From the Top Branches

From The 'That Sucks!' File

2011-11-20T20:46:00.001-05:00

Well, well. It seems that 'Good Ole Napster' has fallen on hard times. It's caused them to make what looks to me like a fatal mistake that will lose them a significant part of their customer base. What IS this monstrous mistake you ask? No less than being bought out by the mercenary gang at Rhapsody. The specifics are this- instead of allowing you to re-download any tracks or albums you may have bought in the past, they now insist you send them an email, whereupon THEY will decide if whatever happened to your purchase(s) is really all that tough or not, BEFORE they allow you to re-download... IF they do...

And so we wave goodbye to the once proudly independent crowd at Napster... Goodbye and good riddance...

So, what has happened to the downloaded music market??? Is iTunes now so big a force that no-one can stand against it? I hope that's not the case, since their policy is to tell you to take a flying leap off a short pier when you want to download again. "Pay for Play" is their motto. And yet, Napster is, effectively, gone as is Wal-Mart. And if Wal-Mart can't stand the heat, you'd better believe things are hot indeed!

I'm going to do further digging. If I can find out what is causing the rat exodus on the Good Ship MP3, I'll post it here.

Strider URL Tracer with Typo-Patrol

2006-07-05T16:57:00.000-04:00

Strider URL Tracer with Typo-Patrol

This is a new tool from Microsoft that aims to save us from a new threat: typo-squatting.

I can hear the gasps now: "WHAT? More threats?"

However, it's true. What happens when you misspell the domain name you're trying to reach with your browser? Usually, it leads you to some organization's search page, may it be Microsoft or your browser or someone else. Now, that's tolerable. You realize that you screwed up and edit the URL. However, what happens if you mistype the URL AND someone has registered a domain with that mistaken URL and filled it with porn, scams, or (perhaps more seriously) a phishing site? Now you're in trouble. You're at the wrong site and you're blasted with any number of ugly exploits.

Microsoft to the rescue. They've published a free tool that will block access to these third-party sites, if instructed to. It also blocks attempts to redirect your browser away from any genuine URL's and reveals those attempts to you. I'm about to install it, so we'll just say "more later". This might not seem like a big deal, but every little bit helps!

AOL to enter security arena | CNET News.com

2006-06-07T12:04:00.000-04:00

AOL to enter security arena CNET News.com

Ok, this is a lot like getting security advice from the Bush administration or... or... Hmm. Anyway, I guess it must be because I trust AOL and their historically-awful software a lot less than I trust a doctor who charges $1.98 for brain surgery. Why in the world they think we would want their attempt at security software is way beyond me :).

Now that I've got that off my chest, Total Care sounds like something good. At least until you realize that most of the people who get involved with it are going to be newbies. After all, no-one who knows the score would access the Internet through the pinhole interface of AOL any more than they would use AOL's security software.

Yes, this is a certain attempt to seal up any holes in their own software. It makes me wonder if they're finding increasing hacker attacks, and successful ones at that, occurring in their user base. The software couldn't have been a no-cost item to write, so they must be having real problems or they wouldn't have done it.

If anyone has any inside info on this, I'd be interested to hear it (confidentially). Drop me a line here

NASA Says Foam Insulation Flew Off Shuttle

2005-07-27T18:50:00.000-04:00

Adelphia.net - News

And reportedly, NASA is puzzled over the constant loss of foam insulation. This alone makes me wonder if these scientists are very bright.

You have here some unique circumstances. There's a huge tank holding thousands of gallons of extremely cold liquid fuel. The walls of the tank are relatively thin. In fact, the fuel inside forms a critical component for keeping the tank in usable shape. Then you coat this tank with a totally different insulating foam of some kind. I question the bond between the tank and foam, in the first place. Then add in the fact that the tank, with its dwindling fuel load, has to flex as it heats up and experiences G-load during the launch. I've heard that there's also a lot of vibration during a launch. And it puzzles them that the insulation, as thin as it is, can't take the load without flaking? Exactly what planet are these people from???

I don't know if our material engineering skills will ever be up to it. The only solution I can see is making the entire tank out of a structurally enhanced insulation. Or some material that's strong, but can act as an insulator. This bi-material approach doesn't seem to be working too well.

On the other hand, maybe Burt Rutan can take over NASA and show them how to do it WITHOUT such things happening.

x64 Edition Technology Advancement Program Overview

2005-05-24T09:49:00.000-04:00

Sorry, but unless you're a Microsoft system builder, you're not going to get access to the entire site. Since I AM, I'm going to post the entire page here, just to give you all a break -

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

x64 Edition Technology Advancement Program Overview

The x64 Edition Technology Program is designed to encourage end users to acquire new PC or server software—between the time a new version of the operating system software is announced and before its actual availability. The Technology Advanced Program may also assist in reducing the number of potential server and PC returns when a new version of software has been announced.
On This Page
XP Requirements Windows Server 2003 Requirements Fulfillment & Redemption

Proof of Acquisition Pre-recorded webcasts

x64 Edition Technology Advancement Software Redemption
End users may redeem:

Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Technology Advancement software and/or
Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Technology Advancement software
in exchange for:
Qualifying Software-Microsoft Windows XP Professional and/or
Qualifying Microsoft Windows Server 2003
End users must be eligible to qualify for the Technology Advancement Program.

Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Technology Advancement Program Requirements
Qualified Software
In order for the Customer System to be eligible for Technology Advancement Software, the end user customer must have acquired qualifying Windows XP Professional software (Qualified Software) from a system builder:
Preinstalled on a fully assembled computer system (Customer System) or
Sold with a non-peripheral hardware component.
Qualified Software may only be upgraded with the corresponding Technology Advancement Software as in the table below.
Technology Advancement Software Prior Product
Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Limited Availability
Technology Advancement Software availability dates are set out in the table below. Microsoft, in its sole discretion, may change any of the Technology Advancement Program dates through written notice to OEMs and ARs.

Program Timeline Description Dates
Eligible systems period Qualified software must be acquired between these dates March 31, 2003 through June 30, 2005
Program Web site go-live date Program redemption websites may go live on or after this date, but not before. April 25, 2005
End user redemption timeframe Orders must be entered received between these dates. April 25, 2005 through July 31, 2005
Product distribution expiration date Last date ARs may distribute Technology Advancement Software to end users) Aug 31, 2005

Program Support
Customers will forfeit support from system builders in exchange for one incident of support from Microsoft.

Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Technology Advancement Program Requirements
Qualified Software
In order for the Customer System to be eligible for Technology Advancement Software, the end user customer must have acquired qualifying Windows Server 2003 software (Qualified Software) from a system builder:
Preinstalled on a fully assembled computer system (Customer System) or
Sold with a non-peripheral hardware component.
Qualified Software may only be upgraded with the corresponding Technology Advancement Software.
Technology Advancement Software Prior Product
Windows Server 2003, Standard x64 Edition Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
Windows Server 2003, Enterprise x64 Edition Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition

Limited Availability
Technology Advancement Software availability dates are set out in the table below. Microsoft, in its sole discretion, may change any of the Technology Advancement Program dates through written notice to OEMs and ARs.

Program Timeline Description Dates
Eligible systems period Qualified software must be acquired between these dates March 31, 2003 through June 30, 2005
Program Web site go-live date Program redemption websites may go live on or after this date, but not before. April 25, 2005
End user redemption timeframe Orders must be entered received between these dates. April 25, 2005 through July 31, 2005
Product distribution expiration date Last date ARs may distribute Technology Advancement Software to end users Aug 31, 2005

Program Support
Customers will forfeit support from system builders in exchange for one incident of support from Microsoft.

Fulfillment and Redemption
Fulfillment Microsoft will select designated Authorized Replicators (AR) to support the System Builder Technology Advancement Program for specific regions with instructions for process.
Customer Redemption Redemption must be received by AR before the End User Order Expiration Date
Customer System serial number has not been used previously
Product key number is complete and not a previously reported number

Details Coming Soon Where to direct your customers to register for the program
Web site requirements
Frequently asked questions

Proof of Acquisition Requirements
Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
Orders placed online require users to submit:
System acquisition date
Windows XP Product Key
located on the Certificate of Authenticity on the back of the customer’s PC or
located on the shrink-wrap around the manual or on the back of the manual—unless the system builder places it elsewhere—and if Qualified Software was purchased with non-peripheral hardware component.
Windows Server 2003 Product Key
located on the Certificate of Authenticity on the back of the customer’s PC or
located on the shrink-wrap around the manual or on the back of the manual—unless the system builder places it elsewhere—and if Qualified Software was purchased with non-peripheral hardware component.
Microsoft reserves the right to request Proof of Acquisition to ensure end-user eligibility.
More detailed information about the x64 Edition Technology Advancement Program and where to direct your customers will soon be available here.

Pre-recorded webcasts
Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition and AMD Opteron-Powered Servers: A Winning Combination
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition and AMD’s Athlon 64: A Desktop Powerhouse

As you can see, it's not quite the wide-open program first mentioned by Microsoft. It has definite limits in time - the time the product was acquired AND the time-to-run of the exchange program. And, when you DO trade for the x64 version, the original copy of XP Pro becomes unlicensed and unactivatable.

NewsNet5.com - Health - Another Arthritis Drug Yanked From Market

2005-04-07T15:26:00.000-04:00

NewsNet5.com - Health - Another Arthritis Drug Yanked From Market

As Don McClean once wrote, it was "bad news on the doorstep". Bextra is off the market. Not an issue to those of us in the U.S., since it isn't generally available here, but now it's one small step to kill Celebrex, too. And then there were none...

Now you might be wondering where you're going to turn for some help. I know I was, when Vioxx was pulled off the market. I spent some terrible months trying to make do with Naproxen Sodium. It's okay... but only okay. Then my wife and I were wandering through Sam's Club and came across a sampler handing out a week's supply of something I hadn't seen before. Well, we figured that anything FREE couldn't be all bad. We did kind of choke on the claim that, unlike Glucosamine, it would start helping noticeably in one week, instead of three months. But, again, it was free, so we both grabbed a sample from the lady and thought no more about it.

We both took the pills (four a day for the first 30 days, at least) for the week and then compared notes. We had both noticed a definite lessening in pain when we moved around. It's especially important for my wife, who works 12 hour days as a nurse. So, we went back and bought a couple of 100-pill bottles. After about 5 weeks, we're both feeling better than we were and we have to give the credit to these pills. The name is LubriFlex3. We don't get anything from letting you know this, it's simply that we want to help those people who might be considering even stronger prescription pain killers, now that Bextra is gone too. Not to mention, I guess, those who would love to dump Celebrex, now that they know how dangerous it can be.

Bloggers as news media trophy hunters | CNET News.com

2005-02-14T12:37:00.000-05:00

Bloggers as news media trophy hunters | CNET News.com

Perhaps not head-hunters, but one thing had best be crystal clear to any- and every-one in the media and beyond: if your words don't match your actions or the actions aren't morally and ethically clean, you'd best wuit while you're ahead.

The Internet has always been a very powerful tool for what I like to call 'communiy' awareness. Now we're starting to see cases where the presence of blogs has made those who have problems to air all the more accessible. The bad guys can't hide that easily any more. Just as in the book Shockwave Rider, the Internet makes it possible not only to find out the truth, but to make it freely available to so many people that trying to bury it is impossible.

Know, and ye shall be free!

So Much for Intentions :^)

2004-12-04T11:22:00.000-05:00

So I don't have as much time as I thought. I'll have jam a bunch of things in one post and jope that events ease up enough to allow me to get more posts done. Don't count on it.

Here we go!

iMiser-

Currently at version 2.x, but due to jump to 3.0 soon.
This is a program that allows you to save entire web pages, complete with graphics. That last can be hard to do using vanilla IE. This software let's you save pages as entries in a tree-structured database on your hard drive. It includes a built-in mini-browser to let you view pages inside the program. It supports a number of browsers, including the one I use- Avant Browser (in version 3).

In fact, this new version should have a number of new features and abilities. I should know, having suggested a couple myself. In summary, this is one useful program, uncluttered by adds, spyware, or other garbage. I'll post a full review when I get my hands on a copy of versin 3.

ScreenHunter-

Here's another gem of a utility. It's a screen capture program. You might be saying "Oh, no! Not another one!", but it's got features that set it above most of the rest. One of the best parts of this program is that one of the three versions is completely free. Free as in no pay needed. Free as in no ads or anything else keeping you from using it without paying a cent. Forever. Yes, it has many fewer features than the top of the line Pro version, but that's what you pay for, if you want the tools that version offers.

I have to admit that it has some things that made the Pro version the one I wanted. For one thing, unlike any other screen capture program I've ever seen, it lets you adjust the captured area AFTER you let go the mouse button of a clikc-and-drag capture. Another tool that I like a lot is the free-hand capture mode. Simply click the left mouse button, then draw a closed loop around anything you want to save. All this is made a lot easier (especially at high screen resolutions) is the floating magnifier window that follows your cursor around as you outline a capture area. It intelligently stays away from the area you need to see in order to capture what you want. When you release the mouse button and the capture is complete, a small box of optins pops up. At this point the capture isn't actually complete and you can choose to ditch it by hitting cancel, but since you can also grab the picture handles to adjust what you captured, this is seldom needed. A hit on the space bar sends the capture to its chosen destination.

Let's speak of destinations for a moment. The settings for them are on the 'To' tab of the configuration menu. There are five possible destinations for your captured screen image- Viewer/Folder, Clipboard, File, Printer, or Email. You can choose any or all of them at any time. On the same page of the configuration screen you see as a result of picking Open from that system tray icon menu, you'll see an option to auto-scale your capture. A button takes you to another settings window that lets you pick the settings for auto-scale and whether or not to use high-quality zooming on the picture. Other things you can choose on this page are file type for captures sent to disk, actual folder destinations, and file name settings for saved captures.

There's an Email tab, of course. One of the destinations is, after all, email. So, yes, you can use this facility to send screen captures to anyone you choose via email. This can be priceless if you need to capture an error message to send off to tech support. You can set it to either send the image automatically or to pop up a mail window for you to add comments to or change email settings. The way it works is this: You specify an email address, CC (if needed), and subject to act as defaults. Then the image is sent to that email if you choose 'Send automatically'. The other choice, 'Show me the default email dialog each time', lets you change things each time you send, if you want to.

When you install the program (a quick and easy thing) it will show up as a small yellow hand in your system tray. Right-clicking the icon brings up a spare little menu, but you'll quickly find that it offers everything you actually need. One option is the About... window usually hidden under Help on a menu bar. At the top of the right-click menu, you'll find Open, Open Image, and Image Viewer. Yes, the program includes a tool to edit captured images sent to disk.

To cover the rest of the configuration options, the 'From' tab is where you set the hot-key trigger for screen captures (I use the Print Screen key). It also holds settings for what you want to capture (rectangular area, eliptical area, free-hand, or any of the normal Windows choices of window contents. There are other less important settings there, too.

The last tab is Advanced and has various capture and timing settings, plus things like the zoom factor for the magnifier box.

There are lots of other bells and whistles in this software, but I'll leave you to discover the one that makes it a must-have for you.

Find the software at Wisdom-Soft

A comparison of the version features is HERE
The Plus version is $19.95, the Pro version is $29.95, and both are available HERE

There are other programs published by Wisdom-Soft. Find out the details HERE

Too Much!

2004-11-09T13:11:00.000-05:00

Gasp! Too busy to breathe!!!

The Qnext Big Thing

2004-10-24T11:23:00.000-04:00

I have to ammend the previous post- things are getting busier, but I intend to start paying more attention to this blog and discontinue the others (more or less).

Why? Well, I just have too much that I want to write down and not enough places to do it. I do a lot of writing these days for Chris Pirillo's Lockergnome, of course, and I still get in an occasional piece for Tech Support Alert (www.techsupportalert.com), but I do have to watch my P's and Q's when I write for others. Here, I can let it all hang out.

