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January 30, 2006
Too small HD?=Nice big Paging file
It is very common when upgrading a hard drive to wonder what to do with the old one. Usually it is too small to be really useful as extra storage but you don't want to just dump it. There is an easy solution: make it a paging drive.
Install the drive as a slave and convert all available space into paging memory. This is HD memory that is used as if it was RAM. This will give your machine a real speed boost while not costing you much in storage memory. (I would suggest NOT erasing the OS on the old drive, just in case the new one fails, that way you have a bootable drive to fix things with as well).
The one exception is a physically damaged drive. If you replaced the drive due to damage then junk it. A physically damaged drive can cause grief to a system.
Posted by Peter at 12:19 PM | Comments (0)
January 29, 2006
You get what you pay for
I've noticed that the new system seems much slower than my laptop in shutting down and logging off. Since it has a better processor and the same amount of RAM (not to mention less things running on it) I'm thinking of a repair install while it is pretty empty.
Of course no system survives contact with teenagers very well. I'll likely do it during my vacation if I do it at all. The smart thing would be to do it at once and If I was advising YOU on what to do, I'd say do it now and get it over with.
It was still a good deal refurb or no, but I guess you get what you pay for.
Posted by Peter at 06:02 PM | Comments (0)
Glenn's Wikipedia quote from Dec validated
We're written about the Wikipedia wars before. At that time we quoted Glenn:
My sense is that the wiki format works pretty well when issues are uncontroversial, but that it doesn't handle politics very well.
Well The New Editor proves it via the Lowell Sun:
Members of U.S. Rep. Martin Meehan's staff have acknowledged they deleted unflattering information about a broken campaign promise from an online encyclopedia, according to a published report.
What's worse is they replaced it with a Bio written by the staff. This is pretty lame Moon Maiden territory.
UPDATE: Even lamer on his page there is a banner titled Protecting free speech on the internet without corrupt soft money. Who wants to make book on when THAT will be renamed?
UPDATE II: Apparently this is a bi-partisian scandal as George Ou writes.
It brought something else to mind:
A little more than 10 years ago I purchased a Packard Bell PC. After my AT is was my first "home" computer. It came with Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia with Patrick Stewart of Star Trek TNG fame doing narration. This was a real novelty at the time and I got a real kick out of it. (I still have the CD and use it on occasion.) As a history buff something particularly struck me. They had film and audio clips of famous events from the Hindenburg Disaster to William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech. (Boy Teddy Roosevelt had a high voice but I digress).
I noticed in addition to actual speeches and re-recording of speeches by the person involved (such as Bryan's) they had an actor re-creating Washington's farewell address to his troops.
It hit me that many kids listening to that speech would think it was him. To many kids the idea of a time before TV is beyond them, the idea of a time before recorded voice even farther away.
This is where the internet is so important as a resource. It can be a great spreader of information to those without it or can be a propaganda organ to the nth degree.
This is the reason why what Congressman Meehan's the congressional staffs did is just as bad in my eyes as what Google is doing only on a different scale. It is an effort to use the net to decieve. Legal or no, it betrays generations that will come after us, it is a crime against history.
This is why my pal Dave is wrong concerning Google. This is also why you should be careful when you use the net as a source. Remember what has come out is only what we know has been fixed.
Posted by Peter at 05:07 PM | Comments (0)
Irony Alert
Via Drudge the headline speaks for itself:
Google challenges EU plan to regulate the internet
This is one of the dangers of the Google China position; instead of people listening to Google's position on the EU (which is the correct one), all we see is the two faces.
The last paragraph is a killer:
The country runs a sophisticated system of internet control, known as "The Great Firewall of China", which blocks access to Western sites.
Nothing kills you in PR like a catchy and memorable phrase and there are other choices out there.
Posted by Peter at 07:28 AM | Comments (0)
January 27, 2006
Now that just crosses the line!
You know there are a lot of nasty things you can say about a group of people but comparing them to Windows ME is beyond the pale.
Update: Welcome Instapundit readers to our company blog. We encourage you to take a look around (although Mike might object) and see what is here.
We would encourage you even more to give us a ring at 866-585-3764 for your technology support needs 7 days a week from 9 a.m.-11 p.m EST. as that is our business. You can get more details by clicking on the links above.
