Subtitled "The Value of Screen", this is a brief Linux tutorial on why one might wish to make the CLI (Command Line Interface) your default desktop. It is quite possible to do this in Linux, and even to view graphics without starting X at all.
I get a fair amount of "stuff" from Joe about my use of the command line. I don't do it anywhere near as much as some folks I know, but I do make good use of it, fairly frequently. There are reasons. If I'm using my laptop, it makes the battery last a lot longer. (I haven't measured, but my best estimate is that the battery lasts well over 50% longer in CLI than with the graphic interface running!) The command line is often faster than performing the same tasks in the graphic environment.
Even Microsoft has admitted that a command line shell is THE place to work at times and will be including a very, very powerful shell (code named "Monad") in at least some versions of Vista and upcoming server releases. After years of trying to eliminate as much of the command line shell as possible, Microsoft listened to their users and will give them this tool, which they need very much.
Read this one, over at Linux Planet and see why I, and many others, use the CLI as much as we do. I still have machines (yes, plural) without any type of graphic capability at all and, frankly, love them as text entry devices.
Jack
Friday, March 17, 2006
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Reply to Ken's Comment On the Verbatim Store 'n' Go
After Ken's comment on my (and Verbatim's) claim that a work session on a PC involving the Verbatim Store "n" Go device left behind no trace, I did a little investigating.
Using a virtual installation of Windows XP, I took both software and and data off the Verbatim device, edited 3 images, generated one word processor document and edited several text files. I then closed the session and went looking. There is indeed a trace or three left behind. I found 9 registry keys and several files in swap with no header information (as is the case in regular deletions).
So there is a trace left behind, though I will not say Verbatim's claim is false. There is no obvious indication a user has been on the PC. A forensic examination will indeed reveal the session has taken place and might even allow recovery of some files from the swap area, though I was not able to recover any, using a simple software approach.
I think Verbatim's claim is based on the idea that the next user or regular user of the machine will not notice anything left behind, which is entirely true. That is their goal and they have met it.
In conclusion; if one is working on highly sensitive materials, it might be a better idea to wait until you got to a PC you control to do it. But if one simply needs to catch up on mail and some work, the Store 'N' Go device is perfect, with only that caveat.
Jack
Using a virtual installation of Windows XP, I took both software and and data off the Verbatim device, edited 3 images, generated one word processor document and edited several text files. I then closed the session and went looking. There is indeed a trace or three left behind. I found 9 registry keys and several files in swap with no header information (as is the case in regular deletions).
So there is a trace left behind, though I will not say Verbatim's claim is false. There is no obvious indication a user has been on the PC. A forensic examination will indeed reveal the session has taken place and might even allow recovery of some files from the swap area, though I was not able to recover any, using a simple software approach.
I think Verbatim's claim is based on the idea that the next user or regular user of the machine will not notice anything left behind, which is entirely true. That is their goal and they have met it.
In conclusion; if one is working on highly sensitive materials, it might be a better idea to wait until you got to a PC you control to do it. But if one simply needs to catch up on mail and some work, the Store 'N' Go device is perfect, with only that caveat.
Jack
Latest update to Google's refusal to submit to a fishing expedition.
Judge to Order Google to Turn Over Some Records
I was pleased to see the update, and thought that you would wanna know.
--MissM
Judge to Order Google to Turn Over Records - New York Times
Hat tip to Sue.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Google Inc.'s legal showdown with the Bush administration over the right to protect the privacy of its audience and trade secrets appears to be tilting in the Internet search engine's favor, even though a federal judge has signaled he will order the company to turn over some records to the government.
U.S. District Court Judge James Ware repeatedly emphasized his sensitivity to Google's concerns during a Tuesday court hearing. It concluded with Ware saying he intends to give the U.S. Justice Department a peek at a sliver of the online search engine leader's vast database.
T. Barton Carter, a communications and law professor at Boston University, said the concerns raised by Ware should be heartening to privacy rights advocates, but cautioned against reading too much into the judge's comments until he releases his order.
''What's going to be important is whether he limits the information (given to the government) and whether he explains why he drew the line where he did,'' Carter said.
I was pleased to see the update, and thought that you would wanna know.
--MissM
Judge to Order Google to Turn Over Records - New York Times
Hat tip to Sue.
Wired News:'Free IPod' Takes Privacy Toll
Apparently Gratis Networks, who were doing gobs of Free "pretty much whatever you might want" I saw the ipods, of course, and there were xbox360s, I kinda ignored any other "free" offers , after a while...oops, I got distracted.
Eliot Spitzer, the New York Attorney General, "announced Monday that e-mail marketing giant Datran Media had agreed to a $1.1 million fine for knowingly buying marketing lists from companies with privacy policies that promised not to sell or transfer the lists to a third party."
The thing that struck me immediately, was that Datran Media got fined for purchasing a list. Gratis internet didn't get punished (yet, we can hope?) for renting lists.... I just read the article, haven't clicked on any of the more in-depth links. But, that puzzled me. Any enlightenment, please post in the comments.
--MissM
Wired News:'Free IPod' Takes Privacy Toll
Eliot Spitzer, the New York Attorney General, "announced Monday that e-mail marketing giant Datran Media had agreed to a $1.1 million fine for knowingly buying marketing lists from companies with privacy policies that promised not to sell or transfer the lists to a third party."
The thing that struck me immediately, was that Datran Media got fined for purchasing a list. Gratis internet didn't get punished (yet, we can hope?) for renting lists.... I just read the article, haven't clicked on any of the more in-depth links. But, that puzzled me. Any enlightenment, please post in the comments.
--MissM
Wired News:'Free IPod' Takes Privacy Toll
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Jack Eats Humble Pie re; Virtualization on Desktop
It hasn't been all that long since I poured verbal cold water on the idea of virtualization on the desktop becoming common. I've been studying virtualization both as a technology and as a market force now for several weeks and I find I must admit I was wrong and just how wrong I was.
What convinced me I was wrong was not my reading, but rather a device Andy Markham sent the cast members after he was on the show. It's called the "Verbatim Store 'n' Go". Basically, it's a one gigabyte flash memory stick with a twist; You can take enough of your home Windows desktop, including settings, software and data, with you to work in your chosen environment and with your choice of tools on any other Windows PC. And when you leave that PC, none of your data or settings stay behind. You leave no footprint at all! Not a trace of your presence remains. All this is due to some clever software, including a sort of micro operating system. It's a very cool tool and priced very affordably.
Extend that idea just a little bit, as will undoubtedly happen in the normal course of events. Imagine that when you buy or build a PC, there is no operating system as we know it installed. Instead, there will be a "hypervisor", which is the current buzz-word for the host OS in a virtualization scheme. And we can carry a device very much like the Verbatim one, only larger, which contains our chosen operating environment, data and whatever software we choose, making it possible to work on our own PC without our own PC! Plug in your USB device, give it a minute (probably a lot less than a minute) to boot up and you're ready to go. Anything too large to be carried with you on the device would be available over the Internet using a built-in VPN setup to access your home machine.
If the hypervisor is well implemented, any user could use literally any work environment they chose on any PC. Like Linux? How about the Mac OS X? You could run them all on the same hardware. No problem at all. Companies like Microsoft will jump at the chance to implement this. Why? Well, because the OS and software are not tied to any hardware, they can be made to expire. You pay by the year and the software publishers get a very much evened-out revenue stream. And rolling out a new OS every few years might also become a thing of the past. Instead, new features will be added yearly, or even quarterly, in a gradual way, so as not to rock the user's or the IT department's collective boats.
A company could standardize file formats and write applications in "OS neutral" languages like Java, RealBASIC, Python and C# and even workers using the company's hardware would be free to use whichever environment they chose, without affecting the company at all. Just load the appropriate runtime environment and get to it.
The PC makers will like it, as well. They only have to cater to a hypervisor, instead of an operating system with a user interface. The hypervisor is much cheaper to develop or buy and, given decent standards are adopted, the PC maker can capitalize on that. There is so little profit margin in PC manufacture that I should think the companies would welcome not having to bundle any software at all. They can make a further profit on selling the devices that hold the OS, etc. to the users and if they wish to bundle software, that is where it will be done. (Though I suspect that this setup will be the end of bundling, simply because it is such a pain for the companies involved.)
From my small experience with virtualization, I can imagine that if a virtualization setup is well written and implemented, it will be almost impossible for the "guest" OS and it's software to bring down or lock up the machine, too. You might have to issue a command to force quit an application once in a while, but the underlying hardware and software will hum happily along. True crashes will be very nearly a thing of the past. And if trouble does happen in that scenario, a very rapid reboot is possible because the hypervisor is still going strong and it's connection to the hardware is unbroken, so nothing needs to be initialized again. Only the guest environment and software need restarting.
Changes or upgrades in hardware will require modification to the hypervisor, but that probably will entail no more work or bother than a change in drivers does now. No changes to the "guest" device would be necessary as the hypervisor handles all interaction with the hardware.
I do believe I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out. And if I'm wrong, you listeners are allowed to laugh.
Jack
What convinced me I was wrong was not my reading, but rather a device Andy Markham sent the cast members after he was on the show. It's called the "Verbatim Store 'n' Go". Basically, it's a one gigabyte flash memory stick with a twist; You can take enough of your home Windows desktop, including settings, software and data, with you to work in your chosen environment and with your choice of tools on any other Windows PC. And when you leave that PC, none of your data or settings stay behind. You leave no footprint at all! Not a trace of your presence remains. All this is due to some clever software, including a sort of micro operating system. It's a very cool tool and priced very affordably.
Extend that idea just a little bit, as will undoubtedly happen in the normal course of events. Imagine that when you buy or build a PC, there is no operating system as we know it installed. Instead, there will be a "hypervisor", which is the current buzz-word for the host OS in a virtualization scheme. And we can carry a device very much like the Verbatim one, only larger, which contains our chosen operating environment, data and whatever software we choose, making it possible to work on our own PC without our own PC! Plug in your USB device, give it a minute (probably a lot less than a minute) to boot up and you're ready to go. Anything too large to be carried with you on the device would be available over the Internet using a built-in VPN setup to access your home machine.
If the hypervisor is well implemented, any user could use literally any work environment they chose on any PC. Like Linux? How about the Mac OS X? You could run them all on the same hardware. No problem at all. Companies like Microsoft will jump at the chance to implement this. Why? Well, because the OS and software are not tied to any hardware, they can be made to expire. You pay by the year and the software publishers get a very much evened-out revenue stream. And rolling out a new OS every few years might also become a thing of the past. Instead, new features will be added yearly, or even quarterly, in a gradual way, so as not to rock the user's or the IT department's collective boats.
A company could standardize file formats and write applications in "OS neutral" languages like Java, RealBASIC, Python and C# and even workers using the company's hardware would be free to use whichever environment they chose, without affecting the company at all. Just load the appropriate runtime environment and get to it.
The PC makers will like it, as well. They only have to cater to a hypervisor, instead of an operating system with a user interface. The hypervisor is much cheaper to develop or buy and, given decent standards are adopted, the PC maker can capitalize on that. There is so little profit margin in PC manufacture that I should think the companies would welcome not having to bundle any software at all. They can make a further profit on selling the devices that hold the OS, etc. to the users and if they wish to bundle software, that is where it will be done. (Though I suspect that this setup will be the end of bundling, simply because it is such a pain for the companies involved.)
