Technology Vault - NewsBytes
Wednesday 31 March, 2004
247 File-shares Worldwide face legal action by turnitonagain @ 3:18 pm
Thanks to forum member zard for pointing this out (I would have posted sooner - but I am still learning the ropes!)
The 247 file-sharers are based in Canada, Germany, Italy and Denmark and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) warn that this is the tip of the iceberg. The largest number of lawsuits have been raised on behalf of the Danish Recording Industry Association, with 120 song-swappers in Denmark being targetted. As yet, no lawsuits have been raised in the UK.
The legal action concerns those people who are uploading (ie sharing) large quantities of illegal material and (as yet) is not concerned with downloaders - presumably as long as they don't share downloaded material.
According to the IFPI, punishments will vary according to the specific countries' laws, but if the case is settled, the guitly party can probably expect a hefty fine. This could constitute any thing up to "several thousands of euros for each individual".
These lawsuits have come just as research is published claiming that file sharing is not the main reason for the decline in music sales. Much as this research will not please the music industry big-wigs, I doubt it will shake their resolve much.
Tuesday 30 March, 2004
OpenOffice 1.1.1 Released by turnitonagain @ 3:18 pm
Thanks to forum member eggz for the info on this:
OpenOffice.Org 1.1.1, a bug fix release, is out. It has work-alikes for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, along with a vector drawing package, and basic HTML authoring abilities. While it doesn't have a direct replacement for Access, it can connect to, and use, a number of database backends (including Access files via an ODBC driver).
OOo 1.1.1 can open and save Microsoft Office files in their native format (.doc, .xls etc), and can also save to it's own open XML file format.
A couple of the more unusual, but incredibly useful featers include the ability to make PDFs from your documents easily (via a button on the toolbar), and for free (no Adobe Acrobat required), and the ability to export presentations to SWF (Flash) format for easy rich multimedia presentations on the web.
Download from the UK mirror (Win32 version)
Thanks again to eggz :)
Monday 29 March, 2004
End of an Era or a new beginning? by dad @ 9:17 pm
Sometimes we have to get a life. Some of us just don't learn though. NewsBytes Reporters are no exception - NewsBytes says Farewell to thecaretaker... Not Goodbye though! It's also "Hello" to turnitonagain - Reporter for NewsBytes
We've all become familiar with thecaretaker over the past few years - His undying devotion to driver updates and his anti-virus, anti-spam stories that's helped us all keep our PC's up to date. Not to mention his dedicated news-hound nose that's sniffed out many exclusive stories that would make the BBC green with envy! Sadly, his 'day' job, the success of his own web site "The Caretaker's Web Site" and his Wireless BroadBand Network Service has eaten up most of his spare time. Paul (thecaretaker) has to say goodbye to NewsBytes so that he can dedicate the time he spent on here to having something to eat now and again :)
Anyway, here's a few words from the man himself:
"I have decided to stand down as Technology Vault News Editor. The reason for this is two fold. Firstly, my own website has developed into a unique online community with many School Caretakers now writing the news stories, adding job vacancies, writing guides and newsletters, it's all taking a lot of my time to manage.
Also, my Wireless broadband project keeps me on the streets many evenings sorting users PCs out and connecting people.
With the sort of job I have with the hours I put in, I was finding it harder and harder to spend the time to give dad's news section the time it deserves. Therefore, I think it only right to stand down and let someone else take the Reins.
I wish to thank dad for letting me have the privilege of being a news editor at the Technology Vault. I have made many friends along the way. If it wasn't for this site, I would never have become friends with such people as Terry makedon at ATI who quoted my words at a new Catalyst launch in the US.
You'll not get rid of me that easily, I'll still visit the forums. I must get my regular fix of technology problem solving!
I would also like to wish turnitonagain the very best as your new news editor. I'm sure he will do the site proud.
Finally, I'd like to thank you, the reader, who had to read through all my many news stories. Especially all of you who tried to beat me to the AVG updates;-)
It's has not been an easy decision to make, I will probably miss it like hell. But there is only so much free time in a day and there is a limit to how much you can fit in that time.
dad and I will still help each other out no doubt and I will hopefully find more time to chat with you all on the forums. See you around!"
Look on the bright side Paul - You'll be able to eat with both knife and fork now - No more "Fork in one hand and the other hand on the keyboard" to type up those stories. See you on the forums ;)
But there's more! Forum member, turnitonagain, will be taking up where thecaretaker left off. So, if you've got any stories or juicy bits that you want to send us please email them to NewsBytes and he'll get onto it right away!
Best of luck to you both
Wednesday 10 March, 2004
ATI Catalyst 4.3 Available by @ 10:05 pm
Terry Makedon has just sent me an email to say that Catalyst 4.3, the third ATI display driver release this year is now available. This version improves Pixel Shader performance and adds some new features too. Here is what Terry tells us:
The third update of the year for CATALYST is available now. This time the driver gets updated to version 7.991 as part of CATALYST 4.3
New features
New features include Surroundview support for IGP products, and a new Rotation tab for RADEON products.
Performance improvements include
* The Pixel Shader performance of our DX9-class products has improved considerably with Catalyst 4.3.
* Halo and Tomb Raider framerates are up 3-7%.
* Shader-specific technology tests such as ShaderMark show gains in the region of 10-20% or more.
* 3DMark03's Mother Nature scene runs 2-5% faster across the entire DX9 product line. Our 3DMark03 Pixel Shader 2.0 framerate improves 7-15%.
* Aquamark 3 performance has also improved slightly, at higher resolutions.
