Rigo Muniz's Geek Forum

Steve Jobs in Memorian 1955-2011

2011-10-07T16:51:00.005-04:00

Steve Jobs founder of Apple just died....The World has lost a Genius!
Steven Paul "Steve" Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American computer entrepreneur and innovator.

Words of Wisdom By Steve Jobs- Co founder of Apple:

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there,” Jobs continued to say to the Stanford graduates in the 2005 address.

“And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. “

“Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Video of a bagpiper who played in front of the Apple campus: Courtesy of Robert Scoble

Video of a bagpiper who played in front of the Apple campus:

& Complete article at ==>> http://scobleizer.com/2011/10/06/my-apology-to-tim-cook-and-remembering-steve-jobs/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2045842/Steve-Jobs-dies-56-Apple-founder-dead-weeks-quitting-firm-started-garage.html

Windows 8 Unveiled! - Hot off the Press!

2011-09-13T15:31:00.001-04:00

Commodore C-64 is back from the past!

2011-09-11T22:07:00.001-04:00

http://www.commodoreusa.net/j/C64KeysSmallBorder2b.png

"It's back... and better than ever! The new Commodore 64 is a modern functional PC as close to the original in design as humanly possible. It houses a modern mini-ITX PC motherboard featuring a Dual Core 525 Atom processor and the latest nVidia ION2 graphics chipset. It comes in the original taupe brown/beige color, with other colors to follow."

My first computer in fact was C-64 which I still own.

Apple just released OS X the most advanced operating system in the World

2011-07-20T09:46:00.001-04:00

Apple - OS X Lion - Learn about the top new features.

www.apple.com

With over 250 new features including Multi-Touch gestures, Mission Control, full-screen apps, and Launchpad, OS X Lion takes the Mac further than ever.

Disable and Stop Restart or Reboot After Installing Windows Updat

2011-07-13T08:43:00.000-04:00

Excellent Article to get rid off annoying MS pop-up!

Disable and Stop Restart or Reboot After Installing Windows Update

FavIcon Generator

2010-10-31T20:30:00.000-04:00

PC Apple Consulting Logo

Use this FavIcon Generator online tool to easily create a favicon (favorites icon) for your site. A favicon is a small, 16x16 image that is shown inside the browser's location bar and bookmark menu when your site is called up. It is a good way to brand your site and increase it's prominence in your visitor's bookmark menu.

Have you lost photos by the new iPhoto 11 upgrade process?

2010-10-29T17:23:00.001-04:00

It is true! IPhoto 11 can and will lose (read: delete!) most of your photos during the upgrade process

SOLUTION HERE:

http://iphoto11.wordpress.com/

2010-10-18T11:18:00.002-04:00

Amazon.com Widgets

Microsoft Security Essential Utilities

2010-08-27T20:34:00.007-04:00

I recommend:

Microsoft Security Essential Utilities

Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection to identify and eliminate harmful viruses and other malware from your PC

How to Antivirus 2008 and Antivirus 2009

2009-01-08T21:51:00.002-05:00

"Antivirus 2009 is a type of Rogue AntiSpyware Programs.

Rogue anti-spyware programs are fake applications that are cleverly disguised to behave like legitimate spyware removal programs. Rogue anti-spyware programs are usually created by hackers with the sole purpose of rendering a sale for the rogue application. Many rogue anti-spyware programs use deceiving tactics to entice computer users to purchase the rogue anti-spyware program. In many cases computer users do not realize that they have downloaded or installed a fake anti-spyware program until after the sale has taken place. Rogue Anti-Spyware Programs are bogus applications that usually require an extra effort to completely uninstall or remove from your system. Computer infections such as Trojans are known to install rogue anti-spyware programs which do not remove parasites or justify the abnormally high cost of the full version. "

http://www.spywareremove.com/removeAntivirus2009.html

Antivirus 2009 (or Antivirus Pro 2009) Descriptions:

Antivirus 2009, also known as Antivirus Pro 2009 or Antivirus 2009 Pro, is a series of rogue antispyware application that created to ruin the integrity of our computing experience. Antivirus 2009 is fake and malicious, with the intent of screwing up your computers. Antivirus 2009 is a clone of the infamous Antivirus 2008. It is somewhat ironic to see a fake antivirus application got upgraded. Guess we are living in an usual world and nothing really surprises us anymore. Generally, Antivirus 2009 usually comes up after you installed a video codec that come with Trojan, malware and virus. Antivirus 2009 normally generates fake and misleading system popup error messages so end-users will be tricked into purchase Antivirus 2009.

Screen shot of Antivirus 2009:
av09

(Screen shot of Antivirus Pro 2009)

It is more important that ever to remove all the components of of the Antivirus 2009, and all the malware and trojans that it might have come bundle with (such as zlob.trojan, trojan.vundo and Trojan.Downloader). We don’t want someone spying on our digital life, do we? To effectively and safely remove Antivirus 2009, we have created a manual removal instructions. Be sure to back the data up before proceeding. Good luck!

Download SpyHunter* Spyware Detection Utility

Manual Antivirus Pro 2009 Removal Instructions:

Stop Antivirus Pro 2009 Processes:
(Learn how to do this)
av2009.exe
av2009[1].exe
AV2009Install.exe
Antivirus2009.exe
utynewu.exe
install.exe
brastk.exe

Find and Delete Antivirus Pro 2009 Files:
(Learn how to do this)
av2009.exe
av2009install.exe
av2009install_0011.exe
av2009[1].exe
Antivirus2009.exe
ieupdates.exe
scui.cpl
%program_files%\antivirus 2009\av2009.exe
%startmenu%\antivirus 2009\antivirus 2009.lnk
%startmenu%\antivirus 2009\uninstall antivirus 2009.lnk
winsrc.dll
%desktopdirectory%\antivirus 2009.lnk
winsrc.dll
ieupdates.exe
av2009install_0011.exe
av2009install.exe
%program_files%\antivirus 2009\av2009.exe
%UserProfile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\Antivirus 2009.lnk
%UserProfile%\Desktop\Antivirus 2009.lnk
%UserProfile%\Start Menu\Antivirus 2009\Antivirus 2009.lnk
%UserProfile%\Start Menu\Antivirus 2009\Uninstall Antivirus 2009.lnk
%ProgramFiles%\Antivirus 2009\av2009.exe
%System%\scui.cpl
brastk.exe
icilosaqi.dll
install.exe
isygequdy.lib
wini101971.exe
wscui.cpl
_scui.cpl
antiviruspro2009.exe
avengn.dll
utynewu.exe
icilosaqi.dll
utynewu.exe
install.exe
brastk.exe
wini101971.exe
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\uninstall.exe
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\wscui.cpl
%programs%\antiviruspro2009\antiviruspro2009.lnk
%programs%\antiviruspro2009\uninstall.lnk
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\antiviruspro2009.exe
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\uninstall.exe
%desktopdirectory%\antiviruspro2009.lnk
%profile%\application data\microsoft\internet explorer\quick launch\antiviruspro2009.lnk
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\antiviruspro2009.cfg
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\antiviruspro2009.exe
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\avengn.dll
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\data\daily.cvd
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\htmlayout.dll
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\microsoft.vc80.crt\microsoft.vc80.crt.manifest
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\microsoft.vc80.crt\msvcm80.dll
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\microsoft.vc80.crt\msvcp80.dll
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\microsoft.vc80.crt\msvcr80.dll
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\pthreadvc2.dll
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\pthreadvc2.dll
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\microsoft.vc80.crt\msvcr80.dll
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\microsoft.vc80.crt\msvcp80.dll
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\microsoft.vc80.crt\msvcm80.dll
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\htmlayout.dll
%program_files%\antiviruspro2009\avengn.dll

Remove Antivirus 2009 Registry Values:
(Learn how to do this)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run ieupdate

Antivirus 2009 criminal address- BE AWARE!

2009-01-08T21:20:00.004-05:00

For those innocent users seeking the information regarding the criminal individuals who are stealing money by selling a bogus software program called Antivirus 2008 and Antivirus 2009 here is their domain address details:

PROTECTEDINTERNET.COM - Domain Informationnew
Domain PROTECTEDINTERNET.COM [ Traceroute RBL/DNSBL lookup ]
Registrar GODADDY.COM, INC.
Registrar URL http://registrar.godaddy.com
Whois server whois.godaddy.com
Created 26-Aug-2006
Updated 19-Dec-2008
Expires 26-Aug-2009
Time Left 228 days 21 hours 43 minutes
Status ok
DNS servers NS1.DSREDIRECTION.COM 204.13.160.15
NS2.DSREDIRECTION.COM 204.13.161.15
PROTECTEDINTERNET.COM - Geo Information
IP Address 208.73.210.121
Host protectedinternet.com
Location US US, United States
City Los Angeles, CA 90071
Organization Oversee.net
ISP Oversee.net
AS Number AS33626
Latitude 34°05'33" North
Longitude 118°25'50" West
Distance 10629.19 km (6604.67 miles)

Registrant:
Deerwood Investments, LLC
7362 Remcon Circle
El Paso, Texas 79912
United States

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: PROTECTEDINTERNET.COM
Created on: 26-Aug-06
Expires on: 26-Aug-09
Last Updated on: 19-Dec-08

Administrative Contact:
Manager, Domain deerwooddomains@gmail.com
Deerwood Investments, LLC
7362 Remcon Circle
El Paso, Texas 79912
United States
3124924577 Fax --

Technical Contact:
Manager, Domain deerwooddomains@gmail.com
Deerwood Investments, LLC
7362 Remcon Circle
El Paso, Texas 79912
United States
3124924577 Fax --

Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.DSREDIRECTION.COM
NS2.DSREDIRECTION.COM
===========================================
THIS IS THE SERVER STEALING CREDIT CARDS:

http://world-trusted-payments.com/termsofuse.php

Innovagest 2000 SL
Cl Pedro Teixeira 10, S 25
28020 Madrid
tel: 0034 93 206 0230
fax: 0034 93 206 0231

WORLD-TRUSTED-PAYMENTS.COM - Domain Informationnew
Domain WORLD-TRUSTED-PAYMENTS.COM [ Traceroute RBL/DNSBL lookup ]
Registrar BIZCN.COM, INC.
Registrar URL http://www.bizcn.com
Whois server whois.bizcn.com
Created 01-Dec-2008
Updated 01-Dec-2008
Expires 01-Dec-2009
Time Left 325 days 21 hours 30 minutes
Status clientDeleteProhibited clientTransferProhibited
DNS servers NS1.FREEYOURDNS.COM 84.243.196.136
NS2.FREEYOURDNS.COM 64.86.17.44
NS3.FREEYOURDNS.COM 78.46.86.4
WORLD-TRUSTED-PAYMENTS.COM - Geo Information
IP Address 88.198.0.143
Host world-trusted-payments.com
Location DE DE, Germany
City Gunzenhausen, 02 -
Organization Hetzner Online AG
ISP Hetzner Online AG
AS Number AS24940 Hetzner Online AG RZ-Nuernberg
Latitude 49°10'00" North
Longitude 10°75'00" East
Distance 1203.64 km (747.91 miles)

Domain name: world-trusted-payments.com

Registrant Contact:
Private person
Vitaly Buraev onicdomains@yahoo.com
+74952676435 fax: +74952676435
ul. Akademicheskay 76-23
Moskva Moskovskay oblast 114845
ru

Administrative Contact:
Vitaly Buraev onicdomains@yahoo.com
+74952676435 fax: +74952676435
ul. Akademicheskay 76-23
Moskva Moskovskay oblast 114845
ru

Technical Contact:
Vitaly Buraev onicdomains@yahoo.com
+74952676435 fax: +74952676435
ul. Akademicheskay 76-23
Moskva Moskovskay oblast 114845
ru

Billing Contact:
Vitaly Buraev onicdomains@yahoo.com
+74952676435 fax: +74952676435
ul. Akademicheskay 76-23
Moskva Moskovskay oblast 114845
ru

DNS:
ns1.freeyourdns.com
ns2.freeyourdns.com
ns3.freeyourdns.com

Created: 2008-12-02
Expires: 2009-12-02

How-To: Image Windows XP with Ghost and Sysprep

2008-09-12T11:51:00.001-04:00

How-To: Image Windows XP with Ghost and Sysprep

Posted using ShareThis

How to Geek

2008-07-20T08:04:00.002-04:00

An excellent resource for novice and expect alike.

http://www.howtogeek.com/

How to disable Windows Genuine Advantage Notification

2008-07-20T07:57:00.000-04:00

"The “Windows Genuine Advantage Notification” (KB905474) cannot be uninstalled by Add/Remove Program in Control Panel by default, contrary to the claim in the knowledge base article. To enable the removal of KB905474 WGA Notification tool, follow the below steps:

Note: It seems like it’s not possible to uninstall WGA Notifications from Add/Remove Program. Cobolhacker has details on why KB905474 cannot be uninstalled. Suggested steps to “uninstall” are search and delete all WgaTray.exe and WgaLogon.dll files in your boot drive (if you using search, check the “Search system folders”, “Search hidden files and folders” and “Search subfolders” checkboxes), delete all the register keys in the following tree: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\WgaLogon, and to remove the entry from Add/Remove Programs list, delete the registry key in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Uninstall\WgaNotify. With uninstallation, WGA Notifications will try to install again next time.

1. Click on Start.
2. Click on Run.
3. Type in regedit in the Run text box.
4. Click OK or press Enter.
5. In Registry Editor, browse the the following registry key branch:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\WgaNotify
6. On the right panel, modify the value of NoRemove (by right clicking on the key and choose Modify) to 0.
7. Exit the Registry Editor.
8. Re-launch the Add/Remove Program, and Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications (KB905474) is now removable.

Prevention is always better than cure. So the best to avoid the the KB905474 Windows Genuine Advantage Notification application to be automatically downloaded and applied by Automatic Updates is to disable Automatic Updates. Go to Automatic Updates in Control Panel and disable it by selecting Turn off Automatic Updates, or if you still want to receive the critical patches from Microsoft, select Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them or Notify me but don’t automatically download or install them. Remember to uncheck (deselect) Windows Genuine Advantage Notification (KB905474) when prompted to install any updates.

If you have already install the WGA update, you can use the hacked/cracked version of LegitCheckControl.dll (newer version suggestion by tyler) to remove the annoying nagging message. (For old version) But Windows Update will still ask you to install it since it’s a newer version which is 1.5.526, unless there is newer version of cracked LegitCheckControl.dll available. You may however try to “up” the version of hacked LegitCheckControl.dll yourself by using the following method:

1. Get the patched/hacked “LegitCheckControl.dll” from the internet (e.g from link above or any file sharing service)
2. Install Resource Hacker if you still don’t.
3. Open both (original in Windows/System32 and hacked version) “LegitCheckControl.dll” files with Resource Hacker.
Go to “Version Info”, replace the version info of the patched File with the version information from new original LegitCheckControl.dll.

1 VERSIONINFO
FILEVERSION 1,5,526,0
PRODUCTVERSION 1,5,526,0
FILEOS 0×4
FILETYPE 0×1
{
BLOCK “StringFileInfo”
{
BLOCK “040904B0″
{
VALUE “CompanyName”, “Microsoft Corp.”
VALUE “FileDescription”, “Windows Genuine Advantage Validation”
VALUE “InternalName”, “LegitCheckControl”
VALUE “LegalCopyright”, “Copyright © 1995-2004 Microsoft Corp.”
VALUE “LegalTrademarks”, “Microsoft® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.”
VALUE “OriginalFilename”, “LegitCheckControl.dll”
VALUE “ProductName”, “Microsoft® CoReXT”
VALUE “FileVersion”, “1.5.0526.0?
VALUE “ProductVersion”, “1.5.0526.0″
VALUE “PrivateBuild”, “Built by gacald on WGA-FILE-SVR.”
}
}

BLOCK “VarFileInfo”
{
VALUE “Translation”, 0×0409 0×04B0
}
}
4. Save File.
5. Put the modified version of hacked LegitCheckControl.dll in Windows/System32 folder, replacing the original from Microsoft.