From my small experience with virtualization, I can imagine that if a virtualization setup is well written and implemented, it will be almost impossible for the "guest" OS and it's software to bring down or lock up the machine, too. You might have to issue a command to force quit an application once in a while, but the underlying hardware and software will hum happily along. True crashes will be very nearly a thing of the past. And if trouble does happen in that scenario, a very rapid reboot is possible because the hypervisor is still going strong and it's connection to the hardware is unbroken, so nothing needs to be initialized again. Only the guest environment and software need restarting.
Changes or upgrades in hardware will require modification to the hypervisor, but that probably will entail no more work or bother than a change in drivers does now. No changes to the "guest" device would be necessary as the hypervisor handles all interaction with the hardware.
I do believe I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out. And if I'm wrong, you listeners are allowed to laugh.
Jack
Talking Computers Just Around the Corner
Elizabeth Millard has written a very nice piece about speech recognition for Newsfactor.com and I recommend it highly.
It's rather obvious that speech recognition is advancing faster than handwriting recognition is. That's a shame because I can easily imagine the tablet PC with good handwriting and speech recognition as THE machine for the road warrior to have. (This even though that person is going to be the absolute least desired seat-mate on the airplane, unless they start letting folks use their cell phones during flights.)
There has been a lot of steady progress made since I was fooling with Via Voice in SuSE Linux 6.2. I'm half tempted to get one of the companies mentioned in the article to cough up a sample so I can see just how far things have come.
Jack
It's rather obvious that speech recognition is advancing faster than handwriting recognition is. That's a shame because I can easily imagine the tablet PC with good handwriting and speech recognition as THE machine for the road warrior to have. (This even though that person is going to be the absolute least desired seat-mate on the airplane, unless they start letting folks use their cell phones during flights.)
There has been a lot of steady progress made since I was fooling with Via Voice in SuSE Linux 6.2. I'm half tempted to get one of the companies mentioned in the article to cough up a sample so I can see just how far things have come.
Jack
PodcastPromos
Just in case you don't have enough feeds to fill your waking hours with podcasts, Todd Cochrane of GeekNewsCentral has released this new website with up to 2 minute podcast promos. Another use, might be by the person who "engineers" our audio to download and play some of these during the half hour breaks (hint, hint). But they'd have to read the blog. *snark* I put this at the end so you have to read the whole post to get it ;)
--MissM
PodcastPromos - Welcome
--MissM
PodcastPromos - Welcome
Analyzing the Crossover Virus
Subtitled "The First PC to Windows Handheld Cross-infector", this multi-page article covers much more ground than the title implies.
The author is a principal of MARA (Mobile Anti-virus Research Assn.), which has come under some criticism recently for not sharing some bits of malicious code with other researchers unless they joined MARA. Membership in MARA is free, though it is my understanding that the agreement you must sign to join places burdensome restrictions on some researchers.
Aside from that, the article tells some of the "nuts and bolts" details of recent mobile infectious code. It's worth the read, and enduring the author's defensive tone regarding MARA. If you read it closely, as I did, you will in all liklihood find it scary. These threats are the coming thing and will require quite a bit of vigilance and some crafty software tools to keep us safe. Do not be led to complacency by the relative crudeness of the code in this example. This type of malware is growing in both sophistication and in numbers of attacks, very rapidly.
Jack
The author is a principal of MARA (Mobile Anti-virus Research Assn.), which has come under some criticism recently for not sharing some bits of malicious code with other researchers unless they joined MARA. Membership in MARA is free, though it is my understanding that the agreement you must sign to join places burdensome restrictions on some researchers.
Aside from that, the article tells some of the "nuts and bolts" details of recent mobile infectious code. It's worth the read, and enduring the author's defensive tone regarding MARA. If you read it closely, as I did, you will in all liklihood find it scary. These threats are the coming thing and will require quite a bit of vigilance and some crafty software tools to keep us safe. Do not be led to complacency by the relative crudeness of the code in this example. This type of malware is growing in both sophistication and in numbers of attacks, very rapidly.
Jack
Beyond Silicon: Intel is Exploring New Semiconducter Materials
The link is to an article on the MIT Technology Review site. In it, there is a lightweight treatise on how silicon has it's limitations as a material for computer chips and just a bit of the how and why Intel is looking at new materials for this use.
This is hardly the kind of article you and I can use, but it does tell you a bit about research now going on which may affect the computers we use in a few years. If you have an interest in that, check this one out.
Jack
This is hardly the kind of article you and I can use, but it does tell you a bit about research now going on which may affect the computers we use in a few years. If you have an interest in that, check this one out.
Jack
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Everybody's Doing It! A Backup Story
We're always harping on backup, so I thought I'd point out this story of an HP executive who does a weekly backup for his whole family. It's a short and pleasant read.
Jack
Jack
Tyan brings supercomputing to the desktop
Alright; Jane, Joe, Pete, Gail, Riley and Aaron, here's what I want for my birthday. Get them now, while demand has yet to build.
It's a whole 'nother class of machine, as The Inquirer points out in the short article linked to above. The small form factor means I could put it into the space under my desk now occupied by two PCs and have quite a bit more power than all our computers combined to bark my shins on when I roll up in the chair.
Up to 16 cores, oodles of memory and all sorts of cooling capacity in a package most of us could find room for anywhere, even in the smallest cubicle. The Inquirer bit points out a few rough edges in this implementation, but they are liveable and will probably vanish before the rest of the cast has to start shopping for my present.
Expect to see more of these sorts of machines soon. I suspect we should call them "super workstations" or some other such moniker that affirms their use in the office, rather than the data center.
Jack
It's a whole 'nother class of machine, as The Inquirer points out in the short article linked to above. The small form factor means I could put it into the space under my desk now occupied by two PCs and have quite a bit more power than all our computers combined to bark my shins on when I roll up in the chair.
Up to 16 cores, oodles of memory and all sorts of cooling capacity in a package most of us could find room for anywhere, even in the smallest cubicle. The Inquirer bit points out a few rough edges in this implementation, but they are liveable and will probably vanish before the rest of the cast has to start shopping for my present.
Expect to see more of these sorts of machines soon. I suspect we should call them "super workstations" or some other such moniker that affirms their use in the office, rather than the data center.
Jack
HD-DVD might not be ready, but Netflix is - HD Beat
I mentioned in the chat Sunday, how disappointed I was in SD (480i/Standard Definition (I think)) DVDs on an HDTV. I guess the HD TV signals I've been watching have spoiled me. To point out that I am doing this for more than selfish reasons. ;) I know at least of couple of our listeners/chatters use netflix, and I know at least a couple of our listeners/chatters have HDTVs, so in what I hope is a happy nirvana for several? of our participants, Netflix now has an option for HD DVDs.
They say that HD DVD will be an option in March, but will there be players for them by then?
As a commenter pondered, will this increase wait times for the DVD arrival?
I'm curious about the same thing.
Does this mean a vote against Blu-Ray?
Does this mean I don't get to watch Sony DVDs? Is this a loss? :)
3/28/2006 is the first of Warner Home Video HD DVD launches.
Universal says March, 2006.
May 2006 is about when the first Blu Ray movies are gonna come out.
And more, more, more info at Wikipedia HD-DVD.
--MissM
Please post corrections and opinions in the comments.
HD-DVD might not be ready, but Netflix is - HD Beat
UPDATE: Engadget.com reports HD-DVD movies: not coming soon.
From the accounts page under "Formats" you can configure your HD DVD options , such as if you have a HD DVD player and if you always want a HD DVD instead of DVD when available. There is now even a format column on your queue so you can see which HD DVD's are in your queue.
They say that HD DVD will be an option in March, but will there be players for them by then?
As a commenter pondered, will this increase wait times for the DVD arrival?
I'm curious about the same thing.
Does this mean a vote against Blu-Ray?
Does this mean I don't get to watch Sony DVDs? Is this a loss? :)
3/28/2006 is the first of Warner Home Video HD DVD launches.
Universal says March, 2006.
May 2006 is about when the first Blu Ray movies are gonna come out.
And more, more, more info at Wikipedia HD-DVD.
--MissM
Please post corrections and opinions in the comments.
HD-DVD might not be ready, but Netflix is - HD Beat
UPDATE: Engadget.com reports HD-DVD movies: not coming soon.
Warner Home Video -- the only studio that had set a firm date for a rollout of HD-DVD movies -- has now backed off and won't commit to a specific timetable.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Demo XGL Today With the Kororaa LiveCD!
When Microsoft said there would be no support for OpenGL in Vista, one had to wonder if cards for the Mac OS X (which uses OpenGL natively) and Linux were going to become niche items, destined to second class citizenship or premium prices, or both. This new XGL (stands for eXtended OpenGL) puts a fair amount of pressure on graphics adapter companies to get (or stay) on the GL bandwagon.
I've seen it. It's spectacular, to say the least. And it offloads more of the video from the cpu than any other scheme, meaning there will be a significant performance boost to the system, even as it delivers what may well be the richest 3D display around. XGL is definitely on a par with, or ahead of, the display used in the Mac OS X. That means there is pressure on MS to deliver an even better desktop, yet they are sticking with a scheme for graphics that demands a much higher performance graphics adapter.
Jack
I've seen it. It's spectacular, to say the least. And it offloads more of the video from the cpu than any other scheme, meaning there will be a significant performance boost to the system, even as it delivers what may well be the richest 3D display around. XGL is definitely on a par with, or ahead of, the display used in the Mac OS X. That means there is pressure on MS to deliver an even better desktop, yet they are sticking with a scheme for graphics that demands a much higher performance graphics adapter.
Jack
Watercooled XBox360 Shuttles onto mortal coil
While there are a lot of interesting things being pushed at CeBIT, this year, I really don't figure it's our job to point you to very many of them, as there are loads of sites doing nothing but that. This one has to be an exception, though.
It's a self-contained watercooling unit. It's shown fitted into a PC and an XBox 360. Not only does it have no tubing, but the article suggests it will be even smaller than shown by the time it is in it's final shape.
I've worked with unitized cooling rigs in other fields and, frankly, have long wondered why they were not an option in computers. Evidently there were some challenges posed by the size, which is about an order of magnitude smaller than anything I have worked with previously. Still, they're here and I'll bet we will be seeing a lot of them as time goes on.
Jack
It's a self-contained watercooling unit. It's shown fitted into a PC and an XBox 360. Not only does it have no tubing, but the article suggests it will be even smaller than shown by the time it is in it's final shape.
I've worked with unitized cooling rigs in other fields and, frankly, have long wondered why they were not an option in computers. Evidently there were some challenges posed by the size, which is about an order of magnitude smaller than anything I have worked with previously. Still, they're here and I'll bet we will be seeing a lot of them as time goes on.
Jack
Sunday, March 12, 2006
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-12-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-12-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Bad Astronomy Blog:NASA gone open source?
Wow, this is pretty nifty: NASA is looking into going open source for a lot of their software. Of particular interest is their World Wind software, which is a "Google Earth"-type app, and is very cool. I love things like this: a highly-skilled and well-funded group can put together an amazing engine for software, and by making it open source they can have legions of people adding their own stuff to it. Google Earth has lots of add-ons (or plugins or whatever you want to call them) which make it an extremely versatile and fun piece of software. I expect NASA can do pretty well here too!
I thought this would be of interest to several here.
