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June 30, 2006
More perspective provided by China
Our friends in China provide more perspective to those who are unsure on the concept of what repression of speech is on the net.
Via Drudge
Posted by Peter at 05:57 PM | Comments (0)
What's going on here?
A post today concerning a new wireless standard was posted in error. The poster was testing some features of Movable Type (our blog program). At his request it has been pulled.
He may repost it later.
Update: Issue resolved reposted
Posted by Peter at 05:43 PM | Comments (0)
June 28, 2006
Phishing study
Today Slashdot linked to the PDF of a study called Why Phishing Works. The study and paper by Rachna Dhamija of The Center for Research on Computation and Society at Harvard looks at the ability of people to spot phishing sites. The results were not encouraging:
This study illustrates that even in the best case scenario, when users expect spoofs to be present and are motivated to discover them, many users cannot distinguish a legitimate website from a spoofed website. In our study, the best phishing site was able to fool more than 90% of participants.
These results were produced even though the crowd was a highly educated one.
Half of the participants were university staff, and half
were students. 19 participants (86%) were in nontechnical
fields or areas of study. 3 (14%) were in technical
fields. Of the staff, 8 participants (73%) had a
Bachelors degree, 2 participants (18%) had a Masters
degree, and 1 participant (9%) earned a J.D. degree. Of
the students, 7 participants (63.6%) were Bachelors, 2
(18%) were Masters students, and 2 (18%) were Ph.D.
students.
There was one fellow who used one method that I would recommend to all of our customers:
Another participant was at the other end of the spectrum. He opened up another browser window, where he typed in all URLs by hand in order to compare these pages to every website presented in the study. He also occasionally used Yahoo to search for the organization in question. He would click on the top search result and compare it to the website presented in the study. He stated that ever since a family member was the victim of a PayPal phishing attack, he now follows these steps in practice to protect himself. He used Type 4 strategies and scored 18 out of 19 sites judged correctly.
The document might be a little dry but it is very much worth a read. Most important of all take those bolded entries above to heart. That few minutes you take to double check the legit sites can save you a lot of money and a ton of hassle.
Posted by Peter at 04:20 PM | Comments (0)
You mean they weren't doing this already
The Washington Post reports (via slashdot) that the Government is finally getting serious about data on employee laptops:
To comply with the new policy, agencies will have to encrypt all data on laptop or handheld computers unless the data are classified as "non-sensitive" by an agency's deputy director. Agency employees also would need two-factor authentication -- a password plus a physical device such as a key card -- to reach a work database through a remote connection, which must be automatically severed after 30 minutes of inactivity.
Between last months issues at the VA and the FTC laptops thefts of the 22nd the heat was on.
What I don't understand is why this wasn't done as a matter of course? After all it is a time of war.
I guess those people at Harvard law might have been onto something after all.
Posted by Peter at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)
Good Article bad title
Tech Republic's article: 20 Reasons Why Windows Vista Will Be Your Next OS give a solid list of reasons why Vista will be worthwhile here is the item I found most intertesting:
Of all the power and performance technologies Vista will enable, the most interesting is the hybrid hard drive, developed by Samsung and Microsoft. Hybrid hard drives combine flash memory with a conventional hard drive. The advantages of hybrid hard-drive technology include extended battery life for notebooks, faster application and data load times and faster resumes from Vista's Sleep mode.The flash memory in a hybrid drive becomes a buffer for newly created data storage that allows the hard drive to power off until the flash memory fills up again. So instead of spinning all the time, hybrids are able to save considerable battery life by shutting down the power-hungry platter motor.
The whole thing is worth the read, but the title stinks. It should be 10 reasons why Vista will be a good system for you.
The reason why in a year Vista will be your next OS is because that's all microsoft will be selling.
Posted by Peter at 09:30 AM | Comments (0)
June 27, 2006
AMD considers plant in USA!
I never thought I would see the day when processors are once more built in the USA. AMD is a major Intel competitor.
Although everything is not set in stone yet at the very least its in serious consideration.
Read all about it HERE
Interestingly this all comes at a time as AMD and Dell are signing deals. Wonder if any pressure to build a US plant was applied by Dell.
Posted by Hector at 08:47 PM | Comments (0)
June 26, 2006
One of the most useful sites on the net.
The internet is full of good things but from a pc protection prospective there are few sites more useful than www.sysinfo.org.
Here you will find on of the most complete lists of items you might find in your MSCONFIG. Using this list you can weed out not only items that are memory hogs (microsoft office) but identify spyware and virus' as well.
This is a page that you should visit and bookmark. Of course if you don't want to do the tedious work of checking your MSCONFIG, we can take care of it as part of either our PC Checkup or our Worry Free PC plans.
Posted by Peter at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)
The difference between cause and effect
Speaking of slashdot they have a link today to a Harvard Law review article called: Immunizing the Internet, Or How I learned to stop worrying and love the worm.
