Fake MP3s Running Rampant

McAfee and others are calling this the most severe malware outbreak in the last few years, though they do not rate it all that highly.

This post is interesting both for how it demonstrates malware authors trying to cloak themselves in an air of legitimacy and how they rely on users not reading the EULA that is trying to make them look on the up and up.

Jack

Windows XP SP3 is out!

Windows XP SP3 came out yesterday, You can get it from Windows Updates.
I guess Microsoft fixed the problem they had.

Joe

Privacy and Preference Settings in Adobe Flash

Privacy settings in Flash are a well kept secret. Well, that might be too strong a statement. At least I know I rarely thought about them. Here's Adobe's take on how to go about setting them.

This is well worth a good look.

Jack

OpenSolaris 2008.5

If you want to try a "true Unix", meaning one that has descended fairly directly from the original AT&T source tree, whether via Berkeley or not, this is your shot. Linux is not a Unix, though it is closely related and structured in the same way. (That sort of statement can cause endless argument, so please let it go and move on :))

The link above will take you to a personal blog/review of OpenSolaris 2008.5 by one Bill Beebe that I thought pretty nice. (One of those "I wish I had written that" things.)

Jason Perlow, writing on ZDNet, has a real "rah-rah" take on it, here.

And the Practical Technology blog has a very odd take on Open Solaris, predicting more or less that it has arrived just in time to be killed off. No, really. See that here.

Jack

Read all about it… before it disappears

Paper that sheds it's ink in 24 hours. You can reprocess it or simply let it fade, then print on it again after it has been stripped.

I have no idea what to make of this one. If you read it real fast, it sounds like a grand thing. But I wonder what will happen when someone prints a valuable document for archiving on this stuff by accident. Still, it's interesting.

Jack

MicroSoft drops the bid for Yahoo

As Aaron mentioned on the show today, MicroSoft has dropped their bid for Yahoo. But from across the pond, we have views from the BBC's Time Weber, short and kind of interesting read.

Quite the turn around from Ballmer's statements early last week that they would be putting forth their plans for Yahoo.

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 05-04-08

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 05-04-08. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Ubuntu Hardy Heron: Beyond the Hype and into the Dilemma

Bruce Byfield has written a pretty good review of Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron's place in the market. He concentrates mainly on the tension between "free" software and proprietary extensions. For those of you who have wondered exactly what that argument is about, this is for you. Byfield lays it all out succinctly and accurately.

I'm an Ubuntu fan. I'm a Linux and free software advocate. There are problems in paradise, though, and Byfield has laid them out in an easy to understand form. Well worth your time.

Jack

Review: PsyStar OpenComputer

The link above will take you to a short review at OS News.com and here is CNet's take on one of the machines offered.

I think it is safe to say that the company is trying to pull this off. It is not a scam. However, I will still excercise and preach caution as it might be easy for PsyStar to either get swamped under the demand or crushed by Apple's lawyers, whether temporarily or permanently.

Jack

The ABCs of securing your wireless network

Ars Technica gives you the basics. If you haven't, or even if you have secured your wireless router, you might want to read this article.

Man gets prison after hundreds of thousands of spam e-mails - Boston.com

One down, infinite number left to go.

XP SP3 not generally available yet, after all | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com

"Microsoft has decided not to release Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 to Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center as planned on April 29. The reason? A last-minute compatibility issue with a Microsoft application — Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS)."
I guess we have to wait a little longer for XP SP3.

Joe

Getting to Know the Nabaztag Internet Rabbit

You can tell by my nick that I have something of an attachment to rabbits, though I won't go into that here.

I have looked at the Nabaztag rabbit for a while now, but have given up on most articles about it because they are simply too dense. Mac Tidbits has finally reviewed it right.

Jack

Psystar delivers Hackintosh

That the company is delivering small numbers (and there is only evidence for a very few deliveries, yet) does not make this a wise investment. However; PsyStar is headed in the direction of proving themselves worthy of our money. Let's see how they do before sending off checks, though.

ALL early reports are very good.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 04-27-08

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 04-27-08. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.
Remember the pictures from Geek Meet 2008 are up, you can click here to see them.

Links from the Gregg zone

1) Well, we are going to start the week green, I ran across this site following a link about green gasoline. A very promising breakthrough announced earlier this month April 7, in the magazine Chemistry & Sustainability a publication in the biomass field. Link to the article here http://www.nextenergynews.com it seems they have found a new process for handling stuff like switchgrass, cottonwood, woodchips, cornhusks, and the like into green gasoline. The process is cheap and produces a product almost exactly like gasoline, even can be used as jet fuel. The carbon footprint for the process is almost zero, and produces electricity as a by-product to the process. The other thing I like about this site is an extensive amount of videos concerning everything from electric cars and alt. fuels, to geothermal and wind power. A very interesting site, you should not miss this one if the subject interest you.

2) This is along the same line, here is a video I looked up due to a reference on the Jay Leno show, actually, there are several of them here, but this one caught me because you can do it today. Leno commented that he uses zero gas to commute back and forth to work. His Prius hybrid prototype uses only electric power for the first forty miles, his commute is twenty, he plugs it in when he gets to work. Later I saw an interview with a couple of guys who have an add-on conversion kit to boost the Prius hybrid up to 100+ mpg. That got me googling the conversion cost is currently about three thousand dollars installed in one day, which will come down. It can be reversed to the point you can use it on a lease car, remove it and they will not be able to detect it was ever there. http://www.youtube.com

3) This is a link to a short article I ran across I thought some of you might be interested in. Seems that Sony one of the most vocal music piracy companies, is being sued by a small software company for using pirated software in Sony computers. An ironic twist if there is any thing to it. http://www.news.com.

4) However, that previous story link is nothing compared to one Jack sent me about a Rupert Murdoch firm going on trial for tech sabotage. This one reads like a spy novel, the cast of characters include hired hackers, former intelligence agents, Canadians, TV pirates, Bulgarian and German hackers, a UK-Israeli firm, the Israel domestic security agency, a research lab in Haifa, would-be terrorist Yossi Tsuria, code breakers, people disappearing only to be found hanging in the park, I mean this sounds more like a TV movie than a trial over TV smart cards. http://www.wired.com

5) To wrap it up for the week another link sent to me by Jack about one of my favorite things, duct tape. I cannot begin to recall one tenth of the times duct tape has saved my day. I think it is one of the greatest inventions of all time, at least for the handy-person around the house. I had no idea that it was used on the moon to save the day for the Lunar-Lander. What I found most surprising was the comment about it being under the seat in the space ship, I thought the weight factor would have prohibited any such thing. You just have to read this; it will win a beer at the local pub trivia contest every time. http://science.nasa.gov

Between black and white: the state of grayware on the PC

An interesting article at Ars Technica. Well worth your time.

A listener wrote in with a series of related questions after last week's show and I'm actually doing something of an investigative bent to answer then and present what I find on the show, either next week or the week after that.

There is an awful lot of deception in software. Especially in freeware supposed to enhance security. Bundled toolbars with absolutely no notice to the user is probably the most common fault. But there are too many to count. Really.

