If you don't get it, where have you been?. See this post.

Redmond, Washington— Investegators are trying to track down the culprit(s) who were responsible for slipping an unknown quantity of LSD into Bill Gates' drink.

It is believed that the crime was commited shortly before Mr. Gates held a press conference in Redmond earlier this week. The media event, scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted for several hours.

Witnesses say that the billionaire at first appeared to be very much himself, but soon became erratic and spent a lot of time touching his face and saying, "Wow, man!"

No charges have been laid at this time.

SCO is suing IBM for using Linux. They claim Linux is based in part on code from the Unix operating system that is SCO's intellectual property.

Unix was invented more than 30 years ago by AT&T's Unix Systems Laboratories, and the Unix ideas have spread widely since then. Linux works in many ways identically to Unix, making it relatively easy to translate Unix software to Linux.

AT&T sold the Unix intellectual property to Novell Networks, which in turn sold it to the Santa Cruz Operation. Caldera International, a seller of Linux, then acquired from SCO the Unix rights and two SCO products, OpenServer and UnixWare. Then last year, Caldera changed its name to SCO Group to reflect the fact that most of its revenue came from its SCO business and not from the Linux products.

Writer Mark F. Radcliffe has some interesting thoughts on the lawsuit:

Some unfortunate news regarding the "Star Wars Kid" (see this post). It seems that the family of the 15 year-old has hired a lawyer and is thinking about sueing the youth(s) that started a sensation when they posted the video to the internet. The only good news is that there are no plans to involve waxy.org in the lawsuit.

This lawsuit may be further complicated by the fact that the real Star Wars Kid has been found in India.

More browsers than you can shake a stick at.

Register now for the 3rd Annual Nigerian Direct Mail Conference. It will be held in November at the Abuja Sheraton Hotel.
Mad props to J-Walk

This video has nothing to do with anything. But, gosh darnit, it's funny as all heck.  (requires DivX codec for playback)

When your down and out, its nice to have good company.

I spent a few more hours on Gentoo tonight. I started from scratch and rebuilt the system. Although the install process is getting easy enough, but I still can't get my ethernet card running. No ethernet = no internet = no fun.

So I finally had to give it in for tonight. I should be doing a million other things, but when I rebooted into XP I looked around for some more information on networking with Gentoo. Funny enough, I ran into a weblog that is not unlike this one entitled dive into mark. I've stumbled onto this site before through web searches; it seems to be quite popular and covers a wide range of computer-related subject matter.

It seems that Mark tried his hand at installing Gentoo around this time last year. He also experienced difficulties with networking. Here is part of what he had to say about Gentoo:



Why should reading that make me feel better? What a strange phenomena!

Another odd thing I've noticed about myself: now that I've written about my plight with this darn o/s on this web log, I am absolutley deternined to see it through. Why won't I just give in and try RedHat or Mandrake or some Linux flavor like that? I mean, this all started around the time I wrote the post Linux the Easy Way!

Some days are easier than others, but then some days are Mondays.


I ended up working all through the weekend. When I got a chance, I stole away and worked on installing Gentoo Linux on my computer (see below). Initally, it seemed to go smoothly enough, considering that I didn't know what the heck I was doing. Then I configured LILO, but forgot to load its information into the MBR. FreeBSD Guru Tom bailed me out of that one.

So I was back up and running, but couldn't get my network card up; therefore, I couldn't proceed to do anything else worthwhile, not-the-least-of-which was getting X running. So there I was, running between computers, checking stuff on the net, recompiling my kernel endlessly, and getting nowhere fast.

Finally, I did something very wrong, for I rebooted and the system haulted and said something like: "ran out of data". So I started again, only this time I told LILO to load my stable kernel. Now it haulted with no error message at all.

So it seems that, if and when I get some free time this week, I will start from scratch. Well, at least the partitioning is already done.


If you didn't understand anything that I just wrote about, please do not be alarmed. I barley understand myself.