* Setting the video resolution to 1280x1024 in the game Medal of Honor: Spearhead, along with Anti-Aliasing set to 2x no longer results in the main menu of the game not displaying properly
* Display corruption is no longer noticed when playing the game Aquanox under Windows XP with an ATI RADEON(tm) 9100 IGP series installed.
This issue is was known to occur when specific video options have been customized
* Running the game Hegemonia under Windows XP with an ATI RADEON 8500 series installed no longer results in all of the main menu options and the 3D textures in the background not being available
* The operating system no longer fails to respond when launching the game TrackMania with a RADEON 7000 series installed
* Background colour corruption is no longer seen when playing the game Armed and Dangerous
* Poor performance is no longer noticed when playing the game Homeworld 2 with extended desktop enabled or when Anti-Aliasing is set to 4x
* Visual corruption is no longer seen when playing the game Spy Hunter
* Setting the resolution in the game Enclave to 1024x768 or higher no longer results in display corruption
* The Windows operating system no longer intermittently fails to respond when playing the game Jedi Knight 2 with the display set to 1024x768 32bpp and the game option set to High Quality
* Windows problems are no longer noticed when playing the game Homeworld 2 in single player mode
* Texture corruption is no longer seen when playing the game Battlefield 1942
Terry also says that a new Linux version is also available.
Download them now
Sunday 7 March, 2004
EOLAS V Microsoft by bluetracker @ 3:03 pm
Thanks to Forum member EGGZ for the heads up
How to 'Break' IE and millions of websites in one easy move
No it's not a polymorphic virus...the answer is a lot less technical than donning the "Black Hat"... all you have to do is write and then patent a bit of source code.....charge peeps to include it in future ventures....if/when they don't cough up..SUE the user of your shiny patented code into submission!
Last year, an Illinois jury delivered a $521 million verdict against Microsoft for infringing on technology developed by a privately held firm, Eolas Technologies Inc. and the University of California.
So what? EOLAS = "Embedded Objects Linked Across Systems", an 'embedded object' could be anything and everything in between from a simple Flash generated navigation button to a full blown QuickTime movie.
This was quite a contentious ruling that was widely condemned at the time by the industry. As a result Intenet Explorer would be prohibited from rendering such things as Flash or Quick-Time or other embedded media in web pages. Why? Because deep within the bowels of it's source code it uses a routine penned by someone else...and of course as is the way of things...that bit of code is Copyrighted material of the writer.
In effect, by invoking the copyright, the holder of said copyright has the ability to glean coin of the realm from Microsoft, or at the very least prohibit the use of said code forcing a re-write of any program/utility containing same....unless the user has paid the writer for the priviledge. Still with me?...Ok....
The 'KNOCK-ON' effect should the Copyright infringement charge against MS be upheld, means it would ruin many websites already in exsistance, needing re-working of code from the ground up if IE users were to see the webpages as the author intended.
After the $521 million brickbat of last year, Microsoft dutifully announced it would be changing IE and 'tweaking' its Operating systems. This was in direct response of the decision, pending a ruling from the US patents Office on the validity of the patent IE was deemed to infringe upon (viz US Patent 5,838,906, granted in 1998, which protects the execution of remote code embedded in hypertext pages).
Again in light of the ruling last year a new Development resource was hastily opened by Macromedia to help Flash (and other Macromedia software) users rewrite their sites to overcome the likely IE shortcomings the courtroom decision created.
Various other 'imbedded' application vendors across the globe also prepared for the biggest upheaval yet to be witnessed on the Internet should MS be forced to rewrite IE to comply to the ruling. All now hinged on the US patent Office.
US Patent 5,838,906 has now been nullified by the US patent office in a rare but not unknown move... EOLAS has 60 days to appeal the decision, but in the mean time Macromedia has closed it's Development resource but shelved it for future reference should the EOLAS appeal happen and be then upheld.
MS also shelved it's plans to 'modify' IE, and the Internet community of Webmasters take a long deep much needed breath of air. Microsoft had always, and to this day still insist that the patent it was said to be in breach of was "invalid".
The ball is now back with EOLAS's lawyers, and we will have to wait to see if they are intent on spoiling the Internet experience for the millions of surfers who use Internet Explorer as their browser.
Whilst those worthies consider their options of appeal let's just have a reality break here.....and apologies if I'm in error in any part, but hey I'm just a guy who pays for the right to use software penned by others...The way I see it.....
While the Corporate 'Big Guns' stand toe to toe re-living their own rendering of an electronic High Noon once again...; Let them forget for a moment, just how many dollars they can/could leech from each other in their court battles regarding "Intellectual Property Rights" or "patent infringements" and spare a thought for the 'end user' ...just for once.
You remember us don't you?
Here are a few 'memory joggers' lest we be forgot........
We're the one's that have made you as financially sound as you are now, we buy rights to use your software made up of code written by a plethora of individuals each getting cash-money recognition for their input to the finished article and continue to do so each time that individuals contribution is used.
We're the ones who must abide by your EULA terms and conditions of it's use on pain of financial dis-embowelment via the Courts...or worse.
We're the ones who must dance to your tune and take it on the chin when some part of the code itself or the assembly of the software et al falls apart and your software develops a problem.
We're also the one's who wait patiently for you to release patches, to mend that we have already paid to use, but can't, because you would rather take each other to court than market software free of bugs and vunerabilities in the first instance.
We're also the one's who get our computers/networks 'messed up' by Black Hat Code 'jockeys' who frequently manage to remind the world of their exsistance and just how vunerable your wares really are.
You might then realise the reason why the Open Source software movement is gaining in popularity?....
Anyone remember the DINOSAURS?...
Remember why they died out?
They got too big, fought among, and killed each other and didn't see the Ice-age coming....any Corporate/Patent holders alarm bells ringing yet?
Nuff said.
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