The link above is to a synopsis of the bill on a Senate web site. This is one we really do need to watch and keep after our legislators do not let special interests water it down.
The full text of the bill is available here
Jack
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Correction for last weeks winners!
Jim Weir
Grass Valley CA
Won Audio Cleaning Lab 10 from Magix.com
Tom lane
Sparta, Wi
MovieFactory software from Ulead
Dorothy Harris
Eldersdurg Md.
10 pack of Verbatim Digital Movie DVDR Medial
The only way to win is to listen to the show!
Grass Valley CA
Won Audio Cleaning Lab 10 from Magix.com
Tom lane
Sparta, Wi
MovieFactory software from Ulead
Dorothy Harris
Eldersdurg Md.
10 pack of Verbatim Digital Movie DVDR Medial
The only way to win is to listen to the show!
Blu-Ray and HD-DVD fighting a lost battle? Holographic storage arrives sooner than you think
Courtesy of a default feed at live.com : A fascinating article with lots of links about the future of holographic storage. Its not as far in the future as you might think. Perhaps next year? Check it out and see.
--MissM
P.S. I added the astronomy picture of the day to live.com and wow today's picture is superb! I end up saving most of them, for future desktops :)
P.P.S. Last I heard (and I AM the last to know ;) ) the show will be Joe, Gail and me! If there's anything you want us to talk about, you can email the show at onair(at)oncomputers.info , and we'll get it. Or post a comment here. Thanks.
--MissM
P.S. I added the astronomy picture of the day to live.com and wow today's picture is superb! I end up saving most of them, for future desktops :)
P.P.S. Last I heard (and I AM the last to know ;) ) the show will be Joe, Gail and me! If there's anything you want us to talk about, you can email the show at onair(at)oncomputers.info , and we'll get it. Or post a comment here. Thanks.
Verbatim Digital Movie DVDR Media Winner
Congratulations to Dorothy Harris of Eldersdurg Maryland for winning the 10 pack of Verbatim Digital Movie DVDR Medial.
What are we giving away next??? Only way to find out is to listen to the show.
What are we giving away next??? Only way to find out is to listen to the show.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Hard drive manufacturer accidentally slips trojan onto drives
EPIC West: Hoofnagle's Consumer Privacy Top 10
This is a great list of tips that are very low cost. Link courtesy of Bruce Schneier's blog.
1. OPT OUT OF PRESCREENED OFFERS OF CREDIT.
2. STOP YOUR PHONE RECORDS FROM BEING SOLD.
3. KEEP YOUR BANKING RECORDS PRIVATE.
4. GET FREE CREDIT MONITORING.
5. DO-NOT-CALL REGISTRY.
6. SAFEGUARD YOUR SSN.
7. END STUDENT PROFILING.
8. AVOID LOYALTY PROGRAMS.
9. SECURE YOUR ACCOUNTS.
10. ENGAGE IN PRIVACY SELF-DEFENSE.
That's the list, details on how, are at the link in the title.
Go :)
--MissM
1. OPT OUT OF PRESCREENED OFFERS OF CREDIT.
2. STOP YOUR PHONE RECORDS FROM BEING SOLD.
3. KEEP YOUR BANKING RECORDS PRIVATE.
4. GET FREE CREDIT MONITORING.
5. DO-NOT-CALL REGISTRY.
6. SAFEGUARD YOUR SSN.
7. END STUDENT PROFILING.
8. AVOID LOYALTY PROGRAMS.
9. SECURE YOUR ACCOUNTS.
10. ENGAGE IN PRIVACY SELF-DEFENSE.
That's the list, details on how, are at the link in the title.
Go :)
--MissM
Friday, November 25, 2005
Xbox 360 crash fix found
No one seems to know what percentage of XBox 360 freeze-up and crash problems this will help. I only know two people with the consoles and it has eliminated the problem entirely for both of them.
Evidently, the power supply simply cannot dissipate the heat it generates when laying on a surface. Elevate it to all it's surfaces are exposed to open air and the XBox is much more stable.
Jack
Evidently, the power supply simply cannot dissipate the heat it generates when laying on a surface. Elevate it to all it's surfaces are exposed to open air and the XBox is much more stable.
Jack
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Comment Moderation
I have enabled comment moderation on this blog. That means that non-member's posts will have to be approved by admins before they appear. Admins will receive an e-mail when a comment needs to be moderated. I believe that there are enough admins that comments will be moderated in a timely manner.
I wish this meant I could disable the word verification but these are two different safeguards.
Drat the comment spammers!
I apologize for the inconvenience to the non-member posters (members will still be able to post comments unmoderated). On this blog at least, moderation is being instituted because of comment spam, not in order to stifle legitimate free speech. As Peter once pointed out, all you have to do is pay someone and you can spread a lot of human generated comment spam. We had one get through this morning and I have a feeling it is the beginning of the next wave. Since they comment on very old posts, hoping we won't notice, it will be easier to catch them in the first place.
Thanks for your patience and understanding. Hopefully some day we will find more effective ways to prevent all forms of blog spamming, but until then we will rely on human filters.
I wish this meant I could disable the word verification but these are two different safeguards.
Drat the comment spammers!
I apologize for the inconvenience to the non-member posters (members will still be able to post comments unmoderated). On this blog at least, moderation is being instituted because of comment spam, not in order to stifle legitimate free speech. As Peter once pointed out, all you have to do is pay someone and you can spread a lot of human generated comment spam. We had one get through this morning and I have a feeling it is the beginning of the next wave. Since they comment on very old posts, hoping we won't notice, it will be easier to catch them in the first place.
Thanks for your patience and understanding. Hopefully some day we will find more effective ways to prevent all forms of blog spamming, but until then we will rely on human filters.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
E-mail Scammers Pose as FBI, CIA
From Yahoo news:
SAN FRANCISCO-- The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation today warned computer users not to open a widely circulating e-mail that falsely claims to have been sent by U.S. authorities. The e-mail attempts to trick users into installing a variant of the Sober worm by telling them that they have been spotted on "illegal Web sites," and asking them to click on an attached "list of questions."
Be warned.
SAN FRANCISCO-- The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation today warned computer users not to open a widely circulating e-mail that falsely claims to have been sent by U.S. authorities. The e-mail attempts to trick users into installing a variant of the Sober worm by telling them that they have been spotted on "illegal Web sites," and asking them to click on an attached "list of questions."
Be warned.
Apple OSx86 10.4.3 security still wide open
Crackers have turned their attention to Apple's OS X for x86 with an intensity I could not have imagined. Their goal is to make it run on x86 hardware other than Apple branded kit. So far, they have succeeded without much apparent effort.
I doubt Apple can implement any scheme to restrict their operating system to their hardware alone with a real expectation of success over the long term. Whatever they do will be broken, and probably sooner rather than later.
In my not so humble opinion, Apple will be forced to release OS X to all comers, and soon, to avoid losing literally millions of sales. There is a great hunger for their operating system in the computing world, but much less inclination to pay for it if Apple is not going to approve their use of it.
Apple does not wish to write drivers for all sorts of hardware. I can appreciate that. But they don't really have to do anything but approve drivers and they can charge for that, as Microsoft already does.
If Steve Jobs wants to become an influential player, instead of stay marginalized and labor as an idea factory for others to copy, this is his chance. It is not unreasonable to see OS X with a 20% market share in the 18 months after release. Sales of Apple hardware would grow, as well, due to the "halo" effect, much as the iPod has sold a lot of Macs since it's introoduction. Apple's almost universally acknowledged expertise at design could be used to differentiate their machines and justify the higher prices they seek to get for their products. And at over $100 a throw, OS X would fly off the shelves.
C'mon, Steve; Get with it.
Jack
I doubt Apple can implement any scheme to restrict their operating system to their hardware alone with a real expectation of success over the long term. Whatever they do will be broken, and probably sooner rather than later.
In my not so humble opinion, Apple will be forced to release OS X to all comers, and soon, to avoid losing literally millions of sales. There is a great hunger for their operating system in the computing world, but much less inclination to pay for it if Apple is not going to approve their use of it.
Apple does not wish to write drivers for all sorts of hardware. I can appreciate that. But they don't really have to do anything but approve drivers and they can charge for that, as Microsoft already does.
If Steve Jobs wants to become an influential player, instead of stay marginalized and labor as an idea factory for others to copy, this is his chance. It is not unreasonable to see OS X with a 20% market share in the 18 months after release. Sales of Apple hardware would grow, as well, due to the "halo" effect, much as the iPod has sold a lot of Macs since it's introoduction. Apple's almost universally acknowledged expertise at design could be used to differentiate their machines and justify the higher prices they seek to get for their products. And at over $100 a throw, OS X would fly off the shelves.
C'mon, Steve; Get with it.
Jack
New RISC OS machine coming soon
It is not for everyone and it's not even ready yet. But the new ARM powered RISC OS A9 looks rather like it might be one possible shape of the future.