Meanwhile, I've been working on backing up/ reformating/ reinstalling XP and reconfiguring a computer for a client. This is my territory, no big deal here. At last I had every little detail working to his satisfaction; except for this one lousy program called Polaroid CSA Report Pro! What a piece of toejam it is! It would not install. Half way through installation, it would say that there was not enough free disk space (what? 25 gigs is not enough?!) and hault.

After some contemplation I realized that, due to the programs archaic nature and shoddy programming, it was trying to write files to the C:\ drive, even though it had been instructed to install to E:\Program Files (its a long story). And the company could not be contacted, as Americans were enjoying a holiday yesterday. I hope you guys had a relaxing Memorial Day!

So, I had to format again and do set up every last little thing again (only this time ensuring the destination drive received a C:\ label from Windows).

Incidently, this CSA Reprot Pro! by Polariod is supposed to be a real nightmare to work with. Its a 16-bit application, which means that it should have been exterminated a long time ago. My client is a realitor, and his organization has to use this software because someone, somewhere, decided that it is the industry standard.

Do Americans still use this thing, or do they just laugh at our Canadian realitors and take their money? I'm told that the same company has a new version with "32-bit Power" (ooooo!) for $US600 that works exactly the same as the 16-bit version.


Okay. I'm done babbling for now. Here are a couple of issues I run into a lot in the field:

Situation:
When you are composing an email, you would like to type the first few letters of the name of a contact in your address book and have their name Auto Complete for you.

Solution:
Open Outlook Express. Go to: Tools | Options | Send | and put a check beside "Automatically complete e-mail addresses when composing".

Conversely, you can deselect the checkbox if this feature drives you nuts.

Situation:
You are installing Norton AntiVirus 2002 and you get a scripting error followed by the question: "Do you want to keep running scripts on this page?". The program becomes unresponsive.

Solution:
Follow the directions here.

Well, here is a timely product! Microsoft has finally embraced open source software and is planning to ship its own version of Linux. The question is: will the geeks be appeased or outraged?

I am frantically backing up files (read: burning movies onto CD) to clear off my extra 20 gig hard drive. My goal: to install Linux and dual-boot it with it and Windows XP.

After mentioning in a previous post that I plan on installing Gentoo Linux, my friend Mike D. wrote in to say that he thinks I'm too dumb to accomplish this. Actually, he didn't say anything disparaging about my intelligence. He did, however, suggest that I start with RedHat Linux, which is well known for its user-friendliness and no-brainer installation process.

That may very well be a good idea, Mike. But as a direct response to your suggestion, I am now stubbornly determined to install Gentoo. Besides, its logo is way cooler than RedHat's.

My goals are in this order:

• get GenToo installed and working with my hardware
  
• get an MP3 player running (very important)
  
• install Mozilla and get to Blogger.com
  
• get some FTP client running (for uploading images)
  
• and back to wasting my time in order to waste yours.

The straight-jimmy is that if you don't hear from me for a few days, it means that I am struggling to get myself back online using the new platform. I will, of course, return eventually: either a geek triumphant or a deflated newbie begging for assistance from passing strangers.

PoochKiss.com— The problem with our business (web-development) is that, like Rodney Dangerfield, we don't get respect.

We think it started to happen when your neighbor's 12-year old kid started churning out websites. "Oh, you design websites? So does my son!" It also had to do with software programs that could allow anyone to churn out a website without having to know the code underneath.  more...

I never thought I'd say this, but:

Has anyone noticed that Google has really been sucking eggs lately? I mean, I'm not about to start using MSN or anything drastic like that. I hope it never comes to that!

Actually, according to what I've read on WebMasterWorld and the Google Guy Blog, Google is currently implementing some juicy new algorithms. As a result of these changes, and the time required to test the ramifications, they've pretty much skipped an entire month of updating. While I can still use Google to instantly locate something from, say, last year— I'm finding it more and more challenging to put my finger on recent material.

All of this is no big deal to my grandma, but then, she doesn't live on the internet. I DO!

Google is the center of my universe. Hey Google, keep up the good work. But try and pick up the pace a little, pleeeeeease!

What? You need proof?!


