Logitech keyboard rides the Wave

Here's a nice article in The Register about Logitech's newest ergo keyboard. It has excellent pictures to go with the text.

First there was the Microsoft Natural. Lots of folks loved it. I couldn't stand it and so have stuck with "standard" shaped keyboards. Yes, there were other ergo keyboards but because sales were so slow, the cost of such solutions stayed out of my reach. Or at least higher than I could justify.

Now, it seems that Logitech has taken pity on me. This new keyboard looks good and is affordable. I'm going to get one as soon as they arrive in my neighborhood.

Jack

10 automakers to jointly develop OS

The headline says it all. I can't help but wonder if BSODs are part of the motivation. :)

10 automakers to jointly develop OS : National : DAILY YOMIURI ONLINE (The Daily Yomiuri)

[Thanks RawFeed]
--MissM

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 07-29-07 (We had a lot of connection problems today)

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 07-29-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Meet the XO

The XO is the One Laptop Per Child device. I find it fascinating, both as an engineering excercise and as a way to bring information technology to the developing world. I think this is the most detailed review of the device and it's attendant software yet. It's also the easiest to read.

Be sure to follow the links to see Sugar, the software interface developed for the XO.

Jack

Links from the Gregg Zone!

1) Well to start things off this week, how about saving the world? This is something I ran across that I think is the greatest concept I have seen in a long time. Skyscraper farming, this is something you need to check out, a thirty-story farm in the middle of the city, creating food and clean water for 50,000 people. With 150 of these scattered around the city you could feed the entire city of New York. Use the ground floor for a store and a local shipping center. Think of the advantages; reduced transportation cost, totally organic (no need for pest control), no toxic run off into the water systems, returns farm land for parks or other needs, grow crops for ethanol, grow year round, no weather related crop loss, self-sustaining through methane heating and lighting, converts urban blight neighborhoods to productive areas, reduced need for immigration, provides local jobs in the inner city, ranchers and dairy farmers could grow feed on site, might help save conflicts over water most of our water is used for irrigation these recycle their own water, in other countries reduce conflicts over land, water and resources, my god the list is endless. http://www.verticalfarm.com/

2) Let’s continue with the save the world concept. How about running your car on water? This has always been a dream for the green thinking people of the world; well it may be coming true check out this Fox news video story, it blew my mind completely. www.youtube.com

3) This link is similar but this time lets help you save yourself. If you are at all worried about what is in your food you might want to read this one, it is about how the food industry tricks us using loopholes in the labeling laws to feed us what ever they want. I am a label reader, and this really woke me up, I will be reading a lot closer from now on. www.newstarget.com

4) Now for a couple of more edgy ones, not sure what to think about this one, if it is faked it is a good job, I will leave it up to you. http://www.liveleak.com/

5) This last link was sent to me by Jack, but sure to bring back some memories for Joe and me, and sure to spark a reminiscent conversation of our earlier adventures. I’m looking forward to playing in the archives here. Thanks again Jack. http://www.imakethings.com

Be a Simpsons Character!

Upload a photo and see what you'd look like on The Simpsons.

Jack

What is Tiny, Green, and Penguin-Friendly?

The slant of the article in XYZ Computing is systems for running Linux. However, if you're a Windows person, don't let that put you off. At least some of these systems are Vista-capable now and more could be. The same goes for Apple's OS X, should Apple decide we deserve an update to the Mac Mini. (Though they don't seem much interested in being a computer maker any more - a story for another time.)

I like some of these machines and all the small form-factor boxes I have seen have show at least some interesting features or performance points. These could well be the future of desktop computing for the majority of us, who need some power, but not the maximum available.

Have a look. It's a short read.

Jack

Slashdot | Cisco to Kill Linksys Brand Name

/. was sent the following info
"In a roundtable with the European press, John Chambers confirmed the "end of life" of the Linksys name, being replaced by the new and redesigned Cisco branding."

He explains, "It will all come over time into a Cisco brand. The reason we kept Linksys' brand because it was better known in the US than even Cisco was for the consumer. As you go globally there's very little advantage in that."

Slashdot | Cisco to Kill Linksys Brand Name
--MissM
a potential regular Friday thang... :)
My shared feed items:
My Google reader shared items:


TGIF! Have a great weekend!

EULA: What Are You Signing Away?

The link is to a relatively good article at Linux Insider's web site. Good, but not great. Still, it's short does give some of the problems with EULAs an airing. There is also a link to the EULA Hall of Shame, which I will repeat here.

My reasoning for posting this is that licensing issues are getting quite a bit of attention now and I expect there will soon be court cases attempting to clarify which rights a user can be compelled to give up via the EULA and which can not. Also, the recent adoption of the GNU General Public License, version 3 (GPLv3) is focusing attention on licensing terms, as well.

All this combines to equal a renewed emphasis on returning sanity to software licensing.

Jack

Storm Worm Erupts Into Worst Virus Attack In 2 Years -- Storm worm -- InformationWeek

You get an e-card from "a friend" or "a relative". You click on the link to pick up your card and you get a little something extra: a rootkit. You're computer is now a zombie. Welcome to Storm Worm.

Build your own server

Bit-Tech has a good series on building your own Ubuntu Linux server. Written by Ken Gypen, It's a clear guide. (I sure wish I could write that well!) They're at part 2 of at least 3. This is well worth your looking at.

Yes, I know a lot of you have had your imaginations captured by Windows Home Server. To a certain extent, so am I. It's certainly the most desireable product from MS in quite a while and I find it exciting, too. Even so; a Windows server is not everyone's cup of tea, for a variety of reasons. And then there is the fact that a lot of us would simply rather do it ourselves, whether to learn, out of concern for some aspect of performance or to save money, perhaps by utilizing some of that less than current hardware in the closet. Should you fall anywhere in there, this series of articles is for you.

Jack

Fighting Viruses in Vista Without Antivirus Programs

Do you still need to use antivirus software to remain safe while running Windows Vista? Read the article to find out.

