Another Vista Feature Dead in the Water

Will the “next generation” Windows only look better than XP? Will that be it’s only “claim to fame?” Well, maybe that, and it is sounding like it will be a bit more secure… which is good. But, the P2P synchonization of data feature is now dead, much like the WINfs file system died.

Another Vista Feature Dead in the Water

It sounds like they are having real trouble with this one. Delays, and more delays, now this. Hummmmm… will they make their new timetable to release work?

MythTV has the Virtue of Being Free… but THIS is Interesting…

OK, I am a HUGE Open Source supporter… and I would recommend “playing” with MythTV to do a totally free open Source Digital Video Recorder… BUT, this actual “buy-it-and-pay-for-it” product looks interesting if you want a “polished” product and don’t want to spend an “arm and a leg” on it! In fact, the bundles with the hardware are about as cheap as the hardware alone!

Beyond TV from Snapstream

Hummm… a “bundle” of the TV tuner card and this software… a Father’s Day present for the man who has everything, but is a die-hard geek? I can dig it!

Sign me up for the Snapstream Beyond TV dual tuner model… dewd!

Dual Tuner Bundle for Beyond TV

If This Bill Passes, It Will Change the Way That You Listen to Music

And, not for the better! Talk about an appropriate post for “06/06/06!” Evil!!!

“Congress goes into summer recess Friday, but not before considering the Section 115 Reform Act of 2006 (SIRA). Never heard of SIRA? That’s the way ‘Big Copyright’ and their lackey’s want it, and it’s bad news for you. Simply put, SIRA fundamentally redefines copyright and fair use in the digital world. It would require all incidental copies of music to be licensed separately from the originating copy. Even copies of songs that are cached in your computer’s memory or buffered over a network would need yet another license. Once again, Big Copyright is looking for a way to double-dip into your wallet, extracting payment for the same content at multiple levels. Today, so-called ‘incidental’ copies don’t need to be licensed; they’re made in the process of doing *other* things, like listening to your MP3 library or plugging into a Net radio station. If you paid for the MP3 and the radio station is up-to-date with its bookkeeping, nobody should have to pay again, right? Not if SIRA becomes law. Out of the blue, copyright holders would have created an entire new market to charge for — and sue over. Good for them. Bad for us.”

The Worse Bill That You Have Never Heard Of

Let your congress-critters know how you feel about this one!

Geek Software of the Week: Kaxy

Wanna be a spy? Wanna sneak around and have no one be able to trace you? Are you freaked out by the NSA? Well, you probably shouldn’t be so concerned, dewd, but if you are, here’s a cool free service that will “anonymize” your surfing, so that no one can trace what you are surfing back to you.

Kaxy Web Proxy

Using the free Kaxy Web Proxy service, you can Google info, and no one can trace back to you. Why would you want this ability? Ahhhh, don’t ask me… but if you do, now you know. Shhhhh! I am sneakin’ around! Be vewry, vewry quiet! I’m huntin’ wabbits!

Addendum: Adam Wenner pointed out in a comment to this post that the EFF has a project called “Tor” that allows for anonymous surfing (and more) as well. Check out that link:

EFF’s Tor System

Thanks, Adam!

Dr. Bill Podcast #39 – “The Palindrome Version”

Dr. Bill Podcast – 39 – (06/03/06)
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Intro, eWeek has an article comparing Vista with OpenSUSE 10.1!, Internet2 Gets Gigafast-er! Would you believe 800 GIGAbytes per second!?!?!, Microsoft Officially Launches it’s “Live OneCare” Service, now they can charge us for THEIR problems, What is YOUR Level of HTML Knowledge?, The First StarOffice/OpenOffice Virus!, A “Notebook” for the Geek Who Has Everything! The Dell XPS M2010, Geek Culture from “Weird Al” Yankovik, a takeoff on a song by Bob Dylan, he made the video to look just like Bob Dylan’s video, but the whole parody song is done in palindromes! Wild!