"We saved a bunny from a car park last week.
We shouldn't have bothered.
We don't have the bunny any more."

more...

Say what you want about Windows (I know that many of you don't need an invitation to do so); but let's face it: installing and running Windows is a walk in the park for most users, compared to the dark, geeky world that is Linux. I suspect that there are many who are interested in dabbling with the O/S, but who are just too afraid to go down that path alone. For those of you who are already quite familiar with the subject, please skip this article (unless you enjoy rolling your eyes at me).

First, a little background for those that may find it helpful.

Linux is a variant of Unix, a prehistoric operating system that, dispite its age, is still very much alive and useful. In the way that Windows has many variants (95, 98, XP, etc.), Unix and Linux also come in a great number of versions. Whereas Windows is made by one company (no need to mention their name), Unix/ Linux variations are produced by hundreds of different companies. What binds them together is the kernal, or the heart of the operating system. Beyond that, each variation is similar, although unique. Many different variations have been developed for specific goals: security, ease-of-use, stablity, etc. Each of these variants is refered to as a distribution, or "distro" in geek-talk.

You remember (or have seen examples from) the days when computers ran DOS and responded only to commands that were typed in? Well, that type of command-line interactivity is a big part of what running Linux is about. Having said that, there are dozens of graphical user interfaces (GUI's) available to run on top of Linux. When you run your Mac or Windows computer, you are limited to the GUI that comes with your operating system. (If you are still confused about what a GUI is, you shouldn't be: you're staring at it right now!). So, although Linux has traditionally had a limited appeal to those hardcore geeks, it is constantly becoming more user friendly.

The biggest barrier for most people is the act of installing Linux. It can be a scary process. It is not designed for dummies the way Windows or Macs have always strived to be. It usually involves partitioning your hard drive, which is beyond the comfort-zone a lot of users. The installation process also tends to ask dozens of questions that can be a real test of one's knowledge of hardware. And if you want to keep your current setup, and just install Linux off to the side to get your feet wet— well, it may not be that simple.

That is, until recently.

There are a number of Linux distros that have been developed to address these barriers. The idea with some of them is to give newbies some easy exposure to what Linux has to offer. If there is even just a little geekiness in you, I can assure you that it is very exciting to see a different operating system running on your computer. And it's even more of a bonus if, without too much effort, you can find yourself surfing the internet, listening to your favorite music and doing many of the same tasks that you generally do on your computer.

A couple of months ago I told you about Knoppix Linux, which can run off of a bootable CD and does not require any installation, repartitioning or special configurations. Basically, it is a Linux experience with no commitiment. Since that time I've switched computers, and I've been having better luck with a similar distro called DemoLinux (screenshot). I put the CD in the drive and restart my computer. Only it doesn't boot back into Windows; instead, I find myself on a Linux computer. That is, until I take the CD out and restart my computer again.

Recently, Fred Langa, venerable publisher of LangList Newsletter wrote an excellent article about such Linux variations. Langa reviews three distros that have a "small footprint"-- either they can be used without a full install, or they can co-exist with your current Windows setup.The most well known distributions of Linux that are designed with an emphasis on ease-of-use are RedHat and Mandrake. Another newcomer worthy of mention is Peanut Linux, which is small in size, preconfigured and designed for newbies. What's even more interesting is that it can be installed into a folder on a Windows computer (no partitioning necissary), and launched with a simple click from within Windows!

Did I mention that almost all the verisons of Linux you'll encounter can be downloaded and used for free?

Confused by all the choises? Don't be. The important thing is to grab one and try it out. You will encounter geeks who will swear up and down that one distro is far superior to all the rest. Think of this as the Ford/ Chevy debate and realize that the important thing is simply to learn to drive.

For my part, I have dabbled with Unix/ Linux far too little, although I've had an interest in these operating systems for some time. One of my plans for this weekend is to install GenToo Linux on my computer, to co-exist with Windows XP. I'm going to try GenToo on the advice of my friend Derek, who claims that this version of Linux has 3 stages... from newbie to pro. He says that GenToo's website will spoonfeed me through the install process, and then allow me to graduate to new levels of experience. Maybe someday, I too can hack into the Matrix!