So, if you want the un-prettied-up truth about what I experience in the soft white underbelly of the computing industry, then stay tuned! Oh, not that it's all ugly! I do run across an occasional gem that people deserve to know about. There's so much crap out there that the good ones may get lost in the process.

One such gem appears to be a new IM service called Qnext. I've done a review of them on Lockergnome. Go read it! Better yet, go visit their website and get connected! The whole thing is not only great, but FREE. ANd it's due to remain free. There are so many special features that can't be found in any other IM that you really have to head for their home page and read it all for yourself. I'm very sure that the next time I take a trip, I'm going to be using their version of GotoMyPC, which is called QnextMyPC. Being able to access my system remotely can't be anything but good. One thing you'll all appreciate, I'm sure, is that the people behind it have spent some time thinking about and implementing security features. There's lots of native protection built into Qnext.

Marc's Voice: Transparency and sponsorship in the blogosphere

2004-10-24T10:35:00.000-04:00

Marc's Voice: Transparency and sponsorship in the blogosphere

This is at once something to hope for and something that looks good one paper, but...

The basic idea is simple enough- If bloggers are willing to write about things that advertisers want advertised, and are willing to pay the bloggers for that good press, then everybody wins. Well, that's a very utopian view of it, but it stands a chance of not only working, but working really well. It certainly would be a plus to bloogers in general. I have no aversion to cash (or checks, or valid and legal credit cards, or...). I have no objection to someone paying bloggers to write about products or services. What I would object to is someone paying bloggers to write about a piece of crap as if it were a good product.

That's where I think that the real genius of this idea lies: if a blogger writes about a piece of crap as if it were good, then people will quickly find that out and stop reading his blog and he'll stop getting paid for his blog. Bloggers don't necessarily blog if no-one is paying any attention (except maybe me). On the other hand, if a blogger writes about things he KNOWS are good (usually by personal experience), then his blog gets noticed and people are going to read about the advertised products and the company paying the freight and the blogger are BOTH going to do well. So, it's sort of a self-policing process. And that, my friends, is a Good Thing all around :).

So, any of you manufacturers or publishers out there who want your products reviewed by a 30+ year veteran of the computer wars (Windows or Linux only, please!), then let me know. I'm sure we can work out something in the way of a reasonable rate and you'll also get valuable feedback on your product.

What's Up? Doc?

2004-10-17T18:06:00.000-04:00

Well, things are certainly getting busy. The fact that I'm posting here today should not be taken as a major happening. I just have a few spare minutes. I'd enter all the things I'm doing these days, but it would take too long :).

In any case, I now write for Lockergnome and Tech Support Alert. I put out a lot of different things in any one day, but you'll have to scurry around to find them all. Most show up in the Lockergnome newsletters or Forums, so that's a good place to start. I handle quite a lot of the Tech News Watch Channel.

I'm going to spread some of my reviews Chris's way, too. I do lots of reviewing, I might as well get credit for it for a change.

Computers- software and hardware- are getting interesting in a way that they haven't been in a long time. Things are changing faster than many people can keep up with. Here are a couple of major items that I think you all need to watch:

Google-

Google is now releasing major and minor miracles at a rate that would make old Thom Edison jealous. I expect- a Google browser, followed by an entire Google web portal to rival MSN and Yahoo, not to mention AOL; more itegration in their products; and, even more good things. It's now the Golden Age of Google. Everyone else please stay out of the way.

AMD-

Having knocked the Innovation Crown off Intel's head, AMD has become the company to watch. If it happens, AMD will probably do it first. Intel has lost that edge that it needs so badly too compete. They've never been exactly bleeding-edge, but that was when they had little or no competition. AMD has made a success out of the Athlon name and Intel had just better take notice, before it's too late. Way to go!!!

To this end, two of my new systems will be built using an AMD CPU. I've been using AMD for years and I have never found a reason to regret that. I see socket 939 as the interface of the future. 64-bit, here I come!

I'll add more to this as things happen.

Chris Pirillo

2004-10-17T18:04:00.000-04:00

Chris Pirillo

Yeah, this should be no news at all to people who have even the slightest pretension to being geeks. Chris Pirillo, being the Gnomiest of the entire Lockergnome clan, has an interesting blog.

In any case, Chris scooped me on the acquisition of Jasc (think Paint Shop Pro) by Corel. Corel, as you may know, has been making noises like it's trying to rise from the dead. I'm not sure why they didn't announce this on Halloween. It would have been ever so apt. Not that I have anything about Corel. They used to be king of the hill back in the days when a computer drawing program (something more than Paint, but less than CAD) was a killer app. They nearly faded away entirely, going through bankruptcy at least once, but then they came back to buy WordPerfect, faded again, came back to buy a Linux distro (which they resold) and MicroGrafx, faded again, and now have reinvented their existence by buying Jasc and attempting yet another rebirth using that and WordPerfect Office.

If they make it this time, someone should write them into the Bible- they've got Lazarus beat all to hell.

Google Browser Coming - RG News

2004-09-23T09:36:00.000-04:00

Google Browser Coming - RG News

Uh huh. He seems to have figured this out starting last November. I started talking about it last Aaugust (of 2003).

Anyway, Google IS working on a browser, after which IM (both enterprise and public) will follow as naturally as spring follows winter. The next (BIG) step is for them to field an entire web portal to challenge Yahoo/MSN/AOL. They have the hardware. They will shortly have the software in place. All they need is a browser and IM network. The final step- becoming a major ISP and web hosting service- may take a while. Like maybe around the time that Longhorn ships? Shh! Remember, you heard it here FIRST.

A Goodbye

2004-09-20T17:00:00.000-04:00

I hope that there is a reason for death

I hope that God, whatever he may turn out to be, doesn't take us a huge joke

If there is a reason, I don't insist on knowing the answer
But it would be nice if I knew there was an answer

I don't have a doubt about there being something good on the other side
And tears are of no matter to those who have gone

Tears are for the comfort of those who must wait
To see their loved ones

Goodbye Mom...
See you later

Explore Java Technology

2004-06-23T16:04:00.000-04:00

Explore Java Technology

Ever want to check out whether or not your java virtual machine is running okay?

Yeah, me too. Especially if something you need to do requires java and you don't want to mess things up. What I want to tell you about, though, puts a whole new spin on things. Basically, when you try to download one of the desktop games from www.java.com (a site built and run by your old java buddy Sun Computer), you're going to get a LOT more than you bargained for. In fact, you get a FREE piece of spyware/adware. It's installed without pestering you for permission. After all, they figure you want fun. What's more fun that being loaded with unwanted software without being asked? I downloaded something called 'Arcade Bubbles' and promptly removed it AND the spyware it tried to stick me with.

In Defense of Being Real

2004-06-13T20:51:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wondered if those software companies are in touch with reality?

Of course, we all have. I've got some bad news for you- the answer is a resounding 'NO!'. I've recently spent some months testing and reviewing the current crop of security software. It was a sobering experience and much more of an education than I had any idea was coming my way.

The truth is that those software companies who hold the very security of our computers in their hands are so far off in the Twilight Zone that any tinge of reality is purely accidental. Imagine this concept: If we want to test any of their software, we're required to provide a computer with a virgin copy of Windows and nothing else running. Period. Add to that, that there should be nothing else installed. At all.

Now, if any of you out there are running systems like that, I'd be interested to hear about it. Let's exclude those of you who just had to reinstall Windows twenty minutes ago. Out of over 45 million PC users (at a conservative estimate), I think the number wouldn't cause me to take my socks off to count on my digits.

Not only that, folks, but these companies absolutely refuse to be reviewed if they can't have that virgin system to run on. Makes you feel all safe and warm, doesn't it? Well, doesn't it???

Oh, by the way, every one of these companies seems scared spitless of being on the same system with anything bearing the Norton name. The mere mention makes these people quake in their boots. If there was EVER a Norton product in the same room with the test system, then they want no part of it.

So, think about this report, all you broadband users. Your system may have security software on it, but the companies that put out that software may not be willing to stand behind it in any meaningful way if there was ever a Norton product installed, even if it's been removed. Add to that the fact that these companies think that the way to test their software is to put it on a virgin system and you have a recipe for a LOT of sleepless nights spent wondering if your software will crap out when you really need it, because it's never been tested on a real-world system.

As soon as I've finished the rest of the REAL WORLD testing, the reults will be posted.

And have a good nght :)

The Recreation of the Crystal Ball, Part I

2004-05-24T09:01:00.000-04:00

Well, I've decided that this blog is going forward. WAY forward. SInce I now write my technology news and commentary for the Lockergnome Tech News Watch and newsletters, I've decided to use this blog as a place to exercise my personal crystal ball. I'll post things that I wonder about, things I suspect, and things that seem obvious to me about the future.

Here is item one-

Researchers Invent 'Super' Laser Beam

Source: United Press International

WEST BETHLEHEM, Pa. (United Press International via COMTEX) -- U.S. physicists have developed a laser beam that is about 1 million times brighter than conventional lasers.

Physicists at Lehigh University said the laser produces a rainbow of visible and invisible colors by focusing the beam in a specially designed optical fiber that confines light in a glass core with a diameter 40 times smaller than a human hair.

The tiny solid glass core is surrounded by a cladding, or casing, that contains air holes along the length of the fiber. Visible lightwaves emerge from the fiber as white light, which contains all the colors of the spectrum. The colors are dispersed by the precisely spaced grooves of a diffraction grating, in the same way that water droplets create a rainbow.

Potential uses for the super laser range from medical applications -- including non-invasive imaging of live tissues -- to all-optical networks, in which light waves, not electronics, perform switching, routing, amplifying and other functions. the physicists said.

Copyright 2004 by United Press International.

So, what have I to say about this?

Well, an obvious comment would be that we could now use the surface of the moon as the world's largest outdoor movie screen. Or I could say that it may become the world's largest billboard.

But what caught my eye was the comment about the way that water creates a rainbow through diffraction. We all know that it was an error- water creates a rainbow with refraction, not DIFfraction.

I started thinking about creating specifically -colored beams with vibrating water. And that led to wondering if this effect- water vibrating and thus being excited into the sembalance of a diffraction grating- could be applied to a liquid crystal? How liquid ARE liquid crystals? I have no idea, but it seemed like an interesting thought that I could throw out into the universe.

After all, we all know that sound can cause patterns of ripples called 'standing waves' in water... This has been applied to modern string theory to explain the existence of matter in the universe. Such an effect in liquid crystals could certainly be used to create an amazingly compact and effective moving color picture. Varying putches of sound waves could easily be used to change the color of the projected laser beam. It is, after all, the same as colorless water creating a rainbow.

So, universe, I expect you to give me credit for understanding a little piece of you, if this turns out to be more than a mental hiccup!

And now...

2004-02-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

Well, if there was actually anyone reading this blog, now is the time to widen your horizons. There's a bit of news and we'll get to the meat of the matter- This blog is going to sleep for a while.

What? Why?

Well it's going to be a difficult situation. I've started freelancing for the Lockergnome series of newsletters and the best stuff is going there. I have a career to reinvent, so my writing is going to have to go where I think it will have the best audience. So, outside of some things which don't fit well, my writing will be available there. Those newsletters have always been a source of great info and tips for me, over the years, so it's with great pride that I see my own name included now and then. Not that everything I write gets printed nor does it mean I'm a paid staff member, but it IS a step up from a lonely blog in the wilderness.

The Lockergnome newsletters (on many subjects) are free to subscribe to and have a full set of forums to go along with them. Sign up at www.lockergnome.com. What are you waiting for?

Be seeing you!

The Register

2004-01-22T08:26:00.000-05:00

The Register: "Redmond was worsted in 'Microsoft' Aussie pillow fight
By John Lettice
Posted: 22/01/2004 at 12:14 GMT
Get The Reg wherever you are, with The Mobile Register

An Australian pillow manufacturer has been selling products using its 'exclusive new non allergenic and thoroughly hygienic Polyester Fibre 'Microsoft'' for some years now, and successfully rebuffed a legal challenge from The Mighty Redmond in 1997, the Sydney Morning Herald reveals exquisitely.

Purax Feather Holdings lodged a trademark application in 1991, and this was granted in July 1995. Microsoft, the parvenu, also holds an Australian trademark, but one in the class covering computers and computer software. Trademark-wise this is conceivably OK, because nobody could possibly confuse a large shapeless object stuffed with impact-deadening material with a pillow.

Microsoft Corporation nevertheless mounted an assault, and the Herald's report of the judge's ruling against the company in 1997 suggests to us that things have changed, and that it might now be worth another shot. 'The opponent,' he said, 'does not appear to have have any reputation for padding, stuffing and filling materials, as at the date of the present mark's application.'

Well it sure as hell does now - duck feathers, horsefeathers, do you reckon they're that different? Microsoft Corporation's much-enhanced reputation for padding, stuffing and filling during subsequent years might well prove a problem for Purax Feather Holdings, considering it should maybe have been defending its trademark. We reckon Purax should call its lawyers before it's too late."

I don't usually post an entire article, but this one deserves the light of day, in the light of the recent David & Goliath exhibition put on by Microsoft vs. Mike Rowe. Yes, the law says "Defend your trademark or lose it", but you can be TOO vigorous about it. The example above, from Australia, illustrates an even more blatant case of direct abuse, yet Microsoft lost because they tried to be all things to all people. Now, should Redmond ever start making pillows (that we can use while waiting for Big Red(mond) or their products to be secure, lean, and better than anything else out there), then they'll be back in court, being sued.

Offshoring Eats Away at IT Pay, Study Shows

2004-01-17T10:57:00.000-05:00

Offshoring Eats Away at IT Pay, Study Shows: "Offshoring Eats Away at IT Pay, Study Shows
By Lisa Vaas
January 13, 2004

As IT jobs such as application development and maintenance get shipped offshore, pay for remaining, domestic IT jobs continues to slide. A recent report shows the vulnerable and secure positions.

The offshoring of IT jobs caused IT salaries to slip for the third quarter in a row, according to new research from Foote Partners LLC, a management consultancy and IT workforce research company. "

Gee! Ya think???

I've been saying it for some time: anyone who tells you that offshoring will create more and better jobs for the IT personnel in this country are either A) Stupid beyond belief or B) Being paid by a company whose job it is to offshore our technology lifeblood. It all reminds me of the NAFTA Treaty. They said 'Oh, it'll take the low paying jobs out of the country, but it will create lots of higher paying jobs as a result.'. Is there anyone left here that still thinks they were telling the truth? If so, go down south and tell it to the thousands of textile workers.

Personally, I won't listen. After all, I know crap when I hear it.

InfoWorld: Symantec reels from week of mishaps: January 14, 2004: By Kieren McCarthy, Techworld.com: Security

2004-01-17T10:50:00.000-05:00

InfoWorld: Symantec reels from week of mishaps: January 14, 2004: By Kieren McCarthy, Techworld.com: Security: "Symantec reels from week of mishaps
LiveUpdate patch contains hole that could allow security breach

By Kieren McCarthy, Techworld.comJanuary 14, 2004

Anti-virus company Symantec Corp. is reeling from a series of mishaps this week that may have cost it dear in customer numbers.

Yesterday, the company issued a patch for its LiveUpdate feature that could have allowed someone with network access to bypass security into privileged areas. The problem affected all except the most recent version (2.0) of its Norton Anti-Virus suite and stemmed from the Liv"

Yeah, it wasn't the best week Symantec ever had, but aside from the LiveUpdate problem, the rest of the grief was actually caused by other people. An example is the mess caused by VeriSign when it let one of its major root security certificates lapse and then got a fine set of overloaded servers when a million or more Norton AntiVirus installations tried to update the certificate store at once.