Beside, WGA Notifications tool is also reported to be able to be bypassed by emptying (deleting the contents of) the data.dat in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Windows Genuine Advantage\data as detailed here.

If you disable Automatic Updates, you can always download any updates from Windows Update or Microsoft Update using the hacks and tips from here and here. If you are prompted to mandatory must install KB905474, the above tricks should disable the checking of existence of KB905474 notification application. Again, remember to deselect the Windows Genuine Advantage Notification (KB905474) which will listed in High Priority section and selected for you by default.

Note: Visit the a more tidy article on how to bypass and disable the WGA with various tricks and hacks or a host redirect method to make Windows genuine permanently."

Cannot install firefox 3.0

2008-06-21T08:03:00.000-04:00

"After downloading Firefox 3, I get a message when I try to install saying "you do not have sufficient privileges to complete the operation". I tried repairing permissions but this does not help. What is this? "

I had the same problem installing the software on a second account... My wife account has administration rights as well, but she could not install the Firefox 3.0 web browser latest version.

I found a simple solution:

1- Download and Install the new 3.0 version on the APPLICATION folder. Close the old version whilst installing the new version. During installation process, it will ask you to OVERWRITE the old version; say YES and make sure you have Full ADMINISTRATOR's rights before doing it)

2- After installation open the new browser; then close and shut down the computer. Start the computer and LOG IN into the second account ( this account has to have ADMINISTRATION permissions)

3- In the Second Account , DELETE any old shortcut from the old version in your desktop menu bar

4- Now Go to FINDER and CLICK onto the APPLICATIONS folder

5- Look for FIREFOX.APP icon and double click on it

6- It will automatically shall open the new version.

How to make your PC faster

2008-06-08T07:44:00.001-04:00

This article is courtesy of http://www.pctipstricks.com/?p=25

“How to make your PC faster”, then the summary of these posts is:

i). Virus Free (Use Antivirus to keep your PC clean from viruses that corrupts the files and makes PC slow by making it work erratically)
ii). Spyware free (Use Anti spyware to keep your PC clean of spyware that tracks and use resources to make your PC slow)
iii). Defragging your Hard Disk (Use Windows inbuilt Defragger to arrange the data in contiguous manner on your hard disk to make PC faster)
iv). Sufficient RAM (Depending on applications being used, use at least 1 GB of RAM to let your PC load the programs quickly)
v). Sufficient free hard disk space (Keep some GB’s free space on your hard disk to help your PC do quick swapping and thrashing of files)
vi). Verify “Cache Enabled” and “Video BIOS shadowing Enabled” in CMOS Settings (Caching And shadowing settings should be enabled to make your PC work faster - if there in your CMOS setup)

Coming to the last post of this series, here are the remaining tips to make your computer faster -

Disabling Unnecessary Services

By default after fresh OS Installation, there are lot of unnecessary services that gets automatically started at boot time by default and consumes your PC’s processor time and memory. I am going to discuss the Microsoft OS (XP) services that are not required to be running normally on a standalone PC and should be disabled. In case, you ever need these services (one case might be that you get connected to a LAN), then don’t worry, you can always enable these services whenever required. The services and their brief explanations are -

- Alerter

This service is used to send administrative alerts from server to clients. It’s used for server applications. Disable it if you are not on a network. It’s not there in Windows Vista.

Clipbook

This service allows Clipbook viewer to store information and store with other computers remotely on a network. It permits you to cut and paste text and graphics over the LAN. So, if you are not on a network, disable it.

Computer Browser

Computer Browser service is used in earlier versions of Windows 2000. It is replaced by Active Directory in Windows 2000 and later Microsoft OS versions. It is used to show domains, workgroups and server computers on a network (My Network places). Disable it if your PC is not on a network.

Fast User Switching

his feature in Windows XP lets multiple users to work on a single system without the first user logging off. The users can switch quickly between logged-on accounts. So disable this feature unless you have the need of your PC being used by multiple users without getting logged off. As evident, only one user can use the PC at a time.

Help and Support

Unless you are going to use the Operating System Help and Support topics, tutorials for knowing and helping yourself, disable the Help and Support feature.

Human Interface Access Devices

Disable this service if you are not using predefined hot buttons on keyboard, remote controls and other multimedia devices of your PC. Disabling it will not effect the hotkeys that are the core of your Operating System (OS).

Indexing Service

Disable it even if you are on a network as it takes a lot of time in searching files and is not useful. It’s rather better to remember the location of files on a network rather than using indexing to search them.

IPSEC Services

If you are using VPN (Virtual Private Network) services then only let this service run otherwise disable it.

Messenger

Messenger service is used to transmit Alerter service messages between clients and servers. It should be disabled (whether on network or not) as there are huge disadvantages rather than advantages. It can be used very easily by anyone to send spam messages.

Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing

You should enable this service only for the time you want someone to help you remotely, e.g.- some SW installation or troubleshooting etc. using Microsoft Netmeeting SW. Once the support task is over, you must disable this service due to security issues. BTW there are lot of better remote desktop sharing software available that works better than Netmeeting, so there is no point in keeping this service running. Search and you will find them.

Portable Media Serial Number

There is no real usefulness of this service as it retrieves serial number of any portable media player connected to your computer. Do you require any such feature? No, then disable it. Music listeners using iPod and regular flash based MP3 player don’t need it.

Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)

If you frequently take help of Administrators etc. for remote support activities on your PC, let it be enabled otherwise it’s better to disable it.

Remote Registry Service

Allows you to make modifications to the Registry (as vital database having all the windows settings) of the remote machine. To do so, you need rights to do the modification on the remote machine (be the member of the local administrator group of the remote machine). If you are not going to do such registry modifications of any remote machine, then disable it.

Secondary Logon
This service allows you to use “runas” command permitting a limited rights user to run an programs as a higher level user. It is equivalent to su (superuser) command in Unix. Disable it if you expect not to use it.

Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)

Routing and Remote Access Service also known as RRAS allows programmers to create applications to administer the routing and remote access capabilities of the OS. By RRAS configuration, the computer can be used as a network router.If you have a desktop computer - standalone or networked, disable it as this service won’t be used in these two cases.

Server

Server service is designed to provide basic file and print services on the Local Area network (LAN). If your PC is standalone then disable this service.

SSDP Discovery Service

SSDP means Simple Service Discovery Protocol, a service that is designed to detect Universal Plug and Play devices (UPnP) on your network. Some examples of UPnP devices are routers, printers, scanners or computers running Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). If you don’t have UPnP devices or no network and/or internet connectivity, there is no point in running this service. UPnP is different from PnP. Place it into automatic mode if you are facing problems in playing multi player games using DirectX or MSN messenger.

Telnet

Telnet service allows a person remotely to log on to your computer and run programs. This can be a security hole and unless you have some major problem that needs to be sorted out remotely by an administrator, you should disable it.

TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper

This service is required to provide support for NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) and NetBIOS name resolution. If you have a standalone PC not connected to a LAN or a PC that doesn’t uses NetBIOS and/or WINS, disable this feature. Note: If you are facing issues in playing some online multi player games, make this service as Automatic.

Upload Manager

Upload Manager is a Microsoft’s designed protocol for transferring files between your PC and Microsoft. It is used to upload (send files from your PC to Microsoft) the hardware profile of your computer to Microsoft and download details of what drivers to use. Some of the Microsoft online help will stop working if this service is disabled. You should disable it if you can manage without Microsoft online help and information regarding drivers.

Universal Plug and Play Device Host

This service lets your PC recognize the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) devices on a network. It is different from Plug and Play (PnP) which is local to your computer. The configuration for UPnP is automatic and UPnP devices can join and leave the network automatically. DHCP is needed to assign IP addresses to UPnP devices. If you have to use MSN Messenger, play DirectX game online or use Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), then you should leave this service enabled.

Windows Time

For some of Windows services, such as authentication, time synchronization between the authentication servers and clients is needed. If you are on a network, then leave this service enabled otherwise disabled it.

Wireless Zero Configuration

Wireless Zero Configuration or Wireless Auto Configuration is a service that dynamically selects a wireless network based on user preferences and default settings.

Workstation

Workstation service maintains network connections of a client PC with the servers. So, if you are on a network, don’t disable it but if you have a non networked standalone PC, then disable it.

To disable the above services in Microsoft Windows XP:

- Click on Start and then Run and type “services.msc” and click Enter
- Double click on the service you want to disable
- Change the startup type to ‘Disable”

Use the Latest Drivers For Devices In Your PC

A driver is a software that communicates via the OS with your hardware and makes it work. Now, if you are using an old driver for a new hardware device then there are great chances that you are not using the full and advanced features resulting in overall slowness of the PC. E.g. - A video card having capability to process at faster speed and show better resolution but not being used due to old driver usage.

The same applies to other hardware devices of your PC, i.e, - dialup modem, broadband modem, network card and motherboard etc. So make sure that you have the latest drivers for your hardware devices. This can be done by going to the respective manufacturer site and downloading the driver as per the hardware specification (model no.) and the Operating system.

Use Light Browser for Surfing

You can definitely make your browsing a little faster by using lighter browsers - Opera and Firefox. These browsers uses less resources as compared to other browsers and are designed to work faster.

Both these browsers - Opera and Firefox are free (no trials or hidden costs) and can be downloaded from -

http://www.opera.com/download/

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

You should see a hyperlinked colored box with “Download Firefox - Free” written on it, click on it and the download should happen.

Run Microsoft Windows Updates and Patches

Updating your PC with Microsoft updates and patches is a must do activity to keep your OS hack proof and free from spam. If you don’t update from the Microsoft site regularly (there is auto update option that can be enabled), then the bugs in the Microsoft OS can be exploited by the hacker resulting in security and privacy issues. If your PC is invaded by hacker/cracker then it could be used for attacks that will not be known to you. This can result in your PC being used for hacking attacks resulting in slowness of your PC as it’s resources are being used for the purposes unknown to you.

Updating from Microsoft site is easy and can be done by launching Microsoft Internet Explorer, clicking on Tools and Windows Update.

Or, else you can go to http://update.microsoft.com and follow the instructions.

You should also turn Auto Update to ON; To do so,

- Click on Start,
- Point to Settings
- Click on Control Panel
- Click on Security
- Click on Security Center and here turn Automatic updating option to On.

Windows XP Service Pack 3: XP SP3 (final release)

2008-05-07T08:56:00.002-04:00

http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/winxpsp3-security.html

Description
Windows XP Service Pack 3 (XP SP3) fixes a range of bugs and adds new features to Windows XP. The file is a large download and can be applied to any version of Windows XP Home, Professional, TabletPC or Media Center (32 bit only). In addition, it doesn't matter what XP patches you have previously applied to your system, SP3 will update any unpatched, partially patched or completely updated system (it includes all previously released patches, updates and features of Service Pack 1 and 2). Keep in mind that new patches made available after Service Pack 3 was released will still need to be applied.

Important notes: Microsoft advise uninstalling any beta or Release Candidate versions before installing this final release. Do not install Service Pack 3 on systems running Microsoft Dynamics RMS (this is a specialised version of XP used in Retail sales and will not affect most home or network users - see Microsoft Dynamics RMS (opens in new window). The file will download directly from Microsoft's servers - you may want to shorten the file name.

The advantage of this full download is that it can be used on any system - plus it doesn't require an Internet connection to install. You can download SP3, copy it to disc or a portable drive and use it on multiple PCs. Alternatively, since the file is so huge, you can download SP3 on a fast Internet connection and use it to update a PC with a slow or non-existent connection.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) includes the following:

* All previous security patches and fixes released for Windows XP.
* All enhancements and new features that were included with Windows XP SP1 and Windows XP SP2
* Only two new features have been added: Black Hole Router Detection Windows and Network Access Protection (NAP).
* The following are already available for Windows XP in stand-alone updates. Windows XP SP3 includes them by default (System administrators must choose to install each of these updates): MMC 3.0, MSXML6, Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1 v2, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) 2.5, IPsec Simple Policy Update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP, Digital Identity, Management Service (DIMS), Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) 2.1, Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2).
* From the Release Notes: "Microsoft is not adding significant functionality from newer versions of Windows, such as Windows Vista, to Windows XP through XP SP3. For instance, Windows XP SP3 does not include Windows Internet Explorer 7, although Windows XP SP3 does include updates to both Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7, and it will update whichever version is installed on the computer. One notable exception is that, SP3 does include Network Access Protection (NAP)."

To download the complete 313MB SP3 for all English versions of Windows XP, click the download link at the top of this page.

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition Released

2008-04-23T22:31:00.001-04:00

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition Released

Integrates the Latest Stable Applications with Long Term Support

LONDON, April 21, 2008 – Canonical Ltd. announced the upcoming availability of Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition for free download on Thursday 24 April. In related news, Canonical also announced the simultaneous release of Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Server Edition.

Ubuntu 8.04 Long Term Support (LTS) provides a stable platform for software and hardware vendors, developers and users. With three years of support and maintenance on the desktop, 8.04 LTS is a great choice for large-scale deployment. A substantial and growing ecosystem of free and commercial software built for Ubuntu provides a rich set of choices for desktop users. This is the eighth desktop release of Ubuntu. Ubuntu's track record in delivering - on a precise schedule every six months - a commercial operating system that is free, stable, secure and fully supported, remains unique.

“Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition is a very significant release as it will take Ubuntu squarely into the business environment," said Jane Silber, COO of Canonical Ltd. "Our business and home users have told us that they want a longer support cycle to make Ubuntu a better deployment option. We have responded to that and added a commitment to much broader software and hardware support that we and our partners are excited to deliver. With enhanced commercial support through Landscape, combined with our always excellent community support, expect to see 8.04 LTS drive Ubuntu into new arenas."

"Ubuntu's polished, user focused version of the Linux desktop has built itself a wide enough following to compel significant ISV interest and support,” said Stephen O'Grady, principal analyst at Redmonk. "By coupling a very capable desktop offering with long term support options, Ubuntu is becoming an increasingly viable option for enterprises as well as consumers."

"Lotus Notes and Lotus Domino bring highly scalable messaging and industry-leading collaboration to the Ubuntu desktop,” said Kevin Cavanaugh, vice president of IBM Lotus Software. "We believe the extended multi-year support for Ubuntu 8.04 LTS makes it an excellent desktop solution for corporate users who wish to deploy Lotus Notes on an open platform."
Latest and Greatest Applications

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS raises the bar on the Linux desktop experience. It includes the latest, stable version of many core products, and in that spirit is the first distribution to bring Mozilla Firefox 3 (Beta 5) to millions of users. The combination of Linux and Firefox make Ubuntu 8.04 LTS a superb web desktop, with fast browsing and greatly reduced exposure to viruses, web forgery and spyware.

Enhanced photo experience: The enhanced default photo manager, F-Spot, together with improved camera and phone recognition means users can upload, tag, manage, display, delete, print and share photos with friends and family more easily.

Music sharing and download: Users can plug in a PSP, share playlists with friends, buy from the Magnatune online music store, stream live radio and plug in more devices than ever (with UpnP).

Better video: The new default movie player now allows users to browse YouTube and other video sources across the web and to share their videos with others. It integrates with Myth TV, the open source TVR, so users can watch their favourite TV shows straight on the desktop. Brasero allows them to easily burn all content to CD or DVD.

Productivity enhancements: Clock and calendar integration is available to manage time across the globe with a single click to set, attend and receive alerts about appointments.

Slick desktop: Ubuntu 8.04 LTS combines the latest GNOME applications with desktop visual effects, giving users a smoother, better-looking and more intuitive experience.
Breadth and Depth of Services

Longer support: Ubuntu 8.04 LTS is supported with security updates and maintenance for three years so corporate and individual users have a longer upgrade planning cycle. Those who want the newest applications will be able to upgrade to Ubuntu 8.10, due in October 2008, those who prefer longer deployment cycles can stay with Ubuntu 8.04 for three years before moving to the next LTS release.