This Note argues that computer networks, particularly the Internet, can be thought of as having immune systems that are strengthened by certain attacks. Exploitation of security holes prompts users and vendors to close those holes, vendors to emphasize security in system development, and users to adopt improved security practices. This constant strengthening of security reduces the likelihood of a catastrophic attack — one that would threaten national or even global security. In essence, certain cybercrime can create more benefits than costs, and cybercrime policy should take this concept into account.4
The case is an interesting one but I think backwards, it is not the worm and hacker that provides the improvement, it is the reaction of the community trying to stop them that does it. It's like saying that it a good thing there are crooks because now people lock their doors when they once did not. George Orwell put it even better in Animal farm chapt 1:
Benjamin was the oldest animal on the farm, and the worst tempered. He seldom talked, and when he did, it was usually to make some cynical remark–for instance, he would say that God had given him a tail to keep the flies off, but that he would sooner have had no tail and no flies.
And don't forget the hackers and attackers learn how to improve from both the successful attack and the successful block of same. Maybe we might be better off just saying that this stuff is to be expected and we need to be aware of it.
Posted by Peter at 10:25 AM | Comments (0)
Brother can you spare a byte?
The technology age has managed to empower even the homeless:
Many of those now living without a permanent roof over their heads have cell phones in their pockets or laptop computers at their hips. While people living in shelters and alleys have found it difficult to cross social divides, the digital divide seems to disappear on the streets. Nearly all homeless people have e-mail addresses, according to Michael Stoops, director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. "More have e-mail than have post office boxes," Stoops said. "The internet has been a big boon to the homeless."
If you are a longtime blog reader you already know about Kevin Barbieux aka The Homeless Guy blog.
Barbieux's site garners 12,000 to 15,000 hits a month. He attributes that to the storytelling ethic of his posts, which detail not only his own travails, but those of colleagues in shelters and city parks. He also comments on the public's perceptions of the homeless, and the factors that force so many of his compatriots into a holding pattern of poverty. "The work I do on my blog is geared toward telling, not just my story, but the story of every homeless person," he said. "If it's just about me then its effect will be limited. I really want to change the world."
Think about it a vagrant in the 21st century can garner a reading audience larger than some authors in history could. Think of it Kevin can get a thought or idea out to the entire world from his library perch faster than the best ad agency could under 20 years ago.
I just can't understand why anyone wouldn't be amazed by this.
via slashdot.
Posted by Peter at 10:09 AM | Comments (0)
Now go away or I shall taunt you a 2nd time!
We've talked a little about about how the net is used in war. We've also talked about hackers used to get military info.
But hacking phone numbers and cranking soldiers families?
WIVES and family members of soldiers fighting in Iraq have received telephone death threats from insurgents.Their numbers were obtained by Iraqi hackers from soldiers’ mobile telephones using an electronic device.
I agree with the Captain that this isn't much of a tactic:
Perhaps the strategic thought behind these calls could be that it demoralizes the British families back home and makes them less willing to fight, but that seems like a rather stupid idea. If any of the terrorists had bothered to read about the Blitz, they would know that the Brits do not intimidate easily and react to threats with stoic resolve. It's difficult to take this seriously anyway; I mean, what will the terrorists do next, ask for Prince Albert in the can?
When you have the ability to do something you do it, you don't talk about it. What I find interesting is the how technology at the front changes things.
Posted by Peter at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)
June 24, 2006
Fast systems are a relative term
You think your system lacks oomph, check out this classic ad for the ultimate 8 bit system from 1975:
NEW H8 8-Bit Digital Computer. This 8-bit computer based on the famous 8080A microprocessor features a Heathkit exclusive “intelligent” front panel with octal data entry and control, 9-digit readout, a built-in bootstrap for one-button program loading, and a heavy-duty power supply with power enough for plenty of memory and interface expansion capability. It’s easier and faster to use than other personal computers and it’s priced low enough for any budget. With assembler, editor, BASIC and debug software.
I actually remember them.
Posted by Peter at 07:03 PM | Comments (0)
Good News Free at last!
Blogger Alaa has finally been released from jail in Egypt. Pajamas media has links.
Read the stories linked, they provide another large dose of perspective.
via Glenn.
Posted by Peter at 10:16 AM | Comments (0)
June 23, 2006
YouTube and Baseball on TV
I've written a bit about downloading copyrighted material and my opinion on it is pretty clear to anybody who reads this blog.
I've been thinking about the subject a bit since I've seen my youngest son spending a ton of time on YouTube watching Monty Python (I'm a big fan of the International Philosophy but I digress).
I was surprised the stuff was up there but then I remembered a bit of my baseball history.
As I recall there was some resistance among owners to the TV broadcast of games figuring it would depress the gates. In the end the opposite happened. It increased the fan base and the following of teams. Also it was free TV that built up both Football and Basketball too allowing them to overtake baseball (but not in Red Sox Nation).
Perhaps the same thing is happening with sites like You Tube. I know the site prompted his interest in SNL and it led to several Christmas DVD purchases in my house.