--MissM
Bad Astronomy Blog : Blog Archive : NASA gone open source?
Friday, March 10, 2006
RAID: A Guide For All
RAID = Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. You've heard us talk about it on the show. To most people ihttp://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=886t's black magic, despite it being fairly easy to do (in some types of arrays) and a very good solution for safekeeping of your data.
If you want to know about RAID; what it is and how to use it, I suggest you click on the link above and follow along as this multi-part article is published. The link takes you to Part 1.
With hard drives as cheap as they are, mirroring one's primary drive is a good way to ensure that if your main drive goes kaput, you can merely rearrange them and boot from the mirror drive. It's virtually as simple as that sounds, too. You probably need to check this out if you're not already up to speed on RAID.
Jack
If you want to know about RAID; what it is and how to use it, I suggest you click on the link above and follow along as this multi-part article is published. The link takes you to Part 1.
With hard drives as cheap as they are, mirroring one's primary drive is a good way to ensure that if your main drive goes kaput, you can merely rearrange them and boot from the mirror drive. It's virtually as simple as that sounds, too. You probably need to check this out if you're not already up to speed on RAID.
Jack
Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification
Patch Tuesday is March 14. Looks like 2 security updates, one for Office (which is "Critical") and one for Windows (which is "Important"). And, the normal Malicious Software Removal Tool, which I thought was Defender now? Or is that the subscription version? Please post in comments, if you know.
--MissM
Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification
--MissM
Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification
Alienware announces Aurora ALX with quad SLI - Engadget
You thought dual SLI cards was enough? Already they've been passed by a QUAD SLI!. Alienware strikes again with bleeding edge, kewl, top of the line computers. And their cases, are just too kewl :)
I'm reminded of spending $300 on a video card, to play a $50 game. ;)
Direct Link to Build your own, which has specs and a gallery, etc., etc.
--MissM
Alienware announces Aurora ALX with quad SLI - Engadget
Fans of excessive computer performance and palpatation-causing pricetags, steel yourself for Alienware’s latest, the Aurora ALX (big time flash hog, consider this a warning), featuring quad SLI NVIDIA GeForce cards. They're claiming full 2560 x 1600 resolution gaming (that'd be native res on Apple's 30-inch Cinema Display and Dell's 3007WFP) on the dual-core AMD Athlon 64 FX-60-based box, which also features (surprise, surprise) a liquid cooling system. How much? Well, uh, it starts at $6,929, but we configured one online to just shy of $8,800 (without monitor and peripherals). So, just how much do you love gaming?
I'm reminded of spending $300 on a video card, to play a $50 game. ;)
Direct Link to Build your own, which has specs and a gallery, etc., etc.
--MissM
Alienware announces Aurora ALX with quad SLI - Engadget
RIAA Says Future DRM Might “Threaten Critical Infrastructure and Potentially Endanger Lives”
Even so, the RIAA and such want research into DRM by security analysts forbidden by the DMCA. It's pretty scary. Best have a look at this one.
Jack
Jack
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Google buys Web word-processing technology
A while back, I wrote about Writely a web-based word processing application. I said it was a good chance to try a web-based app and reasonably functional.
Lots of folks must have felt that way because the site (which is still technically in beta testing stage) has a waiting list for prospective users. Just last week, I joined a collaborative book project and we intended using Writely as repository and tool for the entire project, until we learned that the beta has a 500 kb file size limit, which simply doesn't suit our project's needs. Yes, we could have worked around that, but decided not to, in an attempt to avoid confusion.
Today it was announced that Google bought Writely. Terms of the deal were not disclosed and even the co-founder of Writely is not yet sure what it all means, according to her blog on the Writely site. Plus, Google is hiring coders to work on improving Open Office. Evidence is piling up and, frankly, no one can tell me Google is not planning some offering in this sphere. They're pouring in too many resources to have any other plan.
Jack
Lots of folks must have felt that way because the site (which is still technically in beta testing stage) has a waiting list for prospective users. Just last week, I joined a collaborative book project and we intended using Writely as repository and tool for the entire project, until we learned that the beta has a 500 kb file size limit, which simply doesn't suit our project's needs. Yes, we could have worked around that, but decided not to, in an attempt to avoid confusion.
Today it was announced that Google bought Writely. Terms of the deal were not disclosed and even the co-founder of Writely is not yet sure what it all means, according to her blog on the Writely site. Plus, Google is hiring coders to work on improving Open Office. Evidence is piling up and, frankly, no one can tell me Google is not planning some offering in this sphere. They're pouring in too many resources to have any other plan.
Jack
Extend Your Windows Clipboard
The link is to a TechNewsWorld.com review of ClipMate, a fairly pricey, but very nice clipboard extender for Windows XP.
I have applications for just that purpose I use in Linux. It is amazing how much having a small selection of items in the clipboard can speed some work. Those are fairly simple and usually hold 10 items or so. That's all I need. Real power users might want something like ClipMate, but there are also myriad alternatives at places like SnapFiles.com and NoNags.com that provide various levels of services. In Windows, I seem to drift between one app and the next, never really settling on any one for the long term.
I'd recommend you read the review to get an idea of what is available and, should you decide ClipMate is more power than you need, go find another application at no cost.
Jack
I have applications for just that purpose I use in Linux. It is amazing how much having a small selection of items in the clipboard can speed some work. Those are fairly simple and usually hold 10 items or so. That's all I need. Real power users might want something like ClipMate, but there are also myriad alternatives at places like SnapFiles.com and NoNags.com that provide various levels of services. In Windows, I seem to drift between one app and the next, never really settling on any one for the long term.
I'd recommend you read the review to get an idea of what is available and, should you decide ClipMate is more power than you need, go find another application at no cost.
Jack
The Battle of the Duelling Toolbars?
It's about Microsoft's new search abilities at their "Live" site. The author has obviously not become immune to hype yet, and depicts the whole thing as a battle between MS and Google. While it is that, right now it's more about delivering a decently comprehensive search result from the new site.
The FireFox support is not quite there yet so don't bother trying it, but I actually did do some searches using IE 6 and found it to be okay. Perhaps a bit slower than Google, but as I was searching for two really obscure Linux files (that I have not been able to find using Google) that may be forgiven.
Yes, I found my files and got what I consider to be fairly good results on several other searches, as well.
Jack
The FireFox support is not quite there yet so don't bother trying it, but I actually did do some searches using IE 6 and found it to be okay. Perhaps a bit slower than Google, but as I was searching for two really obscure Linux files (that I have not been able to find using Google) that may be forgiven.
Yes, I found my files and got what I consider to be fairly good results on several other searches, as well.
Jack
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
How-To: Make a surface mount soldering iron - Engadget
In MAKEzine spirit, Engadget has spec'd out a do it yourself SMT soldering iron, for under $20 they make a simple reflow tool. I admit I thought of Jack first.
No telling what this tool will motivate him to do.
--MissM
How-To: Make a surface mount soldering iron - Engadget
No telling what this tool will motivate him to do.
--MissM
How-To: Make a surface mount soldering iron - Engadget
IBM will not use Windows Vista - but will move to Linux desktops
Several years ago, IBM said they would quit using Windows in their daily business. They waffled for a while, then admitted it wasn't going to happen any time soon.
Well, the time has finally come. IBM has decided to bite the conversion bullet.
Make no mistake about it; there are high costs to be paid in converting from Windows desktops to Linux and GNU software or any other scheme. And IBM doesn't get off any easier because they are a heavily biased Linux user and seller. Still, once those costs are paid, the savings will take over and reflect the wisdom of your choice forever after.
In my experience, when compared to XP Pro, Linux does not offer all that much of a performance benefit, nor a reliability benefit. That, of course, is ignoring the costs of virii, worms, etc. that plague Windows. Eventually, I'm sure Linux will have some of the same problems in this area, but for now it does not and I specualte it's more secure design may well keep it from being the stationary malware target Windows has been for many years now.
In servers, Linux often delivers a reduction in the amount of active administration needed per machine. I doubt that will carry over to the desktop realm. Users are users and some of them can screw up an anvil. Nothing is proof against these people.
Every Linux booster I know is heralding this move by IBM as the death of Windows on the corporate desktop. Nothing could be further from the truth. But it is a step in the right direction and will bring desktop Linux closer to the fore than it has been.
Jack
Well, the time has finally come. IBM has decided to bite the conversion bullet.
Make no mistake about it; there are high costs to be paid in converting from Windows desktops to Linux and GNU software or any other scheme. And IBM doesn't get off any easier because they are a heavily biased Linux user and seller. Still, once those costs are paid, the savings will take over and reflect the wisdom of your choice forever after.
In my experience, when compared to XP Pro, Linux does not offer all that much of a performance benefit, nor a reliability benefit. That, of course, is ignoring the costs of virii, worms, etc. that plague Windows. Eventually, I'm sure Linux will have some of the same problems in this area, but for now it does not and I specualte it's more secure design may well keep it from being the stationary malware target Windows has been for many years now.
In servers, Linux often delivers a reduction in the amount of active administration needed per machine. I doubt that will carry over to the desktop realm. Users are users and some of them can screw up an anvil. Nothing is proof against these people.
Every Linux booster I know is heralding this move by IBM as the death of Windows on the corporate desktop. Nothing could be further from the truth. But it is a step in the right direction and will bring desktop Linux closer to the fore than it has been.
Jack
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Mac OS X patch faces scrutiny
While not the tempest in a teapot Apple seems to think this is, neither is it something that can be ignored. Mac users need to know about this, for sure. And it just might be that everyone should read this and learn a little bit about security.
Jack
Jack
Scientist: Complexity causes 50% of product returns
How many VCR's still don't have the clock set?
The offensive rests!
Jack
The offensive rests!
Jack
Monday, March 06, 2006
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-05-06
This is a repost of the On Computers Radio Show Podcast for 03-05-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-05-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-05-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Perils of Personal Pages, outlined by SANS.
Wow, this is something that grabbed my attention, and since I mentioned live.com which "qualifies" though its not mentioned specifically. As always Caveat Emptor, even if you haven't "bought" anything.
--MissM
SANS - Internet Storm Center - Cooperative Cyber Threat Monitor And Alert System
--MissM
SANS - Internet Storm Center - Cooperative Cyber Threat Monitor And Alert System
Official Google Blog: Robots and writers and Googlers, oh my!
Google has been videotaping the presentations that have been offered for their employees, and now they are available at google video.
the post closes: "Of course, you can access them all on your own schedule. And if you want to see them in person, feel free to check out our recruiting video."
--MissM
I know that this is a broadband brat post, but I think that most of our readers have broadband. And might enjoy it. :)
Official Google Blog: Robots and writers and Googlers, oh my!
Now, with Google Video, we finally have the opportunity to share many of these "from the Googleplex" presentations with the world. They include our Authors@Google talks (don't miss "How to survive a robot uprising" author Daniel Wilson) and the regular engEDU tech talks. Grab coffee and get comfy for this one on "Scalable Learning and Inference in Hierarchical Models of the Neocortex," for example.
the post closes: "Of course, you can access them all on your own schedule. And if you want to see them in person, feel free to check out our recruiting video."
--MissM
I know that this is a broadband brat post, but I think that most of our readers have broadband. And might enjoy it. :)
Official Google Blog: Robots and writers and Googlers, oh my!
Settlement ends Blackberry case
From the BBC:
The maker of the Blackberry e-mail device has reached a $612.5m (£349m) settlement to end a dispute that could have closed the service in the US.
