Xp Sp3? Really?

It seems that Windows XP Sp3 may be on the way after all.



Article here.

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OpenOffice now has a virus. Gotta hate that!

Microsoft is always being beat up for its office vulnerabilities.  Well, not it's OOo's turn.  Read article here.

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Dells Informational Blog

http://direct2dell.com/

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Linux on a Dell - This is a great thing for Linux, but what about you?

I have been a proponent of Linux for years.  My only gripe is gaming.  I understand there are workarounds such as virtual machines and Wine, but gaming on Linux is almost non existent due to the game developers resistance to venture into the Linux world.  But for a normal desktop to surf the net and do productivity software, Linux is perfectly fine.  Would I suggest my parents buy a Linux Dell?  No.  Would I buy one?  Maybe.



Dell's decision to sell computers with Linux pre-installed, is a great thing for the user community, Linux, and Dell.  I can see nothing but good coming from this.  Linux gets more of an install base, driver support from hardware manufacturers will be pressured into becoming more reliable and the drivers themselves will become better.  User now have a choice.  Linux or Windows.  For those that want to venture off into the wild blue world of Linux, you can do so now without the struggles of having to install the OS and drivers.  For some this is a big deal.  Dell will sell more computers.  This probably wont become a cash cow anytime soon, but they will sell more computers because of this.



Anyway, enough rambling about this from me.  A nice article from the desktop Linux website here.



Wishing I could game on Linux - TMS

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I cant say it enough.....UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE!!!

Here is a good example of the majority of users.  Read the comments too.  Amazing.

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Click here to get infected!

I dont think I have clicked on 3 banner ads in my entire life.  I hate them, they are annoying, intrusive and place spyware cookies on my machine. (I have them blocked but they do try)



I have often wondered who and why for banner ads. They must be profitable as they are still here and are proliferating almost every site you visit.



Someone decided to do a test with Google adwords.  He even states in his ad that you will be infected with a virus!  Guess what? 400+ people have clicked it!  Hello!



Article here.

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Microsoft Office and OpenOffice

Although I use OOo (Open Office .org) on a very limited basis, I do support the product as a viable alternative to Microsoft Office.  Microsoft and OOo have both been pushing to have "open" standard document formats to better allow ineroperability between competing products as not all companies and consumers use the same office product.



OOo uses ODF with is the industry standard document format.  Microsoft uses Open XML and has tried to make it an industry standard.



The article linked is about Microsoft supporting ODF.  This is a good thing folks!  Article here.



OOo, Ahhh, Ahhh, Ahhh - TMS

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Microsoft denies Vista being the lasst 32bit operating system

But theres a catch.  More here.

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Vista and Ready Boost

Vista is capable of using a flash drive as a storage area for frequently used programs so they can be started faster.  Most people have been skeptical about this and I have yet to see any real data on if this actually works.



ComputerWorld decided to put it to a small test and see if it actually worked as claimed.  Article here.



Readyboosting through my day - TMS

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Vista SP1!!! It lives!!!!

Too bad this is in German, but......



Article here.

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I am sure by now...

Most of you have heard that Microsoft claimed that the open source software community had violated 200+ patens.  This isa small rebuttle from OpenOffice.org



Article here.

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Anything and everything u wanted to know about Vista Volume Activation

Article here.

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Upgrading is how I have always build my systems

I have never really gone out and purchased a new system.  I tend to upgrade my way through the evolution process to a bigger faster now machine.



Microsoft's EULA (End User License Agreement) states that if you upgrade your motherboard, you have to buy a new license.  Hmmm.....  I do that about once every two years and have never purchased a new WindowsXP cd.  Am I a Software thief!



More info here.

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Linux running from the web. Cool!

OK, I will admit, I didnt read the entire article, but I wanted to post it anyway.



Read it here.

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Funny, I have thought this all along.

I have never bought into the iTunes thing, nor have I ever really wanted to download a movie to my PC.  I prefer to buy a DVD.  Well it now seems that everyone else is also thinking that iTunes is not the godsend of portable music and video.



More here.

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I cant believe this! I would be livid!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/05/13/faked.attack.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

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Ah, good ole Vista. I still havent bought my copy yet. Wonder why?

Read more here.

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UAC - another article, but this time a positive view

Article here.

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r u standing in an angry manner?

Are your arms crossed all the time?  Do you tend to look away when talking to someone?



Body language says it all.  Try to improve!

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Too long between posts, oh well

Maybe it's because I have had too much going on at work and home, or maybe it's because I was feeling sick with a sinus infection, or maybe it's because I am lazy, or maybe it's because i sit in a small claustrophobic cube at my office!!!



I don't know why, but here is a cool article about ceiling height and how it affect a persons ability to think.



Article here.



Thinking outside the cubicle - tms

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Funny I find this article!

