Thoughts and links from the crew of the On Computers Radio Show as we wander the Web.
Monday, December 31, 2007
The art of software murder
The comments on other applications are equally dark.
Jack
Sunday, December 30, 2007
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 12-30-07
Links from the Gregg Zone!
1) I was reading an article titled
2) I was looking through my books the other day, thinking I would like to start a novel to read off an on, but could not find anything interesting. And so, I thought I would look around for something new. I found an author I was not familiar with, although maybe well known to a lot of you out there. Vernor Vinge referred as “The Online Prophet” how could, that! Not grab me. Evidently, in his Sci-Fi novel “True Names” he predicted the internet in 1981. I am going to look around for it on Ebay; here is a link about the author. http://www.salon.com
3) This is an interesting site for the DYI guy, or gal out there who likes to try building things, especially the off the wall type projects. I like this one quite a bit, because I am a tinkerer at heart. You can build; a solid wood clock, a welder from an old microwave, Tesla turbine from old CD’s (something to do with those AOL’s), a marshmallow gun, well you get the idea. Check it out at http://www.instructables.com
4) I was talking to someone the other day who did not know what the Hubble deep field was, that surprised me so I thought I would put up a very good link for anyone else out there who might not be familiar with the subject. Check out the video it puts things into perspective. http://www.deepastronomy.com
5) This is a link sent to me by Riley a few days ago, thanks for the trip down memory lane. Wow does this site transport me back in time to an era that defined a very large part of my life. The sounds of
Divine Disorder on the Desktop
I've been reading a lot of this sort of thing of late and I find it interesting. I hope you will, too. Please either follow the link in the article to "Bumptop" or use this one.
I also found a sort of history of interactive desktops and/or Graphic user interfaces (GUIs) here that I think you might find both interesting and thought provoking.
Jack
Friday, December 28, 2007
AOL pulls plug on Netscape Web browser - Yahoo! News
HP EX470 Windows Home Server Easter Egg
Jack
Open Source Living
Open Source Living is an index of the most popular and proven open source and Free Software applications around. Listings are for Windows, Macs and, of course, Linux and while not separated by OS, the listings are easy enough to get around in and understand. At least that's the mission statement. I note that the site carries a very Google-like beta tag. Still, it works fairly well and I urge you to have a look at it.
Jack
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Microsoft's Windows Home Server corrupts files
I wonder what happened to product testing at MS? First Vista comes out half-baked and now this? Maybe they're all off shining Ray Ozzie's shoes?
Jack
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
IE's Acid trip back to conflict
Jack
Monday, December 24, 2007
Pics of Deepak's Grandchildren
Enjoy,
Jack
Serious Windows Home Server concerns [Updated]
Jack
Antivirus protection worse than a year ago
Jack
Serious Flash vulns menace at least 10,000 websites
There will doubtless be more details in the next few days. Expect protection from AV companies and workarounds from Adobe, if not an actual fix. (Everyone in the know seems to be betting on a combination of both, as the problem lies in something Adobe can't control; the tools used to build Flash sites.) Isn't the Internet grand?
Jack
Microsoft fixed borked IE update
Jack
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 12-23-07
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Geek Meet 2008
As you know, Geek Meet 2008 is scheduled for April 11-13 2008 in Las Vegas, NV.
We have started to look into the arrangements for Geek Meet this year, and due to the proposals being received, we are considering instituting a registration fee for Geek Meet this year. Please let us know your thoughts by responding to our polls on whether or not you would pay a fee, and if so, how much you would be willing to pay.
Unfortunately, if the response is that people would prefer not to pay a fee, we might be forced to find a new location.
Thanks.
Aaron
*Note: Any fee collected will be used to cover the Geek Meet expenses such as T-shirts and the cost of the meeting room for the show.
Links from the Gregg Zone!
1) I thought with Christmas only a day or two away I should find a good “Geek Gift” somewhere out there, and while I suppose a little late to get it on your list you might buy one of these with the Christmas money aunt Mary put into your Christmas card. You might have to add a few bucks of your own, well maybe quite a few, anyway check this out. The 914-PC-BOT is the first general service robot designed for digital life in the home. It is a host computer, it is a web server, it has an 80 Giga hard drive, and a Gig of Ram, and, you can program it with Linux Umbunto, or Windows XP, and there is a lot of other stuff above my pay grade. http://www.whiteboxrobotics.com
2) This is a revisit to the one laptop per child site. They have extended the give one get one program through the end of the year. Therefore, if you want to participate you have 10 days left before they change it. It would be a very nice thing to do in the holiday spirit. You might even know some one to give the one you receive, double your pleasure, double your fun, not to mention your karma. http://laptopgiving.org
3) This is a wiki site on free energy. Many (hundreds) of online free video links to sites dealing with free energy, every thing from home videos of people showing off their inventions, to professional videos, and news releases. Even crop circles displaying how to build inter-stellar space ships, analyzed, and explained if you want to build one. Being a person who likes conspiracy theories, I liked the videos on suppression. They made some good points, those who control how we get our energy, control everything. I put up a site a while back on a person running his car on water, I was wondering what happened to him, there are references here to other people doing the same thing, and they also disappeared. This site is amazing if you are into the subject, it is all here, so check it out. http://peswiki.com
4) If you are a fan of Google’s Sketchup program, this tutorial site that is very interesting, for instance you can watch someone design a tractor from scratch, step-by- step, at an accelerated rate. It is very interesting for anyone who has wanted to play around with a cad program just for fun, or design your new home for real. You could even design your own free energy system. If you have not seen it, Google’s program is worth checking out. http://www.youtube.com
5) To end the links for the week something for the space buffs out there, I ran across an article that took me by surprise. Formerly the Sun was the largest object in our solar system. Now, comet 17P/Holmes holds that distinction. An interesting read, and printed up it might even win you a bar bet, or two. http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Plexiglas-like DVD to hold 1TB of data
If this debuts at reasonable prices, this puts a whole new spin on backups. Until it does, I'm staying skeptical.
