sure there are others.)
If Palm is to again become competitive, they desperately need both the flexibility of a modernized operating system and the increased capabilities. I love my Palm Zire (the cheapest model at the time I got it) but am painfully aware of it's limitations and the limitations it places on applications intended to run on it. It is simply too old and too limited to be viable in today's market. (Remember; Palm does not need to match devices like the Blackberry. They need to surpass it in capabilities and at a reasonable price.) The right OS would work on phones, PDAs and perhaps even ultra-portables like the Microsoft "Origami" class of devices.)
I'll be following this one closely, as will a LOT of others.
Jack
PalmOS, as it stands now, is quite serviceable for lower end PDAs, but apparently is not particularly extensible. Attempts to do so have met with resounding yawns by potential buyers. It makes real sense for Palm to come up with a truly extensible operating system that is as efficient as the current PalmOS is now. Basing it on Linux is a no-brainer for them, though there are other candidates with similar capabilities. (SkyOS, QNX and the BSDs come to mind and I'm sure there are others.)
If Palm is to again become competitive, they desperately need both the flexibility of a modernized operating system and the increased capabilities. I love my Palm Zire (the cheapest model at the time I got it) but am painfully aware of it's limitations and the limitations it places on applications intended to run on it. It is simply too old and too limited to be viable in today's market. (Remember; Palm does not need to match devices like the Blackberry. They need to surpass it in capabilities and at a reasonable price.) The right OS would work on phones, PDAs and perhaps even ultra-portables like the Microsoft "Origami" class of devices.)
I'll be following this one closely, as will a LOT of others.
Jack
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
APOD: 2006 March 29 - Green and Black Auroras Over Norway
Astronomy Picture of the Day, purely for aesthetic reasons :)
APOD: 2006 March 29 - Green and Black Auroras Over Norway
--MissM
40+ Suggestions for Better Desktop
The writer of this piece, Peter Chabada, is primarily concerned with the Gnome desktop, but his thoughts are worth reading and applying to every desktop I'm aware of. This is intended as a thought piece for programmers and designers, but it is great for those of us who think about how we interact with our desktops and what more we might want of them.
Jack
Jack
Internet Explorer 7 Will Not Be Integrated into Windows
The link above will take you to DailyTech.com, where you will find a short story to the effect that IE is being separated from Windows. The confirming linke to a Business Week site do not work and I have found no other confirmation at the time of posting.
If this is true, Well over ten years of Microsoft arguing with absolutely everyone about the integration of IE will be over. There may be legal ramifications in the ongoing government supervision of the anti-trust settlement. I doubt it, though. Not least because MS can simply argue that separation was done over time and this is a new operating system being discusses, with much legacy code replaced.
The move also promises to make Vista more secure. The tight integration of the past was a conduit for malicious code to infect the operating system. With this conduit broken, the system itself will be safer by default. And there is no doubt that Microsoft will act to make it safer yet by "sterilizing" the connection between OS and browser. Thus, this move is to their credit. Just how much credit they deserve for it will be apparent over time.
Jack
If this is true, Well over ten years of Microsoft arguing with absolutely everyone about the integration of IE will be over. There may be legal ramifications in the ongoing government supervision of the anti-trust settlement. I doubt it, though. Not least because MS can simply argue that separation was done over time and this is a new operating system being discusses, with much legacy code replaced.
The move also promises to make Vista more secure. The tight integration of the past was a conduit for malicious code to infect the operating system. With this conduit broken, the system itself will be safer by default. And there is no doubt that Microsoft will act to make it safer yet by "sterilizing" the connection between OS and browser. Thus, this move is to their credit. Just how much credit they deserve for it will be apparent over time.
Jack
Non-Microsoft Patches Issued
Use at your own risk. Unlike the unofficial patch in January these have not been vetted by Sans. Like I said yesterday, I've simply put my Internet Zone security on "high" which disables Active X and other scripting and I also use Firefox. No one is totally safe, but we can make our surfing safer.
P.S. After I posted this I see that Jack covered it below. However this bears repeating and I added my own take on it so I'll leave my comment stand.
P.S. After I posted this I see that Jack covered it below. However this bears repeating and I added my own take on it so I'll leave my comment stand.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Online Neighborhood Watch Nails Phishers
A volunteer group, dubbed the Phishing Incident Reporting and Termination squad (PIRT), will take in reports from consumers of suspected phishing Web sites and work to take the sites offline.
On Friday, before its official launch, the group received 100 phishing reports, and 30 of those were shut down in a few hours.
More info at one of the founders: Sunbelt BLOG: Become a phishing terminator
Check it out!
--MissM
read more | digg story
On Friday, before its official launch, the group received 100 phishing reports, and 30 of those were shut down in a few hours.
More info at one of the founders: Sunbelt BLOG: Become a phishing terminator
Check it out!
--MissM
read more | digg story
Third party offers temporary IE fix......again
This time, the patch offered is not getting the sort of backing the last patch got from security professionals. I think because the workaround of disabling ActiveX recommended by Microsoft is really the best way to go about keeping oneself safe. Also, no one in their right mind wants to set a pattern of unofficial patching that might well distract users from the official patch when it arrives.
However one deals with it, exploit code for this vulnerability is out and installed on hundreds of (probably hijacked) web sites. This means doing nothing is unacceptable. Personally, I don't use Internet Explorer for anything but accessing Windows Update and/or Microsoft Update. Even so, ActiveX is disabled until I actually need to go to those sites, just in case someone finds a way to get to the vulnerable parts of IE without the browser actually being opened.
Jack
However one deals with it, exploit code for this vulnerability is out and installed on hundreds of (probably hijacked) web sites. This means doing nothing is unacceptable. Personally, I don't use Internet Explorer for anything but accessing Windows Update and/or Microsoft Update. Even so, ActiveX is disabled until I actually need to go to those sites, just in case someone finds a way to get to the vulnerable parts of IE without the browser actually being opened.
Jack
Neighborhood watch for phishing launches
As this article on News.com points out, it is probably not possible for a small assemblage of volunteers to make a real dent in phishing and related scams. Even so, I find it satisfying that they are willing to try and I'm researching further to see if I can help in some way.
Anything positive is better than nothing and if they prevent only a few people from being victimized, it would have to be considered a success.
Jack
Anything positive is better than nothing and if they prevent only a few people from being victimized, it would have to be considered a success.
Jack
www.centos.org - News - CentOS in the News - It's L-i-n-u-x, that is an Operating System
"It's L-i-n-u-x, that is an Operating System
OR ... why every city council needs at least one geek "
Want a good laugh? This is a good example of someone that shouldn't be allowed near a computer. :)
OR ... why every city council needs at least one geek "
Want a good laugh? This is a good example of someone that shouldn't be allowed near a computer. :)
Monday, March 27, 2006
Attacks on Unpatched IE Flaw Escalate
This is a must read
As to IE, okay, try this. Set all your Internet Explorer internet zone security settings on high. Then go to Windows Update. Follow the instructions to put Windows Update into the trusted zone. Also, don't store your usernames and passwords, credit card numbers, etc. in your browser. IMHO that is asking for trouble. I never have and I never will.