This was unfortunate, but what everyone is managing to ignore is that it's another example of VeriSign doing its own thing without regard to possible consequences. And this is the company that they want to turn RFID over to? Let's just say I won't be too shocked if they manage to screw that up as well.

ZDNet UK - News - Symantec slams the door on Live Update flaw

2004-01-13T16:46:00.000-05:00

ZDNet UK - News - Symantec slams the door on Live Update flaw: "Symantec slams the door on Live Update flaw

Munir Kotadia
ZDNet UK
January 13, 2004, 16:55 GMT

Security company Symantec has had to update its Live Update feature to fix a flaw that could open a security hole in the software

Security company Symantec, developer of the popular Norton AntiVirus software, fixed a problem in its Live Update feature last week - a vulnerability that could allow malicious users to gain unauthorised administrator access rights to an affected PC.
Live Update is a feature Symantec's customers use in order to keep their virus signatures and security applications up to date. It can be set to automatically connect to the Internet and check Symantec's servers for a newer version. If one is found, the software can either prompt the user or automatically download and install the update, which is the recommended setting."

It's nice to know that their eyes aren't ONLY on the net!

InfoWorld: VeriSign to manage RFID 'root' server: January 13, 2004: By : Wireless

2004-01-13T12:33:00.000-05:00

InfoWorld: VeriSign to manage RFID 'root' server: January 13, 2004: By : Wireless: "VeriSign to manage RFID 'root' server
VeriSign to design ONS root directory for linking RFID tags to data about tagged products

By Paul Roberts, IDG News Service January 13, 2004

VeriSign Inc. has been awarded a contract to manage a key component of a coming global distribution network that uses electronic product code (EPC) technology, according to a joint announcement by VeriSign and EPCglobal Inc., a non-profit organization.

Ya know, this doesn't exactly fill me with joy, given VeriSign's track record...

Lindows Takes a Hit in Battle Against Microsoft

2004-01-10T10:16:00.000-05:00

Lindows Takes a Hit in Battle Against Microsoft: "January 9, 2004
Lindows Takes a Hit in Battle Against Microsoft
By Susan Kuchinskas

A San Francisco Court has ruled that a Linux company has to stop its scheme to provide instant Microsoft rebates as part of its $1.1 billion settlement with California.
San Diego, Calif.-based Lindows set up a special site, MSfreePC.com, that let them automatically qualify and apply for rebates offered to settle state consumers'four-year-old class action suit on July 19, 2003. Consumers could use an 'Instant Settlement Wizard,' and if they qualified, immediately use the pending rebate to instantly purchase a Windows-compatible Office suite, LindowsCD, Lindows OS 4.0 or a library of Linux software. Lindows contributed 10 percent of each rebate to open source projects such as Mozilla and OpenOffice.
Then San Francisco Superior Court Judge Paul Alvarado's ruled on December 22 that claims against Microsoft collected by Lindows.com are not valid."

Too bad. I know that the people who used their site to file will be a little annoyed, but really, it was always an open question as to whether the court would allow the electronic filing.

Unfortunately for Microsoft, it doesn't do anything to devalue Lindows as an OS or stop the creeping flood of Linux. Every time I read something from Microsoft's marketing people, I get the distinct image of a lone outpost in an old Western movie, surrounded by about a million Indians. And most of them armed with M-16's. I guess when you can feel the victory (of being the only OS on the planet) slipping away, you tend to spend a lot of nervous nights.

Court ponders Web site-blocking law | CNET News.com

2004-01-07T09:04:00.000-05:00

Court ponders Web site-blocking law | CNET News.com: "Court ponders Web site-blocking law
Last modified: January 6, 2004, 3:53 PM PST
By Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

update A federal judge in Philadelphia on Tuesday heard a challenge to a controversial state law that has led to more than 1 million innocuous Web sites being accidentally blocked.
Although the law is only a Pennsylvania state statute, it has an international reach. When the Pennsylvania attorney general used it to force MCI to ban access to some sites with suspected child pornography, the company said it had no choice but to block those Internet addresses for all of its North American subscribers.
Two nonprofit groups, the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), filed suit against Pennsylvania in September. Their lawsuit claims that the state law's 'secret censorship orders' have led to more than 1 million Web sites blocked, nearly all featuring legal material. "

This part isn't necessarily bad, since it seeks to limit the spread of child porn, but the following section, though, is different-

"A URL is neither a person nor a real forum nor a limited commodity," Pennsylvania said. "It is a little string of letters and numbers that acts as a superficial label. URLs are infinite in quantity. Even complete retirement of one will not diminish speech. Speech can always find another URL, and probably (one) pretty close to the out-of-commission string. The new URL will be in the same cyberspace, accessible in the same physical places, as the retired URL."

That last part shows how totally clueless parts of our government are about things relating to the Internet. And that's a BAD thing. URL's are "a little string of letters and numbers that acts as a superficial label"??? Maybe we should have a Constitutional amendment that forces lawmakers to understand what they're talking about before they can pass a law about something. That "superficial" string, as WE all know, is the ONLY thing can specifically identify a web site, outside of the IP address. Since IPv5 and up allows playing games with perceived URL's, the IP is the only final arbiter of a website's location, but that hardly makes a site's URL "superficial"!

ZDNet UK - News - Beta XP update ready for download

2004-01-04T08:57:00.000-05:00

ZDNet UK - News - Beta XP update ready for download: "Beta XP update ready for download

David Becker
CNET News.com
December 19, 2003, 10:15 GMT

A test version of the second major update to Microsoft's Windows XP is now available to registered beta users

Microsoft has released a test version of the second major update to its Windows XP operating system.

The beta version of Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, issued late on Wednesday, is available now for download through BetaPlace, Microsoft's site for registered beta testers. Microsoft is expected to offer it later through the download section of its MSDN developer site and on CD. "

Notice that the beta is NOT available for general download, so don't rush to your favorite file warehouse expecting to see it on the front page. Another facet of this is that this is a BETA package. That means (to restate the obvious) that the components may not work or they may actually screw up a system that works fine as is. In either case, something that is, on the bottom line, supposed to screw with your operating system, is not something I think one can trust in beta form. I have to admit that, with the amount of fixes supposed to be included, I was tempted to try for a copy. I've done a fair amount of beta testing for 'Big Red'mond, so I thought that getting a copy wouldn't be too hard. Then I thought about what damage could be done by this particular beta and decided against it. Especially troubling is the update to DirectX, which has been a source of grief in the past. Any changes made can be expected to cause trouble until the video card manufacturers can engineer their driver sets for it. Something as fluid as a beta version makes that tough.

Co-founder of WebTV Phillip Goldman dies - January 1, 2004

2004-01-03T17:08:00.000-05:00

Co-founder of WebTV Phillip Goldman dies - January 1, 2004: "Co-founder of WebTV Phillip Goldman dies
(NEW YORK) Phillip Y Goldman, a Silicon Valley engineer and entrepreneur who co-founded the Internet service WebTV and more recently a company that provides a service to block junk e-mail, died at his home in Los Altos Hills, California, on Dec 26. He was 39. The cause of death has not been determined, the Santa Clara County medical examiner-coroner's office said.
WebTV was Mr Goldman's best-known venture. Its products allowed people to surf the Net from their TV sets without owning a PC. He and the other founders, Steve Perlman and Bruce Leak, sold that company to Microsoft in 1997 for US$503 million. His latest company, Mailblocks Inc, helps customers deal with the rising flood of spam."

I'm sure that someone in Hollywood is ready to weave this into an episode of Alias, but it sure is strange. 39 year old guys don't just drop dead.

Internet Explorer Spoofing Vulnerability Found

2003-12-11T14:12:00.000-05:00

Internet Explorer Spoofing Vulnerability Found: "Internet Explorer Spoofing Vulnerability Found
By Matt Hicks
December 10, 2003

Users could be lulled into providing sensitive information through a Internet Explorer browser vulnerability that allows fake URLs to obscure the real domain.

A new vulnerability discovered this week in Internet Explorer could allow for the spoofing of URLs in the Web browsing, potentially putting users' sensitive information at risk.
Security researchers confirmed a vulnerability in Internet Explorer 6 that could let an attacker display a fake URL in the browser's address bar in an attempt to disguise the real domain, according to a security bulletin released on Tuesday by Danish security company Secunia Ltd.
Using the security hole, an attacker could trick users into providing sensitive information or download malicious software by leading them to think that they are visiting a trusted site, the advisory said. "

This gigantic threat was rated "Moderatley Critical" by Microsoft. I think that it's a whole lot more like "Don't do ANY 'secure' transactions with IE6 until this is fixed or you'll probably regret it as long as it takes you to get your money and your identity back. In other words, MUCH longer than you'll be alive. It's quite possible for your heirs to regret your stupidity after you're safely dead.

It's about like calling the hole in the Titanic "moderately critical".

iTNews

2003-12-10T11:57:00.000-05:00

iTNews: "IBM gets early court victory in SCO/Linux case

By Paul Thurrott, Windows & .NET magazine
Wednesday, December 10, 2003

advertisement

COMMENTARY: SCO revealed this week that a judge ruled in favor of IBM last week in SCO's trade secret violation lawsuit against the computing giant, a stunning legal victory for IBM.
SCO sued IBM earlier this year for US$1 billion, alleging that the Linux operating system IBM now supports contains software code stolen from UNIX, the rights to which SCO largely owns. SCO also revoked IBM's UNIX license.
However, late last week, IBM found itself on the receiving end of a favourable court decision, resulting in an interesting reversal of fortunes. SCO had been pressuring the courts to force IBM to reveal its UNIX and Linux source code so SCO could prove that IBM was using stolen code. But the judge ruled that SCO would have to present its own UNIX source code first and identify which software code had been stolen."

Good! Now, if the judicial system can stand up (for once) to the probable avalanche of appeals once the finalverdict is handed down, maybe we can all get back to business as usual.

Companies like SCO have, unfortunately, lots of brethren in the greed category. Not that SCO is the first, or the worst, but this kind of thing has to stop somewhere. These idiots want the whole pie, it's that simple. And that's just plain wrong. There's enough pie out there for everyone. I guess after a certain point, the company grows so big that it gets into the habit of being richer and bigger every year and can't stop growing. The trouble with that is that the world of 2003 won't support the Unlimited Growth model of business. There are too many companies and a finite amount of customers. You can do so much business before you run out of things to sell and people to sell them to. I don't give two hoots about the financial 'geniuses' that claim otherwise. This is the real world and facts are facts.

By the way, Geniuses, given the state of the world economy at the moment, consider yourself lucky that your companies are still in business.

News: Microsoft to market SBC Yahoo to retailers

2003-12-09T14:30:00.000-05:00

News: Microsoft to market SBC Yahoo to retailers: "Microsoft to market SBC Yahoo to retailers

By Jim Hu
CNET News.com
December 9, 2003, 9:17 AM PT

Microsoft will market SBC Communications and Yahoo's co-branded broadband Internet service to its retail software customers, the companies said.

The deal will open a new marketing channel for SBC Yahoo's digital subscriber line (DSL) service. Microsoft will recommend a business version of SBC Yahoo DSL to retail clients who purchase its Business Solutions software. SBC Yahoo DSL's business edition costs the same as its $26.95-a-month consumer product but offers network management and online marketing tools. "

Outrageous! Know what this means? It means that Microsoft has tacitly given up on marketing MSN Broadband service! It's been a long time since I've seen Microsoft just give up on anything. The last debacle was WebTV. And Microsoft is doing their best to keep that alive for the few users who found it essential.

If you want an idea of the impact, imagine, oh, I don't know.. IBM dropping Lotus in favor of Microsoft Exchange or AOL asking Microsoft to set up the AOL portal site for them. Or, I suppose, Microsoft giving away free copies of MS Office 2003 :).

Java Goes to Wal-Mart

2003-12-09T14:17:00.000-05:00

Java Goes to Wal-Mart: "Java Goes to Wal-Mart
By Peter Galli
December 8, 2003

Sun is challenging Microsoft on a new front: the consumer market. Believing its Java Desktop System is 'a more effective home and retail solution,' the company is negotiating with major retailers Wal-Mart and Office Depot to include the desktop on consumer PCs and laptops.

About all one can say is "Wgo woulda thought?"...

Sun Microsystems Inc. is embarking on a strategy that challenges Microsoft Corp. on a brand-new front: the consumer market.
The Santa Clara, Calif., company is negotiating with major retailers Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Office Depot Inc. to include Sun's Java Desktop System on planned offerings of low-priced consumer PCs and laptops."

Silicon Valley Biz Ink :: Biz Briefs

2003-12-06T08:40:00.000-05:00

Silicon Valley Biz Ink :: Biz Briefs: "HP jumps into Web music
Hewlett-Packard Co. of Palo Alto plans to introduce an Internet music store and portable music player next year, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal. The online store will sell song downloads sometime in the first quarter next year. Meanwhile, the music player will compete with Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod. HP's plans were first disclosed in an interview with Reuters. The market for online music has quickly become a crowded field. Aside from Apple, HP will face competition from Dell Inc., Microsoft Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Sony Corp., Viacom Inc., RealNetworks Inc. and Roxio Inc."

Let's see... About the only ones still not planning an online music store (at this moment) are Intel and IBM. Oh, well, it's all good for consumers, so we can't complain. It does make me wonder, given all the licensing deals that must be going on, if the RIAA should maybe ease up just a trifle on lawsuits, and let its public image improve. It surely looks like they'll be getting plenty of royalties from all these legitimate sources.

Microsoft to charge for FAT file system, ClearType - smh.com.au

2003-12-05T07:40:00.000-05:00

Microsoft to charge for FAT file system, ClearType - smh.com.au: "Microsoft to charge for FAT file system, ClearType
By Online Staff
December 5, 2003
Print this article
Email to a friend

Microsoft has announced that it will be charging a fee from those who use the FAT file system and offered to sell licences to those who wish to buy one.
The company also said it would be charging for use of subpixel rendering technology, branded ClearType, which improves readability of text on LCD screens. "

This is about as boneheaded a move as I can imagine. Well, maybe not the tops, but way up there on the list. To want to start charging for the use of the FAT system wll certainly help drive people to Linux, if nothing else. Not to mention what it does for the chances of winning anything like another anti-Trust suit. Another one? Yes! There's no such thing as double indemnity (the protection from being brought to trial twice for the same offense) for corporate entities. Even if there were, I suspect that Microsoft would cause an exception to be written into law. It's the worst possible thing they could do at the worst possible time.

News: Domain registry site gets hacked

2003-12-04T09:51:00.000-05:00

News: Domain registry site gets hacked: "Domain registry site gets hacked

By Matt Hines
CNET News.com
December 3, 2003, 10:52 AM PT

The Global Name Registry confirmed that its .name Web site was hacked over the weekend, blaming the attack on the company's move to relaunch its services.
GNR representatives said the site, which administers registration of .name Web domains, was attacked sometime Saturday afternoon and remained corrupted until the problem was fixed Sunday morning. Company President Hakon Haugnes said the hackers exploited a hole in one of the software packages used to maintain the site but indicated that the situation did not cause major damage to its overall operations. He did not comment on what type of software the hole was present in, and he said the site had not been subject to previous attacks.
'Obviously, this sort of thing causes some level of embarrassment, but it appeared to be very isolated,' Haugnes said. 'You try to keep up with all the software patches out there, but sometimes things like this still happen.' "

"Some level of embarrassment"? How about "crying shame"? When a security company can't keep hackers out of the vault, it's time to find someone who can. This is a whole LOT more serious than an "embarrassment", since a hacked nameserver is a weapon second to none in the world of the net.