I just finished setting up MediWiki at my office for us to use as a knowledge base.  I work in desktop support and we are always calling each other to "remember" how to do something.  For example, I have printed out instructions on how to remove and re-install TCP-IP in Windows XP.  I for the life of me cannot remember the registry area that I delete the Winsock and winsock2.  Now, instead of calling a coworker to read it off for me, I can go to another workstation and print a copy to use.



Anyway, enough of me babbling.  Article here.

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U think they would charge the owner the bus fare?

Article here.

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I really like this site....

You may find me linking to this site from time to time, but I suggest you just bookmark it and read it as your daily bread!  Lifehacker

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As I said earlier about XP SP3 and XP being fazed out - well read this and then u decide.

Article here.

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Vista boot times and shudown times are not what MS claimed they would be!!!! OMG!

This doesn't surprise me.  Microsoft is touting the blended Hibernate/sleep for shutting down a system.  I have yet to get that to work on my machine here at the office.  Not that I shut down often, as I don't, but I have tried to accomplish this on several occasions.



Anyway, article here.



Always booted - TMS

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XP to go away faster than we probably want.....

I have read a few articles about sources close to Microsoft stating that the MS giant is going to phase out Windows XP before SP3 even makes it out the door, therefore SP3 will not be available.  I don't place too much stock in this as Microsoft has to answer to corporate demand, and from what I can tell corporations are not breaking the door down to get Vista.  I know we aren't.  I don't even have Vista on my machine at home.  Yet.  :-)



More info available here.



Happily computing - TMS

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Google is helping my little state!!

We have been hearing rumors for months, but this is the first time I have actually seen a real article about it.  Google is going to build a data center in my home state of SC.  WooHoo!



read more here.

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I find that this may be true for a consumer based market, but not for the corporate world

My company will probably not adopt Vista until 08.  There are many reasons for this.  A new OS is still unproven, waiting for a while to adopt, the OS will have gone through many patches and updates.  When we do adopt, we will be implementing a more secure and more robust OS.  We also need time to build our products to work with the new OS.  There are many changes in Vista that affect a variety of programming languages and implementations.



With all that being said, I personally don't see the rush to get Vista on my desktop at home.  I have found that Nvidia drivers are still, to this day, not the greatest.  For me that is crucial, as I game on my home machine more than anything else.



Anyway, read more about the demand for Vista here.

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Wireless Encryption broken!!!!

Anyone that has setup their home based network using WEP as their wireless encryption might want to reconsider this and change it over to TKIP or WEP2.



Read more here.

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Tahoo Mail offers unlimited space so they can get people to use it!

I haven't use Yahoo! mail in a very long time.  It hasn't changed much since I used it last and by them offering unlimited space doesn't make me want to either.  Too much spam.  Just like my Hotmail account, too much spam!  I use my Hotmail account for two things.  MSN messenger and signing into Microsoft sites for beta's and such.  Nothing else.  I use Google Mail instead for everything else.  Their spam filter is far superior than any other web based email that I have found to date.



Anyway, if you didn't already know and have a Yahoo! mail account, you now have unlimited space.  Don't know what your limit on actual email size would be, but as far as total space, you don't have a a limit.



gmailing - TMS

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I’ve not jumped on the Satellite Radio band wagon just yet.

But I might! The more I read about it and the more the technology improves, the more interested I am. No I am reading that Sirius is buying out XM and potentially offering custom subscriptions. This may be all I need to make the plunge.

Read more here.

The music industry and CD sales, when will it stop?

Here we go, blaming digital music for the slumping sales of CD's. Guess what? They are right! One day the music industry will actually embrace the digital world as a whole.

More here.

Happy with my e-music. TMS

Using Word 2007 to post this entry.

Not sure what this will look like or if it will be formatted, but I am giving it a try since I have not been able to use my other tools lately.

I like this guy!

http://news.com.com/2010-1027_3-6163766.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news

Fair Play and why it exists, Actually a good read

Ever wonder why apple sells it's music with DRM? This is a great article that gives good indepth knowledge about how and why Apple is using DRM.

Article found here.

HUH? What? Oh sorry, I was sleeping

Yeah, been a few days since I posted.  sorry about that.

Anyway, I bought a new PDA this week.  I had a Palm Tungsten E that was a couple of years old and did not support wireless, though it was color and had a decent processor.  I wanted wireless and the ability to do Windows networking.  After much debating, I decided to get a Dell Axim x51.  It's the second best Dell offers, as it doesn't have the video memory/card to play games.  I don't feel the need to spend an additional 100.00 for those features.  As with any new device I am still learning all the things I can do with it.  So far I have successfully connected to my works network wirelessly and surfed the net.  I was also able to connect to my home network and surf the net.  But I am having problems connecting to network shares.  Still working on that.  :-)

Anyway, to make a long story short, I am enjoying my new PDA. 

Happily computing - TMS

Microsoft Vista's UAC

I hate it.

With that being said, let me explain a little.  I now have Vista Business installed on my computer at work.  I decided to give UAC one more chance, not sure why, but I did.