IPhone Flaw Lets Hackers Take Over, Security Firm Says

From The NY times:
A team of computer security consultants say they have found a flaw in Apple’s wildly popular iPhone that allows them to take control of the device.

The researchers, working for Independent Security Evaluators, a company that tests its clients’ computer security by hacking it, said that they could take control of iPhones through a WiFi connection or by tricking users into going to a Web site that contains malicious code. The hack, the first reported, allowed them to tap the wealth of personal information the phones contain.

ISP Seen Breaking Internet Protocol to Fight Zombie Computers

The link above will take you to the "Threat Level" blog on the Wired News site.

Apparently at least one ISP is taking action against IRC channels they think might be used to control networks of compromised computers, commonly called "botnets".

This might be a good thing, or it might be a bad thing. The first impression I got was that actions like this are open to intentional or unintentional abuse. Reading this carefully only increased my anxieties.

Jack

Password vulnerability in Firefox 2.0.0.5

This is a relatively big one. It apparently affects Firefox on all platforms and the Apple Safari browser, as well.

The workaround is to disable javascript until a fix is available. That's what we have done here. I doubt that patching this will take long, so be sure to watch for an update or fix.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 07-22-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 07-22-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

United States Government Online Watchdogs? Part of the war on terror?

The title is a bit misleading.

The story is about unauthorized connections Vista makes. The story is incomplete. The detection of connections is not done with any rigor and nowhere does it say the installation of Vista that is tested is pristine, so there is a LOT of room for error with no attempt to minimize it at all. Even so; I find this alarming and think it needs desperately to be checked out.

Make up your own mind on this one (as if you wouldn't anyway) and it might well be time to check out on your own.

Jack

Microsoft 'silently' restores root certificates that users distrust and remove

I found this scary. I think you will as well, though I'm going to check some other sources before I push my paranoia into overdrive.

Jack

Pyro Desktop

Slashdot had a couple of Firefox posts, this morning, and I found both of interest.

The first is the Pyro desktop. It's an integrater, of sorts, that would amalgamate your desktop apps with web apps, so all would appear in the same window. I find it being written in javascript something of a problem, but that does not seem to bother those who are paid to know better than I. Check this one out at the link above.

The second is a call for a lightweight version of Firefox to work on older PCs. There is not link for this one. But the idea is that FF would win even more market share if it had a version that would run with alacrity on even the oldest graphic hardware. It's something to think about, I guess, though I wonder if it is really worth the effort. Perhaps a version geared to web applications would be more appropriate.

Jack

Links from the Gregg Zone!

1) This is my first post since getting back to Las Vegas after four months visiting Joe in Alaska. I thought I would do an item on metal detectors, and a mutual friend of Joe and myself. We have a friend Tony who plays with a metal detector on the beaches of California. He sent me a link to an article in the BBC about a father and son in England who found a Viking stash in a field worth they said conservatively 750,000 pounds, or about one and a half million dollars during their Saturday hobby outing. Here is the link to the story. http://news.bbc.co.uk There will be an update next week, with pictures of Tony’s latest and greatest find on an L.A. beach, from the 1800’s. That part of the story just got lost in my move home.

2) For this set of links we have Jack to thank, he must have known I’d be sort of up against a time crunch what with returning to Vegas and all. So thanks a lot Jack! This is really great stuff, I am a book lover, and I have always thought the internet could do more to help the world come closer to a through a kind of universal knowledge through them. This has to be one of the most extensive projects undertaken by man, equal to sequencing the human genome. And they need our help, so if you can find some way to help, you can feel you have done something to advance the future of the human race. Yeah I know pretty heavy stuff, but I can’t help it. I think if we can pull this off it will say more about the real value of the internet than anything to date. In my mind the real value of the internet is in aiding the evolution of mankind, this can only be done by rising above the monetary motivations of greed and power. This is what makes the internet so great, it is for the common man, it does not ask what station in life you hold, it could care less about who you are, what you have, or what motivates you, it is just there for everyone. If you want equality in the world, how can you beat the internet? Okay I’m off my soap box here are the links http://demo.openlibrary.org/ http://www.gutenberg.org

3) This is hands down the best photo of area 51, a few miles up the road from here. This is a panoramic picture, you can pan anywhere you want it is very clear, and if you want to see the non-existent base with all of those non-existent buildings, have a look. http://www.pbase.com

4) My last link for the week is a very interesting article about the diamond industry. If you have not educated yourself on this topic, you might want to give it a read. It is seven pages and very informative. Most people I know have fallen for this con in one way or another, this might make you reconsider any type of investment in the little rocks. http://www.theatlantic.com

ATI/Nvidia Says "No Support" to Laptop Owners for Vista

This may or may not be the most accurate piece, but there is no disputing that Vista is plagued by driver problems. I expect the Microsoft DRM is to blame, though there may well be other factors at work, too. DRM issues would explain just why sound and video seem to be the main problem areas.

Jack

The desktop -- time to say goodbye?

In the face of increasing market share are desktops doomed to niche status? I kind of doubt it.

Yes, more and more people are opting for notebooks and more corporate sales are of notebooks, as well. But if I had my choice, I'd work on a desktop more, not less. I like my laptop, but the smaller display and keyboard take their toll over long hours of working on it.

You can bet we are going to be talking about this one on Sunday.

Jack

Happy Friday Edition

First. There's a WOOT-OFF!!
Second. My Google reader shared items:


Third. TGIF! Have a great weekend!
Fourth. Join us Sunday for the live show!

--MissM

Microsoft's Copy Protection Hacked Again

From CBS news:
(AP) Microsoft Corp. is once again on the defensive against hackers after the posting of a new program that gives average PC users tools to unlock copy-protected digital music and movies.

The latest version of the FairUse4M program, which can crack Microsoft's digital rights management system for Windows Media audio and video files, was published online late Friday. In the past year, Microsoft plugged holes exploited by two earlier versions of the program and filed a federal lawsuit against its anonymous authors. Microsoft dropped the lawsuit after failing to identify them.