Maybe the copyright holders are objecting just enough to protect their copyright but not enough to pull them for that very reason.
Posted by Peter at 07:39 PM | Comments (0)
Still no problem on the Dell end
Well 4 days have passed and no heating issues on the laptop (and I've put some effort in creating them.)
Of course that still isn't the case for everyone:
AN INQUIRER READER attending a conference in Japan was sat just feet away from a laptop computer that suddenly exploded into flames, in what could have been a deadly accident.
Over to you Jeff Jarvis.
Unrelated note #1: Yes I know the story is 3 days old. Both Jose and Kieran IM'ed it to me and I suggested to both of them they blog it. I'd like to see a few more entries with bylines other than me and Hector (Hector don't that that the wrong way keep posting)!
Unrelated note #2: The day I first saw the link on Jeff Jarvis' site and left a post there was no Geek Squad ad. Now there is. Of course they are our competition, but I do think it's clever to have an ad on the blog of a guy who is know for Dell Hell.
Posted by Peter at 07:16 PM | Comments (0)
Vista= Huge Success
Steve Warren at Tech Republic has a high opinion on Windows Vista:
...I truly believe every company that runs Microsoft server and client products will benefit from upgrading on the security front.The Longhorn product line will be a very secure release and will eliminate most of the malware and phishing garbage that plagues user desktops at the core. This time around, their success comes from design. They are not designing software and then fixing security issues. They are designing software with security on the forefront of the design.
Now he is talking about the business side vs the home side so this might be a very strong point.
I still believe that inertia will be a strong reason for people to stand pat, if he is right about the security improvements then this might produce enough savings to make the difference.
It would not surprise me to discover in a year or so that Vista is not as secure as it is thought. Everything is secure until somebody figures a way to crack it. It would be interesting to make book on how long it takes for Vista holes to be discovered.
Of course I could be dead wrong, but we will see next year.
Posted by Peter at 06:45 PM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2006
Another Vista perspective
Sunny man's blog has a nice review of the Windows Vista Beta with a pretty good summary:
Advantages* Increased productivity
* Better GUI and effects
* Increased security (suposedly)sic
* Windows/Office Update built-in
* Clearer control panel and properties
* Ability to use USB devices as RAM
* Occasional display issuesDisadvantages
* Increased CPU activity
* Increased memory usage
* Eye candy is superfluous
* Increased disk space usage
* Made by Microsoft
Read the whole thing.
Posted by Peter at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)
Meanwhile in the real world of censorship....
While the Net Neutrality debate continues in the USA, China shows the world how censorship is actually done:
On Monday authorities blocked the search engines of Sina.com and Sohu.com to try to upgrade their censorship capabilities, website staff said.
We all know how important upgrades are to a system.
She refused to specify what aspects of the search engine had been inspected. But on Tuesday Sina staff said the government was seeking to enhance the censorship capabilities to better preempt "unhealthy" content.
Yup; got to make sure those nasty words like Democracy and freedom are blocked properly.
Whenever I read a story like this I am reminded of a passage from C.S. Lewis' classic The Screwtape Letters
Thus if you had been trying to damn your man by the Romantic method –by making him a kind of Childe Harold or Werther submerged in self-pity for imaginary distresses –you would try to protect him at all costs from any real pain; because, of course, five minutes' genuine toothache would reveal the romantic sorrows for the nonsense they were
Back in the 80's I had a co-worker whose family had been able to get out of the Soviet Union during the cold war. He had the gift of perspective that some lack.
Posted by Peter at 10:44 AM | Comments (0)
Some reference material on Net Neutrality
I must confess I haven't followed the whole Net Neutrality debate although Hector has. If you have an interest in the issue here is a blog on the with one view. The opposing view is located here.
As both a free market and a free speech kind of guy there are arguments on both ends that are appealing to me. I think it is safe to say that any company is going to act in its own interest. If it can make more profit catering to a large business than to a small blog it will do so. I also think it is safe to say that any involvement by the government is not likely to to stop at one bill.
The whole debate reminds me of the regulation of railroads and shipping in the late 1800's concerning rebates etc.
I think it all comes down to this question: Is the internet analogous to a newspaper or a pamphlet?
I'll leave that debate to you.
Posted by Peter at 09:01 AM | Comments (0)
June 20, 2006
Opera 9 released
The Opera 9 internet browser is officially out of beta state and has released. Opera 9 brings some new features to the table and is a great browser. Definitely worth a look if you are curious.
Posted by Hector at 07:59 PM | Comments (0)
Dell Heaven for me
Well this has been rather incredible. I came back from the Doctors after having some rather nasty tests (not bad so far) there was a message on my answering machine from Dell saying the repairs on my machine are complete.
Less than 15 minutes later there is a knock on my door and my Dell laptop is at the door.
This is so atypical of everything I've heard I really don't know what to say. Only that I see no sign of Dell Hell for me.