More applications: More than 30 commercial ISVs plan to support and distribute their applications on the 8.04 LTS desktop platform, including Adobe, Google, Real Networks, Nero, Skype, Corel, Parallels and Fluendo.

More accessibility: Gesture support allows users to navigate Ubuntu in a more natural fashion. Also available are increased language support for voice command, support for keyboard accessibility, slow keys, zoom and more.
Pricing and Availability

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition is free of charge and available on Thursday from http://www.ubuntu.com/download.
About Canonical Ltd

Canonical Ltd, the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu, is a global organisation headquartered in Europe committed to the development, distribution and support of open source software products and communities. World-class 24x7 commercial support for Ubuntu is available through Canonical's global support team and partners. Since its launch in October 2004 Ubuntu has become one of the most highly regarded Linux distributions with millions of users around the world.

Ubuntu will always be free to download, free to use and free to distribute to others. With these goals in mind, Ubuntu aims to be the most widely used Linux system, and is the centre of a global open source software ecosystem. For more information visit www.canonical.com or www.ubuntu.com.

Safari 3.1 for Windows ROCKS!

2008-03-28T09:37:00.003-04:00

"PC Magazine says Safari 3.1 for Windows gets “the job done elegantly and swiftly”
In awarding Safari 3.1 for Windows a four (out of five) star rating, Michael Muchmore (pcmag.com) indicates that in addition to being able to resize its window from any edge, “a slew of new improvements, some unique features, impressive speed, and future-looking standards support makes it a worthy browsing partner.” It gets flying colors for complience with HTML and CSS standards, kudos for color accuracy, raves for speed and memory tests, and a thumbs up for stability: “in a couple of days’ use of the new browser, I wasn’t able to crash it once” in Windows XP SP2, Vista, or Mac OS X Leopard.

March 21, 2008"

DOWNLOAD NEW VERSION HERE:

http://www.apple.com/safari/download

How to Format a Hard Drive with Windows XP

2008-03-19T07:03:00.004-04:00

How to Format a Hard Drive with Windows XP

1. To format a hard drive with Windows XP or 2000, insert Windows CD and restart your computer.

2. Your computer should automatically boot from the CD to the Windows Setup Main Menu.

3. At the Welcome to Setup page, press ENTER.

4. Press F8 to accept the Windows XP Licensing Agreement.

5. If an existing Windows XP installation is detected, you are prompted to repair it. To bypass the repair, press ESC.

6. Use the ARROW keys to select the partition or the unpartitioned space where you want to create a new partition. Press D to delete an existing partition, or press C to create a new partition.

7. Type the size in megabytes (MB) that you want to use for the new partition, and then press ENTER, or just press ENTER to create the partition with the maximum size.

8. Select the format option that you want to use for the partition (Recommended: NTFS), and then press ENTER.

9. After the Windows Setup program formats the partition, follow the instructions that appear on the screen to continue installing Windows.

How to Format a Hard Drive with Windows 95, 98, or ME
To reinstall Windows, you will need a Startup Diskette and a Windows Installation CD.

digital-media-data-recovery-software Download the Startup Diskette Creator

Note: We recommend using the Startup Diskette available on this page. Other Windows Startup Diskettes may not work with the following steps.

1. Once you have your Startup Diskette, insert it into the floppy drive and restart your computer.

2. Select option #1 - Start the computer with CD-ROM support.

3. After a minute or so, you will see "A:>_".

4. Type "fdisk" and press Enter.

5. If asked to enable large disk support, select Y for Yes. (Note: Some versions of Windows 95 may not be compatible with large disk support. Select N here if it does not support the FAT32 file system.)

6. Select Option #1 - Create DOS partition or Logical DOS Drive.

7. Select Option #1 - Create Primary DOS Partition.

8. The drive integrity will be verified.

9. Unless you are planning to make multiple partitions, select Y when asked if you want to use the maximum available size for the partition and to make the partition active.

10. The drive integrity will be verified again.

11. When completed press the Esc key to exit fdisk.

12. Without removing the floppy disk, press the reset button on the computer or press the keys Ctrl then Alt then Delete and release them together. This will restart the computer.

13. Again, select the option to Start the computer with CD-ROM support.

14. When you see A:>, directly above it is a message about your CD-ROM drive. It will tell you the letter assigned to your CD-ROM drive, take note of it. The screen will look something like this:

15. At the A:>, type "format C:" and press Enter.

16. Press the Y key then the enter key when asked if you want to proceed with the hard drive format.

17. It will take several minutes to format the hard drive.

18. You will be asked to choose a Volume Label, which is a name for your hard drive. It has no effect on the operation of your computer, you may choose any name you like.

How to Reinstall Windows XP

1. To reinstall Windows XP or 2000, imply insert Windows CD and restart your computer.

2. If your hard drive has not been formatted, Windows XP will walk you through the process to format the hard drive described above.

3. Your computer will automatically boot from the CD and begin the installation process

How to Reinstall Windows 95, 98, or ME

1. After formatting your hard drive as described above, insert the Startup Diskette into the floppy drive and restart your computer.

2. Select option #1 - Start the computer with CD-ROM support.

3. After a minute or so, you will see "A:>_".

4. Place the Windows Install CD into the CD-ROM drive.

5. Type "E:" (where E is the letter assigned to the CD-ROM drive) and press the Enter key.

6. Type "dir" and press Enter. You will see something like the following:

Volume in drive E is 020409_1121
Directory of E:

WIN98_SE 04-09-02 11:21a
0 file(s) 0 bytes
1 dir(s) 0 bytes free

7. WIN98_SE is a directory, as indicated by the "" after it.

8. Type "cd WIN98_SE", replacing WIN98_SE with the result from above, then press the Enter key.

9. Type "dir" and press the Enter key.

10. If you see: SETUP somewhere in the output, then type "cd SETUP" and press the Enter key. Otherwise, skip this step.

11. Type "SETUP" and press the Enter key to begin the Windows setup program.

12. Simply follow the prompts to install Windows.

13. Remove the Windows Startup Diskette when prompted.

Apple’s Safari browser CRASHES!

2008-02-07T11:14:00.000-05:00

Safari for Windows was working fine, until Apple sent me an update a few days ago. Now when I tried to open Apple Safari web Browser Beta 3.52 IT CRASHES!
I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling safari web browser for windows but no luck.

This is the message error I'm getting:

AppName: safari.exe AppVer: 3.523.15.0 ModName: webkit.dll
ModVer: 3.523.15.0 Offset: 00089d09

Eagles number one in Billboard

2007-11-19T19:59:00.000-05:00

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) - It may have been 28 years since the last Eagles studio album -- yes, "The Long Run" came out in 1979 -- but, in terms of sales, it's as if the famed band has never left.

The group's new CD, the double-disc set "Long Road Out of Eden," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album charts with more than 700,000 copies sold in its first week. This --despite its being available only at Wal-Mart

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Albums&f=The+Billboard+200#

Wal-Mart’s $200 PC - sold out

2007-11-14T07:48:00.000-05:00

Wal-Mart’s $200 PC - sold out by ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes -- About two weeks ago, Wal-Mart began selling $200 Linux-based PC. The initial run was around 10,000 units. Now Wal-Mart is sold out. Has Linux now found a niche?

StarOffice Software Suite to be Distributed Through Google Pack

2007-10-26T20:29:00.000-04:00

Sun Microsystems Announces StarOffice Software Suite to be Distributed Through Google Pack
SANTA CLARA, Calif. August 15, 2007 Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) today announced that its award-winning office productivity software, StarOffice, is now available through the Google Pack software download service. StarOffice is Sun's commercial implementation of the popular open source office suite OpenOffice.org and supports Open Document Format (ODF). StarOffice is also compatible with Microsoft Office documents and is supported and indemnified by Sun. Google Pack is a free collection of essential software to help users set up their computers, find things faster and stay safe online.

In addition, Sun also announced that it has added web search functionality to all StarOffice products, enabling online search capabilities directly from its productivity suite. This new functionality is now available through the Google Pack download.

"Using ODF within StarOffice allows for interoperability and choice among those seeking free and open standards-based office productivity applications," said Rich Green, executive vice-president of Software, Sun Microsystems, Inc. "With OpenOffice.org adoption growing at nearly three million downloads a month, we are seeing overwhelming adoption and exciting new opportunities emerging. We are absolutely thrilled to offer a new version of StarOffice that includes Google's web search capabilities."

Google Pack offers users a safe and easy way to install all the essential software they need in a matter of minutes. The addition of Sun's StarOffice gives Google Pack users free access to an enterprise-strength office application. Starting now, users can install StarOffice as part of the Google Pack installation process. For more information about Google Pack, please visit http://pack.google.com.

About StarOffice

StarOffice software is a powerful, affordable, and comprehensive office productivity suite (word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, database, drawing program, web publishing application) that runs on Solaris, Windows and Linux. Compatible with Microsoft Office, it includes a built-in PDF export tool and supports ODF, XML, Flash and HTML. Based on OpenOffice.org software, StarOffice software suite is indemnified and supported by Sun Microsystems.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Sun Microsystems develops the technologies that power the global marketplace. Guided by a singular vision -- "The Network is the Computer" -- Sun drives network participation through shared innovation, community development and open source leadership. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the Web at http://sun.com.

Sun, Sun Microsystems, Solaris, StarOffice and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

To set up Blind Carbon Copy in Outlook 2003

2007-10-18T10:27:00.000-04:00

To protect your email addresses from spammers and cyber bots harvesters all you need to do is the following:

If you put addresses in the BCC field of an email it will be secretly copied to those addresses, and none of the other addresses in the To, CC, or BCC fields will know about it because the BCC field is not displayed on incoming messages.

Example:

To: John Smith

CC: <==Do not use this field

BC: frank@karateka.com, Chandranerd@hotmail.com, etc

When the recipient receives the email, it won't see the BLIND COPY email addresses

Taking revenge on Spammers

2007-10-18T10:18:00.000-04:00

This article explains how you can track down a cybercriminal and report him to the appropiate authorities and host server.

Logo is 40 years old

2007-10-18T09:58:00.000-04:00

"What is Logo?

"Logo is the name for a philosophy of education and a continually evolving family of programming languages that aid in its realization."
- Harold Abelson
Apple Logo, 1982

This statement sums up two fundamental aspects of Logo and puts them in the proper order. The Logo programming environments that have been developed over the past 28 years are rooted in constructivist educational philosophy, and are designed to support constructive learning.

Constructivism views knowledge as being created by learners in their own minds through interaction with other people and the world around them. This theory is most closely associated with Jean Piaget, the Swiss psychologist, who spent decades studying and documenting the learning processes of young children."

http://el.media.mit.edu/Logo-foundation/logo/index.html

Take Action and block the russian maffia

2007-10-18T09:31:00.000-04:00

If your ISP doesn't already block them, you can add these criminals to your firewall rules.

I.P. address block for Russian Business Network:
81.95.144.0/20 #SBL43489
(81.95.144.0 - 81.95.159.255)

And the address blocks for its equally corrupt cousins at Intercage, Inhoster, and Nevacon:

85.255.112.0/20 #SBL36702
(85.255.112.0 - 85.255.127.255)

69.50.160.0/19
(69.50.160.0 - 69.50.191.255)

194.146.204.0/22 #SBL51152
(194.146.204.0 - 194.146.207.255)

Most popular operating systems on Amazon

2007-10-01T23:17:00.001-04:00

Most popular operating systems on Amazon

---------------------------------

(1) Most popular operating systems on Amazon
.
Great work! You have found a good indicator that shows the demand of the people.

Revelation: Ubuntu is now #5 in operating systems! This means Ubuntu is #1 in operating systems for the industry-standard IBM PC on Amazon.

#1 & #2: Mac OS X Leopard. Isn't the Mac supposed to be an "insignificant" computer?

#3 & #4 Windows XP Full Versions. Windows XP is more popular than Windows Vista WHEN CUSTOMERS HAVE A CHOICE X-( Note: Since these are full versions, it is likely that these are being bought by Macintosh users to run on Parallels on the new X86 Macs.

#5: Ubuntu. Because I attribute the XP full version sales to Mac users, Ubuntu is the #1 operating system for industry-standard commodity IBM PCs on Amazon! :0 I like the vision of this keeping Steve Ballmer awake at night. :^0 Maybe he will be less excitable during daytime hours (2).

---------------------------------

(1) Most popular operating systems on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/software/229653/ref=pd_ts_sw_nav/103-5765134-8896641

(2) I...LOVE...THIS...COMPANY!!! (Warning: Has sound!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMU0tzLwhbE

PC Tools Spyware Doctor crashes computer

2007-09-27T10:43:00.000-04:00

After installing PC tools Spyware Doctor, my HP amd 64 began to freeze the mouse and The screen blue of death began to appear.

"Spyware Doctor is a top-rated malware & spyware removal utility that detects, removes and protects your PC from thousands of potential spyware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, spybots and tracking threats."

I found a temporary Solution:

1- Disable OnGuard protection. Now, I only use it to download updates and scan my machine.

Petpeave: The program disables itself completely and when you re-start it to scan the machine, it loads the onguard protection again. I wish there was a feature to disable just the onguard protection and not the whole program. It seems to suck all the system memory and resources.

Positive Outlook: the program excels on removing spyware and trojans. So I highly recommended! if you are having serious problems with spyware, hang in there!

Microsoft regarding the stealth update

2007-09-16T20:52:00.000-04:00

More information from Microsoft on stealth update by ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes -- Just to keep you all in the loop, I've just received the following information from Microsoft regarding the stealth update.

Libra free software library

2007-09-16T18:55:00.001-04:00

http://www.getlibra.com/files/slideshow/screen1s.jpg

Libra is a beautiful library software to manage your Books, Music, Movies and Games. You can track items you have lent out, or tag them with meaningful terms to organize them effectively. Libra can import your items from other applications, or scan them from either your webcam or any barcode scanner (including CueCat). Once you have built your collection, you can print out beautiful catalog pages of all your items.

http://www.getlibra.com/

Invalid PostTemplate solution to blogger's error

2007-08-03T19:49:00.000-04:00

"Invalid Post template bX-t0ou3g
Your post template contains invalid html. This typically means
tags. You can get rid of this error by either removing the
post template altogether or by editing it on Settings->Formatting-
>Post Template. Describe what you were doing when you got this error.
Provide the following error code and additional information.
bX-t0ou3g
Additional information "

SOLUTION:

1- Sig in into your blogger account
2- Select Settings
3- Select Formatting
4- Go inside POST TEMPLATE and highlight all test, then COPY and PASTE the information into NOTEPAD and then save file as Bloggercode.txt or whatever.
5- Go back to DASHBOARD and click on New Post, there you have it! no more errors

How to Disable AOL Debug errors

2007-07-26T19:07:00.001-04:00

How To Disable AOL Debug Error Popups

–Open Internet Explorer 6 or Internet Explorer 7
–Press ALT+T
–Click Internet Options
–Click Advanced TAB
–Checkmark Disable Script Debugging (Internet Explorer)
–Checkmark Disable Script Debugging (Other)
–Click OK
–Close Internet Explorer
–Restart Aim 6.0 or Aim 6.1

Can't add new post to Blogger part 2

2007-07-06T11:02:00.001-04:00

TEMPORARY SOLUTION STEP BY STEP on Mac OS X:

1- Download blogger.wdgt.zip and install it on Mac OSX, which I found
on http://knownissues.blogspot.com/

Scroll down and look for the topic here:

Update, 6/6: Version 1.0.1 of the widget has been released and works with the new Blogger. Download it. — latest update on Wednesday, June 06, 2007
DOWNLOAD:
http://dl.google.com/macwidgets/Blogger.wdgt.zip

Labels: api, fixed, macintosh, posting

3-Login to your account via Firefox or Safari web browser
2-To access your new installed widget, just click on middle apple button mouse, this will bring the widget on windows view or simply press F12 to bring in the dashboard into view.
3-Login as you normally would through the widget, begin to type your message, then when you are ready you can either publish post or save as draft.
4- from here you can view it in your web browser.