At any rate; this is a pretty good and fairly concise overview of the problem.

Jack

Microsoft Takes Back the Music

Well, we've been wondering when this would happen. MS is not the first to lock subscribers out of legally purchased music files and they surely won't be the last.

The sub-header on the article reads "choose piracy" and, frankly, while I am not advocating that at all, it looks more and more attractive.

Jack

This Week's QuickTime Zero-Day Hits Windows XP, Vista

This should have been posted yesterday, but I missed it. I'm sorry for that.

It is, I think, time to say that friends don't let friends use QuickTime.

Jack

A Reasonable Successor to CAPTCHA?

The page explains how it works and allows you to try it out.

With the completely automated cracking of CAPTCHA images an accomplished fact, we are in desperate need of a successor to tell the bots and the humans apart. This one seems to do it, and without changing everything in the world to get it up and working. Check it out.

Jack

"Single Core Systems are History"

It's not like most of you haven't already figured this out and I hope I'm not being somehow offensive by posting something so glaringly obvious and proposing you read it. It's really nice to see it all in one place, though. The arguably best reason for pointing you to this is so you can bookmark it to show to those who really don't get it when you encounter them.

Jack

Geek Meet 2008 Pictures are posted

Sorry for the delay, but the pictures from Geek Meet 2008 are now posted at http://geekmeet.oncomputers.info.

Thanks to all that came out.

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 04-20-08

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 04-20-08. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

There is a minute or so gap when I lost my internet connection about 2 ½ hours into the show.
AlaskaJoe

RSA Conference 2008 - Keynote Webcast Schedule

I thought that some might enjoy access to the conference video or "interactive webcast," from this past week's RSA conference available. Sadly, no audio only...


RSA Conference 2008 - Keynote Webcast Schedule
--MissM

Links from the Gregg zone

1) My first couple of links today are going to be a little on the dark side. I have always been, intrigued by the question. What makes humans, my-self included do the things we do? It is amazing to me to watch people acting in ways that I find completely incomprehensible. From world leaders, to the people living next door, I often find my-self running away from that old saying, “if everyone else seems crazy, maybe it’s you”. Anyway, I thought I would post a couple of links about psychological tests I ran across during my net surfing; they were controversial when first conducted; and could not be done today due to ethics. However, they are enlightening when you look at some of the actions of the people around us. http://www.youtube.com

2) The second link is similar to the first one another experiment done a few years later at Stanford College, this is in three parts. They do reference the last link here, but they carry it a little further. This experiment ended early, but it was incredibly interesting how supposedly normal people can morph into roles that go against their basic nature. I wonder how bad it would have become had they went the full two-weeks. http://www.youtube.com/

3) These next links also delve into the workings of our brain, body, and consciousness. The first link is to an article, I ran across in the Daily Mail about a hypnotist who put himself under for an 83 min. operation on his arm to have a bone growth chiseled off, using a hammer and chisel after cutting him open, no anesthetic. http://www.dailymail.co.uk I have used self-hypnosis in the past. Not to this degree, but the article got me to look around to see what is available on the net, because I did enjoy the experience. Here is some of what I found. My first thought was an old friend, Mind Tools. http://www.mindtools.com Then I found this one a free online five-day audio course, I am thinking about it if I can make time I think I will try it. http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com

4) It’s time to lighten things up a bit, this link was sent to me by Jack, thanks. What we have here is a list of the “Ten Genius Inventions We’re Still Waiting For” put together by Popular Mechanics Magazine. Some future inventions here, but I can probably wait for most of them. http://www.popularmechanics.com

5) Last up a geek link, I have heard some negativity about Safari on the show off and on, so when I saw this I thought I would link it up. It seems PayPal is blocking it as an unsafe browser, and does not live up to their standard. Older versions of some other browsers will also be blocked, so if you are having problems an upgrade might help. http://www.thestandard.com

Blind users still struggle with 'maddening' computing obstacles

We, and especially Riley, have commented on this for years. Here is a succinct summary of the problems encountered by blind users, along with some information on remediation and tools available.

I was recently asked to re-write a web site to increase usability for the visually challenged. I had to turn it down. Why? Well, most of us who do HTML and derivatives never thought about the blind and so we did our sites in such a way that simply inserting "ALT" tags would do nothing to improve accessibility. Sites need to be designed for accessibility from the start. Once that is done, improving accessibility is really not that much work and surely not inconvenient beyond the needed labor. The site I was being asked to work on really needed to be completely redone, not just tarted up for the blind. Too big a job for the likes of me.

Jack

Firefox 2.0.0.14 released April 16th

Just a bug fix, no new features.
Quote from the release notes :
Fixed in Firefox 2.0.0.14
MFSA 2008-20 Crash in JavaScript garbage collector

Interesting though, when you go into the full details, they say the bug is fixed in Thunderbird 2.0.0.14 as well, but no update showing up there, yet. Still 2.0.0.12 showing for latest download.

"Web tripwires" reveal 1.3% of web pages altered in transit

As far as I'm concerned, this is just one more thing to be suspicious of with regards to the Internet.

That the practice is supposedly "benign" justifies nothing to me.

Jack

Mac Clone Maker Psystar Vows To Challenge Apple EULA

PsyStar, a Florida company specializing in storage rigs, announced their "Open Mac" product Monday and their site was immediately taken down......Slashdotted into oblivion. It's back up now, at least most of the time, so I felt it was time to post this.

Open Mac is a "Hackintosh"; Intel hardware that will run Apple's OS X without any modification to the code. Open Macs come with OS X installed, if you buy your copy from PsyStar. This is a violation of Apples license agreement and I waited over 24 hours for Job's Mob to squash PsyStar like a bug under a flood of legal writs. That didn't happen. Or at least it hasn't happened yet.

PsyStar has come out swinging on this; saying Apple gouges on hardware for the priviledge of running "what is arguably the best OS out there". They intend to change that. To accomplish their goal, they are going to have to challenge the Apple EULA (End User License Agreement). They have 3 possible avenues of attack, that I can see. One is to argue that the terms of the license are unenforceable. The second is to argue that the terms are unconscionable. I assume the third is to argue that Apple is basically objecting to free money for the product which they do not have to subsequently support, which is a very weak argument and probably won't actually come up. (If it does, it likely will be seen as without merit. After all; it IS Apple's property and they cannot be forced to sell it.)

This one is going to be a whole lot of fun to watch. Personally, I hope that PsyStar wins, though I doubt they can. Still, I am not a lawyer able to judge the case from afar and as everyone knows, stranger things have happened in courts.

Jack

First Look: Gimp 2.5.0 - UPDATED!

So far, the general consensus is that The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program, for those who might not know yet) is not quite a competitor for Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. Still, it's quite close. Close enough that I certainly am not qualified to judge. I simply don't work at that level in graphics.

In my opinion, and apparently the opinion of others, too, The GIMP's interface is even more confusing than that of it's competitors. As a result, the GIMP team has made a lot of changes. I think they are worth checking out. I'm a GIMP user on Windows or Linux and looking forward to them making more changes to make it easier for folks like me to use it profitably. I think this new release will be well worth your time to check out.