The maker of the Blackberry e-mail device has reached a $612.5m (£349m) settlement to end a dispute that could have closed the service in the US.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Why Everyone Hates The Music Industry
The link above will take you to an opinion piece at TechWeb.com's site by Fredric Paul.
Remember when CDs were just coming in? The music companies told us that once the format was established and manufacturing costs came down, prices would fall and artists would receive an increased percentage of revenues. Really, they did! And in front of Congressional committees, if I recall correctly. Did any of that happen? Nope! Not a bit of it. Their promises were conveniently forgotten, though the conditions forecast to lower costs came true in spades.
Our listeners probably already know everything that is in this article. But there are a lot of folks who simply don't get what the fuss is all about. If you know one or more of them, send them this link and explain that what we are seeing from the music and other content companies is simply a refusal to accept reality and get on with business in a different way.
Jack
Remember when CDs were just coming in? The music companies told us that once the format was established and manufacturing costs came down, prices would fall and artists would receive an increased percentage of revenues. Really, they did! And in front of Congressional committees, if I recall correctly. Did any of that happen? Nope! Not a bit of it. Their promises were conveniently forgotten, though the conditions forecast to lower costs came true in spades.
Our listeners probably already know everything that is in this article. But there are a lot of folks who simply don't get what the fuss is all about. If you know one or more of them, send them this link and explain that what we are seeing from the music and other content companies is simply a refusal to accept reality and get on with business in a different way.
Jack
Recent Apple Security Issues Put in Perspective
Yes, Apple does indeed have security issues. However, it appears even my low-key assessment of them was overstating the case(s).
The link above will take you to an article at MIT's "Technology Review" web site. It's fairly easy read and I think it's the best depiction of the reality of Apple's security status I have seen. Even if you're not a Mac user, it wouldn't hurt to read this and see something of the differences between the Mac OS X and whatever you are using.
Jack
The link above will take you to an article at MIT's "Technology Review" web site. It's fairly easy read and I think it's the best depiction of the reality of Apple's security status I have seen. Even if you're not a Mac user, it wouldn't hurt to read this and see something of the differences between the Mac OS X and whatever you are using.
Jack
Friday, March 03, 2006
TWiT.tv this week with Gina Smith!
For the long time listeners of On Computers, I thought I'd let you know that the next TWiT is at the Apple Store in San Francisco. Live!! March 3, 2006!! Check out the url in the title or at the bottom of this post for the time, and rest of the info. For those of you who've wondered what Gina's up to these days, might wanna check it out. The audio is usually up a few days before the video, if you can't make it. Other guests: "include Screen Savers Patrick Norton and Kevin Rose, Molly Wood of CNET's Buzz Report, former ABC tech reporter, Gina Smith, and Apple founder, Steve Wozniak. Special guest: Merlin Mann of 43folders."
Sounds to me like a little bit of everything for listeners of OnComputers.
--MissM
TWiT.tv
Sounds to me like a little bit of everything for listeners of OnComputers.
--MissM
TWiT.tv
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Mystery surrounds PC-to-mobile virus
This is not much of a story about malware for PC to mobile device transmission. The reason is that one of the players is not sharing the code of the virus so other firms can analyze it and guard against it.
Kinda makes me wonder what MARA is about and I'm sure it will have the same effect on you. Certainly this has the smell of hype all about it and we won't know the truth until MARA comes clean, if ever that happens.
This is one to watch.
Jack
Kinda makes me wonder what MARA is about and I'm sure it will have the same effect on you. Certainly this has the smell of hype all about it and we won't know the truth until MARA comes clean, if ever that happens.
This is one to watch.
Jack
Apple Plugs Mac OS X Worm Hole
It's just a quick story detailing what was patched and why. If you're a Mac user, you need to check out their updates pages. For the rest of us it is just a passing curiosity.
As I've said before; I don't think Apple is particularly forthcoming in matters of security. In fact; I'd rate them lower than Microsoft in this area. There is no doubt, though, that they can and often do respond quickly to a threat.
The Mac OS X is indeed coming under greater scrutiny from a security standpoint. That's good, as it will lead to holes being plugged before they become real problems. But it's also bad because malicious types can use security research as a jumping off point in finding vulnerabilities, and they will, too.
I do think the time is come for Mac users to run an anti-virus. Don't run out and spend all your dough on one. Try ClamAV, which is free and open source. For right now, that is all you need and as ClamAV is improving so rapidly, it may well be all you'll ever need.
You can find out more about ClamAV for the Mac at this url.
Jack
As I've said before; I don't think Apple is particularly forthcoming in matters of security. In fact; I'd rate them lower than Microsoft in this area. There is no doubt, though, that they can and often do respond quickly to a threat.
The Mac OS X is indeed coming under greater scrutiny from a security standpoint. That's good, as it will lead to holes being plugged before they become real problems. But it's also bad because malicious types can use security research as a jumping off point in finding vulnerabilities, and they will, too.
I do think the time is come for Mac users to run an anti-virus. Don't run out and spend all your dough on one. Try ClamAV, which is free and open source. For right now, that is all you need and as ClamAV is improving so rapidly, it may well be all you'll ever need.
You can find out more about ClamAV for the Mac at this url.
Jack
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Internet Explorer tweak made public
Can you say "SPIN"?
What this really is is a redo of how IE executes ActiveX controls to avoid infringing upon patents held by Eolas and the University of California. It's a court-ordered fix and there is no "tweak" to it, except maybe in a legal sense.
It's there if you want it. So far, no one is forcing you to take it and, frankly, I won't apply it unless I have to. I have ActiveX turned off in IE, except when I visit Windows Update, for security reasons.
Jack
What this really is is a redo of how IE executes ActiveX controls to avoid infringing upon patents held by Eolas and the University of California. It's a court-ordered fix and there is no "tweak" to it, except maybe in a legal sense.
It's there if you want it. So far, no one is forcing you to take it and, frankly, I won't apply it unless I have to. I have ActiveX turned off in IE, except when I visit Windows Update, for security reasons.
Jack
China creates own Internet domains
News of this is everywhere. The link above points to a ZDNet UK article, which I felt was one of the more balanced.
It seems China is tired of having to use English characters to access the web and so has created domains accessable by using Chinese characters.
There are a lot of nations whose people feel the same way. They want to access the net using their own language and characters. There is more to the argument than that, to be sure, but that appears to be the crux of it. In addition, nations such as China resent the control the US government has over ICANN, and ultimately over the net itself.
Much remains to be seen about China's action. This is definitely a story to watch, though.
Jack
It seems China is tired of having to use English characters to access the web and so has created domains accessable by using Chinese characters.
There are a lot of nations whose people feel the same way. They want to access the net using their own language and characters. There is more to the argument than that, to be sure, but that appears to be the crux of it. In addition, nations such as China resent the control the US government has over ICANN, and ultimately over the net itself.
Much remains to be seen about China's action. This is definitely a story to watch, though.
Jack
New RedBrowser Trojan first to target J2ME
For the last 9 months, or thereabouts, we have been bombarded with news that mobile devices will be malware targets. The prediction came true.
The Red Browser sends text messages from your mobile device to premium-rate phone numbers. The article says it is relatively easy to deal with and should be regarded as a proof of concept program. The infection route is different than any predecessors I am aware of because it targets J2ME, Sun Microsystem's mobile Java implementation.
It's sure bet there is more of this "stuff" to come.
Jack
The Red Browser sends text messages from your mobile device to premium-rate phone numbers. The article says it is relatively easy to deal with and should be regarded as a proof of concept program. The infection route is different than any predecessors I am aware of because it targets J2ME, Sun Microsystem's mobile Java implementation.
It's sure bet there is more of this "stuff" to come.
Jack
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
My New Home Page
PreScript: The link in the title and at the bottom (for you RSS visitors) may not work without a Passport account (which can be any hotmail account as far as I know), but the Maps do still work without logging in, or did today.
Finally! Something that's worth signing in with my Passport from Microsoft, except Security Updates. OK, that makes two. I can't tell you how irritated I was that you needed a passport account to get the security updates. But, I thought it was a necessary evil. Anyway, back to the good stuff. I am hooked on Windows Live, you can put RSS feeds in (hint, hint) you can drag items around, its very similar to the Google personalized homepage, with one important difference. The pictures on the feeds rotate, which is very kewl, and a feature that really draws my eye. I have weather, movies, and of course the On Computers Blog. You need a passport account to get there now, I believe, when it was early beta, anybody could use it, but I had trouble before getting an invite to the beta hotmail [(yes 2GB of storage, no extra invites, but I notice that I have 0, which leads me to believe, at some point, I'll get some)] signing up, then progressing from there.
One other favorite part of Live.com is Maps! The aerial view resolution seems a lot better than google's currently. They have very high resolution pictures of many places, one of which is Las Vegas, they call em bird's eye views, its on the left side column (Its a javascript link, or I'd paste it) At least, the places I'm looking for geocaches. :) To get an overview of all of the Live Beta ideas, check this out. I know there are similarities to what Google is doing, (although to be honest, "Who's on first?" is unknown for me, its so dynamic. I think the competition is good for the Microsoft, Google, and us! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, no?
Which leads me to the picture below. I captured my screen with Einstein beside OnComputers. It didn't occur to me when I did it, but since we only have one picture, Einstein shows up with the OnComputers Feed. ;)
Hmmm, posting this picture is gonna make it show up too, But Einstein Listens is the last post that shows, so I bet that "big einstein" moves off the page :( and this one shows up.
I guess my point was made ;)
--MissM
Windows Live
update: According to TechCrunch : Killer New Live.com Service: Street-Side, Live Expo has gone, well, live. ;)
Mike Arrington continues:
Searches can be made by address or business name, and you can “drive” around the city using the arrow keys. See the screen shot below for a visual.
See Robert Scoble’s Channel 9 Video for his interview with the team.
The service will initially target San Francisco and Seattle only due to the massive number of images needed to support make it work (rumors are 10 million + images per city).
Encyclopodia - the encyclopedia on your iPod
Courtesy of Cory Doctorow at BoingBoing, a way to install Wikipedia on your ipod.
Its free software, there's installation instructions for Windows or Linux & Mac.
Since the Wikipedia is everchanging, I wonder if that would just add to the list of "chores" necessary on a regular basis, with computers. How large a file is that? I was thinking of how frequent the updates would be, if they were "podcast" or updated automagically with RSS, maybe by subject? To minimize the size and maximize the "freshness".
One way to "freeze" wikipedia for whatever reason. Lots of potential, here.
--MissM
OT: Leo Laporte's podcasts from KFI are delayed by a week, at best, couple weeks, at worst. I sometimes feel that tech news is dated, but Leo proved me wrong. ;)
I was listening to his Jan. 28th podcast today, and I learned something new! Apparently Mandrake has been reborn under the name of Mandriva, that maybe old news for those fans of Mandrake, but just in case, I thought I'd pass it on. :)
Encyclopodia - the encyclopedia on your iPod
Its free software, there's installation instructions for Windows or Linux & Mac.
Since the Wikipedia is everchanging, I wonder if that would just add to the list of "chores" necessary on a regular basis, with computers. How large a file is that? I was thinking of how frequent the updates would be, if they were "podcast" or updated automagically with RSS, maybe by subject? To minimize the size and maximize the "freshness".