HINT: TO CLOSE AND OPEN WIDGET:

To Close it:
Hold down the option key and keeping moving the mouse pointer around near the upper-left corner of a widget until the circle-X close button appears in that corner just outside the widget's window. It'll be easier finding that "hot zone" to activate the close button after you discover it the first time.
To Open it:
1-Press F12 or click center mouse button, then look at right bottom corner for plus sign, click on it and select appropiate menus options.

Can't add new posting on blogger-part 1

2007-07-06T10:59:00.001-04:00

The posting menu of Blogger.com is giving me an error even in Safari or Firefox. This is just started a few days ago and cleaning the cache won't solve the problem or even making sure that java permissions are in place. It is definitely a big bug!
I don't seem to have the same problem on Windows Xp Professional running in my HP athlon. Only on Imac Intel.
======================================
I'm getting the following error every time I try to add a new post in Blogger:

"We're sorry, but we were unable to complete your request.

When reporting this error to Blogger Support or on the Blogger Help Group, please:

* Describe what you were doing when you got this error.
* Provide the following error code and additional information.

bX-mzm63b

Additional information
blogID:XXXXXXX
host: www.blogger.com
uri: /post-create.g

This information will help us to track down your specific problem and fix it! We apologize for the inconvenience."

http://help.blogger.com/bin/static.py?page=start.cs

REASON I"M DOING PART 1 is because is text is too long Widget Menu dissapear of the screen view :(

Special article on anti-spyware programs

2007-07-06T09:21:00.001-04:00

This is a great link to learn more about authentic versus bogus antispyware programs.

http://spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm#special

Feeling Nostalgia for Old DOS ?

2007-07-04T10:33:00.000-04:00

Free Dos offers the great opportunity to enjoy again the good old DOS games.

"FreeDOS is a free DOS-compatible operating system for IBM-PC compatible systems. FreeDOS is made of up many different, separate programs that act as "packages" to the overall FreeDOS Project.

These days, there are three main uses of FreeDOS:

1. To run classic DOS games (like Doom, MAME, etc.)
2. To run business software that only supports DOS
3. To support an embedded DOS system, such as a computerized cash register or till"

The Package comes bundled with the following:

1. base - Essential DOS utilities which reproduce the functionality of MS-DOS
2. compress - Free file compression and decompression utilities (7zip, arj, bzip2, cabextract, gzip, tar, zoo ...)
3. driver - Free drivers for network cards and usb
4. edit - A collection of editors (emacs, vim, pg, setedit, ospedit)
5. games - A good choice of free DOS games - Doom, Solitare, BumpNJump, nethack, tetris...
6. gui - Gem Desktop (Very nice)
7. lang - Free compilers and assemblers (Pascal,C,Basic,assembler,Fortran, debuggers,make tool...)
8. media - Free multimedia applications (cdrtools, ogg vorbis, mpxplay,lame ...)
9. net - Networking programs (wget, VNC, SSH client, lynx, arachne, mail client, wattcp - a free TCP/IP stack for DOS).
10. util - Free file, directory and other utilities (fprot anti virus, locate, head, du, cal, dos32ax, tail, tee, 4dos, uptime ...)

For more information regarding installation in Linux Systems read:

http://linuxhelp.blogspot.com/2006/09/concise-guide-to-installing-and-using.html

For those fond of retro-games check this out:

http://www.dosgamesarchive.com/

AT&T Reduces Broadband Price for Some Customers

2007-06-28T13:56:00.000-04:00

AT&T Reduces Broadband Price for Some Customers

ASSOCIATED PRESS
June 19, 2007; Page B5

NEW YORK -- AT&T Inc. has started offering a broadband Internet service for $10 a month, cheaper than any of its advertised plans.

The DSL, or digital subscriber line, plan introduced Saturday is part of the concessions made by AT&T to the Federal Communications Commission to get its $86 billion acquisition of BellSouth Corp. approved last December.

The $10 offer is available to customers in the 22-state AT&T service region, which includes former BellSouth areas, who have never had AT&T or BellSouth broadband, spokesman Michael Coe said. Local-phone service and a one-year contract are required; the modem is free of charge.

The plan wasn't mentioned in a Friday news release about AT&T's DSL plans and is slightly hidden on the AT&T Web site. A page describing DSL options doesn't mention it, but clicking a link for "Term contract plans" reveals it. It is also presented to customers who go into the application process, Mr. Coe said.

The service provides download speeds of up to 768 kilobits per second and upload speeds of up to 128 kbps, matching the speeds of the cheapest advertised AT&T plan, which costs $19.95 per month in the nine-state former BellSouth area and $14.99 in the 13 states covered by AT&T before the acquisition.

BellSouth generally had higher prices for DSL before it was acquired, and the price difference persists, though AT&T did cut the price of the cheapest advertised plan in the Southeast region by $5 from $24.95 on Saturday.

The agreement with the FCC required the company to offer the plan for at least two and a half years. Mr. Coe said he couldn't comment on future advertising plans for the offer.

The introduction of the plan was earlier reported by The Tennessean in Nashville.

The Entry-Level Dilemma

2007-06-21T08:34:00.000-04:00

I highly recommend this book:

"The Entry-Level Dilemma by Mattew Moran

One of the most frustrating elements of breaking into a career in technology is that initial job. This chapter identifies the quandary facing the entry-level professional.

This chapter analyzes the "need experience to get experience" dilemma that those who are new to the field often encounter. More importantly, however, this chapter discusses methods you can use to break past this barrier.

For many technology graduates, the past few years have been frustrating ones, because they have tried desperately to enter a seemingly shrinking job market. They had bought into the "get a certification—get a job" promise fostered by the marketing of many training programs. These graduates had been excited that their school had placement services to assist them in entering the growing and lucrative field of information technology (IT).

Unfortunately, although some technology graduates might have found their dream job as promised, many discovered a different reality.

Having followed the promised path, these eager students have discovered that many colleges have also struggled with placement. Although the schools have programs to help with résumé, and they work diligently to link graduates with employers, the fact remains that a tighter job market and a more skeptical employer pool have made job placement a nearly impossible task.

Adding to a tighter market is the fact that more experienced technology professionals have been forced to take a cut in pay and position. This has increased the competition for entry-level positions. Sometimes new graduates are competing with senior-level technologists for the same job.

Part of the fault of unsuccessful job placement lies squarely on the shoulders of the job seeker. Unrealistic expectations have many believing that a certification or degree qualifies them for positions that require hands-on knowledge.

I know of individuals who received their MCSE certification after attending several months of class. They passed the test, did some lab work, and got into the job market. Many of them expected to be hired as network engineers with salaries of $60,000 to $80,000. Their logic was that they were, as the certification implied, "certified engineers." As they perused want ads, lesser jobs, such as those of help desk or IT clerical support, were undesirable to them.

This attitude contributed to the current wave of "certification cynicism" that many employers have adopted. Employers hired the "certified engineers" only to discover that many could not complete the most basic and mundane tasks effectively.

A correction has taken place in the corporate world. Companies are no longer willing to provide pay and opportunity to an unproven commodity—the entry-level technology professional. Many new technologists are unwilling to give up the idealistic dream of instantaneous job satisfaction and a high salary. Unfortunately, this is also leading some to listen to the doomsayers moaning about the lack of opportunity in IT. Talent that would do well in the IT industry is leaving to find opportunity elsewhere.

If you are in that group—ready to leave your hopes of IT success and find greener pastures—wait!

I understand that you are frustrated and disenchanted, but I ask that you seriously consider the corrective behavior described in the section that follows. In it, I believe you will find a rekindled hope that comes with understanding the reality of the situation.
Correcting Perception

The first battle in overcoming frustration in not finding the "job you deserve" is to correct the perception of the new technologist. As discussed earlier, IT will remain a great career choice. However, it is no different from many other good careers. You must make a degree of sacrifice to reach the heights of professional success.

A perspective that places emphasis on long-term career goals and month-to-month personal growth is critical. You must understand where you want to be in the coming months and years. You must also set about creating the short-term plans to achieve that longer-term success.

I'm not necessarily advocating a start-at-the-bottom mentality. I don't perceive that each person's path, even with similar goals, will be the same. I advocate more of a start-where-you-can mentality.

If a company is willing to hire you as a full-fledged network engineer based entirely on your schooling, more power to you. However, beware of overselling yourself without first developing the aptitude that is required. Taking a job where the expectations greatly exceed your production capacity can be just as professionally damaging as it is to take a job that never makes use of, or stretches, the talents you have. In fact, I would say the former is more damaging.

It is more difficult—both mentally and from a perception standpoint—to move down the corporate ladder. It does not look good on a r?um , and more importantly, it can damage your confidence.

IT is an industry that provides ample opportunity to learn new and challenging skills. However, substantial failure early in a career can create a professional timidity that stops you from taking the necessary chances to take on the challenges that come your way.

The perception that you need when breaking into IT is one that seeks opportunity over position. If you have been trained as a network engineer but you find an opportunity to take a position in a clerical capacity, consider what opportunities that job might offer.

Some of the factors to consider in whether to take this slight shift in employment are as follows:

*

Does the company have an effective training program?
*

Is it possible to find mentors in the field you want to enter?
*

Is the company growing?
*

Does the opportunity exist to greatly expand your professional network of contacts?

Remember: You can safely make this consideration because the job itself is not your career. You have the freedom and ability to move within the company or to a new company when needed.

The most important factor is that you are moving toward a career goal. You might not get the title or job you want right out of school. If you can master those skills at your current position, while simultaneously building your network of contacts that lead to your dream position, you should be satisfied. You must build your career piece by piece. It won't happen all at once."

Microsoft didn’t invent the personal computer

2007-06-20T12:04:00.000-04:00

"Microsoft didn’t invent the personal computer and they didn’t invent the first PC operating system. They didn’t even invent the first MS-DOS (they bought and re-branded 86-DOS from Seattle Computer Products.) Nor were they the first to use a “window-like” GUI (Xerox PARC was). What Microsoft did (and still does to this day) is innovate — take what they’ve got, and improve upon it in unique ways! This is the key to their success"

see completed article here:

http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=5427&tag=nl.e539

Web Browser won't load images- (Explorer or firefox)

2007-06-16T22:43:00.000-04:00

On a yahoo newsgroup web site I tried to view some pictures or images and Firefox Web Browser version 2.0 or Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer 7.0 failed to download the jpeg images. As soon as I disabled Zone Alarm Pro firewall the problem was solved.

The firewall was blocking access to those images and I did not know why.

To solve the problem I just opened Zone Alarm Pro console and clicked on PRIVACY then on site LISTING menu I selected MSN.com and allowed PRIVATE HEADER. When I reloaded the page on both web browsers then the images were visible.

Windows Vista DVD: Who Are Those People In That Picture?

2007-06-13T21:07:00.001-04:00

Windows Vista DVD: Who Are Those People In That Picture?

Windows Vista Virtual Easter Egg:

Kwisatz has discovered a picture of three guys on the Windows Vista DVD cover. Who are they? What's the purpose? Does Bill Gates know about it?

I guess it's just a prank, but by whom?

He has taken the photos with a Nikon 5700 (click on images to enlarge):
He also says there are three more holographic pictures on the cover, but he hasn't been able to figure out what's depicted in them.

Do you have a Vista DVD and a microscope?

Head over to the Kwisatz site (spanish language) for more photos.

Update: Paul McNamara over at NetworkWorld sent a mail to the Microsoft PR agency to ask about their identity. The PR agency: "No comment".

Update: I see some people are suggesting the hologram could be an anti-piracy measure. But, then again, the pictures are on the cover, not on the DVD itself.

.

Labels: entertainment, informatics, picture, technology

2007-06-11T21:10:00.001-04:00

In Linux is difficult and almost an undaunting task the configuration of a wireless network. But the good news is that a direct connection to a DSL AT & T modem works like a champ using a distro such as Ubuntu or Red Hat. Other than that: Linux is faster than Windows and more flexible and intuitive. If you are too attached still to windows and wants something that looks similar to Linux try Lindows now called Linspire, but bear in mind that this bistro is not free.

The Linux support forums are outstanding and best of all free of charge And by the way you don't spend too much time in linux seeking for viruses and spyware.

[b]Multitasking makes it possible for a single user to run multiple applications at the same time.[/b]

Linux reminds me a lot of the old 0S/2 and Amiga Preemptive multitasking/time-sharing capabilities. With Windows in the other hand for example and with the slow loading of an application such as MS word it seems like it takes "forever" to show up. In Unix/ Linux this is the opposite, with hardly any waiting period.

To explain it better: Linux/Unix operating system is designed as preemptive multitasking giving better results as far as system responsiveness and scalability. Although in many of the official "status quo" definitions Windows falls into this also preemptive multitasking category and MS techies would affirm cathegorally that I'm wrong by me saying otherwise or that Windows' approach is based more on the concept of cooperative multitasking (a process which explicitly yield to other processes) instead. But based in the actual Windows XP poor performance and -in this context- I still think Windows behaves more like a cooperative multitasking system and it is not in essence a true multitasking operating system, because Windows is really multi-threading and not multitasking. And my conclusion is based on what I have seen and not by what Microsoft claims to be. I do not think Windows is truly multi-tasking, but appears to be imitating multitasking based on its kernel, just like appears to imitate Apple superior operating system since MS released Windows 95 is been trying constantly to be number one. MS is disappointing users and this has been proven recently with the hurdles and flaws exhibited by its latest incarnation of Windows Vista.

Please, don't believe what I say and just give Apple a chance and for now you could even try Linux for free. As a matter of fact Mac OS architecture is derived from Unix. :)

If you don't have enough money for a Laptop give consideration to a Desktop. I think Mac-Mini is a good option for beginners. http://www.apple.com/macmini/

Dr-DOS

2007-04-03T20:58:00.000-04:00

This story appeared on Network World at
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2002/1216drdos.html

Start-up revives once-vaunted DR-DOS

By Deni Connor, Network World, 12/16/02

LINDON, UTAH - A start-up is looking to dust off and buff up DR-DOS, a largely dormant operating system that still attracts a hardcore following but is best-known for a colorful past that some see checkered with missed opportunity.

DeviceLogics, a company co-founded last month by Bryan Sparks, former CEO and founder of Linux vendors' Lineo (now Embedix) and Caldera Systems (now SCO Group), has bought DR-DOS, which once competed against Microsoft's MS-DOS.

DeviceLogics purchased DR-DOS from Lineo, where it underwent minor functional development during the past few years. The start-up will develop a compact operating system - for kiosks, automated teller machines, point-of-sale devices, handheld computers and desktop PCs running legacy DOS applications. Observers say the operating system, which is expected to ship in the first quarter of next year, could be more efficient and less expensive than Windows XP Embedded, Windows CE or Linux.
Interest level high

"There are still a lot of people running DR-DOS on single PCs," says Troy Tribe, vice president of sales and marketing at DeviceLogics. "We are going to revise DR-DOS for the desktop, as well as provide a kiosk, embedded, point-of-sale and a handheld version. People are now having to do that work on their own."

Digital Research developed DR-DOS, a 32-bit operating system, in 1987 as a fully compatible alternative to MS-DOS for 80286- and 80386-based PCs. It succeeded creator Gary Kildall's Control Program for Microcomputers (CP/M). The most popular legend told is that Kildall, the CEO of Intergalactic Digital Research (later shortened to Digital Research), was piloting his plane the day IBM approached the company about licensing CP/M for its first microcomputer - instead, IBM signed Microsoft's MS-DOS.

In 1991, Novell acquired Digital Research, DR-DOS and CP/M, with plans to compete against MS-DOS in the DOS market. When Novell CEO Ray Noorda failed to capitalize on the plan to take over the DOS market, Novell sold DR-DOS to Caldera in 1996. Caldera, which Sparks founded with Noorda's assistance, then sued Microsoft for lost sales and unfair competition and settled out of court for an unspecified amount.
Simple development

Analysts say embedded DOS is important in that the development environment is simplified because the code is compact and the devices that use it often do not require a keyboard, mouse or more-complicated Windows-like display.