Jack
Friday, December 21, 2007
Kaspersky false alarm quarantines Windows Explorer
Jack
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Download details: Standalone Update Package for Windows XP Service Pack 3
This is a public release of XP's SP3. This is still BETA it's very close to the full version. This is 336.1MB download and I would guess Microsoft will be mailing CD's at a later date.
Maybe it can fix some of the WUD problems.
AlaskaJoe
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Patch Tuesday IE Update Goes Wrong
However; This short article at The Inquirer will give you the basic info you need and steer you to the appropriate Knowledge Base (KB) article if you are having the problem.
It's hard to tell how widespread this is. However, it is starting to get a lot of press and may affect a lot of people or only a few.
Jack
QuickBooks update shreds Mac files
Jack
Sunday, December 16, 2007
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 12-16-07
Review: Windows XP
Jack
Links from the Gregg Zone!
1) I just ran across this site looks interesting sort of like a cross between a verbal blog, personal talk show (you can host), a Socrates café, all wrapped up in one. I will need to check into it some more, but on the surface I think it might be fun to play around with. http://www.talkshoe.com
2) Next up a site that is in process of creating a web reference for every species of life known to exist on the planet, and then to keep up with the new discoveries as they come along. Sounds easy until realizing there are currently 1.8 million known, and we add several thousand every year. The problem is cataloging them before they become extinct. http://www.eol.org
3) This is another of those free online movie sites they currently have over four hundred available. Need to sign up, but it is free. They even had Rocky and Bullwinkle, used to be a favorite of mine, especially the fractured fairy tales, and Peabody the Dog, with the way back machine. They also have many classic movies, and you can share viewing, not sure, I understand why though. http://cinema.lycos.com
4) This is an interesting link on determining the meaning of your name, just type in a name and you will get a breakdown of who you are supposed to be. The readings are interesting, and surprisingly accurate. http://www.bostonuk.com/
5) One more for those who like ghost stuff, sorry I found this to late for Halloween, but rather than wait till next year I thought I would just throw it in. It is rather extensive there are many subjects, covered in depth. I am still browsing around the site, I hold most of this stuff at arms length, but am always willing to keep an open mind. http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/
A Few Words About Flash Memory Sticks
Note throughout that this is just my opinion and based on my experiences and those of a few people I know. This base is fairly limited and your experiences may vary quite a bit. I do walk around with a minimum of 4 at all times, carrying Windows software, Linux distros and all sorts of tools for working on systems, not to mention how-to stuff and my own documents. I use them a lot at home, as well.
Still, I have gone through a number of these things now and I think I can state rather fairly that there are some problems that can affect them.
First and foremost is heat. These devices get warm. The longer they stay warm, the more prone they are to failure, in my experience. Not total failure. They will simply lose capacity. I assume a few transistors die and the system drops that entire block from the file allocation table. Neither I nor anyone I know has had one simply die. They just lose capacity, either in small or large increments, as they age.
Because simply leaving the memory sticks plugged in to the system keeps them quite warm, I have taken to physically removing them whenever I am not either actively reading or writing from them. (Just ejecting them or unmounting them from the file system is not enough. They will still heat up if left connected.) Since implementing that little policy, I have not had one lose even a tiny bit of capacity. Obviously, I do not recommend someone plugging flash memory devices in to take advantage of Microsoft Vista's "Ready Boost" feature. You can do it, but be warned that the boost in performance is not large at all and you're going to have to replace the flash device fairly often. And if you insist in giving this a shot, there are devices specifically intended to fulfill this purpose. Buy one of those. The price premium is because they are designed to take the heat.
And you've already figured out not to leave them in the car, right? That will kill them faster than a 3 year old with a hammer.
The second enemy of memory sticks is dust. It gets into the sockets and kills connectivity. I assume what happens is that the dust is sometimes conductive and crosses connectors, but I am not sure of this. I never buy a stick that folds into it's cover. I want one with a proper cap that fits rather tightly. That way it won't collect all the different dusts and particles that lurk in my pockets and in the bottom of my toolbox and purse. (Yes, guys. I carry a purse. I simply have too much junk to handle when I move away from my home to get along without one. I just make sure it's neither pink nor patent leather and no on says anything about it.)
The third area of concern as far as reliability goes is rough handling. This is kind of a "no brainer", but even the toughest sticks I have seen are prone to damage if they are crushed. It sounds simplistic, but when we chuck these things into a bag or whatever, if we pay just a bit of heed to storing them they will not be damaged. Personally, I just put them into a side pocket and go. Back pockets are a no-no.
I've had experience now with all sorts of brands and models. I have a few favorites. Tied for first place are Memorex and PNY brands. They seem to last the best and offer the best read and write speeds, regardless of whether you buy the fast stuff or just their run of the mill. Running relatively close behind them is San Disk and their Cruzer lines especially.
A word about PNY brand. In the early days of flash memory sticks, their stuff was average at the best. The ones they made early on were in sizes of a few megabytes, and that stuff failed repeatedly on me. Since then, and especially in the last 18 months, they have really brought up their game. I hear this from everyone and my experiences jibe with theirs. I used to avoid PNY like the pest because they were so unreliable, but now will spend my own money on them and gladly so. Even at that, I do steer clear of the older, smaller PNY units; those 256 MB or smaller. I have some and I use them, but only where a quick backup or replacement is at hand. I have learned not to trust them the hard way and they never leave the workbench. It is at the least embarassing to have one fail in front of a client.