The desktop PC is very much ready for an evolution into something smaller, more secure, etc, etc. The Mac Mini and several other machines show us that. The A9 is far different from what we have now, but it is fast, efficient and miserly in terms of power consumption. I almost want one.
Jack
The desktop PC is very much ready for an evolution into something smaller, more secure, etc, etc. The Mac Mini and several other machines show us that. The A9 is far different from what we have now, but it is fast, efficient and miserly in terms of power consumption. I almost want one.
Jack
Dimpled Fan Breaks New Ground
Golf balls fly dramatically further because of the dimples in their surface, which manipulate the boundary layer of air flowing around the sphere in such a way as to reduce drag.
MVKTech.net has an article about the Sharkoon Silent Eagle 2000, which apparently uses this same effect to move much more air. It's not too noisy or expensive. This one is worth a read, though four pages on a fan is a bit much, imho.
Jack
MVKTech.net has an article about the Sharkoon Silent Eagle 2000, which apparently uses this same effect to move much more air. It's not too noisy or expensive. This one is worth a read, though four pages on a fan is a bit much, imho.
Jack
A Truce in the Standards Wars?
Microsoft's decision to "open" their Office document formats seems to have begun a truce period in the wars over document standards. It is only a truce. Believe me when I say that Microsoft's recent actions will satisfy only some of those concerned with this issue. This is to tell you both why that is so and how it may be a non-issue from here on out. Only time will tell; as customers vote with their adoption of software, be it Microsoft's or some other productivity applications.
Of course; this all started when the State of Massachusetts decided to adopt Open Document Format and Adobe's PDF as the "official" document formats for the State's business, whether incoming or outgoing. This was done with the best of intentions. They wanted to assure that documents could be read in a hundred years. Documents put up in a proprietary format could not guarantee that and, in fact, still can't. But if the standard is sufficiently open, there will be no problem.
Of course; the definition of "open" takes some discerning. Some would have us believe that being open means the standard itself evolves by community input. Microsoft's file formats fall short when using this definition. Microsoft is the sole arbiter of what goes into them.
Massachusetts did something rather canny and wise, though. They decided to take Adobe's PDF as the baseline of their definition of open. There is a tendency to see Adobe's PDF (Portable Document Format) as wholly proprietary. After all; Adobe alone decided and will continue to decide what goes into it. However; the format is well documented (and in a timely manner) and, should I decide to build an application which uses it in any way, the license says I am free to do so. I don't even have to ask Adobe or tell them I'm doing it. (Though I once had a conversation with an Adobe developer who said they would like an email or a post card so they can see where the format is being used and how- for reference purposes. In fact; no one does it.) This liberal licensing is thought to be open enough to guarantee the ability to read the documents over the [very] long term.
At the very first; this setting of standards for document formats did in fact exclude Microsoft, who are pledged not to support the ODF. But, if Microsoft opens the document format they use and cooperates in documenting it, that should be good enough. They have to license it liberally enough, but with their announcement of today, that seems something they are pledged to do, and quickly.
I know that Office file formats have long been something of a moving target, changing frequently. This has made for compatibility problems with other applications. However; Adobe seems to have managed to evolve PDF in such as way as to only rarely cause compatibility problems. As those changes were quickly documented, developers using PDF in their applications had only small problems and readily available ways to solve them. Microsoft can surely do the same, if they will. Combine this with Office 12's inclusion of the ability to format documents in PDF and save them that way, and Microsoft seems to have hurdled the bar.
I am one of those proponents of completely open standards, such as the ODF. I am also a pragmatist and I have long believed that the way Adobe has handled PDF is "good enough". I will say that if Microsoft follows that same path with their Office file formats, that will be good enough for me. And I believe it will be enough to make formatting a non-issue with most customers. For the rest, there are readily available and compatible solutions.
Jack
Of course; this all started when the State of Massachusetts decided to adopt Open Document Format and Adobe's PDF as the "official" document formats for the State's business, whether incoming or outgoing. This was done with the best of intentions. They wanted to assure that documents could be read in a hundred years. Documents put up in a proprietary format could not guarantee that and, in fact, still can't. But if the standard is sufficiently open, there will be no problem.
Of course; the definition of "open" takes some discerning. Some would have us believe that being open means the standard itself evolves by community input. Microsoft's file formats fall short when using this definition. Microsoft is the sole arbiter of what goes into them.
Massachusetts did something rather canny and wise, though. They decided to take Adobe's PDF as the baseline of their definition of open. There is a tendency to see Adobe's PDF (Portable Document Format) as wholly proprietary. After all; Adobe alone decided and will continue to decide what goes into it. However; the format is well documented (and in a timely manner) and, should I decide to build an application which uses it in any way, the license says I am free to do so. I don't even have to ask Adobe or tell them I'm doing it. (Though I once had a conversation with an Adobe developer who said they would like an email or a post card so they can see where the format is being used and how- for reference purposes. In fact; no one does it.) This liberal licensing is thought to be open enough to guarantee the ability to read the documents over the [very] long term.
At the very first; this setting of standards for document formats did in fact exclude Microsoft, who are pledged not to support the ODF. But, if Microsoft opens the document format they use and cooperates in documenting it, that should be good enough. They have to license it liberally enough, but with their announcement of today, that seems something they are pledged to do, and quickly.
I know that Office file formats have long been something of a moving target, changing frequently. This has made for compatibility problems with other applications. However; Adobe seems to have managed to evolve PDF in such as way as to only rarely cause compatibility problems. As those changes were quickly documented, developers using PDF in their applications had only small problems and readily available ways to solve them. Microsoft can surely do the same, if they will. Combine this with Office 12's inclusion of the ability to format documents in PDF and save them that way, and Microsoft seems to have hurdled the bar.
I am one of those proponents of completely open standards, such as the ODF. I am also a pragmatist and I have long believed that the way Adobe has handled PDF is "good enough". I will say that if Microsoft follows that same path with their Office file formats, that will be good enough for me. And I believe it will be enough to make formatting a non-issue with most customers. For the rest, there are readily available and compatible solutions.
Jack
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
The Netflix fix is in - The Red Tape Chronicles
This is apparently a regular column on msnbc.com about "unmask[ing] government bureacracy, corporate sneakiness and outright scam artists."
The reason I post this, you ask? Well, I subscribe to netflix and have the option to participate, I know of at least a couple other people, that SHOULD read this blog ;) that also could be participants.
Netflix was sued recently because the DVDs were taking longer to arrive, than promised. Part of the settlement includes one month of upgraded service. Which means you can have one more DVD at home, at a time, basically. It was news to me about the upgraded service continuing (with an email reminder) at the higher level of service that you may get as a result of the settlement. I reviewed the email I got about the settlement, and they are correct, and if you don't notify them after the "free month" then your service level and charges will change. The lawyers will receive $2.5 million dollars in fees, and all I get is a hassle, it seems to me. There are more details and a website where you can join a group of 300 to comment on the settlement.
--MissM
The reason I post this, you ask? Well, I subscribe to netflix and have the option to participate, I know of at least a couple other people, that SHOULD read this blog ;) that also could be participants.
Netflix was sued recently because the DVDs were taking longer to arrive, than promised. Part of the settlement includes one month of upgraded service. Which means you can have one more DVD at home, at a time, basically. It was news to me about the upgraded service continuing (with an email reminder) at the higher level of service that you may get as a result of the settlement. I reviewed the email I got about the settlement, and they are correct, and if you don't notify them after the "free month" then your service level and charges will change. The lawyers will receive $2.5 million dollars in fees, and all I get is a hassle, it seems to me. There are more details and a website where you can join a group of 300 to comment on the settlement.
--MissM
Zero-Day Exploit Targets IE
"Exploit code for a critical flaw in fully patched versions of Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer browser has been released on the Internet, putting millions of Web surfers at risk of computer hijack attacks."
Cleaning Up Sony's Rootkit Mess
From Ben Edelmen who've we interviewed on the show before, an excellent solution for Sony to communicate to people who have not returned their rootkit CDs for replacement.
tech.memeorandum links to the discussion here.
Check it out.
--MissM
tech.memeorandum links to the discussion here.
Check it out.
--MissM
Best Christmas lights ever!!
This is a fantastic video that I'm gonna try and put up as a picture, so y'all can see this.
VERY impressive! Of course, my kids said "Lets do THAT!" lol
RocketBoom is a daily (M-F) short (usually about 5 minutes) VideoBlog (Vlog?) that covers a bunch of eclectic topics. I saw Amanda at the ConvergeSouth blogger con I went to.
--MissM
P.S. first attempt didn't work, trying flickr now. Too big a file for flickr. Well I guess the only alternative is to go to the video link above.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Attack code released for IE hole | Tech News on ZDNet
"Exploit code for a new flaw in Internet Explorer could put systems at risk of remote attack, security experts warned Monday."