As to IE, okay, try this. Set all your Internet Explorer internet zone security settings on high. Then go to Windows Update. Follow the instructions to put Windows Update into the trusted zone. Also, don't store your usernames and passwords, credit card numbers, etc. in your browser. IMHO that is asking for trouble. I never have and I never will.
2 Years of Prison for Downloading Movies?
2 Years of Prison for Downloading Movies?
New German law suggests it...
Posted 2006-03-27 09:15:44
A new law passed in Germany suggests jail-time of up to two years for "casual" downloaders of pirated film or music (private-use), notes Techdirt. One of the defenders of the new law states: "There should be no legal distinction between stealing chewing gum from a shop and performing an illegal download."
From Boadband reports. Caught my eye. Comments?
New German law suggests it...
Posted 2006-03-27 09:15:44
A new law passed in Germany suggests jail-time of up to two years for "casual" downloaders of pirated film or music (private-use), notes Techdirt. One of the defenders of the new law states: "There should be no legal distinction between stealing chewing gum from a shop and performing an illegal download."
From Boadband reports. Caught my eye. Comments?
Sunday, March 26, 2006
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-26-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-26-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Linux Screen Reader 0.1.0
This is a new project, definitely in the alpha state of development, but based on fairly mature technology from IBM. The link above will take you to the page at Freshmeat which announces the project. IBM's homepage for the project is here.
During the public fracas over Massachusetts' adoption of Open Document Format (ODF) it was pointed out that with a requirement for ODF, visually handicapped citizens would lose access to Microsoft's accessibility functions, arguably the best extant. This release is part of IBM's effort to redress the balance. Expect also to see speech to text apps flow from this same release, though at a later date.
Jack
During the public fracas over Massachusetts' adoption of Open Document Format (ODF) it was pointed out that with a requirement for ODF, visually handicapped citizens would lose access to Microsoft's accessibility functions, arguably the best extant. This release is part of IBM's effort to redress the balance. Expect also to see speech to text apps flow from this same release, though at a later date.
Jack
Vista takes a serious stab at malware
While this is not a detailed analysis of Vista security, it does give you a good idea of how it will work, as regards malware. It's a decent read; won't take too long and will give you a reasonable idea of what to expect.
With statements to the effect that Vista will make spyware a thing of the past floating around the Internet, this is a realistic estimation of how Vista will deal with things of that nature.
Jack
With statements to the effect that Vista will make spyware a thing of the past floating around the Internet, this is a realistic estimation of how Vista will deal with things of that nature.
Jack
Saturday, March 25, 2006
WMF-Like Zero-Day Attack Underway
The link above is at eWeek, who seem to be doing a decent job of covering this as it begins to develop. If I were you, I would seek news of this elsewhere, as well, as it is unlikely any one site will have all the details correctly at once.
It's another of those pesky meta file holes. Proof of concept code is on the web and the attack is taking place, right now. Read about that here. And there is more to it than is evident now, so it behooves us to try to keep up as things progress. Needless to say, this is serious. Very much so. Microsoft even says so. You can read their advisory and recommendations for workarounds here.
And while you're at it, you probably ought to have a look at this which details how this vulnerability was sold on the underground market for $4K!
As long as I'm piling it on, here's another one guaranteed to ruin your dinner
Jack
It's another of those pesky meta file holes. Proof of concept code is on the web and the attack is taking place, right now. Read about that here. And there is more to it than is evident now, so it behooves us to try to keep up as things progress. Needless to say, this is serious. Very much so. Microsoft even says so. You can read their advisory and recommendations for workarounds here.
And while you're at it, you probably ought to have a look at this which details how this vulnerability was sold on the underground market for $4K!
As long as I'm piling it on, here's another one guaranteed to ruin your dinner
Jack
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Dell Acquires Alienware
What does high-volume Dell get buying low-volume Alienware?
- An opportunity to use volume-driven low-cost Dell parts in very high profit machines, increasing the margin per unit.
- A new place to drive the growing emphasis on the XPS line, another higher-margin area at Dell, which could use some relief from the $399 commodity special.
- A back-door intro to selling AMD-based machines, since AMD is by far the gaming processor of choice right now. Dell does this in a wonderfully gace-saving way that does not rile Intel, Dell's monogamous chip partner until this news.
- With a skunk works called Alienware, Dell can safely learn all it needs to know about taking AMD machines to market in the high-volumes that drive the core business. However, I am still not convinced that Dell can or wants to jump into the AMD mass-market.
- A brand name for brand-conscious buyers for whom Dell is unacceptably down-scale, even XPS.
Okay. Microsoft's Vista is (yet again) delayed. This time until early 2007.
I seem to be the only one surprised by this move. I was of the opinion that Microsoft could not afford to delay Vista's release any further and that they knew it and so would move Heaven and earth to get it out to manufacturers (at least) in time for them to offer it during the holiday buying season. It is a mystery to me how Microsoft, making billions upon billions in profits with what in any other industry would be considered piddling costs, cannot hire enough quality workers to get products out on time and maintain those already released in a timely manner. Are they so financially mean they cannot stand to hire adequate staff? Sometimes it seems that way.
MS has already been deeply embarrassed by having to pull major features out of the release plans and announcing they would be added later, as circumstances permitted. Most damaging of these subtractions was WinFS, once touted as a major reason to upgrade (and perhaps THE reason to upgrade in servers). By all accounts, WinFS is a cutting edge file system, more robust, more versatile and of a higher performance level than anything offered for the x86 architecture to date. It wasn't just Microsoft flaks saying that, either. Reputable computer scientists were telling us things like that, as well. With my (admittedly limited) understanding of such things, I thought very highly of WinFS, too.
How they arrived at the current release plans is something of a mystery, too. Perhaps one has to be a billionaire to grasp them, which I most assuredly am not. They're going to release it to their Software Assurance clients first. then release to manufacturers (RTM) sometime after that.
I can see where MS might feel the need to placate that group of clients. When Software Assurance was announced, MS told anyone who would listen that the higher prices charged under the plan would be buying special services, updates, support and more. None of these promises have been delivered upon. At least not to the extent that could quell, or even moderate, the continuous grumbling by the customers involved. Ostensibly, this release pattern is to allow enterprises to begin testing for their own deployments. However, releasing to this group alone after so many problems and delays makes it look as if MS is going to be having enterprise clients doing their beta testing for them and more than one IT honcho I know has voiced exactly that sentiment. It isn't going to happen that way. What CIO or CTO is going to begin expensive and intensive deployment testing on an operating system with a partial feature set? Am I the only one sensing the discontinuity here?