After having to respond to several prompts just to delete an icon, I realized that UAC has not changed since Beta 2.  It's is poorly implemented and, in my opinion, sucks.

Microsoft is now touting that UAC is not a security feature.  Well if it's not a security feature, what is it?

Read more here. 

DRM, did I ever tell you that I hate it?

:-)  European Exec's, don't like it either.  Read more here.

Cool Tool

If you are looking for a cool tool that will give you some neat in depth info about your system, then look no further than CPU-Z.

Installing Ubuntu as a VM

For those of you who are interested in linux but dont want to go all out and install it on their machine as a dual boot, then this could be a solution for you!

Read article here.

Again, another music download story

BUT, this one has a different tale.

Read more here.

A more indepth look at Nvidia and why we don't have real working drivers.

I still do not understand why it took them so long to start working on drivers!

Article can be found here.

Ubuntu, and Linspire come together

As I have previously stated, Ubuntu is my choice for a Linux desktop.  I currently have it installed at home.  I dont know how this deal will work out in the long run, but it sounds like a decent idea right now.

Read more here.

Who would have ever guessed?

http://security.itworld.com/4337/070207itsabotage/page_1.html

Bringing my uzi to work - TMS

This may offend, but....

I am so damn tired of the Government trying to protect myself from myself.  If I want to do something that endangers my life needlessly, then that is MY CHOICE.  I don't need the government telling me that I cant do it.

Article here.

Stupidly wandering off the cliff while listening to my Dell DJ.

I have to agree with this

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/top-10-reasons-why-movie-downloads-suck-234981.php

RIAA says CD should cost more not less

Read this article first.

I personally feel that if you want a CD, then buy the CD from the artist themselves if possible.

Microsoft is at it again

I have always thought that when broadband did come our way and grace our home with fast internet access, that I wanted to create a small home server using Windows Server 2003 to control my home network. 

Well it seems that Microsoft thought that people would do this, so here comes the Home Server from Microsoft.  Read their Blog here.

Google Mail for everyone!

Google Mail (Gmail) has been my primary email for about 2 years.  I find their spam filters excellent, and the ability to retrieve mail via Outlook a major selling point.  Other free email services offer POP support but I don't feel their spam filters work as well, and many don't even offer POP support.

But now to the point of the post.  Gmail is now available to anyone who wants an account.  I suggest that if you are looking for a good alternative to your ISP's email, Gmail should be high on your list.  Another bonus to using Gmail, is that if you ever change Internet providers, your email address does not change. 

Get Gmail here.

Gmailing -  TMS

RIAA is hated by everyone, including the courts

I say this because I feel it's really true.  Consumers don't like the RIAA because they want to impose restrictions on how and where they can listen to their PAID for music.  Artists dont lke the RIAA because it makes it difficult to distribute their music to the fans, and takes money out of their pockets.  Courts also are not to fond of the RIAA because they waste time and money sueing people for copyright infringement and then cant prove it, or sueing dead people, or people that do not even have computers.

I just read another article about the lady that has taken on the RIAA and won.  She is now going to get her legal fees paid for by the RIAA.  It's about time the courts helped the little guy.

Read article here.

Nvidia tries to come back and explain, but I find it lame....

Read about it here.

Microsoft's rebuttal!

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10877_11-6156413.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=tr%5c

My point exactly

http://www.flexbeta.net/main/comments.php?catid=8&shownews=23123

Am I allowed to rant one more time about Vista? Please?

I was able to get my hands on a copy of Vista Business upgrade.  I decided to take the plunge, one more time, into the Vista abyss by upgrading my XP Pro at home.  This was, btw, a real valid non beta version of Vista, and I wanted to see if it truly was worth my time and efforts to upgrade and stay with Vista as my primary OS.

As I had stated before, my personal experiences with Vista have been mixed.  I really like the look of Vista.  Yet there are things I really dont like, such as UAC (User Access Control).

Anyway, I decided to "upgrade".  Vista actually give you the option to install clean even if you are upgrading, so I took that option.  It renames your old install to Windows.old.  So I would be able to get my favorites and outlook data file if needed. 

After all was said and done, I think Vista is still a very pretty OS.  I also think it's rather stable.  But there are still problems with various hardware that I have installed.  I dont blame Microsoft for this, I blame the hardware vendors. 

I have been playing with Vista for over a year.  If I was a major hardware vendor with products that thousands of people use everyday on PC's.  You bet your ass I would be making sure my product works with Microsoft's new OS!!!  I find it baffling that major players like Nvidia, still, cant produce a WHQL driver for Vista.  They have had 5 years to develop one! 

Small companies I can forgive to some extent.  Like my Razor gaming mouse.  I emailed Razor, several months ago, about Vista drivers and they said they didnt even have beta drivers yet.  Forgive them if Vista is still in beta, but not now after Vista is out.  At least provide some semblance that you are working on creating drivers for Vista.  I have not found anything on their web sites, yet.