Cingular will be sold under name of AT&T
Being a customer of AT&T, Cingular, now apparently back to AT&T. I thought AT&T was dead. Apparently it has enough name recognition that it will never die.
--MissM
P.S. The transition was painful, the first time, much less this time... SHEEEESH!!
UPDATE: Engadget refers to a post at RCRNews.com: "SAN ANTONIO-SBC Communications Inc. is reportedly planning to launch an AT&T branded wireless service that will use the network of SBC's current wireless joint venture, Cingular Wireless L.L.C. SBC's plans follow the closing last weekend of its $16 billion acquisition of AT&T Corp.
Contrary to published reports, Cingular said it is not changing its name to AT&T." Additional details at RCRNews.com
--MissM
P.S. The transition was painful, the first time, much less this time... SHEEEESH!!
UPDATE: Engadget refers to a post at RCRNews.com: "SAN ANTONIO-SBC Communications Inc. is reportedly planning to launch an AT&T branded wireless service that will use the network of SBC's current wireless joint venture, Cingular Wireless L.L.C. SBC's plans follow the closing last weekend of its $16 billion acquisition of AT&T Corp.
Contrary to published reports, Cingular said it is not changing its name to AT&T." Additional details at RCRNews.com
One Possible Version of Sony's Copyright Woes
If the open-source developers involved take the offensive, a lot could change.
Jack
Jack
Texas Sues Sony Under Anti-Spyware Law - Yahoo! News
I'm not sure if this is the first lawsuit on this, but its the first one I've seen.
I'm sure this will be the first of many......
I'm sure this will be the first of many......
LinuxWorld | US prevails in Internet governance struggle
I hadn't heard this little nuggets of news until I listened to TWiT this morning. I listen to the podcasts, so you don't have to (though you're missing so much!).
"The United States has prevailed in the controversial fight over Internet governance and will retain overall control of the Internet's DNS, root servers and ICANN for the foreseeable future.
Rather than the new body or oversight body that many countries had been pushing for, a deal was finally struck that will see the creation of a new Internet Governance Forum (IGF) comprising governments and public and civil society but, crucially, will not have decision-making powers.
At the same time, governments also agreed to work within existing structures, meaning that plans to give part of the Internet's stewardship to another body were also stymied. Instead ICANN will remain in general overall control of the Internet and other countries will have - at the moment at least - work within its Governmental Advisory Committee. "
--MissM
P.S. I can't help but notice Jack's posting about windows, and I'm posting articles from linuxworld, will wonders never cease? ;)
"The United States has prevailed in the controversial fight over Internet governance and will retain overall control of the Internet's DNS, root servers and ICANN for the foreseeable future.
Rather than the new body or oversight body that many countries had been pushing for, a deal was finally struck that will see the creation of a new Internet Governance Forum (IGF) comprising governments and public and civil society but, crucially, will not have decision-making powers.
At the same time, governments also agreed to work within existing structures, meaning that plans to give part of the Internet's stewardship to another body were also stymied. Instead ICANN will remain in general overall control of the Internet and other countries will have - at the moment at least - work within its Governmental Advisory Committee. "
--MissM
P.S. I can't help but notice Jack's posting about windows, and I'm posting articles from linuxworld, will wonders never cease? ;)
FireFox Support at Windows Live
Well, I guess I need to admit I was too harsh regarding progress at Live.com during today's show. The site now works in every way with Firefox, both on Windows and Linux! No longer do I see the little warning box saying support is on the way and it works right!
Click on the "what's new" link at the upper left of the home page. Up comes a very interesting list of what either is or will be available soon. They've obviously put a lot more thought into things than I accused them of. The OneCare and Office Live look good and I'm sure they'll evolve to be more attractive still.
Jack
Click on the "what's new" link at the upper left of the home page. Up comes a very interesting list of what either is or will be available soon. They've obviously put a lot more thought into things than I accused them of. The OneCare and Office Live look good and I'm sure they'll evolve to be more attractive still.
Jack
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Trouble With the Uninstaller for Another Sony DRM. This Time it's SunComm's MediaMax
This story at the Freedom to Tinker blog is very much like the ones for Sony's XPM copy-protection. The uninstaller leaves a gaping security hole.
Read it and weep.
Jack
Read it and weep.
Jack
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 11-20-05
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 11-20-2005. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp. We have lots of Give aways between now and the last LIVE show this year, you might want to listen live for the next 6 weeks.
Hyperthreading hurts server performance, say developers
Intel's HyperThreading looked like a really good deal, initially. And I must admit that in some applications it really was a help. My favorite example was encryption/decryption on a file server I set up.
Turns out that in at least some heavily threaded software, such as Microsoft's SQL Server, HyperThreading is a big liability and can actually limit performance. Who would have guessed?
The link above is to an article at ZDNet UK. More information can be found here.
Jack
Turns out that in at least some heavily threaded software, such as Microsoft's SQL Server, HyperThreading is a big liability and can actually limit performance. Who would have guessed?
The link above is to an article at ZDNet UK. More information can be found here.
Jack
This weeks winners are!
Congratulation to our winners for this week. We will pick the winner for our email contest next Saturday and post it here on our Newsgroup and web site.
Jim Weir
Grass Valley CA
Won Audio Cleaning Lab 10 from Magix.com
Tom lane
Sparta, Wi
Won 10 pack of Digital Movie DVDR Media from Verbatim
Good luck!
Jim Weir
Grass Valley CA
Won Audio Cleaning Lab 10 from Magix.com
Tom lane
Sparta, Wi
Won 10 pack of Digital Movie DVDR Media from Verbatim
Good luck!
Verbatim Digital Vinyl Winner
Congratulations to Ken in maryland for winning the Verbatim Digital Vinyl CDR media.
Be sure to listen to the show to see what else we are giving away and how to enter.
Be sure to listen to the show to see what else we are giving away and how to enter.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Mark's Sysinternals Blog
According to Mark, this is just the beginning: "Attention now needs to turn to the broader issues that go beyond DRM to software in general. They include acceptable behavior of commercial software, from both legal and ethical standpoints, and appropriate disclosure of software behavior. We’ve been living in a world of hazy laws surrounding EULAs and ideally this case will lead to more clearly defined laws and standard judicial principles.[and he closes with]. Of course, this first victory would not have happened without your participation in bringing the story to the attention of the media both in this blog and in other publications. I congratulate everyone that voiced their concern over the trend Sony’s software portended and I encourage you to continue to fight for a long-lasting resolution on the issue of software installation and disclosure."
I really agree with him, it was the repetition, that made the "non geek public" aware, and outraged. This resulted in a temporary solution, but no guarantees of future protection. As they say in disclaimers "Past performance is no guarantee of future results."
--MissM
I really agree with him, it was the repetition, that made the "non geek public" aware, and outraged. This resulted in a temporary solution, but no guarantees of future protection. As they say in disclaimers "Past performance is no guarantee of future results."
--MissM
10 Reasons Why Intel Won't Benchmark Paxville
Okay. This is definitely a low blow to Intel from AMD. Still, it was so funny, I found myself laughing long after leaving the page.
Enough said;
Jack
Enough said;
Jack
Sony BMG CD’s Containing XCP Content Protection Technology
According to Sony this is the complete list of CDs that installed a rootkit on your computer, IF you have autorun enabled. If you would like to change that, see Joe's post below.
--MissM
--MissM
Friday, November 18, 2005
Windows Live Ideas � Product Page
Microsoft's Windows OneCare is going to Public BETA soon, if you would like to join the BETA team as soon, you can go to the above web site and look for the box with: "Coming soon Get this beta when it's ready. Sign up" You can sign up and get on the Public BETA team to test this new service from Microsoft.
I'm BETA Testing it now and it works very well.
Joe
I'm BETA Testing it now and it works very well.
Joe
� How do you stop Sony's rootkit at the office? | AskBloggie | ZDNet.com
"Stop CDs from auto-playing which allows something like Sony's rootkit to install on their computers. The solution is actually quite simple and effective "
Security Watch: To be "0wned" by Sony - CNET reviews
"Sony has agreed not to put root-kit technology on future music CDs as a means of protecting its copyrights. But this story is far from over. There are at least two lawsuits pending. There are also viruses poised to take advantage of already-infected PCs worldwide, the number of which may be much higher than anyone previously thought. Worse, Sony's fix for the problem may not be any more secure than the original root kit"
Thursday, November 17, 2005
InformationWeek: Bloggers Break Sony
From the article:
"It seems crystal clear that but for the citizen journalists, Sony never would have done anything about this,' says Fred von Lohmann, senior intellectual property attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a cyber liberties advocacy group that has been vocal in its condemnation of Sony and may eventually file a a lawsuit against Sony, in addition to three that have already been filed. 'It's plain to me that it was Sony's intent to brush the story under the rug and forget about it."