“Bob” Video by “Weird Al” Yankovik

Original Bob Dylan Video it was Based On

A “Notebook” for the Geek Who Has Everything!

OK, “notebook” is stretching it! It has a 20” screen after all! And, it weighs in at 20 lbs.! Zowie! But what a geek machine!

Slide Show of the Dell XPS M2010

“The M2010 will be configurable with mobile Intel Core Duo processors, all the way up to a T2600 (2.16Ghz) CPU. The minimum RAM available will be 1GB, and an ATI Mobility Radeon X1800 graphics board will also come standard. Outfitted with a big 12-cell battery, according to Dell the machine should last about 3 hours on a single charge. Prices will start at $3,500.”

Wow.

First StarOffice/OpenOffice Virus!

So… does this mean that OpenOffice and StarOffice are getting enough “market penetration” to be targeted by virus writers? Well, maybe. But, it IS interesting to note that this is the FIRST virus that attacks OpenOffice. Can we say the same of Microsoft Office?

First Virus that Attacks OpenOffice and StarOffice Found

“Labeled ‘Stardust’ by Kaspersky, based in Woburn, Mass., the virus exists only as a proof-of-concept attack at this point, according to the company, which said it has not had any reports of security exploits related to the threat, or of versions of the program that have been launched into the wild with malicious intent.”

So, it is not “in the wild” yet… but let’s be careful out there anyway!

What is YOUR Level of HTML Knowledge?

I am a firm Level 5. What level are YOU at? This is a cute, and yet, thought provoking essay on levels of HTML savvy!

HTML Levels of Knowledge

The author says, “It spans all the way from people who know next to nothing about it to those who know it well enough to write the actual HTML specifications. I thought I’d describe a few different levels of HTML knowledge. For some people, these levels are stages that they pass while learning more and more about HTML, gradually understanding concepts such as web standards, semantics, and accessibility. Others are at a certain level because it matches their attitude towards HTML and coding in general. Many people never advance beyond the first few levels. For some that is just fine, while for others it is not. This is all written in a tongue-in-cheek way and is just my personal opinion. Please don’t over-react if you don’t agree or think some of the descriptions are a bit harsh. Try laughing instead.”

For an interesting “side-bar” thought to this post, the link below to an article that says that 50 MILLION people in the U.S. actually have posted content to the web in some form or fashion! Interesting!

50 Million Web Creators

Microsoft Officially Launches it’s “Live OneCare” Service

After month’s of beta testing, Microsoft has announced official availability of it’s “Live OneCare” program of data security. You can protect three PCs for $49.95 per year.

Microsoft Live OneCare Launch

“The move pits the world’s largest software maker head-to-head with longtime business partners Symantec Corp., McAfee Inc. and others. Windows Live OneCare, which will protect up to three computers for $49.95 per year, marks the latest step in Microsoft’s effort over the years to make its operating system less vulnerable to crippling Internet attacks.”

Microsoft’s Live OneCare Website

Internet2 Gets Gigafast-er!

DEWD! We think we have a “hot” connection to the Internet when we have a full 1 megabit line (nearly T1 speeds.) But, imagine a connection that offers 800 Gbps (Yes, that is GIGAbits per second!) Internet2 (which is mostly academic and research institutions already have 10 gigabits per second on average… which is already awesome… but they are getting an upgrade… and WHAT an upgrade! Wow! When can I have it!??!

Speed Boost for Internet2

“The upgrade will use 80 different wavelengths to send the traffic that could make it possible for uncompressed hi-def video and video conferencing, over the net collaboration and even give a massive boost to grid computing. Internet2, a consortium of 201 academic institutions plans to phase out its Abilene network, which has been in service for seven years. The consortium will not renew its fiber contract with Qwest Communications. The Abilene Network used 10,000 route-miles of Qwest’s 10-Gigabit-per-second optical network.”

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