Jack

UPDATE: Here is Scott Gilbertson's Wired blog post on the subject, which seems an even better overview of things.

Jack

The Coming Processor War: Opening Salvo

Here's an interesting quickie from Lloyd Case at Extreme Tech. He makes the case that eliminating the graphics processor in favor of the CPU is entirely possible now and will only become more so and wonders how NVidia will respond to that.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 04-13-08

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 04-13-08. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.



Remember this was our Geek Meet 2008 show with video of the show, to see the live video you need the asf file from our archives mms://live.oncomputers.info/OCArchive/2008/04-13-08.asf

How much can you improve network throughput with a high-end NIC?

Hi. We are finally back online, after 75 hours without power. Sorry for the absence.

Here's a short article at Linux.com that I think everyone should read.

For ages, I have trolled for the lowest cost nics with a decent chipset. For a couple years, I was centered on Kingston parts, but they got out of the nic market. Now, I have failed spectacularly in finding cheap nics that work well. I have had to resort to nics costing 3-5 times as much to get decent performance and reliability.

Jack

Links from the Gregg zone

1) To start, the geek meet weekend show links this week I am posting a link to an article about storage of data. The goal of this group is to put a full petabyte of information on a single disc. To put that in perspective 20,000 times what fits on today’s blue ray disc or 200,000 DVD’s without increasing the size of the disc. They are looking at several options, such as, color spectrum, dimensions, layering, and nano technology. http://www.sciencealert.com.

2) This is a link I found the other day I thought was interesting it is the only free open internet-rating site. They provide audience profiles for over 20,000,000 sites. They are primarily for advertisers, but it is interesting to look up sites and see what type of audience is using the site. For instance, oncomputers ranks 859,387, mostly male, mostly over 55, mostly under 30k per year, mostly Asian, mostly no children in house hold. There is a statement that these results are based on insufficient data, and there is an option to “get qualified”, if we wanted, I suppose that would improve that accuracy http://www.quantcast.com/

3) Here is a very good audio/video site while there is an incredible amount of stuff here since this is geek meet I thought I would just highlight the computer section. Five-hundred-sixty items on the archives of the Computers Chronicles T.V. show broadcast for twenty years 1983-2002. Other shows available include The Digital Tipping Point, Net Café, Internet Governance, BBS Documentaries, several Linux groups. That is just part of the section covering the computer. I also found such things as the original ads for the Commodore, among many others. I found this stuff under Moving Images, browse from the main page. http://www.archive.org

4) A link to an article in Wired Magazine about the Chinese using Trojans to spy on us has spurred the latest Microsoft’s patches. Seems the Tibet issue is not limited as far as spying tactics are concerned when it comes to the Chinese Government. I am not sure I like the direction all this seems to be moving. http://www.wired.com

5) Last link before I have to head for downtown and meet the group for our prim-rib buffet at Fitzgerald’s casino, the ten weirdest computers. An article posted yesterday in the New Scientist Tech Magazine. I need to hurry so I’m just going to say here is the link, by. http://technology.newscientist.com

Adobe Launches Ad-Supported Media Player

In what has to be considered one of the most useless expenditures of corporate resources in recent memory, Adobe has launched a media player supported by advertising; a feature which just about guarantees it's not being adopted widely.

The link above will take you to The Inquirer's announcement. Here is Adobe's official page for it.

Ars Technica's Review is here.

Jack

EMC buys Iomega | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

Unfortunately, I don't believe this is news to many people, just an expected occurrence.

HP Admits to Selling Infected Flash-Floppy Drives

I post this not to embarass HP, but to illustrate that we are repeating history.

In the very old DOS days, the way to stay safe from events such as this was to format everything you got before you used it. Pre-formatted floppies encouraged poor practice in this regard, but those of us with a paranoid bent did it and everyone should have. Now, with flash drives, the modern floppy, we have the same problem. And the solution is the same.

If it is new, format it. If it comes with data or executables on it, scan it first, before doing anything else. Don't even open it and look at the contents before initiating the scan!

Jack

ISPs Hog Rights in Fine Print

It's just like software licenses. You sign away your rights and pledge your soul along with giving them your credit card details.

Periodically these things come under public scrutiny and occasionally they actually get made better for the consumer. Don't count on that happening this round in the cycle. Still, it's nice to see some public mention and the resulting chance the public awareness has been raised.

Jack

Apple Adds Anti-Hacker Features to QuickTime

You've all heard me rant about how media players are going to continue being one of the preferred attack vectors for the bad guys who want to compromise systems. Apparently Apple is tired of that truth and decided to do everything they can to stop it happening via QuickTime.

That's only to the good. How well Apple will succeed is open to question, as it appears [to me] that applications like media players are simply going to be vulnerable. Giving their best to these changes can only help users stay secure and, if they are really good, they might achieve a long period of "peace" where no new vulnerabilities are discovered for a while.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 04-06-08

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 04-06-08. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Spirit Of Knoxville: Autonomous Trans-Atlantic Balloon Project

University of Tennessee students have built 5 balloons that they release into the jet stream, and track via radio and gps. The goal? To get to Europe. They have released 4 balloons so far, and the launch is tonight! April 06, 2007 (00:00 GMT/20:00EDT) is the scheduled lift-off. They need help tracking it, and have links and software to send your results back (almost like an earth bound seti). Hmmm, They have on the website, they say 8:00pm EST, aren't we on EDT? Oh well... check the Launch page to findout. The last flight lasted 40 hours and ended up in Ireland. They also have live updates, once it has launched.

Spirit Of Knoxville: Autonomous Trans-Atlantic Balloon Project
update: The Latest News:
* Recovery plans underway. Volunteers heading to area. 42 minutes ago
* Balloon has landed in southwestern Virginia. The balloon plastic seems to have failed during the initial climb. more details may be posted about 3 hours ago
* Landing will occur within the next few hours in the US. The balloon envelope has failed, no reason has been hypothesis about 14 hours ago
[h/t GeekDad blog @ wired]

--MissM
P.S. Because I have ADD, I'm unable to limit this to one topic. :P If you just read this through RSS, you might want to click through to the site, to check out the links I share in my google reader, have our posts read to you and search amazon, plus any other things I'm experimenting with (mwahahaha). Please let me know if you have suggestions or comments here or by email missm.oncomputers at gmail.com . As always, thanks for reading and contributing SO much to our weblog!
Jane

Why modular Windows will suck for Microsoft and suck for you

Here is Peter Bright's ideas on what might be wrong with the model for the next Windows version, or at least what we know of it now. While I have not formed my thoughts on all this as yet (there being very little hard information on the subject out and about) I tend to agree with Bright's reasoning.

Even so; it's a bit early to get all worked up over this. So take it with a grain of salt and think about it as time unfolds the whole story.