"It seems crystal clear that but for the citizen journalists, Sony never would have done anything about this,' says Fred von Lohmann, senior intellectual property attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a cyber liberties advocacy group that has been vocal in its condemnation of Sony and may eventually file a a lawsuit against Sony, in addition to three that have already been filed. 'It's plain to me that it was Sony's intent to brush the story under the rug and forget about it."
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Sun goes storage mad with upcoming Opteron kit
48 SATA hard drives says it all! 48! And plenty of processing power to encrypt sensitive stuff, or whatever else you need it to do.
Jack
Jack
Microsoft backs X86 64-bit
Everyone who paid attention knew this was coming. Even so; it's going to impose a monetary shock on those needing to adopt new server software, such as Exchange 12 unless they already have x86 64 hardware.
Jack
Jack
SETI@home
Looks like I can't put seti announcements off, anymore. Classic ends 12/15/05. But, you can make your own password, now.
Our Classic Team
Our Boinc Team
November 15, 2005
The old SETI@home Classic project will stop issuing work on December 15, 2005. Anyone still running SETI@home Classic should deactivate it and install SETI@home/BOINC (see instructions under 'Getting started' on this page).
November 14, 2005
Tomorrow we will start merging the SETI@home classic science database with SETI@home/BOINC. This will take several days, during which some back-end servers will be offline (splitters and assimilators). We stored up a large queue of work - we are hoping this will keep all BOINC clients occupied during the outage. Progress will be detailed in Technical News.
October 26, 2005
Version 5.2 of the BOINC client software has been released. It lets you attach to projects, and log in to their web sites, using email address and password, instead of account key. Users have not chosen a password may do so here.
--MissM
Our Classic Team
Our Boinc Team
November 15, 2005
The old SETI@home Classic project will stop issuing work on December 15, 2005. Anyone still running SETI@home Classic should deactivate it and install SETI@home/BOINC (see instructions under 'Getting started' on this page).
November 14, 2005
Tomorrow we will start merging the SETI@home classic science database with SETI@home/BOINC. This will take several days, during which some back-end servers will be offline (splitters and assimilators). We stored up a large queue of work - we are hoping this will keep all BOINC clients occupied during the outage. Progress will be detailed in Technical News.
October 26, 2005
Version 5.2 of the BOINC client software has been released. It lets you attach to projects, and log in to their web sites, using email address and password, instead of account key. Users have not chosen a password may do so here.
--MissM
Firefox 1.5 is not final yet
If you have heard the rumors and gotten excited, as I did, calm down and take a deep breath. It is still RC2 with RC3 coming in a few days.
What does seem to be for real, is that barring any last minute changes, Firefox 1.5 final release is expected later this month.
What does seem to be for real, is that barring any last minute changes, Firefox 1.5 final release is expected later this month.
Wired News: Sony Numbers Add Up to Trouble
Whoa! An article and a link to the post, by a gentleman who determined that over half a MILLION networks (no idea how many computers connected to each network) have phoned home to Sony and First 4 Internet. The study was based on DNS server caching analysis. I haven't read the details of the analysis (UPDATE: I've read the article, and have pictures! See below). But, I thought the first guesstimate of the scope of the infection was interesting.
I was directed here by Todd at GeekNewsCentral, who estimated that it cost him $500 bucks to reinstall his wife's computer, and was gonna bill Sony! I say good on ya, Todd. Lets turn this into a cost to admin the various spyware/rootkit/trojan/virus melee(s).
--MissM
OffTopic: Gizmodo Unpacking The Xbox 360.
I was directed here by Todd at GeekNewsCentral, who estimated that it cost him $500 bucks to reinstall his wife's computer, and was gonna bill Sony! I say good on ya, Todd. Lets turn this into a cost to admin the various spyware/rootkit/trojan/virus melee(s).
--MissM
OffTopic: Gizmodo Unpacking The Xbox 360.
Update: School computer -JAVA I fixed it
The application they gave me to do repair requests is Java based. Well, from what I can tell the Java was not configured right. So, the application crashed or hung every time.
Everything goes through a proxy server here. Best I can figure they didn't "tell" Java that. There's an auto configuration URL they use for all school computers. I plugged that into the Java control panel proxy tab and Bingo! Everything started working. I called the "help" desk and told them what I did ;-).
Everything goes through a proxy server here. Best I can figure they didn't "tell" Java that. There's an auto configuration URL they use for all school computers. I plugged that into the Java control panel proxy tab and Bingo! Everything started working. I called the "help" desk and told them what I did ;-).
Consumers punish firms over data security breaches
I found this surprising. I was of the opinion that consumers would simply let the problems at a given firm slip from the fore of their consciousness and take no action. Obviously some do nothing. But a substantial and surprising percentage take action.
I think that's great.
Jack
I think that's great.
Jack
Windows Compute Cluster 2003
Mention this product and most folks will go "oh give me a break". But it is a real product and it has some unique qualities that put this kind of high-powered computing within reach of many businesses. Think data mining, advanced design on a scale less than Boeing and Airbus and yet greater than any level you've been able to afford before. I'm aware of one acedemic application being considerred in biochemistry. The list of potential customers is very large.
First off, while it's not as efficient as Linux, Solaris and Unix cluster solutions, it can be managed by a tech with decent skills and a couple manuals. No, really! I have that on good authority. And while it's not the whiz-bang solution for "big iron", it has a "sweet spot" of 4 to 64 way machines. For the price and ease of administration, many companies will gladly sacrifice some speed and power because they'll still have much more than ever before and in a form they can use.
Second, while developing for WCC03 is not all that close to doing it for the Window server and desktop systems, Microsoft is rapidly developing modifications of Visual Studio to accomodate those who need to write for this platform. That is just about everybody. There is very little of what we think of as "ready to roll" software for this sort of setup available. Nearly everyone will be using custom applications. Even with that, Microsoft is developing some applications in an attempt to make the core product more attractive.
I never did look at the price. I suspect it's one of those "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" things. And there's no way i could run it here. My little cluster of 486s wouldn't cut it, even if it was still in existence. (This is also a thinly veiled hint to Joe that I could use a few 8 or 16 way Opterons for my birthday, which is coming up.)
It's new territory for Microsoft and they appear to have a product which will appeal to a market sector which did not previously have access to such tools. As such things go, it's the only nearly ready solution to a lot of problems.
Jack
First off, while it's not as efficient as Linux, Solaris and Unix cluster solutions, it can be managed by a tech with decent skills and a couple manuals. No, really! I have that on good authority. And while it's not the whiz-bang solution for "big iron", it has a "sweet spot" of 4 to 64 way machines. For the price and ease of administration, many companies will gladly sacrifice some speed and power because they'll still have much more than ever before and in a form they can use.
Second, while developing for WCC03 is not all that close to doing it for the Window server and desktop systems, Microsoft is rapidly developing modifications of Visual Studio to accomodate those who need to write for this platform. That is just about everybody. There is very little of what we think of as "ready to roll" software for this sort of setup available. Nearly everyone will be using custom applications. Even with that, Microsoft is developing some applications in an attempt to make the core product more attractive.
I never did look at the price. I suspect it's one of those "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" things. And there's no way i could run it here. My little cluster of 486s wouldn't cut it, even if it was still in existence. (This is also a thinly veiled hint to Joe that I could use a few 8 or 16 way Opterons for my birthday, which is coming up.)
It's new territory for Microsoft and they appear to have a product which will appeal to a market sector which did not previously have access to such tools. As such things go, it's the only nearly ready solution to a lot of problems.
Jack
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
More DRM: Sony Caught in -- Gasp -- IP Theft
Someone in the Netherlands did a decompile on the XCP rootkit that has gotten most of the attention lately. It seems that parts of the rootkit use the LAME mp3 encoder, which is licensed under the Lesser GPL. That means by delivering only an executable (the rootkit) without source or crediting, XCP violates the GPL. Violating the GPL puts Sony at massive legal risk for—wait for it—copyright infringement.
The irony is just crushing.
Sir Howard Stringer (Sony's head) now faces a massive business problem, and his company's future in electronic media may well hang in the balance. He runs the risk of alienating not just the music customers, but the Playstation gamers as well.
Why? Ignoring the PR fallout from the rootkit, Sony just got a patent on a method of restricting game software to one copy on one particular machine. They seem to think that this kind of lockdown will be tolerated by its customers. Someone sell these guys a clue.
The irony is just crushing.
Sir Howard Stringer (Sony's head) now faces a massive business problem, and his company's future in electronic media may well hang in the balance. He runs the risk of alienating not just the music customers, but the Playstation gamers as well.
Why? Ignoring the PR fallout from the rootkit, Sony just got a patent on a method of restricting game software to one copy on one particular machine. They seem to think that this kind of lockdown will be tolerated by its customers. Someone sell these guys a clue.
TechCrunch: Google Analytics Swings at Measure Map
I signed us up for this. As an experiment, but its too soon to get any stats. Y'all must check the blog out, more on the weekends. Monday and Tuesday are certainly slow If there's an area that somebody would like us to keep an eye on let us know, post it in the comments.
