Technology Vault - NewsBytes
Wednesday 31 July, 2002
SPUDS by @ 3:23 pm
Have you ever wondered while eating your Sunday lunch, where your potatoes come from? Well now you can find out online from a new website.
It very serious stuff. If you enjoy organic potatoes and you have ever wondered where they came from or what farm grew them, you can now find out by entering the code written on the bag of organic potatoes at potatoinfo.org.
They call it the Organic Traceability Center and has been set up by Greenvale AP plc. It's easy to use and will tell you exactly who grew your potatoes. This unique service is also free.
The hardest part must be finding the Bag No. and the Retailer Code from your bag of potatoes.
Can I assume then, if your sitting eating your Sunday lunch and you find that the potatoes you are eating are covered in spots or has been eaten before you get to it, you can find the details of the farmer responsible and ring him up to complain!
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First DAB under £100 by @ 2:55 pm
Videologic have just released the first every digital radio to cost less than £100. It's called PURE EVOKE-1 and features a mono speaker (upgradable to stereo), mains powered portable design, solid constructed maple veneer with metallic front finish, stereo output for additional passive speaker box, line out for stereo record and output via separate amp and speakers and a RF input via F-type connector for supplied telescopic aerial or external feed.
Videologic tells us that this neat looking digital radio has an interface that includes DAB Band III, selectable display modes, station ordering alphabetically and by active stations, automatically stores your most visited stations, signal strength meter, one touch fast tune facility and 6 presets.
It's a pitty they had to make it mono which defeats some of the advantages of having a digital radio. Videologic have not said what the upgrade to stereo will cost.
The cost of digital radio equipment has often put people off buying it, but now, for the first time this digital radio may make people wake up to the advantages of digital radios sound quality.
The other good point about digital radio is that unlike the way digital TV went, digital radio still has the ethos of being free.
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Windows2000 SP3 available by @ 12:24 pm
Microsoft Windows2000 users can now download Microsofts latest service pack, SP3. The service pack isn't officially released until tomorrow but sites around the web have found out that Microsoft have already added the file to their servers. There is no main page until tomorrow but you can download them from Microsoft if you CLICK HERE
How anyone managed to find the url for this beggers belief. This is just one portal and as news spreads could get very busy.
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Tuesday 30 July, 2002
New website - Iconobloc by @ 3:28 pm
A new website has been set up which asks budding artists to build a sculpture on the internet.
You have to register with iconobloc.com and they will send you a daily email question. Depending on how you answer the question, your answer alters how the structure grows.
Each artist controls a single element or 'bloc'. A flash demo on the site shows newcommers how the project works.
Everyone has a chance of winning £20,000 in a competition by the supporters of the project Canon.
The website is intended for world wide use and offers 5 languages English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.
All visitors can look at the sculpture online and gives a list of the blocs submitted by country. At the time of writing this newsbyte, the UK was well in front with 53 blocs.
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New Via 4in1 BETA by @ 2:49 pm
Via have just added a BETA 4in1 driver version 4.41(a).
The folks over at Viaarena.com have just put up version 4.41(a) BETA of the 4in1 drivers. Viaarena tells us that this update adds an updated INF file and 430 beta AGP - for #400 chipset and 8X AGP support
I have not read any comments yet about this new driver so can give you no ideas about it's performance.
To download the latest VIA BETA 4in1 drivers (version4.41(a)) CLICK HERE
All 4in1 drivers are the same for all VIA chipsets and for all Microsoft Operating systems - Win 95, 98, 98SE, NT, Win ME, 2000 & XP.
If you need any help with updating your 4in1 drivers you can get help from the forums on our site or visit the Viaarena forum if you CLICK HERE
Remember These are BETA drivers and not the final release. Install at your own risk!
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Monday 29 July, 2002
Sky+ update by @ 7:08 pm
If you are a Sky+ customer, then you may just have noticed that Sky have updated your software and added some new features.