So back to XP Pro it was for me.  No more artifacts in my games from crappy Nvidia drivers.  No more crappy mouse movements due to non existent drivers/default drivers.

XPing, again - TMS

I really like this blog! Check this guy out.

http://www.istartedsomething.com/  (from previous post also)

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Sorry for not posting much lately, but this is great and I had to share it! http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070206/more-vista-exploits/

Confusion ensues!

http://www.flexbeta.net/main/comments.php?catid=1&shownews=22975

Lost...But not completely!

Linux

Its strikes fear into most Microsoft tech guys.  At least it did me for a long time.  As much as I wanted to understand and play with this OS, I found myself frustrated and lost when trying to get video drivers installed, a newer version of Firefox, or trying to get my sound card working.  For a windows tech guy that has worked in windows for over 10 years, this was very frustrating.  I must point out that this was a few years ago, looking at RedHat 6 and Mandrake 8.

Today I feel Linux is must better with hardware support.  This is a great thing for people like me that wants to try something different.  I have installed Ubuntu a few times and it has only had problems with one piece of hardware.  My winmodem.  This I can completely understand.  The modem was designed to run under Windows, hence the name winmodem.

Broadband is on it's way to my house, and when I am able to get online with broadband, I will have another go at Linux.  Maybe try Open SUSE this time.  :-)

Another article about Linux being a great replacement for Windows XP and even Vista here.  n-joy!

Desperately seeking alternative computing - TMS

Wait! Dont buy Vista.....yet.

As I have said before, Vista isn't all that......yet.  This article pretty much sums up my feeling about Vista.

potentially a linux fanboy - TMS

WiFi - I didn't know I was so ignorant. :-)

WiFi is something that has pretty much become the standard of today's networking for home users and public places.  Heck some towns offer WiFi through out downtown, free to the public.

One of the new fads out today in WiFi is the new draft N.  Personally I don't suggest someone to go out and buy a router that is designed for draft N, as it has not be finalized.  When it is actually finalized, your equipment will need to be updated with new firmware.  For most home users this is not something they want to undertake.  Therefore, I choose to recommend the defacto standard of 802.11 a/b/g routers and cards. 

I recently read a very good article that prompted this article and the title.  If you didn't know much about the WiFi world, you will after reading this article.  A great read for those that thought they knew WiFi and those that want to know!!  Read article here.

Linux - The next real desktop OS

Now that I have used Microsoft's Vista operating system for a few, I have found myself looking elsewhere for a new operating system.  I do feel that Linux is the answer.  Even more proof that Linux is becomming  a mainstream competor is that fact that it is being used on mobile devices.  Motorola has a new phone coming out and itis running Linux.  See article here.

I have decided to try running Ubuntu at home as my main desktop OS, the only disadvantage is that I like to play games and in order for me to do that I will need to run a windows emulater called Wine.

alternately computing - TMS

Spyware....I hate it

As most of you probably already know, spyware is the #1 treat to users when surfing the net.  This article talks about the most poliferated spyware of 2006.

It seems that most of the calls I get from home users that are having problems with their computer is a result of spyware.

I decided to list several ways to avoid spyware, it actually very simple, but most people don't know where to begin.  With this being said, lets get on to the good stuff...

1. Most spyware found on systems is in the form of cookies.  Cookies are small text files that get placed on your system from websites.  They are normally intended for good.  They are used when shopping on the Internet, they hold your "shopping cart" info.  Websites that require a log in use cookies to remember who you are and automatically log you into the site by reading the cookie.  But there is a bad side to cookies.  Banner ads also place cookies on your machine.  These cookies store info about you!  That way the advertising company can find information out about you and potentially send spam emails and pop up ads to you based on the sites you visit.  To avoid this type of exploit is pretty simple.  Open Internet explorer and choose Tools from the menu.  Then choose Internet Options.  Once the Internet options dialog appears, you click on the privacy tab.  Now we will adjust the way Internet Explorer handles cookies.  Click on the advanced push button.  In the Advanced Privacy Settings window, make the following changes.  Check the Override automatic cookie handing checkbox.  Then select the Always allow session cookies checkbox.  Make sure the radio button for Accept is selected under First-party cookies.  Then make sure the radio button is selected for Block under Third -party cookies.  Click on the OK button. Then click on the OK button once again.

2. Next lets concentrate on removing the Internet waste once you are done surfing the Internet.  Open Internet explorer and choose Tools from the menu.  Then choose Internet Options.  Click on the Advanced tab.  Scroll all the way to the bottom and check the Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed checkbox.  Click on the OK button.

3. Now we can learn a little about toolbars for Internet Explorer.  First off, you don't need them.  So the easiest way to avoid email spam and Internet Explorer pop-up windows is to never install IE toolbars.  Second, I am not saying that all IE toolbars are bad but very few are good.  Therefore, the best practice is to not install them at all.  I understand many of them promise to block popup's but in reality they produce more.  Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7 have built in pop-up blockers.  It is turned on by default and works well.  If a site tries to open a pop-up page, Internet Explorer will show a pale yellow bar across the top of the window stating that a pop-up was blocked and offer choices for you to allow or keep blocking the pop-up from that site.  Ultimately it is still the users choice to continue to block pop-ups, as it should be.