I am not aware of a "bad" brand; one that you need to steer clear of.
Jack
Saturday, December 15, 2007
BZ's '07 San Francisco Fleetweek Photo Gallery
to the BadAstronomer for pointing them out.
BZ's '07 San Francisco Fleetweek Photo Gallery
--MissM
my shared google reader items.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
MikeOS
In the words of the web site;
MikeOS is a 16-bit operating system for x86 PCs, written in assembly language, which boots from a floppy disk or CD-ROM. It features a text-based dialog-driven user interface, a command-line, support for FAT12 (DOS) floppies and PC speaker sound. It can load external programs and has over 30 system calls. Basic DOS .COM program support is also included.
It isn't supposed to be a "general purpose" operating system. Rather, it is a teaching tool with basic functionalities. I think it is cool. It has a good reputation, too. I've downloaded a copy to fool with here at some point in the future.I think some of you might like this.
Jack
PlayForSure becomes "Certified for Windows Vista"
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Rogers accused of hijacking other web pages
I'm only surprised that a US ISP hasn't done this yet (that I know of). We usually have the lead in this kind of baloney.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Amateur Time Hackers Play With Atomic Clocks at Home
Jack
Monday, December 10, 2007
Asus allows memory upgrades to EEE
Jack
Sunday, December 09, 2007
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 12-09-07
Links from the Gregg Zone!
1) This is one of those “Covers it all sites”, just plain interesting reading on world oddities covering nature, people, technologies, media, and much more actually fifty-seven different subjects, a great read. http://2spare.com/
2) Next up another car of the future, but not to distant you can order one today. This car looks more like an airplane than a car; in fact, its name Aptera means wingless flight in Greek. Very cool car either all electric, or hybrid, 0 to 60 in ten seconds, 85 mph cruising speed, up to 300 MPG. http://www.aptera.com/
3) This is one of those above my pay grade sites, and I think a lot of this audience is familiar with it. But, it is new to me and I thought I should put it up just in case some of you may have missed it, and for those novice types, like me who may be listening. A device called the Bug, which is an open source modular, mobile device, kind of like a electronic Lego concept. A base unit which is a fully programmable and “hackable” Linux computer, equipped with a fast CPU, 128 MB Ram, built-in WiFi, rechargeable battery, USB, Ethernet, and a small LCD with button controls. Each Bug base houses four connections, for users to combine any assortment of BUG modules to create their individualized ultimate gadget. http://www.buglabs.net/products
Microsoft publishes detailed Vista SP1 “changelog”
SP1 is going to be interesting. It seems to me MS has concentrated on a different set of enhancements than I would have chosen, but then I don't have all the feedback they have to help me choose stuff.
Anyway; have a look. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. SP1 is not the simple security rollup we were told it would be at first. Far from it, in fact.
Jack
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Linux is about to take over the low end of PCs
I think the biggest problem for the Linux PC vendors if this happens, will be keeping up with the demand. Dell and HP may come back into play, if they will do something about the prices. Case in point, Dell selling the Linux loaded PC for more than the same Windows loaded PC in the UK, and then Dell pulling the Linux offering, because it wasn't selling. I would buy the one with Windows, and wipe the drive, loading my own Linux, if I had to pay more for the Linux one up front.
Friday, December 07, 2007
UPDATED! Western Digital NAS drive blocks full access to media files
Though this is an ongoing story, I have a hard time believing a hard drive company could be so stupid as to do this to customers. We shall have to see. Other companies could follow. If that happens, this is a disaster for our freedom of use of our machines.
Jack
UPDATE; Now it appears Seagate is selling drives that are natively incompatible with Linux and Macs without a workaround being instituted. I smell a monopoly at work here and I am not happy about it.
Jack
Substantial green benefits to running Linux
Thursday, December 06, 2007
» Vista SP1 will deliver big network speed boost | Ed Bott’s Microsoft Report | ZDNet.com
Forget the reports you might have read about SP1 resulting in no performance boost. That story was based on a silly artificial benchmark involving scripting of Office applications. Back here in the real world, where gigabit network connections are now commonplace, you’ll see at least one huge improvement when transferring files over network connections.
The big question is: Will this really improve Vista's network speed?
AlaskaJoe
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
BBC NEWS | Technology | 'Kill switch' dropped from Vista
Wow, excellent response! Well done Microsoft!
--MissM
BBC Technology | 'Kill switch' dropped from Vista
AT&T to exit pay phone business in 2008 - Boston.com
I guess everyone better get a cell phone.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Video: RSS in Plain English | Common Craft - Explanations In Plain English
Video: RSS in Plain English | Common Craft - Explanations In Plain English
--MissM
WORLD'S FIRST .COM
Jack
At software giant, pain gives rise to progress
Jack
Vocalize Firefox
After some problems working with Jaws, Charles Chen went to work on his own and created Fire Vox, CLiCk, Speak, and the CLC-4-TTS library that power this idea into reality. It's pretty cool. Works well, so far at least.
Worth checking out.
Jack
Sunday, December 02, 2007
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 12-02-07
Links from the Gregg Zone!