Sky Digital have updated the software for Sky+ customers today. Some of the new features will include an on screen warning when your remote control battery is getting low. Now that's something that could be very handy! You also get some extra manual control setting like the ability to record radio stations. The copy control now copies proggys in the same order as you input them with the blue copy button.
Although some of these functions seem pretty small, I'm sure they will be very welcome to Sky+ customers.
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GLExcess update by @ 4:36 am
The popular tech demo come benchmarking program GLExcess has just been updated to version 1.2.
If you have the original v1.1a version you can download a patch 0.45mb. A full version is now available with high quality sound at 19.1mb.
Bustard says: This one fixes some bugs and prevents (as much as possible) cheating on results.
You can visit his website HERE
I've always enjoyed GLExcess. If you like 3d demos then you will love this. Great 3d graphics and a stunning soundtrack. I think the thing that's always stood to for me, is with progams likes 3dMark2000/2001 is the enormous list of companies that had help MadOnion in it's making (shown in the credits). With GLExcess, it was written by one man (Bustard), and a mighty fine job of it he made too.
If you've not seen GLExcess, give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
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Friday 26 July, 2002
WindowsXP critical update by @ 9:07 pm
Microsoft have just released a critical update for WindowsXP running Windows Media Player. Download now to prevent a malicious user from running code of his or her choice on your computer.
Microsoft tells us:
This update, the "26 June 2002 Cumulative Patch for Windows Media Player," resolves several vulnerabilities in Windows Media Player for Windows XP (WMPXP). Download now to prevent a malicious user from running code of his or her choice on your computer. This item has been updated since it was released in June, 2002. Microsoft recommends that you install this item, even if you installed it when it was first released.
You will find Windows Update in the tools menu of Internet Explorer.
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ZoneAlarm Update by @ 7:06 pm
Zonelabs have just updated their popular free personal firewall ZoneAlarm. The new version comes with a snazzy new interface.
To update your existing version of ZoneAlarm, right click on the ZA logo in your tast bar and pick Look for updates or Get Update if ZoneAlarm has already searched. Zonelabs says if you are upgrading your version there is no need to uninstall it. Just make sure it's disabled when you do the update.
You will find alot of changes in this new version. The task bar logo flashes from bottom to top now and the control center has been completely revamped. It takes a few moments to find where everything is but be assured, it's all still there, plus some extra new features as well.
If you don't have a firewall you can visit Zonelabs if you CLICK HERE
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Thursday 25 July, 2002
MuVo by @ 5:19 am
Creative are about to release the first ever two piece cable-free MP3 player. It's small enough to fit on a keyring.
The deivice is in two parts. You use your fingers to slide the two parts apart to plug the MuVo Memory directly into the USB port on your computer. It's immediately recognised by Windows as removable storage so no cables are needed to download content.
Two versions will be available 64mb and 128mb ram.
With 128MB it can hold up to 88 times as much data as a floppy disk.
The device will be on sale at the end of August and should cost around £100.
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Nvidia's Chief Scientist gets award by @ 5:03 am
Nvidias's Chief Scientist and Vice President of Architecture, David Kirk, Ph.D., was honored by the ACM SIGGRAPH organization with a prestigious Computer Graphics Achievement Award for outstanding achievement in computer graphics and interactive techniques. The news was announced in a press release yesterday.
The press release goes on to say:
Since 1983, ACM SIGGRAPH has bestowed this award to just one exemplary individual per year. Dr. Kirk joins an esteemed list of past award winners that includes SGI founders Jim Clark and Kurt Akeley; Stanford University Professor Marc Levoy; Pixar Animation Studios Senior Scientist Anthony D. DeRose; and Adobe Systems Co-founder and Chairman Dr. John E. Warnock.