--MissM
--MissM
� First Intel Macs to arrive in January? | The Apple Core | ZDNet.com
"This week rumors are swirling that the first Intel Macs could arrive even sooner, possibly in as little as two months." Do you want an Intel MAC?
VPN flaw threatens Internet traffic | Tech News on ZDNet
"A flaw in a key Internet security protocol used by major networking products could open systems up to denial-of-service and other kinds of attacks, experts have warned."
Apple snubbed in cheap laptop deal
"Beware of geeks bearing gifts"!
As the story points out, had the MIT project accepted the donation of free copies of OS X for the $100 PC project it may well have become the dominant operating system in the developing world. That happens, and all of a sudden, poor people with much, much better things to do with the little money they have than pay for proprietary software are locked in. Instead, the project will use Red Hat Linux and associated free software. (That's both free as in beer and free as in freedom.)
This project will almost certainly come to fruition. It has too many backers with clout to fail. In my less than humble opinion, this is one of the most exciting projects extant. Every one of these PCs will bring another person or three into contact with the wider world, with all the potential that implies for spreading knowledge, enhancing lives and breaking down intolerance.
Jack
As the story points out, had the MIT project accepted the donation of free copies of OS X for the $100 PC project it may well have become the dominant operating system in the developing world. That happens, and all of a sudden, poor people with much, much better things to do with the little money they have than pay for proprietary software are locked in. Instead, the project will use Red Hat Linux and associated free software. (That's both free as in beer and free as in freedom.)
This project will almost certainly come to fruition. It has too many backers with clout to fail. In my less than humble opinion, this is one of the most exciting projects extant. Every one of these PCs will bring another person or three into contact with the wider world, with all the potential that implies for spreading knowledge, enhancing lives and breaking down intolerance.
Jack
How the Computers Drove SUVs 132 Miles Across the Desert
We heard the news a month ago that computers with advanced artificial-intelligence software for the first time drove a motor vehicle that completed a DARPA-designed course over 132 miles of rough desert. It was a "look, Ma, no hands" moment, and a $2 million prize for the winner.
This article explains for the first time I've seen how the technology was put together. The first three finishers used identical boxes with six Intel Pentium M's packaged as blades in a rugged platform designed to be earthquake proof (no spinning hard disks and a spike-resistant power supply).
I'm thinking the ratio in late 2005 for off road racing is something like:
(6 x Pentium M) + (12 x Stanford engineering graduate-student programmers) = 1 Good Old Boy
You may laugh, but computers are catching up to the abilities of the human brain to assess and react to complex external conditions. And you can bet that DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Agency) is glad to pay every penny of the $2 million prize, the implications for unmanned vehicles being obvious.
This article explains for the first time I've seen how the technology was put together. The first three finishers used identical boxes with six Intel Pentium M's packaged as blades in a rugged platform designed to be earthquake proof (no spinning hard disks and a spike-resistant power supply).
I'm thinking the ratio in late 2005 for off road racing is something like:
(6 x Pentium M) + (12 x Stanford engineering graduate-student programmers) = 1 Good Old Boy
You may laugh, but computers are catching up to the abilities of the human brain to assess and react to complex external conditions. And you can bet that DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Agency) is glad to pay every penny of the $2 million prize, the implications for unmanned vehicles being obvious.
Sony pulls XCP CDs, offers to replace bought copies with regular CDs - Engadget
And the good news keeps on coming. This is excellent. But, one of my initial objections to having to register to get Sony's fix for the rootkit, still stands. This is a customer data mining windfall, for Sony. And, as Engadget says "We’re not entirely sure why Sony had to wait this long to do it"
--MissM
--MissM
Here Comes RAID 6 for Widespread Enterprise Storage
Many enterprises have begun replacing RAID 5 with the relatively new RAID 6, which can handle multiple disk failures and thereby provide greater protection against data loss.
Enabling data-in-place migration between diverse RAID solutions is perhaps the most significant advantage of the DDF specification. Data-in-place migration is increasingly preferred in large enterprises because it is faster and easier than the traditional practice of backup, reconfiguration, and restore. However, with the rapid growth in data volume and associated disk capacity and the sum total capacity of RAID arrays, IT departments are faced with another serious risk of data loss through latent failures, also known as unrecoverable read errors.
To address this trend, the current draft of the SNIA (Storage Networking Industry Association) workgroup called the Common RAID Disk Data Format Technical Working Group (DDF TWG)specification that supports RAID 6. This means that RAID solutions supporting the DDF specification can also support RAID 6, thereby dramatically reducing the risk of catastrophic data loss during RAID rebuilds.
It's conceivable, a decade down the road, that the 40%-plus rate of storage growth curve will flatten as migration in place reduces the need for multiple, redundant data copies.
Enabling data-in-place migration between diverse RAID solutions is perhaps the most significant advantage of the DDF specification. Data-in-place migration is increasingly preferred in large enterprises because it is faster and easier than the traditional practice of backup, reconfiguration, and restore. However, with the rapid growth in data volume and associated disk capacity and the sum total capacity of RAID arrays, IT departments are faced with another serious risk of data loss through latent failures, also known as unrecoverable read errors.
To address this trend, the current draft of the SNIA (Storage Networking Industry Association) workgroup called the Common RAID Disk Data Format Technical Working Group (DDF TWG)specification that supports RAID 6. This means that RAID solutions supporting the DDF specification can also support RAID 6, thereby dramatically reducing the risk of catastrophic data loss during RAID rebuilds.
It's conceivable, a decade down the road, that the 40%-plus rate of storage growth curve will flatten as migration in place reduces the need for multiple, redundant data copies.
Gartner warns business on Vista
Well, duuuuuhhhhh!
No business IT operation rushes into any upgrade and the advice Gartner gives is basically to follow good policy with regard to adopting Microsoft's next OS, Vista.
Even so, the warning is unusually weak on endorsing Vista and reads more like the veiled warnings the hero in a bad detective story gets from some hard case. Really. Gartner points out that most of the features, such as desktop search and an improved firewall are already available from either MS or third parties for XP. They 'pooh, pooh' the enhanced security of IE 7 by depicting it as purely a reaction to defections to Mozilla Firefox by some users.
With friends like this, Microsoft doesn't really need enemies, do they?
More and more, Vista is getting "dead-panned" by those who might influence potential adopters. And there are increasing numbers of hints from journalists that Vista might be pushed back even further. I suspect Microsoft has no one to blame for this but themselves. Even so; it looks as if Vista may debut to only a lukewarm reception by a press and analyst community who have already pronounced it to be nearly irrelevant. No matter the reality of Vista, I'm sure it deserves better than that.
Jack
No business IT operation rushes into any upgrade and the advice Gartner gives is basically to follow good policy with regard to adopting Microsoft's next OS, Vista.
Even so, the warning is unusually weak on endorsing Vista and reads more like the veiled warnings the hero in a bad detective story gets from some hard case. Really. Gartner points out that most of the features, such as desktop search and an improved firewall are already available from either MS or third parties for XP. They 'pooh, pooh' the enhanced security of IE 7 by depicting it as purely a reaction to defections to Mozilla Firefox by some users.
With friends like this, Microsoft doesn't really need enemies, do they?
More and more, Vista is getting "dead-panned" by those who might influence potential adopters. And there are increasing numbers of hints from journalists that Vista might be pushed back even further. I suspect Microsoft has no one to blame for this but themselves. Even so; it looks as if Vista may debut to only a lukewarm reception by a press and analyst community who have already pronounced it to be nearly irrelevant. No matter the reality of Vista, I'm sure it deserves better than that.
Jack
Freedom to Tinker Blog
J. Alex Halderman's "Freedom to Tinker" blog is almost always good reading and I recommend it highly. The link above is to his take on MORE DRM included in Sony CDs.
Jack
Jack
Monday, November 14, 2005
There will be a 2 hour outage tonight
Monday, November 14, 2005
We are planning a two hour outage this evening from 9p to 11p (PST). This is to complete the network maintenance we've been performing over the last several weeks.
--MissM
We are planning a two hour outage this evening from 9p to 11p (PST). This is to complete the network maintenance we've been performing over the last several weeks.
--MissM
FAQ: Sony's 'rootkit' CDs | Tech News on ZDNet
"On Thursday, a wave of malicious software appeared in the wild that piggybacked on copy-protection technology installed on hard drives by Sony BMG Music Entertainment CDs. "
'Bots' for Sony CD software spotted online | Tech News on ZDNet
"A first wave of malicious software written to piggyback on Sony BMG Music Entertainment CD copy protection tools has been spotted online, computer security companies said Thursday. "
Sony rootkit prompts office clampdown on CD use | Tech News on ZDNet
"Sony's decision to include rootkit-like copy restrictions on some of its music CDs is prompting some companies to review whether they allow their staff to use personal CDs at work."