One way to "freeze" wikipedia for whatever reason. Lots of potential, here.
--MissM
OT: Leo Laporte's podcasts from KFI are delayed by a week, at best, couple weeks, at worst. I sometimes feel that tech news is dated, but Leo proved me wrong. ;)
I was listening to his Jan. 28th podcast today, and I learned something new! Apparently Mandrake has been reborn under the name of Mandriva, that maybe old news for those fans of Mandrake, but just in case, I thought I'd pass it on. :)
Encyclopodia - the encyclopedia on your iPod
Corsair XMS vs. Value Select Memory (RAM)
Here's a recent article that is much very in line with what we discussed on Sunday's show about selecting RAM.
It is also right in line my own experience with brand name, but the value lines of RAM. If you are not overclocking it is a great way to go.
It is also right in line my own experience with brand name, but the value lines of RAM. If you are not overclocking it is a great way to go.
It's the Power Supply !!
While we were talking about building your own computer, this last Sunday, we were trying to convey (among other things) that you are building a system, which is more than an assemblage of components.
Here's a cautionary tale from The Inquirer where the very type of power supply (single rail versus dual or multiple rail) makes a huge difference to the quality of performance of other components.
Jack
Here's a cautionary tale from The Inquirer where the very type of power supply (single rail versus dual or multiple rail) makes a huge difference to the quality of performance of other components.
Jack
Monday, February 27, 2006
Microsoft unveils Vista editions
Okay, now we finally know. The magic number is 6.
Now color me skeptical, but I think this has much more to do with maximizing profit than with user experience.
Microsoft said the six versions were designed to match the demands different users have for its software. No details have been given about the pricing of the separate versions.
Now color me skeptical, but I think this has much more to do with maximizing profit than with user experience.
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 02-26-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 02-26-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
JBoss is not Linux
There are an awful lot of people who don't understand how one can make money using open source products. It's usually just said the predominant business model is "services" and let it go at that. For those of you who don't know and who want to know, here is a one page, relatively dense, description of JBoss, a company who made enough of a success servicing their open source Java application server to become a desireable target for purchase by larger firms.
This really is worth a read. It's an opinion piece, to be sure, but packed with facts and opinion is clearly delineated from fact.
Jack
This really is worth a read. It's an opinion piece, to be sure, but packed with facts and opinion is clearly delineated from fact.
Jack
Explorer vulnerability posts copy text to web
IE users need to pay heed to this. Luckily, the fix is very easy. Anyone can manage it in a minute or two.
Jack
Jack
Friday, February 24, 2006
Browser News
The above link is to eWeek's notice that the SeaMonkey browser suite has been released in version 1.0. It contains a nice, concise summary of what SeaMonkey is and offers.
Here is eWeek's summary of the Maxthon browser, which is an IE derivative with some special features and which might be worth a look by those wedded to IE.
Jack
Here is eWeek's summary of the Maxthon browser, which is an IE derivative with some special features and which might be worth a look by those wedded to IE.
Jack
Thursday, February 23, 2006
A Solid That's Light As Air
This is the coolest stuff!! I had first read about aerogel at BadAstonomyBlog, when the Stardust mission landed, January 15th.
From Wired:
The Bad Astronomer (Phil Plait) also remarked on how light it is.
He called it solid smoke. :)
Extremely kewl stuff.
--MissM
Wired News: A Solid That's Light As Air
From Wired:
Holding a piece of aerogel is an uncanny experience. It's so light it feels nearly weightless, like a chunk of solidified fog or smoke. It feels a bit like Styrofoam, and it squeaks when you rub your finger on it. It's strong enough to support many times its own weight if the load is distributed evenly. But bend it or squeeze it too hard, as one Wired News editor discovered, and a chunk of aerogel will shatter into tiny fragments.
The Bad Astronomer (Phil Plait) also remarked on how light it is.
At 3 milligrams/cc, aerogel is pretty thin stuff; water is over 300 times denser. A cubic meter of aerogel would only weigh 3 kilograms, less than, for example, my cat. A cubic meter of water weighs a ton, by the way.
He called it solid smoke. :)
Extremely kewl stuff.
--MissM
Wired News: A Solid That's Light As Air
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Alex Barnett blog : OPML sampling
One of the nice things about sharing our OPML is the ability to sample feeds you've not tried before, but this can be hard work.
Example: Pete Cashmore and Chris Anderson (editor of Wired) have made their RSS feed subscriptions available for others to import / surf and sample. The idea is that there are some feeds I like to look of and then subscribe to these myself. In Chris' case, this is 150 separate feeds he's tracking. So for me to sample these properly it would take me at least an hour to go through each feed, find any relevant posts (to me) and then subscribe. You'd have to sample 450 of mine if you wanted to be thorough. 1,500 if Robert Scoble's. That's hard manual labour.
I find RSS fascinating, as a subset of this I have tried the OPML editor
The learning curve has been steep for me, but I'm more of a hardware geek,
not a software geek. Posting wasn't a problem for me, it was more formatting
of a "blogroll" or crude River of news, didn't work. There have been several
improvements lately that I've not had a chance to try, but look forward to
getting on the River of News bandwagon.
What is a River of news? Dave Winer explains it:
Sure sign that Rex uses a poorly designed RSS aggregator. It shouldn't make you feel guilty. You should have easy access to news, and stuff you missed while you were away is nothing more than stuff you missed. Let the news flow by you and relax like someone sitting on the bank of a river [Firefox attempts a connection, but one is not allowed here, not sure what's up, but in case you can get there, I definately wanted to post it.] looking for something interesting as you while away the time. That's how news works, and RSS is, emphatically, for news.My first project with the OPML editor was importing my RSS feed. Sage's
export function messes with the OPML file, in a way that makes it unimportable.
I worked around that (not sure how, its been many months), then I was dragging the
feeds to different categories. I then tried to put that in my blogroll, but it didn't
work. I see more and more adoption, which leads me to believe that it is easier, or
that perhaps there is somebody who would want to use this tool, or does and has tips
and tricks?? I look forward to the time I have more opportunity to "play" with it. :)
--MissM
Another OPML guru (if I may) is Amyloo. She has an OPML blog, that is a lab to
experiment, and I enjoy observing her experiments. :)
Alex Barnett blog : OPML sampling
Intel Viiv is stupid and broken ?????
The link is to a Charlie Demerjian rant at The Inquirer. Rant is the right word, too.
It seems you are not going to be able to build an Intel "ViiV" platform on your own, though there are a huge number of components that say they are compatible and apparently a lot of folks are buying them with the expectation of building a machine to the "ViiV" specs. The reality is that to be ViiV compatible, you're going to have to buy an OEM machine. If you build, you will at best be in violation of the MS EULA and at worst won't be able to get the desired functionality.
More to come on this, I'm sure.
Jack
It seems you are not going to be able to build an Intel "ViiV" platform on your own, though there are a huge number of components that say they are compatible and apparently a lot of folks are buying them with the expectation of building a machine to the "ViiV" specs. The reality is that to be ViiV compatible, you're going to have to buy an OEM machine. If you build, you will at best be in violation of the MS EULA and at worst won't be able to get the desired functionality.
More to come on this, I'm sure.
Jack
More on Apple Security
I refused to use the title TechNewsWorld had on this, which was "Apple Security Woes Deepen". That's not true. Someone wrote that to grab attention, not to transmit information.
There is simply another security concern regarding Apple's Mac OS X. The world is not falling in. Secunia has found some things in the OS and it's Safari browser that need attention, as they can be used to run malicious code. That's all.
Apple is drawing the attention of the crooks and the malware authors they employ to a much larger degree than before. Apparently, a small portion of their vaunted permission structure can be warped to no good. Linux and the other *nixes have had the same sort of thing in the past and no doubt will have them again. It's serious enough to warrant Apple getting after it quickly and I have no doubt they will. So rather than being alarmed, read this one for your own information. There is a larger picture shaping up, here, and all will become clearer as time goes on.
Jack
There is simply another security concern regarding Apple's Mac OS X. The world is not falling in. Secunia has found some things in the OS and it's Safari browser that need attention, as they can be used to run malicious code. That's all.
Apple is drawing the attention of the crooks and the malware authors they employ to a much larger degree than before. Apparently, a small portion of their vaunted permission structure can be warped to no good. Linux and the other *nixes have had the same sort of thing in the past and no doubt will have them again. It's serious enough to warrant Apple getting after it quickly and I have no doubt they will. So rather than being alarmed, read this one for your own information. There is a larger picture shaping up, here, and all will become clearer as time goes on.
Jack
On Computers Server Downtime - Advanced Notice
I have been notified that our hosting center will be shutting down our server on Sunday, March 19, 2006 from Midnight CST to 6:00AM CST to perform some power upgrades.
Please be aware that during this time all services that are housed on this server will be unavailable during this time. This includes the chat server, the newsgroups, On Computers Show Archives, email, and web pages that are hosted on this server.
If anyone has any questions, please feel free to email me.
Aaron
Please be aware that during this time all services that are housed on this server will be unavailable during this time. This includes the chat server, the newsgroups, On Computers Show Archives, email, and web pages that are hosted on this server.
If anyone has any questions, please feel free to email me.
Aaron
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Microsoft gives glimpse of eight Vistas | News.blog
Eight plus 2 "N" versions without Media Player for the EU. So that actually makes ten. Perhaps they are aiming for a slot on David Letterman's Top 10 list -- all 10 slots that is.
MS says this is still "not definitive". But I say it is still confusing. Stay tuned for more -- versions that is.
MS says this is still "not definitive". But I say it is still confusing. Stay tuned for more -- versions that is.
The USB 2.0 power bug is back. (And it’s bigger than before.)
Jack talked about this on Sunday's show. This article gives some additional background.
The bug will ultimately have a fix, which Microsoft now says it is preparing.
That’s the good news. However, the bad news is that it appears to be a fairly widespread issue and, for some, unavoidable.
The issue comes down to the way Windows XP Service Pack 2-equipped notebook PCs react to the presence of USB 2.0 devices. With a one of the devices attached, the machines basically burn more power and thus, when switched to battery power, don’t run for the same length of time on a battery charge.
The cause is rooted in the intricate way in which USB 2.0 devices interact with ACPI, the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface power management software included with Microsoft’s Windows XP Service Pack 2, hardware testers who discovered the issue report.
What Will Apple Do When the Malware Comes?
The link above is to a Larry Seltzer opinion piece at eWeek.com.
In it, he speculates that the Apple user community and indeed the company itself are ill-prepared to face an onslaught of malware, should one arise. The two pieces of malware discovered last week could be a passing hit and miss attack or the harbinger of things to come.
While it is true that the Mac OS X, along with Linux and all the other *nixes are much less prone to allow malicious software installations, it can happen and, as Seltzer notes, the Mac user community is ill-prepared to deal with it. Because the Mac user community feels so well protected, they may well be more easily "socially engineered" into running malicious code. I have a feeling that that speculation is about to be tested, as more and more malware appears for Macs (and other alternative operating systems).
Apple has traditionally not been very forthcoming on security issues and if they decide to maintain that silence, it is quite possible their users could be hung out to dry. Somehow, I don't think that will happen, but it is a possibility. I think that in the face of any real threat (meaning it has to be a lot worse than the two little examples of last week) Apple will step right up and inform their users so they can protect themselves.