4. Anti-spyware software is also a great way to avoid being inundated with Internet Explorer pop-up windows and spam emails.  There are only a few that I would personally recommend.  Windows Defender being the best of the bunch at the moment, second would be Ad-aware SE, and third Spybot S&D.  All of these tools are free and provide realtime protection against spyware infection.

As my final state, I just wanted to say that in order to be fairly safe from spyware, follow the above instructions, and when installing downloaded software, actually LOOK at the screens prompts.  Some include things like Gator (spyware), but offer a check box to deny installing.  So practice safe surfing and enjoy all that the Internet has to offer.

Safely Surfing - TMS

Got a secret?

http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/mg19325865.500

Another MPAA article

http://torrentfreak.com/mpaa-caught-uploading-fake-torrents/

Another reason I dont like Apple

They are too much in control, and one day could be like Microsoft.  They probably are like Microsoft in the digital content world.  Read on here.

For those that are just dying to get their hands on Vista, please read this.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=402

I want one

http://www.oqo.com/products/index.html

Looks like Apple is in trouble aready on they new phone launch!!

Here is the "real" iPhone

Here is the articlwe describing what happened

Glad I'm not Apple!  TMS

The new thing everybody wants, just like the Razor used to be......cool

Article here.

still liking my new Samsung.  TMS

A ringtone for the kids

In my "older" age, I guess I will not be able to hear this new tone.  I find that a good thing.  One of the things I hate most is hearing a cell phone ring.  I have mine on permanent vibrate mode.

Article here.

Silently hearing my cell ring.  TMS

It's My Birthday

OK, I tried looking up the little song by Verne Troyer on the Geico commercials, but found that alot of people had done the same thing, so in my efforts to be slightly different; I decided to not include that in my subject line today.  :-)

Anyway, Yesterday was really my birthday.  So now at the ripe age of 42, I have to say that I am very satisfied with my life.  Not sure I would ever get to this point, as I struggled much as a young man.

Also, Happy New Year to all!

n-joying life, TMS

Anti-Microsoft

I guess with any monopoly, there are always the haters of those monopolies.  Microsoft is considered a monopoly, and they have their shares of haters.

BadVista.org is one of them.

lovin Vista myself - TMS

Robot Rights

Anyone watch the move Bicentennial Man?  It starred Robin Williams and was a really well done movie about robots and the rights as a self aware individual.

Well maybe one day this concept could become a reality!

The BBC wrote and article on the rights of robots in the future.  You can read the article here.

Very self aware - TMS

Paying for gaming lessons, what?

I think I’m getting a little old.  As I am reading my daily sites, I find an article about a 15 years old gamer that is charging for lessons.  Intrigued, I read the full article on Wired.com.  Though the article was very well written and kept me interest throughout, I am baffled at how serious people take gaming these days.  I enjoy playing games probably more then most 41 year olds do, but would I actually pay for lessons?  No. 

Maybe  I am too old for today’s generation.  I would like to think that I am hip or cool.  I can relate to my kids very well, understand their quirky nuances and I feel that I am rather open minded about today’s "different" looks and styles.  But to me, gaming is fun.  It's a way to blow off steam from the work days frustrations,  to get away for a few and leave the real world behind.  It's not a serious adventure.  I don’t care that I get beat by the computer or a 15 year old kid. It's still fun to lose myself in a game for a few. To actually pay someone to teach me how to play a game better and become an elitist?  No, I don’t think so.

You can find the article I read here.

Trying to keep a good perspecticve.  TMS

deader than a door nail

I know deader is not a real word, but it fits.  My computer started hard locking while I was playing my one game.  LOTRBFME.  Then it started not wanting to boot cleanly, hard locking during the loading of Windows.  Eventually over the next day or so, it just would not boot at all, not even POST.

While all this was happening, I decided to load ASUS probe and watch the temps of my system while I was gaming and such.  What I noticed was my CPU reaching it's temp threshold while I would be in the middle of gaming.  I have a Intel 3.0 ghz Prescott that has been the earmark of stability since I put it in a few years ago.  I feared the worse.  It was dying from over heating too many times.

Newegg to the rescue!  I bought a new CPU, waited over the Thanksgiving holiday for it to arrive. and when it did, eagerly replaced my dead prescott.  No POST.  :-(

Newegg to the rescue!  I bought a new motherboard.  I had a ASUS P4P800SE that I have had for about 4 years, originally purchased with a 2.4 ghz prescott.  I guess it was old and tired.  O purchased a ASUS P4S800D-X which looked to be about the same mobo but with a SIS chipset insetead of an Intel chipset. Bliss!  I now have a new 3.0 ghz prescott cpu and a new ASUS mobo.