Rumor has it that documentation and even scripts for support personnel are as late as Vista itself, or worse. If that is true, and Vista debuts to a skeletal support structure, the fur will fly. Another reason to release to only the largest clients, I guess. MS can and frequently does send "factory" support people to those outfits and they are probably planning on doing a lot of that until the infrastructure for more distant types of support is in place.
So far; not much has been heard on the subject from OEMs and ODMs; the people who actually put together the computers. It might be that they fear retribution from Microsoft if they protest or it might simply be they feel it better to say nothing rather than risk exploding and saying all. Either way, or some other way entirely, they must be very disappointed. They are going to be missing the most intense buying period of the year; the holiday season. Sure, they will sell a goodly number of PCs, but not the premium priced (and profitable) ones able to run Vista's AeroGlass interface in all it's glory. And savvy buyers may well avoid buying a new PC entirely so as not to risk buying a machine that can't run Vista when it gets here and being stuck with XP, which it is certain Microsoft won't want to support too far into the future.
I suspect we will see a lot of machines advertised as "Vista ready" and with either a substantial discount coupon for Vista when it does arrive or the promise of a free upgrade. There will be a lot of uncertainty over this, no matter what the hardware makers do. No doubt MS will concoct some scheme with them. But they are going to have to be brutally honest about exactly which version of Vista will run on the box they sell and make sure the buyers understand correctly. I can see a certain fear factor attached to this which might serve to drive first-time and/or less knowledgeable buyers away from the market until things become easier for them to understand. Remember; package deals with everything included and ready to run is what got these folks into buying computers in the past. The lower prices over the years just accelerated the effect. How these buyers will react to the news that they will have to install or upgrade to a new operating system soon after getting the machine home is anyone's guess. It may take a lot of persuading for the manufacturers and retailers to overcome this. (And we're not sure whether there will be an upgrade path to Vista that does not involve a clean installation. Microsoft hasn't said yet, to the best of my knowledge.)
Microsoft has shaken up the management of the Windows division. Steve Sinofsky, formerly of the Office division, will oversee Windows development. He has a reputation for getting products out the door in good time and in good shape. Perhaps he will be able to make a difference, though it may not be fair to expect too much of him because he is coming so late in the development process. Then again, it may not be as late in the game as we think, if MS thinks they still need almost all of a year to get Vista on the truck.
Jack
MS has already been deeply embarrassed by having to pull major features out of the release plans and announcing they would be added later, as circumstances permitted. Most damaging of these subtractions was WinFS, once touted as a major reason to upgrade (and perhaps THE reason to upgrade in servers). By all accounts, WinFS is a cutting edge file system, more robust, more versatile and of a higher performance level than anything offered for the x86 architecture to date. It wasn't just Microsoft flaks saying that, either. Reputable computer scientists were telling us things like that, as well. With my (admittedly limited) understanding of such things, I thought very highly of WinFS, too.
How they arrived at the current release plans is something of a mystery, too. Perhaps one has to be a billionaire to grasp them, which I most assuredly am not. They're going to release it to their Software Assurance clients first. then release to manufacturers (RTM) sometime after that.
I can see where MS might feel the need to placate that group of clients. When Software Assurance was announced, MS told anyone who would listen that the higher prices charged under the plan would be buying special services, updates, support and more. None of these promises have been delivered upon. At least not to the extent that could quell, or even moderate, the continuous grumbling by the customers involved. Ostensibly, this release pattern is to allow enterprises to begin testing for their own deployments. However, releasing to this group alone after so many problems and delays makes it look as if MS is going to be having enterprise clients doing their beta testing for them and more than one IT honcho I know has voiced exactly that sentiment. It isn't going to happen that way. What CIO or CTO is going to begin expensive and intensive deployment testing on an operating system with a partial feature set? Am I the only one sensing the discontinuity here?
Rumor has it that documentation and even scripts for support personnel are as late as Vista itself, or worse. If that is true, and Vista debuts to a skeletal support structure, the fur will fly. Another reason to release to only the largest clients, I guess. MS can and frequently does send "factory" support people to those outfits and they are probably planning on doing a lot of that until the infrastructure for more distant types of support is in place.
So far; not much has been heard on the subject from OEMs and ODMs; the people who actually put together the computers. It might be that they fear retribution from Microsoft if they protest or it might simply be they feel it better to say nothing rather than risk exploding and saying all. Either way, or some other way entirely, they must be very disappointed. They are going to be missing the most intense buying period of the year; the holiday season. Sure, they will sell a goodly number of PCs, but not the premium priced (and profitable) ones able to run Vista's AeroGlass interface in all it's glory. And savvy buyers may well avoid buying a new PC entirely so as not to risk buying a machine that can't run Vista when it gets here and being stuck with XP, which it is certain Microsoft won't want to support too far into the future.
I suspect we will see a lot of machines advertised as "Vista ready" and with either a substantial discount coupon for Vista when it does arrive or the promise of a free upgrade. There will be a lot of uncertainty over this, no matter what the hardware makers do. No doubt MS will concoct some scheme with them. But they are going to have to be brutally honest about exactly which version of Vista will run on the box they sell and make sure the buyers understand correctly. I can see a certain fear factor attached to this which might serve to drive first-time and/or less knowledgeable buyers away from the market until things become easier for them to understand. Remember; package deals with everything included and ready to run is what got these folks into buying computers in the past. The lower prices over the years just accelerated the effect. How these buyers will react to the news that they will have to install or upgrade to a new operating system soon after getting the machine home is anyone's guess. It may take a lot of persuading for the manufacturers and retailers to overcome this. (And we're not sure whether there will be an upgrade path to Vista that does not involve a clean installation. Microsoft hasn't said yet, to the best of my knowledge.)
Microsoft has shaken up the management of the Windows division. Steve Sinofsky, formerly of the Office division, will oversee Windows development. He has a reputation for getting products out the door in good time and in good shape. Perhaps he will be able to make a difference, though it may not be fair to expect too much of him because he is coming so late in the development process. Then again, it may not be as late in the game as we think, if MS thinks they still need almost all of a year to get Vista on the truck.
Jack
UltraVNC SC (SingleClick)
This is a very kewl tool if you have computers you need to go in and fix for friends and family. You run a program on your computer and the other person downloads a special tool you make (from this web site.) and runs it on their computer and you control their computer and they see you moving the mouse. They can save the file so if you need it again they have it. It only works with the IP address you make the tool for. Riley and I use this program all of the time. Joe
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Microsoft to update IE after bugs found
It looks like MS is somewhat on top of this one. They're saying "possibly in April" for the patch but my friend near the source says it will be out of cycle and as soon as it's ready.
Our local Linux Users Group, besides a fair amount of snickering at MS over this, demonstrated exploit proof of concept code for both vulnerabilities, yesterday. I wasn't there, but a friend gave me a copy. It's nasty stuff, though NOD32 flagged both samples as suspicious, as did several other AV programs.
