The link above will take you to a current article in Business Week's web site. I got the link from my friend, Waleed al-Shobakky, who is attending university in Qatar.
Though Apple is almost completely without a commercail presence anywhere except the US and western Europe, the company garners a lot of attention in the rest of the world. Almost an amazing amount of attention.
I don't think Apple should open up any part of their digital entertainment operations. However; I do think they are missing a lot of income by not selling OS X for x86 as a standalone product. Actually, I would see that as a grand move to drive their digital entertainment market forward, besides generating a boatload of profits.
Doing so could conceiveably drive Apple's market share of operating systems above 10% and 20% is not beyond possiblity. Rather than the iPod generating operating system and hardware sales, I could see operating system sales generating a much more widespread presence in digital entertainment, which is where the real money is.
Apple does not have to attempt supporting the vast majority of hardware, as Windows does. They only have to support a small subset of x86 stuff. They can line up strategic partners for this and support no other products. That's doable without great development costs to drain their profits.
If they don't do this, and relatively soon, I think they'll be missing a chance to really grab the maket and lead it, despite their minority share.
Jack
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Skype - the bandwidth hog
From Om Malik's blog... some interesting observations, comments and links about Skype. Several of us here use Skype and have had pretty good results. Apparently though, there are some bandwidth and security issues. For some of us, these aren't serious enough issues to stop using Skype, for some others they are. Interesting food for thought, though.
NOD32 now detects rootkits
NOD32 scores again! "Today, Eset’s ThreatSense technology represents the only integrated solution able to protect from even unknown rootkits proactively. According to Eset’s chief software architect Richard Marko, the technology is very effective with detection rate in company’s internal tests on the level up to 90%..." This seems a significant development because of the incredible stealth of rootkits. Check out the article. Folks, I'm not just praising NOD32 because of OnComputers (although I'm always glad to support O.C. when possible) but I've been using NOD32 for several months on every computer system that I own or support and the results have been as near perfect as you could get; it hasn't missed a single threat or potential threat. Joe's not kidding when he says it's the best A/V available today. And recently, Jack brought to my attention that NOD32 is one of, if not the the least resource-intensive A/V available. There are certainly other good ones (and some not so good) but IMO, it's the best, and definitely worth the money. Here's to "safe computing"...
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Feds Give MySQL Thumbs Up
In granting a GSA contract to sell MySQL relational database software into the federal government for the next four years, the Feds have blessed another component of open source software. Bad news for Microsoft, Oracle and IBM. The maturity of MySQL was a factor in the decision.
The U.S. federal government also met in November to flesh out a process of building an open-source software stack that will be used across agencies to develop, deploy and maintain applications across their life cycle. That stack will include such open-source components as the JBoss application server and the Eclipse application development environment. I find such a federal software stack very interesting, primarily because it will likely create a parallel non-government use of the open source stack by enterprise and commercial software developers.
The U.S. federal government also met in November to flesh out a process of building an open-source software stack that will be used across agencies to develop, deploy and maintain applications across their life cycle. That stack will include such open-source components as the JBoss application server and the Eclipse application development environment. I find such a federal software stack very interesting, primarily because it will likely create a parallel non-government use of the open source stack by enterprise and commercial software developers.
Microsoft to hunt 'new species' of bugs
Yet another take on Microsoft's WMF vulnerability and the patching thereof.
Remember what this article makes clear. What turned out to be a vulnerablity was intended originally as a feature. We can extend that to include other parts of Microsoft's various code bases and realize what security researchers have known for a very long time (this includes both the good guys and the bad guys); A large fraction of MS' code base in both operating systems and applications is quite old and from a kinder, gentler time when organized crime wasn't keen to exploit any vulnerability. Therein lies a large part of the problem. It's not that Microsoft can't write secure code. It's that they really didn't need to when a large part of their code was written.
Not all legacies are good.
Jack
Remember what this article makes clear. What turned out to be a vulnerablity was intended originally as a feature. We can extend that to include other parts of Microsoft's various code bases and realize what security researchers have known for a very long time (this includes both the good guys and the bad guys); A large fraction of MS' code base in both operating systems and applications is quite old and from a kinder, gentler time when organized crime wasn't keen to exploit any vulnerability. Therein lies a large part of the problem. It's not that Microsoft can't write secure code. It's that they really didn't need to when a large part of their code was written.
Not all legacies are good.
Jack
Apple's Jobs Wows the Crowd at Macworld
Apple Computer introduced new Intel-powered desktop and notebook computers, said its wildly popular iPods helped drive a 63 percent jump in holiday quarter sales, and indicated it sold 1.25 million Macintosh computers during the holiday quarter when sales at its own retail stores were about $1 billion.
Apple sold 14 million iPods music and video players during the holiday quarter and 42 million to date. Jobs said that iPods were supply-limited. Speaking at the company's annual Macworld conference in San Francisco, CEO Steve Jobs claimed the iTunes store has so far sold 850 million songs.
The strong demand for iPods and Macs fueled a 63 percent jump in revenue to a record $5.7 billion compared with a year earlier, beating Wall Street concensus.
The company introduced new computers based on Intel Corp. chips. The company's new line of iMac computers would come in the same shape and sizes as the existing G5 line of iMacs, with starting prices at $1,299 and with twice the G5 performance. It also introduced a new high-end laptop called the MacBook Pro that will replace its PowerBook series, starting in February at prices beginning at $1,999. Some eyebrows were raised as Apple will be shipping the new Intel-based products six months before it said it would. The early shipments are likely to fuel a greater whole-year market share gain by Apple.
iLife photo and media software is updated in a new version of its suite of digital media editing tools for use in organizing and editing music, photos and movies and Web sites. ILife, which costs $79, also includes the ability to edit high-definition videos.
With its own stores generating over $22 million in annual sales each -- Best Buys stores do about $30M -- the company is clearly profiting by its own channel. Recall how Gateway tried the same strategy and failed.
Wall Street was ecstatic.
Apple sold 14 million iPods music and video players during the holiday quarter and 42 million to date. Jobs said that iPods were supply-limited. Speaking at the company's annual Macworld conference in San Francisco, CEO Steve Jobs claimed the iTunes store has so far sold 850 million songs.
The strong demand for iPods and Macs fueled a 63 percent jump in revenue to a record $5.7 billion compared with a year earlier, beating Wall Street concensus.
The company introduced new computers based on Intel Corp. chips. The company's new line of iMac computers would come in the same shape and sizes as the existing G5 line of iMacs, with starting prices at $1,299 and with twice the G5 performance. It also introduced a new high-end laptop called the MacBook Pro that will replace its PowerBook series, starting in February at prices beginning at $1,999. Some eyebrows were raised as Apple will be shipping the new Intel-based products six months before it said it would. The early shipments are likely to fuel a greater whole-year market share gain by Apple.
iLife photo and media software is updated in a new version of its suite of digital media editing tools for use in organizing and editing music, photos and movies and Web sites. ILife, which costs $79, also includes the ability to edit high-definition videos.
With its own stores generating over $22 million in annual sales each -- Best Buys stores do about $30M -- the company is clearly profiting by its own channel. Recall how Gateway tried the same strategy and failed.
Wall Street was ecstatic.
Paul Allen's Hobby Web Site
It seems like everyone my age (except me) started computing on Digital Equipment Corporation's PDP series of computers. Indeed, they are still mentioned fondly and a few are still in use. Certainly the successor to the PDP series, the VAX is still going strong in many businesses.
DEC is no more, but their influence is still strong in the history of computing. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has an old computer museum and a web site about them. It really is a work in progress, but there is enough there to satisfy a lot of your curiosity and whet your appetite for more.
Jack
DEC is no more, but their influence is still strong in the history of computing. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has an old computer museum and a web site about them. It really is a work in progress, but there is enough there to satisfy a lot of your curiosity and whet your appetite for more.
Jack
Wow, Microsoft Sure Patched That One Quickly!
This is Larry Seltzer's look back at the WMF vulnerability in Windows and the surrounding flap. It's worth a look and pointing you toward that will keep me from having to write it up.
The article points out that it is hard for Microsoft to be believeable when they say that security is their highest priority when they have vulnerabilites of which they have been aware going unpatched for over half a year! The tired old excuse of having to test every patch and release it in multiple languages simultaneously doesn't hold water. Why can't they devote a very small part of their billions in yearly profits to expanding the security team to the point where they can make timely improvements when flaws are found?
Microsoft has indeed made great progress in security. I don't understand why they cannot go farther faster.
Jack
The article points out that it is hard for Microsoft to be believeable when they say that security is their highest priority when they have vulnerabilites of which they have been aware going unpatched for over half a year! The tired old excuse of having to test every patch and release it in multiple languages simultaneously doesn't hold water. Why can't they devote a very small part of their billions in yearly profits to expanding the security team to the point where they can make timely improvements when flaws are found?
Microsoft has indeed made great progress in security. I don't understand why they cannot go farther faster.
Jack
Strip Out The Fans, Add 8 Gallons of Cooking Oil
Save this url for when you need a bit of comic relief.
It's a real experiment and had a good result, but filling a sealed PC case with pure cooking oil as a coolant is a bit much and makes me think the folks at Tom's Hardware have a bit too much time on their hands and money for their own good.
What they ended up with is a high-performance PC that operates totally silently. No fans to disturb the user at all!
If you do this with Intel Xeons, you can make french fries.
Jack
It's a real experiment and had a good result, but filling a sealed PC case with pure cooking oil as a coolant is a bit much and makes me think the folks at Tom's Hardware have a bit too much time on their hands and money for their own good.
What they ended up with is a high-performance PC that operates totally silently. No fans to disturb the user at all!
If you do this with Intel Xeons, you can make french fries.
Jack
Mercury ships PS3 - kind of
I've been watching the emergence of the Cell microprocessor in areas other than the PlayStation 3 and thought to point this one out to you.
The article grudgingly makes the point that gaming is related to other fields where data visualization is used. We're not talking about simple graphs, here. But visualization of seismic or medical data. There are actually a large number of fields where this is very important. Intense calculation is required and the Cell does it all in this area.
Expect to see a lot of this sort of Cell implementations. It's a marvelously well suited device for this. IBM and their partners have what looks like a killer design win here.
I want one. Jane? You missed my birthday. Better late than never.
Jack
The article grudgingly makes the point that gaming is related to other fields where data visualization is used. We're not talking about simple graphs, here. But visualization of seismic or medical data. There are actually a large number of fields where this is very important. Intense calculation is required and the Cell does it all in this area.
Expect to see a lot of this sort of Cell implementations. It's a marvelously well suited device for this. IBM and their partners have what looks like a killer design win here.
I want one. Jane? You missed my birthday. Better late than never.
Jack
Engadget says " Samsung combo HD DVD/Blue-ray a no go"
It looks like licensing issues will keep a combo player from getting to market in the near, if foreseeable future. That stinks, and is NOT consumer friendly. I just hope that it gets straightened out soon, or we are gonna be caught in a Beta/VHS war (if I'm not dating myself). :)
Have you decided on a format or approach to this conflict?
--MissM
I read somewhere this morning that XP Pro isn't gonna be supported after 2006. Doesn't that mean Vista HAS to be out in 2006? ;)
Have you decided on a format or approach to this conflict?