1) First link of the week is a free service, to our service men, and women. This site sponsored by Xerox, and offered to help support our troops. You may select a card, enter a short message, and send it to help support troop moral during the holiday season. While you cannot select a particular individual, they will select at random a service person for you, and mail it in your name, cost nothing, but even a few seconds of pleasant distraction can be a gift. http://www.letssaythanks.com/
2) Offering number two, you know I have an interest in on line audio and video sites. I suppose it says something about the amount of free time I have, but the reality is I cannot watch T.V. anymore, due to lack of content, and over commerciality. This site is conversations with who they consider the most fascinating people of the year, we are not referring to the people you generally see on the tube, these are people who excel in their fields. The subject matter covers a very wide spectrum, I very much like this site, and intend to spend some time here. http://test.ted.com
3) I am putting this old favorite up because I have not heard it mentioned off the net in a while, although I know it is doing very well on the net. People who are old A.B. fans will recognize it immediately. For those not familiar it is an Art Bell type audio site. I was just there yesterday because they did an interview with Shirley Maclaine, and I wanted to see if they mentioned the Kucinich comment from the debates, which they did, but briefly. This link will take you directly to the interview on the archive page, http://www.unknowncountry.com , if you want to explore the site use this link to the home page. http://www.unknowncountry.com/ To navigate to show archives from the home page use the dreamland tab.
4) Last up for the week a link to an interesting article on “The Sliding Rocks of Racetrack Playa” in death valley. I have a cousin who hangs out a lot in
Vulnerability of software integrity and code signing applications to chosen-prefix collisions for MD5
It has been known for some time that MD5 checksums might be vulnerable, but according to the paper linked to above it is toast. I'm worried.
Jack
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Security firm cracks encryption for Microsoft's wireless keyboards
Jack
Leopard is the New Vista, and It's Pissing Me Off
Jack
Thursday, November 29, 2007
EFF Releases Reports and Software to Spot Interference with Internet Traffic
Jack
Hackers hijack web search results ( BBC News )
It gets worse everyday, as the criminals try to find new ways to sneak into your private information.
Sunbelt's blog has more details http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Age Determines Technology's Value
What do you see? Maybe it's a good thing to be old! :)
AlaskaJoe
Ten things holding back tech
Jack
Rambus aims for a terabyte of bandwidth
I know this would be an important gain in computer capabilities but, to be perfectly honest, I can't get my mind around the concept. It is just too far removed from today. I guess that means it would be a very great leap forward. If you can't imagine the benefits, they are either imaginary or very huge.
Jack
Monday, November 26, 2007
Rumour of new hole in Windows
Jack
New QuickTime bug opens XP, Vista to attack
Jack
Sunday, November 25, 2007
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 11-25-07
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Links from the Gregg Zone
2) My second item is something I just think is one of the best ideas I have seen come along in a long time. It is a device called the Sawfish, what it does is to harvest the forests that have been flooded by the creation of dams, reservoirs, and man made lakes. It seems even after fifty years in the cold water areas these trees have been perfectly preserved. The Sawfish is a remote controlled device, using cameras to maneuver into position it grabs on to the tree with two large pinchers, attaches an air bag, and then saws the tree above the lake bed without disturbing the eco-system in any way. It has proved itself already, late last year in British Columbia by harvesting six thousand trees in six months. It is estimated the value of submerged lumber is over fifty billion dollars. The today video on the main page is worth checking out, this is the type of progress we need more of finding wasted resources, and using them to slow our global problems. http://www.tritonlogging.com/
3) The third and final link for the week goes deep into the Gregg Zone, that area of questioning the origin of our reality. This is one of my favorite areas of introspection, asking the tough questions. Who am I? Where does my conscious perception of self originate from? What is reality? What is illusion? Where is the border between perception, and reality? This segment is dealing with something I ran across recently, an article by Nick Bostrom Department of Philosophy, Oxford University. The paper is titled “Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?” The simulation argument. This site, and subject are intense, approach with an open mind and I can guarantee it will be expanded. Mr. Bostroms original paper has a link on the left side of the front page; there is also an extensive list of links for further reading, and reactions to the paper. http://www.simulation-argument.com/
Friday, November 23, 2007
ASUS eeePC: First impressions and GPL violations
I am a LOT less enthusiastic about the EeePC than I was and unless a bunch of this stuff gets fixed really quickly, I won't be buying one next week, as planned.
Jack
Windows XP SP3 Yields Performance Gains
You'll enjoy reading this one.
Jack
Thursday, November 22, 2007
For your enjoyment...
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving, and we'll see you on Sunday, for another content filled show.
and apologies in advance to you rss readers, I know that the shared links don't show up.
And a LOL video:
[h/t Dvorak's blog for the video]
--MissM
BD+ crack released
Read on;
Jack
Monday, November 19, 2007
Steganos Offers Free Version of Safe One
Now, they are offering a version of one of their products for free to Windows users. Check this one out. Really. It's a good product and encrypting a volume of super-private stuff you carry with you might be just the ticket to set your mind at ease. There is a password generator and everything.
Jack
Vista Requires More Hardware Resources than Microsoft's Windows for Supercomputers
At the same time, exo-blog takes apart the beta for Vista Service Pack 1 and notes there is no performance improvement available from installing it. I'm not sure how to take this as it is in direct conflict with reports from testers whom I know and respect.
See for yourself.
Jack
Sunday, November 18, 2007
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 11-18-07
Links from the Gregg Zone!
1) This has to be the best site I have found in a long time. I really like documentary films this site has 589 of them free online, and will most likely be adding more. In the technology section, select computers there are about twenty full-length movies on computer related subjects. Also in the technology section I was very impressed with the listing “What We Still Don’t Know” Especially with part, three of that series, deals with how science first decided against intelligent design, then embraced the idea, then threw it out again only to come back to it in the end. I especially liked the concept that we are actually living in a computer program simulation, not like in the Matrix, but as in our reality is programmed. I have seen a couple of other references to this concept elsewhere. Another one I especially liked was under anthropology titled Guns, Germs, and Steel this was a “National Geographics Special” about the way civilizations developed around the world, and why some advanced more that others mostly by luck of the draw. Anyway, this site promises to take up way to much of my time. http://best.online.docus.
