Saturday, November 15, 2003
Windows Server 2003 won't run major Microsoft apps
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?
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?
Friday, November 14, 2003
InformationWeek > Hardware > New Plastic Memory Technology Unveiled > November 13, 2003
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)?
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)?
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
Gateway Aims High AND Low
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.
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
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?
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?
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Web hijack riles Belkin router users | CNET News.com
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.
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
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.
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.
Monday, November 10, 2003
Spammers Squelched
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...
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
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.
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.