It is always possible that the repair doesn't take, I'll need a few days to find out. I'll keep you informed.
Posted by Peter at 01:36 PM | Comments (0)
June 18, 2006
Happy Father's day
HiWired wishes a happy fathers day to all the fathers out there.
And if your family purchaed technology for you today, remember we are here 7 days a week 9 a.m. EST - 2 a.m. EST to help you make it work.
Posted by Peter at 10:42 PM | Comments (0)
Laptop prices on a dive!
It's really something when you think about what Laptops were going for 2 years ago and compare that to today.
Due to some extreme competition between HP and Dell as well as other competitors laptops have been on a constant price fall with each responding with more features and lower prices.
Another thing affecting the price is the extreme competition between AMD and Intel as well as other competing hardware vendors like ATI and Nvidia. To make a long story short we can thank a lot of the price drops on competition.
One other thing is the cost of LCD screens has been on a huge dive as well. Not just because of competition but cost of production has gone way down as well.
Thanks to all this competition you can get a real power house system for under $1000 today!
Now if Linux makes it to the main stream then we can see some price dives on Windows who currently charges $200 for Windows XP Home and $300 for Windows XP Professional. This is one front I would love to see some real competition in.
HERE is some more information on price dives.
It is interesting keeping an eye on items listed in Price Watch.
Posted by Hector at 09:21 PM | Comments (0)
June 17, 2006
Anyone can edit Edited
Wikipedia is making a slight change to its editing policy according to this New York Times article:
...as of yesterday, the entries for Einstein and Ms. Aguilera were among 82 that administrators had "protected" from all editing, mostly because of repeated vandalism or disputes over what should be said. Another 179 entries — including those for George W. Bush, Islam and Adolf Hitler — were "semi-protected," open to editing only by people who had been registered at the site for at least four days. (See a List of Protected Entries)
What is the reason? Vandalism!
"A cooling-off period is a wonderful mediative (sic) technique," said Ross Mayfield, chief executive of a company called Socialtext that is based on the same editing technology that Wikipedia uses.
Full protection often results from a "revert war," in which users madly change the wording back and forth. In such cases, an administrator usually steps in and freezes the page until the warring parties can settle their differences in another venue, usually the talk page for the entry. The Christina Aguilera entry was frozen this week after after fans of the singer fought back against one user's efforts to streamline it.
This is largely what Mr. Reynolds said before. I think that this method will improve the product rather than not. The danger of problems such as the great Cuba edit will remain (an image to a dictator is everything), but it will certainly help.
It is my opinion that the product is getting better and better.
Posted by Peter at 06:01 PM | Comments (0)
June 16, 2006
Laptop quest continues. Thumbs up to DHL ball in Dell's court
Laptop was picked up on time by DHL about 2 1/2 hours ago. Now we shall see how long it will take for Dell to fix and return the system. Will I have good luck or will it be Jeff Jarvis Redux?
Stay tuned for the exciting answer sometime next week!
Posted by Peter at 05:38 PM | Comments (0)
June 15, 2006
Bug vs Feature explained
If you have talked to a computer professional you have almost certainly heard it said at one time or another "It's not a bug it's a feature."
(Update: Yes I know that line was repeated before, can I help it if my fingers stutter?")
A "bug" refers to a problem with a piece of hardware or software. A bug is always unintentional, usually concerning a function that should work. For example lets say a Word processing program is unable to print a file due to a programming error. That would be a bug. The company that created it would attempt to fix the bug and would likely create a patch (a code correction) that could be downloaded and installed to repair the issue. If the problem is too complicated to fix quickly it might be repaired in the next release of the software.
A "feature" refers to a problem/issue that is either deliberate or an "error of omission" In the example above, lets say the software company in question had an exclusive contract with a manufacturer saying their software would only run on their brand of printer. Failing to print on another brand would be a "feature" since the failure is by design. If the brand was correct but the model had been discontinued for decades it might have been ignored accidentally. That might be considered a "feature" even though it was not deliberate.
Since no company wants to get a rep for bugs a lot more companies these days release “beta” versions of software this way any failure can be explained away as something not yet finished, a “feature”.
So the quick two sentence explanation would be as follows: If the software/hardware fails to do something it was designed to do it is usually a bug. If it fails in something it has not been designed to do it is a "feature".
Posted by Peter at 08:10 PM | Comments (0)
June 14, 2006
Laptop repair saga day 2, No DHL hell either
Well looks like that family computer is going to get a workout. I spent the morning configuring hosted exchange e-mail on it. (You too can have this e-mail via our Connected on the go service) and have been running tests during the day. Interesting to note the laptop gets e-mails about 5 seconds later than the desktop (wireless connection) but AIM messages show up at the exact same time, but I digress...
According to my Dell chat of Monday there was a special number to call for the Dell pickup at DHL. I gave them a ring and talked to a very nice young lady named Annette. I'm arranging for a Friday pickup. They will be providing the box. Apparently Dell has a deal with DHL for laptop pickups. Annette was unable to tell me more details on this. (She might not be allowed to or she might not know) but anyway the laptop will be picked up Friday afternoon at my house and we will now be able to time how long it takes Dell to fix the overheating issue and get it back.