At last! A place were people suffering from lockjaw can meet online.

Via defective yeti

Super Fast Computer does not use a web site template. I created the layout for this site by hand. I'm not bragging... its certainly no great feat. This site offers no dazzling design, no breakthrough layout ideas. Actually, my goal was just to keep everything simple and thereby put the emphasis on the content.

I certainly never would have thought that the colour scheme employed on SUPER fast COMPUTER would be interesting enough to be used on a web site called HARDCORE sexópata PUNK. Somebody else seems to think that it's a great combination, however, and they've proceeded to steal my design and implement their own content into it!  (Warning: mature content in Spanish)

Hint: If you steal someone else's web site and you don't want them to know, make sure you remove all links back to the original web site! Right now, if you click the page title, it still links back to superfastcomputer.com.

Hehehe! Busted!

UPDATE: My unchosen website beneficiary no longer links to me :( Oh well, at least he thanked me (in a sort of smart assed way) for my design. Anyhow, I finally found the link to an great site that has hundreds of examples of pirated sites. C'est la vie!

I am catching up on a few things that I've been meaning to post.



I am totally lagging behind a thousand other weblogs with this one, but for those of you who haven't seen the Star Wars Kid yet, watch this!  (Requires Windows Media Player)

Some kid used his high school's video camera to record himself busting some serious Star Wars moves. Apparently, he forgot to remove the tape, and some punk came along and posted the footage to the internet. Within days, this video was circulating all over the world.

Enter another nameless punk(s), whose talent is exceeded only by his/her/their free time, and voilà: check out the Star Wars Kid Remixed!

At the center of this story is Waxy.org, who seem to be one of the first sites to post the video. Waxy went on to raise some money to compensate the kid (who surely is somewhat embarrassed by his sudden fame) by buying him an iPod. Actually, they managed to raise 421 donations, totaling $4,334.44! Wow! I've got some embaressing videos myself. Hmmm....



In other news, for those of you that discovered the billions of groovy internet radio stations that are listed on TastyCat (see this post): I've been informed that the links I previously gave you are being phased-out and replaced with this database-driven link. There is SO MUCH good stuff here: check it out.



I saw the Matrix this week. I did not plan on reviewing it, and I'm going to make this short. It was good. Lots of action. Here are the highlights, from my (geek) perspective.

My absolute favorite scene was when the Nebuchadnezzar (Morpheus's ship) was returning to Zion. Do you recall Zion's flight control center? There was this woman who was sitting at a computer with a holographic display. She would manipulate arrays of data with her fingers. Oh, I could watch two hours of that!

After Morpheus addressed the people of Zion, they busted out into this mass dance/ rave/ moshpit. All I could think was, ewwww. I mean, all those dreaded guys flicking their sweat everywhere! And I mean please, I know they are exiled to a city miles within the earth's core... but can't they manufacture some sort of laundry detergent down there?

Finally, toward the end of the move, Trinity brought down the power of a whole city block by hacking into the Matrix by using Nmap on a laptop running some flavor of Unix. I know they have to appease the hardcore geek crew who make up a large portion of the first Matrix movie's cult-base, but didn't you find it a bit, well, un-futuristic that Trinity could defeat the defenses of the Matrix (AD 2199) with a few commands on a Unix box?!

UPDATE: Apparently I'm alone on this criticism. It seems that Trinity's exploit has generated quite a favorable buzz on the internet. Even The Register is commending the Matrix's producers for "the first major motion picture to accurately portray a hack." Right.



And finally, for those of you who have been reading Super Fast Computer for some time (or those who are bored enough to read the archives), you surely will remember the Computer Geek Goddess. Well, I'm prepared to give you an update.

She's back in Montreal, and doing very well, thank-you-very-much. It seems that she met a lucky bo in South Africa that may (or may not) be in her future plans. As for my marriage proposal, while she did not directly turn me down, the best that I could get out of her was, "Who knows? Maybe one day".