Fighting Viruses in Vista Without Antivirus Programs

Here's an interesting article that takes on the bluster about whether or not Vista actually needs an anti-virus program protecting it. Not really anything surprising in it, but well told and understandable to anyone.

Jack

Adobe Flash exploit could log keystrokes

This one is really important if you have Flash enabled in your browser. Adobe has published patches for a total of 3 important vulnerabilities and you need to update your Flash Player right away!

Jack

Microsoft to offer code protection, validation to other software developers

Microsoft is making the tools and bits of software copy protection and activation (Similar to Windows activation) available to developers. At first glance, this looks like nothing more than a gift to hardworking developers, no matter how large or small their projects are.

But I fear MS has an agenda. They are already using relatively restrictive copy protection and activation schemes on their products and they have made no secret of the fact that they plan to push forward in this area. However; there is a customer outcry because of the inconvenience and mistakes in the process, and MS has to worry it might become a tidal wave of dissatisfaction leading to lost sales and hence revenue. (Other companies plan similar schemes; notably Adobe, thought these two are by no means the only ones.) So, the only way they can gain acceptance, or at least resignation, of customers to these schemes is to make ones like it so pervasive that there are few alternatives.

There's a lot at stake here.

Jack

Linux MPX Multi-touch Table May Become Free DIY Microsoft Surface One Day

Here's another project to make surface or touch computing mainstream. This one is a development of the X Windows system used on Linux and many Unices. It's worth reading. I'm now aware of 4 projects having to do with touch or surface computing besides Microsoft's heavily touted efforts. MS is definitely the leader in this space, but apparently the field is about to be crowded.

Beware of the optimism in this article. It's a bit much and so slightly unbalances the tone of things.


Jack

Sun Has Fixed Java Security Flaws

Sun Microsystems quietly slipped out an update to the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) and SDK (Software Development Kit) to address the flaws I posted about earlier.

The new version number is 6, update 2. Get it at the link above. The update has been issued for all applicable platforms.

Jack

How can you possibly test modern software fully?

Here is an interesting article from The Register's Developer's section. It will answer a lot of questions about how software is tested, should that sort of thing interest you.

I have to warn you that it is multiple pages long and, while well written and paced, it is probably more than most of you want to know about the subject,

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 07-15-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 07-15-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Userful Multi-Station Software

In late 1999 and 2000, I did some work with friends on setting up Linux PCs so 4 people could use one PC simultaneously. We had some successes, though there was a real struggle to implement that many PCI video cards on each machine. (Input was via USB devices.) Even so, we had 4 users humming away on one machine in a call center and in a charitable agency office where the only tasks were text input and other secretarial tasks and some database fetches from a server with, along the companion inputs. For all I know, they're still running.

Now, a company called "Userful" has software to manage things easily and reliably. No more custom setups.

Think about this for a minute. Not all, and in fact most users probably don't actually need an entire PC. This is ever more true when the desktop computers available to us are growing in power and capacity as fast as they are. Got 3 kids? Why do they each need a computer? Build one killer machine and implement Userful's stuff and you will probably end up saving money, trouble and stop that terrible hair loss that affects us older guys.

Give it a look.

Jack

The Gregg Zone !!

1) Are you or have you been interested in Seti? Been involved with the “Seti at home project”? Maybe you were involved in the star-dust at home project helping to sort out the dust particles obtained from NASA’s Comet Wild-2 Mission? Well there is a new one that started earlier in the week on Tuesday July 10^th. They are looking to the internet for volunteers to help classify a million galaxies, seems the human brain is much better at identifying patterns than computers. This is really a very cool thing you get to see pictures of galaxies for the first time. There is a short test to be sure you understand the nuances between the images you will be sorting into categories. It is a little harder than it looks, I missed eight of fifteen on the test round, need to practice some and try again. Anyway check this out even if it is not your cup of tea, you might pass it along to someone else who might like to help out. http://www.galaxyzoo.org/

2) This site is something I found after watching a program on T.V., the show was called “The Boy Who Sees with Sound”, I think it was on the science channel; anyway it was about human echolocation. This was something I had heard about some time ago, but it had dropped off my radar because of time, and other interests. When I saw the program on the tube it raised my curiosity to the point of a google search. You can see the 25 min. video here, and also learn more about what has to be one of the most interesting subjects I have seen in a while. Being sighted all my life makes it very difficult to imagine learning a technique involving the art of compensating sound for sight to this degree. If I had not “seen” it, I would have trouble believing it. This really makes me wonder how much of the world around me goes totally unnoticed, just because I’m not focused enough to perceive what is in front of me. Or how much do I miss due to not developing my senses to the limits of their abilities. The link is to the video page, you might like to hit the home button to see what else is there. http://www.worldaccessfortheblind.org/

3) The internet can help you keep in touch with some very interesting directions our society is headed in. A case in point the other day I ran across something called cultured meat, this term refers to growing meat in the lab. Evidently you could in theory feed an entire nation from only two cells. Eliminating most of the undesirable by-products produced by the raising meat, freeing agricultural land to feed people directly, rather than using an animal to turn the suns energy into food. No methane, no anti-biotic related problems, and much less transportation of support goods to keep the herds, the list of that type of advantage is very long indeed. And then one must consider the lack of need to kill, or mistreat animals. I can see several hours of future reading on the many issues this line of research brings to mind, from technical advancements to the ethics of cloning, creation, and the relationship to the animal consciousness groups. http://www.reuters.com .

4) Okay here we go full speed ahead, if you thought those sites were a little tame how about building your own replicater, yea that cool little dumb waiter kind of machine from star trek, that made what ever you ordered. I read a preliminary article about this a couple of years ago, decided to do a little search to see if I could find an update, never expected to find free online plans to build my own. This site is an open source site dedicated to how to build your own 3-D printer; this is one of those places where you can find the future today. Sometimes I wish I was a little younger, just to see where all this is going. If you decide to build one of these I sure would like an occasional update. http://www.fabathome.org

Java flaw poses widespread security threat

At the time of posting, details are scarce. I'm not even satisfied there is a problem. This CNet article is all I have found, so far. More details as they become available.