--MissM
I read somewhere this morning that XP Pro isn't gonna be supported after 2006. Doesn't that mean Vista HAS to be out in 2006? ;)
Buy a Local PC, Get a Vacation for Two
From one of the ads served up on this blog, I find a fascinating deal: buy a PC from a local builder with genuine Windows XP, and get lots of prizes worth up to $615. But wait, the average PC costs about $615, so that means you get a vacation and a free PC.
Served up at Microsoft Windows Marketplace, this appears to be a real marketing campaign -- as opposed to "click here and win a free iPod" scams. But I'll be damned if I can make out the economics.
So, hey, support your local PC builder!
[Full Disclosure: several of the hosts of the On Computers Radio Show are PC builders]
Served up at Microsoft Windows Marketplace, this appears to be a real marketing campaign -- as opposed to "click here and win a free iPod" scams. But I'll be damned if I can make out the economics.
So, hey, support your local PC builder!
[Full Disclosure: several of the hosts of the On Computers Radio Show are PC builders]
Microsoft's Vista for Consumers at Home
With all the smoke, mirrors, and speculation about Vista, it has been hard to keep track of the goals for Vista. Here's what Microsoft says about Vista directly from the mouth of eHome division executive Joe Belfiori:
Executive Q&A: Joe Belfiore
Corporate VP, Microsoft Windows eHome Division
This year at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Microsoft Corp. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates revealed powerful new innovations for Windows® users that will be launched with the company’s next-generation operating system, Windows Vista™. The following brief Q&A with Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of the Microsoft Windows eHome Division, will provide a sense for what the upcoming changes to Windows will mean.
How does Windows Vista improve consumers’ experiences?
Microsoft® Windows Vista offers four clear categories of benefits, the first being that it makes it safer and easier to accomplish everyday tasks. Windows Vista features safer browsing, greater control for parents over what their children view, and enhanced protection from threats such as viruses, worms, and other attacks. Second, the operating system features enhancements to help users instantly find what they want. These include integrated search capability throughout the operating system and a fresh, new interface that will help people find and organize information in a fast, personalized way. Third, Windows Vista enables people to be connected at home or on the go with fast off (previously called instant on/off) capabilities, a new mobility center that enables people to access and change mobile computer settings easily from one place, and new features that allow quicker and easier connecting and syncing while on the go. And fourth, Windows Vista will allow people to enjoy the latest in entertainment through new photo and video capabilities, an updated Windows Media® Player and Games Explorer, and an enhanced Windows Media Center experience.
How will Windows Vista change the way consumers use their PCs?
Perhaps the most dramatic change in how people will use their computers lies in the ability of Windows Vista to provide easier and wider access to an integrated yet seamless menu of entertainment functions. Beyond enhancing the users’ ability to work with their music and pictures, Windows Vista will allow them to watch live TV, record TV shows, and access the many Web services that provide “TV-like” content — and they’ll be able to do so using a remote control. The Media Center experience will feature a revamped user interface optimized for high-definition (HD) widescreen displays and large media libraries and will also deliver new HD content through a number of means, particularly by the inclusion of CableCARD support for U.S. cable companies, which will allow for the consumption of cable HD broadcasts. Through these scenarios, Windows Vista marries the worlds of computing and entertainment in a way that’s never been possible before, and we think this is something that consumers are really going to be excited about.
How is Microsoft working to bring this digital entertainment vision to fruition with Windows Vista?
This is a process that actually began with Windows XP Media Center Edition. Because Media Center has become so popular — with sales now surpassing 6.5 million units in just three years — a host of media and entertainment partners have now seen the potential of bringing digital media to the PC in new ways and have begun to build hardware and software that unite the best of the digital entertainment world with the world of computing. As a result, you’re seeing us work with a range of partners and service providers that you wouldn’t have necessarily associated with Microsoft just a few years ago. Today we’re working with companies such as MTV Networks and Showtime Networks Inc. to bring new content to our customers in new and exciting ways.
How does Microsoft envision Windows Vista changing the industry?
Windows Vista has created a buzz among Microsoft’s software, hardware, and services partners because it enables them to build new devices and programs on the platform in a way that wasn’t as easy or wasn’t even possible before. Windows 95 changed the industry dramatically, and we think that Windows Vista will provide a similar, almost revolutionary, raising of the bar for our developer ecosystem and the industry at large. For consumers, Windows Vista will simply provide clarity so they can safely and easily enjoy everything on their PCs, at home or on the go.
Executive Q&A: Joe Belfiore
Corporate VP, Microsoft Windows eHome Division
This year at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Microsoft Corp. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates revealed powerful new innovations for Windows® users that will be launched with the company’s next-generation operating system, Windows Vista™. The following brief Q&A with Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of the Microsoft Windows eHome Division, will provide a sense for what the upcoming changes to Windows will mean.
How does Windows Vista improve consumers’ experiences?
Microsoft® Windows Vista offers four clear categories of benefits, the first being that it makes it safer and easier to accomplish everyday tasks. Windows Vista features safer browsing, greater control for parents over what their children view, and enhanced protection from threats such as viruses, worms, and other attacks. Second, the operating system features enhancements to help users instantly find what they want. These include integrated search capability throughout the operating system and a fresh, new interface that will help people find and organize information in a fast, personalized way. Third, Windows Vista enables people to be connected at home or on the go with fast off (previously called instant on/off) capabilities, a new mobility center that enables people to access and change mobile computer settings easily from one place, and new features that allow quicker and easier connecting and syncing while on the go. And fourth, Windows Vista will allow people to enjoy the latest in entertainment through new photo and video capabilities, an updated Windows Media® Player and Games Explorer, and an enhanced Windows Media Center experience.
How will Windows Vista change the way consumers use their PCs?
Perhaps the most dramatic change in how people will use their computers lies in the ability of Windows Vista to provide easier and wider access to an integrated yet seamless menu of entertainment functions. Beyond enhancing the users’ ability to work with their music and pictures, Windows Vista will allow them to watch live TV, record TV shows, and access the many Web services that provide “TV-like” content — and they’ll be able to do so using a remote control. The Media Center experience will feature a revamped user interface optimized for high-definition (HD) widescreen displays and large media libraries and will also deliver new HD content through a number of means, particularly by the inclusion of CableCARD support for U.S. cable companies, which will allow for the consumption of cable HD broadcasts. Through these scenarios, Windows Vista marries the worlds of computing and entertainment in a way that’s never been possible before, and we think this is something that consumers are really going to be excited about.
How is Microsoft working to bring this digital entertainment vision to fruition with Windows Vista?
This is a process that actually began with Windows XP Media Center Edition. Because Media Center has become so popular — with sales now surpassing 6.5 million units in just three years — a host of media and entertainment partners have now seen the potential of bringing digital media to the PC in new ways and have begun to build hardware and software that unite the best of the digital entertainment world with the world of computing. As a result, you’re seeing us work with a range of partners and service providers that you wouldn’t have necessarily associated with Microsoft just a few years ago. Today we’re working with companies such as MTV Networks and Showtime Networks Inc. to bring new content to our customers in new and exciting ways.
How does Microsoft envision Windows Vista changing the industry?
Windows Vista has created a buzz among Microsoft’s software, hardware, and services partners because it enables them to build new devices and programs on the platform in a way that wasn’t as easy or wasn’t even possible before. Windows 95 changed the industry dramatically, and we think that Windows Vista will provide a similar, almost revolutionary, raising of the bar for our developer ecosystem and the industry at large. For consumers, Windows Vista will simply provide clarity so they can safely and easily enjoy everything on their PCs, at home or on the go.
Two new WMF bugs found
Strangely enough, these two flaws are not the ones I spoke of during Sunday's show. They are closely related, though. It turns out that the two I spoke of have been deprecated to the level of bugs and are not vulnerabilities.
Before you get too wound up over these, note that they are not rated as nearly as severe as last week's flaw. And as the article says; this is a consequence of the inherent complexity of image handling. While we as users tend to think of images as a simple display task, that is not true. There is a whole lot more to it and that complexity is the reason vulnerabilities are continually found.
Jack
Before you get too wound up over these, note that they are not rated as nearly as severe as last week's flaw. And as the article says; this is a consequence of the inherent complexity of image handling. While we as users tend to think of images as a simple display task, that is not true. There is a whole lot more to it and that complexity is the reason vulnerabilities are continually found.
Jack
Monday, January 09, 2006
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 01-08-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 01-08-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Now Here's a Password!
This nifty site generates several unique, long and hard to crack passwords -- just for you! Each visitor gets a different password set from the server.
Intel's Tune: Take Viiv
Viiv (pronounced "five") is a new home-entertainment platform. After ignoring what I thought was fairly obvious for the past five years, the company is finally realizing that its star is attached to microprocessor-based media hubs in the living room.
By using the Napa platform, a new dual-core laptop chip and chipset that's part of the latest Centrino technology, PC form factors can shrink to attractive sizes and shapes that fit better in the living room or TV den. Napa generates much less heat than a Pentium 4, so the Viiv PCs can be quieter and smaller. But Pentium 4's can be used in Viiv's too. The past and next generation of chipsets -- 945, 955 and now 975 provide the I/O. That means high-definition audio is standard. More than 110 PC companies will introduce Viiv PCs in the first quarter of 2006.
Microsoft is a key technology partner because Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) 2005 is the preferred operating system. But Intel has also created digital rights management glue software that allows content providers and OEMs to avoid Microsoft's proprietary DRM.
If you have been one of the 6.5 million owners of a PC with MCE 2005, Viiv is a ho-hum product brand launch. But the impact on the industry will be great, nonetheless. The reason is that Intel and Microsoft have cajoled Hollywood into allowing much more content to move into and about our homes on networks. As a result, TV and movie video whizzing over the 'Net and around our homes will be routine in five years.
And lest you think I have missed the 800-pound content gorilla in the corner, fear not. The first Apple products based on Intel processors will be announced at Macworld this week. To Intel's bottom line, it doesn't matter whether they carry the Intel Viiv logo or not -- and I am betting they do not. Apple will be one of Intel's allies in opening up the digital living room.
By using the Napa platform, a new dual-core laptop chip and chipset that's part of the latest Centrino technology, PC form factors can shrink to attractive sizes and shapes that fit better in the living room or TV den. Napa generates much less heat than a Pentium 4, so the Viiv PCs can be quieter and smaller. But Pentium 4's can be used in Viiv's too. The past and next generation of chipsets -- 945, 955 and now 975 provide the I/O. That means high-definition audio is standard. More than 110 PC companies will introduce Viiv PCs in the first quarter of 2006.
Microsoft is a key technology partner because Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) 2005 is the preferred operating system. But Intel has also created digital rights management glue software that allows content providers and OEMs to avoid Microsoft's proprietary DRM.
If you have been one of the 6.5 million owners of a PC with MCE 2005, Viiv is a ho-hum product brand launch. But the impact on the industry will be great, nonetheless. The reason is that Intel and Microsoft have cajoled Hollywood into allowing much more content to move into and about our homes on networks. As a result, TV and movie video whizzing over the 'Net and around our homes will be routine in five years.