Microsoft, Symantec, CompUSA, and Best Buy all in hot water

2003-12-01T08:29:00.000-05:00

Microsoft, Symantec, CompUSA, and Best Buy all in hot water: "Microsoft, Symantec, CompUSA, and Best Buy all in hot water

A long-expected lawsuit

By Jack Russell: Wednesday 12 February 2003, 21:46
KUDOS TO CATHY Baker - a previously unknown California resident - who's sued the above companies claiming they have acted in concert to illegally limit consumer's rights to know what they are buying and to return it if they do not accept the limitations the manufacturer puts on the product.
See Microsoft, Symantec sued over software licences
This is the kind of simmering pot that's been just itching to boil over, and Mrs. Baker may have a real argument to stand on. The boxes of most pieces of commercial software do not remotely hint at the volume of legalese found in your typical EULA, and the 'Do you accept the conditions/terms of using this software' has always struck me as a bit of an odd question, since one has no choice but to accept them, or forfeit use of the software"

This seemed to be another of those 'complaining customer who talked a lawyer into filing suit' things. Then I read the whole article. The opening statement above is correct: it's a long-expected and prbably overdue lawsuit. It involves how binding the infamous EULA (End-User License Agreement) is if the customer can't even read it until he's already opened the package, theoretically accepting the terms of the agreement.

It doesn't end there. The next step is to deal with those EULA's that contain language so ridiculously confining or restrictive that the right to actually use the software after accepting the EULA becomes fraught with legal danger. I've actually read one EULA that would make it impossible for you to tell anyone you're using the software or to complain about anything (including documented bugs) if it failed to work as it seemed like it should.

Something final needs to be done and this suit is the beginning. I think that there needs to be some legal biolerplate that's required by law. Maybe it's a case of setting a generic EULA in legal code and allowing only that EULA to stand.

Look Out, Outlook: RSS Ahead in 2004

2003-11-30T08:31:00.000-05:00

Look Out, Outlook: RSS Ahead in 2004: "
Look Out, Outlook: RSS Ahead in 2004
By Steve Gillmor
November 28, 2003

You better watch out; you better not cry; you better not pout. Steve Gillmor is telling you why: RSS is coming to town. "

Well! I'm happy to see that another of my predicitons looks like coming true. At least the 'big names' are starting to come to the same conclusion as I did, earlier.

Remember folks- keep your eyes on my crystal ball! You'll read it here FIRST.

IDG.com.sg - Article

2003-11-26T07:17:00.000-05:00

IDG.com.sg - Article: "Microsoft retires NetMeeting
By Joris Evers
IDG News Service, San Francisco Bureau
26-11-2003

Microsoft Corp. is retiring its six-year-old NetMeeting online conferencing application and instead will push Office Live Meeting, formerly known as PlaceWare, for online meetings.
NetMeeting helped pioneer online conferencing when it was released in May 1996, before the advent of instant messaging (IM) and other services for real-time online communication. The software still ships as part of Windows and some of its features, such as whiteboarding and application-sharing, are used by the MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger IM applications."

Sure. Why give people a free app when you can charge them $500 for Office?

F.B.I. Scrutinizes Antiwar Rallies

2003-11-23T09:10:00.000-05:00

F.B.I. Scrutinizes Antiwar Rallies: "F.B.I. Scrutinizes Antiwar Rallies
By ERIC LICHTBLAU

Published: November 23, 2003

ASHINGTON, Nov. 22 — The Federal Bureau of Investigation has collected extensive information on the tactics, training and organization of antiwar demonstrators and has advised local law enforcement officials to report any suspicious activity at protests to its counterterrorism squads, according to interviews and a confidential bureau memorandum."

I was afraid that the Patriot Act would do this. Let this be a loud, clear call to every American who values Freedom! I've seen this happen before, notably during the 60's, and there is nothing good about it. Senator McCarthy must be grinning in his nice, warm seat down below.

Judge rules in favor of pop-up purveyor | CNET News.com

2003-11-20T22:18:00.000-05:00

Judge rules in favor of pop-up purveyor | CNET News.com: "Judge rules in favor of pop-up purveyor
Last modified: November 19, 2003, 4:00 PM PST
By Stefanie Olsen
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

A federal court judge dismissed Wells Fargo's motion to block a software maker that launches rival pop-up advertisements when customers access the bank's Web site.
Judge Nancy Edmunds of the U.S. District Court of Michigan's Southern Division on Wednesday denied Wells Fargo's motion for a preliminary injunction against WhenU, a distributor of free advertising software, that was aimed at disarming the pop-up purveyor. The judge also issued a memorandum opinion on the case.
Wells Fargo and plaintiff Quicken Loans charged that WhenU violated their copyrights and trademarks by delivering ads for rival Web sites to consumers while they were visiting their own sites.
'The fact that some WhenU advertisements appear on a computer screen at the same time (the) plaintiffs' Web pages are visible in a separate window does not constitute a use in commerce of the plaintiffs' marks,' Judge Edmunds wrote as one of the arguments against an injunction.
While only a preliminary opinion, it echoes an earlier judgment in favor of WhenU in its case against U-Haul International. Like Wells Fargo and a handful of other litigants, U-Haul had charged WhenU with trademark and copyright violations, among other complaints, as a result of pop-ups for competing movers that appeared on U-Haul's Web pages. In September, a Virginia U.S. District Court judge granted a motion for summary judgment in favor of WhenU."

On first look, I got really mad. Then I read the whole thing and found out that the competing ads were served up by other programs. That is, you had to agree to have these ads show up as a condition of using some other piece of software for free. No ads - no free application. So, the people who saw these ads had agreed to have them pop up. So, I can see where the judge told the 'infringed' parties to get lost. Sad, but some people are willing to agree to aggravating ads in order to have free software...

ZoneLabs Firewall Now Protects Against ID Theft

2003-11-18T04:57:00.000-05:00

ZoneLabs Firewall Now Protects Against ID Theft: "ZoneLabs Firewall Now Protects Against ID Theft
By Mark Hachman
Discuss this now (1 posts)
LAS VEGAS – Software firewall provider Zone Labs Inc. is expected to announce a new version of its ZoneAlarm Pro software here at Comdex on Tuesday, with new safeguards against identity theft.
The company's new ZoneAlarm Pro 4.5 firewall guards against ID theft through the ability to block certain personal information from being transferred over the Internet, as well as to lock down the 'hosts' file that stored on a user's PC. ZoneLabs will also announce new versions of its free ZoneAlarm and paid ZoneAlarm Plus products, but will exclude the new features."

The good gets better :)

Sun touts Opteron server, Linux desktop | CNET News.com

2003-11-18T04:53:00.000-05:00

Sun touts Opteron server, Linux desktop | CNET News.com: "Sun touts Opteron server, Linux desktop
Last modified: November 17, 2003, 12:52 PM PST
By Stephen Shankland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

LAS VEGAS--Sun Microsystems introduced Advanced Micro Devices' Opteron into its server family and announced a deal in China that's expected to boost its Linux desktop software.
As expected, Sun Chief Executive Scott McNealy on Monday showed off two servers that use the processor during a keynote speech at the Comdex trade show here, becoming the second major company to adopt the chip. IBM already has announced Opteron servers, but its model at present is intended only for the narrower high-performance technical computing markets. "

Well! This is quite a milestone for AMD. The first high-profile use of an AMD chip in a server. That tells me that AMD is doing something right. I know that Wall Street has been looking for the dark lining in all those silver clouds, but I've suspected for some time that they've missed the boat on AMD. I've personally run AMD for, hmm..., at least 8 years and have NEVER had any kind of problem with the CPU. Motherboards, as we all know, are a different matter. I'm pleased to see that someone feels that AMD CPU's are to be taken seriously.

Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage

2003-11-17T08:16:00.000-05:00

Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage: "Microsoft plans online music service
Mon 17 November, 2003 10:17

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Microsoft plans to roll out a song-downloading service next year that will rival offerings from Apple Computer and Roxio Inc.'s Napster.
A spokeswoman for the company confirmed to the Journal that Microsoft's MSN Web site will have such a service in 2004, but declined to provide more detail.
Citing a person familiar with the matter, the paper said Microsoft has been in close contact with major music companies to discuss plans for a service.
The story noted that Microsoft might be able to undercut the per-song price of competitors, and that its dominant Windows operating system gives the company a strong position from which to expand into new markets."

Aha! Just as I said :). Well, it's good to know that my crystal ball doesn't need new batteries!

Windows Server 2003 won't run major Microsoft apps

2003-11-15T08:10:00.000-05:00

Windows Server 2003 won't run major Microsoft apps: "Windows Server 2003 won't run major Microsoft apps

SQL Server 6.5, 7.0 just can't hack it

By Adamson Rust: Saturday 26 April 2003, 10:55
USERS UPGRADING TO the latest versions of Windows Server 2003 will find some important older applications just won't work.
And the applications that won't work aren't paltry little applets but heavyweightware such as SQL Server 6.5 and 7.0, according to Microsoft.
Further, Windows Exchange Server won't work on Server 2003 including Exchange Server 2000 and Exchange Server 5.5, a report says on Techweb.
Microsoft has yet to release versions of some of the software, including Exchange Server, that will work on the latest products."

For most home users, this is a null issue. On the broader front, this is a major disaster, as it makes one wonder what kind of idiots they have working at Microsoft. Perhaps Microsoft will ship those users affected a free copy of MS VPC, so they can reinstall Windows 2000 Server.

Hmm... doesn't that kind of blow holes in any reason to upgrade?

InformationWeek > Hardware > New Plastic Memory Technology Unveiled > November 13, 2003

2003-11-14T16:57:00.000-05:00

InformationWeek > Hardware > New Plastic Memory Technology Unveiled > November 13, 2003: "New Plastic Memory Technology Unveiled Nov. 13, 2003

Researchers at Princeton and HP Labs have developed the new technology, which can be written to only once but read numerous times and retains data even when there's no power.
By Matthew Fordahl, AP Technology Writer

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- A new memory technology promises to store more data at less cost than the expensive-to-build silicon chips used by popular consumer gadgets including digital cameras, cell phones and portable music players.
The magical ingredient isn't smaller transistors or an exotic material cooked up by the semiconductor industry.
It's a plastic.
Researchers at Princeton University and Hewlett-Packard Co.'s HP Labs developed the memory, technically a hybrid that contains a plastic film, a flexible foil substrate, and some silicon. The findings appear in the journal Nature on Thursday.
Unlike flash memory found in consumer devices, the new technology can be written to only once, though it can be read many times. It acts in that respect like a non-rewriteable compact disc. But the new memory, which retains data even when there's no power, won't require a power-hungry laser or motor to read or write, and promises more capacity. "

They claim an eventual cost lower than that of Flash memory. Let me see... Plastic, with a foil substrate and can be written to only once? Last time I looked in my Geek's Dictionary, that was the definition of a CD-ROM. It makes one think... hmm... CD-ROM with NO MOVING PARTS? No moving parts is the engineers' Nirvana. Nothing to wear out or break. I wonder what format they'll use- round or rectangular (as in 'credit card' format)?

Gateway Aims High AND Low

2003-11-12T07:43:00.000-05:00

Gateway aims at homes for the holidays | CNET News.com

Gateway aims at homes for the holidays | CNET News.com

Gateway on Tuesday kicked off the holiday season a little early, throwing open the doors on its renovated retail stores and launching an array of new PCs, music players and digital cameras.

As previously reported, the Poway, Calif., PC maker has refurbished all 190 of its retail outlets to try to establish itself as a brand name in the consumer electronics market and return to profitability.

And, the Rest of the Story...

Here’s a promise you haven’t heard.
It’s called the Gateway ProNet(SM) program. A new commitment to you, the business solution provider. It’s a promise from a team of channel program professionals to deliver both the front and back office technology your clients demand. Take the Gateway® 995 Quad-Processor Server. It’s powered by the latest Intel® Xeon™ processor and it’s just one of a full range of innovative solutions you can count on.

>From AV to PCs to mobility needs to enterprise-level network servers,
the ProNet program is here to make it happen.
That’s a promise.

So they're now selling all the way from entry-level systems to enterprise 4MP servers. Looks like they're taking a page from Dell's book and going the extra mile, with consumer electronics and brick-and-mortar stores.

Technology Review: Nanotubes Fortify Plastic Film

2003-11-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Technology Review: Nanotubes Fortify Plastic Film: "Nanotubes Fortify Plastic Film
Technology Research News November 7, 2003
Encasing carbon nanotubes in plastic has a lot of appeal. Nanotubes, rolled-up sheets of carbon atoms that are 1,000 times narrower than E. coli bacteria, are stronger than steel and have useful electrical properties. A polymer setting keeps microscopic nanotubes in place and makes for a material that is easy to handle.
Researchers from Trinity College in Ireland and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed an inexpensive process for making a nanotube-polymer composite that allows for close control of the density and position of the nanotubes.
The material can be used to reinforce plastic materials and could form the basis for many types of flexible electronic and mechanical devices, including sensors, field emitters and actuators, according to the researchers."

Yay! Now we can have (let me see)... bullet-proof clothes that are Wi-Fi-enabled...err, maybe a wearable bullet-proof computer?

Web hijack riles Belkin router users | CNET News.com

2003-11-11T10:24:00.000-05:00

Web hijack riles Belkin router users | CNET News.com: "Web hijack riles Belkin router users
Last modified: November 10, 2003, 9:39 AM PST
By Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

update Belkin is trying to defuse a potentially embarrassing situation that arose after network administrators learned the company's routers can periodically hijack users' Web connection and display an advertisement for parental control software.
Every eight hours, a random computer that's hooked up to a local area network may receive an unsolicited advertisement for a trial version of parental control software, instead of the Web page the person had hoped to visit. The behavior can be permanently disabled, but it is turned on by default in new Belkin routers when they are shipped.
'We are crafting a statement apologizing and accepting responsibility,' a Belkin representative said on Monday. The company said a firmware update, which customers would have the choice of installing, would be available in a week. "

Wow! Belkin had better put this fire out NOW and never attempt anything so slimy again, though I'm sure that they realize what a stupid move it was. Companies can't get away with something like that any more, in these days of instant information and news dispersal. They'll be lucky to avoid lawsuits, not to mention loss of future business.

BBspot - Symantec to Tag and Release Viruses

2003-11-11T09:54:00.000-05:00

BBspot - Symantec to Tag and Release Viruses: "Technology News
Tuesday, November 11 12:01 AM EST
Symantec to Tag and Release Viruses
By Kristian Werner

Cupertino, CA - Arthur Wong, Vice President, Symantec Security Response announced 'the next generation of security software,' with VirusTagging added to its Anti-Virus software. Both the corporate and home editions of the software will incorporate the new technology.
Also existing 'Scan and Deliver,' users will be able to 'Tag and Release' viruses placed in Quarantine. This places a unique tag in the virus's code, and then releases the virus, usually by sending an e-mail to a randomly chosen person in the users Outlook address book.
After the virus has been tagged and released, the program sends the information to Symantec Security Response. Wong stressed that no personally identifiable information was transmitted, only the tag, virus data, and key statistics about the system, such as operating system and applied security patches. The 'Tag and Release' option would be enabled by default, but could easily be switched off.
' The interesting part is when we find a virus that already has a tag,' continued Wong. 'Then we can find out what he's been up to.'
In biology and statistics, the technique is known as 'capture - recapture,' and is often used to discover the size of a population, for example a species of animal in a particular region. In many ways the virus hunter's job resembles that of the biologist- computer viruses are constantly moving, reproducing, and dying. Hackers could fake tags, or they could be lost. However in other ways their job may be easier, in that tagged viruses are no more or less likely to be caught than others.
So what is wrong with the old-fashioned way of simply removing viruses when they are found? "

This seems like a hare-brained idea at best. Now, if they could figure out a way for the software to trace back up the chain of infection and kill the source, I'd be impressed. Frankly, it looks like they want to use the PC population as lab rats.