Microsoft will wipe Sony's 'rootkit' | Tech News on ZDNet
"Microsoft will update its security tools to detect and remove part of the copy protection tools installed on PCs when some music CDs are played. "
Sun Gets Sparc Niagara Out the Door
Sun this week is unveiling its long-touted "Niagara" processor, the third major rollout in the past two months for the Santa Clara, Calif., company, which is aggressively trying to separate itself from its past as a vendor focused solely on its SPARC-Solaris platform for high-end customers. UltraSPARC T1, which will start appearing in systems by the end of the year, marks the largest advance to date in Sun's Throughput Computing strategy.
The chip offers eight cores per chip running up to four instruction threads each and addresses the growing issues of energy consumption and heat generation by using only 70 watts of power.
I recall being briefed on the Niagara roadmap circa 2000. Sun has had a poor delivery record in Sparc over the past several years. That has hurt the company; some say it has hurt badly. Wouldn't this technology have been market-turning, say, mid-2002?
With today's big Wall Street Journal story on computer power consumption, Sun's eight cores in a 70-watt envelope is the right recipe. Niagara is a big help to Sun's Sparc base, but I doubt it will shake the market's penchant for x64-based servers, in Sun's case, AMD Opterons.
The chip offers eight cores per chip running up to four instruction threads each and addresses the growing issues of energy consumption and heat generation by using only 70 watts of power.
I recall being briefed on the Niagara roadmap circa 2000. Sun has had a poor delivery record in Sparc over the past several years. That has hurt the company; some say it has hurt badly. Wouldn't this technology have been market-turning, say, mid-2002?
With today's big Wall Street Journal story on computer power consumption, Sun's eight cores in a 70-watt envelope is the right recipe. Niagara is a big help to Sun's Sparc base, but I doubt it will shake the market's penchant for x64-based servers, in Sun's case, AMD Opterons.
Open source cell phone
Mobile phone maker LG Electronics is showing off a prototype that runs on the SavaJe OS, an open-source Java platform. The LG phone running SavaJe (pronounced ''savage") has a 176 x 220 display and can store a gig of applications and media files. LG may release a phone running on SavaJe as early as next year.
Do I have bad caps?
I need your all's help. I think my ASUS motherboard failed, a couple weeks ago. The blue screen frequency was increasing the last few days. I had various error messages atapi.sys was the most frequent. One time it seemed as if the memory address was between atapi.sys and agp.sys. I eventually couldn't boot at all, so I ordered another ASUS mobo A8V from Monarch Computer. I posted an item from news.com.com about bad capacitors showing up in Dells and many other computers. I thought the "explosion" was more obvious, then I relooked at my mobo and won
dered if I had bad caps. So. here's the picture:
dered if I had bad caps. So. here's the picture: Bad Caps?? Please post your opinion in the comments.
Thanks!
--MissM
Update: The first picture did reflect a bit much, so here's another, perhaps more clear
OnComputers on Frappr!
I resisted as long as I could... But, EVERYbody is making their own frappr map. Podcacher, TWiT and Scripting.com, to name a few. So I gave in, and totally on my own, without asking permission, and set one up for us. ;)
Pretty please with sugar on top, help us figure out how worldwide our audience is.
--MissM
Pretty please with sugar on top, help us figure out how worldwide our audience is.
--MissM
Sunday, November 13, 2005
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 11-13-05
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 11-13-2005. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp. We have lots of Give aways between now and the last LIVE show this year, you might want to listen live for the next 6 weeks.
Some URLs from the show today.
David Notario's WebLog - CLR and JIT Compiler : What is mscorsvw.exe and why is it eating up my CPU? What is this new CLR Optimization Service?
EFF: DeepLinks: "EFF has confirmed the presence of XCP on the following titles
(each has a data session, easily read on a Macintosh, that includes a file called 'VERSION.DAT' that announces what version of XCP it is using). If you
have one of these CDs, and you have a Windows PC (Macs are totally immune, as usual), you may have caught the XCP bug."
Congratulations to Chrissie Cochrane for winning Audio Cleaning Lab 10
Andy Marken interview during the second hour.
Sophos fix for Sony DRM rootkit install.
John C. Dvorak's blog and columns at PC Mag.
Earl won the DVD Copy 4
More giveaways coming up, listen next week, or to the archive, to be posted soon, no doubt.
--MissM
Update: SANS ISC - Sony DRM Rootkit to be removed automatically by Microsoft
EFF: DeepLinks: "EFF has confirmed the presence of XCP on the following titles
(each has a data session, easily read on a Macintosh, that includes a file called 'VERSION.DAT' that announces what version of XCP it is using). If you
have one of these CDs, and you have a Windows PC (Macs are totally immune, as usual), you may have caught the XCP bug."
Congratulations to Chrissie Cochrane for winning Audio Cleaning Lab 10
Andy Marken interview during the second hour.
Sophos fix for Sony DRM rootkit install.
John C. Dvorak's blog and columns at PC Mag.
Earl won the DVD Copy 4
More giveaways coming up, listen next week, or to the archive, to be posted soon, no doubt.
--MissM
Update: SANS ISC - Sony DRM Rootkit to be removed automatically by Microsoft
Tips: How to Secure Windows XP
This is a readable and useful article for computer users concerned about all they should be doing to secure their Windows XP machines. I would bookmark it.
PC Prices Will Keep Dropping as Component Prices Fall
Gartner says PCs sold in the US for an average price of $960 in Q2 2005, down 15% from Q2 2004. Gartner expects total US PC sales to fall to $59.1 billion 2005. That's down from $59.6 billion in 2004 and a peak of $88 billion in 2000.
Digitimes reports this week that:
Digitimes reports this week that:
- DDR and DDR2 pricing is under a lot of downward pressure, with volatility in the spot market hitting 5% a day.
- CMC Magnetics and Ritek, the top two producers of optical discs in Taiwan, have lowered OEM quotations for 8x DVD+R/-R discs from US$0.20 to US$0.18 for retail chains and distributors in the US, according to industry sources.
- As LCD monitor prices declined over the last five quarters, retail sales skyrocketed, and the market experienced subsequent quarterly gains. Retail LCD monitor prices declined an average 36% from the third quarter of 2004 to the third quarter of 2005, led by 19-inch prices, which declined by a whopping 42% in the same period.
Intel-Inside Mac Arrives January
Well, with no Windows Vista beta 2 to test, what are geeks gonna do those cold winter nights?
Answer: play with a new Macintel, which sage speculation puts at Macworld during the second week of January.
Answer: play with a new Macintel, which sage speculation puts at Macworld during the second week of January.
Windows Vista Delayed. Gartner Says Delay Until 2008.
The first completely functional beta of Microsoft Windows Vista, Beta 2, apparently will not be out next month, delayed instead until early 2006. "Completely functional" means all the things Vista is supposed to do are present and accounted for, but may not work correctly, as this is a beta after all. Microsoft claims it is still on schedule to ship before Christmas 2006.
Meanwhile, a Gartner study out last week says no need to rush to install Windows Vista before 2008. Microsoft must love that bit of research and analysis!
Meanwhile, a Gartner study out last week says no need to rush to install Windows Vista before 2008. Microsoft must love that bit of research and analysis!
Radio Leo | ShowNotes / Show 192
I was listening to Leo's KFI podcast, and he mentioned something I hadn't heard of, that I can recall. Its called the Anti-Spyware Coalition, they are trying to define spyware to protect them from future lawsuits.. They have a report, available online. The option to comment is open until Nov. 27, 2005. According to Leo, modifying the home page, adding url's without notification is not defined as spyware. The document is difficult to read. I think they made it deliberately obtuse, or its typical legal mumbo jumbo. I'd prefer offenses listed by "risk." But, I believe that there are people who check this blog out, that will have some strong opinions about the definition of spyware. There is a link to comment at the top of the report page, and a summary of the comments posted so far.
--MissM
--MissM
Satire of SCO v. IBM
The link is to a marvelous satire of SCO v. IBM.
Recently, SCO asked the court to order IBM to provide all their contributions to the 2.7 Linux kernel version. The problem is that, while a 2.7 version was suggested, nothing was done with the suggestion. The current 2.6 sreies is taking up all the resources and no one sees a need to start a new kernel at this time. That doesn't stop SCO, who evidently lost their tinfoil hats and are having problems with alternate reality.
Read this one. It is very, very enjoyable and almost sounds plausible.
Jack
Recently, SCO asked the court to order IBM to provide all their contributions to the 2.7 Linux kernel version. The problem is that, while a 2.7 version was suggested, nothing was done with the suggestion. The current 2.6 sreies is taking up all the resources and no one sees a need to start a new kernel at this time. That doesn't stop SCO, who evidently lost their tinfoil hats and are having problems with alternate reality.
Read this one. It is very, very enjoyable and almost sounds plausible.