In all this hoopla of finding the bad guy, I now have a good 3.0ghz prescottt CPU.  Since the mobo only cost 53.00 from newegg, I think I will buy another one and upgrade my stepsons older AMD system. 

happily computing - TMS

OK when is stupid just plain stupid?

The MPAA (Music Picture Association of America) is planning to try and push congress to pass a law that would make home users with home theater systems to "register" their theater system and pay a $50 fee.  More details here.  Totally retarted.

Wathcing movies in the privacy of MY home - TMS

Alternative OS on new machine = refund?

Apparently if you choose to use an alternate OS such as Linux and decline the EULA for Microsoft Windows on a new machine purchased from a major play such as Dell, you should be inclined to get a refund for the cost of the operating system you purchased, but are not going to use.  Full article here.

alternately operating - TMS

Microsoft's Zune OMG!

Microsoft's answer to the iPod is Zune.  It not suposed to go on sale in the US until Tuesday 11-21, but a Best Buy did, and a few people took advantage or were taken advantage of!!  Read more.

tuning out the world - TMS

Found another great freebie

A few post ago I talked about a fre free programs to help your computing life, I found another antivirus program that gets great reviews.  If you dont have an antivirus solution yet, then check out Clamwin!

Amazing to me how fast

It's truely is amazing how fast hackers can hack their way into an OS.  Vista has not been released a week yet, and it's activation scheme has already been hacked.  Copy of the software is already available for download on torrents.

I understand that this is truely the most advanced operating system Microsoft has released, but with the cost of owning the OS in upwards of 500.00 plus, your average "joe" is not able to buy it.  Heck even I cant afford that kind of money for an operating system when Windows XP works just fine for me.  I have a feeling more young people will be downloaded pirated copied of Vista due to the cost.  If Microsoft had put the cost more in lines with XP (200 and up), people would be more inclined to purchase the OS legally.  Instead, they have put it in a price range that most people either cant afford or dont want to afford, the latter being my case.

Wishing I was rich - TMS

AVG Antivirus for Vista?

It appears that Microsoft is doing something a little out of character.  They are playing nice woth a third party vender that directly competes with Microsoft.

Hmmmm.....  Interesting.  Click here for article.

Cold medicine for Vista - TMS

Fake Science

Awhile back, I discovered the record label Ultimae records.  I had found a couple of albums by Solar Fields and Aes Dana that I really enjoyed.  After a little research I found Ultimae records and found a plethera of new very cool music.  While meandering around the Ultimae website, I read that they have directed music sales to Fake Science.  Fake Science is as they put it "Fake Science is something spiritual and unquantifiable - an alchemic equation, like the i-ching or tantric sex. No one knows exactly why it works, but it does."  The guys that run the site are members of some of the bands listed on the site so they really have a good feel of the music they sell and the industry in which they work.

If you like downtempo/Chillout/Ambient Trance music, you really need to check out Fake Science.  I dont think I have seen anything for sale there for over 5 dollars.  All albums are downloadable in .zip format and contain very high quality MP3's.

Chilling out - TMS

Outsourcing

Corporate America as I see it..........

Not too long in the future, unemployment in the US will be HUGE.  Just you wait and see.  I say this not without any underlying basis of proof.

Why will the US be unemployed?  Heres why....  Many companies are outsourcing business.  This helps the company financially.  Outsourcing in itself is not a problem, as long as the outsourced labor is still kept within the US borders.  When the outsourced labor is shipped over seas to countries link India, Malaysia, Pakistan, and so forth is when we have problems.  Why you ask again?  With companies sending work to foreign soil, that is work that could be done by an American citizen.  Example:  I work in a company that is doing just that.  They are outsourcing work to India.  When a person leaves the company or is let go for valid reason, we no longer hire an American.  We hire an Indian from India, who works remotely from India.  They are paid considerably less due to economic reason in their particular country.  Cost of living being much less and not having to provide insurance are a couple of reasons.  That is not such a bad thing from a financial point of view.  The company is saving money and therefore more profitable.  But when the company gets greedy, as mine has, they take it to another level.  Instead of just replacing jobs with overseas labor, jobs are actually being lost to over seas labor.  Meaning American people are being laid off so the company can hire cheaper labor.  Not only are these people being laid off, but in many cases they are asked to actually TRAIN their replacement from over seas!!!!

OK most people are thinking, "That sucks" and "OK whatever".  I did too until it started to affect my coworkers and me.  We are currently facing our jobs being sent overseas.  We are even asked to provide assistance to our "replacements" if needed.  All while the company is planning on reducing the US based staff of 7 down to 4.  There is a problem with this that goes beyond financial savings for the company.  First and foremost is quality of service.  I work in a service oriented industry.  Users call a helpdesk when they have problems on their computer.  My area provides the support.  What has happened is all software support is now being handled from India.  Meaning an end user here in the US may have a problem with Microsoft Office.  No longer will they get a "real" human to talk to and relate to, they will get a person on the phone that has trouble with the English language and cannot physically visit that person’s desk to resolve the problem.  Second and probably more important is that another person in the US is in the unemployment line looking for a job.