"It would probably be much smaller [than XP Embedded], take less machine resources, and because it is inherently simpler, some tasks would run faster," says Dan Kuznetsky, research director at IDC. "DOS runs very well in a small system by today's standards."
Challenges ahead

However, Kuznetsky says getting an embedded operating system such as DR-DOS accepted would not be without challenges.

"It would not necessarily have the same security or development tools that are up to today's standards; that would be a challenge," he says.

DeviceLogics says it will introduce a software developer kit in the first half of next year.

Users within IT organizations have mixed opinions about using DOS.

"We do have DOS applications running on legacy dedicated hardware that's sitting on real-time control systems, which simulate the hardware they are controlling," says Peter DaSilva, consulting engineer at ABB, a power and automation technology company in Houston. "We don't have any anticipation of upgrading them - ever."

Others say having a command-line operating system available such as DOS is still the most direct way to troubleshoot a system.

"DOS is still the best way to run recovery programs, low-level disk utilities, removal of computer viruses, the flashing of the system BIOS and diagnostics," says Jeff Johnson, an IT consultant in Boca Raton, Fla.

Johnson says that if DeviceLogics added features to DR-DOS that eliminated the need for commonly used utilities such as 4DOS and the Quarterdeck Expanded Memory Manager, while maintaining a small conventional memory footprint and compatibility, it would increase the chances of use by end users, PC hobbyists and developers.

DR-DOS will compete against a variety of other DOS implementations, including DataLight's ROM-DOS, Paragon Software's PTS DOS 2000 Pro and IBM's PC DOS for Embedded Devices. In addition, an open source version of FreeDOS is available.

Click to see:
PROFILE: DEVICELOGICS
Location: Salt Lake City
Founded: November 2002
Product name: DR-DOS
Product type: Embedded operating system
Ship date: First quarter 2003
Founders: Bryan Sparks, CEO; Troy Tribe, vice president of sales and marketing; Bryce Burns, vice president of operations.
Funding: Self-funded
Fast fact: Sparks’ Caldera started the first of two antitrust trials against Microsoft.

All contents copyright 1995-2007 Network World, Inc. http://www.networkworld.com

There is an open source of Dr DOS

at http://www.drdosprojects.de/index.cgi/news.htm

FlyakiteOSX

2007-03-31T07:49:00.000-04:00

Wishing the coolest operating system on earth? Do you dream about having a look alike Apple operating system in your windows XP 2003 without loosing Windows?

Here is the answer:

http://osx.portraitofakite.com/

Boot Camp 1.2 supports Windows Vista

2007-03-31T07:46:00.001-04:00

March 28, 2007
Boot Camp 1.2 supports Windows Vista

So much for that silly story going around last week that Leopard, the next version of the Mac OS X, was going to be delayed until October so its Boot Camp feature -- which lets Intel-based Macs dual-boot with Windows -- could support Windows Vista.

Apple has just released Boot Camp 1.2 -- and it supports Vista now.

Don't everyone rush to the servers at once . . .

Here's what's new in 1.2:

* Support for Windows Vista (32-bit)
* Updated drivers, including but not limited to trackpad, AppleTime (synch), audio, graphics, modem, iSight camera
* Support the Apple Remote (works with iTunes and Windows Media Player)
* A Windows system tray icon for easy access to Boot Camp information and actions
* Improved keyboard support for Korean, Chinese, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Russian, and French Canadian
* Improved Windows driver installation experience
* Updated documentation and Boot Camp on-line help in Windows
* Apple Software Update (for Windows XP and Vista)

Apple TV = hacked

2007-03-26T10:47:00.000-04:00

Apple TV = hacked by ZDNet's Jason D. O'Grady -- The first day after Apple TV began shipping a bunch of sharp-as-a-tack coder types hacked Apple's new set top box to shreds.

The first day after Apple TV began shipping a bunch of sharp-as-a-tack coder types hacked Apple's new set top box to shreds:

Non-Apple TV owners can enjoy the out of box experience by viewing the opening video which one crafty person ripped from the hard drive and posted in all of it's 720p glory. You can also download the Quartz Composer Screen Saver and the Now Playing Screen. And if you're truly hard-core you can download the entire Apple TV OS, and (conceivably) install it on another Mac.

But this is just scratching the Apple TV surface.

True hackers will want to immediately take it apart (photos) and upgrade the wimpy 40GB HDD to 80 or 120GB - it's a standard 2.5-inch notebook mechanism (another HDD upgrade tutorial is here).

If you really want to hack it to the next level you can play Xvid movies on Apple TV, but it ain't pretty and involves removing the HDD (covered above) and un-breaking SSH (using Perian and DropBear) so you can access the Apple TV remotely.

If that's too much hassle for you there's a solution to automatically convert Xvid, Divx, WMV files to Apple TV format, and then import them into iTunes with a convenient Automator workflow.

You can even turn a Mac mini into an Apple TV or an Apple TV into a Web server (by installing Apache).

Keep up with even more Apple TV hacks at AppleTVHacks.net.

Travel back in Time

2007-03-25T13:51:00.000-04:00

You Can't Travel Back in Time, Scientists Say

Sara Goudarzi
LiveScience Staff Writer
Fri Mar 9, 8:10 AM ET

The urge to hug a departed loved one again or prevent atrocities are among the compelling reasons that keep the notion of time travel alive in the minds of many.

While the idea makes for great fiction, some scientists now say traveling to the past is impossible.

There are a handful of scenarios that theorists have suggested for how one might travel to the past, said Brian Greene, author of the bestseller, “The Elegant Universe” and a physicist at Columbia University.“And almost all of them, if you look at them closely, brush up right at the edge of physics as we understand it. Most of us think that almost all of them can be ruled out.”
Vote for Your Favorite Time Travel Tale

The fourth dimension

In physics, time is described as a dimension much like length, width, and height. When you travel from your house to the grocery store, you’re traveling through a direction in space, making headway in all the spatial dimensions—length, width and height. But you’re also traveling forward in time, the fourth dimension.

“Space and time are tangled together in a sort of a four-dimensional fabric called space-time,” said Charles Liu, an astrophysicist with the City University of New York, College of Staten Island and co-author of the book “One Universe: At Home In The Cosmos.”

Space-time, Liu explains, can be thought of as a piece of spandex with four dimensions. “When something that has mass—you and I, an object, a planet, or any star—sits in that piece of four-dimensional spandex, it causes it to create a dimple,” he said. “That dimple is a manifestation of space-time bending to accommodate this mass.”

The bending of space-time causes objects to move on a curved path and that curvature of space is what we know as gravity.

Mathematically one can go backwards or forwards in the three spatial dimensions. But time doesn’t share this multi-directional freedom.

“In this four-dimensional space-time, you’re only able to move forward in time,” Liu told LiveScience.
Video: Can You Time Travel?

Tunneling to the past

A handful of proposals exist for time travel. The most developed of these approaches involves a wormhole—a hypothetical tunnel connecting two regions of space-time. The regions bridged could be two completely different universes or two parts of one universe. Matter can travel through either mouth of the wormhole to reach a destination on the other side.

“Wormholes are the future, wormholes are the past,” said Michio Kaku, author of “Hyperspace” and “Parallel Worlds” and a physicist at the City University of New York. “But we have to be very careful. The gasoline necessary to energize a time machine is far beyond anything that we can assemble with today’s technology.”

To punch a hole into the fabric of space-time, Kaku explained, would require the energy of a star or negative energy, an exotic entity with an energy of less than nothing.

Greene, an expert on string theory—which views matter in a minimum of 10 dimensions and tries to bridge the gap between particle physics and nature's fundamental forces, questioned this scenario.

“Many people who study the subject doubt that that approach has any chance of working,” Greene said in an interview . “But the basic idea if you’re very, very optimistic is that if you fiddle with the wormhole openings, you can make it not only a shortcut from a point in space to another point in space, but a shortcut from one moment in time to another moment in time.”
Video: How to Time Travel!

Cosmic strings

Another popular theory for potential time travelers involves something called cosmic strings—narrow tubes of energy stretched across the entire length of the ever-expanding universe. These skinny regions, leftover from the early cosmos, are predicted to contain huge amounts of mass and therefore could warp the space-time around them.

Cosmic strings are either infinite or they’re in loops, with no ends, said J. Richard Gott, author of “Time Travel in Einstein's Universe” and an astrophysicist at Princeton University. “So they are either like spaghetti or SpaghettiO’s.”

The approach of two such strings parallel to each other, said Gott, will bend space-time so vigorously and in such a particular configuration that might make time travel possible, in theory.

“This is a project that a super civilization might attempt,” Gott told LiveScience. “It’s far beyond what we can do. We’re a civilization that’s not even controlling the energy resources of our planet.”

Impossible, for now

Mathematically, you can certainly say something is traveling to the past, Liu said. “But it is not possible for you and me to travel backward in time,” he said.

However, some scientists believe that traveling to the past is, in fact, theoretically possible, though impractical.

Maybe if there were a theory of everything, one could solve all of Einstein’s equations through a wormhole, and see whether time travel is really possible, Kaku said. “But that would require a technology far more advanced than anything we can muster," he said. "Don’t expect any young inventor to announce tomorrow in a press release that he or she has invented a time machine in their basement.”

For now, the only definitive part of travel in the fourth dimension is that we’re stepping further into the future with each passing moment. So for those hoping to see Earth a million years from now, scientists have good news.

“If you want to know what the Earth is like one million years from now, I’ll tell you how to do that,” said Greene, a consultant for “Déjà Vu,” a recent movie that dealt with time travel. “Build a spaceship. Go near the speed of light for a length of time—that I could calculate. Come back to Earth, and when you step out of your ship you will have aged perhaps one year while the Earth would have aged one million years. You would have traveled to Earth’s future.”

More about Time Travel
Vote for Your Favorite Time Travel Tale Video: Is Time Travel Possible? Video: How to Time Travel!

Related News
Black Hole Puts Dent In Space-time Getting There: Research Warps into Hyperdrive Earth Warps Space-Time, Too Original Story: You Can't Travel Back in Time, Scientists Say

Visit LiveScience.com for more daily news, views and scientific inquiry with an original, provocative point of view. LiveScience reports amazing, real world breakthroughs, made simple and stimulating for people on the go. Check out our collection of Science, Animal and Dinosaur Pictures, Science Videos, Hot Topics, Trivia, Top 10s, Voting, Amazing Images, Reader Favorites, and more. Get cool gadgets at the new LiveScience Store, sign up for our free daily email newsletter and check out our RSS feeds today!

Vista's pretty, but it's a shameless Mac OS X imitator

2007-01-30T07:08:00.000-05:00

Posted on Mon, Jan. 29, 2007
Vista's pretty, but it's a shameless Mac OS X imitator

JULIO OJEDA-ZAPATA

I praise Microsoft's new Windows Vista operating system, and I also curse it.

Vista certainly is pretty. PC users long used to the dowdy Windows XP will do a double take at Vista's translucent images and groovy 3D effects. Vista also is crammed with powerful, useful new features, like lightning-fast file searching, photo organizing and movie-DVD burning.

But after waiting five years — as in half a decade — for this thing, I think I should get something revolutionary, a PC operating system so astonishing it makes the competition look laughably primitive. The almighty Microsoft made this, right? So Vista — being released to consumers Tuesday — has to be jaw-droppingly superior, right?

Well, it's not. Vista hardly rocked my world during weeks of testing. It's a fine Windows upgrade, but it's also a shameless rip-off (and not quite the equal) of another major operating system, Apple Computer's Mac OS X.

That begs the question: Why not just use OS X?

Those upgrading from XP likely will have to get a new computer anyway because Vista doesn't work properly on most older PCs. (See my recent column, "Take your time buying that new computer," for details on this.) So, instead of purchasing a Windows PC, they could — and typically should — get an Apple Macintosh computer running OS X.

Apple is about to release an OS X upgrade, nicknamed "Leopard," that will make Vista look archaic in some ways. But Vista does retain the upper hand in certain respects. Here's how the operating systems compare in essential categories:

Appearance. Vista looks amazing. Its windows cast subtle shadows and sport translucent borders, for instance.

But OS X has had eye candy like this for years. Oh, Microsoft throws in a few enhancements. Users can adjust the border translucency, for instance. But Vista is still only an OS X clone — and a slightly inferior-looking one, at that.

Finding stuff. With so many documents, pictures, video clips, e-mails and the like on today's computers, search is an essential feature. Thank goodness Vista is vastly superior to its XP predecessor in this way. Click the Start button and type your search queries into the window that appears just above. Presto! Your results appear in seconds.

Hmm, does this sound familiar, OS X users? That's right, the Spotlight search engine does the same thing.

Vista helps you keep track of stuff in other ways. If you start getting confused by all the windows that are open on the desktop, click Windows-Tab. Ta-da! Windows tilt slightly and group themselves together in an easy-to-skim Flip 3-D arrangement. That's handy but hardly new. The Exposé feature in OS X does pretty much the same thing.

You also can create intelligent Search Folders that automatically fill with data based on criteria you set. Cool, just like the Smart Folders in OS X.

More secure. Windows XP is notorious for its gaping security holes, which Microsoft has scrambled to plug in Vista. Whether it has succeeded remains to be seen — hordes of cybervillains will do their darnedest to compromise this version of the market-dominant Windows, as well.

Vista's safeguards do seem impressive, though. You can't install anything on a Vista PC without clicking through confirmation windows, for instance. Seem reasonable? Sure it does — OS X has boasted this feature for years.

Wid(gad)gets. So-called "widgets" or "gadgets" are everywhere. The miniapplications show weather forecasts, track packages and much, much more. And everyone from the Yahoo and Google search engines and the Opera browser maker to the TypePad and WordPress blogging services offer their own variations.

So do Windows Vista and OS X. Microsoft's gadgets could be called rip-offs of Apple's widgets. But, to be fair, OS X widgets are rip-offs of Konfabulator, a pioneering widget technology now part of Yahoo and dubbed Yahoo Widgets.

A boob tube. By now, you'd surely assume that I'd recommend avoiding Windows PCs like the plague. Far from it. Budget permitting, I'd own both a Mac and a Vista PC — the latter largely because of its "Media Center" capabilities.

These allow PCs with integrated TV tuners to work as TiVo-like digital-video recorders once connected to cable-TV feeds. I've used a Dell desktop PC with Vista for weeks to record "Heroes," "Jericho," "Smallville" and "Battlestar Galactica," and I'm thrilled at how well this works. While Media Center isn't new (XP versions have been available for years), it has been improved and polished in Vista.

Nothing on the Mac quite compares. You can't get Macs with integrated TV tuners, and TiVo-style features are available only via add-on hardware and software that are inferior to Vista's elegant, built-in Media Center features.

But beware: Microsoft's close ties with entertainment companies are painfully evident in some ways. You won't be allowed to burn certain Media Center recordings (such as PBS' "Prime Suspect") onto blank DVD discs, for instance.

Bonusware. Microsoft has bundled an assortment of useful programs with Vista, which means you won't have as urgent a need to invest in additional software.

Windows Photo Gallery has nice tagging and rating features, for instance. Windows DVD Maker (a companion to the old, scarcely improved Windows Movie Maker) is handy for burning family videos onto blank discs that are playable in any home DVD player.

But these programs are no match for what is available on any new Mac. Every Apple machine has iLife, a suite of interlocking programs for editing video, burning DVDs, organizing photos, composing music and even creating slick Web sites. These make Vista's offerings look insanely inadequate. New PCs do often include extra programs from third parties for enhanced capabilities, but a software hodgepodge doesn't have iLife's tight integration.

Vista also bundles in Windows Calendar, Mail and Contacts, which are rough equivalents of iCal, Apple Mail and Address Book on Macs.