Update II: Ed Driscoll does have a point there.
And don't forget to play our instant win game for a shot at a $25,000 Home Theatre system.
Posted by Peter at 11:25 AM | Comments (8)
January 26, 2006
Filters yes or no
ZDNET has an interesting article via Rebecca MacKinnon concerning net filters and if they work.
So just how well do such tools really work? Experts say the technology is not flawless but that it's become more sophisticated in recent years. For instance, developers of filters have learned to thwart some of the more common devices designed to disable them and have added more customization features that give parents greater control over the type of material that can be blocked.
The problem is they can be hacked and the info is out there:
To be sure, circumventing filters is not rocket science. Teens can find work-arounds through a simple Google search, which can turn up detailed instructions and pointers for sidestepping filters.
In my opinion the best protection is to have the fastest computer in the family room where it can't be used without everybody seeing it.
Posted by Peter at 12:34 PM | Comments (0)
And more google
Pajamas Media has a good roundup of the latest China stuff under a section called The China Syndrome.
It links to Rebecca McKimmion so I don't have to (but will anyway).
Posted by Peter at 12:24 PM | Comments (0)
January 25, 2006
Is google so wrong?
My pal Dave was on my case yesterday over the post on Google actions in China's.
He points out in the first place that our Government does business with China. This point in my opinion is weak because there is a difference between they policy of a government and the practices of a private company.
His second point is a bit better, he claims (and is likely correct) that China is in a position to dictate as they have the ability to pirate and distribute software if they so choose and the international community is unlikely to hit them as long as the companies hit are not theirs. This is a pretty strong point but if correct, amounts to blackmail. This would be a big thing to a company like Mircosoft, I don't know how much of an impact this would be to google given the nature of their product.
This isn't a bad arguement and it isn't the only one, Duncan Stephen via (Slate and Glenn)points out that both France and Germany both have to some degree had google tweak things to allow them in. What is being done here isn't now or unique to google.
All these things are correct but aiding a government that represses free speech rubs me the wrong way. It is contrary to the spirit of the internet and bothers me as an American. I didn't choose Google's motto of Don't do evil they did. In this case I'm with Jonah Goldberg:
I think Google's a great product and company, but doesn't this just demonstrate that their principles are marketing tools more than anything else?I've written about how people think of Apple as the anti-microsoft but they are just another business. I think Google's ideals are just another business myth.
Posted by Peter at 08:59 PM | Comments (2)
January 24, 2006
Yet another Disgrace
After all the fuss about Microsoft you would think a company wouldn't want to be kowtowing to the Chinese.
You would guess wrong:
Online search engine leader Google Inc. has agreed to censor its results in China, adhering to the country's free-speech restrictions in return for better access in the Internet's fastest growing market.The Mountain View, Calif.-based company planned to roll out a new version of its search engine bearing China's Web suffix ".cn," on Wednesday. A Chinese-language version of Google's search engine has previously been available through the company's dot-com address in the United States.
Via Glenn Reynolds I find Publius Pundit's words which says it all:
As the article mentions, the corporate mantra is “Don’t do evil.” It looks as if there is a limit to that. Google will resist the U.S. government, but won’t stand up in any way to China? Judging by its actions at home, one would think Google to be a pioneer in bringing access to information and resisting attempts from governments to repress it or monitor it. This says that isn’t the case, and it makes me wonder — just a little — what its motivation is to resisting the U.S. government and giving in to the Chinese. Perhaps they should change their motto to, “It’s just business.”
Posted by Peter at 10:56 PM | Comments (0)
January 23, 2006
What has come from Apple
Apple has started shipping there new dual core (2 processor inside one chip) Intel based machines and a lot of sites have already benchmarked it.
So now we learn the truth.. Just like in the past with there G5 processors where they claimed to be twice as fast as fastest Pentium 4's benchmarks show that it's a lie.
Apple stated that there new machines are 2 to 3 times faster and each core was faster then there G5 processors. Well turns out after a bit of reading really they are quite fast but on average achieve about 10 to 20 percent increased speed in comparison with older processor. And that is if that application is running natively (been ported over to the new Intel Processor). Other wise if its using emulation it's far slower.