Jack

Cell Phone Spying Service Leaking Data? - Security Fix

drat, they aren't the same size...

Wow this is scary, especially if you have a blackberry or windows mobile "smart" phones (sorry, couldn't help myself on the quotation marks lol)
The Washington Post Security Column elaborates on the issue:




"Last week, the geek news world was abuzz with news of a spying service that lets people intercept text messages, call logs, e-mails and other information from BlackBerry and Windows Mobile-equipped smart phones. But it appears the privacy threat is even bigger: According to evidence unearthed by at least one security researcher, the company that offers the intercept service has left its database freely viewable to anyone with a Web browser. "

Go read the rest of the details...

Cell Phone Spying Service Leaking Data? - Security Fix
--MissM

Microsoft facing US$1.15bn Xbox 360 repair bill

MS has now admitted that ALL of the XBox 360 units built to date are faulty, by virtue of poor design. They are NOT going to replace them. Rather, they have extended the warranty to three years, as we said on the show last week.

The new warranty policy is not going to completely compensate (as an example) a user who has had to return their unit multiple times and been without it during those periods. I have to wonder if this increase in warranty coverage will be seen as sufficient by consumer protection agencies and lawyers. I predict there will be litigators flocking around this one and hearings in front of various consumer agencies.

Jack

Mac OS X with 100 bugs: Still safer than Windows?

I think OS X is still safer than Windows. Obviously the security types are not sure. But in the absense of wide-spread attacks and compromises, I am still telling folks they will be safe for the Mac.

I send my clients and friends a little security newsletter from time to time to remind them of best practices and keep track of threats they need to know about. In it, I am still recommending the Mac OS X as safer than Windows.

Jack

Firefox and IE together brew up security trouble | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

To update Jack's post below, apparently both Firefox AND IE have issues.

UPDATE: Blame them both.

That's the latest update from security researchers who initially laid the blame on Microsoft's Internet Explorer for the latest zero-day exploit that also can afflict those using the Firefox Web browser.

Users could face a "highly critical" risk if they have both IE and Firefox version 2.0, or later, loaded on their computer. The trouble begins when browsing a malicious site while using IE and it registers a "firefoxurl://" URI (uniform resource identifier) handler, which allows the browser to interact with specific resources on the Web. As a result, users may find their systems remotely compromised.

[snip]

"Firefox is the current attack vector, but Internet Explorer is to blame for not escaping...characters when passing on the input to the command line," said Larholm, in response to a reader's comments. "I agree that Firefox could have registered its URL handler with pure DDE (dynamic data exchange, the protocol for information exchange) instead and thereby have avoided the possibility of a command-line argument injection, but IE should still be able to safely launch external applications."

Firefox and IE together brew up security trouble | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

Some of my normal buttons are missing (dang link button won't work, or I'd post to Jack's post, yeah that's how its supposed to be done, check to see if its been posted before posting.:P) while I create this, but the link above has all the info.
--MissM

Critical Firefox security flaw discovered

Ahhh, browsers! Doncha just love 'em? They keep our lives so interesting! And often in unexpected ways, too.

This flaw looks like a real gem. No doubt the Mozilla folks are hot on the heels of this one. It will no doubt be repaired soon.

The original Secunia advisory is here for those of you with a masochistic bent.

Jack

Zone Alarm free for Vista out

Don't know how long this has been out but, I just noticed it. The install was a nightmare. It hung. Windows complained about the true vector service numerous times. However, it does seem to be running OK , after a re-boot.

Vista SP1 beta 1 to launch in mid-July | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com

"Just when Microsoft had customers, partners and competitors all believing that it was going to delay the first service pack for Vista — not releasing a first beta of it until just before year-end — the company is set to deliver Beta 1 of Vista SP1 in mid-July"

Lets see what this Service pack does for Vista.
AlaskaJoe

Microsoft readying Vista's first service pack beta for July release? - Engadget

More news about the rumored (in January, tyvm) service pack for Vista... As Engadget reports:
Interestingly enough, "various unnamed sources" have purportedly stated that Microsoft is actually prepping Vista's very first service pack beta (aw, how cute) for a "mid-July release." To be precise, word on the street is pointing towards July 16th, but the final version of Vista SP1 isn't slated to land until "sometime in November."
Ok it really validates both versions of the rumor :)
Microsoft readying Vista's first service pack beta for July release? - Engadget

--MissM

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 07-08-07

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

Links from the Gregg Zone!

1) To start off this round I thought I would put up a site that can help you sort out some of the crazier stuff we get sent to us. I have gotten so many emails, chain letters with the most unbelievable stuff, the example am using is a recent email I got about a mule attacking a mountain lion. The best way to check these out is either at snoops here is the link to the mule story. http://www.snopes.com Another good place to investigate these would be at About.com they had five versions of the letter, snoops had two, but included an interesting history. Here’s the about link. http://urbanlegends.about.com

2) This is for the people out there who like to use herbs, this is the best herb site I have found, lots of information with out the sales pitch I play here a lot and have not seen an ad for anything. If this is an area of interest to you will be glad you checked this out. http://www.henriettesherbal.com

3) Being here in Alaska and trying to understand why I have so much trouble adjusting to the 22 hours of light, yea the days are that long. Any it has been driving my circadian rhythms totally out of whack, since I got here, not sure what to expect when I get back to Las Vegas, but anyway doing a little research on the subject I ran across this site from Australia on Edgar Casey I linked an article on light and the pineal gland, melatonin, light, jet lag, and their relationships pretty interesting. http://www.cayce.egympie.com.

4) And to close it out for the week a little shot for the c2c group. If you are a fan I know you are familiar with this guest Dr. Turi, he was pretty accurate with his predictions. If you have not visited his site it has some interesting reading. http://www.drturi.com

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

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

Jack

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

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

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

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

How Vista Lets Microsoft Lock Users In

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

Jack

Boing Boing: Laptop typewriter mod

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

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

Microsoft July updates

To quote the blog post:

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

The complete post is here.

