Saturday, September 01, 2007

Windows Home Server release issues | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

When last we left Microsoft's Windows Home Server software, it was off to manufacturing and we expected to see WHS-equipped hardware show up at our doorstep shortly thereafter. After a post on Microsoft's official Home Server blog, we get the company line as to why we haven't seen HP's MediaSmart Server yet.

Windows Home Server Updates will be automatically available throughout the lifecycle of the product, and the WHS team is working on an update that will be available in September. These updates will enhance the usability and improve the out-of-the-box experience of home server solutions.

This new Microsoft product just now becoming available and they have a Windows Updates planed for September 2007 already!

Microsoft's current plan is to make this update available as part of the monthly Windows Updates process in September.

I am looking forward to trying out this new Windows Home Server.

AlaskaJoe

Friday, August 31, 2007

MissM's shared links

Enjoy! I wish this showed up in my rss feed, oh well... An opportunity to check out the sidebar! :)




--MissM

Intel V8 versus AMD 4X4 Platform

While a "straight-up" comparison between the Intel and AMD platforms isn't really possible, this is as close as one can get, in my opinion. Motherboards.org does a really good job of it and has picked the parts with care so the benchmarks (under Windows) actually tell you somethings that can be considered factual. That's quite an accomplishment. Really!

If I could see a half-dozen of these done this well, I might begin to think I had a real basis for comparison.

Jack

Desktop supercomputer breaks $100 per Gflop

Twice Deep Blue's power? Well, that's what it says.

Just the thing to play your Randy Newman CDs while calculating the age of the Universe. I want one (of course). Really, this is the most remarkable bargain I have heard of in desktop machines.

Jack

HP launches RedHat Linux desktop PC

Australia only, for now. And only one model announced, though it is certain more are coming quickly. That one model is decently equipped, but definitely aimed toward the lower end of the market. Still, it's another mark that makers are listening to consumers requests for choice.

Jack

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Four Must-Have Vista Updates

The link will take you to Extreme Tech. The article explains it all.

These really are important. They're hotfixes, rather than critical updates. You need to apply these manually. They do help with an incredible list of Vista problems. Get them as fast as you can. They will aid performance, even on some Vista machines that are not currently having problems.

Jack

Yahoo Messenger patches security flaw, again

This just keeps on happening, doesn't it?

I should probably feel good about them keeping at work on security matters, but this does seem like an endless stream of mandatory patching.

Jack

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Microsoft shouts service pack plans

Here's the first notice on what the service packs for Vista and XP will consist of. There will be lots more detail in the coming weeks, but this is first notice.

Jack

Sony's USB Rootkit vs Sony's Music Rootkit

UPDATE!!

By all accounts this Sony "rootkit" incident is not as blatant or as bad as the music one of days past. It IS EXPLOITABLE, but not as easily or as dangerously as the "old" one. Besides; the user gives permission for this one to be installed, unlike the old hidden installation.

Here is F-Secure's take on it and I recommend everyone read it. It will tell you why this one is not so bad and why it is still exploitable.

Jack

Update to the update; McAfee's take in this gives much, much more detail, including explicit directions on how to use the *darned* thing in anger. See it here.

Mark Russinovich on the Vista Kernel

Mark Russinovich, long a recognized authority on Windows matters and a Microsoft employee for the last year or so, has written on the Vista kernel in some detail. I realize a lot of you aren't interested in this level of detail, but I am and I figured at least a few of you might be.

The link above will take you to part 1. Part 2 is here and part 3 is here.

Jack

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Java Kernel plan proceeds

Well, I really missed a trick here. I completely missed that this was happening.

This is a new idea for Java, but Microsoft has moved somewhat closer to this with their .NET runtimes and there is a project to do something vaguely similar with Python, as well. It makes sense in functional terms (though that determination is at the limits of my knowledge) though there is the problem of this sort of thing extending download time on less capacious network connections.

If you have an interest in network applications or web development this is definitely one to watch. It is possible some aspects of this will appear late in next year.

Jack

Deja vu all over again: Sony uses rootkits, charges F-Secure

One would think that someone with authority in such a large corporation would have said "we can't keep doing this" out loud. I guess not.

Jack

Monday, August 27, 2007

Acer Acquiring Gateway for $710 Million

Yet another mega PC maker, the article tells about where this purchase will place Acer in the ranks of top PC makers.

Yet another eWeek article on the subject :
Acer to Buy Gateway

Sunday, August 26, 2007

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 08-26-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 08-26-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

My not so weekly shared items

Well, I lied about it being weekly. oops, sorry
Here are the latest shared things from my google reader.



The neat thing is that they are always updated. So, if you're looking for my shared items, you can refind this post. I use a different login for this blog, than my reader, and google/blogspot can't handle being logged in with 2 google ID.

--MissM

Storm Worm Gathers Strength on The Internet

From August 23rd, this article discusses the latest news on the Storm Worm/Virus, and some info about those behind it.
It appears that much of the bogus e-card spam may be associated with this critter.