That person may be me in the near future.

standing in line - TMS

I can't help it

I am a music lover.  99% of the music I have is legally purchased, I admit that there may be a song or two that I really dont know where I got it from and probably cant tell you when I received them.  But, the RIAA is becoming a laughing stock of the music industry instead of what they want to be.  A feared force against illegal music sharing.

Another article here.

Freebies from Microsoft!!!

Microsoft has released several freebies to help your computing life.

Windows Defender is Microsoft’s answer to spyware/malware.  It is one of the best and is free!  If you do not already have a solution for removing spyware, or dont even know what spyware is, I highly suggest downloading and installing Windows Defender.

Windows Media PLayer 11 is the latest and greatest of Microsoft’s Windows Media Player.  If you are still running the old outdated media player 9, then you should upgrade to 11.  Too many new features to list.  Those of you on media player 10 probably won’t notice too much different.

SyncToy is a nifty tool for synchronizing folders between your computer and a different computer or external HD or even a network share.

Windows One Care is Microsoft’s answer to the ever popular Norton and McAfee.  It's still in beta, but worth the download if you do not have antivirus and spyware protection.

Of course let’s not forget Internet Explorer 7.  As mentioned below, IE7 provides a far superior internet experience than any of Microsoft previous browsers.  Get it.

Happily downloading new software....TMS

Free software to help your computing life

I am writing this article because many of my friends and colleagues do not know that there are many free alternatives to what most people call "essential" software.  Things like MS Office and Antivirus.  There have been many articles written about this and I am sure there will be many more.

Anyway, on to the article......

I have always been a proponent of free software.  This dates back to the early 90's when I was first getting to PC's heavy.  I have always tried to help the small guy that would release his software for free in hope of getting feedback and make it better.

Times have changed, and the free software available today has changed.  There are now companies that have fully developed, very finished products that are free for personal use.  This is great news for those that wish to save a few dollars and still have decent software that is comparable to the big guys that charge mega bucks. 

The first free alternative I want to talk about is Open Office.  Open Office has been around for many years.  It will open the most current MS Office documents with the exception of the Beta Office 2007.  If you are used to MS word and MS Excel the window views are very similar.  So for a great alternative to the extremely expensive MS Office, give Open Office a try.  You may find yourself saving a bunch of money.

The second free alternative is the must have antivirus software.  there are three free candidates that offer great protection.  First would be Antivir Personal Edtition.  This requires registration via email.  They do not sell your email address.  It will perform automatic updates without user intervention.  Has a small enough memory footprint that it will not kill your machine.  There is also Avast!.  Avast! also requires registration.  But Avast! has a larger memory footprint than the others.  Still works great.  Lastly is AVG.  AVG is basically the same of the others, but does not automatically update itself, you have to initiate the update manually.  For some this may be a pain.

The third free alternative is Anti-spyware.  There are two that I like to use and they can be installed together if you find that you want that type of setup.  Spybot S&D and Ad-aware SE.  Both products clean spyware/malware from your system adequately.  Both have their advantages.

njoy and happy safe computing!

TMS

IE7 is it for you?

Internet Explorer 7, its here! I suggest you Get it!

Alot of people do not even know that are more then one web browser to view the internet.  Amazing as it may seem, I find this more true today than ever before.  More people are getting online.  People of all ages.

This weekend I went to work on fixing a router for a friend of my sisters.  The people have never had a computer before and bought a package deal from Dell.  A new laptop and wireless router and a DSL package from the local phone company.  These people were as nice as could be, but didnt know anything at all about the internet.  They use IE as it is what came with windows.  I am sure this is the case for many people.

Anyway, I would suggest getting IE7.  It's worth the download.

new blogging tool

I'm trying out Windows Live writer to see how it works in uploading and formatting entries into this blog.  It's still beta, but hey, the MS word plugin is not working well anymore, so lets try another way!

Vista again? When will he stop!

Windows Vista license agreement explained.  Again.  (

Article: http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_licensing.asp

Happy reading!

make me invisible please

Remember the Harry Potter movie where Harry get the cloak of invisibility handed down to him from his father?  Well…….  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6064620.stm

Really neat stuff!