And lest you think I have missed the 800-pound content gorilla in the corner, fear not. The first Apple products based on Intel processors will be announced at Macworld this week. To Intel's bottom line, it doesn't matter whether they carry the Intel Viiv logo or not -- and I am betting they do not. Apple will be one of Intel's allies in opening up the digital living room.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Interview: Ilfak Guilfanov
Here's an interesting interview with the developer of the "hexblog" WMF vunerability patch. You know, the patch before the official patch. If you wondered what it was and how it worked, here ya go.
Want To Try An Honest-to-Goodness Web App?
Writely is a web-based word processor and collaboration application. I"ve been using it all day with another author to collaborate on a magazine piece. It works excellently in Firefox on Windows and with just a bit of clunkiness in either FF or Konqueror on Linux, though it is certainly usable on the alternative platform.
If the pundits are to be believed, and I don't see why they shouldn't be, web-based apps are the shape of things to come. Here's a chance to dip your toe into the water, albeit in a small way.
I am not yet ready to give up my Open Office installations. OO 2.0 is my preferred office suite now and I have not yet missed MS Office.
On a related note, there is a portable version of Open Office that can be carried around on a USB pen drive. You can see it here.
Jack
If the pundits are to be believed, and I don't see why they shouldn't be, web-based apps are the shape of things to come. Here's a chance to dip your toe into the water, albeit in a small way.
I am not yet ready to give up my Open Office installations. OO 2.0 is my preferred office suite now and I have not yet missed MS Office.
On a related note, there is a portable version of Open Office that can be carried around on a USB pen drive. You can see it here.
Jack
Google Pack
In blog synergy , I have a post to Google's latest software offering, to complement Jack's and Peter's post on Google hardware,
Very interesting, here's a link to the beta (of course) Google Pack.
--MissM
Oh Yeah, I'd also like to wish the blog HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY! Gail and Jack are right on the bleeding edge of tech, and got us (and I use that term liberally ;) ) a weblog 2 years ago, which in internet time is, decades? Well Done Y'all!
Very interesting, here's a link to the beta (of course) Google Pack.
CES: Google Pack: Live Now [by rafat] : The Google keynote is in 15 minutes, but the Google software package bundle called Google Pack is live now, for dowloading here. More info on Google Pack here on About page...
The package has:
Google Earth; Google Toolbar for IE; Ad-Aware SE Personal; Google Desktop; Google Pack Screensaver; Norton AntiVirus 2005 SE; Picasa; Mozilla Firefox with Google Toolbar; Adobe Reader 7; Google Video Player ; GalleryPlayer HD Images; RealPlayer; and Trillian. hat tip to paidcontent.org
--MissM
Oh Yeah, I'd also like to wish the blog HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY! Gail and Jack are right on the bleeding edge of tech, and got us (and I use that term liberally ;) ) a weblog 2 years ago, which in internet time is, decades? Well Done Y'all!
Friday, January 06, 2006
Google Selling PCs is a Bad Idea
The idea that Google would start selling PCs is a non-starter for this analyst. The margins on PCs are too low (ask HP). The business is constantly changing (ask Dell). And even the once-great manufacturing company, IBM, sold off its PC division to Levovo last year.
Google software on Google hardware is not synergy. It is less than the sum of the parts.
Could I be wrong? Of course, as I am not privy to GOOG insider strategy secrets. But is it happens, Ill be one of the first ones yelling "short".
Google software on Google hardware is not synergy. It is less than the sum of the parts.
Could I be wrong? Of course, as I am not privy to GOOG insider strategy secrets. But is it happens, Ill be one of the first ones yelling "short".
Will Your PC Run Windows Vista Graphics?
Yes, your PC will run Vista graphics. However, there are four levels of Vista graphics capability that demand increasing -- maybe even cutting edge -- graphics cards. What you want may not be a level that your PC can deliver.
The attached article on WindowsBlinds 5 suggests the opportunity to try out this windowing-intensive graphics shell for Windows XP. If your PC does not choke, I suspect it will do adequately or better with the Avalon wizz-bang GUI in Vista.
And as a side benefit, WindowsBlinds 5 will make your PC look as close to a Mac running OS X as it is ever likely to get. Enjoy.
The attached article on WindowsBlinds 5 suggests the opportunity to try out this windowing-intensive graphics shell for Windows XP. If your PC does not choke, I suspect it will do adequately or better with the Avalon wizz-bang GUI in Vista.
And as a side benefit, WindowsBlinds 5 will make your PC look as close to a Mac running OS X as it is ever likely to get. Enjoy.
xBox 360 Watch
On eBay, xBox 360 Premium today is going for about $520 + shipping for the $399 MSRP product.
There has been no significant downturn in auction pricing after Christmas as crudely measured by me. (Hey, there's no pay in this job so quality is what it is!)
Supply is expected to improve later in January, so local merchants say. I would not bet on that.
There has been no significant downturn in auction pricing after Christmas as crudely measured by me. (Hey, there's no pay in this job so quality is what it is!)
Supply is expected to improve later in January, so local merchants say. I would not bet on that.
Dell shows 20 inch notebook at CES
Dell is showing a "concept" notebook with a 20.1 inch display at The Consumer Electronics Show. It is armed with very good speakers and microphones and seems aimed at multimedia applications, including teleconferencing. No plans for shipping were given, though a representative did say "soon".
There is a reason no other member of the cast disagreed with my prediction that by the end of this new year notebooks (of all sizes and including tablets) would account for 62 to 65% of all PC sales. As this develops, two trends are evident. One is to smaller, lighter, thinner notebooks and the other toward what can only be described as true desktop replacement machines. While these are portable, they are heavy and large. The extremes in size form the two poles in terms of sales. Notebooks in between the poles, while selling well, are unlikely to have the appeal and sales of the largest or smallest units.
I'm sure this Dell is but one of a new wave of true desktop replacement notebooks. It sure looks attractive.
Jack
There is a reason no other member of the cast disagreed with my prediction that by the end of this new year notebooks (of all sizes and including tablets) would account for 62 to 65% of all PC sales. As this develops, two trends are evident. One is to smaller, lighter, thinner notebooks and the other toward what can only be described as true desktop replacement machines. While these are portable, they are heavy and large. The extremes in size form the two poles in terms of sales. Notebooks in between the poles, while selling well, are unlikely to have the appeal and sales of the largest or smallest units.
I'm sure this Dell is but one of a new wave of true desktop replacement notebooks. It sure looks attractive.
Jack
Phone Companies Set Off Battle Over Internet Fees
Large phone companies, setting the stage for a big battle ahead, hope to start charging Google Inc., Vonage Holdings Corp. and other Internet content providers for high-quality delivery of music, movies and the like over their telecommunications networks.
Historically, network providers have agreed to deliver Internet traffic on a "best efforts" basis without guaranteeing various levels of quality of service. That hasn't been a problem for the most popular Internet services, like email and Web surfing, because they aren't dependent on uninterrupted streams of data. Real-time videogames, phone service and video, however, demand more reliable quality, and network operators are trying to prioritize Internet traffic to meet increasing demand for those services.
Under a two-tier Internet system, the phone companies would be under pressure to provide an even higher-quality of service because paying for premium access would demand more than a "best efforts" guarantee. Cable and phone companies have already started offering multitiered pricing of broadband for consumers. And some cable companies have looked into ways of curtailing individual broadband customers from using too much bandwidth.
What surprises me is the immediate and loud complaints about the telco ISPs "locking out" small or new Internet services. Not so. Internet 1 -- the 'Net since inception to date -- has absolutley no quality of service built in. That's one reason why Internet realtime video, even with broadband, has been problematic -- the packets don't flow one after the other like data does on a dedicated phone line. Internet 2, as implemented in IP SEC v2, supports the ability of network providers to offer quality of service that will quickly drive video, teleconferencing, and other realtime demands over the 'Net.
You'll pay for that superior service if you want it. Hey, standard FedEx is two days. You pay extra to have it there tomorrow before 10am. Right? Why shouldn't the ISPs get paid for providing higher service levels at the buyer's option? Akamai, for instance, has built an entire business around this premise. If you don't want the better services, you don;t have to pay for it -- although the "free" Internet is apt to get slower and more choked over time.
So, I take the griping from those who want something for nothing with a grain of salt. If you want a better, high-bandwidth Internet experience, let me be the first to say "it's gonna cost you."
Historically, network providers have agreed to deliver Internet traffic on a "best efforts" basis without guaranteeing various levels of quality of service. That hasn't been a problem for the most popular Internet services, like email and Web surfing, because they aren't dependent on uninterrupted streams of data. Real-time videogames, phone service and video, however, demand more reliable quality, and network operators are trying to prioritize Internet traffic to meet increasing demand for those services.
Under a two-tier Internet system, the phone companies would be under pressure to provide an even higher-quality of service because paying for premium access would demand more than a "best efforts" guarantee. Cable and phone companies have already started offering multitiered pricing of broadband for consumers. And some cable companies have looked into ways of curtailing individual broadband customers from using too much bandwidth.
What surprises me is the immediate and loud complaints about the telco ISPs "locking out" small or new Internet services. Not so. Internet 1 -- the 'Net since inception to date -- has absolutley no quality of service built in. That's one reason why Internet realtime video, even with broadband, has been problematic -- the packets don't flow one after the other like data does on a dedicated phone line. Internet 2, as implemented in IP SEC v2, supports the ability of network providers to offer quality of service that will quickly drive video, teleconferencing, and other realtime demands over the 'Net.
You'll pay for that superior service if you want it. Hey, standard FedEx is two days. You pay extra to have it there tomorrow before 10am. Right? Why shouldn't the ISPs get paid for providing higher service levels at the buyer's option? Akamai, for instance, has built an entire business around this premise. If you don't want the better services, you don;t have to pay for it -- although the "free" Internet is apt to get slower and more choked over time.
So, I take the griping from those who want something for nothing with a grain of salt. If you want a better, high-bandwidth Internet experience, let me be the first to say "it's gonna cost you."
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS06-001: Vulnerability in Graphics Rendering Engine Could Allow Remote Code Execution (912919)
Here is a web site from Microsoft with all of the downloads for the WMF fixes. This web site had a fix for each OS.
Joe
Joe
Gadgets � Network your electric wires
This is our first CES report!! So.... here's a compendium of links about CES, to make up for the shortage ;)
The link in the title goes to a "Panasonic BL-PA100 HD-PLC Ethernet you can instantly create a high bandwidth network in your home. The adapter simply uses your existing electric wires to transfer data at up to 190MBps."
Technorati tag: CES
Techmemorandum: Google link to tech.memeorandum, cause google's blog search AT tech.memeorandum doesn't show any results....( As usual)
IceRocket: Today's Links for CES. Past week result didn't show anything, on Thursday
Engadget is doing a wonderful job, too!
Gizmodo has lots of pictures!
Digg.com links here [Digg spy is cool,too, it scrolls everything as its entered, and can be filtered by comments or front page]
ENJOY!