Spammers Squelched

2003-11-10T06:24:00.000-05:00

Federal Judge Stops Pop-Up Spam Company

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- "The Federal Trade Commission obtained a federal court order Thursday against an operation that produced Window's Messenger Service pop-up ads. The temporary restraining order was sought after the FTC received numerous complaints consumers' computers were being hit by the ads, most of which advertised software that would block future pop-ups.

The FTC said the defendants sent messages to consumers as frequently as every 10 minutes, offering to sell software to stop such pop-ups at a cost of $25 to $30. The director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, Howard Beales, said "This is nothing more than a high-tech version of a classic scam. The defendants created the problem that they proposed to solve for a fee." The complaint was filed against D Squared Solutions LLC and company officers Anish Dhingra and Jeffrey Davis, all of San Diego."

One down, three million (or so it seems) to go...

DMNews.com | News | Article

2003-11-10T06:18:00.000-05:00

DMNews.com | News | Article: "Google Expands Search to Desktop

Nov. 10, 2003

By: Brian Morrissey
Senior Editor
bmorrissey@dmnews.com

Google continued its quest to make its search available everywhere with the introduction Nov. 7 of a desktop search tool that lets users search without having a browser open.
The Google Deskbar resides on the Windows taskbar at the bottom of the computer screen, returning Google search results no matter what application is running. Search results, as well as shortcut applications like dictionary definitions and arithmetic, are displayed in a small window that appears in the lower right side of the screen. The Deskbar complements Google's popular toolbar, which is embedded in Internet browsers. "

It just gets better. Google, that is. There are reasons why Google is number one in the search field and that's up near the top- they don't stop working at being better.

Microsoft Plays a Waiting Game

2003-11-06T06:26:00.000-05:00

An anonymous source at Microsoft confided in me that Microsoft may just be playing a waiting game. As we all know, Microsoft tried to acquire the masters of search technology Google. And, for once, failed. I've come across any number of people who are almighty pleased about that, preferring a more diverse computing world, where Microsoft is NOT the only game in town.

But that might be more of a struggle than we thought, if Microsoft gets its way. Another thing we are fairly certain of is that sometime around the first of next year, Google will go public with a much-anticipated IPO. And standing in the wings with a BIG bag of cash is good old Microsoft. The 'hint' that came my way was that if Microsoft couldn't buy Google outright, they may try to but it piece by piece. They could wait until the IPO and buy up every share of stock that comes out the door.

Other possible scenarios floated included a business partnership or merger. One thing is certain- Microsoft has no intention of actually developing their own search technology unless they fail to get a piece (or ALL) of Google. The attitude was more of 'if someone has made a real success of a technology, then it makes sense to go for that instead of wasting big gobs of time and money trying to do better'. They may have failed on their first attempt to buy Google, but their current push to reinvent the wheel has more of the flavor of 'insurance' or possible preparations to extend Google's already impressive abilities.

We'll see how this plays out. One thing is for certain: Microsoft has the deepest pockets in the PC universe and if they want something bad enough, they generally get it.

Novell to acquire SuSE Linux | CNET News.com

2003-11-04T10:15:00.000-05:00

Novell to acquire SuSE Linux | CNET News.com: "Novell to acquire SuSE Linux
Last modified: November 4, 2003, 5:30 AM PST
By Stephen Shankland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Longtime Microsoft foe Novell has signed an agreement to acquire SuSE Linux for $210 million in cash, while IBM, the most powerful backer of the Linux OS, will make a $50 million investment in Novell.
The moves, announced Tuesday, could boost the fortunes of SuSE, the No. 2 seller of Linux, increase the competitive pressure on No. 1 Red Hat, and provide a new direction for Novell's rivalry with Microsoft.

What's new:
Novell agrees to buy SuSE Linux for $210 million in cash, and IBM plans a $50 million investment in Novell.
Bottom line:
The deals promise to dramatically alter the Linux landscape, boosting the fortunes of No. 2 SuSE, increasing the competitive pressure on No. 1 Red Hat and providing a new direction for Novell's rivalry with Microsoft.
For more info:
Track the players The SuSE deal is the second Linux acquisition for the Provo, Utah-based company, which bought desktop Linux software specialist Ximian in August. "

Well, if Novell's history of acquisitions is any indication at all, you can confidantly expect SuSE to be broke and spun off by Novell inside of a year or so. It's too bad. I regarded SuSE as our one hope to have a consumer-targeted Linux company.

Microsoft gives developers an early look at next Windows

2003-11-02T09:44:00.000-05:00

Microsoft gives developers an early look at next Windows: "Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Microsoft gives developers an early look at next Windows
By TODD BISHOP
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

LOS ANGELES -- Microsoft Corp. lifted the curtain on the next generation of Windows yesterday, unveiling an updated look and new features to take advantage of advances in computer hardware."

Well, if there are scattered natives in the Amazon rain forest who haven't heard about Longhorn, that is certainly not the fault of Microsoft or the thousands of journalists who have spouted acres of prose over the 'Big Reveal' this last Monday. Rumors are that the leak will go worldwide in November, as Microsoft may well offer copies of the now-famous Build 4051 to the general public for a small fee (usually media+S&H). It's said to be a rock-solid build, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind-

1- The much-anticipated Aero 3D graphical interface is NOT part of the package.

2- How many systems will be able to meet the minimum hardware requirements to run it is still an open question, since I haven't seen ANY hard and fast list published. Perhaps that will happen when the alpha build goes public.

All of this, of course, is meant to keep public interest alive since it was admitted that the RTM version won't go gold for another 3 years. If even half of the marvelous things we've been told are ttrue, it will be worth the wait. The main item that people want is a secure, stable OS that allows them to keep strangers out and spam to a minimum. Of course a lot of that is under the care of actual apps running on the OS, but the OS can make things a lot easier by presenting real secure access to the desktop and the ability to keep prying eyes out of private info. Computer savvy people will read that as- really secure system logon, a better array of admin and user accounts, and the ability to limit file access without having to author tons of group policies in an arcane interface.

News: AOL closes a Windows service

2003-11-02T08:32:00.000-05:00

News: AOL closes a Windows service: "AOL closes a Windows service

By Robert Lemos
CNET News.com
October 24, 2003, 2:43 PM PT

Add your opinion

Forward in Format for

America Online's gated Internet community may just have gotten a bit more secure.
On Friday, the company said it had turned off Microsoft's flawed Windows Messenger service--a data exchange mechanism for networked computers that shouldn't be confused with the software giant's instant-messaging application--for nearly 15 million of its users over the last two weeks. "

The excitement here is not about turning off the (generally useless) Network Messenger service. No, the issue here is that AOL made the registry changes to their customers' systems without so much as a 'may I?". That's right in line with the mentality at AOL, but it sure makes me glad that I'm NOT a customer of theirs! I suppose there's some weasel-worded legal voodoo in the EULA or Terms of Service that allows them to do it, but if for some reason it isn't crystal clear, I'd be standing in line to sue their butts off.

Panther glitch erases some hard drives | CNET News.com

2003-10-31T13:40:00.000-05:00

Panther glitch erases some hard drives | CNET News.com: "Panther glitch erases some hard drives
Last modified: October 30, 2003, 4:23 PM PST
By Ina Fried
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

A problem is causing some of those who install the new version of Mac OS X to lose the data that's stored on their external hard drives.
Apple Computer said the glitch is limited to external hard drives that use a high-speed FireWire connection and a particular chipset Oxford Semiconductor manufactures. The company encouraged those who have a drive that uses the chip to disconnect their drives from Macs that are being upgraded to Mac OS X version 10.3, or Panther.
'Apple has identified an issue with external FireWire hard drives using the Oxford 922 bridge chipset with firmware version 1.02 that can result in the loss of data stored on the disk drive,' the company said in a statement provided to CNET News.com. 'Apple is working with Oxford Semiconductor and affected drive manufacturers to resolve this issue, which resides in the Oxford 922 chipset.'
An Oxford Semiconductor representative declined to comment. "

Oh NO!!! You don't mean to tell me that APPLE has produced buggy software, too???? ROFLMA! What will they put in their 'Switch' commercials? "You, too, can switch to Apple and have your hard drive wiped by an OS bug!"?

Product activation glitch hits Symantec | CNET News.com

2003-10-31T13:36:00.000-05:00

Product activation glitch hits Symantec | CNET News.com: "Product activation glitch hits Symantec
Last modified: October 30, 2003, 4:31 PM PST
By Robert Lemos
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Some of the 1.2 million customers that have installed software maker Symantec's latest Norton PC security package have been unable to use the software because of new antipiracy technology, the company confirmed Thursday.
A few consumers have complained to Symantec that the U.S. and British versions of a package that includes Norton Antivirus 2004, Norton Internet Security 2004, Norton Antispam 2004 and Norton SystemWorks 2004 mistakenly asks for a product activation code every time a PC is rebooted. Eventually, the software informs the consumers that they have reached the activation limit and the software will cease to function. "

Well, I gues it was bound to happen. I think it's pretty near impossible for a company to test EVERY possible hardware config. Hopefully for those few(?) people, they'll get a handle on it soon.

Microsoft Professional Developers Conference

2003-10-29T11:23:00.000-05:00

Microsoft Professional Developers Conference

I won't try to outline individual sections. Here's the first-day report by eWeek...

The Long Last Gasp of Tube-Based TV

2003-10-29T10:55:00.000-05:00

The Long Last Gasp of Tube-Based TV: "The Long Last Gasp of Tube-Based TV
By ERIC A. TAUB

Published: October 29, 2003

UNKIRK, Md. - America's love affair with all things big has moved from supersize French fries and sport utility vehicles to large flat-panel, wide-screen, HDTV-compatible televisions, the kind that can hang on a wall. While comparatively few are bought today - because of their high cost - sales are expected to explode this decade as prices plunge.
Old-style sets are on their way out, a trend that is bound to be accelerated even further by Sony's decision to end production of traditional cathode ray tubes in Japan to focus exclusively on newer display technologies. [World Business, Section W.] "

I'm sure that this will further push along the beginning avalanche of convergnce. The TV set and the computer monitor, never that far apart technologically, will become one. I'm not sure there will be a loser in this, unless it's the people (like me) who can't really afford this major an upgrade. Major? Sure! The average household is likely to have at least two TV's and likely more like three or four, if there are kids involved. Then add in a couple of computer monitors. Now, imagine taking all of them and chucking them in the trash.

Ugly? You bet! Not likely to happen in MY house, where there are more like 5 TV's. There are tremendous benefits, I think. You have a definite better picture to gain and the cost benefit of not having the manufacturing cost differential between TV and monitor. Add in less heat generated than with the old CRT technology and less power consumed. If you multiply 6 CRT's per house times the estimated 100 MILLION homes involved and you start seeing some real consequences in power consumption, nationwide.

Convergence, though, is what it's all about. The choice it opens up when the computer can be used as a front end for a vastly wider entertainment experience. I think that the victims here (besides the old CRT technology and manufacturers) will be set-top boxes, game consoles, video rental outlets, and record stores. Hmm? The last two? Yes. Video of choice on demand will be the killer app. Add to that the current boom in music downloads and it starts to make RealNetworks' Rhapsody service look a little less loony. I'm sure that's what they're banking on. Game consoles will fade as people actually bring the PC out of the dark corners of the house into the living room. Then you'll see real multi-tasking, multi-USER PC's bloom. The PC will run the entertainment hub of the home while still allowing dad to get on with surfing or doing the bills (or the family web site). You may see remote systems throughout the house for access in other areas, but the main Heavy Iron will be in the living room with the family big-screen video. Home networking will be taken for granted, so that the entertainment can be accessed by family members no matter what room they're in.

Given all that, Microsoft's moves with Windows Longhorn and its Aero UI don't seem far-fetched, it seems like Microsoft, for one, realizes that this is all headed our way and they're trying very hard to get ready for it. The OS is going to be the home quarterback for all of that.

Let's hope that they can truly build security and the ultimate in spam (both e-mail and visual) protection into the thing or we may never forgive them. I predict that there will have to be some kind of resolution of the whole privacy/advertising issue before convergence takes over. Convergence won't leave us anywhere to hide from advertising and there had better be a way for people to control it or The People will take it out on the politicians. Congress be warned!

More later....

Type This On Your Toast

2003-10-29T07:54:00.000-05:00

Fingernail Sensors Could Replace Keyboards

By Charles Choi, UPI Science News

NEW YORK (UPI) -- Someday, a network of sensors, worn on the fingernails like press-on nails to detect finger motions, could replace the ubiquitous computer keyboard and mouse or maybe even help operate robots by precise remote control. Such interfaces would make typing unnecessary and could help people who suffer from repetitive strain injuries after spending long hours in front of computer screens, said researcher Stephen Mascaro, a mechanical engineer at North Dakota State University in Fargo.

"Because the sensors are so sensitive, you don't have to push down on surfaces very hard," Mascaro told United Press International. Repetitive strain injuries are one of the nation's most common and costly occupational health problems, costing businesses some $2.8 billion annually. The key to the technology is the subtle changes in blood-flow patterns under the fingernails whenever fingers move. "Depending on whether you push your finger straight down on a surface, or slide it back and forth, or bend it, you see all these different patterns," Mascaro explained, "and it's possible to tell them apart."

Each sensor contains light-emitting diodes that shine onto the nail. The more blood there is under it, the less light is reflected. Light detectors in the sensor read the blood patterns and relay them to computers that match them with corresponding finger motions. So, in principle, with fingernail sensors, an operator could interface with a computer by wiggling his or her fingers on a desk instead of typing on a keyboard. A buttonless keyboard could prove invaluable, Mascaro said, because computers are getting ever smaller, as are cellphones and other handheld devices. "Computers are going to keep getting smaller, but you can't shrink keyboards beyond a certain point," he said. "The best thing to do is to have the keyboard in essence built right into the person's own hand," and one could transform any surface into a keyboard with these sensors."

Yes, this sounds interesting, but I'm personally waiting for RFID stickers that would do the same thing at (I'm guessing) 2% (or less) of the cost of LED stick-on nails.

CRN : Daily Archives : Symantec Acquisition Roll Continues : 2:34 PM EST Mon., Oct. 27, 2003

2003-10-28T09:16:00.000-05:00

CRN : Daily Archives : Symantec Acquisition Roll Continues : 2:34 PM EST Mon., Oct. 27, 2003: "Symantec Acquisition Roll Continues

By Christina Torode, CRN

2:34 PM EST Mon., Oct. 27, 2003
Symantec Monday said it will acquire ON Technology in a cash deal worth $100 million.
The deal has been approved by Symantec's board of directors and is expected to close by March 2004, said a company spokeswoman.
The acquisition of ON Technology, a Waltham, Mass.-based vendor of network management systems software, marks Cupertino, Calif.-based Symantec's third purchase in the past two months.
ON Technology, which works with other infrastructure management companies such as Opsware, provides centralized and unattended management solutions including auto-discovery, OS and application deployment, and software patches and upgrades.
Last week Symantec acquired SSL VPN provider Safeweb, Emeryville, Calif., for $26 million in cash, and in September the vendor acquired Orem, Utah-based PowerQuest, which makes products that help large companies add, reconfigure and manage storage devices. "

Hmm. Must be the start of the Christmas buying season...

The Register

2003-10-28T07:24:00.000-05:00

The Register: "Joe Average User Is In Trouble
By Scott Granneman, SecurityFocus
Posted: 27/10/2003 at 10:26 GMT

Opinion One of the many hats I wear here in St. Louis is that of college instructor, writes SecurityFocus columnist Scott Granneman. I teach courses in technology at Washington University, recently ranked the ninth best overall college in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, one of the better community colleges in the area. I teach smart people at both locations. One is composed of folks who can pay the high prices for an education at a nationally-ranked university, and the other has people who work during the day and want to improve their skills at a good public school while keeping their costs low.