Oddly enough, since the day when it overheated 3 times it has not overheated since. Go figure.
Well between Rudrajit at Dell and Annette at DHL it has been a good experience. Lets hope it stays that way.
Just a thought I wonder if Rudrajit is worrying about his job being outsourced now that India is sending jobs to Ireland?
Posted by Peter at 09:42 AM | Comments (0)
Outsourcers insourcing?
HiWired is part of a very small group of US based support companies. We are the exception, not the rule.
For many years western companies have outsourced jobs to India and Asia in order to save on employee costs. Large call center companies such as ICICI OneSource operate centers out of India for many clients. But what happens if the clients customers are not satisfied with the support given? Why you insource right back at them:
The Indian call centre company, ICICI OneSource, said today it is to open two call centres in Northern Ireland, creating 1,000 jobs over the next couple of years. The company announced it would open its first call centre in Belfast with 400 jobs in July, supported by government funding from Invest Northern Ireland.
If this keeps up perhaps the positions will be subcontracted back to the folks who lost them. However the trend remains overseas:
Meanwhile, Africa will see the fastest growth in the number of call centre workers of any region between now and the end of the decade, according to Datamonitor.
Hopefully the result of all of those jobs in Africa will be a rising tide lifting all boats.
BTW Side note: This is a New Zealand paper so naturally the spelling is in the "British" style. I wonder why I'm quoting papers in New Zealand and Kieran is not?
Posted by Peter at 07:45 AM | Comments (0)
June 12, 2006
My turn for Dell Hell? Not so far.
Well it has finally reached the point with my Inspiron 1150 where my occasional overheatings have become a problem. I finally broke down, recorded the code that the system gave me and went into the Dell chat room to arrange for a repair of the system.
I went into the Dell chat room and was connected rather quickly with a person. The first thing I noticed was that the person's name wasn't Americanized. If there is one I could never stand is making people used pseudo names instead of their own. If you want to outsource to India then do so but don't play games, and frankly it is demeaning to the worker in India to have to use a different name
The Gentleman I chatted with was did a pretty good job, he understood my issue, took my info (had to repeat one bit) and then gave me the info to send in the device. I had to ask three times to get a price quote and time frame on the repair, but when I was told that it would be gratis that really made the wait worth it as it appealed to my inner cheapskate.
So now I'm configuring a backup machine for remote work and getting ready to send this baby in to be fixed. I suspect that the free fix is due to the volume of calls on this issue. I mean Wikipedia even has an entry on this model and overheating:
Another reason on why these machines might overheat is due to the fact that they contained the fan on the bottom of the unit, unlike others where they are located on the sides and rear, where air could not flow through the unit when sat on a table or a desk. Affected models include the Dell Inspiron 1100, 1150, 5100, and 5150 and 9100. Many consumers state that refurbished Inspiron machines of those model numbers do not overheat, probably because Dell found a way of fixing that problem.
Well anyway so far so good. We will see how long it takes to get the machine out and back and if it fixes the issue. If it happens without incident it might be the first case of Dell non-hell for a blogger.
Posted by Peter at 10:20 PM | Comments (0)
Going completely digital
One of the few parts of a computer I expected to be non-mechanical by now is the hard drive which is still a mechanical storage device today but that will change more then likely with in the next 10 years.
According to THIS the price of these non-mechanical drives are becoming a reality although quite a bit expensive yet. I seem to remember about 3 years (or so it seems) a 5 digit price tag on a drive this big. Now we are talking about getting it down from its current $1700 price to under $1000. And they seem to think in the next 3 years we just may have 20 percent of the computer market on these type of drives which I think may just prove to be true if the price falls down to say $200 for same size drive.
Posted by Hector at 12:16 AM | Comments (0)
June 11, 2006
Net Neutrality lost
Just got back from my weekend and to my disapointment I learn that all over the web there are a ton of reports of the lost fight for net neutrality.
Posted by Hector at 11:42 PM | Comments (0)
Feeling safe
If you have had problems with your system booting or running particular applications the use of "safe mode" might make the difference between getting something done or waiting for your system to be cleaned or fixed (might I suggest HiWired in that case?).
Safe mode is a mode where the system loads only basic operating system files. It is mainly used for repair purposes but can be used it access some programs when no other method will work. It is accessed by tapping the F8 key while booting.
The two primary flavors of safe mode on an xp system are safe mode with networking (used when you need internet access) and plain safe mode (used when internet access it not necessary) Earlier versions of Windows do not include safe mode with networking.
In addition to the ability to run the system without other programs loading safe mode allows a user to access the hidden administrator account in windows. This can allow you to make changes that might otherwise not be possible due to corruption of rights.