Sources:
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/imac-coreduo.ars
http://www.macaddict.com/forums/topic/76536/1
http://www.macworld.com/2006/01/features/imaclabtest1/index.php
Setting aside this performance debate a firm has taken one of these iMacs apart and concluded that the $1,299 unit cost under $900 to make. Thats LCD screen and all. I'd have to congratulate Apple on this front for supplying a great computer at a reasonable cost while still making a good profit margin!
Apple is getting a bit more competitive in the performance/price front and I would expect them to grab up a little more market share.
Another interesting view to read:
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/01/23/intel_macs_25pc_faster/
Hope you enjoyed my views and feel free to comment in yours.
Posted by Hector at 05:16 PM | Comments (0)
January 20, 2006
And the Babies keep coming...
The new additions at HiWired keep coming.
We congratulate our owner Michael and his wife Rachel on their new son Gabriel who came in at 7 lbs and 5 ozs. Husband and wife are doing well.
Posted by Peter at 10:32 PM | Comments (0)
New Gadget Tip #5 - Read the manual
You have your new gadget in front of you. It has a dozen buttons and features galore. So far, you've managed to turn it on and don't know where to go from there. Sound familiar?
There is something to be said for experimentation. Trying to guess what a button has just done after pressing it can eventually help you uncover most of the functionality of your device, but it doesn't always work and can be very frustrating. Not to mention that you don't always learn the best way to do things. Reading the devices documentation can be a little tedious sometimes but even if you just give it a glance through, you'll typically find that if you ever need to figure out how to do something, you'll remember seeing something in the manual about it and you can go back to it.
This sounds well and good, but chances are you only got a little pamphlet or fold out setup poster with your device. The days when you got an entire shelf of books with a computer are gone. This doesn't mean, however, that most device manafacturers aren't making manuals for their products, they're just being more economical about distributing them. Rather than print them out on paper, most manufacturers are distributing them in electronic format, usually as pdf (portable document format) files or sometimes just as windows help files. So, if your gadget came with software that you installed on your PC, take a look in the programs section of the start menu. Look in the section for your gadgets software and see if there isn't a manual in there. If there isn't, through in the CD again and take a look in the installation program and see if it mentions a manual anywhere, it might be something you need to install by itself. If all that fails, take a look on the manufacturers website. Usually you just have to go to the support section and select your product and look for downloads. Most of the time there is a manual.
If there isn't a manual, or you can't find the manual or your question just isn't answered, you can always get a help session with us and we can help. Most devices that don't have a manual are expected by their manufacturer to function in some standard way that they believe is obvious, but that the typical computer user may not have experience with.
Posted by at 02:22 PM | Comments (0)
January 19, 2006
New Gadget Tip #4 - Getting it all together
You have your new gadget, and are excited to see it do all it can do, to push it to it's limits. You look for everything you need, only to find that not everything is there.
Just a reminder, the gadget may have all of the cables and software needed to do what is needed, but not necessarily everything. Printers nowadays are good examples. Most have the CD's that contain the software to make it work, but do not have USB Cables in order to connect to the computer. If you don't have it available you may need to purchase it separately.
If you're confused, please don't hesistate to give us a ring and we'll be more than happy to help out in one of our help sessions!
Posted by at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)
The newest addition to HiWired. It's a Girl!
My supervisor Melissa and her husband can proudly announce the newest addition to the HiWired family.
Baby Peyton Oliva was born just before Midnight last night and comes in at 8lbs and 12 oz. If she grows up to be anything like her mother then her future friends and husband are very fortunate people.
We wish Melissa the best during her time off and offer our congratulations to her husband and herself (who are both doing fine).
Posted by Peter at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)
January 18, 2006
New Gadget Tip #3
Yesterday we talked about the difference between the different types of issues you might have with your new gadget. Today we are going to talk about something that people miss a lot:
3.....Bookmark the home page.
Just about every gadget today is made by a company with a web site. In addition said companies often have a general page for each individual gadget. Even before you being the install it is a great idea to go to that home page and bookmark it. Name the bookmark after the gadget you purchased. This way any news updates or issues that come up with the gadget will be only a click away. (And don't forget to REGISTER it to makre sure your warranty is active).
Posted by Peter at 07:51 PM | Comments (0)
January 16, 2006
New Gadget Tip #2
Yesterday we talked about setting restore points before installing new gadgets on your system, today we are going to mention a slightly different track:
2.....Hardware vs Software vs compatibility.