Jack

Links from the Gregg zone

1) Well its geek meet in Las Vegas, links for the week are all about Vegas, I was ask about cheap things to do in town. The best site I found about having fun in Las Vegas while holding a tight grip on your wallet is this one. http://www.cheapovegas.com There is a lot of info here, and it seems to be legit. They seem to call it as they see it for good or bad, reading through it I agree with almost everything I saw. I am considering buying the American Casino Guide coupon book, with the site discount only $11.50. What interests me is table match play, the book has $80.00 meaning at say roulette I bet red for almost even odds, but win $160.00 for $80.00 risk. That I like, however you should look close at the list of offerings to be sure you will be at those locations.

2) This is a link to the free shuttles available between different properties, even if you are using a cab you can save a bunch by limiting the distances traveling to off strip properties should you decide to go to them. http://www.a2zlasvegas.com

3) Another option is the city bus service they are usually on schedule unless there is an accident, or breakdown. Those are rare this time of year, more frequent in summer. You can get a 24hr pass for the bus. They cost $2.50 on any line other than the strip, meaning any cross street going away from the strip. The 24hr pass for the strip bus cost $5.00; if you want to use the off strip pass on the strip route they charge an extra fifty cents each time. This is the City bus service link http://www.rtcsouthernnevada.com use the drop down menu on the left side hit Citizens Area Transit if you know the address just put them in the trip planer. The complete service schedule book, with maps bought on any bus for 25 cents. If you are, up late and want a nice way to see the strip and all the lights, take the bus to the terminal at either end. The buses run every ten min., so there are many busses you can get the second floor, front row seats nothing but window, ride to the other end with a terrific view, or get off any time.

Well it seems I should offer some advice about gambling, I am writing this from the review of my overall experience, not from an educated academic study based in the areas of math, statistical analysis, or anything like that. I have read numerous books on the various games, played many systems with various degrees of success and failure. I have developed opinions on playing most games. However, the most important thing to remember, casino gambling is a form of entertainment, not a way to make money, change or improve your life, play for entertainment only. If you break even you have won, it is like going to the movie, having a good time and having them refund your money as you leave. The most important thing is money management, set your parameters. Know at what point you will quit in advance, if I lose X amount of dollars I quit, but just as important if I win X amount of dollars I will quit. Personally, I play what I think of as plateaus usually based on either tens, or twenties. In other words say I start with twenty dollars and I get to thirty-five on a particular payoff, I will quit if I drop to thirty, however if continued play gets me to fifty-seven dollars I will then quit if I drop down to fifty. There is always a place to quit, go do something else, however there is no limit on the top end, only the bottom, once I win I am guaranteed to come home ahead, the only question is how much.

Black Jack:

I have a preferred method of playing this game that originated from a system on roulette I read about in a Gambling Times Magazine article. It requires very little skill, only varying the amount you bet on each hand. As far as game decisions are concerned, you just follow the rules of basic logic. Here is a link to print out a chart of what to do with the cards dealt to you. http://www.hundredpercentgambling.com This chart is for a four-deck shoe, the amount of decks will not matter for this play, the chart is just to provide guidance, and stop you from doing something dumb. I will talk in units of play be they dollars, five dollar chips, or whatever.

Start with twenty units, follow strategy chart, first bet two units, if you lose at any time the next bet is two units. In essence, what you have is ten starting seed bets of two units each. If you win the first bet, you will have four units your two and the two you won. Next bet is three units, set aside the one left over in a separate stack or put them in your pocket, these units are not replayed, considered profit/reserve. If you win the second bet, you will now have six units, and your next wager is five units. One goes into your profit/reserve; your risk on this series is now zero. If you win three in a row, you will be ahead ten units. Your next bet is two units taken from the ten, you just won; repeat this pattern until you lose the seed bet. Then start over with a new seed, when you have lost the last seed bet, leave the table.

A variation I like to play with this is to find a table with open seats next to me, and if I complete a series, play one more hand on two spots five units each. If I win both of those, I am up twenty units, if I win one lose one I am still up ten, lose both break even. There are some situations requiring added units involving splits, and double downs. An extreme example you are dealt a pair of eights, split, draw another eight, and a three, split the other eight, double down on the three, draw another three, and a two, double down on both of those, you have up to 25 units on this hand. This is very unusual but, remember as a rule these situations increase your advantage, which is why the math says to bet more.

Slots:

I play them, but not often. However, I can offer some insight on them. I worked for a while for a secure document destruction company here in Las Vegas, one of the jobs we did was to destroy randomizing chips from the machines, the ones in the slot machine that set the odds. When the casino wants to change the payout rate on a particular slot machine, they just change the chip. They printed the payback rates on the chip; they ranged from 98% to 63% on the ones I saw. Based on that knowledge, my opinion is that you are better off to only play a particular machine for say three to ten pulls and change machines. What are the chances you picked the best payback machine on that row? At least this way you get the average pay back for that row. Another thing I think is important is the pay table, say for example 2,500 for1 coin, 5,000, 2 for coins, 20,000 for 3 coins, the overall average percentage of return for that machine includes the large bonus for 3 coins. When playing these machines, you should play the max. If you are playing one or two coins, your chances of winning are less. If I wanted to play one coin, I would want something like 2,000 – 4,000 – 10,000, or maybe just 2 coins with out a bonus. The other thing here is the larger the big payout the more play required between payouts. If you are just killing time and not interested in a big payoff, you might prefer smaller pays, but more of them, stay away from the big multipliers, and the large jackpots. Also, beware of the Max. Play button! If you are playing a penny machine, the max button can be 500 units or more, at penny play that is five dollars; at a five-cent rate, your twenty is gone on the first spin.

Keno:

The worst odds in the casino, but I play this also sometimes. Better to play the machines for small amounts. I will play five dollars on nickel Keno, I play the way ticket games. I occasionally will throw a twenty at quarter keno machine; play a seven or six spot to kill time, but only if I am up quite a bit, and feel lucky. If you want to play live Keno, I would suggest the way tickets for smaller wagers, as low as 40 cents a way most places.

Baccarat:

Baccarat can be a very good game to play, and it is one of the easiest to play. There are only two bets, player and house. I play the same as I play Black Jack, with the wagering format. I usually play whatever won the last hand, looking for three player wins, or three banks, wins in a row. The other option just play bank. Another way to play is to look for a successful player, watch his chip stack off and on while wandering around. Some players are very adept at this game, find one you like just sit down and do what he does.

Craps:

I think I would like this game to much, so I avoid it. Sorry.

Pia Gow:

Pia Gow is the best table game to play if you just want to play a long time for your money, if you are not interested in winning a bunch, or worried about losing this is a great game.You break even on most hands, win a few and lose a few, but at a five-dollar table, you can play for a long time without losing much. The game is much easier than it looks, watch a few hands, sit down you can ask the dealer, or someone at the table how to set your hand. They are usually very nice to new players, and they expect questions, all you need to play is a basic understanding of the ranking of poker hands.

Video Poker:

Video poker is my personal favorite, but unless you have devoted some time to study these games, I would caution against playing them a lot. They are a game of skill and as such to get close to the expected rate of return will require an investment of time, patience, and study. There are many different teaching aides available. If interested take a trip to the gamblers bookstore (11^th and Charleston), a great bookstore with gambling books and systems. You can buy programs for your computer that will train you to play the various games correctly; as you play, they tell you when you make a mistake, how much that error will cost you over time, and the correct play. If you play perfectly, and play machines with the correct pay table, your overall return will be over 100%. That would be after say 500,000 hands, not one or two hours. Be sure to ask for advice on which to buy, I would try and favor a program that will allow you to change the pay table to match the machines where you play. They are not standard, that is how the percentage is calculated.