“This year, ACM SIGGRAPH chose to recognize Dr. David Kirk with the Computer Graphics Achievement Award for his key technical role in bringing high-performance computer graphics systems to the mass market,” said ACM SIGGRAPH Awards Chair Ed Catmull. “Over the last 20 years, Dr. Kirk has born out to be a significant force in the advancement of the state of the art in computer graphics and he shows no signs of slowing down.”
“I am very honored to be named to the distinguished company of the Computer Graphics Achievement Award recipients who have come before me,” said Dr. Kirk. “I feel fortunate to work for a company that has built an environment that attracts the world’s best engineering talents and fosters a culture of innovation and excellence. I am especially proud of the accomplishments of our technical team and gratefully accept this award on their behalf for the vast contributions we have made as a team to the 3D graphics industry.”
As chief scientist for NVIDIA, Dr. Kirk is responsible for defining the vision and the features for the company’s next generation hardware architecture. He has also driven development of the RIVA128™, RIVA™ TNT, GeForce™, GeForce2, GeForce3 and GeForce4 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) for NVIDIA. Prior to NVIDIA, Dr. Kirk was a chief scientist and head of technology for Crystal Dynamics, a video game development company. From 1985 to 1991, he was an engineer designing workstation graphics hardware for Apollo Computer and HP. A frequent industry speaker, Dr. Kirk holds 17 patents relating to graphics design and has authored over 100 technical publications on computer graphics and hardware. Dr. Kirk also edited the book, Graphics Gems III. Dr. Kirk holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also has M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in computer science from the California Institute of Technology.
You can read the full press release HERE
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NVNews hacked! by @ 4:42 am
NVNews hacked!
Newsbytes reported a couple of days ago that the popular website NVNews seemed to have gone down. It seems that their servers have been hacked. Visitors to their website are greeted by the following message:
nV News is currently under reconstruction after a malicious hacker attack. We're working day and night around the clock to bring you back this site and its forums. Please check back often for status updates. Thanks for your patience and understanding!
We're working on the installation of the vBulletin 2.2.6 forums.
Editor-in-Chief
Mike Chambers.
As I said in the earlier report, Newsbytes wishes NVNews a speedy recovery. I miss my daily injection of Nvidia based news:-)
When NVNews gets sorted out you can visit their homepage
HERE
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AVG update by @ 4:27 am
Grisoft have just updated their free antivirus software AVG. This update includes cover for a number of new viruses. Grisoft tell us:
Update 380 available. Added detection of new variants of Worm/Surnova, I-Worm/Yaha and trojan BackDoor.Optix. Also added detection of I-Worm/Symbolos, I-Worm/Wabbin, I-Worm/Wconn, Worm/Spear, I-Worm/Lavehn a W97M/Zacry.
- July 24, 2002 -
If you use the Outlook Express plug-in you should now see the following message at the bottom of your emails:
Version: 6.0.380 / Virus Database: 213 - Release Date: 24/07/2002
Always keep your antivirus software up-to-date, no matter what brand you use!
You can visit Grisoft's homepage if you CLICK HERE
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CDRW Drives... seen one... by bluetracker @ 3:44 am
So what apart from speed is new?
A recent review on CNET dishes the dirt on Vision Tek's Xtasy CDRW drive
We've all seen 'em come, we've also seen 'em go...those so-called fast CD burners.
As is often the case manufacturers trade off overall performance by exhibiting one highlight in their products to bolster saleability; whether it be straight burning speed/ reading speeds, sexy looks or whatever. The VisionTek Xtasy 48X CD-RW drive is one exception...or is it?
This burner it is said "..offers great performance in every area..." and no doubt features the required Corporate need to command the resources of "Joe Consumers" pockets.
"The Xtasy 48X CD-RW drive will prove a good investment." says the CNET review.
There is (also according to the review)a catch though...
To quote more from their review...