What's next? Apple this spring will release OS X version 10.5 with advanced features that will leapfrog the just-released Vista.

While the new Windows has rudimentary data-backup capabilities, for instance, Leopard will include something called Time Machine that will transparently replicate data on a backup drive and allow for point-and-click retrieval of existing files (and even old versions of those files).

It's also important to note that Apple has offered OS X upgrades at roughly yearly intervals during the half-decade that Microsoft has labored on Vista. Apple is an innovation engine; Microsoft, not so much.

Bottom line. Get a Mac with OS X unless your home-computer needs are Windows-specific, or if the fine Media Center is a must for you. You likely won't regret a Vista-PC purchase, but I'm betting you'll enjoy a Mac much more.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata covers consumer technology. Reach him at jojeda@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5467. Get more personal tech at yourtechweblog.com and twincities.com.

MORE INFORMATION

• Windows Vista www.microsoft.com/windowsvista

• Apple Mac OS X www.apple.com/macosx

© 2007 St. Paul Pioneer Press and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.

Scientists: Water Likely Flows on Mars

2006-12-06T19:32:00.000-05:00

Scientists: Water Likely Flows on Mars
By ALICIA CHANG (AP Science Writer)
From Associated Press
December 06, 2006 6:26 PM EST

LOS ANGELES - New photographs from space suggest that water occasionally flows on the frigid surface of Mars, raising the tantalizing possibility that the Red Planet is hospitable to life, scientists reported Wednesday.

The new images, taken by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor before it lost contact with Earth, do not actually show flowing water. Rather, they show changes in craters that provide the strongest evidence yet that water coursed through them as recently as several years ago, and is perhaps doing so even now.

"This is a squirting gun for water on Mars," said Kenneth Edgett, a scientist at San Diego-based Malin Space Science Systems, which operates a camera on the Global Surveyor.

The news excited scientists who hunt for extraterrestrial life. If the finding is confirmed, they say, all the ingredients favorable for life on Mars are in place: liquid water and a stable heat source.

In all of its Mars exploration missions, NASA has pursued a "follow the water" strategy to determine if the planet once contained life or could support it now.

Scientists believe ancient Mars was awash with pools of water. And at present-day Mars' north pole, researchers have spotted evidence of water ice. But they have yet to actually see water in liquid form.

"This underscores the importance of searching for life on Mars, either present or past," said Bruce Jakosky, an astrobiologist at the University of Colorado at Boulder, who had no role in the study. "It's one more reason to think that life could be there."

Some researchers were skeptical that liquid water was responsible for the surface feature changes seen by the spacecraft. They said other materials such as sand or dust can flow like a liquid and produce similar results.

"Nothing in the images, no matter how cool they are, proves that the flows were wet, or that they were anything more exciting than avalanches of sand and dust," Allan Treiman, a geologist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston said in an e-mail.

The findings will appear in Friday's issue of the journal Science.

The Global Surveyor previously spotted tens of thousands of gullies that scientists believed were geologically young and carved by fast-moving water coursing down cliffs and steep crater walls. Scientists decided to retake photos of thousands of gullies in a search for evidence of recent water activity.

Two craters in the southern hemisphere that were originally photographed in 1999 and 2001 were examined again in 2004 and 2005, and the images yielded changes consistent with water flowing down the crater walls, according to the study.

Scientists said five to 10 pools of water rushed down the craters in each case. In both craters, scientists found bright, light-colored deposits several hundred yards long in gullies that weren't present in the original photos. They concluded that the deposits - possibly mud, salt or frost - were left there when water recently cascaded through.

Edgett said a combination of factors, including the shape and color of the deposits, led the team to believe it was recent water action and not dust that slipped down the slope. He said dust would leave dark deposits.

Water cannot remain a liquid on Mars for long because of subzero surface temperatures and low atmospheric pressure that would turn water into ice or gas. But scientists theorize that liquid water is being shot up to the surface from an underground source, like geysers.

The Global Surveyor, managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, abruptly lost radio contact with Earth last month. Several attempts to locate the spacecraft, which has mapped Mars since 1996, have failed and scientists fear the mission was likely at an end.

Mars formed more than 4.5 billion years ago and scientists generally believe it went through an early wet and warm era that ended after 1.5 billion to 2.5 billion years, leaving the planet extremely dry and cold.

NASA's durable twin rovers have sent scientists strong evidence that the planet once had liquid water at or near the surface, based on observations of alterations in ancient rocks. The images from the Global Surveyor suggest the process is still occurring.

"We're now realizing Mars is more active than we previously thought and that the mid-latitude section seems to be where all the action is," said Arizona State University scientist Phil Christensen, who was not part of the current research.

---

On the Net:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov

Malin Space Science Systems: http://www.msss.com

Microsoft supports Novell's Linux Platform

2006-11-04T07:36:00.000-05:00

My comments: MS seeks to use their code for their own benefit, Ms also see the threat and superiority of Linux, period!

Microsoft Backs Novell's Linux Platform

November 03, 2006 8:54 AM EST

SAN FRANCISCO - Microsoft Corp. has embraced Novell Inc.'s open-source software platform, forming a technological truce between two longtime antagonists who want to make it easier for the still-dominant Windows operating system and the increasingly popular Linux system to work together.

The agreement announced Thursday between the world's largest seller of patent-protected software and a leader in the open-source software movement has potentially important business, technical and legal implications.

"This builds a very important intellectual-property bridge between the open source and proprietary sides of software," Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, said shortly before the companies formally announced their alliance in San Francisco.

Financial terms of the arrangement weren't disclosed.

The alliance is primarily aimed at the growing number of major companies and government agencies that rely on elements of Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft's Windows and Linux to run their computers.

"It all comes down to recognizing there is a mixed environment out there," Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said during a Thursday press conference.

The partnership's impact on consumers appears to be inconsequential except for a commitment to improve the interaction between Microsoft's top-selling suite of Office software and a free alternative known as OpenOffice.

Microsoft's stamp of approval, extracted after six months of negotiations, represents a coup for Waltham, Mass-based Novell as it touts the advantage of its version of Linux over other varieties made by competitors such as Red Hat Inc.

After news of the deal leaked, Novell's shares shot up 92 cents, or 15.7 percent, to close Thursday at $6.79 on the Nasdaq Stock Market, where Microsoft's shares dipped 4 cents to finish at $28.77.

Under the partnership, Microsoft's sales team will offer its corporate customers a chance to license its Windows operating system as part of a package offering maintenance and support for Novell's Suse Linux platform.

Novell primarily relies on the fees for customer support to make money off the Linux software, which is developed by a global community of programmers who aren't tied to any single company and freely share improvements to the code.

Ballmer stressed that Microsoft will first try to convince corporate customers to use Windows exclusively before relenting to the notion of a hybrid system using Suse Linux.

To encourage more companies to embrace Novell's open-source platform, Microsoft has pledged not to assert its patent rights over any of its technology that may be blended with Suse Linux.

The concession is meant to address the concerns of many corporate users who have been reluctant to use Linux because they feared Microsoft might retaliate with patent-infringement claims.

"This is a big day for Microsoft customers," said Stuart Cohen, chief executive officer of the Open Source Development Labs, a Beaverton, Ore. group trying to expand corporate America's reliance on Linux. "They are being told by Microsoft that they can use Linux and not worry about it. That's a big statement."

Microsoft's patent waiver only applies to users of the Suse Linux platform.

The new partners have a stormy history.

In 2004, Novell reached a $536 million settlement with Microsoft over antitrust complaints in Europe and then sued its rival again in the United States. The U.S. suit alleged that Microsoft withheld technical information about Windows that Novell needed for its word processing program. Novell has since sold WordPerfect, but its antitrust claim remains alive.

Microsoft's decision to work with Novell reflects the increasingly important role of Linux's open-source software in corporate computing systems. About 20 percent of corporate America relies on some form of Linux, Cohen estimated.

Because it's available for free, Linux software long has been has been a source of consternation for Microsoft, which makes most of its money from the sale of its proprietary software.

"I have had a lot of conversations with (Ballmer), and I can assure you he wasn't usually smiling when we were talking about Linux," said Shane Robison, chief strategy and technology officer for Hewlett-Packard Co.

But Microsoft has been under increasing pressure to loosen up, and not just from customers who want to be able to run Linux with Windows.

Online search leader Google Inc. also is giving away more Web-based software, including word processing and spreadsheet programs, and last year promised to work with Sun Microsystems Inc. to help distribute OpenOffice.

Just last week, Oracle Corp. provided the Linux system with another major lift by offering steep discounts on product support of the Linux platform provided by Red Hat Inc.

Microsoft's backing of Novell's Linux platform may raise even more worries for Raleigh, N.C.-based Red Hat, whose stock price has dropped by 17 percent since Oracle launched its assault.

Microsoft Partners Fuming Over Vista

2006-10-21T09:59:00.000-04:00

Microsoft Partners Fuming Over Vista
By JORDAN ROBERTSON (AP Business Writer)
From Associated Press
October 20, 2006 11:59 AM EDT

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Microsoft Corp. is no stranger to antitrust skirmishes and complaints from competitors about unfair business practices.

But the latest fight over its upcoming Vista operating system pits Microsoft against an unlikely adversary: the security software vendors who are some of its most intimate partners in protecting its notoriously vulnerable systems from attacks.

As Vista's planned release nears, the company is facing a backlash from such vendors as Symantec Corp. and McAfee Inc., which argue that even the concessions Microsoft recently made to appease European antitrust regulators won't do enough to help them best protect their customers.

"We've been talking to them for over two years on this issue," said Rowan Trollope, Symantec's vice president for consumer engineering. "And now (with) basically a very short amount of time before the operating system comes out, we're not in a good position to provide that security to our customers."

Ultimately, consumers will decide whether Microsoft's own security measures are adequate to combat increasingly sophisticated Internet threats and keep personal data safe from hackers and online criminals.

But the showdown also marks an important turning point in how computer users buy security software.

Microsoft now competes directly with Cupertino-based Symantec and Santa Clara-based McAfee with its own product, called OneCare, posing a substantial threat to vendors who have been vital to protecting generations of Microsoft operating systems.

European antitrust regulators have warned Microsoft not to shut out rivals in security software and other markets, and the European Union so far has fined the Redmond, Wash., company $970 million over the current flavor of Windows.

To quell EU concerns about Vista, Microsoft pledged to make key changes, but the vendors remain unsatisfied and have threatened antitrust lawsuits. McAfee issued a statement Thursday complaining of the company's failure to live up to "hollow assurances."

Industry analysts said Microsoft's new dual role could inadvertently make the operating system more vulnerable.

"Microsoft's priority should be simple: Fortify the operating system, make it secure, make it as impenetrable as possible, but work with the third parties," said Joe Wilcox, a senior analyst with Jupiter Research.

Vista will be Microsoft's first major upgrade to its flagship operating system since Windows XP's release in 2001. The company touts Vista's sleeker looks, improved search capabilities and simplified organization as key upgrades over previous systems.

But several key security changes prompted Symantec and McAfee officials to launch withering public attacks in recent weeks.

Executives accused Microsoft of unfairly promoting its own security software with a dashboard that couldn't be disabled by vendors. The company pledged technological information to turn off the feature, designed to help customers easily see what protections are switched on.

Vendors also howled over an icon on the welcome screen linking to Microsoft security products. Microsoft refused to remove the link but has vowed to link to other security companies.

The biggest - and currently unresolved - fight hinges on vendors' claims they have been locked out of access to the core, or kernel, of higher-end, 64-bit versions of Vista.

A new feature called PatchGuard is meant to protect the most sensitive information in the guts of the system. While blocking out hackers, PatchGuard also keeps out security vendors that have traditionally been allowed inside to retrieve necessary information.

Vendors said their products will thus lack advanced security features for 64-bit users (The 32-bit version that consumers are likely to get does not include PatchGuard and thus offers access to the disputed data).

Microsoft said the methods previously used were undocumented and unsupported and left the system less secure and less stable. Customers, the company said, demand better security.

The company has agreed to permit limited kernel access, but will not provide a "blanket exception" or turn off the feature entirely, said Stephen Toulouse, a senior program manager in Microsoft's Security Technology Unit.

"We did look at that, but we got consistent feedback that that wouldn't be a good option for the customer," he said. "We want to make clear that we will work with those vendors. It will take some time, but we're committed to making that happen."

Microsoft held online briefings with security vendors on Thursday to address their concerns, though technical difficulties booted some vendors out.

Security vendors said their engineers are going to have to scramble to update their software once the technical tools they need become available, which could be months away.

Vista begins shipping to computer manufacturers and larger businesses next month. Consumers should be able to buy the new operating system in January.

"We're turning blue holding our breath waiting for something to happen," McAfee chief scientist George Heron said in an interview. "And frankly so are the users. This is the 11th hour. Now is not the time to crack open the designs."

In the meantime, third-party vendors said their products will work but won't have maximum protection. Microsoft said its products will adhere to the same rules and won't have an unfair advantage.

Security experts said it's unclear whether Microsoft's stance on protecting the kernel will make Windows more secure, though it will likely challenge hackers to try to crack it.

"No matter how secure any operating system is, if it has been built by man, it can be broken by man," said Ken Dunham, director of the rapid response team at VeriSign Inc.'s iDefense Intelligence. "While it might be a major improvement, there is no silver bullet."

Vendors said customers are likely to agree.

"It's a little bit like the fox guarding the hen house," Symantec's Trollope said. "If Microsoft can control the ways that companies can innovate, if they can control the dialogue of security with the customer, you end up with a security monoculture. And that's unacceptable."

ZoneAlarm glitches hit Eudora, McAfee users

2006-06-27T09:20:00.000-04:00

ZoneAlarm glitches hit Eudora, McAfee users
By Joris Evers, CNET News.com
Published on ZDNet News: June 20, 2006, 5:09 PM PT

Zone Labs has fixed a bug in a recent upgrade to its security software that is causing trouble for some Eudora and McAfee users.

The problems relate to ZoneAlarm 6.5 products released last week, the company said Tuesday. One glitch means the software won't install alongside McAfee antivirus products, while another interferes with date and time stamps in Qualcomm's Eudora e-mail client. Users had complained about the issues in Zone Labs' forums, a representative for the San Francisco-based security software maker said

All English-language versions of the products are affected. Zone Labs, part of Check Point Software Technologies, on Tuesday released software updates for all its ZoneAlarm products to address the problems.

"The update is live on the Web site," the Zone Labs representative said. "It will also be pushed out to existing customers--if they have automatic updates--in a rolling release schedule."

The conflict with the McAfee software was caused by a security feature in the ZoneAlarm products, the representative said. Installation is halted by a protection mechanism that kicks in when a known incompatibility exists between ZoneAlarm and another software program. "In this case, this was in error, as no incompatibility exists," the Zone Labs representative said.

People who don't have automatic updates can download the latest version of ZoneAlarm products from Zone Labs' Web site. The 6.5 versions includes some innovative features, including some that promise to help protect people against identity fraud on the Internet as well as offline.

JOB Mislead! - How do you handle it?

2006-06-07T10:04:00.000-04:00

Mislead! - How do you handle it?
Posted: 25 Jan 2006 09:46 PM
OK - we all may not have the perfect job. But I took a position a year ago after being out of work for a while due to an acquisition with my previous company. After being on the job for about 3 months, it was obvious I had been mislead. Nothing I am doing is remotely related to the job description. I have been told that "due to the politics of the situation, you'll be doing something different." I can't stand my boss, but there are other opportunities within the company.

SO...how do you go about networking for another opportunity? I'll eventually have to tell my current boss if I post for an internal position, but I worry about retaliation. Or should I just bail out since they mislead me in the first place? Please help! I'm so confused...
JA

Re: Mislead! - How do you handle it?
Posted: 26 Jan 2006 06:24 AM
If your manager told you about the political situation, has something changed to now make you acceptable for the job you wanted? Or would this be for yet another job in the same company?