There is anti-virus protection available for Macs (and the *nixes). I insist every machine on our network be equipped with it, regardless of operating system, if only to prevent infecting the Windows machines. (It just wouldn't look good if a client machine comes away from here infected with anything other than an inflated bill.)
All this is worth thinking about now, before the "stuff" hits the fan. I'll be getting a Mac soon, and running the Mac OS X on it (instead of Linux). I'll let you know how the anti-virus protection offerings from both proprietary outlets and ClamAV work on it.
Jack
In it, he speculates that the Apple user community and indeed the company itself are ill-prepared to face an onslaught of malware, should one arise. The two pieces of malware discovered last week could be a passing hit and miss attack or the harbinger of things to come.
While it is true that the Mac OS X, along with Linux and all the other *nixes are much less prone to allow malicious software installations, it can happen and, as Seltzer notes, the Mac user community is ill-prepared to deal with it. Because the Mac user community feels so well protected, they may well be more easily "socially engineered" into running malicious code. I have a feeling that that speculation is about to be tested, as more and more malware appears for Macs (and other alternative operating systems).
Apple has traditionally not been very forthcoming on security issues and if they decide to maintain that silence, it is quite possible their users could be hung out to dry. Somehow, I don't think that will happen, but it is a possibility. I think that in the face of any real threat (meaning it has to be a lot worse than the two little examples of last week) Apple will step right up and inform their users so they can protect themselves.
There is anti-virus protection available for Macs (and the *nixes). I insist every machine on our network be equipped with it, regardless of operating system, if only to prevent infecting the Windows machines. (It just wouldn't look good if a client machine comes away from here infected with anything other than an inflated bill.)
All this is worth thinking about now, before the "stuff" hits the fan. I'll be getting a Mac soon, and running the Mac OS X on it (instead of Linux). I'll let you know how the anti-virus protection offerings from both proprietary outlets and ClamAV work on it.
Jack
Monday, February 20, 2006
Why did SCO depose Intel?
Jack talked about this on the show yesterday. We hadn't talked about SCO for a very long time, but it is getting interesting again.
The short story for those not reading along with PJ, Darl and the gang is this, SCO faced a discovery cutoff in late January, and by all accounts had little or no evidence as the curtains were being drawn. It was desperate for an extension to keep on fishing, or as some suggest, to keep the FUD cloud hanging over Linux. Either way, SCO wanted more time.
Touch Rubik's Cube
The Touch Rubik's Cube puts a new twist on the classic puzzle game. It uses six different materials: metal, wood, textile, stone, rubber, and plastic, engaging users to use their senses.
This is too kewl, and I couldn't help but think of Riley. Bet he has missed playing w/a rubik's cube :)
--MissM
read more | digg story
This is too kewl, and I couldn't help but think of Riley. Bet he has missed playing w/a rubik's cube :)
--MissM
read more | digg story
Linux worm targets PHP flaw
Not much to this one. It's about like the recent Mac malware discoveries.
Back in the days of Red Hat 5.2 (my first Linux distro) Deepak and I would debate out loud how long it would take malware writers to target Linux and the Mac OS X. The general consensus was that it would not be too long. I believe it is starting to happen, years after we thought it would.
When there gets to be a considerable amount of malware for the alternative operating systems, we'll all get to make more of a "head-to-head" comparison of the security of those versus Windows. I wonder how that will come out? There's no telling, right now, though I will note we are a long ways from having a community of script kiddies salivating over the prospect of their own personal piece of badness infecting machines, as Windows has had for years, now.
Stay tuned.
Jack
Back in the days of Red Hat 5.2 (my first Linux distro) Deepak and I would debate out loud how long it would take malware writers to target Linux and the Mac OS X. The general consensus was that it would not be too long. I believe it is starting to happen, years after we thought it would.
When there gets to be a considerable amount of malware for the alternative operating systems, we'll all get to make more of a "head-to-head" comparison of the security of those versus Windows. I wonder how that will come out? There's no telling, right now, though I will note we are a long ways from having a community of script kiddies salivating over the prospect of their own personal piece of badness infecting machines, as Windows has had for years, now.
Stay tuned.
Jack
Microsoft Is Upset Over Bounties Paid for Finding Flaws in Their Products
The link above is to a short article at The Inquirer.
It seems iDefense, a security firm, pays bounties to finders of major or "critical" flaws in lots of software, but the publicity is of course focused on Microsoft's offerings. You can net a neat $10k (USD) for one that gets a "critical" rating from Redmond. As a matter of fact; that figure was just raised in something of a price war for flaw finders.
I like the idea. So many times researchers who help keep us safe go unrewarded because they are not "professionals" and they deserve some reward. Ten grand seems a bit steep, but who am I to set the prices, right?
You can read more about it here, here, here, and here.
Jack
It seems iDefense, a security firm, pays bounties to finders of major or "critical" flaws in lots of software, but the publicity is of course focused on Microsoft's offerings. You can net a neat $10k (USD) for one that gets a "critical" rating from Redmond. As a matter of fact; that figure was just raised in something of a price war for flaw finders.
I like the idea. So many times researchers who help keep us safe go unrewarded because they are not "professionals" and they deserve some reward. Ten grand seems a bit steep, but who am I to set the prices, right?
You can read more about it here, here, here, and here.
Jack
Dvorak in a straight jacket ;)
Courtesy of TwiT:
I love Leo crying lol
--MissM
OT: I couldn't post the picture via the blogger button on my google toolbar, didn't that used to be there?
789.gif (GIF Image, 636x624 pixels)
Don't Forget About Opera
I'm just a bit disenchanted with FireFox, this week. It's a bit slow and jerky in it's latest incarnation. Not terribly noticeably in Windows, but very much so on the several Linux distributions I have running here.
Don't get me wrong, here. I'm not dumping FireFox, but I have been paying attention to and using Opera 8.5 on Windows lately and I'm very happy with it. Yeah, it doesn't have all the nifty extensions and the layout is ever so slightly counter-intuitive. But on Windows, it's a fine browser, since they quit putting ads up in the corner.
Opera on Linux is a bit problematic, depending very much on distribution used and tweaking skills of the user. Not my cup of tea, though I do keep trying it there. Linux has plenty of alternative browsers, so avoiding Opera there is easy.
But right now, for the kind of wholesale surfing I do when perusing all those news sites, Opera is my champion. FireFox will probably get right again with the next version, but for now, I'm avoiding the aggravation; minor as it may be.
Jack
Don't get me wrong, here. I'm not dumping FireFox, but I have been paying attention to and using Opera 8.5 on Windows lately and I'm very happy with it. Yeah, it doesn't have all the nifty extensions and the layout is ever so slightly counter-intuitive. But on Windows, it's a fine browser, since they quit putting ads up in the corner.
Opera on Linux is a bit problematic, depending very much on distribution used and tweaking skills of the user. Not my cup of tea, though I do keep trying it there. Linux has plenty of alternative browsers, so avoiding Opera there is easy.
But right now, for the kind of wholesale surfing I do when perusing all those news sites, Opera is my champion. FireFox will probably get right again with the next version, but for now, I'm avoiding the aggravation; minor as it may be.
Jack
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 02-19-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 02-19-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
The Ig® Nobel Prizes
Just for fun, I post the Ig® Nobel Prizes. Not new news, but there is another ceremony this October.
Improbable Research
Also: Podcast promo's potentially posted (I had to stop, I couldn't think of anymore "p" words lol).
In no particular order (nor any guarantee the promo was played):
The SG Show
Ask Leo
ChuckChat
Podcacher
Skepticality
Mike Tech Show
PodcasterNews
--MissM
Ig® Nobel Prizes
The Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think. The prizes are intended to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative -- and spur people's interest in science, medicine, and technology.
Improbable Research
Also: Podcast promo's potentially posted (I had to stop, I couldn't think of anymore "p" words lol).
In no particular order (nor any guarantee the promo was played):
The SG Show
Ask Leo
ChuckChat
Podcacher
Skepticality
Mike Tech Show
PodcasterNews
--MissM
Ig® Nobel Prizes
Saturday, February 18, 2006
2nd Mac virus that spreads over bluetooth.
Today we got a sample of rather interesting case, a Mac OS X Bluetooth worm that spreads over Bluetooth.
OSX/Inqtana.A is a proof of concept worm for Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger). It tries to spread from one infected system to others by using Bluetooth OBEX Push vulnerability CAN-2005-1333.
If you are using OS X 10.4 make sure that you have latest security patches installed and you are safe from Inqtana.A and any future worm that tries to use same exploit.
Inqtana.A has not been met in the wild and it uses Bluetooth library that is locked into specific Bluetooth address and the library expires on 24. February 2006. So it is quite unlikely that Inqtana.A would be any kind of threat.
F-Secure : 2nd Mac virus
--MissM
Google rips Justice Department in court papers
Right after I posted this, I ran across this USA Today article, and applaud Google. :)
--MissM
USATODAY.com - Google rips Justice Department in court papers
Update: The Official Google Response to the DoJ motion
It includes a link to the 25 page pdf response from Google.
Google rips Justice Department in court papers
By Michael Liedtke, The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — Google criticized the Bush administration's demand to examine millions of its users' Internet search requests as a misguided fishing expedition that threatens to ruin the company's credibility and reveal its closely guarded secrets.
The Mountain View, Calif.-based company delivered its indignant critique Friday in a 25-page brief that marked its initial legal response to the U.S. Justice Department's attempt to force the online search engine leader to comply with a 6-month-old subpoena.
--MissM
USATODAY.com - Google rips Justice Department in court papers
Update: The Official Google Response to the DoJ motion
It includes a link to the 25 page pdf response from Google.
The Impact of Emerging Technologies: Google's Private Lives - Technology Review
Google's Private Lives
Its new desktop search application would make your personal files available for government searches without your knowledge.
By Dylan Tweney
A new search technology from Google makes it possible for law enforcement officials to examine personal documents from your hard drive, without your knowing it, according to the digital-rights advocacy organization Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
Released last week, Google Desktop 3, the latest version of the company's desktop search utility, adds a "Search Across Computers" feature that automatically uploads files from a user's computer onto Google's servers. Then, when a search is performed on any computer owned by the user, Google Desktop will pull search results from both the Web and information stored on all the user's computers.
Certainly, such a feature will be handy for anyone trying to coordinate a project from different locations. Yet the idea of turning over private files to a public company is worrisome to privacy advocates. In fact, in a press release, the EFF has urged consumers to avoid the Search Across Computers feature because it would make consumers' files more vulnerable to subpoenas from government investigators as well as private litigants.
Of course, it's headlines news that Google (as well as its competitors) has already given in to pressure from a national government, by excluding censored content from its Chinese portal (Google.cn). Although so far the company has resisted a U.S. Department of Justice subpoena asking it to turn over logs for millions of recent search terms, smaller subpoenas -- such as those for the search history of a particular user's IP address -- don't make the news, because they're often sealed.
This spells out the creepy feeling google desktop has always given me....
--MissM
The Impact of Emerging Technologies: Google's Private Lives
PlayStation 3 costs $900, sez Merrill Lynch mob
I was reminded of how much Microsoft is losing on the hardware for the XBOX360.
So if you were gonna get a PS3, how much would you pay? Microsoft's plan on making business on the software side, seems to work for them.
--MissM
Engadget is a great geek site, and they have a podcast that I listen to regularly.