"Finicky but fast"
"With CD-Rs provided by VisionTek, the Xtasy excelled in CNET Labs' tests; it beat the best of the 40X/12X/48X clan on three out of four speed tests. The drive burned a 43-minute audio CD in only 1 minute, 48 seconds; wrote 400MB to a CD-RW in 5 minutes, 18 seconds; and ripped, or extracted, a 27-minute audio track in a mere 44 seconds. On the read test, however, the VisionTek Xtasy took about 1 minute, 51 seconds to install Microsoft Office 2000 Small Business Edition, trailing competing drives by about 20 seconds. The Xtasy also fully formatted CD-RW media in less than 2 minutes, as opposed to the 15 minutes that most CD-RW drives take."
Sounds fine to me...so where does this catch appear?...Surely 20 seconds isn't an eternity for installing a given piece of software via a drive that is essentially built to write media?
Apparently this device has a problem identifying and ultimately utilising various CD MEDIA disks.
Is this a new problem?
Far from it!
Many CDW drives today experience problems with the recognition of various types of CD disks currently on sale.
Even "Stand alone" PLAYERS have the same failing.
Priced at $159, the VisionTek Xtasy seems to be in the right price range for the product; then again "there is not much else in the box" (according to CNET's offering)
"an IDE cord, an audio cable, mounting screws, one blank CD-R, a software installation CD--which includes Ahead Nero Burning ROM 5.5, InCD 3.1, and Adobe Acrobat 4.0--and a 13-page manual. The instruction booklet covers only hardware installation and troubleshooting; you're on your own with the software. Fortunately, Nero's wizard-laden interface is easy to use and guides you through most CD-burning tasks".
It is unclear at this time though, as to availability in th U.K. of this bit of kit.
It would appear that the VisionTek Smart-Burn technology, is not all it could be; in-as-much as reliability is concerned.They tell us "Smart-Burn automatically checks media quality,...." then sets it apparently sets a limit to the applied burning speed to attempt to stop "Coaster burning", but this funcionality is dodgy to say the least.
You must use the correct brand of CD-R media. Ahh...daylight now dawns!
What this Media is , is not disclosed in the review; but it is fair to say that media suppliers will happily take your money in your attempts to find out just which brand will work on your newly purchased Vision Tek machine!
Who knows? If you manage to Strike it lucky and discover the media that the drive recognises, you can boast to your friends how fast you can write CD's etc.... if NOT......KERCHING! There goes another batch of coasters!
"Thank you...please call again!"
You can read the full review here
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Tuesday 23 July, 2002
Mozilla 1.1 Beta released yesterday by @ 9:43 pm
For lovers of Mozilla, beta version 1.1 was released yesterday.
New in this beta version (upgraded from the 1.1 alpha version) according to Mozilla is:
- Improvements to Arabic shaping which result in better layout of Arabic pages on Linux and other platforms without their own Arabic support.
- A bug was fixed which caused English text in text boxes to be displayed in the wrong direction on Hebrew pages.
- The JavaScript Debugger has gone through a major development cycle. It now sports a palette of nine views which can be rearranged within the main window, or docked in separate floating windows. It is also possible to create user defined views and commands directly with JavaScript. More details are available in the FAQ, newsgroup, or IRC channel.
- Distinct window icons on MS Windows for the different Mozilla applications
- Mozilla on Linux now has Fullscreen mode. (press F11)
- All Search entry points now your default search engine.
- Improved site compatibility and rendering.
- The tab bar now has a button for creating new tabs.
To view a full list of bug fixes CLICK HERE
To view more information and download this latest beta CLICK HERE
Remember, this is a beta version not a final version. Download at your own risk!
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New MSN Explorer by @ 9:22 pm
A new version of MSN Explorer is available for download from Microsoft. This new version is numbered 7.02.0005.2201.
MSN Explorer is Microsoft's all-in-one software that delivers everything you need to feel at home on the Web. E-mail, instant messaging, Web browsing, and more are integrated in a friendly program that works with your existing Internet connection, so get it today.