There are three basic types of issues that come up with new gadgets, Hardware issues, software issues and compatibility issues. There is a quick rule of thumb that I believe in when looking at them. It is this: Hardware=Return, Software=configure, Compatibility=Update.If the issue is Hardware return the device right away, is something is physically broken out of the box you don't want to be tweaking it, just exchange it since any tweak may not be a permanent one.
If the issue is Software you can usually adjust settings to get things to work, this is where the majority of the problems are located and the spot where HiWired's "I need Help" plan can pay off big.
If the issue is Compatibility the first stop should be the manufacturer's web site to confirm that the new Gadget is compatible with the software/hardware you have. If it is not and there is no fix in sight, then you have to decide if that device trumps the item it clashes with. If the Manufacturer claims it IS compatible then once again HiWired can come to the rescue.
Of course sometimes it's hard to tell which is which, we can help with that too.
Posted by Peter at 11:46 AM | Comments (0)
Happy MLK day
Today is Martin Luthor King Day, a legal holiday. HiWired will be open today from 9 a.m.- 11 p.m. EST.
There are many resources on the net that discuss the day, for more info, try here, here and here.
Posted by Peter at 09:10 AM | Comments (0)
January 15, 2006
New gadget tip #1
Speaking of new gadgets that people have likely picked up in the last 3 weeks or so it is quite normal for you to run into startup or integration problems. Over the next few days we will give you a few tips that you should consider whenever new hardware or software is entering the picture.
1...RESTORE POINTS
If you are running a windows XP system or even if you are running something as old as an ME system (my condolences if you have Windows MEss) The SYSTEM RESTORE function is built into the system. Before you install any new software or hardware the creation of a restore point is the best way to make sure that you can get back to where you should be if something goes wrong. It is true that XP is supposed to create checkpoints automatically but the key words there are supposed to. My kids are supposed to clean their rooms, empty the trash and clean the Cat's Liter box but I find it gets done more often if I don't assume they do what they are supposed to. I'd give my PC the same amount of scrutiny.
Posted by Peter at 12:03 PM | Comments (0)
sleeping late
In the call center and support business the time just after Christmas is is the time when the most calls come in. This is when the most gadgets are purchased by the most people.
Once the middle of January comes things tend to slow down a bit. For the next couple of weeks we will be sleeping a bit later opening at 9 a.m. EST instead of our usual 8.
Unfortunately since I don't have the morning shift that means I can't sleep in any later.
Posted by Peter at 11:58 AM | Comments (0)
January 12, 2006
The layout
Well the new PC is finally all set running side by side with my 98 clunker. We put a 2nd chair in the room so that two people can surf side by side. This is a great way to keep the kids right near the wife or myself so they don't go where we don't want them.
That seems to be the best plan, if you keep the best systems in plain sight then the kids will want to be using it. When they decide that the slow system is ok that when you have to wonder what's going on. This picture was taken with a Motorolla Razr v3 phone.
Posted by Peter at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)
January 11, 2006
Adventures in benchmarking
You know you really don't get how much faster a good graphics card and a P4 system vs a Celeron is until you use the two one after the other on the same program.
Posted by Peter at 07:54 PM | Comments (1)
January 10, 2006
Whats to come from Apple
Thousands of people logged into a IRC chat today awaiting live updates from Apple CEO Steve Jobs keynote today.
Here is what I managed to capture from the #MacRumors IRC channel
Steve Jobs took the stage and had a few anouncements.
First off he speaks of some statistics for 2005.
135 shops around the world got 26 million visitors during holiday season.
last quarter of 2005 got for the first time over $1Billion dollar quarter.
Total revenue was 5.7Billion dollars.
On iPod:
4.5 milliion iPods sold during holiday 2004 and for 2005 holiday sold 14 million units.
Thats over 100 sold every minute through out the last quarter.
a total of 42 million iPods have sold since the it was first released. 32 million were sold in 2005. (about 75% sold in 2005)
On iTunes:
850 million songs sold to date. 3 million songs a day are being sold. Over 1 billion songs per year rate. Apple has 83% market share in this market.
Television show sales doing well. 8 million sold since Oct 12th. Added bowl games.