PlayStation 3 costs $900, sez Merrill Lynch mob - Engadget
So if you were gonna get a PS3, how much would you pay? Microsoft's plan on making business on the software side, seems to work for them.
--MissM
Engadget is a great geek site, and they have a podcast that I listen to regularly.
PlayStation 3 costs $900, sez Merrill Lynch mob - Engadget
Fixing It With Knoppix
The link above is about fixing a Linux installation with Knoppix, even if it's not a Knoppix installation.
There is also one about fixing a Windows installation here.
Both are at Extreme Tech.
So, if those of less geeky inclination are wondering why we are always talking about using Knoppix or similar live cds to repair filesystems, I recommend these two articles as a good place to start.
Jack
There is also one about fixing a Windows installation here.
Both are at Extreme Tech.
So, if those of less geeky inclination are wondering why we are always talking about using Knoppix or similar live cds to repair filesystems, I recommend these two articles as a good place to start.
Jack
Friday, February 17, 2006
Lavasoft's ARIES Rootkit Remover
"Lavasoft is pleased to launch a new Project ECO Tool, the ARIES Rootkit Remover, to get rid of the rootkit developed by First4Internet used by Sony BMG to hide their DRM (Digital Rights Management) software. "
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Mac Virus Hits the Streets!
Contrary to some pronouncements, Macs can get a virus. I'm disinfecting one of this virus right now.
As with so many virii, user interaction is necessary to get infected. This one arrives via Apple's iChat instant messenger.
The link above is to a story at The Inquirer and will point you to Sophos, who have more information.
Jack
As with so many virii, user interaction is necessary to get infected. This one arrives via Apple's iChat instant messenger.
The link above is to a story at The Inquirer and will point you to Sophos, who have more information.
Jack
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Microsoft patch fails to install for some users | InfoWorld | News | 2006-02-15 | By James Niccolai
We were talking about this in Independent Computer Users Group chat. Did you get it installed?
Newsletter #53 February 2006
I found this on digg.com and found it very interesting. I've copied what I see as the BIGGEST IT opportunity. But, go to the page and he has some superb tips on troubleshooting network problems.
I think that IT requires mostly people skills, so I dispute that geeks are *NOT* good with people. :P
--MissM
update: corrected to include *NOT*, oops.
Newsletter #53 February 2006
Separate the C and Si Problems
I've solved a lot of network problems, but this one was a toughie.
"I've got a DHCP server that is delivering IP addresses to two segments. The systems on the same segment as the DHCP server are getting IP addresses with no trouble, but the systems on the other segment, none of them work!"
My first question (and probably yours, if you're a network techie) is, "does the router between the two segments pass DHCP requests?" (In geek-ese, you may know that the other way to say this is "does the router support RFC 1542 BOOTP forwarding?") Or alternatively, I ask, "is there a DHCP forwarder on the second segment?"
"Yes," the person replies, explaining that the router passes BOOTP packets.
Hmmm. So what else might it be? Check IP connectivity -- does the router block any particular port? If it's in a network with an Active Directory and the DHCP server is on a 2000 or 2003 server, has that server been authorized in AD? No port blocks, and yes, it's been authorized. That's when I realize that it was a stupid question -- if DHCP weren't working, the first segment wouldn't have IP addresses. Ah, but what if -- a eureka moment! -- somehow (1) the DHCP server hadn't been authorized for the past six days and for some reason all of the systems on the nearby segment still had lease time left but all of the ones on the second segment had their leases run out earlier, and so were the canaries in the coal mine? So I tell the person to try to do an IPCONFIG /RENEW on one system on each segment. The one of the first segment succeeds, the one on the second doesn't.
Ready for the answer? It's simple: the guy had no idea what the heck BOOTP forwarding was, figured that his router guys must have allowed for that -- after all, they did go to a CCNA boot camp -- and just told me what I wanted to hear. In other words, it is always possible that the carbon-based parts of the network ("C" is the symbol for the element carbon) don't report reliable information, and so the problem lay not in the silicon part of the network ("Si" is the symbol for the element silicon) but in the carbon component. To paraphrase Shakespeare, "the fault, dear Brutus, lay not in the chips but in the people."
Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that everyone lies or is incompetent. But I am saying that under stress people don't always think as clearly as they should, and that network support people have had a lot of new things thrown in their laps in the past few years -- remember when we "discovered" security in 2001, or that we all need database servers whether we want them or not in 2004? -- without receiving a concomitant increase in staffing. We're all just human. We make mistakes. Think about how we make silicon-based systems more reliable: we cluster them. The same thing works for carbon-based units: more eyeballs looking at a problem often make for a more quickly-solved problem.
And -- this is important -- remember that we techies tend to think of computer problems in terms of the silicon side sometimes more than we do the carbon side. In fact, sometimes we see the carbon side as being sort of minimal, and only relevant in a few cases. But if you sit back and think about most of the things that you have to fix, you'll end up seeing that most of those problems have a carbon component that is at least as important as the silicon component. I mean, Trojans don't write themselves, y'know?
I think that IT requires mostly people skills, so I dispute that geeks are *NOT* good with people. :P
--MissM
update: corrected to include *NOT*, oops.
Newsletter #53 February 2006
AJAX Poses Security, Performance Risks
The link is to a short article at eWeek. In it, the author comments on how much AJAX (and particularly the XML portion of it) can increase network traffic. Since Peter and I talked about that on the show, two weeks ago) I have been finding accounts of such systems increasing network traffic by figures spanning the range between 3.5 and 12 times! That really is a lot. Plus, outside of the increased packet transmissions and receptions, there are significant processing loads on the server side. No free lunch here, folks.
Even so; not all the hype surrounding AJAX is misleading. There are significant benefits to using the technologies in many cases. The problem is one of choosing when these technologies are appropriate to use and when they are not.
Jack
Even so; not all the hype surrounding AJAX is misleading. There are significant benefits to using the technologies in many cases. The problem is one of choosing when these technologies are appropriate to use and when they are not.
Jack
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Who Said MegaHertz Don't Matter Any More?
Apple has just begun shipments of their MacBook laptop using the Intel Core Duo cpu. Apple is offering three different clock speeds; 1.83, 2.0 and 2.16 GHz. I've been to the stores to see one and without exception, the customers, or prospective customers are speaking in terms of GHz, again. To me, it seems they are more comfortable doing that than measuring performance in terms of flops or throughput or any other metric.
Now AMD is pushing the Opteron 256 at 3.0 GHz and I hear that spoken of in terms of clock speed, as well. The chip companies have no one but themselves to blame for this, of course, but I do believe these last two releases have reversed all the changes in consumer thinking that they had labored so hard to foster. One slip of the lip, as it were.
I'm really interested in whether Intel, IBM and AMD will try to reinstate other metrics or simply give in and go back to clock speeds to differentiate their models in the pubic eye.
Jack
Now AMD is pushing the Opteron 256 at 3.0 GHz and I hear that spoken of in terms of clock speed, as well. The chip companies have no one but themselves to blame for this, of course, but I do believe these last two releases have reversed all the changes in consumer thinking that they had labored so hard to foster. One slip of the lip, as it were.
I'm really interested in whether Intel, IBM and AMD will try to reinstate other metrics or simply give in and go back to clock speeds to differentiate their models in the pubic eye.
Jack
Site Advisor
This sounds like a good idea and if implemented well, I think it will improve web security for a lot of users.
Basically, Site Advisor gives you the results of automated searches which rate the conduct of the web site you want to view. Should it deliver adware, spyware or (Heaven forbid)something worse, the application will alert you. There will be two versions of the software; one paid for and one free. I'm not quite clear on the differences so I can't comment on that.
Done well, this could mean a virtual end to "drive-by downloads" and spyware bundled with desireable applications. All the user has to do is pay attention, though I must admit I know more than a few who will not do so, no matter what. Versions are available for Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox and function as browser extensions.
I intend to install and test this and if any or our listeners want to do so, we can pool our experiences for a report on the show in a week or three.
Jack
Basically, Site Advisor gives you the results of automated searches which rate the conduct of the web site you want to view. Should it deliver adware, spyware or (Heaven forbid)something worse, the application will alert you. There will be two versions of the software; one paid for and one free. I'm not quite clear on the differences so I can't comment on that.
Done well, this could mean a virtual end to "drive-by downloads" and spyware bundled with desireable applications. All the user has to do is pay attention, though I must admit I know more than a few who will not do so, no matter what. Versions are available for Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox and function as browser extensions.
I intend to install and test this and if any or our listeners want to do so, we can pool our experiences for a report on the show in a week or three.
Jack
Monday, February 13, 2006
tech.memeorandum @ 11:05 AM ET, February 13, 2006
Microsoft's Anti-Spyware program is causing troubles for people who also use Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus software; apparently, a recent update to Microsoft's anti-spyware application flags Norton as a password-stealing program and prompts users to remove it.
[snip]
Update: 10:58 p.m. ET: I heard from Microsoft, and they say the problem is limited to customers running Symantec Antivirus (SAV) Corporate Edition versions 7, 8, 9 or 10 or Symantec Client Security (SCS) versions 1, 2 or 3 in combination with Windows AntiSpyware Beta 1. "The beta software will prompt and allow the user to remove a registry key containing subkeys belonging to these Symantec products. The deletion of these registry keys will cause all versions of the SAV and SCS software to stop operating correctly. No files are removed in this situation, only registry keys."
The rest of the statement Microsoft sent me says: "Once this issue was discovered, Microsoft quickly released a new signature set (5807) to remove this false positive. Both companies are working jointly together to identify the number of affected customers, which we believe to be very limited. Microsoft and Symantec are working jointly on a solution to restore normal operation of the Symantec software. Until this solution is available, customers can utilize System Restore in Windows XP to restore to an earlier point prior to the removal of the registry keys, or reinstall their client software."
--MissM
tech.memeorandum @ 11:05 AM ET, February 13, 2006
Sunday, February 12, 2006
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 02-12-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 02-12-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
A Fix for Zone Alarm Phoning Home
I haven't used Zone Alarm in a while and so missed when the story broke. However; it appears ZA phones home to servers controlled by Zone Labs. No one has given a satisfactory explanation of why this behavior was coded in, to the best of my knowledge. There are four servers involved.
This little article in The Inquirer details how to block this behavior, using the hosts file in ZA itself. It's easy to implement.
Jack
This little article in The Inquirer details how to block this behavior, using the hosts file in ZA itself. It's easy to implement.
Jack
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification
From the MSRC [MS resource center] Advanced Notification of upcoming February MS updates.
--MissM
Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification
--MissM
Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification
99 performance tips for WinXP
Massive list of simple tweaks to improve your rig's performance.
I was reminded of everybody searching their memory trying to figure out how to get to System Restore during a recent OnComputers Radio Show, and I thought that having a handy dandy bookmark/favorite (You're not really still using IE are you? ;) ) "archived" on the blog, would be a good thing.
--MissM
read more | digg story
AND another kewl digg post about Nano Coatings. They will be able to protect your ipod screen and your car, its environmentally friendly, and cheaper!!
read more | digg story
I was reminded of everybody searching their memory trying to figure out how to get to System Restore during a recent OnComputers Radio Show, and I thought that having a handy dandy bookmark/favorite (You're not really still using IE are you? ;) ) "archived" on the blog, would be a good thing.
--MissM
read more | digg story
AND another kewl digg post about Nano Coatings. They will be able to protect your ipod screen and your car, its environmentally friendly, and cheaper!!