You can download this new version from Microsoft
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NVNews site problems by @ 9:05 pm
The popular website NVnews seems to be having problems. The site was down yesterday and today users get a security alert message which says:
'The name on the security certificate does not match the name of the site' and asks the user to accept the certificate by clicking yes or no to reject it.
If you click 'No' you just get a blank screen. But if you click 'Yes' you get the Administrators welcome screen provided by their host ensim asking if you are a site or user Administrator.
It's obvious they are having problems and we wish them all a speedy recovery.
I miss my daily fix of Nvidia related news, so come on chaps, put another penny in the meter (or should that be dime?).
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Drink Beer Every Day For a Healthy Sex Life! by @ 8:44 pm
Drink Beer Every Day For a Healthy Sex Life!
It's Official! Dr Pavel Zemek, based in Prague is advising men to drink two beers a day. He said "If men drink two beers a day they can stave off impotence."
Dr Zemek from the Czech Centre for Gerontology stated that his research shows beer can have a "powerful effect" in stopping the arteries becoming blocked. He added "On the basis of clinical tests we can say moderate amounts of beer lessens arterial sclerosis, one of the causes of erectile dysfunction."
But Not Too Much though!
He said: "Drink too much beer in one go and the positive effects are negated, but, as the saying goes, a little bit of what you fancy does you good."
And here was me thinking that plying *women* with drink was what improved men's sex life :)
Hick!
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Monday 22 July, 2002
Is antivirus software a waste of time? by @ 8:35 pm
This must be the question being asked by 1000s of computer users around the world who have been caught out this year with viruses like Klez-H and sircam. In a world with evermore sophisticated viruses, Newsbytes asks Is AV worth it?
Lets start of with a few facts. Most antivirus software uses a Signature-based scans. That means they look for the name of attachment files or emails and then decide if it's a virus or not. Only a handful of antivirus software use other methods to detect a virus.
This has generally worked well on desktop pc's. But the system relies on a number of peoples pc's being infected before the details of the virus are added to the list of names. But with some of the latest sophisticated viruses, they only need to be in the wild for an hour or so before they become an epidemic having spread to 1000s of computers.
The Klez-H virus showed how fast a virus can spread. It is now recognised as THE fastest spreading virus of all time after stealing the number one position from Sircam.
Not only does the traditional antivirus software fall down in this respect, but virus writters have become so clever that the viruses they write can now change their names, cover their tracks and disable desktop antivirus software.
Traditional antivirus software also has other drawbacks. It slows desktop pc's down and it has to be updated every few days or so.
With the advent of broadband internet access, it's even more important to keep AV software up to date. With the speed of broadband matched with the speed of spread with new viruses, it could be argued that .dat files should be 'always on' too. But that could cause a security risk on it's own.
To combat some of these problems and to protect major companies antivirus software is increasingly being used at the server end or firewall end of things. Some of the major AV companies offer all round protection firewall-level, gateway level, intrusion detection and denial-of-service protection.
Many ISPs now adopt AV methods especially with email which goes a long way to stoping the spread of viruses.
So, I'll ask that question again. Is antivirus software a waste of time?
Well, it would be really dumb of me to say yes. The Signature-based virus detection will still work fine with older viruses which are still doing the rounds. But if the sophistication of viruses increases at the rate is has over the past year, I can see the day when desktop antivirus software just can't keep pace and the only answer would be to protect users at the server end. In fact, the idea of an ISP offering protection to it's customers could be quite appealing. But could it ever be totally trusted? It would be nice to have my PC running at top speed all the time.
Although it's rarer these days, floppy disks and CDs can also pass on viruses and if you don't run desktop AV no matter how much protection an ISP could offer it would never pick up on these.
I have read on forums around the net that some people have already given up running AV all the time. But just load it up once a week or so, update it and scan their systems for any viruses.