Safe mode has it's limitations, most external devices will not work in safe mode, some programs and installs will not function in safe mode, nevertheless this is an excellent option for a user to discover if their issue is an os or application issue. Corruption of the OS will usually affect safe mode while application problems will not.
As with any unfamiliar mode of a PC when in doubt consult your friendly HiWired tech that can help answer any questions about safe mode and most other issues on your PC.
Posted by Peter at 11:20 PM | Comments (0)
June 09, 2006
PlayStation 3 a console?
According to THIS Sony considers there PlayStation 3 to be a computer more then a console. This is all very interesting. Not really because of the comments on this page but all the noise that was made some time ago about PlayStation 3 coming pre-loaded Linux operating system which may very well be there very own Linux flavor.
Sony is no stranger to Linux. They had released a limited quantity PlayStation 2 Linux kit that sold out quickly.
So imagine that. Microsoft invades Sony's console space and Sony retaliates head on with Microsoft's desktop space.
Posted by Hector at 12:08 AM | Comments (0)
June 08, 2006
Consumers win price war
The financial papers are reporting a price war between Intel and AMD:
Diesen said that Intel had stopped trying to make a profit on its current generation of PC processors and had initiated a price war with its rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD). The average price of a PC processor in April was less than half what it was in March, Handelsbanken (Stockholm, Sweden) said.
The winner in such a war is always the consumer in the form of lower computer prices.
Posted by Peter at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)
Carnac lives!
Yesterday the Strategy page posted this article:
Given that Zarqawi has become a loose cannon and that his actions are handicapping Al Qaeda's efforts, it seems reasonable to expect that an accident may befall him at some point in the near future. If handled right it can be made to look like he went out in a blaze of glory fighting American troops or that he was foully murdered. Either way, al Qaeda gets rid of a problem and gains another "martyr."
Today his death is the headline all over the world.
Somebody tell me what stocks these guys are buying.
Posted by Peter at 08:55 AM | Comments (0)
June 07, 2006
There is a reason all that time is spent
A few days ago I was working on a customer's machine and noticed it had a copy of Civilization IV on it. I instantly commented to the customer that it is one of my own favorite games and one of the best I’ve every played. She wasn't as enthusiastic as apparently her husband and son spend an inordinate amount of time playing it.
Well that's true you do tend to play it a lot, but that's because if is frankly awesome, ask the experts. But if you really want to confirm that it's that good? consider this it has been out for 8 months and Amazon has only discounted it 10%.
Now if I could just get past the Prince Level. (I'll gladly accept advice in the comments section on that).
Posted by Peter at 04:29 PM | Comments (0)
This net snooping is ok
A lot of people are worried about net snooping by the government, but every now and then it strikes paydirt:
AN INTERNET trail left by a British computer expert has led investigators to an intricate terror network spreading from the backstreets of Baghdad through cells of young militants living in European capitals to Islamic extremists plotting car-bomb attacks in North America.
The bad guys aren't afraid of using technology:
Using skilled computer operators around the world, al-Zarqawi’s outfit passes on bombmaking manuals, advice on how to sustain terror cells and even ways to use credit card fraud to hack into vital internet sites.
This is another good reason to be careful of your online info. Most people use online fraud to enrich themselves, but some use it to finance stuff like this.
Posted by Peter at 03:06 PM | Comments (0)
Next Targets
The US Goverment is demanding that the Russian site AllofMP3.com be shut down although it is operating withing its countries laws. The US is trying to force the Russians to do so or be removed as members of the World Trade Organization.
AllofMP3.com is a popular site which sells music extremly cheap and without any DRM restrictions.
This is the second attempt the US has made to shut down sites in past couple of weeks. The other site was The Pirate Bay Swedish site.
PirateBay is busy setting up servers in multiple countries to make another take down very hard.
The MPAA has its its guns aimed at their next target for take down which is HuntISO.com a canadian site.
HuntISO is still active and we shall see how this one holds up to the MPAA.
Posted by Hector at 11:19 AM | Comments (0)
Pirate Bay raid back lashing on Swedish police
While still under investigation the police have not yet found anything violating copyright laws on the servers the siezed. When the police raided the offices they took all the servers with them and since PirateBay was hosted though PRQ all other sites hosted by this company have also stopped working.
This has resulted in quite a bit of protest and headaches.
The Pirate Bay is back how ever using a .org domain rather then the old .com and already very busy.
Posted by Hector at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
Security pessimism HiWired the cure
I haven't commented on the tons of personal data compromised via Hotels.com and the VA as it doesn't shock me at all. I am a security pessimist. This pessimism comes from my nature, and my belief in human nature.
Technology changes but humanity doesn't. Technology can't solve the problem of human error or indifference.
You might use a spell checker to go through a big document, but if you misspell with a word in the dictionary it's not caught.
You can have good file security, but your security is only as good as the physical protection you give that laptop.
You can have a great backup program, but it's useless if you don't run it.
You can have a first rate anti-virus program but if you don't keep it updated it won't do that job.
