|
Why Windows Vista Won't Suck: Major Kernel OverhaulNetworking stuffMedia Center ImprovementsMajor Audio ChangesDirectX 10New Built-In AppsAero Glass and the New UISecurity, Security, and more SecurityLink: http://www.extremetech.com/...
Check out the latest and greatest in mapping from Microsoft. This is the direction online mapping needs to move in. With over 10 million images just for the Seattle map on Local Live, the storage required for mapping the US will be tremendous. I can't even imagine how much space it will take.
 If you are like me then you hate when applications install a bunch of garbage on top of the main application. Or they have the nerve to think I need to be running their application 24/7, have it keep chcking for updates, phone home with usage studies, or just push bloat to my system. Two applications I vowed to never install again was Quicktime and Real Player. These two applications are notorious for being nothing but bloatware. With alot of sites video blogging and pushing content in Quicktime format I needed something to view these. Along comes the alternatives to the rescue (I have only installed the Quicktime and it work great) Quicktime Alternative: http://www.free-codecs.com/download/QuickTime_Alternative.htmReal Alternative: http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Real_Alternative.htm
Last Freeware version is a website that offers the last version of some popular applications before they turned shareware or commercial. I kinda like the idea but feel if you used the application for years (or just like the application) when it was freeware then you should support the application when its shareware - takes alot of work to create, support, and publize applications ( check out my applications) Link: http://www.321download.com/LastFreeware/
Will the New Microsoft Maps, that should be previewing today, be able to compete with Google Maps*? Check out Preview Local Live later today. * - I hate that Google moved the map to the right-hand size of the screen. Just doesn't feel right
Distributed computing cracks Enigma code"More than 60 years after the end of World War II, a distributed computing project has managed to crack a previously uncracked message that was encrypted using the Enigma machine."
 Games That Pushed The Limits is a historical look at gaming systems and the games that pushed the system, and the developers. Link; http://www.racketboy.com/retro/limits.htm
If you have ever been curious on how they crack your passwords then read this article on Password Cracking with Rainbow Tables. Of course this is only one of many methods for getting through a password based security measure. Interesting none the less. Link: http://.../password-cracking-with-rainbowcrack-and-rainbow-tables/
Microsoft Unveils Windows Vista Product Lineup:- Windows Vista Business
- Windows Vista Enterprise
- Windows Vista Home Basic
- Windows Vista Home Premium
- Windows Vista Ultimate
There is also one more called Windows Vista Starter - for low level, entry computers in emerging markets (I think they mean 3rd world countries).
 OQO has an extremely small tablet PC that is nothing short of the coolest piece of hardware I have yet to find. So, if you want to contribute something feel free to just send one to my address. Oh, and OQO if you want to send me one for a detailed review please do and I will gladly supply a detailed review. (doesn't hurt to ask)
 Wufoo is one of the coolest web dev tools I have seen in a long time. After playing with the demo for a bit and being very impressed with how easy it was to layout and create a form I started wondering what will the final results be: will I get a pirce of server side code, some HTML to drop into my website where the results are stored on Wufoo's servers, or maybe just an HTML form where results are emailed to me. So, I went to the source and asked Wufoo for some clearification. Ryan from Wufoo states: "Our tool will be a hosted solution, where all of the forms reside on our server and users can view their data in multiple ways. They can subscribe to an RSS feed, have it emailed to them, download to excel, or use our custom web based viewing tool. In the future we will expand those ways of retrieving your data. The HTML code will also be available for download, but no server side code is attached to it. If you would like to place a Wufoo form on your site, an API will be available for the submission and retreival of data. For example, you could have a poll on your site submit to Wufoo, and then you display your results to your users - all of which happens transparently."Remember, this is in its very early stages and we have yet to see the API and the finalized version of the form editor. Really the only suggestion I have at this point is to work on the Add Fields part of the form editor. I'm not sure why but I kinda felt like I was looking through a small opening at a vast selection and why click around on 1-2-3-4 to see the different field options. Option: Create arrows on the sides of the window and when moused over you move to the next quadrant. Like moving my mouse over an arrow on the right side of the window automatically scrolls to the number 2 window.Also, I'm hoping they include some common form templates as a starting point.Link: http://www.wufoo.com/
Origami Project is coming March 2nd, 2006. ? Counld it be
ie7.com - lol! How long will that last.
First, the laws; Letts Law: "All programs evolve until they can send email."Zawinski's Law: "Every program attempts to expand until it can read mail."Furrygoat's Law:"Every program attempts to expand until it can read RSS feeds."To me, it seems alot of application unknowingly follow these laws. In fact, take a look at my Note-It application and you will see it not only sends email, but reads RSS feeds too.