On iTuner (NEW):
Apple is Announcing a new accessory for the iPod. a remote control with FM Tuner. The Tuner Works with all current models. New radio screen on the iPod to tune radio through the iPod screen. Will be available for $49
Steve also Discussed Dodge Jeep iPod integration.
On Widgets:
There are over 1500 Widgets
New widgets today available for Mac OSX 10.4.4 include google widget, address book, espn, and calender.
On iLife:
Music, Movies, Photos, Blogs. Giant released. New iPhoto Update with better speed.
25K photos up to 250 thousand in library, scrolls smoothly, full screen editing, One click effects. sepia, black and white, all new cards, calendards and books to make and purchase. hard and softcover books quality is better. Now calendaars can be made with photos!
Can also make cards, post cards, birthday cards.
On iLife iPhoto Photocasting:
Podcasting for photos. share photos over the internet.
Pick an album ,push a button, photos uploaded to .Mac. It is Password protected and other people can subscribe to them.
You Must be a .Mac member to publish and you use RSS to subscribe to receive the photos.
When you receive the email, you click on the RSS link and it launches iPhoto and receives the photo.
On iLife iMovie:
Sports animated themes for movies, real time effects, and new audio tools.
iMovie can open multiple projects, have realtime effects in titles,export to iPod and create Video Podcasts.
On iLife iDVD:
Drop movies in, drop in photos and click on button. 3rd party DVD burners are supported.
On iLife Garageband:
New podcast studio. Podcast artwork track. over 200 free jingles and effects. speech enhanccer. use iChat for remote interviews.
On iLife iWeb (New):
share photos, movies, music, blogs, content
Easy and beautiful. Apple templates. iLife media browser with access to your content. online photo albums. one click publishing to .Mac.Themes. create in seconds. update whenever you like. RSS subscriptions. 1 click publish.
Any browser can view it.
Slideshow viewer uses AJAX technology
Drag and drop zones, alignment guides, integrated with your music library.
Click on button, publish to .Mac. upload it. easy.
6 iLife apps now. Same price $79. Available today!
iLife '06 will be bundleded free on new Macs.
.Mac Now has over 1 million subscribers.
On iWork:
Some of the features in iWork '06. 3d charts, advanced image editing, image reflections, free form and masking, tables with calculations, new themes and templates. no demo, go check it out on the website. $79, also available today.
30 day free trial of iWorks '06 with new Macs. (Keynote and Pages are the components of iWorks '06)
On MAC systems:
Really good year for the Mac. Had previously announced that by June of this year they would be shipping Macs with Intel. How are we doing?
Paul Otellini appears. Intel is ready. Apple is ready too.
Hard work, nights and weekends working... thanks Intel.
Thrilled with new technology from Intel. Paul Otellini leaves.
First Mac with Intel processor today.
The iMac - built in isight camera. front row. incredible reception.
No other desktop PC can match it.
Same sizes. 17", 20". Same design. Same features (isight, front row, apple remote), Same price. What's different.
Intel Processor. 2-3x faster than the iMac G5.
Intel Core Duo. an amazing chip.
Two cores. each one faster than the G5.
10.4.4 is entirely native on Intel processor. All the applications included are universal and native on Intel.
iLife 06 and iWork 06 are all universal binaries, and was demoing them on an Intel machine.
Pro apps will be universal in March. Final Cut, Aperture, Pro. If you have the latest version, you can trade in your disc for a universal disc for $49.
Other developers starting to release universal binaries. Quark unviversal beta shipping today.
Rosetta on iMac. Office runs great on Rosetta.
microsoft rep talking about being on track for unviversal binaries of Office and Messenger.
Worked to make sure that current versions of Office run well in Rosetta.
Shipping several updates very soon to provide additional supprot for current apple technology like sync services with handheld devices and entourage.
all the updates will be avaiable for free on their websites in March.
Committing to shipping a version of Office for Mac for minimum of 5 years. Office for Mac is incredibly successful product. We're here to stay and in it for the long term.
17" iMac, 20" iMac; 2-3x faster. Shipping Today.
All products will be transitioning through the end of the year. (note iMac has ATI x1600, reportedly)
On MacBook Pro laptop:
No more Powerbook with introduction of Intel duo Core.
2 processors in every Macbook pro.
4-5x faster and fastest notebook in the market.