Jack
Saturday, November 12, 2005
On the Effectiveness of Aluminium [sic] Foil Helmets:
Apparently I've been wrong all these years about foil hats and their effectiveness in blocking mind scanning ;)
A very thorough study on foil hats. A good way to start your Friday :)
Happy Veterans Day to all you veterans, and THANK YOU for your service.
--MissM
Update: Another person says there are flaws in the original story. ZPi | AFDB Effectiveness What do you think?
A very thorough study on foil hats. A good way to start your Friday :)
Happy Veterans Day to all you veterans, and THANK YOU for your service.
--MissM
Update: Another person says there are flaws in the original story. ZPi | AFDB Effectiveness What do you think?
Best Introduction to RSS I've seen.
This is a short VideoBlog (Vlog), superbly produced. Amanda does an overview of RSS and what it is, and what it does. Go! Enjoy! :)
--MissM
--MissM
Retailers expected to further tighten gift return policies - Nov. 12, 2005
Not that this is really tech related, but as it is the season, its good to make note of it.
CNet's Take on Sony's Withdrawal of Copy Protected CDs
I'm PO'd enough about this that I wonder if it's time for a letter writing campaign or a boycot, or both. Certainly Sony is not getting any more of my money.
People who never, ever care about things like this are up in arms. My wife's parents are afraid and angry! I find that both interesting and quite unique. I've had to remove the thing twice, using the Sophos tool. Even our government, in it's Homeland Security incarnation, tsk, tsk'd at the problem.
I'm not one for this kind of retaliation, but Sony's arrogance angers me so that I think we ought to let them know just how we feel. More on this later, including addresses to write to.
Jack
People who never, ever care about things like this are up in arms. My wife's parents are afraid and angry! I find that both interesting and quite unique. I've had to remove the thing twice, using the Sophos tool. Even our government, in it's Homeland Security incarnation, tsk, tsk'd at the problem.
I'm not one for this kind of retaliation, but Sony's arrogance angers me so that I think we ought to let them know just how we feel. More on this later, including addresses to write to.
Jack
Sony BMG kills daft DRM CD rootkit scheme
This is good news. However, this rootkit incident has left a lingering sour taste in the mouths of many. Yesterday, a US Department of Homeland Security official cautioned rights holders against the kind of security risks that the Sony BMG rootkit created.
On a more personal note, I had the responsibility this week of researching and recommending the purchase of a camcorder. While I have no idea if a Sony camcorder would have done the job, Sony products were out of the running due to their reckless disregard for the security of their customer's computers. Some time will have to pass and a track record will have to be built before I will trust Sony again.
On a more personal note, I had the responsibility this week of researching and recommending the purchase of a camcorder. While I have no idea if a Sony camcorder would have done the job, Sony products were out of the running due to their reckless disregard for the security of their customer's computers. Some time will have to pass and a track record will have to be built before I will trust Sony again.
Friday, November 11, 2005
"Pay to drive in Manhattan? Yeah, right."
From the NY Times article: The idea is to charge drivers for entering the most heavily trafficked parts of Manhattan at the busiest times of the day. By creating a financial incentive to carpool or use mass transit, congestion pricing could smooth the flow of traffic, reduce delays, improve air quality and raise the speed of crawling buses."
The reason for posting this? Well, there are some intriguing technical/security issues, "Drivers could be required to prepay traffic fees, either online or at street-level vending machines. Video cameras would capture license plates of vehicles in the payment zones, and allow the city to match cars to accounts, people familiar with the study said. Failure to pay would result in a fine. No toll barriers would be involved."
--MissM
P.S. Listening to the latest Security Now podcast about WPA encryption. Wanna know more? Check out the podcast, here.
P.P.S. I'm also planning on posting a picture of my motherboard, but have been too busy to take it.
The reason for posting this? Well, there are some intriguing technical/security issues, "Drivers could be required to prepay traffic fees, either online or at street-level vending machines. Video cameras would capture license plates of vehicles in the payment zones, and allow the city to match cars to accounts, people familiar with the study said. Failure to pay would result in a fine. No toll barriers would be involved."
--MissM
P.S. Listening to the latest Security Now podcast about WPA encryption. Wanna know more? Check out the podcast, here.
P.P.S. I'm also planning on posting a picture of my motherboard, but have been too busy to take it.
Upgrade the Linksys WRT54G with open source firmware - Engadget
" A couple of years ago, Linksys — under pressure from the open source community — released the firmware under the GPL, and since then, developers have taken it apart and put it back together again, adding new features, including the ability to run the WRT54G as a VPN or VoIP server, a RADIUS server, or even as a full-fledged (albeit very low-end) computer. WiFi Planet has a good rundown of the options available to WRT54G hackers, along with lots of warranty-voiding tips; the site estimates that by upgrading the firmware, you can turn the WRT54G into the equivalent of a $600 workhorse. "
This is neat. Anybody want to experiment on their router, and tell us the results on the show? I have a netgear, so I can't try. But, I thought that we might have some readers that will try it out.
--MissM
This is neat. Anybody want to experiment on their router, and tell us the results on the show? I have a netgear, so I can't try. But, I thought that we might have some readers that will try it out.
--MissM
Will the Feds Save Blackberry Service?
On October 27th, I blogged that the U.S. government, a major Blackberry user, might just have to go cold turkey when a court enforces an order that would effectively shut the Blackberry service down pending resolution of RIM's legal problems.
How close I was.
The Wall Street Journal reports this afternoon:
U.S. Government Asks Court To Ensure BlackBerry Service
By MARK HEINZL -- Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
TORONTO -- The U.S. Government is seeking to ensure BlackBerry emails continue running among its staff if a Virginia court issues an injunction on BlackBerry sales and service in the U.S.
The Department of Justice filed a "statement of interest" in U.S. District Court in Virginia, which is overseeing a patent-infringement battle between BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd., or RIM, and Virginia patent firm NTP Inc. The court plans to examine whether it should enforce a failed $450 million settlement between RIM and NTP. If the failed settlement isn't enforced, NTP plans to ask the court to reissue a previously stayed injunction on U.S. BlackBerry sales and service.
NTP has said any injunction wouldn't apply to U.S. federal, state and local governments. But the filing, submitted by Paul J. McNulty, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern Disctrict of Virigina, said that is easier said than done.
``The U.S. government is a major user of BlackBerry devices and technology to allow its employees to access email, and to send messages, when they are away from their offices,'' the filing said. If there is an injunction ``it is imperative that some mechanism be incorporated that permits continuity of the federal government's use of BlackBerry devices,'' it said.
``There appear to be significant issues with the manner in which any injunction is phrased and implemented,'' the filing said. ``There does not appear to be a simple manner in which RIM can identify which users of BlackBerries are part of the federal government, so that email directed to them can be relayed through the BlackBerry system,'' it said.
In other words, the Justice Department is saying to the federal courts, "Hey, it's OK if you cut off the public but God forbid you should cut us Feds off. Wow, that would be a major inconvenience!"
Ain't democracy grand?
How close I was.
The Wall Street Journal reports this afternoon:
U.S. Government Asks Court To Ensure BlackBerry Service
By MARK HEINZL -- Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
TORONTO -- The U.S. Government is seeking to ensure BlackBerry emails continue running among its staff if a Virginia court issues an injunction on BlackBerry sales and service in the U.S.
The Department of Justice filed a "statement of interest" in U.S. District Court in Virginia, which is overseeing a patent-infringement battle between BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd., or RIM, and Virginia patent firm NTP Inc. The court plans to examine whether it should enforce a failed $450 million settlement between RIM and NTP. If the failed settlement isn't enforced, NTP plans to ask the court to reissue a previously stayed injunction on U.S. BlackBerry sales and service.
NTP has said any injunction wouldn't apply to U.S. federal, state and local governments. But the filing, submitted by Paul J. McNulty, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern Disctrict of Virigina, said that is easier said than done.
``The U.S. government is a major user of BlackBerry devices and technology to allow its employees to access email, and to send messages, when they are away from their offices,'' the filing said. If there is an injunction ``it is imperative that some mechanism be incorporated that permits continuity of the federal government's use of BlackBerry devices,'' it said.
``There appear to be significant issues with the manner in which any injunction is phrased and implemented,'' the filing said. ``There does not appear to be a simple manner in which RIM can identify which users of BlackBerries are part of the federal government, so that email directed to them can be relayed through the BlackBerry system,'' it said.
In other words, the Justice Department is saying to the federal courts, "Hey, it's OK if you cut off the public but God forbid you should cut us Feds off. Wow, that would be a major inconvenience!"
Ain't democracy grand?
Sony DRM on Macs, Too, But Less Fearsome
Not that I'm sure I'd want RCA (part of Sony) installing kernel extensions on my machine, but the Mac DRM on Sony CDs has been around a while and nothing I have seen makes it a proven threat. In fact; all allegations against it I have encountered have proven false.
Jack
Jack
Sophos Issues Sony DRM Removal Tool
The link above will take you to an informational page at British Anti-Virus firm Sophos. Read it and use the link to download a tool which disables the Sony DRM, removes at least most of it and prevents it reinstalling.