Horseracing:

Here I can offer two plays that may be of value to this particular group, providing you have a basic understanding of the game. Look for a short priced favorite in the race, 8-5 or less the horse must be bet down from the morning line odds. If you find one look for another horse in the same race bet down against it with a starting morning line of between 4-1, and 15-1, must be about half the morning line or less. I have made a lot of money on this play. The other play is much more risky, but can payoff big. Look for a race with eight or more horses in the field, and a favorite at 4-1 or more, toss the favorite and just pick three horses for whatever reason you come up with, like the names, colors, and/or jockeys, birthdays, whatever. Then you buy a one-dollar box for the exacta, and trifecta, this cost twelve dollars, but if you guess, right could pay thousands.

Roulette:

There are some plays on this game that will allow you to play for long times with limited risk, but you will lose in the end. You can play the Black Jack wagering system on red or black. If you want a more advanced play on this game, ask me, it is a little complicated, not to play, but to explain.

Other Table Games: Games like three card poker, let it ride, Texas hold-em, Spanish twenty-one, etc. they are all fun, but carry a higher risk than others, I have tired most of them, but with limited success.

I hope this might help, remember it is only advise, it is after all gambling, have fun, enjoy…Gregg

Patch Tuesday Advisory

8 patches, five of which bear the dreaded "critical" rating. The link above will take you to Microsoft's advisory on the subject.

Meanwhile, Apple has had to apply another patch to QuickTime. The new version is 7.4.5 and here is Apple's advisory. Once again; media players bite.

Opera also has a new version of their browser out, version 9.27, which fixes two critical security flaws present in all previous versions.

Upgrade and patch at every opportunity. What else have you got to do with your life, right?

Jack

Linux Kernel Development (April 2008)

Subtitled "How Fast it is Going, Who is Doing It, What They are Doing, and Who is Sponsoring It" this is the Linux Foundation's overview of Linux kernel development. It's worth a read if you ever wondered where all that code actually comes from.

Jack

Ray Tracing To Debut In DirectX 11

This 3 page article will show you where Microsoft, Intel and several other major companies intend to go with graphics in the reasonably near future. I thought it was a pretty good interpretation of how I see things shaping up.

Jack

JavaScript slows down the Internet; WebKit to the rescue

For all the criticism I lay on Safari, and Apple because of it, here is one instance where they are leading the way and in a style we should cheer.

Every browser has a "rendering engine", which is what actually decides how to interpret the code to display the page. It is a rather large set of processes. The idea of having a separate "loading engine" makes a lot of sense and while Apple is not calling what it is doing with Safari a loading engine, I believe that is a good way to describe it. As far as I know, no one else is actually doing things this way......yet.

Jack

XP gets reprieve as Vista is too big and clanky - The INQUIRER

"Microsoft will not kill off Windows XP on June 30th deadline as it would have liked to.

The fact that Vista won't run on the current rash of low-cost, low-spec lappies has a lot to do with it."

If you want Windows XP look at a Dell, XP is still available from them.

AlaskaJoe

On Computers Radio Show Podcast 03-30-08

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-30-08. 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.

Don't forget, Geek Meet 2008 is in 2 weeks in Las Vegas. Please visit http://geekmeet.oncomputers.info for more details.

Is There Room for a Security Browser?

Well, we on the show cast have been saying for a while now that the browser is the most dangerous application on our machines. Here is a short overview of why and how researchers are trying to create a safer browser.

It will be interesting to see what they come up with. Getting the public to become security aware and use it, or most security tools, is another hurdle all-together. We shall have to see how that goes, as well.

Jack

Vista Ultimate SP1 and Ubuntu Shame the Ultra-Hackable Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard

Just what I needed to start off my day. Sheesh!!

Someday, Apple will realize security by obscurity is not a viable policy. Even Microsoft is much, much more forthcoming and so gets the benefit of the security community's poking and probing. Apple will continue to be blindsided occasionally by these things until they wise up.

Jack

Microsoft offers free support for Vista SP1 installs | Tech News on ZDNet

"Vista users encountering problems when they upgrade to Service Pack 1 can breathe easier: the company is giving away free support for those installing the service pack."

Normally, only Windows Vista users who bought the retail product would be eligible for free support but, for SP1 installation, even users with an original-equipment-manufacturer copy of Vista on their computer can get Microsoft's help, according to the official Vista blog.

Help is on its way for Vista SP1.
AlaskaJoe

Another new element added

Over on the right, you'll see another experiment. I ran across this today, and I thought of Riley, immediately. The voice is ok. I listened to a post for a few minutes. It doesn't specify links, so I see some problems, but I'm curious what everybody thinks.
Thanks,
MissM

Links from the Gregg zone

1) First link up for the week the ultimate cat, think lions and tigers are big, well you have not seen Sinbad. In the wild the largest cat is the Bengal Tiger, large male about five hundred pounds, Sinbad tips the scales at a little over nine hundred pounds! Now that’s a cat! Check out the video at http://www.youtube.com

2) Second subject for the week is an environmental technology link. A few weeks back I posted about a submarine that could run without any fuel of any kind other than a few nine-volt batteries to power the small computer control center, operating on the temperature changes at different depths, it continue to travel for months at a time. That had potential, but this tops it in spades. An aircraft that uses only gravity to fly, no fuel ever, other that the energy expenditure in manufacturing, and maintenance, this is as green as it gets. Capable of carrying people, and or freight, we are not talking about a model glider of some sort here. This could be the real thing; only draw back would be time duration of flight. I like this a lot, this is a must see http://www.fuellessflight.com

3) This is from an article I was reading about London needing to do something to house future residents, my attention caught by the numbers, 100,000 people living in one building. Thinking about the world population expansion verses available land needed to sustain them, still maintaining some wild areas; it appears we need to do something. Maybe vertical cities would be an answer, thinking about the post I put up a while back about vertical farming combined with a few of these tower type cities, maybe we can handle a few more billion. http://www.popularchitecture.com

4) Now for the tech link of the week, if you have not heard about Microsoft’s new project set to start in the spring of 2008, oh wait that would be about now. Check it out the world telescope, I have posted three links for this one first an article in Science Magazine, http://www.sciencemag.org next a link to the introductory announcement video, by Roy Gould and Microsoft’s Curtis Wong at the Ted site http://www.ted.com, and the main site at http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/

5) Last up for the week when looking at the links about the fuel less airplane I saw a reference to the walk along glider, the comment about not being in production any more making it a collector’s item got my Ebay juices flowing. I was surprised when I searched it there not to find any. This got me to googling around and I found a site showing how to build one, with some interesting videos, http://www.geocities.com

Flaws found in Safari browser

This is just what I told you to be wary of when I posted about the Safari release.