2) One of my recurrent themes since I started doing this has been the concept that the internet with its free exchange of information has the potential to change the direction of world development especially in the political realm. The last link I offered started me on a quest of sorts to find other links related to free online documentaries, there are a lot of them out there, from serious treatments of how we did not go to the moon, faked it all, to quack medical cures for everything. However, there are always diamonds in the ruff. I was surfing various sites looking for something interesting when I saw a title about Fox News, I remembered seeing a story about one of the current presidential candidates, and there connections to that organization. I am not going to get into that aspect of the subject; I will leave that part of the equation up to you. The link I am posting is about the manipulation of the news, a single person pushing his political views and agenda with an audience of 3/4 of the world population that to me is very scary. Without the internet, curiosity, and concern for what is really going on behind the propaganda fed to us daily I would never have known how staggering the numbers are. The video I am referring to is the seventh one on the list "Out Foxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism", I will be watching some of the others soon. http://www.trythis.com
3) Could Leonardo Da Vinci have left us the first Easter egg? An interesting article in the BBC linked here, might offer that possibility. Someone has postulated there is a 40-second musical score hidden in the painting “The Last Supper”. I am afraid I have no expertise in this area at all, so I will leave it up to you, and the experts. http://news.bbc
4) There might be some strange time loop angel to this article in the English version of “The Local” a Swedish newspaper about an iron age Mickey Mouse, found during an excavation in southern
Friday, November 16, 2007
What Intel Giveth, Microsoft Taketh Away
Jack
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Microsoft's OneCare 2.0 due next week
Jack
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Public takes on Bletchley's Colossus UPDATED!
Jack
Update; Here is a site where you can actually get problems generated by the Enigma machines to crack, if that turns your crank.
Overclocker's University
Jack
Monday, November 12, 2007
Apple charges fortune for memory upgrade
The whole point in posting this is to remind you all, and inform those who might not know, that the company who "made" your computer is the LAST place you want to look for memory and some other upgrades. You are much better off going to reputable manufacturers and dealers on the web, or even local to you, and getting your parts there.
Jack
Sunday, November 11, 2007
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 11-11-07
How to troubleshoot Windows Home Server problems
Jack
AMD's Phenom/790FX utility could be a jewel
I think you will enjoy the review. It's not too long nor overly occupied with the bit-level details. Even so, it gives a pretty good picture of what will probably prove to be a top enthusiast's board on the AMD side of the street.
Jack
Links from the Gregg Zone!
1) This is a video sent to me that I liked it is one of those three minute; make you think type of videos. Not sure how many others will like it, you know me I am just a little twisted in the way I look at the world. However, I think this little video says a lot about who, and what we are just kind of puts things in perspective. http://www.youtube.com
2) Last week, or maybe the week before, geez I seem to have forgot where I left my memory, anyway I posted the link for the 2001 UFO disclosure movie. You know the one with all the airline pilots, air force generals, and government officials coming out about UFO’s, at the National Press Club in
3) This strikes me as a sign of our times, I am not sure where I come down on it, but you may have a use or interest in this site. This is a map service updated every 450 to 900 seconds showing worldwide terrorist activity, gang activity, illegal alien activity, and soon to be added Amber Alerts, Bird flu reports, and I assume a host of others. This is a clickable google-earth type map, with various icons showing alerts, and locations of the events. You may navigate, and zoom, I am sure there are other features I did not find when I was there. You can click for related news stories if there is a URL for them. http://www.globalincidentmap.com/
4) I decided to update myself on the red rain phenomena that occurred a few years back in KeralaFriday, November 09, 2007
CellWriter; Handwriting recognition for Linux
I have not yet used this, but I thought it worth trying. I will be building it in the next few days and giving it a whirl.
Previously, I had simply run my own printing, which is my normal handwriting, through OCR. I could get away with that because I had such good printing. But as I age and the effects of old injuries to my hands become more pronounce, along with a substantial tremor, normal OCR cannot read my output. CellWriter may be the answer to my prayers.
Jack
Cross-site scripting hole in Firefox
Jack
Only two security updates on Microsoft's next Patch Tuesday
Jack
Thursday, November 08, 2007
"Stupid Filter" Software Finally a Reality?
Jack
Brace yourself for Adobe's Photoshop overhaul
These super-capable graphics programs have simply gotten too complex for the "standard" interface to serve a lot of users well. But, as the article makes clear, removing features is almost never acceptable. So, the folks at Adobe are trying to find a way to allow you to customize the interface in such a way that you won't have to sort through a bunch of options and features you don't use to get to the ones you need. Yet they don't want you to lose features, so they'll all be there, somewhere, waiting on you to need them.
Interesting concepts to think about.
Jack
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Open source, Lego-like computer modules run Linux
Now you can computerize your reclining chair, if you wish.
Jack
Multiple Quicktime security vulnerabilities show up
Jack
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Monday, November 05, 2007
ASUS Eee PC: Exclusive Inside Look!
Tweaktown has a nice article where they strip Asus' "EeePC" down and check all the inside bits. Along with that, they'll tell you more about this new mini-notebook with the mini-price.
Jack
Norton AntiVirus for Macintosh causes Mac vulnerability
Yesterday I wondered aloud if it was not time for Mac owners who have clueless users which might compromise the system via less than safe conduct to get anti-virus or anit-malware software installed. So far; I am not aware of any threats to the Mac that can happen without user interaction and I am quite sure I have not missed any. But threats requiring user interaction are beginning to pop up, hence my wondering about AV applications for the Mac.