You can have strong passwords but if you leave it on your desk that strong password won't mean a thing.
Life is a busy thing, we all have things going on more important than a pc, but when something goes wrong, those priorities can change is a big hurry.
This is why HiWired is such a useful service. Our dashboard gives you a report on the state of your system. We notice if your system isn't updating or backing up and act on it. That's our job, it's what we do.
You can't make more hours in the day, but if you let us we can give you one less thing to worry about.
Posted by Peter at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)
Admiting you have a problem is the first step
A very interesting statement from google co-founder Sergey Brin concerning Google and China:
"We felt that perhaps we could compromise our principles but provide ultimately more information for the Chinese and be a more effective service and perhaps make more of a difference," Brin said.
You can't address an issue unless you acknowledge that it exists. Of course Google is also out to make a buck and the China market is pretty big.
The Paris-based group Reporters Without Borders said Tuesday that Google's main Web site, http://www.google.com, was no longer accessible in most Chinese provinces due to censorship efforts, and that it was completely inaccessible throughout China on May 31.Brin said Google is trying to improve its censored search service, Google.cn, before deciding whether to reverse course. He said virtually all the company's customers in China use the non-censored service
I'm an internet free speech kind of guy. So I don't like this period, but what really jars me is high moral tone Google takes while kowtowing. If they made a free market argument: Google is trying to do the best for its shareholders bottom line, and they are free to divest and the public is free to choose alternatives. that would be one thing but when you claim to have principles it behooves one to stick to them. Once you compromise your principles it becomes oh so much easier to do it again.
I was interested in what my favorite free speech diva had to say about it. It looks like she is getting burned out:
Another reason for the storm cloud hanging over my head these days has to do with the fact that I've been letting myself get quite depressed about some of the human rights and freedom of speech issues some of my colleagues and I have been dealing with recently.
It is of course our loss since she does Yeoman work on this topic. We wish her the best on both the professional and personal fronts.
Posted by Peter at 09:53 AM | Comments (0)
June 06, 2006
6/6/06 trumped
People seem to be making a big fuss about that fact that today is 6/6/06. I say nonsense. First of all it doesn't count. (If you owed somebody $6666 and paid them $6606 you'd still get a bill for $60 bucks). More important than that are these words from The American Thinker (via Hot air:)
Nobody will long remember the satanic jokes of today, but freedom-loving people will always remember June 6, 1944 and celebrate the heroes who faced what seemed like certain death riding toward the beaches of Normandy.
My next door neighbor certainly won't, his father is buried in Normandy. You shouldn't forget them either.
When you see an elderly man say in his 80's or 90 keep in mind that more likely than not when he was a young man he put himself on the line for us. Even if he didn't serve consider; we have 40 different types of flavored coffee to choose from, his coffee was rationed, as was meat and a lot of other things we take for granted.
These aren't just old people; they are the reason why we have what we have today. Occasionally I'm asked if it's hard to take care of elderly customers. They might not hear or see so well when you talk to them etc. I say no, that isn't hard, what they did 60 years ago is hard and we owe them, big.
Posted by Peter at 09:38 AM | Comments (0)
June 05, 2006
To Google or not to Google
At MSNBC blogs Glenn Reynolds asks: Has Google peaked?
Lots of people don't like Microsoft — I like 'em fine, but then, I get a check from them every month — but if you want to switch from Microsoft to OSX or Linux you need a bunch of new software, and maybe a new computer. To switch from Google to Ask, you just type different letters (and fewer!).
Google has one thing on it's side that makes a difference. Force of habit and apathy.
Update: Ok that's two things, add to that the fact that it does what it's supposed to do and does it well and that makes three.
Posted by Peter at 05:10 PM | Comments (0)
A real Gamer of a Gamer
If you read this blog regularly you know that I've been a board gamer for decades, a big baseball/Red Sox fan and a member of a table top baseball league now in it's 19th season. (3-0 so far thanks for asking).
You also know that I am a huge fan of the CIV series of computer games and of Sid Meier's Pirates game.
One game I have never got myself into however was Everquest, (although Eric has) partly because of the time involved but mostly because I am unwilling to pay a monthly fee to play nor invest in the type of killer machine necessary to make the game worthwhile (in case you didn't already know I'm cheap).
Curt Schilling another old time board gamer is another story
:
Schilling may be one of today’s top athletes in professional baseball, but off the field he spends time playing with his son in the award-winning Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) video game EverQuest II -- a fully realized 3D fantasy world of mythical creatures, magic spells, majestic landscapes, and fierce dragons -- since the game’s creation.
and best of all you can play him (well his character) head to head for the next three days for a good cause.
Schilling’s video game character will reside within the online world of EverQuest II (EQII) for three days during the Yankees vs. Red Sox baseball series June 5, 6 and 7, 2006 at Yankee Stadium. During this time, anyone can register for and log into EverQuest II at www.battleals.com to challenge the evil Schilling character, appropriately named “Curt Schilling.”Every time a player defeats the virtual Schilling character, Sony Online Entertainment, creators of EverQuest II, will make a donation of $5 dollars (up to a maximum of $10,000) to the ALS Association, which assists patients with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
More details here.