--MissM
P.S. As I was editing the posts, I went to the web pages, but, as I scroll through my voluminous RSS list, the content seems enhanced, pictures in engadgets feed, to be specific. I say BRAVO to this!! Any website that addresses those of us, who use RSS 75% of the time to read websites, gets my subscription ;) And if the content is better, woohoooooo! A necessary requirement, of course, is that the title goes to the home page of the feed (which may be wrong in almost 25% of my feeds)!!
The link in the title goes to a "Panasonic BL-PA100 HD-PLC Ethernet you can instantly create a high bandwidth network in your home. The adapter simply uses your existing electric wires to transfer data at up to 190MBps."
Technorati tag: CES
Techmemorandum: Google link to tech.memeorandum, cause google's blog search AT tech.memeorandum doesn't show any results....( As usual)
IceRocket: Today's Links for CES. Past week result didn't show anything, on Thursday
Engadget is doing a wonderful job, too!
Gizmodo has lots of pictures!
Digg.com links here [Digg spy is cool,too, it scrolls everything as its entered, and can be filtered by comments or front page]
ENJOY!
--MissM
P.S. As I was editing the posts, I went to the web pages, but, as I scroll through my voluminous RSS list, the content seems enhanced, pictures in engadgets feed, to be specific. I say BRAVO to this!! Any website that addresses those of us, who use RSS 75% of the time to read websites, gets my subscription ;) And if the content is better, woohoooooo! A necessary requirement, of course, is that the title goes to the home page of the feed (which may be wrong in almost 25% of my feeds)!!
Thursday, January 05, 2006
WMF Official Microsoft Patch
It arrived via automatic download sometime this afternoon. I was away from my computer and when I returned there was the little yellow shield icon in my system tray telling me that an update from Microsoft had arrived. The information I have says that it was released at 2 pm EST. It looks like I got it automatically about three hours after that -- about 2 pm PST. If you haven't yet, uninstall the hexblog WMF vunerability patch if you installed it. Everyone needs to install the official patch from Microsoft. I just did that and it went smoothly.
Microsoft's WMF Patch Leaks Out
Things just keep getting flakier and flakier with the WMF vulnerability.
The reason for posting this one is not that the patch leaked out, but that it confirms the patch as it exists now works seamlessly with the unofficial patch.
Jack
The reason for posting this one is not that the patch leaked out, but that it confirms the patch as it exists now works seamlessly with the unofficial patch.
Jack
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Got one of these for Christmas
It's a USB powered "Lava" lamp. Thought it was to say the least interesting. LOL
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Click Here to Save on Dell
This nice site tracks Dell's everchanging list of deals, and gives you the super-secret coupon codes that save you big dollars at checkout.
If you are buying a Dell, I would certainly check out the site.
If you are buying a Dell, I would certainly check out the site.
Apocalypse Near: U.S. Outsources Pleasure
Hey, we can have a long discussion on the relevant merits or demerits of outsourcing manufacturing to China. But what caught my eye is this International Herald Tribune article. Seems U.S. gamers are outsourcing pleasure. Call it gamers skipping the foreplay, if you will.
By allowing Chinese gamers to play endless hours at lower game levels, rich, time-challenged players can buy with real cash the accumulated wealth and power of the Chinese-made game avatars.
The obvious outcome in this capitalistic world is simple to deduce: game companies will split their products into multiple skill levels, at dramatically increasing prices. That locks out the Chinese-slave game labor and moves the profits to the IP producers. Want to jump in at level 50? That will be $500 plus the $50 normal game price.
The obvious question is whatever happened to hard work and perseverance?
By allowing Chinese gamers to play endless hours at lower game levels, rich, time-challenged players can buy with real cash the accumulated wealth and power of the Chinese-made game avatars.
The obvious outcome in this capitalistic world is simple to deduce: game companies will split their products into multiple skill levels, at dramatically increasing prices. That locks out the Chinese-slave game labor and moves the profits to the IP producers. Want to jump in at level 50? That will be $500 plus the $50 normal game price.
The obvious question is whatever happened to hard work and perseverance?
Sony coughs up for rootkit disaster
The title is misleading, to say the least.
Sony is getting off here without any real compensation to those who have had to scrape and reinstall machines ro rid themselves of this scourge!
Businesses I know of who were infected were left with no choice but the "nuclear option" in order to make sure their customer's, client's or patient's information was safe. They could not wait for patche. They certainly will not be compensated by $7.50 payments and freebie downloads.
I'll wager the lawyers got their fees while selling us out.
Jack
Sony is getting off here without any real compensation to those who have had to scrape and reinstall machines ro rid themselves of this scourge!
Businesses I know of who were infected were left with no choice but the "nuclear option" in order to make sure their customer's, client's or patient's information was safe. They could not wait for patche. They certainly will not be compensated by $7.50 payments and freebie downloads.
I'll wager the lawyers got their fees while selling us out.
Jack
NOD32 Stops WMF Malware
AV-Test, which tests anti-malware products, has been tracking the situation closely and has, so far, analyzed 73 variants of malicious WMF files. NOD32, the anti-virus software recommended by and sold by the OnComputers.info team that produces this blog, passes the WMF tests for all 73 variants, and is one of several AV products that you can trust with the WMF problem.
'Nuf said.
'Nuf said.
Sunbelt BLOG: Workarounds for the WMF exploit
I received this link from the president of SunBelt software Alex Eckelberry. Alex points out that the temporary fix does NOT work on Windows 9X, their only workaround is probably to unregister shimgvw.dll, it's in their blog.
This is very important so please if you are the family geek, tell your family to do this workaround until Microsoft comes out with a patch.
Remember this fix must be uninstalled before you apply the Microsoft patch.
This is very important so please if you are the family geek, tell your family to do this workaround until Microsoft comes out with a patch.
Remember this fix must be uninstalled before you apply the Microsoft patch.
Comments, Please
I really don't know how to take Microsoft's response(s) to the recent .WMF vulnerability flap. I'm soliciting comments from everyone on this.
While Microsoft readily acknowledged the existence of the vulnerability, they steadfastly clung to the position that user interaction was necessary to exploit them long after it was known that is not true.
Today, 3 January, they announced they have a patch completed, but will not release it until 10 January, which is their regularly scheduled "patch day". While I realize that they have to test any patch thoroughly, it seems to me they should be expediting this at any and all costs and release it sooner, if humanly possible.
After all; millions upon millions of PCs are at risk, here. The distribution of the exploits related to this vulnerability are widely spread. It's not just dodgy web sites. They're arriving in emails and have been slipped onto more reputable sites that have been compromised. In my opinion, Microsoft simply cannot continue to treat this casually and act as if users will be at fault because of their surfing habits.
What do you think?
Jack
While Microsoft readily acknowledged the existence of the vulnerability, they steadfastly clung to the position that user interaction was necessary to exploit them long after it was known that is not true.
Today, 3 January, they announced they have a patch completed, but will not release it until 10 January, which is their regularly scheduled "patch day". While I realize that they have to test any patch thoroughly, it seems to me they should be expediting this at any and all costs and release it sooner, if humanly possible.
After all; millions upon millions of PCs are at risk, here. The distribution of the exploits related to this vulnerability are widely spread. It's not just dodgy web sites. They're arriving in emails and have been slipped onto more reputable sites that have been compromised. In my opinion, Microsoft simply cannot continue to treat this casually and act as if users will be at fault because of their surfing habits.
What do you think?
Jack
Microsoft to Release Patch for .WMF Vulnerabilities 10 January
You'll have to decide whether or not you want to wait for the official patch or install the unofficial one. Personally, I've gone with the unofficial one on all the machines I can reach, at the same time disabling automatic updates until the official patch is available. That way, I can uninstall the unofficial one before it has a chance to conflict with the official one.
Jack
Jack
The Google PC?
Okay. I haven't yet found anything even resembling confirmation for this. However, if it is true, battle is joined for real between Google and Microsoft.
Jack
Jack
Microsoft's Advisory on the .WMF Vulnerability
I thought you might want to see this. It's MS' take on the WMF vulnerability.
Either this was published before the full extent of the problem was known or Microsoft is intent on minimizing the impression of danger. (The former is more likely than the latter.) They are insistent that user interaction is a requirement for an exploit to be successful. This is now known to be untrue. An indexing program, such as a desktop search utility (ala Google's) can trigger the exploit. In my own tests, here, I triggered two of the known exploits by using a third-party thumnail generator, as well.
The Internet Storm Center at SANS has an FAQ on the problem. Note that IE users are at more risk than FireFox users, but only just. Almost everyone is vulnerable.
All we can do is to install the unofficial patch and wait for Microsoft to act decisively.
Jack
Either this was published before the full extent of the problem was known or Microsoft is intent on minimizing the impression of danger. (The former is more likely than the latter.) They are insistent that user interaction is a requirement for an exploit to be successful. This is now known to be untrue. An indexing program, such as a desktop search utility (ala Google's) can trigger the exploit. In my own tests, here, I triggered two of the known exploits by using a third-party thumnail generator, as well.
The Internet Storm Center at SANS has an FAQ on the problem. Note that IE users are at more risk than FireFox users, but only just. Almost everyone is vulnerable.
All we can do is to install the unofficial patch and wait for Microsoft to act decisively.
Jack
Monday, January 02, 2006
Stores hope tech advice will mean fewer returns - The Boston Globe
This seems like a great idea.
I'd be more concerned that if someone needs training on how to use a mp3 player, maybe thats the wrong gift to get?
I'd be more concerned that if someone needs training on how to use a mp3 player, maybe thats the wrong gift to get?
Sunday, January 01, 2006
New Year's Superstitions
Here is a little fun from Snopes.com. It is my favorite site where myst is de-mystified and bunk is debunked. Happy New Year everyone!
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 01-01-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 01-01-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
An E-mail to send your friends today about the WMF 0 Day Exploit
You can cut-n-paste this and send it to your friends and relatives that may need your help.
***
Dear Friends,
You know that I don't often send warnings like this, but there is a serious problem on the Internet that impacts versions of Windows -- everything 98 and newer including a fully updated Windows XP with Service Pack 2. Your computer can get infected with this bad stuff just by looking at a picture on the Internet or in e-mail. I know this almost sounds like so many hoaxes in the past, but I can assure you it is not.
This was fully discussed in the first hour of the January 1, 2006, On Computers show which is podcast on http://oncomputerstips.blogspot.com
You can also download the show at http://www.oncomputers.info/archivehome.shtml
Please download and run this patch from Sans (a very reputable Internet site):
http://handlers.sans.org/tliston/wmffix_hexblog13.exe
It installs like a normal Windows program. You will need to restart your computer after you install it.
When the official Microsoft fix arrives you can uninstall this patch as a normal program and install the official Microsoft patch.
If you need more help, please contact me. I'm here if you need additional help.
Your Friend,
P.S. If you are up to some techincal reading, here is a complete FAQ. at the Sans Internet storm center
http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?storyid=994
Right now, I consider isc.sans.org to be the best source of information on this exploit.
(this story was edited and updated at 22:26 UTC)
***
Dear Friends,
You know that I don't often send warnings like this, but there is a serious problem on the Internet that impacts versions of Windows -- everything 98 and newer including a fully updated Windows XP with Service Pack 2. Your computer can get infected with this bad stuff just by looking at a picture on the Internet or in e-mail. I know this almost sounds like so many hoaxes in the past, but I can assure you it is not.