Sophos is to be congratulated for such swift action on this. I'm sure others will follow.
Windows users are now taken care of on this issue. Word is coming around that Macs are also affected by the Sony rootkit. Details are still sketchy as I've been unable to find enough information in English and machine translations are inadequate. I'll keep looking.
Jack
Sophos is to be congratulated for such swift action on this. I'm sure others will follow.
Windows users are now taken care of on this issue. Word is coming around that Macs are also affected by the Sony rootkit. Details are still sketchy as I've been unable to find enough information in English and machine translations are inadequate. I'll keep looking.
Jack
Sunbelt BLOG:Bad Capacitors are still an issue.
I thought this was an old issue, but its apparently not, there's a link to the CNET story, with a picture of bad caps. The degree of leakage is way less than I thought, and I may have had some bad caps on the ASUS board that failed on me 2 weeks, ago, I'll definately have to go back and look at it.
--MissM
--MissM
Strange New Products
There's just too much goodness to post all of the links. Go there and check out the following:
Watch Traffic Cameras on your Cell Phone: Traffic Vizzion is available in 20 major metro areas, costs only $5.00 a month.
3-D Wedding Planner: For the control freaks getting married. You can go step-by step through a ceremony in 3-D fashion.
The Memory Maintainer: This little contraption keeps your car's clock and radio presets from getting reset when it's battery gets changed.
A Basketball That Stays Inflated for 365 Days, from Spaulding.
--MissM
Watch Traffic Cameras on your Cell Phone: Traffic Vizzion is available in 20 major metro areas, costs only $5.00 a month.
3-D Wedding Planner: For the control freaks getting married. You can go step-by step through a ceremony in 3-D fashion.
The Memory Maintainer: This little contraption keeps your car's clock and radio presets from getting reset when it's battery gets changed.
A Basketball That Stays Inflated for 365 Days, from Spaulding.
--MissM
Silicon Valley Sleuth: Yahoo Maps pranks Google
I thought this was amusing, I think this is all in fun. the Dude's site, is bare, though amusing at the layers of the joke. I got there from Google rumors: GoogleRumors ? Yahoo engineers prank Google
btw, beta yahoo maps looks good. Apparently they use Flash versus Google's DHTML but the navigation screen looks great!
Here's a link to Geeks in Anchorage, AK, put your mouse over the map, on the left, it bursts out at you!! Too kewl. If you go to Anchorage's local page you'll notice there's a wireless search, right there ;)
--MissM
btw, beta yahoo maps looks good. Apparently they use Flash versus Google's DHTML but the navigation screen looks great!
Here's a link to Geeks in Anchorage, AK, put your mouse over the map, on the left, it bursts out at you!! Too kewl. If you go to Anchorage's local page you'll notice there's a wireless search, right there ;)
--MissM
Xbox.com | Xbox News - Enter to win tickets to the ultimate Midnight Madness event!
There's only a few hours left to register!!
Enter to win two tickets to the biggest gaming event of the year!
Where is It?
It's somewhere in the Mojave Desert. Top secret.
--MissM
Enter to win two tickets to the biggest gaming event of the year!
Where is It?
It's somewhere in the Mojave Desert. Top secret.
--MissM
Thursday, November 10, 2005
First Trojan using Sony DRM spotted
The virus writers finally got around to taking advantage of Sony's rootkit, courtesy of Dvorak's blog.
--MissM
--MissM
Visual Studio Express
If you have ever wanted to dabble in Microsoft, here is your chance. MS is offering Visual Studio Express for free. Yes, folks, that is "free as in beer" free. The offerings include Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edtion; Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition; Visual C# 2005 Express Edition; Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition; Visual J# 2005 Express Edition; and SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. Pretty neat, eh?
This offer will only last for one year -- until November 7, 2006 after which time you will have to pay to play. However, you will not have to pay if you downloaded prior to this date. It really is free. So go and have some fun courtesy of the boys and girls in Redmond.
Most questions about this can be answered by the FAQ .
This offer will only last for one year -- until November 7, 2006 after which time you will have to pay to play. However, you will not have to pay if you downloaded prior to this date. It really is free. So go and have some fun courtesy of the boys and girls in Redmond.
Most questions about this can be answered by the FAQ .
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
New worm targets Linux systems | Tech News on ZDNet
"Lupper blindly attacks Web servers, installing and executing a copy of the worm when a vulnerable server is found, McAfee said in its description of the worm. "
World of Warcraft hackers using Sony BMG rootkit
Want to cheat in your online game and not get caught? Just buy a Sony BMG copy protected CD. Sony BMG's content protection software can make tools made for cheating in the online world impossible to detect. The software--deemed a "rootkit" by many security experts--is shipped with tens of thousands of the record company's music titles. Warcraft's anti- cheating program cannot detect any files that are hidden with Sony BMG's content protection, which only requires that the hacker add the prefix "$sys$" to file names.
Thank you Terry B.
Thank you Terry B.
Alice Hill?s Real Tech News - Independent Tech ? USB Port to Replace Car CD Players
"A CD changer is two or three times the cost of the USB interface, said Visteon mobile electronics project leader Ian Randall. Those CDs would have only 70 to 80 tracks. With a 1-gigabyte stick you can get 400 or 500 songs."
Thank you Terry B.
Thank you Terry B.
OhGizmo! ? Start Your Car Through The Internet
"So, you should be able to get your car started, unlock your doors or even honk the horn through any WAP enabled device."
Thank you Terry B.
Thank you Terry B.
Google Wants to Dominate Madison Avenue, Too - New York Times
Google has created what it says is one of the most sophisticated artificial intelligence systems ever built. In a fraction of a second, it can evaluate millions of variables about its users and advertisers, correlate them with its potential database of billions of ads and deliver the message to which each user is most likely to respond.
Because of this technology, users click ads 50 percent to 100 percent more often on Google than they do on Yahoo.
Thank you Terry B.
Because of this technology, users click ads 50 percent to 100 percent more often on Google than they do on Yahoo.
Thank you Terry B.
Singularity - Home
"Singularity is a research project focused on the construction of dependable systems through innovation in the areas of systems, languages, and tools."
Anonymous Sperm Donor Tracked Down by Son
This is an interesting story on privacy -- or the lack thereof in the Internet age. Using recently available DNA testing kits and some web sleuthing, a young man identified the father whom even his mother did not know. Lots of implications on this one...
Cognitive Dissonance: Buy Your AMD CPU from Dell
No kidding, Folks. Dell, the huge online tech sales machine, will even sell you AMD microprocessors at competitive prices.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Skype explains why security evaluation omitted bug reports
The link is to a short analysis of Skype security.
I long ago removed Skype from all our computers and will not reinstall it until I'm satisfied it is not a risk. They seem to be working on it and hopefully that day will come. Call me skeptical, if you will.
Joe and Riley are using Skype to their satisfaction, as are others we all know. I'm somewhat more paranoid than they are (and quite okay with that).
Jack
I long ago removed Skype from all our computers and will not reinstall it until I'm satisfied it is not a risk. They seem to be working on it and hopefully that day will come. Call me skeptical, if you will.
Joe and Riley are using Skype to their satisfaction, as are others we all know. I'm somewhat more paranoid than they are (and quite okay with that).
Jack
Lupper Worm Targets Open-Source Software Running on Linux
Don't freak out. SANS rates this one as "low risk", mainly because of the construction of Linux permission structure.
A while back, a buffer overflow flaw was found in XML-RPC for PHP. Most of the affected applications have already been patched. Check the link above for a partial list of affected apps and a link to the SANS report. The cure is to patch your apps and the PHP scripting engine.
As the prominence of Linux increases, there will be more and more of this sort of malware floating around. And by the way; ClamAV detects it.
Jack
A while back, a buffer overflow flaw was found in XML-RPC for PHP. Most of the affected applications have already been patched. Check the link above for a partial list of affected apps and a link to the SANS report. The cure is to patch your apps and the PHP scripting engine.
As the prominence of Linux increases, there will be more and more of this sort of malware floating around. And by the way; ClamAV detects it.
Jack
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 11-06-05
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 11-06-2005. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Sick of automation? Dial 0 for human - The Boston Globe
This is a link to the article in the Boston Globe that was discussed on today's show regarding automated answering systems.
Microsoft's AntiSpyware Rebranded 'Windows Defender'
Apparently, according to eweek, MS new "defender" will include rootkit detection. There are many good links in the article about rootkits and security.
I have a question about MS antispyware, does it run in the background? I've never seen it run explicitly. Help me out, please?
--MissM
I have a question about MS antispyware, does it run in the background? I've never seen it run explicitly. Help me out, please?
--MissM
An experimental open thread
In the interest of getting a conversation going. What geeky stuff are y'all interested in or intrigued by?? Let us know.
--MissM
--MissM
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