Posted by Peter at 04:05 PM | Comments (0)
Net Neutrality under attack?
This week the house of representatives will vote on our freedom on the Internet.
HERE you will find a short video that basically show a good example on what one can expect if our highways were controlled by a corporation.
Visit www.SaveTheInternet.com to learn more and see what you can do.
Posted by Hector at 03:03 PM | Comments (0)
June 04, 2006
IE 7 thumbs down to beta
When you use a computer for work you don't have the luxury to play with some items on it.
I was running into an issue with my laptop. (Turned out Norton was the culprit) but during my testing I downloaded and installed IE beta 7 during the debug phase.
Now in fairness this is a beta version and it is not expected to be perfect, however I found myself having issues with sites I need for work to the point where I had to finally say enough.
IE 7 beta is off my system and all is right in the world again. Hopefully when the final release comes out all will be right up front.
Posted by Peter at 08:46 PM | Comments (0)
And more for the bad year
Variety reports (via Drudge) that the Iranian government is cracking down on the net:
The Iranian government has already started its crackdown on the Web. Its Revolutionary Guard recently bought technology to jam signals, a frequent tactic.Many sites, including the BBC's popular Farsi service, have been blocked and filtered (often using North American-made software).
And what are these things being replaced with?
...the government has employed hundreds of its own bloggers to spread pro-regime messages.
When one needs to shut down opposing views, that's suggests that one's own views can't stand up to close examination.
Combine this with another missing blogger and violent protests in Iran and it looks like a powder keg ready to explode.
Posted by Peter at 06:34 PM | Comments (0)
June 02, 2006
Hey I was only Six months and one hour off
Since I have tomorrow off and a ton of personal errands to run I'll get this announcement out of the way now:
Starting this Sunday, June 4th HiWired will be open every night till 2 A.M. Eastern time. This will give our west coast customers a little more space for troubleshooting and us a little less shuteye here in the east.
This time i've double checked my e-mail.
Posted by Peter at 09:09 PM | Comments (0)
June 01, 2006
PirateBay dead?
The Inquirere is reporting that PirateBay is not dead and will be back with in a week. They were taken down for suspected copyright infringement and the officials have even informed them that they may recieve compensation for the time the site was down. Should the swedish goverment decide not to let the site go back up PirateBay has a backup plan to move the servers to either Holland or Russia. So it seems PirateBay will not go down without a fight..
Posted by Hector at 04:18 PM | Comments (0)
Wii score big success!
The upcoming Nintendo Wii took home a few awards at there E3 show and you can read all about it HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE and a bunch of other sites!
Here is the awards list quoted from IGN
BEST OF SHOW Wii (Nintendo)BEST ORIGINAL GAME
Spore
(Maxis/Electronic Arts for PC)BEST PC GAME
Spore
(Maxis/Electronic Arts for PC)BEST CONSOLE GAME
Gears of War
(Epic Games / Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)BEST HANDHELD GAME
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
(Nintendo for Nintendo DS)BEST HARDWARE
Wii
(Nintendo)BEST ACTION GAME
Gears of War
(Epic Games / Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)BEST ACTION/ADVENTURE GAME
Assassin's Creed
(Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PlayStation 3)BEST FIGHTING GAME
Heavenly Sword
(Ninja Theory / Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3)BEST ROLE PLAYING GAME
Mass Effect
(Bioware / Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)BEST RACING GAME
Excite Truck
(Nintendo for Wii)BEST SIMULATION GAME
Spore
(Maxis / Electronic Arts for PC)BEST SPORTS GAME
Wii Sports
(Nintendo for Wii)BEST STRATEGY GAME
Supreme Commander
(Gas Powered Games / THQ for PC)BEST PUZZLE/TRIVIA/PARLOR GAME
Guitar Hero II
(Harmonix / Red Octane for PlayStation 2)BEST ONLINE MULTIPLAYER GAME
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
(Splash Damage/id/Activision for PC)
Posted by Hector at 03:54 PM | Comments (0)
New Delhi on the Charles
Alarm Clock has picked up the story about our new funding here at HiWired but also says something that doesn't make sense to me:
HiWired sells a service that we get. For $60 they will remotely troubleshoot a PC problem for you. For $90 they will run a tune-up. Of course nobody will make a house call for these prices. Probably the technician is in India, but who cares so long as they fix what ails you at these prices. (emphasis ours)
From our current hours (9 a.m.- 11 p.m. EST soon to be extended more on that later ) to the fact that we have New England accents (except for Kieran who has that melodious New Zealand Accent) to the fact that we tend to mention that we are in Boston during conversation, it seems very had to believe that somebody using us would think we are in India. And there are a few posts here that suggest Boston.
Of course it could all be as Baldrick says, part of a cunning plan!
Posted by Peter at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)