This was fully discussed in the first hour of the January 1, 2006, On Computers show which is podcast on http://oncomputerstips.blogspot.com
You can also download the show at http://www.oncomputers.info/archivehome.shtml
Please download and run this patch from Sans (a very reputable Internet site):
http://handlers.sans.org/tliston/wmffix_hexblog13.exe
It installs like a normal Windows program. You will need to restart your computer after you install it.
When the official Microsoft fix arrives you can uninstall this patch as a normal program and install the official Microsoft patch.
If you need more help, please contact me. I'm here if you need additional help.
Your Friend,
P.S. If you are up to some techincal reading, here is a complete FAQ. at the Sans Internet storm center
http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?storyid=994
Right now, I consider isc.sans.org to be the best source of information on this exploit.
(this story was edited and updated at 22:26 UTC)
SANS- 2nd generation WMF 0day exploit Spammed
As the WMF saga continues, SANS is really on top of it, they worked with a programmer to come up with a patch to protect you from the WMF exploit. In addition to the info in Joe's post below, they recommend you install the (a direct link to the exe file that contains the patch AND unregister the dll. There is also a discussion about how to protect your company from the WMF exploits, from most extreme (not use windows!?!?!?! to Disallow email, or strip all attachments from the more secure email server they get access to.)
Is this a precursor of Security threats in 2006????
Be Safe!
--MissM
Is this a precursor of Security threats in 2006????
Be Safe!
--MissM
Happy New Year!!
Happy New Year! Oh yeah, if you are a bit hungover this morning, you might wanna make sure your volume is down, before you countdown ;)
May 2006 be a WONDERFUL year for everybody!!
(Link taken from Ponzi's blog (She's engaged to Chris Pirillo of Lockergnome.com fame, amother others)
--MissM
May 2006 be a WONDERFUL year for everybody!!
(Link taken from Ponzi's blog (She's engaged to Chris Pirillo of Lockergnome.com fame, amother others)
--MissM
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Blogger: Browser Cookies Disabled
Blogger: Browser Cookies Disabled
Why do I get this error when I try to log into blogspot.com but can get in if I use the Blogger button on the Google toolbar?
Why do I get this error when I try to log into blogspot.com but can get in if I use the Blogger button on the Google toolbar?
ANY ATTEMPT TO DISPLAY A MALICIOUS IMAGE IN WINDOWS
Security Now! Notes for Episode #20: "regsvr32 -u shimgvw.dll" This is from Steve Gibson from www.GRC.com
This fix is temporary, until Microsoft comes out with a patch Steve has an undo for it if it breaks anything.
To immediately disable the vulnerable Windows component:
Logon as a user with full administrative rights.
Click the Windows "Start" button and select "Run..."
Enter the following string into the "Open" field:
regsvr32 -u shimgvw.dll
(You can copy/paste from this page using Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V)
Click "OK" to unregister the vulnerable DLL.
If all goes well, you will receive a confirmation prompt, and your system is now safe. No need to reboot, but you might want to just to be sure that any possible currently loaded instance is flushed out.
This fix is temporary, until Microsoft comes out with a patch Steve has an undo for it if it breaks anything.
To immediately disable the vulnerable Windows component:
Logon as a user with full administrative rights.
Click the Windows "Start" button and select "Run..."
Enter the following string into the "Open" field:
regsvr32 -u shimgvw.dll
(You can copy/paste from this page using Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V)
Click "OK" to unregister the vulnerable DLL.
If all goes well, you will receive a confirmation prompt, and your system is now safe. No need to reboot, but you might want to just to be sure that any possible currently loaded instance is flushed out.
Friday, December 30, 2005
'Intel Inside' sent to the place where brands go to die
So how does "Leap Ahead" grab you?
I knew that it would, lol.
As an AMD only household here I won't have to change my case badges ;-)
I knew that it would, lol.
As an AMD only household here I won't have to change my case badges ;-)
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Windows zero day nightmare exploited
Image handling flaws can infect Windows machines, including XP SP2, when visiting maliciously constructed web sites. This does not just affect Internet Explorer users. Firefox users are apparently vulnerable as well.
More information is available at F-Secure here. This one will garner a LOT of attention in nearly every corner of the web.
Watch Microsoft closely for a patch.
Jack
More information is available at F-Secure here. This one will garner a LOT of attention in nearly every corner of the web.
Watch Microsoft closely for a patch.
Jack
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Schneier on Security: Internet Explorer Sucks
"This study is from August, but I missed it. The researchers tracked three browsers (MSIE, Firefox, Opera) in 2004 and counted which days they were 'known unsafe.' Their definition of 'known unsafe': a remotely exploitable security vulnerability had been publicly announced and no patch was yet available.
MSIE was 98% unsafe. There were only 7 days in 2004 without an unpatched publicly disclosed security hole.
Firefox was 15% unsafe. There were 56 days with an unpatched publicly disclosed security hole. 30 of those days were a Mac hole that only affected Mac users. Windows Firefox was 7% unsafe."
Mr. Schneier continues....
"This underestimates the risk, because it doesn't count vulnerabilities known to the bad guys but not publicly disclosed (and it's foolish to think that such things don't exist). So the "98% unsafe" figure for MSIE is generous, and the situation might be even worse.
Wow."
Why is ANYbody using IE still? Get Firefox!
--MissM
MSIE was 98% unsafe. There were only 7 days in 2004 without an unpatched publicly disclosed security hole.
Firefox was 15% unsafe. There were 56 days with an unpatched publicly disclosed security hole. 30 of those days were a Mac hole that only affected Mac users. Windows Firefox was 7% unsafe."
Mr. Schneier continues....
"This underestimates the risk, because it doesn't count vulnerabilities known to the bad guys but not publicly disclosed (and it's foolish to think that such things don't exist). So the "98% unsafe" figure for MSIE is generous, and the situation might be even worse.
Wow."
Why is ANYbody using IE still? Get Firefox!
--MissM
Monday, December 26, 2005
Open Source and Your Legal Rights
A court fight in Florida over the software used in the instruments that detect alcohol in breath could threaten the ability of states and localities to prosecute drunk drivers.
The battle is over the source code of breath analyzers made by CMI Group, a closely held maker of breath-alcohol instruments. Defense lawyers have challenged the use of the device and asked to see the original source code that serves as its computer brain, saying their clients have the right to examine the machine that brings evidence against them.
Last February, a state appeals court in Daytona Beach ruled that Florida had to produce "full information" about the test that establishes the blood-alcohol level of people accused of driving under the influence, or DUI. Otherwise, the court said, the evidence is inadmissible.
"It seems to us that one should not have privileges and freedom jeopardized by the results of a mystical machine that is immune from discovery," the state's Fifth District Court of Appeal wrote.
A court in Seminole County later interpreted the ruling to apply to CMI's source code. As a result, at least 1,000 breath tests have been thrown out of court in the county this year. Last month, a court in Sarasota County said the breath tests used in 156 DUI cases will have to be thrown out if CMI continues to refuse to hand over the source code.
CMI, which is based in Owensboro, Ky., has refused to turn over the code for its Intoxilyzer 5000, saying it is proprietary. "It's a trade secret, and like any company they don't just turn over information for the asking," says Allen Holbrooke, outside attorney for CMI. [WSJ 12-16-2005]
As I see it, this is a huge, broad issue that has been creeping inexorably onto the radar screen: since the constitution grants defendants the right to challenge the evidence against them, it should come as no surprise that DUI defendants -- or rather, the defendant's lawyer -- are going after the technology that nailed them. Since most test and measurement equipment (TME) today has a programmed computer in its bowels, the defendants want to double-check the code of the all-too-human programmer. "Opening the source", as it were.
Now, those country-boy lawyers are no dumbies. They realize that any self-respecting TME manufacturer would want to protect its source code -- especially as open-source Linux replaces proprietary TME operating systems and programming languages. It has become too easy to lift source code from online court documents right into a compiler. So, the lawyers are trying to bluff an acquittal by asserting TME source code evidence as critical to their cases. "Uh, my client is innocent by reason of programming error." In the past, the TME device was treated as a "black box"; it could be externally tested but its entrails could not be dissected. To test a radar gun, for instance, you drive a car with a calibrated speedometer at the radar gun and then trigger a speed measurement. How the gun got the measurement internally is less relevant when the external results match the experimental. Apparently, the law is heading down a different track with programmable TME.
So, besides DUI, look for more creative legal tactics regarding voting machines, ATM fraud, automobile insurance cases -- did you know automobiles now tell police and insurance investigators how fast you were going when the car went off the road? -- medical devices and many other instances. Thousands of legal hours worth. It will be interesting to see how defendants rights are (re)balanced against property rights.
The battle is over the source code of breath analyzers made by CMI Group, a closely held maker of breath-alcohol instruments. Defense lawyers have challenged the use of the device and asked to see the original source code that serves as its computer brain, saying their clients have the right to examine the machine that brings evidence against them.
Last February, a state appeals court in Daytona Beach ruled that Florida had to produce "full information" about the test that establishes the blood-alcohol level of people accused of driving under the influence, or DUI. Otherwise, the court said, the evidence is inadmissible.
"It seems to us that one should not have privileges and freedom jeopardized by the results of a mystical machine that is immune from discovery," the state's Fifth District Court of Appeal wrote.
A court in Seminole County later interpreted the ruling to apply to CMI's source code. As a result, at least 1,000 breath tests have been thrown out of court in the county this year. Last month, a court in Sarasota County said the breath tests used in 156 DUI cases will have to be thrown out if CMI continues to refuse to hand over the source code.
CMI, which is based in Owensboro, Ky., has refused to turn over the code for its Intoxilyzer 5000, saying it is proprietary. "It's a trade secret, and like any company they don't just turn over information for the asking," says Allen Holbrooke, outside attorney for CMI. [WSJ 12-16-2005]
As I see it, this is a huge, broad issue that has been creeping inexorably onto the radar screen: since the constitution grants defendants the right to challenge the evidence against them, it should come as no surprise that DUI defendants -- or rather, the defendant's lawyer -- are going after the technology that nailed them. Since most test and measurement equipment (TME) today has a programmed computer in its bowels, the defendants want to double-check the code of the all-too-human programmer. "Opening the source", as it were.
Now, those country-boy lawyers are no dumbies. They realize that any self-respecting TME manufacturer would want to protect its source code -- especially as open-source Linux replaces proprietary TME operating systems and programming languages. It has become too easy to lift source code from online court documents right into a compiler. So, the lawyers are trying to bluff an acquittal by asserting TME source code evidence as critical to their cases. "Uh, my client is innocent by reason of programming error." In the past, the TME device was treated as a "black box"; it could be externally tested but its entrails could not be dissected. To test a radar gun, for instance, you drive a car with a calibrated speedometer at the radar gun and then trigger a speed measurement. How the gun got the measurement internally is less relevant when the external results match the experimental. Apparently, the law is heading down a different track with programmable TME.