Have no fear: this is one geek that does not give up easily.

I received a request from a regular reader of Super Fast Computer to write an article about online privacy. Perhaps I shouldn’t mention his name!

There are many ways that you can be tracked and/ or identified when you are online. The good news is, unless you are a terrorist or a pedophile, there is not a lot to worry about. The number one thing working in favor of online privacy is the fact that there are so many millions of people online: anonymity through obscurity.

A lot of people don’t realize that every computer on the internet has a unique identification number, known as an IP address. This works exactly the same as your home address, which allows the postal worker to deliver the mail that you are meant to receive. To find out what your IP address is, check this site.

Dial-up users are assigned a new IP address each time they connect to the Internet. High-speed users generally have the same address for months at a time. This makes them vulnerable to attempts to infiltrate their computer. If someone wants to break into your computer, the first thing they need is your IP address. That is everyone, and especially people with high-speed internet, should consider installing a good firewall.

Every time you visit a web site, your IP address is recorded in the webmaster’s visitor log. Click the following button to see the visitor log of this site:

Likewise, every time you send an email, your IP address is sent in the header information of that email. This information is not usually displayed by default; consult the help index of your email program to learn how to view headers.

After you know someone’s IP address, you can find out (within a certain degree of accuracy) where they are. This link will reveal the location of a given IP address. Try putting in your own IP address to test it.

If you want to surf anonymously, there are many tools available, such as this one.

If you need to send email anonymously, or post to a newsgroup or mailing list, you should start by setting up a proxy, such as the one above. Then you need to find a good remailer: Check this list to find a reliable one. Actually, one can “daisy-chain” an email through several remailers, which makes your email almost impossible to retrace.

With the above method, the message is still unencrypted, so the super-paranoid will want to download and become familiar with PGP encryption.

If you are lazy like me, you might just settle for a disposable email address. Make sure that you use one that doesn’t make you register using your real contact information, and realize that your IP address is still sent with the email.

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of privacy. For more information visit The EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center).

It's a long weekend here in Canada. Happy Victoria Day, eh. A good time to review the following:

Are you tired of working? In need of a break, but you've just come back from one? Nap and Coffee is a small utility that makes you computer seem busy while you're not.

Configure how long you need your break to be, and what simulated task your comupter should be working on ("copying files", "scanning hard drive", etc.). A progress bar shows people around you that your computer is hard at work.

After I read this article yesterday, I found myself thinking about it all day.

Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) coined the term "Global Village" to describe how he envisioned that electronic media would unite all the peoples of the world into a collective consciousness. "Second Superpower" is a term that has emerged to describe very similar phenomena.

In the events leading up to the recent invasion of Iraq by the U.S.and Britain, the unforeseen international anti-war protests had a significant impact on military planning. While the media focused on the fact that there is only one remaining military superpower in the world today, the second superpower was none-the-less making its own impact.

The article also has some interesting points about how Google is playing a role in shaping the public lexicon.

In all, I find this article uplifting and inspiring on several levels. Here is the link again.

I have another old school time-waster for you today. For those who are familiar with Telnet, skip to the next section.

PART ONE:

If you are reading this, I will assume that you are not familiar with Telnet.

Telnet is a way of connecting to computers remotely. You can use it to log onto a web server and run commands, modify files, etc. There are many public databases and resources available through Telnet. I won't bother you to use telnet in the traditional way. Let's just do it the easy way. Click this link to log onto the U.S. Library of Congress telnet directory.

Now that you've got the idea, check this out.

PART TWO:

Here is the craziest telnet site that I could ever imagine. I won't even describe it-- it simply has to be seen.

PART THREE:

Telnet goes back to the very origins of the internet. If you are interested in learning more about the history of the internet, or how it can be used for calling other people an "asshat", check this out.  Via J-Walk

Hardcore lovers of Apple Computers will definatley NOT want to read this article.