Beware, or get Opera or Firefox until IE is tightened up again.
Jack
Our local Linux Users Group, besides a fair amount of snickering at MS over this, demonstrated exploit proof of concept code for both vulnerabilities, yesterday. I wasn't there, but a friend gave me a copy. It's nasty stuff, though NOD32 flagged both samples as suspicious, as did several other AV programs.
Beware, or get Opera or Firefox until IE is tightened up again.
Jack
Windows Defender home
"Windows Defender (Beta 2) is a free program that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. It features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, and a new streamlined interface that minimizes interruptions and helps you stay productive. "
This requires a legal copy of Windows XP in order for you to download it.
This requires a legal copy of Windows XP in order for you to download it.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Vista release to Consumers put off until 2007 | Reuters.com
I was looking at Google's new Finance Search, and found the following news. I don't think this is gonna surprise, anybody.
--MissM
Stock Market News and Investment Information | Reuters.com
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday it plans to delay the consumer launch of its much-anticipated Windows Vista operating system to January 2007 from its earlier target of the second half of 2006.
Microsoft plans to launch a product for corporate customers in November and then roll out Windows Vista for consumers after the holiday shopping season, Jim Allchin, co-president of Platforms & Services Division, said in a conference call.
--MissM
Stock Market News and Investment Information | Reuters.com
New bug can crash Internet Explorer | CNET News.com
"Secunia deems the issue 'not critical." Is what a security outfit. Once it completes its inquiry, Microsoft said, it may issue a security advisory or provide a patch through its monthly release process.
Archaic Sounds Caress Modern Ears
I find this very appropriate to something we discussed on Sunday's show. It is about what can be done when a media becomes obsolete or deterioates. On a societal level, we have the historians and the librarians take care of it.
So someday your old CDs may wind up in a museum or library being preserved. That is if we can straigten out the copyright laws and allow works that are no longer actively protected by the copyright holder to be preserved and placed into some kind of commons. I presume that recordings or data that is still commercially viable will be moved to new formats by those making money from it.
So someday your old CDs may wind up in a museum or library being preserved. That is if we can straigten out the copyright laws and allow works that are no longer actively protected by the copyright holder to be preserved and placed into some kind of commons. I presume that recordings or data that is still commercially viable will be moved to new formats by those making money from it.
Curators at the University of California at Santa Barbara's Donald C. Davidson Library have digitized 6,000 late 19th-century and early 20th-century wax and plastic cylinder recordings -- precursors to the flat record. The audio, which includes ragtime hits, vaudeville routines and presidential speeches, encapsulates history with crackles and hisses, but archivists say preserving the sounds now is vital because the cylinders are deteriorating.
Adware backers named and shamed
The report is called "Following the Money: How Advertising Dollars Encourage Nuisance and Harmful Adware and What Can be Done to Reverse the Trend" and is by The Center for Democracy and Technology. In it, the CDT basically does what Ben Edelman has been doing for a while now; telling us just who supports the adware industry and how it is done. The link takes you to a synopsis in The Register.
Of course, 180 Solutions says adware is no different that television, where people pay for the content by "watching a few ads". I don't quite equate the two; mostly because I can't recall when the ads might have damaged my television or rendered it unusable. Drawing that outrageous parallel is the sort of slimy thing I'd expect from adware folks.
Jack
Of course, 180 Solutions says adware is no different that television, where people pay for the content by "watching a few ads". I don't quite equate the two; mostly because I can't recall when the ads might have damaged my television or rendered it unusable. Drawing that outrageous parallel is the sort of slimy thing I'd expect from adware folks.
Jack
Samsung intros solid state notebook drive
We told you they would not be long in coming. The link is to a blurb in The Inquirer. While there are no pricing details yet, expect them to cost 60% more than a mechanical hard drive of the same capacity. Of course, that price will fall rather rapidly.
The big story is what this will do for battery life. Plus, the NAND drives deliver much higher performance than the had drives they replace.
Jack
The big story is what this will do for battery life. Plus, the NAND drives deliver much higher performance than the had drives they replace.
Jack
New bug can crash Internet Explorer
This is not just another in the seemingly unending stream of IE vulnerabilities. The talk on various security mailing lists and IRC channels makes this clear.
Secunia rates this fairly low, as do most other firms. Apparently, crashing the browser is all this flaw is capable of. Attackers evidently cannot execute arbitrary code, nor control the machine's operation using this flaw. Talk among my security oriented friends has been decidedly "ho-hum" because of that. Further, they state that the limited ability of this flaw to be exploited and the limited reward for doing so is directly due to MS having exerted some real effort toward hardening IE. So if you think MS' security initiatives are just talk, think again.
I don't think it is my job to defend MS in this or much else, but credit where credit is due is only fair.
Jack
Secunia rates this fairly low, as do most other firms. Apparently, crashing the browser is all this flaw is capable of. Attackers evidently cannot execute arbitrary code, nor control the machine's operation using this flaw. Talk among my security oriented friends has been decidedly "ho-hum" because of that. Further, they state that the limited ability of this flaw to be exploited and the limited reward for doing so is directly due to MS having exerted some real effort toward hardening IE. So if you think MS' security initiatives are just talk, think again.
I don't think it is my job to defend MS in this or much else, but credit where credit is due is only fair.
Jack
Monday, March 20, 2006
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-19-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-19-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Note: this is a repost.
Note: this is a repost.
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-19-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-19-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
On Computers Server Downtime - Reminder
I have been notified that our hosting center will be shutting down our server on Sunday, March 19, 2006 from Midnight CST to 6:00AM CST to perform some power upgrades.
Please be aware that during this time all services that are housed on this server will be unavailable during this time. This includes the chat server, the newsgroups, On Computers Show Archives, email, and web pages that are hosted on this server.
If anyone has any questions, please feel free to email me.
Aaron
Please be aware that during this time all services that are housed on this server will be unavailable during this time. This includes the chat server, the newsgroups, On Computers Show Archives, email, and web pages that are hosted on this server.
If anyone has any questions, please feel free to email me.
Aaron
plastk:net
Anyone want to play a super game of Quake III?
Here's a writeup of a Linux lab where they hacked together a game of Quake III played on 24 monitors connected to a cluster of 12 Linux boxen running two monitors each, in a giant eight-by-three grid.
Thanks Terry B
Here's a writeup of a Linux lab where they hacked together a game of Quake III played on 24 monitors connected to a cluster of 12 Linux boxen running two monitors each, in a giant eight-by-three grid.
Thanks Terry B
Volkswagen and Google develop revolutionary navigation system - Automotoportal.com
Hmmm a VW and Google Earth! Works for me! :)
Windows XP-on-Mac contest declares winner | CNET News.com
A Macintosh enthusiast has managed to load Windows XP on an Intel Mac, nabbing a nearly $14,000 prize.