It always amazes me how many people don't take antivirus protection seriously. The casual home user who only goes on the net once or twice a week who just doesn't bother or theose people who just don't know what AV or a firewall is.
The number of times I've heard (from my own family) I installed McAfee AV when I bought my PC 4 months ago, so it's up to date. They are just the sort of people that the virus writer must loves and are just what they need to spread a virus to epidemic proportions.
It's something to think about anyway.
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Sunday 21 July, 2002
JDBGMGR.EXE WARNING! by bluetracker @ 2:25 pm
HOAX WARNING!
Reports from around the net warn us to be on the look-out for an unsolicited e-mail that alerts the recipient to their machines being infested by a Trojan.
The body of the e-mail varies, but in each case it advises the recipient to delete a file from their system.
The file in question is JDBGMGR.EXE
Anyone receiving an e-mail telling them to remove this file should NOT follow the instruction. The file is actually a required part of a de-bugging component in Microsofts' Java.
The reports say that many people have submitted this e-mail to their anti-virus vendors as a potential trojan threat but it has been found to be a hoax.
It is worth reminding everyone that e-mails from unsolicited sources should be viewed with suspicion, especially when they tell you to delete files from your computer. Also beware of friends forwarding you the e-mail in good faith.
The installation of a good anti-virus program is always the best way of dealing with virus/trojan attacks NOT by deleting files by yourself.
On an anti-virus note, it is worth running your AV at least once a week, (I personally run a full scan at start-up every day) do a FULL SYSTEM SCAN as virus writers these days build into their efforts routines that can sometimes disable the auto-detection capabilities of anti-virus programs. Only by running a manually activated scan can you be sure that your system is free from viruses.
New viruses/trojans and variants are being found almost daily and therefore you should make sure that your AV proggy is equipped to deal with the latest threats by regularly updating it.
There are many FREE antivirus packages available for you to download from the WWW; among these is AVG from Grisoft which I have always recommended (when asked). Some companies also offer FREE online scans to remove viruses from your machine. One such can be found at the Pandasoftware site.
So you see there is no reason why protecting you computer should cost you anything but a little time downloading the various applications. The cost of NOT having any AV protection can be very much higher!
You can also keep up to date on all the latest Virus news by subscribing to your Anti-virus vendors newsletter (if they have one). A good source of info can be found in the Panda antivirus newsletter Oxygen which sends the latest breaking Virus news to your inbox free of charge.
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Windows Update by @ 12:16 am
Microsoft have added 3 new non-critical updates to users of Windows XP.
The updates include a fix for "Windows messenger becomes unable to use an internal camera issue with Sony VAIO", a fix for "XP search companion is disabled due to a directory coruption" and finally, "WIM access check receives local administrators SID" issue in Windows XP.
If you have problems with any of the above, go to Windows Update (available from the tools menu in Internet Explorer) and download the fixes.
I'm sure these will be included in Service Pack 1 when it's released sometime towards the end of the year (rumour has it that SP1 could still be available by the end of August, We will have to wait and see on that one!).
These update are non-critical and do not effect security.
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Saturday 20 July, 2002
R.I.P Billy Kemp by @ 11:53 pm
In what is said to be the first cyber grave, the son of Billy Kemp (James) who's father died two years ago had his fathers website address engraved on his gravestone.
James Kemp of Old Kilpatrick, West Dumbartonshire had his fathers website address engraved on his fathers gravestone. You can see a photograph of the gravestone on the Billy Kemp website HERE.
The website has pictures of his father at various stages throughout his life. Billy Kemp was a popular figure, he was a civil servant, local councillor, founder of the Old Kilpatrick Summer Camp, organiser of the Old Kilpatrick Gala, Community Council member (including secretary and chair) and a host of other things.
The website isn't finished yet, but it is a fitting tribute to his father's life.