Just installed and went to the About screen. Steps to see the easter egg: - Open the About screen
- Click on the Winamp tab (at the top)
- Hold the Ctrl key (or shift key) down and double click the animated Winamp logo
Seems DJ EGG and rOn has a small easter egg hidden in this release (may be in other releases). Could this be a newly found easter egg in Winamp?
Winamp 5.2 Released with lots of fixes and features. Not sure why the Winamp homepage still shows the current release as 5.13 but it does. Off to install the Full version now and see how it goes. Oh, and watch the installer - On the ' Select Icons and Media Associations' step there are two options kinda hidden that I would recommend unchecking; eMusic Icon and offer for 50 free mp3's and AOL music now icon and offer for 30 day free trial. Updated Link: http://www.winamp.com/updated links to the homepage which has now been updated with the 5.2 release
 Google's Page Creator is a free online tool that makes it easy for anyone to create and publish useful, attractive web pages in just minutes - no technical knowledge required. Link: http://pages.google.com/
Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good is a very interesting article on fast food. Not really technology related but very interesting read.
 It was brought to my attention to check out Slax as an alternative to Knoppix. Just from the website I was pretty impressed. Why? Becuase they offer different levels of downloads all based on the base Slax build called Special Builds. Description from the website: "SLAX is fast and beautiful Linux operating system which fits on small (3.14") CD-ROM disc. It runs directly from the CD (or USB) without installing. The Live CD described here is based on the Slackware Linux distribution and uses Unification File System (also known as unionfs), allowing read-only filesystem to behave as a writable one, saving all changes to memory."Special Builds: - SLAX Standard Edition - SLAX SE is a pocket operating system providing wide colection of useful software with Xwindow system and KDE desktop environment.
- SLAX KillBill Edition - SLAX KB is a pocket operating system with the ability to run many Windows applications natively in Linux. It contains KDE, wine, dosbox and qemu.
- SLAX Server Edition - SLAX SRV is a pocket operating system with many internet services ready to use. Includes DNS, DHCP, SMB, HTTP, FTP, MySQL, SMTP, POP3, IMAP, SSH.
- SLAX Popcorn Edition - SLAX PE is a pocket operating system which fits even 128MB USB Flash Drives. It contains only XFce desktop, Mozilla Firefox, beep-XMMS, Gaim, AbiWord.
- SLAX Frodo Edition - SLAX Frodo edition is the console base for all other SLAX releases. It doesn't contain almost anything, only full working Linux command prompt and drivers.
This is one to check out.
"Wireless USB (WUSB), a natural extension of USB, makes it easier than ever before to connect peripherals and consumer electronic devices to a host PC. As new consumer electronic products appear on the market, the demand for this type of interface grows. The USB-IF is expected to release a new wireless specification this year.Wireless USB is based on the ultrawideband (UWB) technology which supports the same 480 Mbps data rate over a distance of two meters (about 6.6 feet). If the speed is lowered to 110 Mbps, UWB will go a longer distance (up to 10 meters or about 30 feet). UWB started in 1960 as military application capable of transferring data up to 480 Mbps over a distance of 20 meters. For home or office environments, this technology would be very practical. "Link: http://www.everythingusb.com/wireless_usb.html
"Despite the relatively fast speed of Windows XP bootup time, this chapter will guide you through the steps of making the system boot up even faster. The changes discussed here should enable you to realize your bootup speed dreams.Your friends will then no doubt be impressed by your PC's superfast operation."Link http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...
"Before you use System Restore, you should make sure that any critical files aren't residing on your desktop. While the wizard for System Restore says it will not cause you to lose recent work, such as documents or email, it's important to understand exactly what will be preserved, and what won't, in a System Restore.The general rule is that all files in your My Documents folder are preserved, but files in other places are not necessarily preserved. This can be a problem if, like me, you sometimes use your desktop for temporary storage of a file or files you're working on or just downloaded."Link: http://www.microsoft.com/.../expert/russel_sysrestore.mspx
 A big collection of CD and DVD cover artwork over at Albumart.org. The search is fast, the design is clean, and the site is not too bad... Link: http://albumart.org/
This site offers a listing of some pretty good free undeleters. While you are there check out some of the other lists they maintain: Corrupted Files, Password Recovery, or Failing Disks.
When trying to install Windows Defender did you encounter this error message: "'Error 1609. An error occurred while applying security settings. User is not a valid user or group.'"?Try this fix.Don't let the error message discourage you from installing this great application.