Thanks to Terry B
Thanks to Terry B
Samsung sees $370 million for Vista upgrades - Engadget
The first estimate, that I've seen, of the cost to upgrade to Vista.
From a reuter's article
--MissM
Samsung sees $370 million for Vista upgrades - Engadget
From a reuter's article
Samsung estimates it will cost businesses and consumers to upgrade their computers in order to make them Vista-ready. The number is something of a back-of-the-envelope estimate, based on the idea that there were 37 million PCs sold in the US in the last three years, and that 10% of those will be "upgrade candidates," with each upgrade averaging out to about $100 (we assume the other 90% will be tossed into landfills by owners who want brand-new PCs for Vista). To make sure they get a piece of this booty, Samsung plans to offer bundles that will provide both RAM and video upgrades for about $250. If all of this has you thinking there's some kind of conspiracy between Microsoft and its hardware partners to get you to part with your hard-earned cash every few years, banish that notion! If Microsoft really felt that way, they would have released Vista on time, instead of struggling for years to get it out the door.
--MissM
Samsung sees $370 million for Vista upgrades - Engadget
MP3 Insider: The truth about your battery life
Is this why your battery last so little time?
Thanks brockj49464 in our chat.
Joe
Thanks brockj49464 in our chat.
Joe
Friday, March 17, 2006
Vendors flunk wireless security test
Had to post this one.
By Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service
March 16, 2006
More than half of the wireless networks deployed at the Cebit technology show in Hanover, Germany, last week had no encryption enabled, making the systems behind them prime targets, according to Kaspersky Lab, a security vendor.
By Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service
March 16, 2006
More than half of the wireless networks deployed at the Cebit technology show in Hanover, Germany, last week had no encryption enabled, making the systems behind them prime targets, according to Kaspersky Lab, a security vendor.
New denial-of-service threat emerges
This is a pretty scary variation on the run of the mill DoS attack by bots. It is harder to block and doing so risks blocking legitimate traffic to a degree companies and other organizations might find unacceptable.
Jack
Jack
Warner HD-DVD titles: April 18th 2006 - HD Beat
There's an official release date! More info at the link in the title.
Answer in comments, please.
--MissM
Warner HD-DVD titles: April 18th 2006 - HD Beat
Are you going to wait or have you already re-submitted your pre-order? Will Toshiba still release the players on March 28th without the movies?
Answer in comments, please.
--MissM
Warner HD-DVD titles: April 18th 2006 - HD Beat
Making Your Terminal into a Desktop
Subtitled "The Value of Screen", this is a brief Linux tutorial on why one might wish to make the CLI (Command Line Interface) your default desktop. It is quite possible to do this in Linux, and even to view graphics without starting X at all.
I get a fair amount of "stuff" from Joe about my use of the command line. I don't do it anywhere near as much as some folks I know, but I do make good use of it, fairly frequently. There are reasons. If I'm using my laptop, it makes the battery last a lot longer. (I haven't measured, but my best estimate is that the battery lasts well over 50% longer in CLI than with the graphic interface running!) The command line is often faster than performing the same tasks in the graphic environment.
Even Microsoft has admitted that a command line shell is THE place to work at times and will be including a very, very powerful shell (code named "Monad") in at least some versions of Vista and upcoming server releases. After years of trying to eliminate as much of the command line shell as possible, Microsoft listened to their users and will give them this tool, which they need very much.
Read this one, over at Linux Planet and see why I, and many others, use the CLI as much as we do. I still have machines (yes, plural) without any type of graphic capability at all and, frankly, love them as text entry devices.
Jack
I get a fair amount of "stuff" from Joe about my use of the command line. I don't do it anywhere near as much as some folks I know, but I do make good use of it, fairly frequently. There are reasons. If I'm using my laptop, it makes the battery last a lot longer. (I haven't measured, but my best estimate is that the battery lasts well over 50% longer in CLI than with the graphic interface running!) The command line is often faster than performing the same tasks in the graphic environment.
Even Microsoft has admitted that a command line shell is THE place to work at times and will be including a very, very powerful shell (code named "Monad") in at least some versions of Vista and upcoming server releases. After years of trying to eliminate as much of the command line shell as possible, Microsoft listened to their users and will give them this tool, which they need very much.
Read this one, over at Linux Planet and see why I, and many others, use the CLI as much as we do. I still have machines (yes, plural) without any type of graphic capability at all and, frankly, love them as text entry devices.
Jack
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Reply to Ken's Comment On the Verbatim Store 'n' Go
After Ken's comment on my (and Verbatim's) claim that a work session on a PC involving the Verbatim Store "n" Go device left behind no trace, I did a little investigating.
Using a virtual installation of Windows XP, I took both software and and data off the Verbatim device, edited 3 images, generated one word processor document and edited several text files. I then closed the session and went looking. There is indeed a trace or three left behind. I found 9 registry keys and several files in swap with no header information (as is the case in regular deletions).
So there is a trace left behind, though I will not say Verbatim's claim is false. There is no obvious indication a user has been on the PC. A forensic examination will indeed reveal the session has taken place and might even allow recovery of some files from the swap area, though I was not able to recover any, using a simple software approach.
I think Verbatim's claim is based on the idea that the next user or regular user of the machine will not notice anything left behind, which is entirely true. That is their goal and they have met it.
In conclusion; if one is working on highly sensitive materials, it might be a better idea to wait until you got to a PC you control to do it. But if one simply needs to catch up on mail and some work, the Store 'N' Go device is perfect, with only that caveat.
Jack
Using a virtual installation of Windows XP, I took both software and and data off the Verbatim device, edited 3 images, generated one word processor document and edited several text files. I then closed the session and went looking. There is indeed a trace or three left behind. I found 9 registry keys and several files in swap with no header information (as is the case in regular deletions).
So there is a trace left behind, though I will not say Verbatim's claim is false. There is no obvious indication a user has been on the PC. A forensic examination will indeed reveal the session has taken place and might even allow recovery of some files from the swap area, though I was not able to recover any, using a simple software approach.
I think Verbatim's claim is based on the idea that the next user or regular user of the machine will not notice anything left behind, which is entirely true. That is their goal and they have met it.
In conclusion; if one is working on highly sensitive materials, it might be a better idea to wait until you got to a PC you control to do it. But if one simply needs to catch up on mail and some work, the Store 'N' Go device is perfect, with only that caveat.
Jack
Latest update to Google's refusal to submit to a fishing expedition.
Judge to Order Google to Turn Over Some Records
I was pleased to see the update, and thought that you would wanna know.
--MissM
Judge to Order Google to Turn Over Records - New York Times
Hat tip to Sue.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Google Inc.'s legal showdown with the Bush administration over the right to protect the privacy of its audience and trade secrets appears to be tilting in the Internet search engine's favor, even though a federal judge has signaled he will order the company to turn over some records to the government.