"liquid solids" composed of extremely tiny particles, possess unique characteristics -- like extreme flexibility, easy adhesion and resistance to corrosion and microbial growth -- that could profoundly change the manufacturing process.
read more | digg story
99 performance tips for WinXP
Massive list of simple tweaks to improve your rig's performance.
I was reminded of everybody searching their memory trying to figure out how to get to System Restore on OnComputers Radio Show, recently, and I thought that having a handy dandy bookmark/favorite (You're not really still using IE are you? ;) )
read more | digg story
I was reminded of everybody searching their memory trying to figure out how to get to System Restore on OnComputers Radio Show, recently, and I thought that having a handy dandy bookmark/favorite (You're not really still using IE are you? ;) )
read more | digg story
Friday, February 10, 2006
I'll Stay "Small Time", Thank You
It's a story about the woes of computer and tech journalism. As one moves up the ladder of prominence, more and more of this stuff starts to happen.
I just turned down a gig with a noted cell phone handset maker because of the NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) they wanted signed. I simply didn't see why I should sit two whole days in my wheelchair (not to mention the travel difficulties) and then not be able to write or talk on the show about it until everyone else can, as well.
The company's reaction to this was to offer all sorts of goods for test as an inducement to attend. I have no idea whether anyone else got offered anything, but I think they were all slated to get the same goody bag as I got, just later in the process.
To the writer of the article cited above, this is a matter of journalistic integrity. To me, just a waste of my time. (You all know how little journalistic integrity I really have, so there's no sense in my trying to fly that lie past you, right?)
The article is worth a read for the way it tells you how some journalists, including those we depend on, are pressured.
I just turned down a gig with a noted cell phone handset maker because of the NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) they wanted signed. I simply didn't see why I should sit two whole days in my wheelchair (not to mention the travel difficulties) and then not be able to write or talk on the show about it until everyone else can, as well.
The company's reaction to this was to offer all sorts of goods for test as an inducement to attend. I have no idea whether anyone else got offered anything, but I think they were all slated to get the same goody bag as I got, just later in the process.
To the writer of the article cited above, this is a matter of journalistic integrity. To me, just a waste of my time. (You all know how little journalistic integrity I really have, so there's no sense in my trying to fly that lie past you, right?)
The article is worth a read for the way it tells you how some journalists, including those we depend on, are pressured.
Don’t use Google toolbar, says EFF
The link above is to a synopsis in The Inquirer. The Electronic Frontier Foundation warning is here.
The problem is, to put it very succinctly, that in order to index your computer for search, Google has to have copies of the docs indexed. These are open to subpoena from the government and subsequent data-mining. This whole deal must have federal security people salivating like a dog does over a steak.
Jack
The problem is, to put it very succinctly, that in order to index your computer for search, Google has to have copies of the docs indexed. These are open to subpoena from the government and subsequent data-mining. This whole deal must have federal security people salivating like a dog does over a steak.
Jack
Thursday, February 09, 2006
For All Geek Kittys
Catproof your computer. Got this from an email to Fred Langa's newsletter, as the correspondent says: "I thought it was a joke at first, but its real"
The real question as Fred puts it is, "Will my own typing activate it?"
Joe, hally??? ;)
PawSense helps you catproof your computer.
--MissM
The real question as Fred puts it is, "Will my own typing activate it?"
Joe, hally??? ;)
PawSense helps you catproof your computer.
--MissM
Microsoft Security Response Center Blog! : Two new security advisories posted
Two new security advisories posted
Hi folks, Mike Reavey here. Just wanted to point out two new security advisories that we posted late last night.
The first is related to a WMF vulnerability in older versions of Internet Explorer. This is different from the issue addressed by MS06-001 and only impacts older versions of Internet Explorer – if you’re using IE6SP1 or later, you’re protected from this issue. The second is related to a research paper regarding default services behavior that has already been addressed in Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1. For more information, check out the advisories located here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/913333.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/914457.mspx
-Mike
*This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.*
Published Wednesday, February 08, 2006 5:42 PM by stepto
Microsoft Security Response Center Blog! : Two new security advisories posted
--MissM
Hi folks, Mike Reavey here. Just wanted to point out two new security advisories that we posted late last night.
The first is related to a WMF vulnerability in older versions of Internet Explorer. This is different from the issue addressed by MS06-001 and only impacts older versions of Internet Explorer – if you’re using IE6SP1 or later, you’re protected from this issue. The second is related to a research paper regarding default services behavior that has already been addressed in Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1. For more information, check out the advisories located here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/913333.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/914457.mspx
-Mike
*This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.*
Published Wednesday, February 08, 2006 5:42 PM by stepto
Microsoft Security Response Center Blog! : Two new security advisories posted
--MissM
Monday, February 06, 2006
Why I Do Not and Will Not Use GMail
The link is to an article in MIT's Technology Review. In it, the author details just how much of a leap of faith users must make to use GMail. Google has far and away the most comprehensive privacy policy in the business, but it does not go nearly far enough. The repositories of email on Google's servers are a tempting target for everyone from law enforcement to divorce lawyers trawling for evidence. Users have so little control over deletion of email that unwanted copies can (and probably do) lay about for months after the deletion command is given.
So, even though I have nothing to hide (except an ugly mole here or there, which is another story entirely) I refuse to use GMail. I simply do not trust the system or the owners of it enough to allow my personal business to be deposited there.
You might want to read this article, just so you are making an informed decision on whether or not to use GMail.
Jack
So, even though I have nothing to hide (except an ugly mole here or there, which is another story entirely) I refuse to use GMail. I simply do not trust the system or the owners of it enough to allow my personal business to be deposited there.
You might want to read this article, just so you are making an informed decision on whether or not to use GMail.
Jack
How Much RAM Do You Need?
It seems as if every computer user, plus their dogs, has an opinion on this. The show cast is pretty well in agreement on the subject, but so many variables apply that our opinions can hardly be said to apply globally.
In an article at XBit Labs.com, Ilya Gavrichenkov reveals some testing designed to measure up against the the common wisdom. While not conclusive at all, it certainly is food for thought and on that basis I recommend reading it.
Jack
In an article at XBit Labs.com, Ilya Gavrichenkov reveals some testing designed to measure up against the the common wisdom. While not conclusive at all, it certainly is food for thought and on that basis I recommend reading it.
Jack
Sunday, February 05, 2006
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 02-05-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 02-05-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
NOD32 The Anti-Virus that WORKS!
By now I'm sure you've heard about the Kama Sutra worm (also known as Blackmal and VB.NEI) scheduled to activate on February 3, 2006.
Rest assured that you and your NOD32 customers are proactively protected. However, your non-NOD32 users may have problems and need help. Be prepared to let them know that NOD32 can protect them from current and evolving threats before they occur.
Remember you can buy NOD32 from AlaskaJoe to help support the radio show.
Rest assured that you and your NOD32 customers are proactively protected. However, your non-NOD32 users may have problems and need help. Be prepared to let them know that NOD32 can protect them from current and evolving threats before they occur.
Remember you can buy NOD32 from AlaskaJoe to help support the radio show.
New worm relies on old trick
February 3, 2006
"That's when the Kama Sutra computer worm will begin destroying critical files on infected computers. And hundreds of thousands of machines may have the worm lurking within their Windows operating system, ready to be unleashed on February 3 and the third of every month thereafter."
This is a very destructive, but very preventible. Take the common sense precautions outlined in the article and you should be okay.
"That's when the Kama Sutra computer worm will begin destroying critical files on infected computers. And hundreds of thousands of machines may have the worm lurking within their Windows operating system, ready to be unleashed on February 3 and the third of every month thereafter."
This is a very destructive, but very preventible. Take the common sense precautions outlined in the article and you should be okay.
Wireless Networking in the Developing World
It's an eBook, available at no charge under a Creative Commons license.
I got the link from Waleed al-Shobbaky, a journalist friend from Egypt. I have read a decent part of it now and think some of you might find it food for thought. Because I have spent long periods in parts of our own nation without even telephone service and am intimately involved with charities attempting to change things like that, I feel a kinship with those in under-developed and/or developing nations.
There is no doubt that wireless technology in the form of cell phones. Now other types of wireless services are starting to make their mark. Large areas, even entire nations, will see their access to information open up to a flood. How they will use this is open to question, of course, but the one thing that cannot be argued is that the status quo will change.
Jack
I got the link from Waleed al-Shobbaky, a journalist friend from Egypt. I have read a decent part of it now and think some of you might find it food for thought. Because I have spent long periods in parts of our own nation without even telephone service and am intimately involved with charities attempting to change things like that, I feel a kinship with those in under-developed and/or developing nations.
There is no doubt that wireless technology in the form of cell phones. Now other types of wireless services are starting to make their mark. Large areas, even entire nations, will see their access to information open up to a flood. How they will use this is open to question, of course, but the one thing that cannot be argued is that the status quo will change.
Jack
Gates Speaks Out Against Net Censorship - Yahoo! News
"'The ability to really withhold information no longer exists,' Gates told a government forum on the Internet."
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Make Your Windows Machine Look and Behave More Like a Mac
I found this from a link at Wired News.
What it does is make your Windows XP machine look and behave more like a Mac. Lots of Mac users have told me that they can function better in the Mac environment because it suits how they work better. If you think you might be one of those or are just curious, download the free trial of TopDesk and give it a whirl. Should you decide to keep it, the price is only $10 (USD). It's definitely worth a whirl. I rather liked the trial.
Jack
What it does is make your Windows XP machine look and behave more like a Mac. Lots of Mac users have told me that they can function better in the Mac environment because it suits how they work better. If you think you might be one of those or are just curious, download the free trial of TopDesk and give it a whirl. Should you decide to keep it, the price is only $10 (USD). It's definitely worth a whirl. I rather liked the trial.
Jack
Are You Ready for Goobuntu?
Google working on a operating system for real. It's not just a rumor. Whether or not this really means anything is unclear and will be until Google clears it up.
So why are they doing this? Mostly because they can and, in my opinion, they'd be negligent if they didn't check out the possibilities. Checking something out, even by developing it to a state of usability, is a long ways from actually letting the beast out into the wild.
Will Google take Microsoft on in their core business, operating systems? I have no idea and I'm betting no decision has been made. They could do it, but be aware that they most likely won't do it, simply because that would be an outright war with MS. I could be wrong. I am not privy to the market data Google has and that is what they will judge whether or not to dive in by.
Stay tuned.
Jack
So why are they doing this? Mostly because they can and, in my opinion, they'd be negligent if they didn't check out the possibilities. Checking something out, even by developing it to a state of usability, is a long ways from actually letting the beast out into the wild.
Will Google take Microsoft on in their core business, operating systems? I have no idea and I'm betting no decision has been made. They could do it, but be aware that they most likely won't do it, simply because that would be an outright war with MS. I could be wrong. I am not privy to the market data Google has and that is what they will judge whether or not to dive in by.
Stay tuned.
Jack
Politicians deface Wikipedia
You gotta love this one!
It seems Wikipedia's problems with rogue edits are being taken advantage of by pols. The kids just won't play fair.
Jack
It seems Wikipedia's problems with rogue edits are being taken advantage of by pols. The kids just won't play fair.
Jack
Sunday, January 29, 2006
OnComputers Radio show Podcast 01-29-06
This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 01-29-06. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.
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