What will 2007 be like? (From 1987) is an interesting article on what they thought the future would hold for technology (first couple questions)... Any predictions for 2026? (post a comment)
Orangoo Spell Check - Online spell checking: This little application lets you spell correct from any system or computer that has Internet access. Link: http://orangoo.com/spell/
 GanttProject is a project scheduling application written in Java and featuring gantt chart, resource management, calendaring, import/export (MS Project, HTML, PDF, spreadsheets). Open-source and free is always a plus. Link: http://ganttproject.sourceforge.net/index.php
 Note-It is still one of the most popular applications I have created. Its a very simple to use, powerful and best of all, free application. Features: - Append multiple notes to a single file
- All text formating is now saved with the note file
- Drag and drop text from most applications
- Control the transparency of a note - let notes fade to the background
- Store images inside a note - simply paste into the note
- Show Special View notes and display information like computer memory, live clipboard viewer, and hard drive space
- Minimize option lets you shrink a note to icon size
- Spell checking capability
- Hyperlink and URL detection support
Whats New: - Added Spell Checker
- Added AutoSave on Close option
- Added keyboard shortcuts
- Added Insert Special menu
- Added hyperlink and URL detection support
- Added ability to choose any color for a note
Check it out and send me an email and tell me what you think. Link: http://www.veign.com/download_app.asp?app=102
Bart's Preinstalled Environment (BartPE) bootable live windows CD/DVD new version released. What is it:"Bart's PE Builder helps you build a "BartPE" (Bart Preinstalled Environment) bootable Windows CD-Rom or DVD from the original Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 installation/setup CD, very suitable for PC maintenance tasks.It will give you a complete Win32 environment with network support, a graphical user interface (800x600) and FAT/NTFS/CDFS filesystem support. Very handy for burn-in testing systems with no OS, rescuing files to a network share, virus scan and so on.This will replace any Dos bootdisk in no time!"...read up on the changes
 Did you know that you can get Limewire Pro for free? Why? Since Limewire is an Open Source application you can get the source and therefore compile the application for distribution. What is Limewire? "LimeWire is a file sharing program running on the Gnutella Network. It is open standard software running on an open protocol, free for the public to use. LimeWire allows you to share any file such as.mp3s, .avis, jpgs, tiffs, etc. Limewire is written in Java, and will run on Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Sun, and other computing platforms. Publish your original content to the world without setting up a website!"Link: http://www.limewirepro.net.tc/
First, read the story of Thinkall.com - in case you don't already know. If you can even find the Cancel Subscription page you will find a pretty funny statement. The statement basically says we sent you 4 CD's, you keep two CD's for free, and the other CD's are $19.95 which is a huge savings on the software and do nothing as we will automatically charge your credit card. WTF? $19.95 per CD for software that can be downloaded for free? How is that any kind of savings? It just sounds like its taking advantage of people that don't know. Just in case you want the software, I located it for you so you can download it now for free: And if you can't download the software because of a slow internet connection or your on a pay-for-bandwidth connection then check out Snap Files (you can create a full CD of software with no catch) Enjoy!
You may have already heard that Microsoft released Windows Defender Beta 2 which was formaly known as MS Antispyware. This application is actually very good at what it does - find and actively protect your computer from spyware. If you have not had the chance to try MS Antipyware (beta 1 name) or this application then download it and let perform a full system scan. And before you ask this will take the place of Adaware and SpyBot Search & Destroy. You really won't need those applications with Defender running. Just leave Defender running in an auto-protect mode. Funny thing is I saw the release late last night (or was it early this morning) but didn't followup to review it or post about it. After all that I'm now late to the game... Link: http://www.microsoft.com/.../default.mspx
ExpressPDF is an online service that lets you convert your Microsoft Office documents to PDF.
This service can also convert Web pages to PDF !