So, besides DUI, look for more creative legal tactics regarding voting machines, ATM fraud, automobile insurance cases -- did you know automobiles now tell police and insurance investigators how fast you were going when the car went off the road? -- medical devices and many other instances. Thousands of legal hours worth. It will be interesting to see how defendants rights are (re)balanced against property rights.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 12-25-05
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 12-25-2005. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Alex Bosworth's Weblog: Dynamics of Digg
I found this article interesting. I believe that it is a glimpse inside what I believe Web 2.0 really is, and that is "Attention," although there are many terms for this now. Everybody is trying to monetize the eyes that are drawn to a site. And I believe that most diggers are what could be considered "early adopters," those who use RSS, podcasts without Itunes, fill in your own "geeky edge" :).
» Digging into the Digg System | Web 2.0 Explorer: "Digging into the Digg System
Posted by Richard MacManus @ 6:43 pm
Alex Bosworth has a great post investigating the dynamics of the digg.com system. He discovered that the system is 'very simple' and made up of five groups of people:
1. Readers: Alex guesstimates that 'ten to twenty percent of those ever click 'digg''. I'd love to know the actual figure though.
2. Diggers: 10-20% says Alex. He also says these are the least important members of the system, because 'once a link is on the front page, it makes marginal difference the number of votes next to the link.'
3. Hardcore Diggers: 'people who sit in the queue of submitted stories and watch for breaking news that should make its way up to the front page, or report stories as being spam or irrelevant.'
4. Submitters: people who submit stories. It's highly competitive and difficult to be the first to post a successful story (one that makes the front page).
5. Publishers: 'often bloggers who want to get readership for their content.'"
--MissM
P.S. in order to give attribution to the source of the link, I used a new extension I found for Firefox 1.5, its called How'd I get here? and once put on your toolbar, it will trace back the path to the original site to the page one is looking at.
Clicking back one more time, the original link came from digg.com ;)
» Digging into the Digg System | Web 2.0 Explorer: "Digging into the Digg System
Posted by Richard MacManus @ 6:43 pm
Alex Bosworth has a great post investigating the dynamics of the digg.com system. He discovered that the system is 'very simple' and made up of five groups of people:
1. Readers: Alex guesstimates that 'ten to twenty percent of those ever click 'digg''. I'd love to know the actual figure though.
2. Diggers: 10-20% says Alex. He also says these are the least important members of the system, because 'once a link is on the front page, it makes marginal difference the number of votes next to the link.'
3. Hardcore Diggers: 'people who sit in the queue of submitted stories and watch for breaking news that should make its way up to the front page, or report stories as being spam or irrelevant.'
4. Submitters: people who submit stories. It's highly competitive and difficult to be the first to post a successful story (one that makes the front page).
5. Publishers: 'often bloggers who want to get readership for their content.'"
--MissM
P.S. in order to give attribution to the source of the link, I used a new extension I found for Firefox 1.5, its called How'd I get here? and once put on your toolbar, it will trace back the path to the original site to the page one is looking at.
Clicking back one more time, the original link came from digg.com ;)
Xbox 360: Back to the Drawing Board
Though this FiringSquad.com article really takes the XBox 360 team to task, it is still constructive criticism. I have disagreements with a few small details, but only a few. It's worth a read.
XBos 360 is a perfect example of how a company gets painted into a corner by a release date and doesn't have time to work everything out well enough. It's a common problem, and not just at Microsoft. Still, I like the product, which surprises me greatly. I expected it to be just another console, which it definitely is not.
Jack
XBos 360 is a perfect example of how a company gets painted into a corner by a release date and doesn't have time to work everything out well enough. It's a common problem, and not just at Microsoft. Still, I like the product, which surprises me greatly. I expected it to be just another console, which it definitely is not.
Jack
Migration Software
This looks good. Whether or not it is will take some time and a long look at a bulk licensing agreement.
It's softare to automate the transition from various Microsoft products to Linux. Handles the desktop, Exchange to Linux based apps and a whole lot more.
I've sometimes wondered why this hasn't been done before. A series of products like this could ease the transition to Linux to the point where the expense becomes acceptable. Yes, you save money using Linux. Everyone knows that. But the costs of conversion could easily double one's IT budget for the year, which is a powerful deterrent. It will take a good while to amortize the expense of conversion and begin realizing the savings. If this software can cut the price and problems of conversion to a significant degree, it could sell a lot of enterprises on the conversion.
Jack
It's softare to automate the transition from various Microsoft products to Linux. Handles the desktop, Exchange to Linux based apps and a whole lot more.
I've sometimes wondered why this hasn't been done before. A series of products like this could ease the transition to Linux to the point where the expense becomes acceptable. Yes, you save money using Linux. Everyone knows that. But the costs of conversion could easily double one's IT budget for the year, which is a powerful deterrent. It will take a good while to amortize the expense of conversion and begin realizing the savings. If this software can cut the price and problems of conversion to a significant degree, it could sell a lot of enterprises on the conversion.
Jack
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Friends in Tech » A Geek Christmas Carol
This is a group of Technical podcasters who have forums and tech news podcasts, in addition to several of their own geeky podcasts. I listen to a bunch of them, myself!
and, the podcast pickle also did a version: A Podcast Christmas Carol
"God Bless us every one!"
--MissM
and, the podcast pickle also did a version: A Podcast Christmas Carol
"God Bless us every one!"
--MissM
Official Google Blog: Looking at 2005
Well, its been over a week since a post about Google!
They announced 2005's Year-End Google Zeitgeist. As Patrick Norton said on 12/23 dl.tv, "This is scary! [after reading the top 10 google news search list] Its the hard news that makes the list." Do you agree? ;)
--MissM
They announced 2005's Year-End Google Zeitgeist. As Patrick Norton said on 12/23 dl.tv, "This is scary! [after reading the top 10 google news search list] Its the hard news that makes the list." Do you agree? ;)
--MissM
Friday, December 23, 2005
Symantec flaw leaves opening for viruses | CNET News.com
"Symantec has issued a patch for a flaw in its scanning software that could cause a virus to execute, rather than catch it. " It looks like Symantec isn't getting anything right lately! :(
Thursday, December 22, 2005
How to Score an xBox 360 While Sleeping
Hey, Gang, got someone in your house who wants an xBox 360? And they are whining? Sad, really sad. Well, Bucky, you can go to sleep tonight and let the 'Net do the shopping -- or at least the looking.
The tools described in this article will alert you online as to who has the inventory in stock, so you can score that xBox without resorting to a handgun, as happened at 3am Sunday morning at the BestBuy near me.
Merry (Stressfree) Christmas!
The tools described in this article will alert you online as to who has the inventory in stock, so you can score that xBox without resorting to a handgun, as happened at 3am Sunday morning at the BestBuy near me.
Merry (Stressfree) Christmas!
Flaw reported in Symantec anti-virus software
If you use RAR files and Norton Anti-Virus, you need to read this article.
Symantec shuts down discussion groups
Symantec Corp. has shut down its enterprise technical support discussion groups, saying they're no longer an effective vehicle to address customers' technical support needs.
Here THEY go AGAIN :(
Here THEY go AGAIN :(
Is the Wiretap Fracus About a High Tech Breakthrough or a Fiasco?
Why would the president authorize warrantless wiretaps of U.S. citizens is a timely question? The conventional press (and many politicians) are reacting as if the president is thumbing his nose at the courts and congress. Maybe the situation makes a warrant in advance impossible, as this Ars Technica article suggests.
It is a fact that the U.S. has captured laptops and cell phones from terrorists. Let's hypothesize that JohnDoe@yahoo.com is one of the captured e-mail contacts. Nobody knows who he (or she) is nor where in the world they are. It seems to me that the gist of what is happening is that the NSA puts a flag on JohnDoe@yahoo.com and waits and watches. The e-mail may be retrieved from anywhere in the world. Ditto on cell phone calls. The monitoring starts when the contact picks up the phone or retrieves the e-mail. At that point, it's too late to run down a judge.
In a separate Ars Technica article, the author suggests that the technology to do voice matching in real time on a large portion of the U.S. telephone traffic is not only technologically possible with today's computer power but is likely in place. Is hunting for the bad guy's voice a technology needle in a haystack? I suspect the answer is no, it's not impossible at all.
It is a fact that the U.S. has captured laptops and cell phones from terrorists. Let's hypothesize that JohnDoe@yahoo.com is one of the captured e-mail contacts. Nobody knows who he (or she) is nor where in the world they are. It seems to me that the gist of what is happening is that the NSA puts a flag on JohnDoe@yahoo.com and waits and watches. The e-mail may be retrieved from anywhere in the world. Ditto on cell phone calls. The monitoring starts when the contact picks up the phone or retrieves the e-mail. At that point, it's too late to run down a judge.
In a separate Ars Technica article, the author suggests that the technology to do voice matching in real time on a large portion of the U.S. telephone traffic is not only technologically possible with today's computer power but is likely in place. Is hunting for the bad guy's voice a technology needle in a haystack? I suspect the answer is no, it's not impossible at all.
Use Intuit TaxCut. Double Your IRS Tax Refund
Got your attention, didn't I. Well, this deal got mine too. Inside the retail box for Taxcut 2005 is a flyer that spells it all out. And it's legal too!
It works like this: as you electronically file your 2005 taxes -- and 2/3rds of U.S. households filed electronically last year -- you can assign your refund to a couple dozen consumer products retailers. The list includes Loews, Borders books, AMC movies, Sharper Image, Starbucks, Bed Bath & Beyond and many others. Instead of a check from the IRS, you get a gift card tanked up with the amount of your refund -- plus a bonus that can double the effective amount of the refund. Got a $1,000 refund? Get a gift card for up to $2,000.
Only in America...
It works like this: as you electronically file your 2005 taxes -- and 2/3rds of U.S. households filed electronically last year -- you can assign your refund to a couple dozen consumer products retailers. The list includes Loews, Borders books, AMC movies, Sharper Image, Starbucks, Bed Bath & Beyond and many others. Instead of a check from the IRS, you get a gift card tanked up with the amount of your refund -- plus a bonus that can double the effective amount of the refund. Got a $1,000 refund? Get a gift card for up to $2,000.
Only in America...
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Review roundup by PC Magazine: Price-Comparison Sites Strive to Save You Time and Money
"Feeling the urge to splurge? Savvy shoppers know that the best deals on iPods, DVD movies, LCD monitors, and just about everything else can usually be found online. "
Remember your safer using that credit card online than handing it to a store clerk and them walking into the back room to run the charge!
Joe
Remember your safer using that credit card online than handing it to a store clerk and them walking into the back room to run the charge!
Joe
Column from PC Magazine: What Not to Buy in 2005
Here are a few things we shouldn't buy as gifts for friends.
Then again if they are not a friend......A box of Floppy disk might be a good thing.
Joe
Then again if they are not a friend......A box of Floppy disk might be a good thing.
Joe
PC Magazine - Holiday Gift Guide
We simplify your tech shopping, with links to our top-rated products.
Security Watch from PC Magazine - You Know Dasher and Bagle and Netsky and Sober...
"At least three variants of a new worm hit the Internet, exploiting a 2-month-old vulnerability in Windows. See who's vulnerable and how far it has spread in the Top Threat section."