Little thinner than the 17".
15.4inch LCD thats bright as cinemas.
iSight Camera.
IR sensor.
Apple Remote.
The New Power Adapter is magnetically held in. If yanked, comes right out saving your expensive laptop from any damage.
5.6lbs. iSight, Front Row; $1999 1.67 Core Duo; 667 DDR bus, x1600; $2499 1.83GHz.
You may place your order today but the product starts shipping in February.
Posted by Hector at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)
January 08, 2006
System in, House re-arranged Now the monitor.
My Dell DIMENSION 5100 showed up on Friday. Since it is going to share a desk with the old 98 system (for side by side use by wife and kids) I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a new flat screen monitor. So I went out in search of that (and PC-cillin) yesterday.
On the PC-cilin front I couldn't find a store with it in stock so I decided to activate the free 90 day Norton for now. I'll download the PC-cillin and replace it then. It's all moot since I'm not going to put the system on the net till Wednesday after the MS-AUTO update is ready so the first update will have the necessary fix.
On the monitor I was torn between two, the bugaboo being price.
BJ's Wholesale club had the Sylvania® 14" CL482i Flat Screen Monitor for $149. (Radio shack had it for $10 more no membership required.) The size is the same as the viewing size of the 98 monitor, it would easily fit into the space and the built in speakers would save us a plug. The viewing area is about 14"x 10"
Cheap as I am I decided to go with the ACER AL1716 17"x17" screen. Staples had it on sale at $199. I figured with a killer graphics card and a P4 I might as well get a high quality monitor. I'm still considering the Sylvania for my old ME system.
The AL 1716 isn't shown on the ACER SITE looks like it was replaced by the AC1717
The color is crisp and the screen fits great into the furniture. I played the extended version of LOTR The Fellowship of the Ring on it last night and it was crystal clear. Hookup was a snap. The install cd had a bunch of adobe files and no specifc drivers but the Dell configured it without an issue.
The only fault I could see was the plug. It came with a standard cord which, due to the design of the monitor, is a little bit of a pain to put in. It’s likely not cost effective to design a plug without the hump to fit in better.
I say it's worth the money.
Posted by Peter at 04:07 PM | Comments (0)
January 06, 2006
As Peter goes to one solution...
I'm going to another, one without a cost so far. Right now my own computer has a different solution in hand, and how temporary it is depends on how much I have to do myself over the next few weeks. What I have on my home XP system now is ZoneAlarm Free, AVG Free, Microsoft Anti-Spyware and a couple of other popular anti-adware/anti-spyware products.
Total cost of the software: zero.
Both are free downloads, but may not necessarily be the best solution for the layman to install by themselves, not without a technical support agent guiding you through, and that's where we come in.
If things go well, or not so well, I'll be sure to let everyone know.
Posted by at 12:42 PM | Comments (0)
PC-cillin Internet Security my trial
Since my Norton subscription on my Laptop is near renewal and a new PC is due any day now I've been rethinking my virus protection. I've decided to renew the Norton on the laptop, but since the new machine comes with no protection and it will be a family computer I figured I might try a different piece of software there.
As I've mentioned before I am an avid gamer. This week while we were playing the board game version of RAILROAD TYCOON (two thumbs up!) my Pals Paul and Sower, (Dave) both network administrators were discussing anti-virus/spyware issues.
Paul's company has Norton and has had the odd infection. Dave has been using PC-cillin and has not. (Although in fairness from the conversation most of Paul's issues seem to come from User issues) I've known Paul for almost 15 years and Dave for over 30 and both know what they are doing VERY well. Since I already have Norton I’m going to try out the PC-cillian on the new machine.
This will give me 3 different anti-virus solutions on my home network. Norton on my laptop (used by me for work), PC-cillian on the family desktop, and free AVG on the old ME and 98 systems. In the year I've used Norton I've had the odd trojan usually when my youngest downloads games. Once the new system is in and the software installed I'll keep you informed on how it does.
Posted by Peter at 11:30 AM | Comments (0)
Truth in Humor
What caused Microsoft to move ahead of it's Jan 10th date for the release of it's patch. I'd say it was parody headlines like this:
Microsoft Extends Apple Sales Promotion to Jan. 10
That is a very good decription of the situation.