The flaws found have been rated "highly critical" by Secunia and could allow takeover of a PC. More information will be available soon, I am sure. For right now, I'd uninstall Safari and wait for those who like doing such things to test it and then for Apple to fix any flaws.

And shame on Apple for pushing this on unsuspecting users.

Jack

Windows XP: Going, going ... gone?

With XP being the most used operating system in the world, every, and Vista under a cloud of suspicion by potential adopters, the lifespan of XP is a topic worth exploring. This article in Computer World does just that. It explains MS policy clearly, as well as telling you how to keep accessing XP if you wish to.

Jack

Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Support

Microsoft is providing a host of free support options for Vista SP 1 through March 2009. Keep this link handy.

Jack

Safari 3.1 on Windows: a true competitor arrives (seriously)

My own testing of Safari 3.1 on Windows has stalled while I work out and fix an issue with one CPU on the dual processor machine. Right now, that box couldn't work it's way through a session of Minesweeper, much less run Windows in a VM.

Here is a very positive review of the new Safari at Ars Technica. It is definitely worth your time.

We can only benefit from another competitor in this space. IE is not exactly what I think of as a great browser. Firefox has memory issues. Opera is, ah, quirky. In this new version, Safari carries adherence to standards to a new height. It even complies with standards just coming into force now! Why, even Opera doesn't support the full list of what Safari does.

I'm not recommending people install Safari on Windows, yet. Not that my thoughts are going to stop those of you who are computer savvy and know how to manage risk with new software. But I take that stance to John and Jane Doe precisely because Safari's security has not been evaluated in the real world. Should it go a few months without any glaring issues, I'm all for installing it. Just not now. Not yet.

Jack

Evidence mounting: Windows 7 going modular, subscription

Cynics claim that Microsoft is trumpeting Windows 7 to divert attention from the Vista trainwreck. Some of that may indeed be true, though it does seem to me it is a bit of a stretch to divine someone's motive from afar and based on so little evidence.

This post on Ars Technica is more likely to contain the reason for all Microsoft's talk about the future. It seems they are trying to get us used to the idea of renting software as we need it or need to update it (which they can control by killing off any component that isn't generating the required revenue any more).

It's going to be fun to watch this play out against FOSS alternatives or more traditionally marketed products, such as those from Apple.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-23-08

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-23-08. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Links from the Gregg zone

1) First link up for the week, I am going to start with a visit back to the subject of savants, those extraordinary people with talents that boggle the mind. What caught my eye about this story was the title “The Human Camera”, this is about a man who after taking one helicopter over a city can draw (without any drafts, or aids) a complete photographic panoramic style drawing of the city. Accurate to the number of windows in the buildings, degrees of curve in the streets, you have to see this it is just fantastic. Complete with video http://www.paulsfunkystuff.com

2) This link is one that I alluded to last week, but did not post, so I am correcting that here. This is supposedly the most extensive parts store in the world, at least according my original reference. They say you can find a part for almost anything here. I am looking for a shelf that I managed to break a couple of years ago in my refrigerator. I have not had the time to look for it, and I need to sell something on Ebay to pay for it. I will let you know what happens, when I get to it. In the mean time if you need a thing here is the link http://www.partstore.com

3) Now here is one that Joe sent me, as someone who surfs a lot one of the most frustrating things to see is the page you are looking is unavailable. I have always been at a loss when this happens. Joe has sent me a link to help solve the problem, and find those missing pages. I just got it yesterday and have not had a chance to try it yet, but it looks very promising. http://howto.wired.com

4) This will be a couple of links about the “Battle of L.A.”, one of my favorite possible U.F.O. stories, five years before Roswell. This happened at the beginning of the war just a few months after Pearl Harbor in Los Angeles. There was an object off the coast fired on extensively by anti-aircraft guns. Thought to be a blimp or balloon, have to wonder why they could not bring it down. The first link is to a Youtube video with the original news broadcast. http://www.youtube.com The second link is to a article with new updated analysis of the photographic evidence, http://www.rense.com

5) Last up this time around, I kind of like these Easter egg type stories, recently found a Bugs Bunny cartoon, one of the early ones with a little porn snuck in by one of the artists, but that is not for this blog. Anyway, have you heard about the museum on the moon? Seems someone smuggled some Easter egg type artwork on the Intrepid at the time of its manufacture. Here is the link http://www.boingboing.net

Mobile GPU Comparison Guide Rev. 7.1

TechArp has a review of mobile graphics processing units you might want to keep a link to.

Yeah, I know; one would be hard pressed to find a more boring subject. At least until it comes time to think about buying a laptop or notebook, when it becomes a lot more interesting, or at least more important. Gail's recent notebook purchase was made with close attention to graphics parts and she is very, very pleased with the result. Well, here is at least most of the information she used in her decision in one place.

Jack

Inside the Twisted Mind of the Security Professional

In this Wired.com article, Bruce Schneier tries to explain what a "security mindset" is and how to cultivate one. I found it both truthful and hilarious.

The truth is that security types are crooks at heart, but either just don't have the guts to carry through on the crime or too lazy to do it. So, they just point out opportunities for crimes. I even see just a little of that in myself.

Enjoy,
Jack

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone (KB936330)

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is an update to Windows Vista that addresses key feedback from our customers. SP1 addresses specific reliability and performance issues, supports new types of hardware, and adds support for several emerging standards.

If you need this 433MB file to install on other computers on your network here it is. You might want to hold off until Microsoft gets some more bugs out.

AlaskaJoe

Best Buy institutes aid program for victims of DVD format war

War is hell on the innocents — even format wars like the one that recently left HD DVD buyers glumly regretting their allegiance while the Blu-ray nation marched in victory. But electronics retailer Best Buy, having served both sides like an arms dealer, has some compassion for the defeated and, more importantly, would hate to see them lose their taste for new gadgets. That’s why it’s setting aside $10 million to give away in $50 gift card increments to any of its customers who bought an HD DVD player or HD DVD Xbox drive before February 23.

Get in line!

AlaskaJoe

Wireless Internet freeloading might become a crime

IF A LAW proposed last week in Maryland gets passed, intentionally using a neighbour's wireless Internet connection without permission will be a crime.
I have seen so many unsecured WiFi connections available to some homes and offices someone needs to do something .
One time I had a service call because the customer said they couldn't get online anymore. I went and looked and someone hacked their router and put on MAC restriction pointing to their MAC address and locking out the home owner. I reset the router and set up encryption and changed the default password to the router. That is all it takes.
NEVER leave the default password to the router and if you don't need the wireless turn it off. If you do need it then set up encryption, WEP is the easiest to set up (I know Jack knows how to hack WEP) this keeps the honest people out. You can use WEP and for a key use your 10 digit telephone number. (That is only 64bit encryption but it is better than none at all).

AlaskaJoe

Think before you install

The outrage is spewing forth over Apple's move to include Safari 3.1 as part of its Software Update program. The new twist is that Windows users who never had installed Safari are now seeing it pop up in Software Update, where they are accustomed to seeing updates for iTunes and Quicktime, and that's not sitting well with many who inadvertently installed the browser.