Seagate agrees to buy Maxtor in $1.9B deal
USATODAY.com - Seagate agrees to buy Maxtor in $1.9B deal
Are we in a dot com bubble again, with all the new influx of money into tech lately?
--MissM
Are we in a dot com bubble again, with all the new influx of money into tech lately?
--MissM
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
2005's top 10 moments in IT | InfoWorld | News | 2005-12-19 | By Cathleen Moore
"2005's top 10 moments in IT "
How was your IT year?
How was your IT year?
Oracle Gives in to Common Sense!
Oracle has had hell with the notion of multiple cores and pricing for same. After several stabs at pricing which drew howls of protest from prospective licensees, they've hit upon something logical.
The link is to an article in The Inquirer. Should you choose to follow the links there to the Oracle pricing page, remember that the astronomical figures you see there are just starting points for negotiation.
Jack
The link is to an article in The Inquirer. Should you choose to follow the links there to the Oracle pricing page, remember that the astronomical figures you see there are just starting points for negotiation.
Jack
The early bird gets the $149 Toshiba laptop | Tech News on ZDNet
"CompUSA on Sunday sold a Toshiba notebook for $149.99, after $550 in rebates and an agreement to subscribe to America Online for a year. Although the special only lasted 16 hours, it marked a new low in notebook pricing, albeit a temporary one. " The only problem with this "DEAL" is the agreement to subscribe to America Online for a year. They also had a $99 desktop on sale.
Google's 5 percent solution
"Google is working out a deal with Time Warner to buy five percent of AOL for a billion dollars. While the deal is focused on advertising revenues and search engine positioning, it will likely also influence the next round of IP communications machinations." I know we talked about this on last Sundays show.
The Diskless PC Revolution
I'm not sure that Curt A. Monash has a truly clear crystal ball. Still, this opinion piece at Computerworld.com is thoughtful and may in fact reflect the future.
What is certain is that flash memory is going to change the way we compute and manage our data. The only question is how. Flash memory has had it's capabilities increased , of late, and this will only continue. Durability is improving. Read/write speeds are increasing, too, and are now competitive with hard drives.
We're going to benefit from these changes in many ways. Watching it happen will be interesting. Reaping the benefits will be gratifying.
Jack
What is certain is that flash memory is going to change the way we compute and manage our data. The only question is how. Flash memory has had it's capabilities increased , of late, and this will only continue. Durability is improving. Read/write speeds are increasing, too, and are now competitive with hard drives.
We're going to benefit from these changes in many ways. Watching it happen will be interesting. Reaping the benefits will be gratifying.
Jack
Sunday, December 18, 2005
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 12-18-05
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 12-18-2005. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Experimenting
I've added a couple search boxes, one from technorati, and one from ice rocket. I know that it is ugly looking, but I thought that the current positioning would help compare the two results. I don't know if anybody else cares about the differences between blog search engines, but its there if you do. Since having both is so ugly (in my opinion), does anybody have an opinion? Please let us know in the comments.
Thank YOU for reading the blog. We appreciate our regular readers, very much! And welcome all new readers. :)
--MissM
Thank YOU for reading the blog. We appreciate our regular readers, very much! And welcome all new readers. :)
--MissM
Friday, December 16, 2005
Dell Recalls 22,000 Notebook Batteries - Designtechnica
"Dell and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced a voluntary recall of approximately 22,000 Dell notebook computer batteries. The reason for the recall is that the batteries could overheat, which could pose a fire risk.
Dell said they had received three reports of batteries overheating, with the incidents involving damage to a tabletop, a desktop, and minor damage to personal effects. No injuries have been reported. "
To cut to the chase (to borrow a phrase from the smartest woman I know): The direct link to find out if you do have a recalled battery here:
I found it intriguing the, what I call, "smart link," an ad that pops up based on key phrases, showed Dell Batteries. I thought that it wasn't the best use of those ads. Do you?
--MissM
Update: Dell recalls 35,000 notebook batteries | News.com There are apparently 13,000 foreign batteries included also. Of course the link to the US Consumer Protection Service only includes US batteries....
Dell said they had received three reports of batteries overheating, with the incidents involving damage to a tabletop, a desktop, and minor damage to personal effects. No injuries have been reported. "
To cut to the chase (to borrow a phrase from the smartest woman I know): The direct link to find out if you do have a recalled battery here:
I found it intriguing the, what I call, "smart link," an ad that pops up based on key phrases, showed Dell Batteries. I thought that it wasn't the best use of those ads. Do you?
--MissM
Update: Dell recalls 35,000 notebook batteries | News.com There are apparently 13,000 foreign batteries included also. Of course the link to the US Consumer Protection Service only includes US batteries....
eBay faces up to online fraud
From the article: "In several cases examined by the BBC the eBay users who had their accounts hijacked claimed to be computer literate and vehemently denied that they had replied to phishing emails.
Man at computer
The auction site says its users are often to blame for security breaches
'There is no way I would have done that,' said Dr Oliver Sutcliffe a biochemist from Nottingham. His site was hijacked over the space of one weekend to sell thousands of pounds worth of electrical goods."
Not much to say to that except what we have discussed about doing business on eBay for years.
Man at computer
The auction site says its users are often to blame for security breaches
'There is no way I would have done that,' said Dr Oliver Sutcliffe a biochemist from Nottingham. His site was hijacked over the space of one weekend to sell thousands of pounds worth of electrical goods."
Not much to say to that except what we have discussed about doing business on eBay for years.
Official Google Blog: In the material world
I thought this was excellent. "Google Space" is an area with "unfettered Internet access so they might make use of that otherwise wasted time" at Heathrow airport. AND they are keeping employees there, for "face to face" feedback. I am quite impressed with this interaction, and think that's where Google can (and does, in some cases) make this a win-win situation. We get what we want, and google gets more "eyes."
I do sense a few growing pains in some of what they are doing (google reader, not talking to news.com, and that's all that I can think of, off the top of my head). But, I think most of us who have used google in the past, still harbor not so fond memories of search pre-google. The fondness for google's incredible search can be abused or celebrated. I think more and more people are keeping an eye on google, and their acquisition of data on everybody, just from how you use their services, and give up your privacy (In a related but off topic note, if anybody wants a gmail account, and doesn't want to give up their cell phone number, email me, if not any of us for an invite.).
Which could lead me on a rant, if I'm not careful, but... I am reminded of the desire for one's cell phone number, to provide services, and the privacy concerns I have, in general.
--MissM
I do sense a few growing pains in some of what they are doing (google reader, not talking to news.com, and that's all that I can think of, off the top of my head). But, I think most of us who have used google in the past, still harbor not so fond memories of search pre-google. The fondness for google's incredible search can be abused or celebrated. I think more and more people are keeping an eye on google, and their acquisition of data on everybody, just from how you use their services, and give up your privacy (In a related but off topic note, if anybody wants a gmail account, and doesn't want to give up their cell phone number, email me, if not any of us for an invite.).
Which could lead me on a rant, if I'm not careful, but... I am reminded of the desire for one's cell phone number, to provide services, and the privacy concerns I have, in general.
--MissM
Even Linus Giggles as Itanic Sinks!
The point is that when someone like Linus Torvalds takes time out to poke at Itanium in a discussion outside the kernel mailing list, things must really be bad. Itanic (as the chip is known to it's admirers) is lost, in terms of reputation. HP and Intel will nurse it along and, yes, it will eventually get some performance numbers that don't sound like a casualty list, but I can't see where it can recover from the ever-widening smearing it takes from technical types. This sort of thing inevitably gets to the wrong people and they slam their checkbooks shut.
Jack
Jack
Wikipedia survives research test
From the article: "In order to test its reliability, Nature conducted a peer review of scientific entries on Wikipedia and the well-established Encyclopedia Britannica.
The reviewers were asked to check for errors, but were not told about the source of the information.
'Only eight serious errors, such as misinterpretations of important concepts, were detected in the pairs of articles reviewed, four from each encyclopedia,' reported Nature.
'But reviewers also found many factual errors, omissions or misleading statements: 162 and 123 in Wikipedia and Britannica, respectively.'
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales welcomed the study.
'We're hoping it will focus people's attention on the overall level of our work, which is pretty good,' he said."
I'm surprised and glad all at the same time.
The reviewers were asked to check for errors, but were not told about the source of the information.
'Only eight serious errors, such as misinterpretations of important concepts, were detected in the pairs of articles reviewed, four from each encyclopedia,' reported Nature.
'But reviewers also found many factual errors, omissions or misleading statements: 162 and 123 in Wikipedia and Britannica, respectively.'
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales welcomed the study.
'We're hoping it will focus people's attention on the overall level of our work, which is pretty good,' he said."
I'm surprised and glad all at the same time.
Point and Click Linux
This is just a book ad. Still, it is very much worth your time.
I've seen the book, which focuses on Mepis GNU/Linux, which is what I'm using as I type this on my laptop. I think it's a decent "get started" tutorial, especially at the price they're asking.
For those of you who have wanted to start using Linux, whether for fun or to explore an alternative way of personal computing, this is the way to go about it. The Mepis CD is a "live" cd, meaning you can run the OS without doing an installation. Should you wish to install Mepis, that operation is available by clicking on a desktop icon. It's nearly that easy, too.
Ease of installation is not important to me. I've installed Linux enough that I can get nearly any distribution to work without pulling out any of my rapidly thinning hair. I use Mepis because I like it and it serves all my needs. So, in my opinion, you're getting the best of both worlds with Mepis.
Give this one a good look, and remember that if you decide to take the plunge, those of us in the #ICUG chat on the show server will be happy to try helping you over any humps you encounter.
Jack
I've seen the book, which focuses on Mepis GNU/Linux, which is what I'm using as I type this on my laptop. I think it's a decent "get started" tutorial, especially at the price they're asking.
For those of you who have wanted to start using Linux, whether for fun or to explore an alternative way of personal computing, this is the way to go about it. The Mepis CD is a "live" cd, meaning you can run the OS without doing an installation. Should you wish to install Mepis, that operation is available by clicking on a desktop icon. It's nearly that easy, too.
Ease of installation is not important to me. I've installed Linux enough that I can get nearly any distribution to work without pulling out any of my rapidly thinning hair. I use Mepis because I like it and it serves all my needs. So, in my opinion, you're getting the best of both worlds with Mepis.
Give this one a good look, and remember that if you decide to take the plunge, those of us in the #ICUG chat on the show server will be happy to try helping you over any humps you encounter.
Jack
Icons: It’s still orange
Microsoft is in the early stages of doing their "embrace and extend" deal on RSS feeds. They've renamed them "web feeds" and will use "enhanced", non-standard extensions.
However; In the interest of cutting user confusion, they are going to use the exact same icon Mozilla and Firefox use. They met with people from The Mozilla Foundation and decided it was in everyone's best interest. So the little orange rectangle lives on. MS may indeed choose to put other text on it, but we'll all have no trouble finding it and I for one am happy they've done this.
Jack
However; In the interest of cutting user confusion, they are going to use the exact same icon Mozilla and Firefox use. They met with people from The Mozilla Foundation and decided it was in everyone's best interest. So the little orange rectangle lives on. MS may indeed choose to put other text on it, but we'll all have no trouble finding it and I for one am happy they've done this.