--MissM

AMD posts blatantly deceptive benchmarks on Barcelona

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

Jack

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

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

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

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 07-01-07

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

Rival malware gangs wage turf war

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

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 07-01-07

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

The Gregg Zone !!

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

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

Alan Kay: The PC Must Be Revamped!

Alan Kay has won a Turing Prize and (obviously) has spent a lot of time thinking about personal computers. He considers the PC as we know it to not have lived up to it's potential. In this essay from February of this year, he explains how and why.

I find this sort of thing fascinating and hope you do as well.

Enjoy,
Jack

Proof that Al Gore Really Did Invent the Internet

Enjoy,
Jack

Name that parallel processing machine 100X faster than current PCs -- seriously

The contest is not the story, nor is the fact that someone tied a boat-load of processors together. The news is the new software that ties it all together. Evidently, real progress has been made.

This is the sort of stuff that excites me (which leads my wife to say I need to get out more). I'm trying to understand the nuts and bolts of the advance, but I have to admit that this really is rocket science and I'm not up to grasping it all. Not by a long shot!

The big deal is that if this advance makes it to "real life" computing on our desktops we could see performance that would have been reserved for mainframes or small clusters a decade ago, or less. Just the thought of that gets me salivating like Pavlov's dogs.

Jack

Donations to Help Keep Seti Alive

I know many of us here participate in SETI@HOME. They need money. If you can spare $10 please donate. I have.

Parachute formation video

This is too kewl. An amazing production. [h/t Dvorak for the link]
--MissM

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 06-24-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 06-24-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Kudos to Dell

Earlier this year, I bought a refurb computer from Dell. The boys needed to be upgraded from 98, not to mention other system updates (those darn games need great video). Its a nice system, Intel Dual Core, 2GB RAM, DVD+R, DVD-R/W, 256MB Video RAM, for less than $600 as I recall. Before we went on vacation,
the power blinked off, during a storm, and when the power came back on the Dell gave me a BSOD. Restarting didn't fix it, and I didn't have time to look at it before vacation. [time lapse music here]
Booted the Dell, to see if the computer elves had done their magic, but alas, no joy. The error message on the BSOD said "Unmountable_boot_volume." Next boot, I hit F12 and selected HD Diagnostics, and once the sector read errors started, all blocks subsequent failed, with an IRQ timeout message. I went to Dell's support site, and selected the chat support option (since I tried to search for the error message and only received BIOS doesn't detect my hard drive fixes). A new window opened and I was connected with a Dell Support Agent (Shirish). I passed on the same info as above, and the Agent told me that the hard drive had failed and they would send another. I told them that I was comfortable installing it myself. I passed on the serial number of the drive, my address was confirmed. Shirish asked if there was anything other issues and I told her that I would like the installation discs shipped also. The reply "No problem." Shirish was very pleasant to chat with, and within 5 minutes of the window opening, I had a very satifactory resolution to my problem. I confirmed I would get email status reports and closed the window. Next day, DHL delivered my hard drive! I expected it after the weekend, at best, but it arrived the next day. Today, I received a follow up call from Dell, and told them how pleased I was at the speedy service.
I myself have blogged about Dell's various forays into an online presence, both their successes and stumbles (often in the same post). Oops, looks like Jack has blogged about Dell more. :)
Kudos to Dell!!

Analysis: DRM may be why Microsoft flip-flopped on Vista virtualization

This ComputerWorld story is plausible enough, though you might have to put on your tinfoil hat to get through it. Still, I have my doubts. Please; tell me what you think; jackAToncomputers.info

Jack

Links from the Gregg Zone!

1) To start off the week, this is a quick link for a colorgenics test, kind of interesting it gives you a personality reading based on your color preferences. Like a horoscope, not sure where I stand on either of those issues, I had my horoscope done a while ago, and was very impressed with the results.
http://www.i-am-bored.com/

2) Just in case you missed it I thought I would put up a link to the largest pyramid found on earth in Bosnia? That’s right, check it out, when you get to the link click on the arrow on the right it will take you to the next page where there are a couple of videos, and links. http://www.bosnianpyramid.com/ It sure surprised me, I ran across this a while back, if you want more on it just google, there has been quite a lot written on it.

3) This is a link to a blog Jack sent me about colonizing other planets. I have not had a chance to read it as I write this, but will check it out in the morning. http://www.antipope.org

Vista – XP Downgrade Rights – Hot Microsoft Subject

Sorry I have not been blogging this week. I've had one of "those" weeks. Nothing wrong but a lot more to do than usual.

I can't count the mentions of this I have seen this week. I chose this particular article because it lacks the hysterical tone so many of the others had. Personally; I could not force Vista on any company with which I deal. I downgrade them to XP, period! Evidently a LOT of others feel the same.

Jack

Beware! from BBC NEWS || Hackers target 'legitimate' sites

Hot off my RSS feed. The BBC reports:
More than 10,000 websites have become unwitting hosts of malicious software, say security experts.

Those visiting the hijacked pages risk having keylogging software installed on their PC if it is not protected with the latest patches.

The webpages compromised are all legitimate sites devoted to subjects such as tax, jobs, tourism and cars.

The sites are thought to have been booby-trapped using a malware kit, called MPack, sold commercially online.
[snip]
Security experts say the attack code is "browser aware" and will tune its attack depending on the web browsing software used by a visitor. Attack code is present for Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera.

The article concludes with "Many anti-virus companies have already updated their security software to defend against the attacks used in this outbreak." Be careful surfing out there!
--MissM

BBC NEWS | Technology | Hackers target 'legitimate' sites

On Computers Radio Show Podcast 06-17-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 06-17-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same file here via ftp.

22 Confessions Of A Former Dell Sales Manager

This article on The Consumerist magazine's web site probably would have faded from view without getting all that much attention were it not for the fact that Dell went to some length to have it pulled (unsuccessfully).