It is interesting how many computers I work on and ask the customer why do they have 4 toolbars and their answer is I have no idea where they all came from.
I have had other programs installed on my computers when I didn't want them, along with the program I did want installed.

You need to look at what your installing.

AlaskaJoe

Introduction to Ubuntu 8.04 Beta

The Ubuntu developers are moving very quickly to bring you the absolute latest and greatest software the open source community has to offer. This is the Ubuntu 8.04 beta release, which brings a host of excellent new features.

Note: This is still a beta release. Do not install it on production machines. The final stable version will be released in April 2008.

I can't believe I beat Jack to this post!

AlaskaJoe

Comcast Cameras to Start Watching You?

Is BIG BROTHER watching you in your living room?
If you have some tinfoil handy, now might be a good time to fashion a hat. At the Digital Living Room conference today, Gerard Kunkel, Comcast’s senior VP of user experience, told Chris Albrecht the cable company is experimenting with different camera technologies built into devices so it can know who’s in your living room. (Or what you are doing in your bed room)?

Kunkel also spoke on camera with me about fixing bad Comcast user experiences, the ongoing BitTorrent battle and VOD. But he mostly towed the corporate line on these issues (the monitoring your living room came up after Chris's camera was put away).

Cover that cable box before you do something in front of the camera you don't want to share.
AlaskaJoe

Vista SP1 kills third party applications

According to CRN, on SP1's kill list are products from Trend Micro, Zonelabs, BitDefender, and Novell.
Some of the companies have come up with work around for Vista's SP1. Some just no longer work.
This site has a list of other problems with Vista's SP1 according to the computer support staff at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Ivy League school's technical support staffers advised "continuing to use previous versions of Windows XP and Windows Vista until after the initial bugs in SP1 are identified and fixed."
Maybe we need to wait on installing Vista's SP1 for a little while.

AlaskaJoe

Images: Intel to build first six-core chip | CNET News.com

"Intel shows off its first six-core processor, called Dunnington, which will be available in the second half of 2008"
OK so our new computers will NEED a six-core processor and 8GB of RAM.
What will be next?
AlaskaJoe

Intel's security software keep tabs on the user

Now here is an interesting idea; security software that learns about how you use your computer and goes ballistic when you do something out of character.

Beyond the obvious question about whether it will shut down my computer when I pledge my everlasting love to MissM, this is worth thinking about as it could deny a thief use of my computer after they have stolen it.

There is more than a little potential for "Big Brother" type shenanigans with security being built in at low levels. As soon as it starts happening, watch the RIAA ask to have file sharing banned at the hardware level. And then Homeland Security might be asking for certain tracking stuff to be included. Even so, some protection at this level might be desireable.

Jack

About Security Update 2008-002

Apple has just released another huge update. This one affects many different components of OS X, from their implementations of the open-source ClamAV and Apache to some of the core services within the OS.

So, if you are running OS X, check your updater or click one of the links on this page to go get the update. I've no doubt it is important. Even Apple, with their traditional understantement, calls this a security update, after all.

Jack

Why Windows Me deserves more respect

I know that headline is a shocker, but here is an article that lays it out. As one of the few who a) actually upgraded from Win98 (not Win98se -- never owned that) and b) successfully ran Me until I upgraded to WinXP just before XPSP1 arrived, I can identify with this article. For those who wondered why I ran Me, this article explains it.

Vista Service Pack 1: Things Microsoft forgot to fix

This analysis and list of suggestions for what Vista SP1 should have been comes from across the pond.

Having had SP1 for less than 24 hours now, I don't have much to add except for the good news that it hasn't broken anything (that I'm aware of).

Author Arthur C. Clarke dies - CNN.com

Not exactly a technical concern, but a sad story just the same.

Ongoing IFrame attack proving difficult to kill

One take away lesson is not to download or try unproven and unknown security software. Most of us already use proven products and are often willing to pay for a good antivirus, but of course there are always the uninformed. No harm in trying this download I see advertised, right? No, wrong. Sad that we all have to be so danged careful and suspicious all the time. Rest assured that for every hole closed and attack thwarted, the bad guys are busy figuring new ways to swindle us out of our money.

Vista SP1: It's Here, But Can You Get It?

I can't yet though Windows Update. I will keep trying.

If you are waiting like I am, you can read this article in the meantime.

Update: I never did get to Windows Update. I couldn't wait and I downloaded it. I really have no comments about it at this time good or bad. It is an install during which you're best to do something else while you wait. I didn't time it but it purported to take an hour and I'm inclined to believe it. After the last reboot, Vista returned seemingly no worse for the wear.

Analyst: Returns, technical problems high with flash-based notebooks

I wouldn't go with a flash based drive at this time for a number of reasons including price and longevity, but I truly think the technology will catch up the the concept. Just not quite yet, evidently.

Why we care about file systems

Most of us don't think about file systems very much, and then only when we run up on some sort of limitation with one we are working on. Perhaps it has been damaged from some sort of crash and is not capable of recovering itself, or at least not until we do something that verges on the mystic in concert with the operating system. (Windows chkdisk comes to mind, here.)

Ars Technica has a wonderful piece written by Jeremy Reimer that explains what file systems are, how many of them differ from one another and why we should care. It's a bit long, at 7 or 8 pages, but packed with information you really need to at least look at. In other words; it's worth the time it takes to read it.

Jack

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-16-08

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-16-08. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.

Links from the Gregg zone

1) Let’s start this week off with a new take on one of my favorite subjects, the flying car. Seems there is a Dutch company with a new offering in the field. This looks to be a possible player in the next few years. They are hoping to bring it to market in “the next few years” it is a car/gyrocopter hybrid, with a projected range of 375 miles on the road, and 340 in the air, at speeds of 120 mph on the road or in the air. I would like to see one of these in my driveway some day. It’s a very nice looking unit, I suspect they will be in some countries fairly soon, probably decades before we see them in the states though. http://www.pal-v.com/

2) Have you ever wondered how cool it would be to work for someone making way to much money? Well here is a link to a video about what it is like to work at Google, I think I might be able to cope, might even put in some overtime, hell might just move in. http://www.liveleak.com/

3) This is my tech link for the week, I am not into cell phones but if I were, this would be a very interesting product. It is a head set, that turns your phone into a “bone phone”. What makes it so innovative? It picks up sound from the bones in your head. When there is no transfer of sound from your mouth to the microphone, there is no background sound. It eliminates restaurant chatter, no traffic noise, and any other background interference. http://www.nextlink.to/

4) Now for a great reading site for anyone interested in world mysteries. I wound up here looking for an answer to a question that has been bugging me for a long time. I have been wondering, why the lack of any soot in the pyramids? I was looking for information on the “Dendra Lamps”, as a possible explanation. When I hit this site, I was stuck for an hour or two, and I plan to revisit again soon. http://www.world-mysteries.com/

5) Last a short video from Corning, the glass company. This is a lesson about surface tension, I thought it was interesting, I had no idea this could happen. I suggest you just watch it, I doubt many out there knew about this. http://www.youtube.com

Vista SP1 to hit Windows Update Tuesday, reports say

Good news. The wait is almost over.