U.S. District Court Judge James Ware repeatedly emphasized his sensitivity to Google's concerns during a Tuesday court hearing. It concluded with Ware saying he intends to give the U.S. Justice Department a peek at a sliver of the online search engine leader's vast database.
T. Barton Carter, a communications and law professor at Boston University, said the concerns raised by Ware should be heartening to privacy rights advocates, but cautioned against reading too much into the judge's comments until he releases his order.
''What's going to be important is whether he limits the information (given to the government) and whether he explains why he drew the line where he did,'' Carter said.
I was pleased to see the update, and thought that you would wanna know.
--MissM
Judge to Order Google to Turn Over Records - New York Times
Hat tip to Sue.
Wired News:'Free IPod' Takes Privacy Toll
Apparently Gratis Networks, who were doing gobs of Free "pretty much whatever you might want" I saw the ipods, of course, and there were xbox360s, I kinda ignored any other "free" offers , after a while...oops, I got distracted.
Eliot Spitzer, the New York Attorney General, "announced Monday that e-mail marketing giant Datran Media had agreed to a $1.1 million fine for knowingly buying marketing lists from companies with privacy policies that promised not to sell or transfer the lists to a third party."
The thing that struck me immediately, was that Datran Media got fined for purchasing a list. Gratis internet didn't get punished (yet, we can hope?) for renting lists.... I just read the article, haven't clicked on any of the more in-depth links. But, that puzzled me. Any enlightenment, please post in the comments.
--MissM
Wired News:'Free IPod' Takes Privacy Toll
Eliot Spitzer, the New York Attorney General, "announced Monday that e-mail marketing giant Datran Media had agreed to a $1.1 million fine for knowingly buying marketing lists from companies with privacy policies that promised not to sell or transfer the lists to a third party."
The thing that struck me immediately, was that Datran Media got fined for purchasing a list. Gratis internet didn't get punished (yet, we can hope?) for renting lists.... I just read the article, haven't clicked on any of the more in-depth links. But, that puzzled me. Any enlightenment, please post in the comments.
--MissM
Wired News:'Free IPod' Takes Privacy Toll
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Jack Eats Humble Pie re; Virtualization on Desktop
It hasn't been all that long since I poured verbal cold water on the idea of virtualization on the desktop becoming common. I've been studying virtualization both as a technology and as a market force now for several weeks and I find I must admit I was wrong and just how wrong I was.
What convinced me I was wrong was not my reading, but rather a device Andy Markham sent the cast members after he was on the show. It's called the "Verbatim Store 'n' Go". Basically, it's a one gigabyte flash memory stick with a twist; You can take enough of your home Windows desktop, including settings, software and data, with you to work in your chosen environment and with your choice of tools on any other Windows PC. And when you leave that PC, none of your data or settings stay behind. You leave no footprint at all! Not a trace of your presence remains. All this is due to some clever software, including a sort of micro operating system. It's a very cool tool and priced very affordably.
Extend that idea just a little bit, as will undoubtedly happen in the normal course of events. Imagine that when you buy or build a PC, there is no operating system as we know it installed. Instead, there will be a "hypervisor", which is the current buzz-word for the host OS in a virtualization scheme. And we can carry a device very much like the Verbatim one, only larger, which contains our chosen operating environment, data and whatever software we choose, making it possible to work on our own PC without our own PC! Plug in your USB device, give it a minute (probably a lot less than a minute) to boot up and you're ready to go. Anything too large to be carried with you on the device would be available over the Internet using a built-in VPN setup to access your home machine.
If the hypervisor is well implemented, any user could use literally any work environment they chose on any PC. Like Linux? How about the Mac OS X? You could run them all on the same hardware. No problem at all. Companies like Microsoft will jump at the chance to implement this. Why? Well, because the OS and software are not tied to any hardware, they can be made to expire. You pay by the year and the software publishers get a very much evened-out revenue stream. And rolling out a new OS every few years might also become a thing of the past. Instead, new features will be added yearly, or even quarterly, in a gradual way, so as not to rock the user's or the IT department's collective boats.
A company could standardize file formats and write applications in "OS neutral" languages like Java, RealBASIC, Python and C# and even workers using the company's hardware would be free to use whichever environment they chose, without affecting the company at all. Just load the appropriate runtime environment and get to it.
The PC makers will like it, as well. They only have to cater to a hypervisor, instead of an operating system with a user interface. The hypervisor is much cheaper to develop or buy and, given decent standards are adopted, the PC maker can capitalize on that. There is so little profit margin in PC manufacture that I should think the companies would welcome not having to bundle any software at all. They can make a further profit on selling the devices that hold the OS, etc. to the users and if they wish to bundle software, that is where it will be done. (Though I suspect that this setup will be the end of bundling, simply because it is such a pain for the companies involved.)
From my small experience with virtualization, I can imagine that if a virtualization setup is well written and implemented, it will be almost impossible for the "guest" OS and it's software to bring down or lock up the machine, too. You might have to issue a command to force quit an application once in a while, but the underlying hardware and software will hum happily along. True crashes will be very nearly a thing of the past. And if trouble does happen in that scenario, a very rapid reboot is possible because the hypervisor is still going strong and it's connection to the hardware is unbroken, so nothing needs to be initialized again. Only the guest environment and software need restarting.
Changes or upgrades in hardware will require modification to the hypervisor, but that probably will entail no more work or bother than a change in drivers does now. No changes to the "guest" device would be necessary as the hypervisor handles all interaction with the hardware.
I do believe I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out. And if I'm wrong, you listeners are allowed to laugh.
Jack
What convinced me I was wrong was not my reading, but rather a device Andy Markham sent the cast members after he was on the show. It's called the "Verbatim Store 'n' Go". Basically, it's a one gigabyte flash memory stick with a twist; You can take enough of your home Windows desktop, including settings, software and data, with you to work in your chosen environment and with your choice of tools on any other Windows PC. And when you leave that PC, none of your data or settings stay behind. You leave no footprint at all! Not a trace of your presence remains. All this is due to some clever software, including a sort of micro operating system. It's a very cool tool and priced very affordably.
Extend that idea just a little bit, as will undoubtedly happen in the normal course of events. Imagine that when you buy or build a PC, there is no operating system as we know it installed. Instead, there will be a "hypervisor", which is the current buzz-word for the host OS in a virtualization scheme. And we can carry a device very much like the Verbatim one, only larger, which contains our chosen operating environment, data and whatever software we choose, making it possible to work on our own PC without our own PC! Plug in your USB device, give it a minute (probably a lot less than a minute) to boot up and you're ready to go. Anything too large to be carried with you on the device would be available over the Internet using a built-in VPN setup to access your home machine.