In other words, I see a pretty good cross-section of the computer users in our area.

Oh sure, some of my students are what we'd call 'computer people,' who work professionally programming or administering various systems or developing Web sites. But those are few and far between. Most of my students are office workers, or writers, or homemakers. Almost all of them run Windows at home and at work, usually ME or XP. They all know how to 'use' their computers, which means that they can write papers, read email, use the Web, and even install software (as long as it's not packaged as a ZIP file: most of them have no idea what a ZIP file is or how to use it). In other words, your typical American computer user. "

I was going to ignore this story as a bit of fluff, but then I read the rest of it and realized that it can be used as a tutorial to those clueless users out there (and we all know who they are!). It's a low-tech-noise summary of the current security situation in computers and what the average user can do to make sure they're not part of the problem.

Libertarians Pursue New Goal: State of Their Own

2003-10-27T08:17:00.000-05:00

Libertarians Pursue New Goal: State of Their Own: "Libertarians Pursue New Goal: State of Their Own
By PAM BELLUCK

Published: October 27, 2003

EENE, N.H. — A few things stand out about this unprepossessing city. It just broke its own Guinness Book world record for the most lighted jack-o'-lanterns with 28,952. It claims to have the world's widest Main Street.
And recently, Keene became the home of Justin Somma, a 26-year-old freelance copywriter from Suffern, N.Y., and a foot soldier in an upstart political movement. That movement, the Free State Project, aims to make all of New Hampshire a laboratory for libertarian politics by recruiting libertarian-leaning people from across the country to move to New Hampshire and throw their collective weight around. Leaders of the project figure 20,000 people would do the trick, and so far 4,960 have pledged to make the move."

Whether you agree or disagree with Libertarians, you have to tip your hat to people who are willing to act on their beliefs. Especially when it involves ripping up your roots and moving to New Hampshire. Nothing against the state, but for many of those moving there, the winters will be an eye-opener.

The Register

2003-10-26T17:55:00.000-05:00

The Register: "Windows Longhorn build leak starts hype two years early
By John Lettice
Posted: 26/10/2003 at 15:53 GMT

Microsoft is due to release Windows Longhorn build 4051 to attendees of its Professional Developer Conference (PDC), which kicks off today, and immediately before this, build 4051 leaked. So did it jump or was it pushed?

Actually, that's not a question that's particularly worth pursuing directly. Microsoft builds leak regularly, Microsoft knows this, and Microsoft knows that the wider the distribution of the software, the faster it's going to spread all over the internet. So even if you reckon that leaking builds at this juncture in the development process are extremely helpful to Microsoft, it's entirely unnecessary to presume that anybody at Microsoft needs to throw a switch. All they have to do is sit back and let it happen. "

Very interesting article, John. I'll be watching to see what Monday brings...

An Open-Source Challenge to Messrs. Gates & Ballmer (LinuxWorld)

2003-10-25T09:36:00.000-04:00

An Open-Source Challenge to Messrs. Gates & Ballmer (LinuxWorld): "An Open-Source Challenge to Messrs. Gates & Ballmer
Linux developer challenges Bill & Steve to a software coding bake-out
October 25, 2003
Summary
From New Zealand, Wesley Parish issues a 'code bake-out' challenge to the top hierarchy of the world's largest software company. . .

By Wesley Parish

Messrs William H. Gates III & Steven Ballmer
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond
Washington, USA

Dear Sirs
I see you have been active again in making interesting - and to some degree highly amusing - statements about Free/Libre Open Source Software and the many and varied people who make up its community.
I in particular would like to thank Mr Ballmer for your entertaining expose of Linux's deepest, darkest secret - that it can seriously worry the senior executive of a convicted predatory monopoly, without that ever having been the intention of its principal software designer and initial developer.
I would also like to thank you for humming and hawing around the question of the release of source code to people who can use it, in the light of the new MVP source code entitlement program. Well, are they deserving members of the Windows development team or not?
In relation to your comments, Mr Ballmer, on Linux's 'road map,' I will refrain from expounding on Linus Torvalds' comment on the cover of one of Bill Gates' books, showing him standing in the middle of an empty road. It's not nice to make jokes like that, is it, Your Billness? Road kill is no joke, even if some enterprising chef has written a book about it.
No, I have something else on my mind, something much "

An interesting idea and a fun challenge. I doubt if anyone seriously expects Microsoft to take note of it, except in a negative way. They have too much invested in their products and their ideas and attitudes to make such a change in their m.o.

Intel, AMD to trim prices for holidays | CNET News.com

2003-10-25T09:23:00.000-04:00

Intel, AMD to trim prices for holidays | CNET News.com: "Intel, AMD to trim prices for holidays
Last modified: October 24, 2003, 10:53 AM PDT
By Michael Kanellos
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Intel and Advanced Micro Devices will cut desktop chip prices in the next few days to usher in the holiday PC-buying season.
Intel will reduce the cost of its Pentium 4 desktop chips by between 7 percent and 35 percent on Oct. 26, with the most expensive chips receiving the biggest whack, according to sources close to the company. The 3.2GHz Pentium 4 will drop from $637 in volume quantities to $417, a 35 percent drop, while the 3.0GHz Pentium 4 with an 800MHz system bus will decline from $417 to $278, a 33 percent reduction."

Any price reduction is a good price reduction, as I always say.

Microsoft Music Feature Questioned

2003-10-24T07:56:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The Shop for Music Online feature of Microsoft's Window's XP, which involves online music purchasing, may violate Microsoft's antitrust settlement. "Plaintiffs are concerned that the feature invokes Microsoft's Internet Explorer, rather than the user's chosen default browser, in a manner that may be inconsistent" with the settlement," a court filing said, CNET News.com reported.

The court-mandated compliance update said there are ongoing discussions over the Shop for Music Online feature in the operating system, but the issue remains unresolved. It may come up at scheduled status meeting on Friday. "We believe that the use of Internet Explorer by the Shop for Music Online feature in Windows XP is consistent with the design rules established in the consent decree," Microsoft spokeswoman Stacy Drake told CNET News. Shop for Music Online is located inside the Windows "My Music" folder, which is contained in Windows XP.

Yeah, I know this is old news at this point, but it suddenly hit me that I wanted to add a small coment to the story: Who cares??? I mean it! When was the last time you or anyone you know actually clicked that link and used Microsoft's chosen site to buy music? Give up? Yeah. So, why don't the rest of the people follow YOUR lead?

Fujitsu hard-drive settlement proposed | CNET News.com

2003-10-23T11:34:00.000-04:00

Fujitsu hard-drive settlement proposed | CNET News.com: "Fujitsu hard-drive settlement proposed
Last modified: October 22, 2003, 4:44 PM PDT
By Ed Frauenheim
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

U.S. residents who bought certain Fujitsu hard drives could receive up to $45 in drive replacement costs and as much as $1,200 in data recovery expenses, according to a proposed class-action settlement.
The lawsuit was filed against Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Hewlett-Packard and Gateway. It claims that certain Fujitsu Desktop 3.5-inch IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) hard drives bought in the United States had high rates of failure and problems with data integrity.
The defendants deny the allegations, but they have agreed to the settlement partly to avoid the time and costs of protracted litigation, according to court papers.
Under the proposed settlement, which was filed last month, Fujitsu would pay $42.5 million into a settlement fund. "

Guess the IBM DeskStar 75 gig drive isn't the only dog in the kennel, hmm?

X10 files for Chapter 11 | CNET News.com

2003-10-23T11:32:00.000-04:00

X10 files for Chapter 11 | CNET News.com: "X10 files for Chapter 11
Last modified: October 22, 2003, 3:16 PM PDT
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

The company that only last year billed itself as the world's largest online advertiser has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
X10 Wireless Technology, which marketed its Net cameras through a vast campaign of Web pop-under advertisements, made the filing on Tuesday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington. "

I wish I could say that I was upset, but I don't like to lie. 'One less sleazeball operator' is a lot closer to my feelings. The article goes on to say that they didn't provide any financial statement when filing, so they're 10 days away from having their Chapter 11 petition dismissed, which would be like throwing them to the wolves. My guess would be an immediate Chapter 7 filing would happen at that point. Sadly, Chapter 11 would allow them to come back on the scene. They recently lost a lawsuit over their use of a particular way of programming pop-under windows, which probably was the last straw. The real culprit, here, is their universally disliked status for offering advertisers another way to annoy people. The other company involved- Advertisement Banners.com, isn't exactly on top of my Good Guy list, either, since they claim to have invented the technology.

Microsoft Patches Another Patch

2003-10-23T10:01:00.000-04:00

Microsoft is sending out a revised security patch for Exchange Server 5.5 and 2000. That's not exactly a front page news item. What caught my eye was the fact that, far from reporting these people to the FBI, Microsoft has actually THANKED someone for pointing out the bugs! Here's the section of the patch notification letter that prompted me to blog this-

"Microsoft thanks the following for working with us to protect
customers:

- - João Gouveia (joao.gouveia@vodafone.com)
for reporting the issue described in MS03-046.

- - Ory Segal of Sanctum Inc. (http://www.sanctuminc.com/)
for reporting the issue described in MS03-047. "

Amazing is not too strong a word. Let it be known that unlike some petrified organizations, MicrosoftCAN change. I guess that's part of what has kept them on top, over the years.

iTNews

2003-10-22T19:46:00.000-04:00

iTNews

Paul Thurrott reports an interesting item- HP is only .2 percent behind Dell in sales. That might seem like a minor th8ing to you, but Dell has been top dog for so long we're left to wonder if they remember how to get down and fight. This especially in light of Dell's fading reputation for customer service and product quality.

Microsoft Opens Windows Source Code to Its MVPs

2003-10-22T13:29:00.000-04:00

Microsoft Opens Windows Source Code to Its MVPs: "Microsoft Opens Windows Source Code to Its MVPs
By Peter Galli
October 22, 2003

Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday will announce that it is giving its Most Valued Professionals access to the more than 100 million aggregate lines of Windows source code, which includes all versions, service packs and betas of the Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 products. "

100 MILLION lines of code. Wow! No wonder there are holes you could drive a Hummer through!

Tech panel sees IT jobs returning to U.S. | CNET News.com

2003-10-22T10:58:00.000-04:00

Tech panel sees IT jobs returning to U.S. | CNET News.com: "Tech panel sees IT jobs returning to U.S.
Last modified: October 21, 2003, 7:20 PM PDT
By Alorie Gilbert
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

SAN FRANCISCO--The loss of U.S. jobs due to a shift of information technology work overseas maybe be painful for American workers now, but the discomfort is temporary, according to a panel of information technology executives gathered here Tuesday.

Executives from Borland Software, BearingPoint and Infosys, and an official from the U.S. Department of Commerce expressed confidence that U.S. companies will eventually reinvest money saved from farming out IT tasks to foreign workers and expand operations at home. That, in turn, will lead to American job growth down the road, the panelists agreed.

'We need to keep an eye on long-term growth and not take a short-term protectionist approach,' said Chris Israel, deputy assistant secretary for technology policy at the Commerce Department, explaining why the Bush administration opposes tariffs and other policies that would discourage the outsourcing trend.
And because the aging baby boomer generation is nearing retirement, the United States may be headed for another work-force shortage, said William Miller, professor emeritus at Stanford University and chairman of Borland. In the meantime, displaced IT workers should get training and be willing to relocate to find new jobs, he said.

'People have to be prepared to move,' Miller said. 'That will be one of the requirements of the work force in the future; people must be willing to move where the jobs are.'
Although the panelists defended the merits of offshore outsourcing, they acknowledged some problems. One is whether foreign companies and workers can be trusted with intellectual pro"

I don't usually blog the entire article, but I tought that this one wouldn't stand up to blurbing. It shows that the problem of off-shoring is worse than we thought. Notice that none of the displaced thousands of workers is represented here, only government and IT execs. It means that this is one more of a series of apologistic crap out of C/NET 'news'.com. The only thing that really makes it worth blogging is the clear indication that the Bush administration isn't about to do anything about the problem.

Remember this, Mr. Bush, when you're back in your cozy world of privileged private life- the unemployed among us really don't want to tear up our roots and move across the country just to chase jobs. It's a growing problem that I'll write more about later. In the meantime, we CAN'T AFFORD to take the "long view". We have to pay our bills NOW! Perhaps you can take the "long view" when you're out of office next year...

PC Pro - Computing in the Real World

2003-10-22T10:09:00.000-04:00

PC Pro - Computing in the Real World

Microsoft squashes self-destructing email rumour
[PC Pro] 11:29

At the official London launch of Office 2003 last night, Microsoft was questioned about Mission Impossible-style disappearing email, reports of which have been circulating in the media.
Steven Sinofski, Senior VP of Microsoft Office Group, squashed the rumour. He told assembled hacks in London that the new Office suite did not support self-destructing emails.

Questioned about pre-launch stories, he said this was a misunderstanding of the Information Rights Management (IRM) within Office."

Well! We all know that there are third-party apps that DO provide time-sensitive e-mails, so I guess it made for a possibility. This is the first time that I can recall that such a story gained wide dispersal and reportage in important places. My source was a BBC story, an outfit not often known for screwing up.

Maybe it'll show up in SP-1? :)

silicon.com - China lab checks Windows

2003-10-22T08:26:00.000-04:00

silicon.com - China lab checks Windows: "China lab checks Windows

September 26 2003

by CNET Asia staff

A lab to study the Microsoft Windows operating system source code was set up last week in Beijing, China.
Called the Source Code Browsing Lab, it is part of the existing government-run software site, the China Testing and Certification Center for Information Security Products, according a report in the People's Daily.
Microsoft is the first commercial software company that has signed an operating system source code browsing agreement with the Chinese government, said the report, hinting that the lab is also open to other commercial software companies who wish to have their products certified for security.
The report stressed the need for checking Windows source code for security loopholes, especially in the light of recent hacker attacks.
However, previous reports have said that the need to search for back doors installed by national intelligence agencies is also among the aims of the agreement."

Yes, I know that in today's politically correct world we don't even try to look at ulterior motives, but wouldn't this be a lovely opportunity for the Chinese to:

A) Educate themselves on how to (or NOT to, depending on your outlook) build a modern OS.

and

B) Take a good look, not only for backdoors, but to see where they could attack the OS themselves (given that Windows of one flavor or another runs large chunks of our government).

Good thing the Chinese aren't an agressive foreign power with a large population and shrinking resources!

Q&A: Choosing a Digital Music Service for Windows Users

2003-10-21T12:52:00.000-04:00

Q&A: Choosing a Digital Music Service for Windows Users: "What I think is great about most of the new services available on Windows is that being built on Windows Media enables such amazing choice. For example, consumers can download music from a wide variety of music services, bring it into their media library in Windows Media Player, create playlists, and burn CDs with music aggregated from many different services. You can even transfer any or all of the music to a wide variety of portable devices. That is what Windows users love -- being able to shop around and pick and choose the products and services that work best for them."

This is straight from Microsoft's own web site. I hadn't realized that ANY of the online music services was built on Windows Media (WMA) or that doing so gave users any more choice than, say, downloading an MP3.

The least Uncle Fester could do is try to keep things factual, but this "article" is clearly marketing hype. Or are they trying to convince themselves?

"The combination of high quality compression with digital rights management technology is making efficient and secure delivery of music possible. Under the hood, the leading music services today for Windows build their music services on the state-of-the-art media platform, Windows Media 9 Series."