Via Confessions of a G33k

When I pointed out to G33k that she doesn't have a single graphic anywhere on her site, she had this to say:


Faithful readers of SUPER fast COMPUTER know that I never miss a thing, and what I realized is, how much fun it would be to pull out Lynx, dust it off, and tear through the 'net with it. I know that you guys LOVE the nostalgic articles on this site. So here we go again!

For those too young (or too recently computer-endowed) to remember, Lynx was the browser before browsers as we think of them today. In short, Lynx allowed you to browse the world wide web from a command window (remember DOS?). Hence, there are no graphics. None. Furthermore, forget your mouse; Lynx doesn't know what a mouse is. You must navigate using your keyboard only.

Unlike those fat-ass browsers that require a zillion hours to download, Lynx relies on only two files. Save this file to somewhere convenient (such as your Desktop). Unzip it and look inside the folder. Now double-click lynx.exe and your surfing old skool style. No need to install-- it just runs like that.

Navigation: Press "g" and type a url. Use the up and down arrows to move around the page. Press "Enter" to, um, click on a link. Press "/" to move to a certain word on the page. Enjoy.

I'd like to draw your attention to some of the fine radio stations that can be found on the Internet Resources page of this site. If you have trouble listening, check the help section.

Dispite the efforts by legislatures in the USA, there is still a wealth of amazing internet radio stations to be found from around the world. You can find stuff from every music genre imaginable, plus sports, news, commentary, and geek stuff.

In paticular, if your musical tastes are a little on the eclectic side, you may find paticular delight TastyCast directories of streaming radio sites. Created by Tony Brooke of Silent Way, his motto is "fostering inspiration through technology". Yeah! He has the streams organized into three categories: Funky Chillin' Beats, UpTempo and Eclectic Picks. Not only something for everyone, but something for everyone's every mood.

Got an amazing radio link that you can't live without? Share it in the comments section below.

Join us in the new Geek's Forum, the latest addition to the SUPER fast COMPUTER site. This is the place to exchange ideas and tips for all things related to computers and the internet, and to get help. Once people start to use this resource, moderators will be needed. Please sign up now!

Those who have signed up for the SUPER fast COMPUTER Newsletter, please don't fret; I publish it occasionally, and the occasion may occur any day now!

I didn't realize that Mac users couldn't watch (mostly pirated) DivX-encoded movies, until now. This news will surely make Mac's more fun.


Of course, there has been a version of DivX for Linux for some time.

Incidentally, as I do not have access to a Mac right now, it would be great if Mac users could send me some screenshots of this site (so that I can see how everything looks). Please make a note of what browser you are using and send them to me. Thanks!

The latest news and rumors surrounding Google's purchase of Blogger, the "web log" service that powers SUPER fast COMPUTER:


Blogger Creates New Platform
Google To Fix Blog Noise Problem

This is awesome!
And this is interesting:

We all have our frustrating moments with computers. What could be more of a stress reliever then to watch a video of some office worker kicking the heck out of his computer?!

Many have probably already seen this video. I know that, for myself, I never get bored of watching it. Over and over.

Turn your speakers on! Watch it, or right-click and save it, here.


Note: I anticipate that some webmasters may want to link to this video from other websites. If you can, please download it and post it to your own server. Either way, please link back to this site. It can be as easy as the adding the following code:

Found via <a href="http://superfastcomputer.com">SUPER <i>fast</i> COMPUTER</a>.

I heard that this was coming down the pipe about two years ago. Now we finally get to see a picture of it.

ScientificAmerican.com—"For some people, nothing can replace the joy of cracking the spine of a new book or spreading the Sunday paper across the breakfast table. But researchers hope to one day replace traditional ink and paper with electronic displays that bend and fold like paper, yet can also be erased and reused again and again. A report published today in the journal Nature moves scientists one step closer to electronic newspapers and wearable computer screens. It describes a flexible electronic ink display just three times the width of a human hair that can be viewed from almost any angle.

The new display is comprised of a thin-film transistor (TFT) array, which can impart both positive and negative charges to different areas of its surface, and an electricity-conducting layer of clear fluid. Within this layer are millions of tiny capsules of black and white pigments that respond to charge. Thus, a negative voltage on the TFT causes white particles to move to the surface while a positive one moves black particles to the top to create the appearance of print. Yu Chen and his colleagues at E Ink Corporation report that the display can be bent 20 times and rolled into a cylinder with a diameter of 4 millimeters without compromising its performance."