If the hypervisor is well implemented, any user could use literally any work environment they chose on any PC. Like Linux? How about the Mac OS X? You could run them all on the same hardware. No problem at all. Companies like Microsoft will jump at the chance to implement this. Why? Well, because the OS and software are not tied to any hardware, they can be made to expire. You pay by the year and the software publishers get a very much evened-out revenue stream. And rolling out a new OS every few years might also become a thing of the past. Instead, new features will be added yearly, or even quarterly, in a gradual way, so as not to rock the user's or the IT department's collective boats.
A company could standardize file formats and write applications in "OS neutral" languages like Java, RealBASIC, Python and C# and even workers using the company's hardware would be free to use whichever environment they chose, without affecting the company at all. Just load the appropriate runtime environment and get to it.
The PC makers will like it, as well. They only have to cater to a hypervisor, instead of an operating system with a user interface. The hypervisor is much cheaper to develop or buy and, given decent standards are adopted, the PC maker can capitalize on that. There is so little profit margin in PC manufacture that I should think the companies would welcome not having to bundle any software at all. They can make a further profit on selling the devices that hold the OS, etc. to the users and if they wish to bundle software, that is where it will be done. (Though I suspect that this setup will be the end of bundling, simply because it is such a pain for the companies involved.)
From my small experience with virtualization, I can imagine that if a virtualization setup is well written and implemented, it will be almost impossible for the "guest" OS and it's software to bring down or lock up the machine, too. You might have to issue a command to force quit an application once in a while, but the underlying hardware and software will hum happily along. True crashes will be very nearly a thing of the past. And if trouble does happen in that scenario, a very rapid reboot is possible because the hypervisor is still going strong and it's connection to the hardware is unbroken, so nothing needs to be initialized again. Only the guest environment and software need restarting.
Changes or upgrades in hardware will require modification to the hypervisor, but that probably will entail no more work or bother than a change in drivers does now. No changes to the "guest" device would be necessary as the hypervisor handles all interaction with the hardware.
I do believe I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out. And if I'm wrong, you listeners are allowed to laugh.
Jack
Talking Computers Just Around the Corner
Elizabeth Millard has written a very nice piece about speech recognition for Newsfactor.com and I recommend it highly.
It's rather obvious that speech recognition is advancing faster than handwriting recognition is. That's a shame because I can easily imagine the tablet PC with good handwriting and speech recognition as THE machine for the road warrior to have. (This even though that person is going to be the absolute least desired seat-mate on the airplane, unless they start letting folks use their cell phones during flights.)
There has been a lot of steady progress made since I was fooling with Via Voice in SuSE Linux 6.2. I'm half tempted to get one of the companies mentioned in the article to cough up a sample so I can see just how far things have come.
Jack
It's rather obvious that speech recognition is advancing faster than handwriting recognition is. That's a shame because I can easily imagine the tablet PC with good handwriting and speech recognition as THE machine for the road warrior to have. (This even though that person is going to be the absolute least desired seat-mate on the airplane, unless they start letting folks use their cell phones during flights.)
There has been a lot of steady progress made since I was fooling with Via Voice in SuSE Linux 6.2. I'm half tempted to get one of the companies mentioned in the article to cough up a sample so I can see just how far things have come.
Jack
PodcastPromos
Just in case you don't have enough feeds to fill your waking hours with podcasts, Todd Cochrane of GeekNewsCentral has released this new website with up to 2 minute podcast promos. Another use, might be by the person who "engineers" our audio to download and play some of these during the half hour breaks (hint, hint). But they'd have to read the blog. *snark* I put this at the end so you have to read the whole post to get it ;)
--MissM
PodcastPromos - Welcome
--MissM
PodcastPromos - Welcome
Analyzing the Crossover Virus
Subtitled "The First PC to Windows Handheld Cross-infector", this multi-page article covers much more ground than the title implies.
The author is a principal of MARA (Mobile Anti-virus Research Assn.), which has come under some criticism recently for not sharing some bits of malicious code with other researchers unless they joined MARA. Membership in MARA is free, though it is my understanding that the agreement you must sign to join places burdensome restrictions on some researchers.
Aside from that, the article tells some of the "nuts and bolts" details of recent mobile infectious code. It's worth the read, and enduring the author's defensive tone regarding MARA. If you read it closely, as I did, you will in all liklihood find it scary. These threats are the coming thing and will require quite a bit of vigilance and some crafty software tools to keep us safe. Do not be led to complacency by the relative crudeness of the code in this example. This type of malware is growing in both sophistication and in numbers of attacks, very rapidly.
Jack
The author is a principal of MARA (Mobile Anti-virus Research Assn.), which has come under some criticism recently for not sharing some bits of malicious code with other researchers unless they joined MARA. Membership in MARA is free, though it is my understanding that the agreement you must sign to join places burdensome restrictions on some researchers.
Aside from that, the article tells some of the "nuts and bolts" details of recent mobile infectious code. It's worth the read, and enduring the author's defensive tone regarding MARA. If you read it closely, as I did, you will in all liklihood find it scary. These threats are the coming thing and will require quite a bit of vigilance and some crafty software tools to keep us safe. Do not be led to complacency by the relative crudeness of the code in this example. This type of malware is growing in both sophistication and in numbers of attacks, very rapidly.
Jack
Beyond Silicon: Intel is Exploring New Semiconducter Materials
The link is to an article on the MIT Technology Review site. In it, there is a lightweight treatise on how silicon has it's limitations as a material for computer chips and just a bit of the how and why Intel is looking at new materials for this use.
This is hardly the kind of article you and I can use, but it does tell you a bit about research now going on which may affect the computers we use in a few years. If you have an interest in that, check this one out.
Jack
This is hardly the kind of article you and I can use, but it does tell you a bit about research now going on which may affect the computers we use in a few years. If you have an interest in that, check this one out.
Jack
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Everybody's Doing It! A Backup Story
We're always harping on backup, so I thought I'd point out this story of an HP executive who does a weekly backup for his whole family. It's a short and pleasant read.
Jack
Jack
Tyan brings supercomputing to the desktop
Alright; Jane, Joe, Pete, Gail, Riley and Aaron, here's what I want for my birthday. Get them now, while demand has yet to build.
It's a whole 'nother class of machine, as The Inquirer points out in the short article linked to above. The small form factor means I could put it into the space under my desk now occupied by two PCs and have quite a bit more power than all our computers combined to bark my shins on when I roll up in the chair.
Up to 16 cores, oodles of memory and all sorts of cooling capacity in a package most of us could find room for anywhere, even in the smallest cubicle. The Inquirer bit points out a few rough edges in this implementation, but they are liveable and will probably vanish before the rest of the cast has to start shopping for my present.
Expect to see more of these sorts of machines soon. I suspect we should call them "super workstations" or some other such moniker that affirms their use in the office, rather than the data center.
Jack
It's a whole 'nother class of machine, as The Inquirer points out in the short article linked to above. The small form factor means I could put it into the space under my desk now occupied by two PCs and have quite a bit more power than all our computers combined to bark my shins on when I roll up in the chair.