And I was even more unaware that any of the services were built on Windows Media 9. Hey! Doesn't that mean that users have less choices? Oops! Never mind. We're not supposed to mention that as a possibility. As for DRM, I challenge Microsoft to show me ONE typical online music service user who LIKES DRM and WANTS it in place in all his software.

"PressPass: We've heard that Apple will be launching a Windows-based version of iTunes. Do you see that as impacting Napster or other Windows-based services?

Fester: iTunes captured some early media interest with their store on the Mac, but I think the Windows platform will be a significant challenge for them."

Hmm. iTunes sold a million tracks by the end of day two of operation on the Windows platform. If that's a "significant challenge", then Microsofthad better find a few significant chalenges of its own!

"Additionally, users of iTunes are limited to music from Apple's Music Store"

And what has this to do with the price of taffy in Tasmania? Go ask users of Rhapsody (one of his vaunted Windows music services) what choice THEY have in online music stores! Well, this is just one instance I use because I have personal experience of it. The answer being NONE. The truth is that iTunes allows users a much greater freedom than Rhapsody ever will, but Uncle Fester probably doesn't want to hear that.

The rest of the article is more of the same, but what else can we expect from Microsoft's own site?

New York Post Online Edition: business

2003-10-21T11:55:00.000-04:00

New York Post Online Edition: business: "M'SOFT'S SUITE DEAL

By STEPHEN LYNCH

October 21, 2003 -- For competitors, Microsoft's Office 2003 looks like déjà vu all over again.
Having famously used the dominance of Windows to rule the Internet browser market, the tech giant now is using the ubiquity of Word, Excel and Outlook to attack the server software industry.
Some of the new features of Office 2003, which will be unveiled here today by Bill Gates, won't even work without another program, Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

'Clearly a main goal here is attaching server software to Office,' said Joe Wilcox, an analyst with Jupiter Research. 'They're trying to leverage sales.' The Office suite of programs is used by more than 90 percent of all business PCs in the nation. It's Microsoft's cash cow, generating $7 billion in operating earnings in the fiscal year 2003 - accounting for 28.6 percent of Microsoft's revenues and more than half its earnings.

But on the server side, Microsoft is locked in a battle with IBM, Novell and Oracle, among others.
Now, to pump up server-software sales, Microsoft has tied Office even more closely to its mainframe products.
For instance, the new Office allows 'rights management,' the ability to tag a file so that only certain employees may open it. However, that only works if Office is running through Microsoft's server software.
Analysts say the industry should expect the same sort of 'integration' in the new version of Windows, code-named 'Longhorn,' when it premieres in 2006.

But Microsoft is trying to avoid the antitrust battles that followed the Internet Explorer 'bundling.' The company says it doesn't force anyone to buy its server products - it simply notes that Office will work better with them"

I forsee a fight over this tactic. It's a nice try by Microsoft, but it's going to cause the courts to notch up their scrutiny, IF it makes it past them at all. It's a mistake, plain and simple. This is tthe wrong tactic at the wrong time.

Logitech Posts Record Second Quarter Results; Revenue $294 million; Operating Income $27.4 million; EPS $.44

2003-10-21T11:48:00.000-04:00

Logitech Posts Record Second Quarter Results; Revenue $294 million; Operating Income $27.4 million; EPS $.44: "Logitech Posts Record Second Quarter Results; Revenue $294 million; Operating Income $27.4 million; EPS $.44

FREMONT, Calif. & ROMANEL-SUR-MORGES, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 21, 2003--Logitech International (Nasdaq: LOGI) (Switzerland: LOGN) today announced that sales for its second fiscal quarter of 2004, ended September 30, 2003, were $294 million, up 17 percent from $252 million in the same quarter last year. Operating income was $27.4 million, up from $25.7 million last year. Net income for the quarter was $21.2 million ($0.44 per share), up slightly from $21 million ($0.42 per share) in Q2, 2003. Gross margin rebounded in the second quarter to 31.5 percent, compared with 27.8 percent during this year's first fiscal quarter - an improvement of 370 basis points.
Q2, 2004 was Logitech's strongest-ever second quarter, with revenue and operating income exceeding its expectations"

Not too surprising. After all, if you're going to spend more than $10 on a mouse, who are you going to buy?

Cloudmark Teams With Zone Labs in Pace-Setting Antispam, Personal Firewall Partnership

2003-10-21T11:24:00.000-04:00

Cloudmark Teams With Zone Labs in Pace-Setting Antispam, Personal Firewall Partnership: "Cloudmark Teams With Zone Labs in Pace-Setting Antispam, Personal Firewall Partnership
Tuesday October 21, 6:02 am ET
Users Benefit From End-to-End Desktop Protection From Crippling Spam and The Threats Posed by Hackers, Data Theft and Malicious Code
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloudmark(TM) Inc. and Zone Labs® Inc. are pairing to provide consumers and businesses the most effective protection from spam, worms, Trojan horses and spyware. Zone Labs, the most trusted provider of endpoint security solutions, will exclusively bundle SpamNet, Cloudmark's easy-to-use email add-in powered by more than 600,000 users, with its ZoneAlarm® Pro and ZoneAlarm Plus personal firewall solutions. This first of its kind antispam/personal firewall partnership introduces Cloudmark SpamNet to Zone Labs' broad user base, offering Zone Labs customers access to Cloudmark's powerful and unique SpamFighting network."

Well. At least one piece of good news a day helps keep me from throwing my hands up in the air and burning my modem.

Memorex to raise recordable CD prices | CNET News.com

2003-10-21T10:45:00.000-04:00

Memorex to raise recordable CD prices | CNET News.com: "Memorex to raise recordable CD prices
Last modified: October 20, 2003, 4:50 PM PDT
By Ed Frauenheim
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Citing factors such as supply shortages and rising costs from overseas disc manufacturers, Memorex plans to increase CD-R and CD-RW media prices by 10 percent to 15 percent beginning January. "

Not good news :( Other manufacturers will surely follow suit.

Yahoo Mail delivers new spam measures | CNET News.com

2003-10-21T10:42:00.000-04:00

Yahoo Mail delivers new spam measures | CNET News.com: "Yahoo Mail delivers new spam measures
Last modified: October 20, 2003, 9:00 PM PDT
By Jim Hu
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Yahoo on Monday launched new antispam tools for its Web-based e-mail service as part of an ongoing effort to curb the Internet's most reviled by-product.
The Web portal said that as a way to protect their personal Yahoo Mail address from spammers, subscription e-mail customers will be able to set up dummy e-mail addresses for use when entering personal information at Web sites. "

Well, this story is true. What they don't mention until halfway down the story is that it only applies to the people willing to spend $30 a year for the "privilege" of having a Yahoo mail account. To me, it's like paying the headsman.

The second thing I want to mention is that this new measure does nothing at all to actually STOP spam, it simply gives users another way to avoid it. As with any disease, the only sure way to stop spam is at the source.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - High-Tech

2003-10-20T19:09:00.000-04:00

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - High-Tech: "U.S., Microsoft fight over online music
By TED BRIDIS
AP TECHNOLOGY WRITER

Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates gestures as he delivers the keynote address at a Microsoft's Windows conference in New Orleans on May 6. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)
WASHINGTON -- Nearly a year after Microsoft Corp. agreed to end its anticompetitive conduct, the government is raising concerns the world's largest software maker is trying to use its dominant Windows operating system to influence where customers buy their music online.
If the dispute isn't resolved by week's end, it could become the first test of Microsoft's landmark antitrust settlement that was approved by a federal court in October 2002.
Lawyers for the Justice Department and 19 state attorneys general have formally complained to a federal judge about a design feature of Windows that compels consumers who buy music online to use only Microsoft's Internet browser and steers them to a Web site operated by the company.
Microsoft's design 'may be inconsistent' with the settlement, government lawyers wrote in court papers asking U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to intervene if the problems aren't resolved.
The company said Monday it is willing to work with the government but does not believe the design is illegal. Online music purchases are expected to be one of the most-lucrative areas for Internet commerce.
'We believe that the use of Internet Explorer by the Shop-for-Music-Online link in Windows is consistent with the design rules established by the consent decree, and we will continue to work with the government to address any concerns,' spokeswoman Stacy Drake said."

So let me see, the government is upset because Microsoft programmed the 'Shop for Music Online' to use IE instead of whatever browser is the system default? Ooh, isn't THAT sinister. Let's all ignore the fact that this was coded into Windows long before the whole anti-trust thing wrapped up, okay? Oh, come on... just ignore the facts. Microsofthas to be wrong, because they're Microsoft...right?

Techweb > News > Symantec Goes 8.0 With Ghost > Symantec Goes 8.0 With Ghost > October 20, 2003

2003-10-20T16:43:00.000-04:00

Techweb > News > Symantec Goes 8.0 With Ghost > Symantec Goes 8.0 With Ghost > October 20, 2003: "Symantec Goes 8.0 With Ghost
October 20, 2003 (1:06 p.m. EST)
TechWeb News

Symantec rolled out Monday Ghost 8.0 Corporate Edition, software that will make it easier for IT administrators to, among other things, deploy critical security fixes en mass to an organization's desktops and laptops.
New features that Symantec touted in Ghost 8.0 include a multicast file transfer tool that allows IT managers to send and execute individual files, including security patches such as those released by Microsoft for Windows, to multiple machines simultaneously.
Other new tools in the cloning software include a Client Staging Area -- a repository for storing and deploying whole disk images, user profiles, and hot fixes -- for one-time roll-out to client PCs, enhanced support for NTFS partitions, and a centrally-managed inventory of all hardware and software for easier provisioning of operating systems, applications, or in the case of a disaster, disk images to rebuild crashed machines.
Symantec Ghost 8.0 Corporate Edition is available now. "

Of course the question now is: how many more releases of Ghost will we see, now that Symantec has swallowed PowerQuest? We all know that Drive Image has the user interface comparison all sewn up. I doubt if you could find anyone who would be willing to admit it was a contest, much less give the cup to Ghost. Most likely would be a melding of the products.

I only hope that someone notices that Ghost has no way of verifying the validity of the images that it produces and gets someone on the Drive Image team to help.

The Register

2003-10-20T13:17:00.000-04:00

The Register: "Microsoft monopoly says Apple monopoly is too restrictive
By Andrew Orlowski in San Francisco
Posted: 20/10/2003 at 09:15 GMT

Microsoft would be negligent if it didn't see Apple's music ambitions as a competitive threat. On the eve of Apple's splashy launch last week, Microsoft offered a Q&A which warned users not to be seduced by iTunes, Apple's integrated MP3 player/ripper/burner/radio/music store, which is now available on Windows.

Microsoft's David Fester (and whether Fester is his birthname or an homage[*] to his CEO, we don't know; Intel employs a Mr. Jason 'Ziller', which isn't at all relevant here) warned that iTunes carried several disadvantages.

It's worth quoting in full: "

And I'll leave it there. It's a long article full of interesting thoughts. The main thin I can say is that he's at least partly right- Apple is a vertical monopoly and Microsoft's is horizontal. And in the back-and-forth following the release of iTunes for Windows, both sides are right.

He further writes-

"Drop the iPod or drop the DRM?
As Ken 'Caesar' Fisher writes in a very astute Ars Technica editorial, Fester #2's claims are very well made.

Apple is attempting to build a vertical business where a business doesn't exist right now, and Microsoft is retaliating by arguing that horizontal values - or choice - matter. Apple is able to do so because it has its own proprietary DRM, one which the record industry pigopolists find palatable, thanks to its playback device in the form of the iPod[***]. The ends here matter. "

And the answer is: drop the DRM. The Apple iPod has proven itself very well in the retail marketplace, but I don't know anyone east of Redmond who really wants another piece of softwaretelling him what he can and can't do with the music he's purchased. Period.

I really will stop here. Go read the article. It's worth the 5 minutes or so to get a broad view of the whole struggle.

Record industry warns of new lawsuits | CNET News.com

2003-10-20T12:27:00.000-04:00

Record industry warns of new lawsuits | CNET News.com: "Record industry warns of new lawsuits
Last modified: October 17, 2003, 11:12 AM PDT
By John Borland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

The Recording Industry Association of America has begun preparing a second round of file-swapping lawsuits, notifying 204 individuals that they are in line to be sued for copyright infringement.
Unlike with the previous wave of suits, the record labels' trade association is giving the lawsuit targets warning this time around, offering them a chance to settle before the suits are filed. The change in tactics comes after considerable criticism from federal lawmakers and others concerning the group's first batch of court actions against 261 individuals last month.
'We take the concerns expressed by policy makers and others very seriously,' RIAA President Cary Sherman said in a statement. 'In light of the comments we have heard, we want to go the extra mile and offer illegal file sharers an additional chance to work this out short of legal action.' "

'All your bases are us'

AS the RIAA, not content with the last round of lawsuits, gathers resources in order to blast another crop of pre-teeners and grandmas on Macs out of existence. Apparently unsatisfied with the first load of public ill-will, the RIAA rides again.

I suppose it will end when they've sued everyone who has ever listenend to music.

Globetechnology

2003-10-20T12:20:00.000-04:00

Globetechnology: "iTunes for Windows — Apple's hidden agenda

By Sandy McMurray
Special to Globe and Mail Update

Sandy McMurray is a Toronto-based writer, editor and consultant. His Web site is www.TechStuff.ca.

Apple Computer's music software, iTunes, is now available for Windows computers. Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced iTunes for Windows last week at a splashy media event that featured video chats with Bono, Dr. Dre and Mick Jagger, and a live performance by Sarah McLachlan."

I think Sandy has a little too much time on his hands. iTunes is not some kind of minority plot to subvert Windows users. I guarantee that such was the last thing on my mind as I signed up for the service last week, about a day after it went online. I was a whole lot more concerned about what music was offered and, after all is said and done, that's the important thing. Second in line are the prices which, while not the lowest, offer you much more value if you buy an entire album. The experience has made me think that either the other services are run by amateurs or by exceedingly greedy people (no, I'm NOT going to mention Rhapsody by name).

The iTunes user interface is fairly clean and attractive. One would expect that of an Apple app. But there are others out there that are as good. It really doesn't make me want to run right out and buy a Mac. Sorry, Sandy.

Nope, the bottom line is the huge music catalog, reasonable pricing, a good player, AND ==> a reasonable EULA. Take note of that, the rest of you! If you have to tie your users' hands with a horrible usage policy, then just give it up and go back to selling Super Fantastic Roto-Razor Zipmasters or some such...

CNEWS Tech News - Microsoft faces open-source revolt

2003-10-19T14:15:00.000-04:00

CNEWS Tech News - Microsoft faces open-source revolt: "Microsoft faces open-source revolt

By JUSTIN POPE

BOSTON (AP) - With more than $32 billion in sales last year, Microsoft Corp. doesn't usually worry about losing one customer.
But this one may be different.
Massachusetts Administration and Finance Secretary Eric Kriss last month instructed the state's chief technology officer to adopt a policy of 'open standards, open source' for all future spending on information technology.
The directive likely won't completely cut out Microsoft from the state's $80-million technology budget. "

This certainly is interesting. Microsoft may not lose lunch money over this, but it's a crack in the wall. It's pretty clear that, unless SCO wins their many lawsuits, Microsoft is going to have to pay attention to their customers in a more sincere manner. They may actually have to do things instead of just SAYing they'll do them.

BBC NEWS | Business | Microsoft launches 'leak-proof' e-mail

2003-10-19T10:02:00.000-04:00

BBC NEWS | Business | Microsoft launches 'leak-proof' e-mail: "Microsoft launches 'leak-proof' e-mail

How the new Office software will look
The latest version of Microsoft's popular Office software will, the company claims, allow users to send e-mails that will 'self-destruct' after a set time.
The development is designed to improve security - and avoid potentially embarrassing messages coming back to haunt senders.
Microsoft says users will also be able to restrict who is allowed to read an e-mail - and prevent recipients from forwarding messages to other users or printing them off. "

Whee! Now corporate execs who want to hide their crimes won't have to worry about incriminating e-mail hanging around to haunt them!