Link:
http://www.expresspdf.com/
Here's the ultimate Windows XP/2000 command list that will make any Linux user feel at home at the command prompt. A lot of these commands are intended for administrating a network, but they are great for savvy home users as well. We even listed which OS you need for these commands. Link: http://.../Windows/commands/index.aspx
Where to Upload Your Files is a blog post that goes one beyond the file upload websites that I blogged about. I touched upon a few of the better upload sites but didn't get too much into the life of the file (how long the file would reside on their servers). This is a much more comprehensive list and worth the look. Link: http://.../where-to-upload-your-files.html
In response to the popular posting I did about the poor business practices from Thinkall.com I will be posting download links to all software they are selling a subscription to. The software may not be exact but these are my recommended applications in each category. --Creative--Video Editing Studio:Windows Movie Maker 2: http://www.microsoft.com/.../moviemaker/default.mspxWAX: http://www.debugmode.com/wax/Music Editing Studio:Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/Animation Studio: Blender: http://www.blender.orgPhoto & Image Studio:GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): http://www.gimp.org/Paint.Net http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net/IrfanView: http://www.irfanview.com/
 Paint.NET is image and photo manipulation software designed to be used on computers that run Windows 2000, XP, Vista, or Server 2003. It supports layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. Link: http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net/
IE7 Vs. Everyone Else: "Four tech experts battle over which is the best browser -- Internet Explorer 7, Firefox, Opera, or Maxthon. We take you on a visual tour of each, then let you make the call." Link: http://www.internetweek.cmp.com/179101486
Meebo.com brings IM to a web interface in this web 2.0 website. Link: http://www6.meebo.com
In response to the popular posting I did about the poor business practices from Thinkall.com I will be posting download links to all software they are selling a subscription to. The software may not be exact but these are my recommended applications in each category. --Internet--Firefox:http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/Web Design Studio:http://www.nvu.com/Thunderbird:http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/
 Sqeezebox makes connecting your computer stored music collection to your home stereo system a trivial matter. "Squeezebox lets you easily access any song in your music collection, from any room in your home. It delivers pure digital sound without the hassle of shuffling through CDs. From its simple remote control, Squeezebox gives instant access to any music on your computer, plus hundreds of crystal-clear internet radio stations." Link: http://www.slimdevices.com/index.html
How about the latest Patches from Microsoft. Being patch Tuesday and knowing that MS will be releasing some very important patches this may be the best gift one could give. (I can not be held responsible if you choose this as the only gift)
In response to the popular posting I did about the poor business practices from Thinkall.com I will be posting download links to all software they are selling a subscription to. The software may not be exact but these are my recommended applications in each category. --Graphics--Photo & Image Studio:GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): http://www.gimp.org/150000 Greatest Clipart:Clip Art and Media at Microsoft: http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?lc=en-us4500 Greatest Photos:Big list of free stock photo sites: http://www.graphicsngraphicdesign.com/.../600 Greatest Fonts:6,800 Fonts with Preview: http://www.grsites.net/fonts/Simply the Best Fonts: http://simplythebest.net/fonts/index.htmlHonarable Mentions:TheOpenCD:http://theopencd.org
In response to the popular posting I did about the poor business practices from Thinkall.com I will be posting download links to all software they are selling a subscription to. The software may not be exact but these are my recommended applications in each category. --Home & Office--OpenOffice v2.0 Suitehttp://www.openoffice.org/Antivirus: AVG http://www.grisoft.com/doc/40/lng/wwFirewall
ZoneAlarm: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/catalog/products/...
--Bonus Applications--
Microsoft Windows Defender: http://www.microsoft.com/.../spyware/software/default.mspxAdaware: http://www.lavasoft.com/software/adaware/Spybot Search and Destroy: http://www.safer-networking.org/Honarable Mentions:TheOpenCD:http://theopencd.org
Not sure if its the time of year or the weather but Tucows joins the ranks with a new homepage being released.
For me its Curling. Sounds strange but its a very strategic sport. I will also be watching most of the skiing and snowboarding events too. There's technology in Curling? http://www.nbcolympics.com/curling/5091462/detail.html
Yahoo Testing New HomepageWhat do you think? I think its about time.
Ever search Google and see some of the titles contain stars? Well all you have to do is add the ★ entity into your title. This translates to a star in your title. Not sure if this was a mistake to post as people will over-use this. Anyway, do what you want with it.
Check out the new Dell Start Page on Google. Its neat, clean, and well organized. I like it. While you at it check out these other start pages:
Google Desktop 3.0: Privacy is Dead(er): "The biggest change is the option to store your hard drive index on Google’s servers instead of locally on your own computer. This allows searches from a remote computer (such as a work computer). This is of course a touchy privacy subject, but the ability to search from a remote computer will be very welcome by some users."
Google Desktop 3 Beta Released with some powerful new features; - Search for files across all computers
- Share information with friends from the Sidebar
- Undock a panel from the Sidebar by dragging a panel's title bar and dropping it onto the desktop.
- Stay on Top of Other Windows keeps floating panels always on top of other windows.
- Panel Buttons
- Spell Checker
- Lock Search prevents anyone from doing a Desktop Search on your computer
Don't forget to check out the Plugins page as there are some very cool plugins.
A slightly newer version of MSN Messenger has been released.