Up to 16 cores, oodles of memory and all sorts of cooling capacity in a package most of us could find room for anywhere, even in the smallest cubicle. The Inquirer bit points out a few rough edges in this implementation, but they are liveable and will probably vanish before the rest of the cast has to start shopping for my present.
Expect to see more of these sorts of machines soon. I suspect we should call them "super workstations" or some other such moniker that affirms their use in the office, rather than the data center.
Jack
HD-DVD might not be ready, but Netflix is - HD Beat
I mentioned in the chat Sunday, how disappointed I was in SD (480i/Standard Definition (I think)) DVDs on an HDTV. I guess the HD TV signals I've been watching have spoiled me. To point out that I am doing this for more than selfish reasons. ;) I know at least of couple of our listeners/chatters use netflix, and I know at least a couple of our listeners/chatters have HDTVs, so in what I hope is a happy nirvana for several? of our participants, Netflix now has an option for HD DVDs.
They say that HD DVD will be an option in March, but will there be players for them by then?
As a commenter pondered, will this increase wait times for the DVD arrival?
I'm curious about the same thing.
Does this mean a vote against Blu-Ray?
Does this mean I don't get to watch Sony DVDs? Is this a loss? :)
3/28/2006 is the first of Warner Home Video HD DVD launches.
Universal says March, 2006.
May 2006 is about when the first Blu Ray movies are gonna come out.
And more, more, more info at Wikipedia HD-DVD.
--MissM
Please post corrections and opinions in the comments.
HD-DVD might not be ready, but Netflix is - HD Beat
UPDATE: Engadget.com reports HD-DVD movies: not coming soon.
From the accounts page under "Formats" you can configure your HD DVD options , such as if you have a HD DVD player and if you always want a HD DVD instead of DVD when available. There is now even a format column on your queue so you can see which HD DVD's are in your queue.
They say that HD DVD will be an option in March, but will there be players for them by then?
As a commenter pondered, will this increase wait times for the DVD arrival?
I'm curious about the same thing.
Does this mean a vote against Blu-Ray?
Does this mean I don't get to watch Sony DVDs? Is this a loss? :)
3/28/2006 is the first of Warner Home Video HD DVD launches.
Universal says March, 2006.
May 2006 is about when the first Blu Ray movies are gonna come out.
And more, more, more info at Wikipedia HD-DVD.
--MissM
Please post corrections and opinions in the comments.
HD-DVD might not be ready, but Netflix is - HD Beat
UPDATE: Engadget.com reports HD-DVD movies: not coming soon.
Warner Home Video -- the only studio that had set a firm date for a rollout of HD-DVD movies -- has now backed off and won't commit to a specific timetable.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Demo XGL Today With the Kororaa LiveCD!
When Microsoft said there would be no support for OpenGL in Vista, one had to wonder if cards for the Mac OS X (which uses OpenGL natively) and Linux were going to become niche items, destined to second class citizenship or premium prices, or both. This new XGL (stands for eXtended OpenGL) puts a fair amount of pressure on graphics adapter companies to get (or stay) on the GL bandwagon.
I've seen it. It's spectacular, to say the least. And it offloads more of the video from the cpu than any other scheme, meaning there will be a significant performance boost to the system, even as it delivers what may well be the richest 3D display around. XGL is definitely on a par with, or ahead of, the display used in the Mac OS X. That means there is pressure on MS to deliver an even better desktop, yet they are sticking with a scheme for graphics that demands a much higher performance graphics adapter.
Jack
I've seen it. It's spectacular, to say the least. And it offloads more of the video from the cpu than any other scheme, meaning there will be a significant performance boost to the system, even as it delivers what may well be the richest 3D display around. XGL is definitely on a par with, or ahead of, the display used in the Mac OS X. That means there is pressure on MS to deliver an even better desktop, yet they are sticking with a scheme for graphics that demands a much higher performance graphics adapter.
Jack
Watercooled XBox360 Shuttles onto mortal coil
While there are a lot of interesting things being pushed at CeBIT, this year, I really don't figure it's our job to point you to very many of them, as there are loads of sites doing nothing but that. This one has to be an exception, though.
It's a self-contained watercooling unit. It's shown fitted into a PC and an XBox 360. Not only does it have no tubing, but the article suggests it will be even smaller than shown by the time it is in it's final shape.
I've worked with unitized cooling rigs in other fields and, frankly, have long wondered why they were not an option in computers. Evidently there were some challenges posed by the size, which is about an order of magnitude smaller than anything I have worked with previously. Still, they're here and I'll bet we will be seeing a lot of them as time goes on.
Jack
It's a self-contained watercooling unit. It's shown fitted into a PC and an XBox 360. Not only does it have no tubing, but the article suggests it will be even smaller than shown by the time it is in it's final shape.
I've worked with unitized cooling rigs in other fields and, frankly, have long wondered why they were not an option in computers. Evidently there were some challenges posed by the size, which is about an order of magnitude smaller than anything I have worked with previously. Still, they're here and I'll bet we will be seeing a lot of them as time goes on.
Jack
Sunday, March 12, 2006
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-12-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-12-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Bad Astronomy Blog:NASA gone open source?
Wow, this is pretty nifty: NASA is looking into going open source for a lot of their software. Of particular interest is their World Wind software, which is a "Google Earth"-type app, and is very cool. I love things like this: a highly-skilled and well-funded group can put together an amazing engine for software, and by making it open source they can have legions of people adding their own stuff to it. Google Earth has lots of add-ons (or plugins or whatever you want to call them) which make it an extremely versatile and fun piece of software. I expect NASA can do pretty well here too!
I thought this would be of interest to several here.
--MissM
Bad Astronomy Blog : Blog Archive : NASA gone open source?
Friday, March 10, 2006
RAID: A Guide For All
RAID = Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. You've heard us talk about it on the show. To most people ihttp://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=886t's black magic, despite it being fairly easy to do (in some types of arrays) and a very good solution for safekeeping of your data.
If you want to know about RAID; what it is and how to use it, I suggest you click on the link above and follow along as this multi-part article is published. The link takes you to Part 1.
With hard drives as cheap as they are, mirroring one's primary drive is a good way to ensure that if your main drive goes kaput, you can merely rearrange them and boot from the mirror drive. It's virtually as simple as that sounds, too. You probably need to check this out if you're not already up to speed on RAID.
Jack
If you want to know about RAID; what it is and how to use it, I suggest you click on the link above and follow along as this multi-part article is published. The link takes you to Part 1.
With hard drives as cheap as they are, mirroring one's primary drive is a good way to ensure that if your main drive goes kaput, you can merely rearrange them and boot from the mirror drive. It's virtually as simple as that sounds, too. You probably need to check this out if you're not already up to speed on RAID.
Jack
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