Jack

Just-patched Excel makes calculation mistakes

Somehow, I'm not surprised.

Jack

Encrypt volumes through a cross-platform GUI with TrueCrypt 5.0

I usually don't post stuff about Linux procedures and how-to here, but as this also mentions and details some Windows features of TrueCrypt, I thought I would go ahead.

It's a one page basic how-to about TrueCrypt 5.0 and I think it is a very easy introduction to using it, which I recommend most mobile users do.

Enjoy,

Jack

TrojanGet infects users around the world

You have got to read this post!

FlashGet, the popular downloader extension to Firefox is now proven dangerous and suspicion cast upon the folks who built and distribute it, at least for the way they maintain their web site.

If you are or have been a FlashGet user, you need to check this out and probably to scan your system.

Jack

Building your own Solid State Drive (guide)

Now here's something to do while you're waiting for the Domino's delivery.

Check it out. This is a sure antidote to the high prices of Solid State Drives.

Jack

Firefox 3 Memory Usage

Firefox has always had problems with memory. If you closed it fairly frequently and had enough system RAM, you might not have noticed them, but if you were pressed for memory space or [particularly] if you left FF open for long periods of time, you were vulnerable. Those issues plagued me badly here because I might leave the browser open for a week or more.

Apparently FF 3 is making splendid progress addressing this shortcoming. It's about time, to be perfectly frank. Here's an account of what has been changed.

Jack

Video of Optimus Keyboard

This was too cool not to share. This is the future of electronics, imo. Thanks to Ryan Block from
engadget for sharing. :)

--MissM

No quick fix for Windows Home Server bug

This is strictly an opinion, but I wonder what the hang up is? It seems that MS, with its vast resources, could get this fixed faster. Oh yes, I've considered that it is low level and that other personnel would have to be brought up to speed on it. It is also probably sensitive, proprietary code that they are working on. But come on, this company is extremely rich. Seems to me that at the prices of MS products, the customers deserve a quicker fix than this. Same goes for the long, slow development of Vista SP 1 and XP SP 3 -- if they ever get here.

Why I really like Amazon!

I thought this might interest some of you, and its all part of my so far failed amazon experiment. :)

I have become a real fan of Amazon as gas prices increase, I can have UPS do the driving for me. This is a real bargain for me, because I belong to Amazon Prime account, and for $75 per year, you can get free 2 day shipping (I don't know what happens out of the lower 48 states). I also am trying what amazon calls "subscribe and save," that saves you 15% on everything that you have setup for a regular order. I also like to take advantage of the half price deals on things I normally buy. I will admit that I've been burned buying things on sale, or by accident, but I chalk that up to education (Who knew the kids would hate the teriyaki rice crisps??? :P ).

Amazon is having a 50% off Sci-Fi television series DVD sale. If you want to find the deals, go to Amazon, and on the left side "Shop all departments," go to "Movies, Music & Games," "Movies & TV." Then you look on the right side and the 3rd box from top shows the link to the half off sci-fi tv shows and then The first thing I looked for was Star Trek, The Original Series, because I heard that one was very expensive. Unfortunately they didn't have it, but they did have a few seasons of Doctor Who, Stargate and Dark Angel.


--MissM

ok, first attempt failed: Here's another :)
Final attempt sucks! I hate the length of url's with Amazon, and I have tried to figure out how to do it simply, but its still eluding me. My apologies, but thank you for your patience with my experiment.

Suddenly, the iPhone is a Mobile Computer - News and Analysis by PC Magazine

"The iPhone and iPod Touch became a true mobile computing platform today as Apple held an event announcing a software developer's kit and software store, plus support for Microsoft Exchange e-mail, contacts and calendaring, as well as parental controls for the iPhone coming in a software update in late June."

Maybe Apple has come up with something for everyone.

AlaskaJoe

Thieving Third-Party Gmail App Highlights Google Security Worries

The people behind G-Archiver have pulled the product pending a revision to correct this. However, they don't seem like people I would trust, not least because one can find another application to perform this function easily.

Jack

How to avoid WHS corruption issues

They're making progress against file corruption issues in Windows Home Server. That's the good news. The bad news is that the issues underlying the problems are so fundamental that nothing like a comprehensive fix is happening in a hurry.

Even so; the number of installations affected seems to be almost as small as Microsoft says it is and there are a LOT of things you can do to avoid the problems at all, fix or no fix. This article gives them in a nice, compact list.

Jack

Analysis: Intel to fight recession with solid state drives

Here it is. This is the "tipping point" for one of the two Solid State Drive formats to win over the other. This decision by Intel will move SSDs from niche products to mainstream ones and introduce price competition in a relatively short period of time.

It's not just prices dropping that we have to look forward to, but a steady increase in capacities, too. SSDs will grow larger, faster and in all probability more reliable in a hurry. What's not to like?

Jack

Nearing 3000 posts

It was brought to my attention this morning that we are nearing 3000 posts on this blog. In fact with this post, we have only 12 to go to hit the big round number. So this is a good opportunity to thank everyone who has ever contributed to this blog.

Special thanks go to the guy who has carried it when the rest of us were MIA. So thanks most of all to you, Jack. I don't think anyone would dispute that you are the most loyal and prolific of the blog members.

In closing, many thanks to all involved and a special shout out to you, Jack.

Acid 3 is out! IE 5.5 beats IE 7?

First off; DON'T FREAK!!

Here's the deal; A lot of fuss was made (and rightly so) when an early beta of IE 8 correctly rendered the Acid2 test.

Almost immediately, though, the goalposts were moved by the release of the Acid3 test. These are the first published results of various browser/platforms' performance in the Acid3 test. These results are so far from definitive that it's silly. So take them for what they are worth, which is nearly nothing beyond the curiosity value.

Even so; they're interesting.

Jack

Eee PC to Get Intel’s Diamondville, Hard Drives, and Fashion Forward Style

I was all ready to talk about Asus' EeePC and their competitors yesterday but we ran out of time.

Asus will be expanding the line in some interesting ways soon. Everex is moving into the market segment. At least on model is coming from HPQ and the rumors from Dell are very interesting. While everyone knew this segment would heat up, I don't think all that many of you with whom I discussed this saw things taking off like they appear to be. I know I didn't.

We will keep you posted, though, as our blog moves toward our 3000th post this week.

Jack

They Criticized Vista. And They Should Know

I usually try to avoid posting NY Times articles because of the subscription, but this one is worth firing up your throw-away email for.

It seems that many within Microsoft knew that lowering the bar and labeling low end PCs as "Vista Capable", pre Vista release, would cause heartache and confusion on down the line.

About the only solace one can take is that some Microsoft bigwigs have suffered the same pain and uncertainty at the release of Vista as their customers did. This article presents a picture of a company that was penny wise and pound foolish, and that now faces paying the piper because here comes da' judge.

OnComputers Radio show Podcast 03-09-08

This is the On Computers Radio show podcast for 03-09-08. You can listen live every Sunday from 10AM to 1PM Pacific thats 1PM to 4PM Eastern. Join us for the live show and chat. If you prefer, you can download the same MP3 file here via ftp.