There are some tips here for purchasing Dell hardware, especially computers, and for dealing with Dell's notorious offshore support structure.

I thought some of you might want to know.

Jack

The Gregg Zone !!

1) First up, not sure how many of you are Leno fans, but if you have not been to “Leno’s Garage” it is well worth checking out. He has a very large collection, and has a video for most of them. Some are incredibly interesting. Did you know the electric car was in New York just after the turn of the century, complete with charging stations all over the city? Check out Lenos video on the 1909 Baker. Think hybrids are new not so, check out; Lenos 1916 Owens Magnetic. Just a couple of things found here. http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/

2) Speaking of cars and concepts have you heard about the new “Automotive X Prize” not exactly a small reward for doing something cool, more like a super prize for solving a large problem? As in twenty-five million dollars, for a car that meets the standards they are looking for. The average Ford Model T got twenty five miles per gallon of gas; the average car today gets eighteen. So what went wrong, the X prize people are putting their money where their mouth is, trying to fix this problem. This first link is for a New York Times article http://www.nytimes.com, this next link here is for the X Prize site with rules and guide lines. http://www.xprize.org/

3) One of my interests is the effect of changes in our society generated by our ever changing internet; this next series of sites is along that line. It seems YouTube is going to get into politics, I suppose when you think about it they have been having an effect for a long time. This is an article about the project up coming; You Tube is going to formulate a platform using YouTube to present questions in an up coming democratic debate, personally I can’t wait. http://www.iht.com

Microsoft, Mozilla execs respond to Safari on Windows announcement

I think it is fair to say the industry response to Safari for Windows ranges from lukewarm to non-existent.

We'll be talking about it Sunday, but for now, trust me; there is no reason to get excited unless you've installed Safari and gotten hacked.

Jack

10 reasons why the Black Hats have us outgunned

This is realistic and so a bit depressing. However; it's told with just a bit of humor, is relatively short and well written. Well worth your time.

Jack

FBI Unveils Movable Feast with 'Operation Bot Roast' - Security Fix

The Security Fix column at the Washington Post is an excellent column, and today's details an FBI investigation about botnets. The article begins:

The FBI said today it has identified more than 1 million personal
computers that have been infected with computer worms enabling the attackers to control PCs for criminal purposes such as sending spam, spreading spyware and attacking Web sites.

The FBI used details it gleaned from an ongoing investigation called "Operation Bot Roast" to highlight a few recent arrests of individuals accused of running botnets and to raise public awareness about the problem, which the agency called "a growing threat to national security, the national information infrastructure and the economy."

go read the rest of the article and let us know what you think in comments.
--MissM

FBI Unveils Movable Feast with 'Operation Bot Roast' - Security Fix

Larholm.com | Safari for Windows, 0 day exploit in 2 hours

As Aaron poster earlier, Safari browser was announced Monday early, and available for download later in the day. But, it only took 2 hours to find an exploit, as the article below explains.

I downloaded and installed Safari for Windows 2 hours ago, when I started writing this, and I now have a fully functional command execution vulnerability, triggered without user interaction simply by visiting a web site. I will not sell this one to ZDI or iDefense but instead release it here, as I have done lately with a number of 0day vulnerabilities. This place is where you get my latest research [link below or in title]:)

Larholm.com - Me, myself and I � Safari for Windows, 0 day exploit in 2 hours

--MissM
[h/t GeekBrief.tv ]

Quick First Review of the Dell Ubuntu Notebook Computer Inspiron E1505N

"Quick First Review" does not really reveal much. No faults and a happy camper on first impressions. I just thought to post this for those who are curious.

My pal George got his Inspiron 1505N the other day. Much to my frustration, he did not unpack it before reporting to the hospital to have his appendix out. Best wishes, George, but my patience is wearing thin and I'm about to break into your house to try the thing out and satisfy my curiosity. (Just kidding.)

Jack

Four Critical Fixes Coming for Windows, IE, Mail

eweek writes:
Microsoft will send out six security bulletins, four of them for problems rated "critical," the company's highest severity rating, on Patch Tuesday, June 12. All four of the most serious vulnerabilities, in Windows and in IE, can lead to systems getting hijacked.

Three of the critical problems are in Windows; one is in Internet Explorer, one is in Outlook Express and Windows Mail, and there is one "important" fix for Visio. Also, a moderate bug has been found in Windows.

Four Critical Fixes Coming for Windows, IE, Mail
--MissM

Safari for Windows

I don't know if this belongs in the "heck" freezes over category, but Apple has released its Safari browser for Windows.

Any takers?

Vista not playing well with IPv6

This has been known for a while, but not widely because it is far from being a problem for everyone. I'm not actually sure how many folks it affects at all. I post this because if you know about it you might be able to solve some otherwise baffling network problems.

Jack

Mac vs. PC cost analysis: How does it all add up?

The "math" in this Computer World article is suspect, in my opinion.

I'd buy a Mac in a heartbeat if I had that sort of money. But I'd run Linux on it. If I left the Mac OS X on it, I'd have to purchase a LOT of software to meet all my needs. There just isn't a lot of freeware or free/open source software (FOSS) for the Mac and the proprietary stuff I would have to purchse is expensive. That's where the big difference lies for me. With the PC and Windows, I can use FOSS to fill out my software needs. With Linux, all my needs are met with FOSS. But with the Mac OS X, I would have to buy a lot of additional software.

Even with all that, this is an interesting comparison. Just don't trust other people's numbers too far.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 06-10-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 06-10-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

The Gregg Zone !!