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Friday 19 July, 2002
Unreal Tournament 2003 by @ 4:36 am
Nvidia has posted some screenshots of the long awaited Unreal Tournament 2003. UT3 features 30 new jaw dropping environments all volumetrically lit and up to 100 times more polygons than the original game.
The screenshots look very cool! Click HERE to see the screenshot and read about the game.
Nvidias description of the game is very much geared towards the graphics side but you do get a general idea what the new version is all about.
Let the Tournament begin!
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Tuesday 16 July, 2002
EMS Free Surfer update by bluetracker @ 9:33 pm
A new version of EMS's pop-up killer software Freesurfer is now available.
The version mkII 2:1:024 comes with enhanced sound support and free downloadable soundfiles, to replace the system speakers feeble alert when the utility "Stops a Pop-up"
Also equipped with cache cleaning application Washboard This FREE utility does exactly what it says on the tin!
No need to be plagued with pop-up ads ever again!
Download the application HERE
Microsoft's DirectX update by @ 5:47 pm
Microsoft have updated DirectX to version 8.1b.
Microsoft tells us that this update fixes the following problems:
DirectShow
Modifies kernel component stream.sys to correct failure of laptops to resume from hibernation as described in Knowledge Base article Q307207. This fix only affects Windows 2000 systems using a docking station having an attached USB camera.
Fixes a blocking issue in quartz.dll on Windows 2000 when running DirectShow in a service.
Corrects a boundary case in the MPEG-2 Demultiplexer where packets may be dropped. This condition can occur if the video stream packet size is an integral multiple of transport packet size. The fix is incorporated for all DirectX-supported platforms.
Direct3D
Fixes Direct3D-base screen savers, when the computer may be unable to enter standby or hibernation by using the timer in Power Management properties.
Fixes some recent game titles that use DrawIndexedPrimitive() API with clipped TL vertices.
Fixes flashing polygons/lines issues in some applications that used DirectX 8.0 DrawPrim(), DrawClippedPrim, DrawIndexedPrim() APIs.
Installation notes:
On Windows XP, you will need to download the latest Service Pack, or install the corresponding hot fixes. Please see Knowledge Base Articles Q321178, Q307207, and Q318507, for more information.
If you are running Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows Me, or Windows 2000, download the appropriate version for your system at right.
If you are running Windows 95, you should use the DirectX 8.0a runtime.
DirectX 8.1b, which provides the latest update to the DirectX technology, will overwrite any earlier versions.
Because it is a system component, the DirectX 8.1b runtime cannot be uninstalled after installation without reinstalling your operating system.
Please read that last bit carefully "the DirectX 8.1b runtime cannot be uninstalled after installation", so only update it if you know what you are doing.
If you don't have any DirectX problems, then leave well alone. This update only fixes a few small problems, it is not a major upgrade.
You can download the latest 8.1b version from Microsoft
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Monday 15 July, 2002
AVG update by @ 3:31 pm
Grisoft have just updated their free antivirus software AVG.
The file download is 879.2kb in size and a reset of your computer is not required.
If you use the Outlook Express plug-in, you should see the following message at the bottom of your emails:
Version: 6.0.377 / Virus Database: 211
- Release Date: 15/07/2002
Grisoft tells us that this update was added to include detection of three new variants of I-Worm/Frethem.
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Sunday 14 July, 2002
Microsoft's secret Agents by @ 10:23 am
Microsoft has a supported feature that has never been built into any Windows OS, has it's own dedicated website and hense has become one of Microsofts best kept secrets. What are we on about? Microsoft Agents. Well, to say it's never been built into any Windows OS is true, but in WindowsXP when you do a search, you get a hint of what I'm on about as for the first time Microsoft have tinkered about with adding some support although very minor.
What is Microsoft Agent Technology
Microsoft agent technology is used to show 3 dimensional character who are fully interactive. Microsoft first added this technology in 1997. The characters can speak to you, you can speak to them, they can change webpages and perform many tasks via third party software.