UPDATE:
Of course maybe they just wanted to be thought of as Miracle Workers.
Posted by Peter at 10:50 AM | Comments (0)
January 05, 2006
You didn't tell them how long it would REALLY take?
Both CNN and ZNET report that Microsoft has released their patch that they announced would be out on Tuesday today.
Security bulletin MS06-001, originally scheduled for Tuesday, is the first security bulletin of this year and fixes a vulnerability in the way Windows renders Windows Meta File images. The bug was discovered last week and is increasingly being used in what Microsoft calls "malicious and criminal attacks on computer users."Critics had called for Microsoft to release the patch as soon as possible. With people unable to patch their systems, the flaw could provide an opportunity for cybercriminals to launch increasingly sophisticated attacks on users, they have said.
An odd thing to note is that the CNN story provided the link to the unofficial patch but they didn't include a link to the official one.
Meanwhile no patch has been released for the other Microsoft issue in the news.
A senior Microsoft manager has defended the decision to remove the blog of a Chinese journalist from the company's MSN Spaces site, claiming that content which breaks national laws must be taken down.
Thomas Claburn at Information Week is not impressed:
We have soliders dying in the Middle East, ostensibly to further the spread of democracy. Meanwhile, a bit farther east in Asia, tech companies readily dispense with democracy to gain market share.The standard refrain -- "we have to comply with local laws" -- doesn't hold water. Every repressive regime has laws. But not all laws are just.
Google proclaims, "You can make money without doing evil."
Here's a challenge to Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and the rest the tech industry: Prove it.
As usual Rebecca MacKinnon's blog continues to update the story including a photoshop that says it all. (via sheepdog)
Posted by Peter at 07:54 PM | Comments (0)
January 04, 2006
Not Microsoft's week
Microsoft has announced that they are shooting for Jan 10th for the release of a fix to the security flaw we mentioned here before:
The update will be released worldwide simultaneously in 23 languages for all affected versions of Windows once it passes a series of rigorous testing procedures. It will be available on Microsoft’s Download Center, as well as through Microsoft Update and Windows Update. Customers who use Windows’ Automatic Updates feature will be delivered the fix automatically.
It would seem to be the case that there is an "unofficial" fix that Microsoft doesn't recommend using. As we haven't tested it ourself we can't recommend it either.
If you have installed that patch you should pull it before the new one is put on.
The Microsoft PR flaw however continues to be exploited as this story at Forbes shows:
Reports of the shutdown of Anti's blog have generated a groundswell of criticism on the internet - with the company coming under fire from sources such as opinion-leading conservative blogger Glenn Reynolds of instapundit.com and technology-oriented blog Boing Boing, the top ranked site by rating service Technorati.
The outrage is not confined to those outside the windows bubble.
Robert Scoble, who holds the position of Microsoft's technical evangelist, also expressed outrage at the shutdown and said he is raising the matter with company officials.'It's one thing to pull a list of words out of blogs using an algorithm. It's another thing to become an agent of a government and censor an entire blogger's work. Yes, I know the consequences. Yes, there are thousands of jobs at stake. Billions of dollars. But, the behavior of my company in this instance is not right,' Scoble wrote on his personal blog, which is not affiliated with Microsoft.
More on the story here, here, here and here.
Rebecca MacKinnon updates the story here (scroll to the bottom).
Posted by Peter at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)
January 03, 2006
Earning their rep
You know it is one thing when a Communist Government decides to practice censorship of a blog. It's quite another thing when Microsoft decides to do it for them:
Now, It is VERY important to note that the inaccessible blog was moved or removed at the server level and that the blog remains inaccessible from the United States as well as from China. This means that the action was taken NOT by Chinese authorities responsible for filtering and censoring the internet for Chinese viewers, but by MSN staff at the level of the MSN servers.
As usual you can get the whole story from Rebecca MacKinnon with some interesting info on how this stuff works.
via Glenn
Posted by Peter at 12:24 PM | Comments (0)
January 01, 2006
Happy New Year!
A Happy New Year from all of us at HiWired. We hope your 2006 is even better than your 2005 was!
We will be open till 11 p.m. EST for all your technical needs today and will be open our regular hours tomorrow Jan 2nd from 8 a.m. EST- 11 p.m. EST.
Posted by Peter at 04:08 PM | Comments (0)