Sun ODF Plug in 1.0 for Microsoft Office Available Now as a Free Download

Sun has their converter for Microsoft Office that translates Open Document Format (ODF) docs (text, spreadsheet, database and presentations) to Microsoft formats. This one is the one you want. Microsoft's own is clumsy and unreliable. (Not that one would expect them to pour their hearts into the effort.) So for now, this is the one you want. I've tried it and it works well enough and transparently.

Jack

Live Earth on MSN: The Concerts For A Climate In Crisis

unfortunately, and expectedly, it works better in IE. But the talent level is amazing, I've seen Genesis, Linkin Park, some blonde chick... [snicker]. Check it out (If you aren't broadband impaired, sorry)
--MissM

Live Earth on MSN: The Concerts For A Climate In Crisis

Its also on Bravo Channel, if that's available. NBC will have a prime time special too, I believe. "Check your local listings."

How Vista Lets Microsoft Lock Users In

This is Cory Doctorow's take in Vista's capability for "lock-in" of customer's information. Writing in Information Week, he takes a very dim view of our future.

Jack

Boing Boing: Laptop typewriter mod

I can't imagine any more appropriate combination of geek for at least one person, who reads this blog. ;)
Xeni Jardin blogged about this very unique laptop mod:
Wow, what a work of art. Writer Mary Robinette Kowal modded her laptop so that the keyboard would resemble keys on an old-fashioned portable typewriter.

Boing Boing: Laptop typewriter mod
Would one be able to resist trying to smack the return thingy (lol, I have no idea what that's called). Oh I wonder if its one of those smackable"Motion Sensing," hackable apple laptops??
--MissM

Microsoft July updates

To quote the blog post:

Next Tuesday, we’re currently planning to release six security bulletins:

· Three Microsoft Security Bulletins affecting Microsoft Windows with a Maximum Severity rating of Critical. These updates will require a restart and will be detectable using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.

· Two Microsoft Security Bulletins affecting Microsoft Office with a Maximum Severity rating of Critical. These updates will not require a restart and will be detectable using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.

· One Microsoft Security Bulletin affecting Microsoft .NET Framework with a Maximum Severity rating of Critical. This update will require a restart and will be detectable using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.

Additional details about the bulletins and the affected versions can be found in the Advance Notification posted on the web.



We are also planning to release an update to the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Too.

Finally, we are planning to release four high-priority non-security updates on Microsoft Update and one on Windows Update.

The complete post is here.

--MissM

AMD posts blatantly deceptive benchmarks on Barcelona

George Ou never has seemed one to shoot off his mouth. I've always found him to be considered and fair. So for him to so directly confront AMD is indicative of how strongly he feels AMD's actions are wrong.

Jack

Forget about the WGA! 20+ Windows Vista Features and Services Harvest User Data for Microsoft - From your machine!

More and more, Vista seems like a plague inflicted on the world's computing public. When I interact with Vista, it certainly seems that way to me and I wonder how users put up with it. They do, though, and usually without much thought at all. What that means is that Vista is here to stay.

Here's another compendium of woes for users of Vista. Don't read this directly before or after a meal. It's that strong.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 07-01-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 07-01-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Rival malware gangs wage turf war

Well, here's one that will keep you up at night. The bad guys are fighting over who gets to infect your computer. Too bad this sort of thing doesn't divert them from their "work". Unfortunately, it doesn't. Be afraid.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 07-01-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 07-01-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

The Gregg Zone !!

1) I’m starting off this week with something I ran across because of a conversation with Riley. I was asking his opinion on the WiFi radios, after our talk I was looking into them on the net and ran across this site. It is meant for use with the WiFi radio but works using the computer instead. There are over 6000 radio stations world wide, and more than 20,000 streams. I only listened to the radio for a while; I find it interesting to hear news, and political opinion from out side of the country. While not all countries have radio in English a surprising number do. For instance if I had time right now I would be listening to the London radio stations, as they just found the two bomb rigged cars found, and the Irish airport incident just happened. Any way here is the link. https://www.reciva.com

2) Here is a link to Michael Moore’s movie “Sicko” the complete movie, just in case anyone is interested. As of the time of writing this I have not watched it, but I intend to later in the week if I get a chance. http://www.opposingdigits.com