The only magazine that I currently subscribe to is 2600. It's not a glossy magazine, and most of the articles are contributed by readers. I do not read it because I want to "hack" into people's computers, nor do I think that such behavior is cool.

As the editors of 2600 are quick to point out, the media is always exploiting the term "hacker". The original meaning of the word was simply to describe someone that approaches computers with an insatiable curiosity.

When using a computer, there are many times when we run into walls of what is possible. You may want to perform a certain task in a certain way, but find that you can't. A normal person would simply accept such restrictions. A hacker is that special person who will spend extra time to find a way. Most people are content to use computers for daily applications: send a few emails, type a document, balance a spreadsheet. A hacker does all of these things, but also seeks to understand how they are possible, what makes them work, and how to get around the limitations of the hardware and the software.

Someone who breaks into a computer to steal information, invade privacy or perform malicious acts is more appropriately referred to as a "cracker".

I enjoy reading 2600 magazine not because it is especially useful. I enjoy it because I find its articles stimulating, fascinating, and apt to open up new realms of technical thinking that I cannot find from any other source. Beyond the technical, I appreciate the spirit of the writers as independent thinkers, purveyors of free speech and challengers of the status quo.

The 2600 website is, in my opinion, overdue for a renovation. It looks ugly. It does occasionally have some interesting news on the front page, and there are some archived radio broadcasts for online listening.

If you are a serious geek, look for this mag on the newsstand, or subscribe.

TightVNC is a great platform-independant remote access application. If you don't know what remote administration tools are, you should start by reading my previous post on the subject. In short, these tools allow you to easily log into and control another computer over a network, or over the internet.

After I did the last article, a couple of people suggested that I mention TightVNC. Well, now I am! They are correct in pointing out that the "Tight" version of VNC is optimized to run faster, as well as run on a variety of platforms. You can use it to control a Windows computer from a Unix/ Linux one, or vice versa. You can use it to control a Mac. You can use it to control any combination of these platforms, with the exception that you cannot control a computer from a Mac yet (unless you run OSX, which is basically Unix, of course).

Programs like this are very handy. I will use it from a clients house to log into my computer to check some information, or to email myself a file. At home, I will log into my living room computer to crank up the music. The possibilities are endless.

TightVNC is absolutley free. If you would like to download it, go to this page and look for the appropiate download for your operating system.

A lot of consumers are still wary of purchasing DVD recorders, and for good reason. There are many competing formats on the market, and possibly more on the way.

I talk to people that are interested in purchasing a DVD recorder, but are fearful that the format they settle on may become obsolete in a year or two. The benefits of recording to DVD over CD-R are such that, if you have a few bucks, I still encourage people to go for it. In my estimation, the trick is to look for a drive that has flexibility in the formats it can work with. Here is a quick guide to current DVD Formats:

The RIAA should sit up and pay attention to this:I find it facinating that Apple has entered into a new market and generated more sales from the word "go" than the major record lables have managed with thier half-assed attempts at the same. Perhaps they should spend less time trying to fight new technology and music distribution methods through litigation and accept the fact that the world— and their industry— is rapidly changing.

When I first started running Windows XP, I had heard all the hype about being able to add new themes to the o/s. The way I look at it is, if I'm going to stare at something for hours every day, I don't want it to be gray. A little colour never hurt anyone. Heck, look at those eternally perky Apple users.

To my disappointment, it turns out that while XP has native support for themes, it is a bit more complicated than just going to your Display Properties and swithching. You either need a third-party theme manager, such as StyleXP ($19US); or you need to do a little hacking of your XP installation.

The good news is that once you do that, you can choose from thousands of free themes from sites like ThemeXP.

The option to modify your XP installation to support Themes for free is the way to go— if you're an 'advanced user'. I have done it several times myself, but to be honest, it sometimes takes me a few attempts to get it right. If you are a bit squeemish, you might consider creating a system restore point before beggining.