1) First up this week I have just run across a computer thing that has me concerned. They are called web beacons, and I’m hoping to generate some discussion on the radio show Sunday about them. I use some yahoo services and when I ran across articles talking about these web beacons I started asking questions, and not liking the answers, at least so far. You might want to “opt out” on these if you yahoo.

http://www.rense.com

http://antivirus.about.com

2) Next up, how about alchemy. This is an interesting site, to read about alchemy, mostly PDF files; it was interesting to me to read the papers originally written a very long time ago. Translated into language of our time, I have to wonder would some one vocalize such concepts, with the limited vocabulary of those days. It would be necessary to express complex ideas in terms of that day. While I’m sure we do a very good job with verbatim translation of the words. I’m not so sure we do well with the innuendo’s and slang of the time, it is difficult enough for me to follow today’s vernacular when there are regional, national, racial, terms and phrases that elude me entirely. For instance I was captivated for a while reading the “Golden chain of Homer” the parallels kept popping into my brain. How would someone of that time describe concepts of modern science? Somehow even if the subject was expressed well for the language of the day, and contained great detail, I fear the translators would favor views that supported their beliefs, they did not have the equipment to run an experiment, therefore they must have meant something else. Anyway if you have ever wondered about alchemy this might be worth checking out. http://www.hermetics.org

3) Just for fun have you ever played at the “Where’s George” site they will track a bill what ever denomination you want, if you get a stamped bill you can see where it has been, or at least where it was recorded by some one like me, I usually go there and write a short note, where I got it. I got one the other day here in Alaska, on the site I found it was last recorded in Vancouver Washington. Where someone had went out on the town with Drake, Larson, and Kristi, to “spend a lot of where’s George bills” it traveled 1,534 miles in 77 days 6 hours and 38 minutes, or 20 miles a day. I can keep a log of various bills. I was doing this when I was in Las Vegas, and found it interesting. http://www.wheresgeorge.com

Symantec tests bot-killer

Here is what seems like a good idea. It's NOT ANTI-VIRUS. It's software that examines the behavior of executables and deals with them if it thinks they're bot controlling software.

It's a free and open beta if you want to give it a shot.

Jack

Anatomy of the Linux kernel

Ever wonder how an operating system kernel works? Just what it does and how it does it? How about the Linux kernel in particular?

This page at the IBM Developer Works site will tell you a lot, in language anyone can understand, without being "dumbed down". Quite an accomplishment, that. It's not a tremendously long read. Just one extended page, and it has some diagrams that will help you understand things.

I recommend this one highly.
Jack

Kaspersky, Grisoft, F-Secure fail VB100 security test

I post this mostly for those who are running AVG, which is Grisoft's anti-virus. It might be time for a change.

Jack

courant.com | Amero Granted New Trial

I had mentioned this travesty of justice before, and this week was supposed to be sentencing, which could have been up to 40 years. As a result of a state police forensics examination AFTER the guilty verdict, the judge ruled that a new trial was in order. I've posted the highlights of an article pointed to by the Sunbelt Blog.

NEW LONDON -- A Superior Court judge Wednesday granted a new trial for Julie Amero, 40, a Norwich substitute teacher whose faulty computer spewed pornographic images in her seventh grade classroom. [snip]

But today, Smith [the prosecuting attorney] said state would take no position on Dow's motion for a new trial, making it unlikely she will be tried again. Smith also acknowledged that erroneous information about the computer was presented during trial.

--MissM

courant.com | Amero Granted New Trial

Spyware skirmishes: Spy versus antispy

Yet another sordid tale of legislation, litigation and speculation over personal computer security. This one has the possibility of wide repercussions. An interesting read at CNet.

Jack

Inkjet images don't just fade; they can vanish

The link will take you to a New York Times article on CNet.

We've wondered aloud on the show about the longevity of CDR and RW as well as DVDR and RW media burned at home, but the subject of printed documents and photos has not come up, that I can recall. Here is a hint at the life expectency of photos printed on ink-jet printers. There isn't a lot of data here, because not a lot of reliable data exists. However; there is a rating system detailed here that may guide you when buying a new printer. Plus, there are web links that may take you to more data as it develops.

Jack

HP says no to Intel's Turbo Memory

A couple of listeners have gently chided me over my insistence that flash memory technology is really limited in how much of a performance boost you can get out of it. Now, HP agrees with me. (I will not say that I told you so, but I did tell you so, didn't I?)

Everyone else will jump on the bandwagon because they can, while it appears HP alone will take a realistic and pro-consumer stance on this.

Jack

Web, computer "widgets" offer branding opportunities

Don't you just love how we are hit (and hit hard) by web advertising at every turn?

While some of the widgets offered may indeed be desireable, at least to some, all this seems to me to be another way for advertisers to clutter up my desktop, load my system and generally degrade my computing experience.

We will have to see how this comes out, but I have little hope.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 06-03-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 06-03-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

APOD: 2007 June 3 - Shuttle Plume Shadow Points to Moon

This picture was too pretty to not post :)
Good morning. Join us (info here) to listen and chat live!

--MissM
APOD: 2007 June 3 - Shuttle Plume Shadow Points to Moon

P.S. posting the url of the picture never works, or I'm too impatient :P

The Gregg Zone !!

1) First up this week online calculators; this is where I started with personal calculators, for travel expenses, tax returns, currency, mortgage, investment returns and finances, http://www.btimes.co.za/This is where I wound up, a site I found for online calculators that is very extensive. Want to calculate carbon decay? How about calculating how much water to use on your corn crop, based on time and temperature charts for your county? This site has calculator links for everything 28,880 of them, by 4,415 contributing individuals, and businesses. http://www.martindalecenter.com

Here is another site with some interesting decision making tools, like memory tools and tricks, time management, problem solving, etc. Mostly free, but you can spend money if you want. I liked the tools here quite a lot, and will be back to try and find some new ways to teach this old dog some new tricks. http://www.mindtools.com/

2) The rest of today is about savants, this line of interest was rekindled in me due to seeing a kid on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show”. An amazing six year old kid playing the piano, not only could he play, and remember over 200 songs. But, what I found almost as amazing as his piano skills; was the interview part of the show. I thought his language and understanding skills, were almost as impressive. In the interview part of the show he was more like a high school age kid or young adult, than a six year old kid. I have two sites here for you, this first one is about his Leno appearance http://www.accesshollywood.com, and this second one is a link to Ethan’s web page, where you can not only find his repertoire, complete with videos for a lot of them, but also his history, event schedule, and other tidbits you might find interesting.. http://ethansmusicsite.com/