Download Paradise has a Terms & Conditions that couldn't be any worse (see snippets below). Why, you may ask, am I posting this? Well, to protect software developers (like myself) from companies who are trying to take advantage of the hard work they put into their applications. "You also grant us, our affiliates, and our business partners a worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive license to use, reproduce, transmit, distribute, publicly display, publish, publicly perform, digitally perform, sublicense, transfer, sell and create derivative works of the materials, including but not limited to software products, that you submit and subsequent versions of such work for any purpose..." You're kidding right? "You understand and agree that Download Paradise may modify your distribution package to include additional software of its own choosing upon installation." How dare you! Avoid this website like the plague!
The Generator Form v2.90 lets you create 1-3 column webpages using CSS only by easily selecting options from drop-down choices. Could be very useful for someone to learn CSS and layouts.
Page Zoom in IE7Now that's a great zoom.
User Profile Hive Cleanup Service: "A service to help with slow log off and unreconciled profile problems."
More geared towards developers on how to make an application run at startup but still good information for anyone wanting to know how it can be done. This is also good information if you want to see what is running on your system at startup. I also posted awhile ago a link to a tool that will get you a list of applications running at startup. Link: http://www.windowsdevcenter.com/...startup_0401.html
Free TiVo: Build a Better DVR out of an Old PC: http://www.makezine.com/extras/4.html
 "Do you use Knoppix? This bootable Linux distribution that comes in the form of a CD or DVD can be a lifesaver when your computer goes awry. In this feature, we guide you through the process of fixing Windows with Knoppix, which includes resizing Windows partitions, solving key system file problems, and recovering data."Link: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1918391,00.asp
How you think you come across in an E-mail may not be how the recipient takes it. Link: http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb06/egos.html
If you thought the Sony Micro Vault Pro 5GB was alot of storage for something the size of a business card then just wait as the 8GB version is coming. Link: http://us.gizmodo.com/8gb-microvault-pro-152900.php
PXN8.COM's online image editor is too cool. This is pretty powerful and fast for an online, image editor... Link: http://pxn8.com/
"Large flat-screen televisions for digital broadcasting are currently the focus of much attention. Heralded as the new generation of high-quality large flat-screen display, the SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display), jointly developed by Canon and Toshiba Corporation, is almost ready for practical application. Its greatest feature is the ability to produce vivid color images that surpass conventional types of display. Also, the SED delivers exceptional overall image quality—fast video-response performance, high contrast, high gradation levels—and low power consumption."Link: http://www.canon.com/technology/display/
Homemade Web Server - You think? I couldn't tell it was homemade.
Money-Saving Secrets : RealSimple.com: "20 ways to plug hidden financial leaks — and save up to $3000 a year"
Hopefully by now you upgraded your Winamp to patch the security hole that was disclosed last week, if not you may be in trouble.
Coolest Toy EVER!!Sure beats the plane I had when I was a kid. Gas powered with a string so it could only fly in a circle.
Search firms surveyed on privacyIf you want a more anonymous online experience than try Tor.
 By now you have heard of Google Pack and might have heard of Lifehacker Pack but what about Portable Apps Suite? What is it and what makes it different? Well, its a suite of software that can run directly from your thumbdrive (USB memory stick) with no installation on the host system. Pretty cool and it will al fit on a 256M drive. Software in the Suite: Portable Firefox (web browser), Portable Thunderbird (email client), Portable OpenOffice.org (office suite), Portable AbiWord (word processor), Portable NVU (web editor), Portable Sunbird (calendar & task list), Portable FileZilla (FTP client), Portable Gaim (instant messenger) Link: http://portableapps.com/suite
Kama Sutra Virus a Dud So Far: "Reports indicate that damage from the Kama Sutra virus appears to be minimal thus far, however at least one security firm warned that the real results from the worm may not be known until later in the weekend."
 I know most people already know of Snopes but want to put it out there again. This site is great for learning the truth about those mass emails we all get, the amazing pictures people send around, or the scare tactic emails... Link: http://www.snopes.com/
Free WMA to MP3 Converter can convert Windows Media files to MP3 files which can be played in MP3 Players. All Windows Media formats (*.wma, *.wmv, *.asf) are supported. Link: http://www.wma-mp3.org/
Firefox 1.5.0.1 Released with improved stability, fixes for memory leaks, and security enhancements. Enjoy!
Computer Worm Threatens Major Destruction Friday: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,183331,00.htmlFree Antivirus (in case you need one): AVG - http://www.grisoft.com/doc/40/lng/wwIf you haven't checked your system then what are you waiting for? Take the few minutes to check your system instead of having to deal with the aftermath. This is not a threat where if you don't have or have not used your antivirus software you will get slammed by the virus. It's just that you may get hit and for me that's enough considering the damage that could be done.
If you plan on running the IE7 Beta 2 preview make sure and read the FAQ. The one key point is that IE7 will upgrade IE6 - make sure you want this!
|