If you have Service Pack 1 installed, download these files. Otherwise, grab these ones. In either case, you will find the instructions in a text file.

Oh, and one more thing: I've had these files on my computer for a while, and I can't remember where I got them from. Please be aware that you may proceed at your own risk.

My favorite themes are Longhorn (screenshot) and Corona (screenshot).

Don't let the last article get you down! Why not just download an entire album with little or no effort?

In the comments section of this post about downloading movies, Eric Suhvinghen of Omaha, Nebraska recommended using an app called Soulseek. He claimed that it allows him to download an entire album of music at once. This evening, I gave it a whirl, and I'm here to tell ya: it is really as easy as Eric says! What's more, Soulseek straight-out-of-the-can has no pop-ups, no spyware, no scummy nuthin'.

I did notice that there was some copywrited material available on Soulseek. Please be careful not to download any of that: we don't want to get our friends at the RIAA any more upset than they already are!

Download Soulseek here.

 

'Stop it' Pop-ups Threaten Music Swappers

Check out how desperate the RIAA is getting in its efforts to stamp out online sharing of music:

VNUNET-- The US entertainment industry is using pop-up messages to threaten users of peer-to-peer (P2P) music download systems.
Upset at the recent setback in their legal fight with file-swap software firms Grokster and DataStream, industry associations have adopted instant messaging technology to warn music fans logging on to P2P download sites that they are breaking the law.

Thousands of people have received the unsolicited message which reads: "When you break the law, you risk legal penalties. There is a simple way to avoid that risk: DON'T STEAL MUSIC."  more...

Interestingly, they are-- illegally-- violating the term's of KaZaA's user's agreement in several ways by targeting other users and spamming them.

While they are probably not curtaling many file-sharers from trading songs, they are certainly making news headlines. I recall that when Napster was in the news every week, the result was that millions of people downloaded the application and dicovered the wonders of file-sharing. By the time the RIAA managed to shut Napster down, hundreds of decentralized clones were ready to take its place.

Fortunatley, the "Recording Industry" will soon be but a memory, and artists will distribute their works directly to fans over the internet. Yes!

03 May 2003  |   permalink

 

What is Blogging?

If you are new to this site, chances are that you found it through www.blogger.com. Blogger is a pioneer of the blogging community, and is one of the most popular tools that allows anyone to publish a blog. A lot of people, however, are still asking, "What is a blog?"

Blog is a cute abreviation for "web log". Basically, it is an online journal that can be used for any variety of applications. This blog focuses on computers, the internet, and related topics. Other blogs will cover a wide range of topics. Many are simply online diaries that provide a vehicle of expression. Blogs are used by individuals, companies, community organizations, and special interest groups.

What all blogs have in common is that they are updated regularly. New items appear on the top of the first page and are dated. Older items are moved into an archive.

Some of the most popular blogs can be found on this list.

Blogging, although still in its infancy, is catching on like wildfire. It has produced phenomena that has impacted culture, politics, news distribution, and internet activity. It has certainly impacted my life: I waste a lot of time to waste your time reading this. I find it quite rewarding, however, and I certainly encourage anyone with or without web design skills to consider blogging as a way to share your interests and ideas with the world.

Watch a great PBS report on blogging here.

Bloggers: Use the comment link below to leave a link to your blog, with a brief description... and explain what motivates you to keep at it.

02 May 2003  |   permalink

 

Verifying DMI Pool Data

Now that I have thousands of intelligent and knowledgeable people visiting this site daily, I'm going to put a question out there that has been plaguing me for years.

Many computers, as they are starting up and just before the operating system starts to load, will display the message, "Verifying DMI Pool Data..."

What the heck is DMI Pool Data?

A Google search turns up all kinds of information about what to do if your PC hangs at this point in the boot up process. I am curious, however, about where the term comes from and what exactly it refers to. I've seen a heck of a lot of computers that display this message while booting up. Well?

01 May 2003  |   permalink