Slow Saturday

Haven’t done much of anything today.  I did however, bring in the enormous amount of music CD's i had in my car to try and sort through them and determine which ones I truely listen to when in the car.  I counted them.  47 CD's.  Some in CD holders other stacked in a open space below my head unit (the stereo).  Okay, I admit that is a bit many music CD's to have hanging around in the car, and I also admit that I dont listen to all of them hence me bringing them into the house and sort through them.
I am a music freak, I love new music.  Notice the keyword, NEW.  I have, probably, over 1000 cd's in my collection, and this does not mean that each CD has one album, most of my CD's are mp3 CD's and contain more than one album.
It all started in early 2000.  I discovered MP3.com.  The now defunct website was a buttload of new talented artists trying to get noticed.  They posted their music on MP3.com for free.  I started downloading all kinds of music.  at the time, most of what I was getting was Downtempo/Triphop.  Don’t confuse Triphop with the now popular Hip Hop.  They are vastly different.  I am now a member of http://www.emusic.com.  I discovered them in 2003.  I pay $20.00 a month and get 90 downloads.  Most every month, I use all my downloads.  That is 1080 songs a year, and I have been doing it for 3 years.  You do the math.
Anyway, I hope to sort through my 30 + CD’s from the car and dwindle them down to approximately 15 or so.
Listening to my music.
TMS

bored

Slow days.
Waiting on nothing to happen.

WIndows Vista (a rant)

I finally did it. I finally went ahead and installed Windows Vista on my home machine as my primary OS.  With the release of RC1, I thought It would be a good idea to go ahead and take the plunge and see what it had to offer as a main OS instead of a dual boot thing that I never booted into.

I am impressed with the visual aspects of Vista; I am not impressed with the operation of Vista.  After searching the net and several trial and error runs, I finally have it to where I can operate the OS without 500 prompts to allow something.  It’s not a good thing when you have to respond to 3 prompts to delete and icon from the desktop.  3 prompts!  All I want to do is delete an freaking icon!

One of the most frustrating things I have encountered is trying to locate where functions that I normally like to use are now located in the new GUI.  I use the move to and copy to quite a bit, and these two functions are not available to me in the default GUI settings.  The normal file menus are also not visible in the standard GUI.  Instead Microsoft presents you with a new, and in my opinion, convoluted explorer navigation system that lists the favorites over the normal file tree on the left.  It took me a few times before I discovered that I could list the normal file tree over there by grabbing the slider bar and sliding it over the favorites view.  Now I am able to browse my directory tree and drag and drop files if needed without an excess of menu navigation and button pushing.

The forcing the use of certain applications is a major pain.  Windows defender, Security Center, UAC, IE’s phishing filter.  All of these I can do without.  I am a power user and know how to protect my system without Microsoft’s help.  I do not get spyware on my machine as I know how to manage cookies and how to not download crap.  I don’t get virus’s on my system from the same manor.  In Vista, however, Microsoft has decided to make it extremely difficult to disable the above items, in a since forcing the majority of users into using those applications whether or not they want them.  Windows defender continued to block the system tray icons for my etrust antivirus software.  I would receive a popup asking my permission to run them.  Then stating that I should allow the blocked programs within the Windows Defender application itself.  Well, upon researching this, there were NO BLOCKED application there to enable!!!  Therefore I was forced into allow the system tray icons every time the system booted.  If I disabled Windows Defender, the Security Center would then become annoying by telling me that my system was vulnerable and I should enable the Windows Defender application.  If I disable the security center, then I would get another notification stating that my system was not secure because I was not using the Security Center!  User Access Control.  Wow, let me see, where do I start?  It sucks.  It’s not nearly as nice as Linux.  As stated above, 3 prompts to delete an icon is way overboard.  Why would UAC even care if an icon was deleted?  Does not the Recycle bin prompt give you enough notice that you are deleting something?  Asking me for access to choose properties on My Computer, to open the services.msc, to open computer management, to open device manager, to install a game or any other application for that matter, and, I am sure not the last, for autorun to initialize on a CD I inserted into the CD drive!  How many times do I have to tell it that I want to do something?!?!?!?!  It reminded me of the game Mother may I.  I have since totally removed the Security Center, permanently stopped Windows Defender, turned off IE’s phishing filter, and permanently stopped the UAC.  I now have control of my OS again, and am able to do the things I need without constant bombardment from Microsoft.

OK, will all that said, I still have it installed, and for the most part pleased with the stability.  I find slowness from time to time when opening certain applications, but can still live with the operating system.   I can delete an icon and not be read the riot act.  I can install a game and also have CD’s autorun when they are inserted.  So for now, time will tell.

TMS
beating the keyboard

Fall is here

Cold weather is closing in fast.  The days are getting shorter now, and the nights are much cooler.  I know a lot of people like the fall weather.  The air is crispier, the sky appears less hazy and the sun is much whiter and lower in the sky.  It’s a time of change.  Leaves get their fall colors, rain is cold and heavy, and a fireplace provides evening warmth.  
Those are the things that I like, but I really don’t like the cold.  I am a shorts and t-shirt kind of guy.  I crave the sun and the warmth it provides.

Just gotta say it!

Go Braves!!!

Mommy can I have one too?

The beer belly!  Just want I always wanted!

Beer Belly/

Jobless Professionals

I think there would be a lot of jobless professionals.  

read here

WOW

WOW, this is a very interesting article.  Ever wanted to know how crooks get your private information?  Read here

Music

If you love music like I do, you have to have a good pair of earbuds…

CLick here for article

My Space

My space is evil don’t use it.
Read article