Jack
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Xen virtualization quickly becoming open source 'killer app'
In the virtualization space, everyone follows VM Ware. No one else is even close in mind or market share. But the market is going to expand very rapidly and Xen, which is free software, hopes to become a major player. They have the advantage of very low cost (free) and very favorable press reception.
There are some nice points made in this article. If you have any interest at all in virtualization technologies and where they are headed, this one is for you.
Jack
There are some nice points made in this article. If you have any interest at all in virtualization technologies and where they are headed, this one is for you.
Jack
Sunbelt BLOG: Beware Vcodec
NOD32 (Click to buy AND support the show) and Kaspersky both detected this as a bad thing, and protected the computer with it installed.
"Wondering how people get to these bogus security sites and download junk like SpyAxe?
Our spyware researchers have been investigating Vcodec.com. This is a site that has a program called “VCodec v3.05b is new generation multimedia compressor/decompressor which registers into the Windows collection of multimedia drivers...”"
--MissM
"Wondering how people get to these bogus security sites and download junk like SpyAxe?
Our spyware researchers have been investigating Vcodec.com. This is a site that has a program called “VCodec v3.05b is new generation multimedia compressor/decompressor which registers into the Windows collection of multimedia drivers...”"
--MissM
How Much RAM Do You Really Need?
"Is 512 MB enough? What about 1 GB? Our gaming and other application tests show that 2 GB of RAM is often not overkill."
interesting article, for those of us with major RAM ;)
How much RAM is in your computer? (respond in comments, please)
--MissM
via Gadgets
read more | digg story
interesting article, for those of us with major RAM ;)
How much RAM is in your computer? (respond in comments, please)
--MissM
via Gadgets
read more | digg story
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Microsoft quietly releases first glimpse at DirectX 10
If you like games or 3-D graphics on Windows, this will be of interest to you.
BTW, some of you know and some of you don't, but I made a major upgrade (mobo, RAM, video card and cpu) to my computer on Monday and therefore a clean install of Windows. I'm pleased to report that even with doing all my Windows Updates on dial-up I'm now to the point where I have time to blog again :-)
BTW, some of you know and some of you don't, but I made a major upgrade (mobo, RAM, video card and cpu) to my computer on Monday and therefore a clean install of Windows. I'm pleased to report that even with doing all my Windows Updates on dial-up I'm now to the point where I have time to blog again :-)
Quanta to build the $100 laptop
Big news though it is, this is only one more step on the way toward spreading networked computing to the world's poor. It has to be done. The question is how. This is the most advanced attempt yet.
In a monumental show of sour grapes (they are not part of the project) Intel's CEO said that the world's poor wanted full-featured machines and implied they would not settle for this sort of appliance with somewhat limited display and functional capabilities. I have news for Intel; EVERYONE wants a better computer, but we use what we can afford. This is true in both developed and developing nations. You would think Intel high muckety-mucks would know this, but evidently they don't; or they choose to ignore it.
Jack
In a monumental show of sour grapes (they are not part of the project) Intel's CEO said that the world's poor wanted full-featured machines and implied they would not settle for this sort of appliance with somewhat limited display and functional capabilities. I have news for Intel; EVERYONE wants a better computer, but we use what we can afford. This is true in both developed and developing nations. You would think Intel high muckety-mucks would know this, but evidently they don't; or they choose to ignore it.
Jack
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Rocketboom again!
For those of you who just can't get enough RSS (irony) there's .... rsstroom_reader_restroom (JPEG Image, 800x541 pixels)
And I thought this was just cool, its animated robotic music(?).
Animusic - Home Page
--MissM
And I thought this was just cool, its animated robotic music(?).
Animusic - Home Page
--MissM
Monday, December 12, 2005
It's the Decimal Point, Stupid
While some TIAA-CREF customers reported IT issues that resulted in them not being able to access their retirement funds, others have come forward to say that they are receiving far too much money.
"The first sign of the problem was when IRA payments from TIAA to my wife and me were not made on schedule in mid-November," said a TIAA-CREF user who sent an e-mail to eWEEK.
"I called and was told that they would be made shortly. They were, but the payments that were made were 100 times too large!"
The TIAA-CREF customer said that he and his wife both received payments of 100 times what they were owed. Instead of scheduled $600 payments, both recipients received automatic electronic deposits into their accounts for $60,000 each.
This story brought a real chuckle because this type of error went out of style in the 1970s. $600.00 with a misplaced decimal point (or $60000 with no decimal point) was a common enough programming mistake that testing procedures routinely checked for such a slip-up. Nice to know there's a new generation of programmers out there who have this lesson to learn.
Pop Quiz: How many TIAA-CREF customers who got 100x too much in their monthly checks forgot to drop a dime back to TIAA-CREF?
"The first sign of the problem was when IRA payments from TIAA to my wife and me were not made on schedule in mid-November," said a TIAA-CREF user who sent an e-mail to eWEEK.
"I called and was told that they would be made shortly. They were, but the payments that were made were 100 times too large!"
The TIAA-CREF customer said that he and his wife both received payments of 100 times what they were owed. Instead of scheduled $600 payments, both recipients received automatic electronic deposits into their accounts for $60,000 each.
This story brought a real chuckle because this type of error went out of style in the 1970s. $600.00 with a misplaced decimal point (or $60000 with no decimal point) was a common enough programming mistake that testing procedures routinely checked for such a slip-up. Nice to know there's a new generation of programmers out there who have this lesson to learn.
Pop Quiz: How many TIAA-CREF customers who got 100x too much in their monthly checks forgot to drop a dime back to TIAA-CREF?
Business Spending on Tech Up 11% Next Year (Moody's)
Business investment in everything from computer servers and software applications to networking and storage equipment is projected to jump 11 percent to $546.9 billion in 2006, from $492.5 billion this year, according to Moody's Economy.com, a research firm.
The firm estimates business outlays will climb 10.2 percent in 2005, the same as in 2004.
The rebound in the so-called enterprise market, made up of businesses and other organizations such as government agencies, universities, and nonprofit groups, follows sharp declines in the early years of this decade. Businesses drove the technology boom of the late 1990s, culminating in a wave of spending to update networks by corporations fearful of being disabled by the Y2K computer glitch.
Technology spending by enterprises this year will exceed the peak level of 2000, said Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Economy.com in West Chester, Pa., who noted that consumers have picked up much of the slack for high-tech vendors in recent years.
From The Boston Globe
Dual cores and multiple CPUs
Many of the questions from listeners and clients we field have to do with the benefits of dual core processors. It's a question on a lot of people's minds, of late. There is a lot of confusion, in part due to the large number of opinions floating about being given as fact.
This short article at hardwareinreview.com will go a long ways toward clarifying things for you. It is not overly technical, though a certain amount of detail is inevitable when addressing a subject such as this. I think you'll find it informative and not at all painful to digest.
Jack
[ See also this ACM article on desktop dual-core performance. Pete]
This short article at hardwareinreview.com will go a long ways toward clarifying things for you. It is not overly technical, though a certain amount of detail is inevitable when addressing a subject such as this. I think you'll find it informative and not at all painful to digest.
Jack
[ See also this ACM article on desktop dual-core performance. Pete]
Power Snowblower
*Giant_One* I could see joe wheeling that out of his garage...*falls off the chair*
(no further comment required!)
--MissM
(no further comment required!)
--MissM
Scripting News: 12/12/2005
"A big announcement today from SixApart that Yahoo will be supplying Movable Type as part of its small business service. Every time you turn on the computer there's news of Yahoo doing something smart. I hear from a reliable bird flying around Santa Clara that they will also offer WordPress blogs as part of the same service. Now they should do something interesting in the same space as Google Base, if they did, the industry would flock to them. "
I'm trying wordpress as a blog "tool"? One of the things I prefer wordpress for is the ability to copy links when pasting a post. I also like the categories, though I find creating them tedious (the blogroll seems tedious too, I can't add pictures as easily as I have over there. ---->>>>
Supposedly there is a button to "blog this" for wordpress, but I can't find it in Firefox (there's a reference to putting the "link to the right" in your favorites, but I can't find that link). The google toolbar for firefox has a nice blogger button.
I've also tried OPML, but importing my sage export file, doesn't give me dynamic links yet, though I'm pretty sure this is user error, and I haven't had time to look into it. :)
Does anybody have any opinions about blogging software?
Would y'all be interested in sharing your blogs or websites or... ?
Let us know!
--MissM
I'm trying wordpress as a blog "tool"? One of the things I prefer wordpress for is the ability to copy links when pasting a post. I also like the categories, though I find creating them tedious (the blogroll seems tedious too, I can't add pictures as easily as I have over there. ---->>>>
Supposedly there is a button to "blog this" for wordpress, but I can't find it in Firefox (there's a reference to putting the "link to the right" in your favorites, but I can't find that link). The google toolbar for firefox has a nice blogger button.
I've also tried OPML, but importing my sage export file, doesn't give me dynamic links yet, though I'm pretty sure this is user error, and I haven't had time to look into it. :)
Does anybody have any opinions about blogging software?
Would y'all be interested in sharing your blogs or websites or... ?
Let us know!
--MissM
Symantec/Norton's Dilemma
This Business Week Weekend Edition article tells how security software is under attack by the bad guys. It's not just Symantec/Norton, though this article focuses upon them. Every maker of security software, regardless of type, reports that their products are under attack.
I chose this article to post because it contains neither the gory details nor the long technical specifics, figuring everyone could read this short take and get an idea of what is happening. I think everyone ought to read this one and everyone can understand it.
Jack
I chose this article to post because it contains neither the gory details nor the long technical specifics, figuring everyone could read this short take and get an idea of what is happening. I think everyone ought to read this one and everyone can understand it.
Jack
Sunday, December 11, 2005
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 12-11-05
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 12-11-2005. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Tips: Creating a Home Wireless Network
This article is a tutorial on how to set up a home wireless network.
SANS - Internet Storm Center
"We have received a report on TCP port 1025 scan. David has observed an increase in port 1025 scan and submitted some packet captures to us. From the captured packet, it contains a request to interface UUID: 906b0ce0-c70b-1067-b317-00dd010662da and BuildContextW (opnum 7) RPC function. Part of the packet payload resembles the MSDTC exploit. This appears to be exploiting MS05-051 vulnerability as described in eEye advisory. If you have seen similar observation, do drop us a note."
today they posted a graph of increased activity here.
The part that I found interesting, "Over the last hour, 37 % of the visitors to this site were vulnerable to the Internet Explorer 0-day exploit. (result based on browser version and javascript enabled)
You are considered not vulnerable" Are you vulnerable? click here to find out.
--MissM
today they posted a graph of increased activity here.
The part that I found interesting, "Over the last hour, 37 % of the visitors to this site were vulnerable to the Internet Explorer 0-day exploit. (result based on browser version and javascript enabled)
You are considered not vulnerable" Are you vulnerable? click here to find out.
--MissM
Coloring Black and White Photos
I know that we have some readers who are interested in editing photos, not to mention this just looked cool. I haven't tried it, yet, but the examples are really nice. Enjoy!
--MissM
read more | digg story
--MissM
read more | digg story
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)