Now, I find out that Norton's AV for the Mac is a problem causer, not a problem solver. Not that I was going to recommend it, anyway, but it surely would be on most people's list of brands to shop.
So much for my being ahead of the curve, eh?
Jack
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 11-04-07
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Links from the Gregg Zone!
1) I was talking to Riley a while back he said he was very interested in some of the online radio links I had been putting up, and was looking forward to more. I thought this week I would dip into that folder on my desktop, the one I just call “radio”. I lost some of the older links I had when I last replaced my computer; however I think I have enough to keep even the unemployed busy for a while. The first one is a big favorite of mine, as an old Art bell fan, and one who likes to try to understand science, and physics, especially the new areas involving quantum physics, string theory, nano-technology, you know those on the edge subjects. Regarding these areas, one of my favorite guests from Art’s show was Michio Kaku. If you liked him as I did, this site is for you. He has a one hour radio show called “Explorations in Science” this site archives the last one hundred shows, along with some other interesting tid bits. So, if you are into science, physics, technology, their trends and politics, this is for you. http://www.kpfa.org
2) Next up, let us step a little closer to the edge. This site has some very good paranormal shows and guests, there is a lot here on every subject you can think of from Angels, to Zero Point, not your average mainstream radio that is for sure. http://www.bbsradio.com/
3) Now we have our toes sticking off the edge looking into the abyss, the next site has radio, assorted audio, video, and some links that might challenge your mind set to the limits. It is as I said, the links this week should keep anyone interested in these subjects occupied for quite a while, and this is another very extensive site. http://www.thothweb.com
4) This link is another paranormal radio site, mostly interviews with book authors, speakers, and producers of movies, and paranormal media. It is not as extensive as the previous sites, but still a little more to the mix. http://www.blogtalkradio.com
5) I have to add one more radio site here while it is not in the paranormal or scientific venue. It is still an old favorite. Lots of extreme political content, fair warning if you are a fan of those right wing talk shows, and you has high blood pressure, you may need to take something in advance to help keep your calm, or avoid it altogether. The content extremely varied both politically, and in the music offered. This is about as far from mainstream radio as it gets but if you like to hear more than one side of an issue, and believe in maintaining an open mind, there is some very good information here. http://www.kpfk.org
6) I have to toss in a
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Leopard looks great. But what if you can't see?
We will ask Riley about it Sunday.
Jack
Photos: The history of the digital camera
Jack
Friday, November 02, 2007
» Mac Attack: Porn video lures dropping DNS-changer Trojan | Ryan Naraine’s Zero Day | ZDNet.com
For those of you with a Mac that thought you were safe to surf porn using a Mac, read this!
AlaskaJoe
Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.9 Now Available
Jack
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Revolutionizing the command line with Hotwire
The command line is handy. Everyone knows that. And it is also supremely powerful. Miscrosoft's Power Shell extends that and Hotwire does the same.
This is not the end of the story, by any means. This is just the first tentative steps in really revolutionizing the command line.
Jack
OpenSolaris Project Indiana
I thought you might like to read about it and see some screenshots.
Jack
A FREE Software Rant
Before we go to much further, here is the link that got me to thinking. (My wife says you should blame this rant on them. :))
You all know I'm a Linux user. I probably talk too much about it on the show. If you have listened closely, you also know that I do absolutely all my computing on Linux. I don't have a dual-boot system where I can sneak some task out on Windows and there is no MS based box in the corner, waiting to bail me out of some tough situation. I do absolutely everything on Linux, because I can.
Now, I'm not much of a multimedia on the computer person. I have Macromedia (now Adobe) Flash installed, though I can not remember the last time I actually sat through a Flash presentation. And on occasion I play a music CD while I am working. But that's it. I don't do the video on PC bit at all. I will start soon, as my wife and I are going to publish a few how-to videos of Native American craft techniques. We will do so in a free and open format that anyone can play, regardless of their computing platform. Plans continue, but that is all I can say has been decided, for now.
I am a Free and Open Source software (FOSS) advocate. However; I am also a pragmatist. I realize that FOSS cannot yet serve every need. In fact, because of proprietary software's ubiquity, it may never do so. One area where this is glaringly evident is multimedia. Codecs (short for "COmpressor, DECompressor, the software that actually handles the multimedia information stream) for many formats are proprietary and there are no FOSS equivalents or substitutes because these regimes are aggressively protected by their owners.)
Or, there ARE FOSS equivalents out there, but downloading and using them may violate local laws, such as The US' "Digital Millennium Copyright Act" (DMCA). There may be other laws that apply, as well.
Fedora now has "Codec Buddy" to help you get these multimedia tools. Before that there was "Easy Ubuntu" and "Automatix" for other distributions. (I'm probably missing some others, here. Please excuse the omissions.) So there is a way around it, if you must.
I, personally, stick with FOSS and don't do this sort of thing on most of my Linux installations. I'm just funny that way. Don't have anything against them, despite the apparent lawlessness in using them. I just don't have a need. There is a bunch of media playback stuff in the other room.
I save the computer for computing.
Jack
Book review: The Essential Blender
However; Blender is VERY capable software that can generate really serious animation. It's also Free, in every sense, though it started out closely held.
Now there is a book, albeit an expensive one, that will get you up to speed in Blender. The profits from the book go to the Blender people, too, so I think it is worth the price. So much so that I just ordered one based on this review.
Jack
Rockstar may end up with big headache over unlocked AO content in Manhunt 2
It seems that when RockStar "took out" the adult content in Manhunt 2, all they really did was sever a few links in the code. Russian game hackers have now made that accessible. RockStar is in deep doo-doo over this one. Watch as it explodes in their faces like a grenade thrown in a game.