Postal Service EPM Digitally Protects Microsoft -r- Documents

2003-10-18T09:30:00.000-04:00

Postal Service EPM Digitally Protects Microsoft -r- Documents: "October 17, 2003 02:30 PM US Eastern Timezone

Postal Service EPM Digitally Protects Microsoft -r- Documents

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 17, 2003--Continuing its historic role as a trusted third party, the U.S. Postal Service today announced the availability of the USPS Electronic Postmark (EPM) Extension for Microsoft Office, thereby giving users tamper detection and date/time stamping of electronic documents and files.
The USPS EPM Extension for Microsoft Office 'offers significant value by providing a level of security and trust to electronic correspondence,' noted Nicholas Barranca, USPS Vice President, Product Development. 'Now that the USPS Electronic Postmark can be used so effortlessly within the Microsoft Office environment, we believe more users will be able to realize the benefits of the USPS Electronic Postmark.'
The USPS EPM Extension for Microsoft Office requires the user to digitally sign a document when applying a USPS Electronic Postmark within Microsoft Office XP and Microsoft Office 2003. This combination of technologies provides an integrated set of capabilities, including.
-- Digital signing of a Microsoft Office Word document using digital certificates;
-- Electronic content sealing and time/date stamping with the USPS EPM;
-- Subsequent verification of an MS Word document's validity, authenticity and integrity.
'Microsoft is excited to offer our customers a solution for conducting business securely online with the United States Postal Service,' said Gytis Barzdukas, director, Information Worker Product Management Group at Microsoft Corp. 'Users can easily take advantage of USPS EPM service through Microsoft Office Word 2003,"

Too bad it's not backward compatible with earlier versions of Office!

News: Windows iTunes sparks mixed reactions

2003-10-18T09:03:00.000-04:00

News: Windows iTunes sparks mixed reactions: "Windows iTunes sparks mixed reactions

By Ina Fried
CNET News.com
October 17, 2003, 3:53 PM PT

A large number of Windows users have jumped at the chance to try Apple Computer's iTunes jukebox software--and reactions are ranging from unabashed praise to complaints of bugs.
Apple won't say how many people have downloaded the free software, but an executive said that it has been extremely popular since Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced it Thursday.
'The downloads have been going full tilt constantly,' said Peter Lowe, Apple's director of marketing for applications and services. 'We've been delivering a lot of Windows software over the last 24 hours.' "

It's here. It works. It has the gotchas noted in the article. Outside of that, it's a good client and the service EULA makes sense. Okay, it has a few things I'd like to see slightly changed or added in the UI, but for a first effort, it's ona par with anything else out there. It's instantly the app to beat.

Let me go into a little more detail on the situation. There are a number of Internet music services. Come the end of October, there'll be another one- Napster v2. Each has its strengths and weaknesses as far as the actual music catalog. No one site has ALL the titles I'd like to see, but that's up to the artists and record companies.

That said, it comes down to pricing schemes, the legalities of the EULA, and the client software. Right now, iTunes comes out near the top. Period. Yes, you can't use it with anything but an iPod as an external device. Right now. But there are an awful lot of iPods out there and nothing I saw keeps you from downloading the tunes to your computer and using the usual ways of transferring them to your particular device.

The pricing is reasonable. 99¢ to download and you can buy tracks by complete album for an average of $9.99. There are services that give you a better per-track price, but they don't throw in the per-album price, which can save you considerable money.

The EULA is ialso very reasonable, with no artificial roadblocks to burning your newly acquired tracks to CD.

The client is fairly neat and clean. Its UI could use a little polishing, but it works like a charm and lets you do everything (more or less) that you could want to do. Couple that with the fact that the iTunes service keeps track of what you've paid for in case you need to redownload and you have a good solid service and client.

All in all, iTunes has the makings of a Top Ten hit.

The Mac Observer - Microsoft Offers A Thumbs-Down To iTunes, Calling It "Limited"

2003-10-18T08:25:00.000-04:00

The Mac Observer - Microsoft Offers A Thumbs-Down To iTunes, Calling It "Limited": "[3:15 PM CDT] Microsoft Offers A Thumbs-Down To iTunes, Calling It 'Limited'
by Bryan Chaffin

This won't come as a surprise to anyone, but Microsoft thinks that iTunes for Windows is just too limiting for discerning Windows users. This was revealed in an 'interview' with Dave Fester, General Manager - Windows Digital Media Division, titled 'Q&A: Choosing a Digital Music Service for Windows Users.' In the interview, Mr. Fester says that Windows users 'expect choice in music services,' something which iTunes does not provide. The interview with the Microsoft executive was conducted by Microsoft's PressPass PR arm.
Fortunately, Microsoft also has the solution for all those Windows users who are looking for choice in music services: The company recommends just about any service that relies on Microsoft's Windows Media 9 technology."

No, no-one's going to die of shock at Microsoft's opinion of iTunes. However, let's not slam the door on this discussion.

Having signed up for the Windows version of iTunes soon after the launch, I can say that Microsoft has a few valid points. I hope you were sitting down when you read that. It's true that the Windows version of the iTunes client has a few things that could have been done to make it better. The major point where I have to take exception with the Microsoft representative is that yes, iTunes is limited to working with the iTunes site, but so what? I've looked closely at a number of other, Windows-based services and every one has some kind of proprietary client to make sure that your downloads are tracked and paid for.

Then there's the comment that iTunes doesn't have every piece of music ever released. Well, who does? If there is any such (LEGAL) site, I have yet to come across it. I wish it were otherwise, but it isn't. Get over it.

The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Microsoft case: Music feature a violation, says antitrust status report

2003-10-18T07:25:00.000-04:00

The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Microsoft case: Music feature a violation, says antitrust status report: "Microsoft case: Music feature a violation, says antitrust status report
By Brier Dudley
Seattle Times technology reporter

The U.S. Department of Justice and state prosecutors yesterday told a judge they are 'concerned' about a music-buying feature in Microsoft's Windows XP software that may violate the company's 2001 antitrust settlement.
Also revealed in the government's filing are concerns that the settlement's centerpiece — forcing Microsoft to share technical details of Windows — may not be working as planned.
The filing is a quarterly status report to U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who is scheduled to meet with the parties in person next week.
It's a routine filing but the concerns raised by the Justice Department come at a crucial time. Microsoft is negotiating a separate antitrust case with the European Union, where it has argued that the U.S. settlement adequately restores competition to the software market.
The issue surrounding the music-buying feature relates to a settlement requirement that Microsoft enable XP users to use browsers other than Microsoft's Internet Explorer. "

If you read the rest of the article, it really makes the government look like a bunch of nit-picking idiots. It also makes me wonder if the people who looked at it had the new 'Defaults and Permissions' patch installed. Of course that may be a lot to ask of government agents.

Company Is Foreign at Tax Time, but Seeks Americans-Only Work

2003-10-18T07:11:00.000-04:00

Company Is Foreign at Tax Time, but Seeks Americans-Only Work: "Company Is Foreign at Tax Time, but Seeks Americans-Only Work
By DAVID CAY JOHNSTON

Published: October 18, 2003

big oil-well drilling company that has used one law to escape American taxes by taking addresses in Bermuda and Barbados is now trying to use another law to qualify for business open only to American companies.
Competitors are crying foul, saying they cannot survive if the Bermuda-Barbados company, Nabors Industries, is allowed to vie for contracts while paying little or nothing in taxes.
The competitors, most of them family-owned businesses, say that unless Congress acts to level the playing field they will lose so much business to Nabors that they will go broke within a decade or be forced themselves to try to become Bermuda companies so they can also escape taxes."

Another prime example of off-shoring. The only thing that needs to be done is VERY simple: a law saying that an 'American company' means a company that has a headquarters on American soil and pays American taxes. Case closed.

Marin Independent Journal - Business

2003-10-17T09:28:00.000-04:00

Marin Independent Journal - Business: "ITunes comes to Windows
Apple brings its music store to a crowded market
SAN FRANCISCO - It was a strange sight yesterday - Steve Jobs touting a Windows product. But the chief executive of Apple Computer Inc. had a perfectly sensible motive.
In a move to reach the masses who use computers based on Microsoft Corp. software, Jobs unveiled a Windows-compatible Apple iTunes Music Store, an Internet song-downloading service that has proven successful among Macintosh users."

"This is a feature a lot of people thought we'd never have until ... hell froze over," Jobs said during a media event that included a live performance by singer Sarah McLachlan and Web video conferences with the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, rapper Dr. Dre, and U2's Bono.

I just stuck this in for the fun of Steve Jobs' quote. By this time you all know that iTunes lanched for Windows yesterday.

ZDNet UK - News - Confusion reigns over Windows XP SP2

2003-10-17T09:21:00.000-04:00

ZDNet UK - News - Confusion reigns over Windows XP SP2: "Confusion reigns over Windows XP SP2

Munir Kotadia
ZDNet UK
October 17, 2003, 13:05 BST

After announcing that customers will see the next service pack for Windows XP this year, Microsoft now says it will be a beta only, and that final code is still some way off

Just three days after a Microsoft vice president -- who is in charge of Microsoft.com and Windows Update -- told thousands of delegates at a conference in Florida that Service Pack 2 for Windows XP would be available by the end of 2003, the company has effectively retracted the comments and said that customers will see only a beta version of SP2 this year."

Maybe, just maybe, they should have kept their mouths shut until they had a shadow of an idea of when the final service pack will ship. You think? Well, maybe not. After all, we might have run out of things to write about if we didn't have a Microsoft-a-Day fix.

Silicon Valley Biz Ink :: The voice of the valley economy

2003-10-17T08:31:00.000-04:00

Silicon Valley Biz Ink :: The voice of the valley economy: "Optima Technology Calls for SEC investigation and Government Oversight of VeriSign-Network Solutions
< back

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Optima Technology Corporation
recently filed a complaint with the Department of Justice and SEC with regards
to Network Solutions, now owned by VeriSign (Nasdaq: VRSN) alleging that
Network Solutions gave away its domain name without its permission.
'Something needs to be done, it's quite clear that VeriSign is not going to
take action to regulate their business model. Regardless of the fact that I
am not fond of government oversight, there comes a time when it is necessary
to call for government oversight. My company has formally requested that the
Department of Justice and SEC launch a full investigation into this company's
business practices. I am willing to bet they are no better than those of the
late ENRON. With regards to this problem, our attorneys were recently
contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; we are cooperating fully in
this matter with the FBI,' said Barry Eisler, Optima's president.
Mr. Eisler goes on to add: 'How long are companies going to put up with
their domains being stolen, right now it's so easy to steal a domain name from
VeriSign. If the proper safeguards were in place, this could not have
happened. But because VeriSign had a choice and chose to keep higher profits
verses having the proper safeguards in place; my company and others like the
recent case of www. sex. com, who like us lost millions of dollars in revenue,
all caused by a decision the board of directors made at VeriSign."

If I were a stockholder of VeriSign stock...

Fool.com: VeriSign Out of Solutions [Motley Fool Take] October 17, 2003

2003-10-17T08:23:00.000-04:00

Fool.com: VeriSign Out of Solutions [Motley Fool Take] October 17, 2003

Well, Network Solutions is no longer under the thumb of VeriSign. That part of the business has been losing money, which is not too surprising. I'm not sure at all what Pivotal thinks they can do to change that, but they obviously think that it's worth a try.

Sad, in a way, to think that VeriSign sank $15 billion into NSI and gets $100 million out of it. Considering their rather 'cavalier' attitude about the Internet, treating it as a personal money machine, it seems like a bit of poetic justice. I wonder if the pennies they recovered from the company will make up for the megabucks they spent, in the eyes of the stockholders?

Microsoft Mum on Third-Party IM Licenses

2003-10-16T12:18:00.000-04:00

Microsoft Mum on Third-Party IM Licenses: "Microsoft Mum on Third-Party IM Licenses
By Matt Hicks
October 15, 2003

On the day it set as a cutoff for unauthorized third parties to stop connecting into its instant messaging network, Microsoft Corp. is offering few details about its progress in creating licensing agreements to continue access.
Microsoft last month announced that unauthorized third parties connecting into its .Net Messenger Service, which powers Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger, would be blocked come Oct. 15 unless they formed a licensing agreement with the Redmond, Wash., software giant. Microsoft had encouraged third parties to submit an online form to seek a formal arrangement, even sending certified letters notifying some third parties of the cutoff.
ADVERTISEMENT

On Wednesday, officials with Microsoft's MSN group confirmed that the deadline stands, but wouldn't discuss many specifics of the progress for licensing. MSN officials said they are in negotiations with several third parties, but that none were ready to be announced.
At least one third party, though, had little success in getting Microsoft to discuss licensed access to its IM network. Jabber Inc., the commercial arm of the open-source IM project, said that as a result it would stop providing an MSN gateway that allowed customers of its enterprise IM system to interconnect with Microsoft's IM network. "

Seems like this is the dawn of a new 'get-tough' attitude at Microsoft. First they chop their Chat off at the knees, now it's the turn of the IM Messenger service.

Pivotal Private Equity to Acquire World's Largest Domain Name Registrar, Network Solutions

2003-10-16T12:05:00.000-04:00

Pivotal Private Equity to Acquire World's Largest Domain Name Registrar, Network Solutions: "October 16, 2003 08:30 AM US Eastern Timezone

Pivotal Private Equity to Acquire World's Largest Domain Name Registrar, Network Solutions

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 16, 2003--Pivotal Private Equity announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire control of Network Solutions, the world's largest domain name registrar, for $100 million. Herndon, Virginia-based Network Solutions provides a variety of Internet services, including domain name registration, e-mail services, Web-site hosting and creation tools, and other value-added services for its more than 4 million customers. Pivotal Private Equity will acquire the firm from VeriSign Inc., based in Mountain View, Calif., the leading provider of critical infrastructure services for Internet and telecommunications networks. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2003. VeriSign will retain a minority interest in Network Solutions and retain its registry business. "

Note that this is NOT the part of VeriSign that has caused all the trouble in recent weeks. This part (Network Solutions) now has nothing to do with the Internet registry. This move was rumored for a while as a way for VeriSign to focus on making money from the net without having a non-profitable part of the business hanging around their necks.

The Register

2003-10-16T11:40:00.000-04:00

The Register: "VeriSign's Site Finder is undead
By John Leyden
Posted: 16/10/2003 at 13:02 GMT

VeriSign is to relaunch Site Finder, its highly controversial domain typo redirection service.

VeriSign suspended Site Finder earlier this month, following an order from ICANN, the Net governing body, which claimed the company was in breach of its terms of operation.

Site Finder was launched in September when VeriSign applied a 'wildcard' entry into the .com and .net Top Level Domain zones. This redirects traffic that would otherwise have resulted in a 'no domain' response to the controversial search site.

In a meeting with members of an ICANN committee this week, VeriSign argued that technical concerns about the effect of the service on affecting the stability and operation of the Net were overstated.

VeriSign acknowledged that it introduced Site Finder without any consultation, saying that next time it will give 30-60 days notice. It also agreed to make certain changes. But the basic concept of Site Finder remains the same.

When VeriSign resurrects Site Finder, it plans to add a second DNS wildcard entry, called an MX wildcard, which will prevent email servers trying to send email to non-existent domains. It's also promised to offer local language variants of the site.

These measures cut little ice with critics who argue that VeriSign's changes are forcing other systems administrators to make changes to their systems. "

Well, things are going to heat up again. I gazed into my crystal ball this morning and I predict that this is going to cause so much ill will against VeriSign that they will either drop this nonsense as a bad idea or go out of business inside a year.