If there have been some changes, it might be ok to ask about the "better fit" job opportunities given the fact you were originally hired to do job X and instead was put into job Y due to politics.
ma

Re: Mislead! - How do you handle it?
Posted: 29 Jan 2006 12:34 PM
Wow, I can sure relate to your dilemma. As sad as it is, politics seem to rule over most situations within companies. Seeing that you can't stand your boss you may run into a problem posting for an internal position, especially if your boss was the one that told you "due to the politics of the situation, you'll be doing something different." If your boss is the one you sense retaliation from, you could be setting yourself up for some turbulent times with the company.

If your willing and emotionally able to go head-to-head relating to the politics influencing the statement that was made to you, than fasten your seat belt and prepare for the ride! As with any decision there's consequences though. Take some time and think about the possible outcomes if you choose to stay with the company. You can always do nothing, coast until you find a better job offering a better fit with a different company?

Good luck
L

Re: Mislead! - How do you handle it?
Posted: 14 Feb 2006 10:20 AM
Oh Boy, This could be a hard one. however, if you approach your boss and say "I have applied for a position within the company that I originally applied for last year, and I don't want any hard feelings if I get the position. YOU BETTER BUTTER HER/HIM UP. I quit a job last June/05 gave a 2 week notice, WITHOUT ANOTHER JOB. I have never done this in my life. BUT I was harrassed for over a year and she got what she wanted, to force me out by making my day to day functions completely unable to do. 25 years in mortgage banking and I am asked to do the most stupid things that I have Never heard of nor ever been asked to do within my career. She is a bad manager and a very bad person. HR got involved, but they believed her. I hear they are now "Watching her" because 7 people left after me, and they have been numerous complaints about her, but......SHE STILL HAS HER JOB!, My question to you is, Could she give you a bad reference? Is she in that position? She/He is NOT suppose to, but my ex-manager gave an employee a bad rap for her to relocate back to Buffalo, NY because she moved to Virginia within the company to be trained as a processor only to end up being her secretary. The employee ALMOST did not get her transfer back to buffalo. I heard she is sueing. Just find out who knows who in the upper office management.

AND, one more thing. KEEP A DAILY DIARY OF EVERYTHING, WHAT TIME YOU GET INTO WORK, YOUR BOSS GET'S INTO WORK, COPY EMAILS, DATE AND TIME AND WRITE DOWN CONVERSATIONS YOU HAVE THAT ARE ALL NEGATIVE. This of course is only to CYA, if it hits the fan with your boss.

Good Luck to you but get out soon, if it's within the company or with another firm. Life is too short to work with a boss you can not get along with.
r

Re: Mislead! - How do you handle it?
Posted: 14 Feb 2006 10:20 AM
Unfortunately, I too have been in your shoes. When you are in a bad situation, it is best to get out. The fact that your boss is NOT treating you well is unacceptable and likely to get worse, not better. (Lying to you about the position is a HUGE red flag and I'll bet this boss's turnover is high. As for other jobs within the company, it sounds like this is company policy - since they are allowing this to happen)

You should strongly consider leaving. Even if you don't have a job, it is better than getting fired.

Networking is the key. 90% of all jobs are found through networking. I strongly recommend you join Execunet (www.execunet.com). They have an awesome network, monthly breakfasts, excellent webinars and an awesome library of job seeking advice. You have to get out and pound the pavement through direct people contact and use only 10% of your time with the internet answering ads. When you were unemployed for a year, did you have 6 to 10 phone or meetings a day?

The good news is: I have heard from the headhunters that the job market is really picking up. Good luck! You WILL find a healthier, happier position.
l
Total Posts: 1

Exercise your political alliance
Posted: 14 Feb 2006 10:20 AM
Dear Misled,

I found your post very interesting since I too am finding that many of my interviews do not come close to the position advertised. I found myself working for a highly political insurance company when I was 24. I was ill-equipped to handle the situation in the best possible manner. I recently finished an MBA course on interpersonal skills and.....politicking in the workplace. A book I is excellent in helping me deal with political situations is "The Secret Handshake".

If you trust your manager, maybe you could form your own alliance with this person. Teaming up can help protect both of you in a political environment. Build trust and be honest with one another is a good start. Express exactly what you want and see what the manager has to say about it. Being a great political ally doesn't mean you have to have a high position. Had I known better techniques of handling situations like this, I would probably have been better off and equipped to hold my own.

Hope this helps.
r
Total Posts: 4

Re: Mislead! - How do you handle it?
Posted: 14 Feb 2006 12:57 PM
I would like to add 4 great books about networking. As far as I am concerned, networking is a great life skill and not just a job skill which should be taught in school!

"Never Eat Along" by Keith Ferrazzi
"Make Your Contacts Count" by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon
"High Impact Telephone Networking for Job Hunters - who to call, what to say, how to project a positive image and how to turn contacts into job offers" by Howard Armstrong
"Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty" by Harvey Mackay

I also highly recommend the books on the Five O'Clock web site which are aimed at helping you identify your strengths, weaknesses and get an actually job hunting accountability program going.

Lastly, have you thought about getting your next job offer in writing? A very smart attorney once told me that "if they are truly serious, they won't mind putting their offer in writing". Good Luck!

D
Total Posts: 1

Re: Exercise your political alliance
Posted: 14 Feb 2006 12:57 PM
There should be a red flag raised to the forming of an alliance here. If in fact the person (boss) is all you say and this will all surface eventually--you could be seen as an ally and done in along with the boss when all is finally revealed. Baloney, lies, and other negatives only last so long and then when it hits the fan you don't want to be seen as an ally or you could be dumped along with the person that so deserves to have it happen it to them. The higher and riskier road is to bail out. Then one may also say that the devil you know is better than the devil you don't. Difficult decision for sure and you are not to be envied for it. Good luck. You could of course start to look now for other possibilities and cover yourself while biting your tongue to spite your face in your present situation.

GRATIS! Web based Word Processor for windows or Mac

2006-06-02T19:29:00.000-04:00

ajaxWrite is a web-based word processor that can read and write Microsoft Word and other standard document formats. Anytime you need to open, read or write a word processor file, simply point your Firefox browser to www.ajaxwrite.com and in seconds a full-featured program will be available for you to open, edit, print and save.

ajaxWrite has been designed to look like Microsoft Word, making it easy for anyone to start using it without needing to learn a new program. ajaxWrite also handles all the popular document formats so it's easy to share your files and collaborate with your co-workers and friends. Once finished with your document, you can easily save your work right to your hard drive. This keeps you organized and works in the same way that you're already accustomed to.

ajaxWrite works from a Firefox web browser on any operating system and on any device, no matter where you are or what computer you're using. And because the application itself lives on the web, we handle the updates automatically so that you don't have to deal with costly upgrades or getting stuck with old versions.
http://www.ajaxlaunch.com/ajaxwrite/index.html

Microsoft killed IBM OS/2 warp 4

2006-06-02T18:48:00.001-04:00

If you are looking for stability and unmatched reliability OS/2 Warp 4 is for you.

Warp 4 allows you to run OS/2 native, DOS, Java, and most windows 3.x and Win32 1.25 applications. There is also a project called "Odin", that allows users to run Win32 (Windows 95, 98 and Windows NT) applications in OS/2 Warp operating system natively. You can Also run other OS'es like Linux, BSD, Windows 2000 or Windows XP with Connectix Virtual PC For OS/2

OS/2 Warp provides a variety of networking services you can select for your needs. These functions provide Internet, office, and remote access for todays connected world.

OS/2 Warp also supports current industry standards and specifications. Plug and play, PCMCIA, APM, Display Data Channel, SCSI and IDE, USB, and S.M.A.R.T.
Also see: eComStation VS. OS/2

warp serverWarp also come in a server version currently called, OS/2 Warp for e-business.

2003 Update:
On 10 December 2002, IBM United States Announcement Letter 902-274 announced the withdrawal from marketing on both Passport Advantage and Software Choice of IBM OS/2 Warp 4 and OS/2 Warp Server for e-business shrinkwrap part numbers. IBM OS/2 Warp V4 and OS/2 Warp Server for e-business with Software Maintenance will continue to be available through Passport Advantage. This withdrawal was made possible by the recent removal of initial purchase criteria for Passport Advantage subscriptions, enabling single and low volume orders by business partners and individual customers. This announcement also withdrew obsolete OS/2 part numbers for OS/2 Warp 4 for which End Of Service expired on 31 January 2001. In support of this announcement, the Passport Advantage media packages for OS/2 Warp V4 and OS/2 Warp Server for e-business are refreshed to include the Convenience Package for OS/2 Warp V4.52 media and Convenience Package for OS/2 Warp Server for e-business V4.52 media respectively. OS/2 customers wanting to obtain the Convenience Package media are able to obtain these CDs by ordering the Passport Advantage product media package. See HOW TO BUY for ordering information. passport Advantage subscription.

My happness was short lived by the below:
REDMOND, Wash.- February 19, 2003 - Microsoft Corp. today announced it has acquired the virtual machine solutions of privately held Connectix Corp., a leading provider of virtualization software for Windows- and Macintosh-based computing. By deploying supportable virtualization technology from Microsoft, customers can easily migrate to next-generation operating system platforms while leveraging investments in their existing applications. In addition, Microsofts virtual machine solutions will enable companies to consolidate server resources, thereby reducing hardware capital expenditures and operating costs.

So all of you Mac GODS will soon find yourself's in the same boot as the OS/2 user when Microsoft pulls the plug on VPC. Which is S.O.P. for MicroSoft.

Update Aug. 28th 2003
You can no longer buy VPC for OS/2. Micro$oft has pulled the plug and I have read in the newsgroups from other users that had it on backorder. Microsoft has cancelled all backorders.

http://www.ihatemicrosoft.com/mainbox.php4

Father of DOS Still Having Fun at Microsoft

2006-05-21T09:17:00.000-04:00

Father of DOS Still Having Fun at Microsoft
Programmer Says His Place in History Due to Timing, Necessity

by Doug Conner, Guest MicroNews Contributor
In the fabled history of the PC revolution and Microsoft's place in it, the tale comes to a part that goes like this: It's 1980, and the leviathan IBM calls on a rambunctious company near Seattle that IBM hopes can fill the software hole in its embryonic PC project. The young Microsoft can do it, but to close the deal, it needs a crucial element in the package: an operating system for a 16-bit machine. And it needs it fast.

Enter Tim Paterson, programmer at a small Tukwila hardware shop, Seattle Computer Products, and known by Paul Allen to have already written an operating system for a 16-bit processor. In the ragged informality of those days, the program is QDOS, for "Quick and Dirty Operating System." Microsoft acquires the rights to QDOS, 86-DOS officially, and licenses a version to their secret client, IBM.

Tim Paterson, original author of DOS, is in the eighth year of his current stint at Microsoft. From there, Microsoft's steep trajectory of success takes off, and the story of MS-DOS 1.0 and its descendants-eventually the most widely used computer program in the world-is well-known.

But the story of Tim Paterson, now in the eighth year of his current stint at Microsoft, is not as familiar. Surprising, given that he sometimes bears the heavy mantle "The Father of DOS." It's a quieter celebrity the amiable software design engineer carries around, and it's a celebrity he's comfortable with-when the stories are accurate.

He squirms, for instance, at the implication that he's fixated on his authorship of DOS. He holds up a recent profile in Forbes, contrived as a first-person account. "I was 24 when I wrote DOS," it begins. "It's an accomplishment that probably can't be repeated by anyone ever."

"That really makes me sound egomaniacal," he frets. And if there is anything the genial programmer from the Visual J++ group appears to not suffer from, it's egomania.

Then there's that title.

"I prefer 'original author,'" he explains. "I don't like the word 'inventor' because it implies a certain level of creativity that wasn't really the case. Besides," he laughs, "there's enough people who think it's nothing to be proud of. If I say 'I invented DOS,' they say, 'Well, good for you, sucker.'"

The Mother of Invention...

He figures his place in history is due to timing. And necessity. Seattle Computer needed an operating system to sell with the new 8086 machines. Gary Kildall's Digital Research had provided the standard operating system, called CP/M, for earlier chip generations, but was overdue with software for the new processor. Paterson, tired of waiting, went to work to build his own.

"To get to that first version took about two man-months," Paterson recalls. "I worked on it about half the time over a four-month period," although by the time the original MS DOS 1.0 shipped with IBM a year later, he calculates his time investment "was more like six man-months."

Neither Paterson nor Seattle Computer knew who Microsoft's customer was until he was hired here in 1981. "IBM," he remembers thinking. "That's weird. Big computer company. Hope they do well." He reflects about this briefly. "I have no great ability to figure out where the future is going," he says.

Eventually Microsoft invested a total of $75,000 for 86-DOS. Both Microsoft and Paterson have fended off legal and professional challenges involving DOS-Microsoft settled a contract dispute brought by Seattle Computer for $1 million in 1986. And Paterson has taken pains over the years to detail the originality of the 86-DOS program, despite a surface resemblance to CP/M.

Paterson passed in and out of Microsoft during the 80s, but returned for good in 1990. He has patents and industry awards to his professional credit (including the Stewart Alsop Hindsight Award in 1991, recognized along with Bill Gates).

But the prominent "First Place" trophies and clippings on the wall of his Building 2 office come from the world of off-road racing, in which he bangs a four-wheel drive Mazda around gravel back roads throughout the Northwest with his wife Penny riding shotgun. "I'm still having lots of fun," he says. And the smile on his face confirms it.

http://www.ihatemicrosoft.com/graphics/Linuxmyths.png

Myths About Microsoft

2006-05-21T09:14:00.000-04:00

Myths About Microsoft

Microsoft has a monopoly?
There are two kinds of "monopolies", which I'll call coercive and competitive. Coercive involves actual violence or the real threat of it. For example, organized crime has been handed its greatest gift - a coercive monopoly on distributing certain pharmaceuticals - this monopoly is enforced by the police, at the expense of the taxpayers, who are also the people buying the product. Try to compete with this monopoly and you die, either being shot by BATF thugs or by organized crime thugs. Nice setup, eh?

The Post Office is a coercive monopoly in most countries; you can be put in jail by force if you try to start your own first-class mail delivery service, in many countries.

A competitive monopoly is one that comes about as a result of market forces. Competitive monopolies generally don't last as long as coercive ones because, despite the high cost of entry, there are always people willing to try to compete, and some percentage of these succeed. Just a generation ago, IBM was the perceived monopoly and Microsoft came out of nowhere.

A coercive monopoly prevents alternatives. A competitive monopoly cannot prevent competitors from starting up and, often, gaining market share. Consider these alternatives:
Item Alternative
Operating System OS/2, Linux, OpenBSD/FreeBSD/NetBSD, BeOS, ...
Browser Lynx, Netscape, Opera
Office Suites Star Office, Applix, Corel Office, ...
Encyclopaedias on CD Britannica, others too numerous to list
Home Entertainment Too numerous to list
Small Business Software Too numerous to list

There is competition -- it's up to the people to use it!
The government needs to break Microsoft up?
Nonsense. The market will do so, in good time. When people don't want Microsoft to stay huge, they will stop buying its products. There are good alternatives on all fronts; see previous question.