I can't think of it happening to a nicer bunch of people.
Jack
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Mac OS X 10.x Malware
It's a trojan that requires user interaction/permission to install, so a bit of wisdom on your part should be enough to protect you. Should you have less than savvy users, though, something like this might signal the need to run an anti-virus on your Mac. They ARE available and while the OS seems not to require one, the foibles of it's users might.
Jack
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Web marketing to people with disabilities
I found this particularly apt at this time because I am planning a new site for my wife that will be shared with several organizations. (I can do that because their sites will be very low as far as traffic numbers are concerned.) I am fully committed to making it fully accessible to all. We will see how I do at that. It's not easy, though it is not really hard; simply adding another level of complexity and not a bad one at that.
I'm sure Riley will have some constructive criticism for me and I will solicit the same from all of you, should you feel helpful.
Jack
When antivirus products (and Internet Explorer) fail you
Jack
Data recovery firm sounds Mac hard drive damage alert
That said; there are some good points about not moving laptops (or desktop machines, for that matter) while the hard drive might be spinning. Doing so is risky.
A cautionary tale and nothing more.
Jack
The Fastest Vista Notebook is a Mac!
Jack
Leopard with chinks in its armour
Apple may or may not be as lackadasical regarding this as Heise depicts them, or they could be fixing this as I write. I would like to think the latter applies, but we shall have to see.
Jack
UPDATE!! Here is a point by point refutation of the Heise article cited above. This is very much worth reading.
Jack
Monday, October 29, 2007
Installing Ubuntu in a VM
We will be using Skype if you would like to join us give me a call or email me your contact info if I need to call you.
The two files you will need are: a VM Player
(it is 173MB)
and the image (about 458MB) of Ubuntu 7.10
You will need to unzip (UltimateZip) the file into a folder, (it's a .Rar format) then install the VM Player and tell it to open the image file.
FYI, The VM Player will only let you run a VMimage there are a lot you can download and play with.
Talk to you tomorrow night!
AlaskaJoe
Sunday, October 28, 2007
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 10-28-07
If you would like to download Gregg's Links from the Gregg zone here it is for download.
We are working on the bandwidth problems please bear with us.
Asus Eee PC 701 review
Still, with the 701 being very inexpensive, there is no case for a larger machine for me in any other regime.
Jack
Heatpipes: The Investigation Begins
This article is a bit long, but not too bad. An entertaining read, it won't really feel like work, even with all that learning you will be doing.
Jack
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Russian PDF attacks surge; Microsoft takes blame
While MS says (accurately) in the advisory that the attacks are "fairly limited", they are growing in number and intensity. This short article on Computer World's site explains some and the MS advisory tells the rest.
Jack
Windows Server 2008 RC0
If you have any interest in such things (and I do) this is probably the best place to start checking it out.
Microsoft is now gaining server market share faster than anyone else, Linux included! A careful reading of this will tell you enough that you can figure out why.
Jack
How to remove Windows Desktop Search
Jack
Friday, October 26, 2007
When PDF's Attack... Again!
Jack
Routing Economics Threaten the Internet
Jack
RealNetworks closes several security holes
Jack
This Bud's for You?
Jack
Links from the Gregg Zone!
1) Well, it is that time of year, when we start to think about those things that go bump in the night. Yes, Halloween is moments away, also a big time of year for Joe and Sue, and so a moment to say happy birthday Joe…happy birthday Sue…and happy anniversary to Joe and Sue. In the interest of the Halloween spirit, I thought I would post a few sites concerned with that venue. To start off I remember younger days trying to carve pumpkins usually with limited success, lucky for me they were supposed to look ghoulish, and ugly. Unfortunately not amateurish, luckily everyone would think the younger kid carved it. I used to marvel at those that were almost like works of art. This first site was the best I found on how to carve a pumpkin; they have free downloadable patterns, lots of them. I thought the pumpkin ladys link was most useful, not so much for the patterns, but the tips at the end. I will not be carving this year, but only because of the timing, and the fact I do not do Halloween any more. I would very much like to attempt one or two of the more complex ones, just for the heck of it, anyway here is the link check it out. http://www.bellaonline.com
2) Do you like word games? I know that I do; here is one that is related to Halloween, it is a hangman variation with a skeleton, a sarcastic one at that. The game is fun, and not all that easy, I managed to reach 475, of course, I only played twenty or thirty times. Using the old e,a,r,s,t,l,n,i, etcetera concept. A hint the n seems to come up more than usual. So, try it and see what you can do, there is also a link to add to a web site if you want. http://www.dedge.com
3) You have been invited to a party that starts in an hour or two, and you are stuck without a costume, what are you going to do? Here is a site with some ideas for a last minute ideas that might pull you out. I did not say necessarily good ideas, but if you are desperate, it is a start. There are also many other ideas here if you have more time.http://costumeideazone.com/
4) Next up ghost stories, I thought I would put up a link for some ghost stories online. This is from a site mentioned by Jack a while ago “Project Gutenberg” they do audio, and e-text books on line. Currently over 20,000 free downloads online books, and over 100,000 if you include partners, affiliates, and resources, you can also volunteer to do proof reading, or of course donate funds. The link offered is to Charles Dickens, “Three Ghost Stories” in audio format. If you are interested in more, just click on the main page link. http://www.gutenberg.org.