3) Watching the Leno show sparked memory of a B.B.C. documentary I had seen quite a while back. I remembered how impressed I was with the subject matter, which I thought was some how related to this kid playing the piano, I was driven to do a search on the net. Google rules!! This is a very cool program. The movie is about a young boy savant, but he is different because, he is not impaired like most other savants, and he is far more rounded in his abilities. The movie is about B.B.C. taking him to several universities here in the states for testing, he does some impossible math, including reciting pi out to 25,000 decimals, stops at the correct place without assistance, and he does it without a single error it took him 5 ½ hours. While on trip with B.B.C. he learned a new language in one week (Icelandic one of the most difficult). In a previous interview somewhere, he had said he could learn a language in seven days, so the B.B.C challenged him to do it in route, while on the trip he learned the new language in one week (Icelandic one of the most difficult). I suppose I could draw a thousand parallels to implications with the Leno show. For instance, pay close attention to the kid hit in the head playing stick ball in New York, after getting hit; he gets up, and suddenly has a remarkable (to say the least) ability, if you give him a date, any date, he can tell you not only what day of the week it falls on, but if since his accident he can also tell you the weather in his town. Here is the B.B.C. movie link, “The Boy, With the Incredible Brain” (48 min.) http://video.google.com Now my question to you, would be… should you chose to try and answer, is this; Given that incredible stunt in Las Vegas on the B.B.C. trip (intuition over memory), a three year old boy is playing a piano without lessons (and at six he’s on Leno), a kid hit in the head can do past weather reports, even though he never read them. A boy of two is able to read, and memorize the first several volumes of the encyclopedia; he knows the alphabet, and how to read, without being taught, in the video he sits down and plays a piano as an adult without lessons (interested? See next link). What I want to know is where does the information come from? Can I learn to do this; is it possible for me to do this also, after all the kid from New York was an acquired savant, so can I also acquire it? Answer: Yes!!!! See the last link entry.

4) The next link is for “Tim Peak the Real Rain Man”; they speak for them selves, just amazing stuff. http://www.youtube.com/The link is for a 5 part google movie, but a google search on rain man will bring up a lot more.

5) Just in case you want to be a “savant for a day” I have a links for that, first a link to a New York Times article on how it is done, and what to expect, here’s that. http://www.nytimes.com Now for a place to visit where you can experiment with the process http://www.transcranial-magnetic-stimulation.com/

The Ultimate Reset Button

A stylish, emphatic and dramatic way to deal with "Bill's Revenge." What more can I say?

Jack

Yoggie Pico offers a Linux-based firewall inside a USB key

I guess this is more than just a gadget, but it's tempting to dismiss it as one. I'd really like to see some tests, but the idea is interesting and if it works as advertised it might be the cure for some folks. Besides a firewall, there are other security apps that make network access away from home safer.

Give it a look. I think you too will like what you see.
Jack

Apple plugs two QuickTime holes

The link will take you to the appropriate download page. You know who you are.

Jack

Review: Vista, XP Users Equally At Peril To Viruses, Exploits

The link is to part 1 of a 3 part article that concludes Vista is only marginally safer than XP. This is one to follow.

Jack

Microsoft Announces Surface

Major Nelson's Blog was the first video I saw of Surface, and its impressive. Major Nelson writes:

That’s the big rumor that was burning through the web today. Todd over at the Seattle PI has a write up on the official announcement tonight, and more importantly…videos (like the one above) that demonstrate the concept. Here are more stories on Surface from Google News.
--MissM

P.S. There's a woot-off goin' on!! (You can tell cause of the flashing lights, check out the forum for a list of what they've had and woot trackers) :)

Google acquires 'sandbox' technology for secure browsing

Here's something really interesting, though there is no real indication where it will lead. Even so; another skilled and sizeable player in the war against malware is welcome. This short article announcing Google's entry into security matters is interesting and has links to the software they just acquired that still work.

Jack

In the Overkill Dept; Panasonic premieres 12.2 megapixel compact

This really is overkill. There is no other word to describe it. I know there are some folks who really do need very high resolutions but the rest of us simply don't need it. I have to regard this sort of camera as a reflection on how cheap disk storage is, and little more.

Gail has been educating me on cameras of late and I may change my tune, but for now, I have to regard this as an unnecessary luxury.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 05-27-07

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 05-27-07. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.
This is just a 2 hour show, we lost our internet connection at the start of the show today.

The Gregg Zone !!

1) This is a copy of an email I got today, thought it might be an interesting subject to talk a moment about it, in regard to how the internet is changing the way things are done in a post-connected world, we can Donate to a charity not with money, but a min. of time to click.

Subject: free food for animal shelters
Hi, all you animal lovers. This is pretty simple... Please tell at least ten friends to tell ten today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals.
It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on the purple box "fund food for animals" for free. This doesn't cost you a thing.
Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising.
Here's the web site! Pass it along to all the people you know.

_www.theanimalrescuesite.com_ (http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/)

AGAIN, PLEASE TELL AT LEAST 10 FRIENDS!!!

Thanks,

2) I kind of like subjects that go against the status-quo, because they stretch my perception. This is about one of those; http://michaelnetzer.com/ this site has the audio with no commercials, and a pretty decent review of Art Bell’s interview with Neil Adams about the Expanding Earth Theory. If you are not familiar with this theory, which not only counters continental drift, but also the very formation of the universe. You really should check it out. It sure made a lot of sense to me. I would also suggest running a youtube search, and check out some of the video’s.

3) This is a site that was suggested to me by Jack, he seems to understand the kind of stuff I like to cruse. This is pretty neat site for those who have an interest scientific side of things, they have open sourcing publication of science papers. It is interesting to see how ideas are presented, and some insight into the process. http://www.plos.org/