Microsoft Promulgates Myths About Itself

Microsoft gains market share by innovation?
The sad truth is that Microsoft gains some of its market share by shady back-room deals and by threatening and intimidating its own customers.
Windows 95 is innovative
The alleged innovations in Windows'95 were "borrowed" from other operating systems.
Microsoft invented DOS
There were many Disk Operating Systems before Microsoft. IBM had DOS for its then-small System/360 mainframes as far back as 1964. The DOS that we know and hate today was not even written by Microsoft.
Microsoft Invented Directories
Many people have remarked upon how much the directory structure of UNIX looks like that of MS-DOS, and wonder if UNIX copied it. In fact, the UNIX directory structure was invented in 1970 by Ken Thompson and another researcher at AT&T Bell Laboratories. Bill Gates wanted to dominate the world so, in the 1980s, Microsoft was working on its own version of UNIX. They licensed it from AT&T and renamed it Xenix (since AT&T then wouldn't let anybody use the name UNIX). Now the folk at the MS Campus in Redmond are pretty collegial, so it wasn't long before the folks in the Xenix project and the folks working on DOS were drinking together. The DOS folks needed a way to get beyond the 15 "user areas" that MS-DOS had inherited from CP/M-86 (see DOS history above). The Xenix folk were bragging about how great UNIX-style directories were. So they DOS folk looked, and became believers, and borrowed the ideas and the syntax, but not the implementation. UNIX's chdir/cd, mkdir (shortened to md), and directory tree notions were grafted onto DOS's drive letters, and the slash (/) converted to a backwards slash (\) in a move that has driven "bilingual" people crazy ever since (it wasn't for that purpose; MS had already used "/" as an option delimiter where UNIX used the "-", and felt they couldn't change that for fear of breaking backwards compatibity).

Once Microsoft got the idea that they could write Windows NT and stop paying royalties to AT&T, the Xenix project was cancelled. However, it was taken over by a smaller company that had begun as its largest dealer. The Santa Cruz Operation, later shorted to SCO, continued to sell UNIX software and systems until around 2001, when it was acquired by Caldera.
Microsoft Invented Windows?

Window systems as we know them were invented by Xerox, at their Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). Nearby SRI researcher Doug Englebart invented the mouse as we know it.

When Apple Computer was foundering after the first onslaught of the IBM PC (which even with its crippled processor was faster than the "Apple ][" or Apple 2) and MS-DOS, their leaders visited Xerox PARC and saw window systems. They hired some of the talent away, and put out the Apple Lisa (which I first saw demonstrated in Toronto around 1983). Lisa was a flop, but she paved the way for (or even mutated into) the Apple Macintosh.

Bill Gates, who even then wanted to dominate the world, saw the Xerox Alto and decided he had to have one, too. He got his best geeks to fake up a prototype, showed it at Comdex, and the press boys all wowed it. Then they actually wrote it and, after 3.1 tries, got something that barely worked :-) The rest is history.

For Further Reading

For Seattle DOS and MS-DOS, hit the library and read Microsystems (later called Micro/Systems Journal) for 1980-1984. Not the Microsoft Journal, but the original Microsystems Journal put out by Sol Libes, and later cannibalized by Ziff-Davis.

For Bill Gates, check out the books Hard Drive and Over Drive.

For life on the Redmond Campus, check the book MicroSerfs, by Douglas Copland, the same dude that coined the term Generation X.
Details...
Back-room deals

As a single example, consider this Reuters story which appeared in The Financial Post on January 12, 1998:

Microsoft Wins TCI Contract Seattle -- Microsoft Corp scored a major victory Saturday in its aggressive push to lead the convergence of television and the Internet, winning a contract to supply the core sofware for at least fie million advanced set-top boxes for cable giante Tele-Communications Inc.
The deal, hammerered out in negotiations that lasted until 2:30 a.m., came just a day after Microsfoft's bitter rival, Sun Microsystems Inc. announced [that] TCI would use its [J]ava programming language in the boxes,

In other words, once Bill Gates was stung by Sun, he went into the back room with TCI and a mandate to get even.
Threatening your own

Microsoft is not above threatening to destroy entire companies (even its own large customers) to get its own way. Here's another quote from another Reuters article, also in The Financial Post on January 12, 1998:

Software giant faces federal contempt charge
Washington -- Microsoft Corp faces federal charges of contempt tomorrow for allegedly violating a judge's order requiring the software giant to sell computer makers its Windows 95 software without building in a Web browser.
The Justice Department has aasked U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson to fine [the company] US$1 million a day for violating his Dec. 11 preliminatry injunction...
The government stepped in last fall, after Microsoft threatened to cut off Compaq Computer's access to Windows 95. Compaq needs Windows to stay in business.

In other words, Bill was then so determined to destroy Netscape over its dominance in the Browser field that he was willing to destroy Compaq if they wouldn't help him do it.
Windows 95: Steal from the best

The general ideas of windowed computer are all appropriated from Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Centre) and environs, where windows, the mouse, selection, drag-and-drop, the File/Edit/View menu, and so on were all invented while Bill Gates was still just another college dropout. See Michael Hiltzik's book Dealers of Lightning for documentation on this.

Here are just a few of the major "innovations" in Windows '95, and where M$ "borrowed" them from:
Innovation Actual Origin
Icons directly on desktop Xerox Alto (1981); Macintosh (1982?)
Recycle Bin Macintosh Trash Can (1984?)
Start Menu Macintosh Apple Menu (1982?)
Settings->Control Panels Macintosh Control Panels
Long File Names Macintosh 1982?; UNIX 1979.
Task Bar HP Vue
Right Button Menus Sun SunView, Sun/ATT OPEN LOOK, ...
DCOM Xerox Alto; RPC (Sun&HP had RPC mechanisms by the early 1980's)
Internetworking Xerox Alto; UNIX (4.2BSD, 1982, included TCP/IP)
Network file sharing Many, many distributed filesystem schemes

No wonder the Macintosh fans all said "Windows 95 == Mac 88".
Seattle Computer's SC-DOS becomes MS-DOS

IBM was designing and building its first Personal Computers in the early 1980's, and needed an operating system. The main contender seemed to be CP/M-86, a second-generation version of Control Program for Microcomputers, a Digital Research product based on several earlier systems including Digital Equipment (DEC)'s RT-11 and another (Xerox??) operating system called simply CP, or Control Program. So CP/M was a reimplementation of those for the 8080/Z80 microprocessors that preceded the IBM PC. CP/M-86 was a reimplementation of CP/M for the faster, 16-bit 8086 that was coming into vogue, and its 8-bit cousin the 8088 that IBM eventually chose.

But then another reimplementation came out of the woodwork. Seattle Computer's SC-DOS was also called QDOS, for Quick and Dirty OS; written as it was in a pretty short time (rumor has it as little as one weekend, which I find hard to believe). SC-DOS was a clone of CP/M 86, and was sold for personal computers based on the 8086. Seattle didn't have any "application software" to run with it. But Bill Gates was able to "bundle" this O/S with his Basic interpreter (Basic was big back then, since it was small enough to run on machines with 64KB). IBM bought into the deal, Gates bought the rights to the O/S from Seattle for a song, Seattle went under, and Gates went on to become the world's richest man. That's history, folks!

There are two footnotes to the above footnote. First, Gary Kildall, visionary and founder of Digital Research, the home of CP/M and CP/M-86, died in relative anonymity in 1994, a bit like Mozart, forgotten in his own time but, perhaps, to be remembered along with Mr. Gates by future historians. Second, Tim Paterson, who wrote SC-DOS at Seattle, went on to work for Microsoft and is relatively wealthy from Microsoft stock options.

Symantec sues Microsoft over storage tech

2006-05-21T08:37:00.000-04:00

Symantec sues Microsoft over storage tech
By Joris Evers
URL: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6074055.html

Symantec has launched a suit charging Microsoft with misappropriating its intellectual property and with violating a license related to data storage technology.

The suit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle, seeks unspecified damages and an injunction barring Microsoft from using the Symantec technology, which would include a halt on Windows Vista and the Longhorn server, according to a copy of the filing.

"We are accusing them of misusing certain intellectual property that they had access to...and (saying) that they misused our intellectual property in operating system products," Michael Schallop, the director of legal affairs at the security company, said in an interview. It is the first time Microsoft and Symantec have been pitted against each other in court, he said.
newsmaker
Beware the 'monoculture'
CEO John Thompson on why Symantec will beat Microsoft.

The complaint involves Symantec's Volume Manager product, acquired as part of the company's takeover of Veritas Software. Volume Manager allows operating systems to store and manipulate large amounts of data.

Microsoft licensed a "light" version of Volume Manager from Veritas in 1996 and used it in Windows 2000, Schallop said. The Redmond, Wash., company then used it to develop functionality for Windows Server 2003, which competes with Veritas' Storage Foundation for Windows, Schallop said.
Microsoft also misuses Symantec's technology in Windows Vista and the Longhorn server release, Symantec charges in its complaint. It seeks an injunction to stop Microsoft from further developing, selling or distributing Vista, Longhorn server and all other infringing products, as well as a recall of all products already in the market, according to the complaint.

"The breaches of the agreement and IP violations began after Windows 2000...They were not allowed to use that intellectual property to develop products that compete against Veritas," Schallop said. "They have used our intellectual property in terms of trade secrets and source code to develop competing products."

Additionally, Schallop said, Veritas discovered about two years ago that Microsoft had filed patent requests based on Veritas' trade secrets. "They claimed they had invented something that they had not," he said.

Symantec and Microsoft have tried to resolve the dispute, but were unable to. "We recently agreed to disagree and let the courts help us resolve the dispute," Schallop said. "We think that we will prevail through trial."

A Microsoft representative confirmed the dispute and the attempts to reach an agreement outside of the courts. The argument stems from a "very narrow disagreement" over the terms of a 1996 contract with Veritas, the representative said in a statement.

"These claims are unfounded because Microsoft actually purchased intellectual property rights for all relevant technologies from Veritas in 2004," the representative said. "We believe the facts will show that Microsoft's actions were proper and are fully consistent with the contract between Veritas and Microsoft."

First Virtualization Solution for Intel-powered Macs

2006-04-08T21:25:00.000-04:00

First Virtualization Solution for Intel-powered Macs

On Thursday, a company called Parallels released a beta of its Windows virtualization solution for Intel Macs called Workstation 2.1.

The free-for-the-time-being software is the first virtualization solution specifically designed to work with Intel Macs. Unlike Apple's Boot Camp, the software enables users to run Windows, Linux and any other operating system at the same time as Mac OS X -- very similar to Virtual PC.

Workstation 2.1 will eventually cost $50 when it is formally released, but until then users may download a free, fully functional copy of the beta. Parallels is eager for Mac users to present feedback on the application through its Web site.

Hackers Get Windows XP on Apple Computers

2006-04-05T20:44:00.000-04:00

Hackers Get Windows XP on Apple Computers

SAN JOSE, Calif. - As expected, hackers have found a way to run Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP computers, winning an ad hoc contest and a $13,854 cash prize to boot.

Or, make that dual-boot — the way to make a computer switch between two operating systems.

Some users of Apple Computer Inc.'s Macs have clamored for such a solution since Apple said it would be switching its computers to Intel Corp.'s chips, putting the feat within reach.

Their reasons vary, but a common denominator is that they would like to run Windows-based programs on their Macs.

Colin Nederkoorn, a shipping broker in Houston, says he just wants to streamline his work: instead of using his Apple PowerBook computer for some programs and a Windows PC for other tasks, he'd like to just use one machine.

That's why Nederkoorn, 23, started a contest back in January to goad programmers, soliciting donations for a cash prize for anyone who came up with a hack.

Late Thursday, the prize went to two San Francisco Bay Area software developers, Jesus Lopez, 33, of Alameda, and Eric Wasserman, 41, of Berkeley.

Lopez said he did most of the technical work — spending late nights and weekends on the challenge — while Wasserman, a devoted Mac user, introduced him to the contest in February and supported him in the process.

Lopez, who never even owned a Mac computer until he had to get one to assume the challenge, said in an interview Friday his previous tinkering projects were all personal.

"But this is something that I feel a lot of people could use, and that the tech community will benefit from this," he said.

On Friday, Nederkoorn's Web site was busy with collaboration between developers working to improve upon Lopez' work. Nederkoorn said the so-called "Windows on Mac" project is open-sourced, meaning anyone can build on it.

The hack, which is downloadable from the Web site, still takes some tedious labor and technical know-how, but Nederkoorn predicts an easier version for mainstream computer users might be available within a year.

"It should be as easy as two clicks at some stage," he said.

When Apple introduced its first Intel-based computer in January, company officials said Apple has no intention of selling or supporting Windows on its machines, though it has not done anything to preclude people from doing it themselves.

"If there are people who love our hardware but are forced to put up with a Windows world, then that's OK," senior vice president Phil Schiller said at the time.

Apple Mac does Windows too!

2006-04-05T16:37:00.000-04:00

As elegant as it gets

Boot Camp lets you install Windows XP without moving your Mac data, though you will need to bring your own copy to the table, as Apple Computer does not sell or support Microsoft Windows.⁽¹⁾ Boot Camp will burn a CD of all the required drivers for Windows so you don't have to scrounge around the Internet looking for them....

To read the complete article click on link or copy and paste:

http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/

Topic: Macs/Apples-Mouse Freezes

2005-12-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Expert: Jeffrey J. Wrobel
Date: 12/31/2004
Subject: Mouse Freezes

Question
I have an iMac g4 operating on OS 10.3.7. Lately the cursor just freezes. There seems to be no pattern to the problem. It happens in any program and sometimes I go days without a problem and other times it happens several times in one day. Most times disconnecting the mouse from the keyboard gets it going again but sometimes I have to shut off the computer and start it up again and then every thing is all right for a while. Any suggestions as to what may be causing my problem?

Answer
Dear Bob,
Sometimes, the USB controller on the keyboard goes kaput and that causes occasional freeze ups from the mouse being plugged in. It also can be related to mucked up PRAM settings. Did you try zapping the PRAM? Just hold down the OPTION, APPLE, P, and R keys at once as soon as you turn on the computer. You will hear the startup chime, keep holding the keys down until you hear TWO MORE startup chimes, then let go of the keys and let it start up. If it happens again, take the mouse OUT of the keyboard plug and plug it directly into the USB port in the back of the machine. If it unfreezes and starts being happy again, then it may be time to replace the keyboard. Before you do, do one more thing:

Shut down, then disconnect everything except your keyboard and mouse and power on, holding down the Apple, OPTION, O, and F keys. Then when the Open Firmware command line comes up, do this:
Type in the following (not the directions in parentheses) and just follow the directions in parantheses:

reset-NVRAM (hit return)
set-defaults (hit return again)
reset-all (hit return again and it should restart)

Try all again and see if the freezing keeps up. If it does, there is one more option and that is an OS X Archive and Install:

Startup the install process with the OS X disk #1 and go through the first few windows of the install process until you get to the window that asks you to choose your installation disk. There will be a button called OPTIONS there--click it and choose ARCHIVE and INSTALL. THis will install a completely new system and import all your old settings so you get a nice clean start without having to reregister and reinstall all your programs, etc. Go through the install process--this will eliminate a software problem.

One last thing before you replace the keyboard. Try another mouse. If you're going to buy one, go to MacMice.com and buy THE MOUSE. It is a great little mouse, very much like the Apple Pro Mouse, but with THREE buttons and a WHEEL. OS X Panther makes good use of the RIGHT CLICK (Control-CLICK on a mac mouse) and the wheel saves much time on the web and scrolling through folders. I love mine--it is very cool.

If the problem still persists, NOW you can get a new keyboard. Try the Apple Pro Keyboards for sale on EBAY. You can get them for around $35 or $40 (better than the $70 that Apple charges for brand new ones). Anyway, good luck and don't hesitate to ask a followup if you have any lingering questions!
Thanks for choosing me and for using ALL EXPERTS!!!

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2005-07-02T12:17:00.000-04:00

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2005-07-02T12:16:00.000-04:00

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Lack of energy? Le Falta Energía?

2005-07-02T12:06:00.002-04:00

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Apple Links

2005-04-30T07:30:00.000-04:00

http://www.apple.com/ Apple Headquarters

www.apple-history.com/ Apple History

http://www.mactracker.ca/ Mactracker for Specs.

http://apple.slashdot.org/ Slashdot News feed for Nerds

www.netopia.com/> Timbuktu-Netopia

http://www.mediafour.com/ MacDrive Software Updates- MacDrive 6 for Windows enables PC users to open, edit, and save files on Mac disks. You can even format Mac disks and burn Mac CDs and DVDs!

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2005-03-03T14:37:00.000-05:00

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2005-01-11T08:02:00.002-05:00

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