5) To finish out the week a link to the Washington Post for an article about the origin of the Halloween holiday, the oddest holiday celebrated in the
6) This is a late addition thanks to Jack, an article on the tech side of the ghost busting business. A line of work requiring some creativity to develop the tools of the trade cannot just go to Fry’s and get them off the shelf. http://www.cio.com If this subject fires up your “I want to try it juices”, you may want to start easy and cheap using stuff you have on hand. I would suggest trying some E.V.P.’s that is an acronym for electronic voice phenomena. Here is a site with some interesting links to do everything from record your own, listen to others, or read about the subject. http://www.ghostvillage.com
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Microsoft's OneCare silently changes Automatic Updates
There is a name for programs that silently do things behind your back and against your expressed will. They are called Malware.
And there is the basic issue of ownership. I guess if you have Windows on you computer, you have to abide by MS's license and therefore they own your computer.
And yes, danged straight I'm angry.
Microsoft Update Strikes Again!
While some may really like the search, it is not my idea of a good time. Unless you have a really fast machine, it will bog your computing experience down as surely as dragging an anchor. It can be disabled, as it runs as a service, but we should not have to deal with this.
Jack
Password-cracking chip causes security concerns
Jack
Storm worm strikes back at security pros
Jack
Sun's ZFS is close to perfect, but widely misunderstood
Incidentally, Sun is having to defend it's open sourcing of ZFS in court, which may prove interesting.
Here is a one page article that will explain a good deal about ZFS without getting very technical on Tom Yager's blog at InfoWorld. It is worth a read by everyone. For the technically inclined, it will whet your appetite and the rest of us will learn just what all the talk is about.
Jack
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
WARNING: device driver updates causing Vista to deactivate
Nasty PDF exploit runs wild
What you are reading at The Register, courtesy of the link above, is just the first whisper of what is bound to be a flood of coverage.
Jack
Would-be identity thief finds himself stumped without printer drivers
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Panda Anti-Rootkit
Jack
AMD DTX Small Form Factor System Sneak Peek
HotHardware.com has an excellent short and concise look at the new form factor. I'm sure that when you finish reading it, you will be able to imagine one or more of these machines fitting right into your home or office and your life. I do.
Jack
WARNING: device driver updates causing Vista to deactivate
Jack
Hellgate: London Includes Adware
The bit about ads in a game demo is one thing. But in a game someone has already shelled out big bucks for, it's a disgrace. Greed run rampant. There is no other way to say it. And to add to the injury, the reporting, etc. seems to amount to really big back-door to one's computer.
When are the companies going to realize that it is MY computer, not theirs? And that it is MY personal information and they have no right to it?
Jack
Monday, October 22, 2007
Workaround available for vulnerability in versions 8.1 and earlier of Adobe Reader and Acrobat
Of course; the best workaround would be to use a smaller, less bloated reader, like the Foxit product. But that's another story all together.
Jack
Core of "Windows 7" taking shape: meet the "MinWin" kernel
This article at Ars Technica is good, explaining a lot. Plus, it has a link to a one hour video of the presentation Eric Traut gave on the subject. Should you not want to do such a long video, there is also a link to a shorter "digest" version.
Jack
Sunday, October 21, 2007
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 10-21-07
FakeChecks.org
And as an added bonus; I found this site from Roger's Information Security Blog, which I consider a really good place to get early info on security warnings. Most of Roger's posts are short pointers to another site, but he also has some good things to say when he describes them. This is one to put on your feed reader list and check whenever he posts.
Jack
Links from the Gregg Zone!
1) This is for anyone who like was an Art Bell fan, due to the subject matter, but has been disillusioned with the way the show has evolved. Personally, I can no longer listen to the show at all, to many commercials, and the quality is just not there anymore. I have started to look around the net at some of the alternatives; this site is one I found that I like quite a lot. The sites name is the “Black Vault”, I especially like the radio pod cast section it is very good, and very well done. This site was started by, John Greenewald when he was fifteen years old and has been going for over ten years. I will post more of these as I run across them. http://www.theblackvault.com
2) I was trying to update myself on what has been going on with the Princeton Eggs. The place I am trying to send you to is a newsletter link I found doing my update inquiry. The newsletters titled “FUTUREdition”, “Future Facts – from Think Links – The Future in the News….Today”, this newsletter from The Arlington Institute. A newsletter affiliated with the Princeton Global Consciousness project. If you are trying to stay ahead of the crowd with what is latest in science news, you should add this to your arsenal. You will need to follow a path to get there, because the direct link would not work. Start at the home page link provided, http://noosphere.princeton.edu/ , then go to the bottom of the page, select links, in the text on that page there is a link that says newsletters. When you click on that link it takes you to a page offering two newsletters, click on FUTUREdition. That will take you to a page that says the page does not exist, you need to delete everything except the first word futuredition in the link, then hit the search box. It is a little extra work, but a nice site.
3) Joe and I had the U.F.O. subject visit us last week, sorry I can’t go into that at all here, let us just say Roswell, high ranking military contacts, secrecy, and leave it at that. Anyway I went back to find the disclosure project video, thought I would put up that link here for those who have not seen it. This is a copy of the description from the link…..A large number of ex high ranking officials including air traffic controllers, ex secret op. officers, commercial pilots, numerous military defense specialists with top secret clearance, people who had access to very sensitive documents lieutenants, ex commanders in the u.s air force,
astronauts, etc...
All going before the national press club to discuss what their experiences have been regarding U.F.O’s and all are willing to go before congress to testify under oath.. Never before has such a group come forward.. http://www.youtube.com
4) This is just plain weird, it is a converter, like metric to standard. Except there is nothing standard about it, for example how many chickens = Tom Cruse ans. 45.3597024435 / or Tom also is equal to 3984 + U.S. quarters, but he is smaller than the testicle of a Wright Whale. Strange as it is, here it is http://www.weirdconverter.com