If you have kids they will love Microsoft Agent characters. They are a very good way of getting your kids to learn in a fun and involved way.
OK, lets meet the team
These are just a few samples of the many characters that you can download from the web. These are some of the most popular and commonly used.
    
Genie - Merlin - Peedy - Robby - James
Support for Agents
Microsoft Agent characters can be used in software applications and even on webpages. 1000s of websites use these characters and you proberbly didn't even know. The webpage will look on your system to see if the necessary components are installed. If they are not, the characters won't show. Mind you, better sites will ask you to install the components required.
From speaking clocks, reminders and teaching aids the list of uses for these characters is growing.
What do I need to show these characters?
This is the tricky part. Unlike many software programs, Agent technology uses a number of components and uses them together. It took a while for me to get my head round what it was doing, why I couldn't get it to work etc.
You basically have to install the Microsoft 'Text to speech engine','Microsoft's speech recognition engine','Agent component software' (the bit that makes it all work) and the characters themselves.
Finding and downloading all these components can be a bit of a pain, so, I've made it easy for you. I've put all the components into one single folder for you, if you would like to give it a try. And why not give it a try, it's great fun! The folder includes a readme with instructions and links for help (I am good to you:-)
You can download all the components from HERE. The file is quite large at 16.5mb but it's well worth it. Just open the folder up and double click on each of the exe files inside. If you prefer, you can download all the individual components yourself from the Microsoft Agent Website. All the component parts are free.
What it looks like
If you visit a webpage that uses Agent characters the pre-programmed character pops up. He can use baloon text to talk to you and you can speak to him using a standard microphone. The animated characters do all sorts of fun things, fly, perform magic tricks, read to you and lots more. The animation of most characters is very good. Here is a .gif image of Genie just saying hello...
Remember, this is just a gif image, the real genie does alot more!
The next image shows you Peedy speaking the time to you and the baloon text to his right types out what he is saying.
Peedy speaking the time and baloon text example
Links to Microsoft Agent enriched sites
You might want to visit the Microsoft Agent Homepage if you find you get any problems with it on your system. Microsoft also runs a Microsoft Agents Webring where you can find lists of websites that use or provide software. You can also download dozens of new characters.
My favourite website of all is a school website. This sort of technology is ideal to aid kids learning and the Kingsbury Online site is one of the best providing help to pupils with special needs. They also run a number of pages for pupils with touch pads who can't use their hands like we can.
One word of warning
The components are exe files. They don't add program folders but just add the components directly to your Windows system (so they cannot be uninstalled). So, I sugest that you do a back-up of your system or create a restore point before installing these components. Just in case things go wrong! Do this at your own risk!.
That's it!
That's it, just find yourself lots of website and software that uses the agent characters and have lots of fun.
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Saturday 13 July, 2002
VIP4 - The party is over by @ 6:52 pm
One of the most popular French demoscene parties 'VIP4' took place last weekend and the results and demos can now be downloaded. Newsbytes takes a look at this years entries and sorts out the good from the bad.
In past years the quality of demos from this party have been stunning. Alas, this year I think the quality has taken a dive. Must have been a bit too much wine, women and 'E's going on and not enough clattering of keyboards!
I've spent the best part of the day downloading ALL the demos from the party and apart from the first 2 or 3 placed winners, the rest are average at best.
The Results
In 1st place with 119 votes was Introducing Extensive Studio by Extensive Studio. The voters were right, this was about the best demo at the party. It's film like quality is very good though I'd say that haunting Arabic desert music has got to be the best part of the demo.
You are first greated by the films sorry demos logo screen which is very well done. Then that haunting music starts. Wow!
In between the opening credits you are greeted by a few stunning near photo realistic 3D images of the desert and of some power cables and pylons in the mist.
Desert scene - Opening credits
Electric pylons - Opening credits
After the opening credits the music changes more upbeat and we a shown a 3D stairway. But, just as you think the demo is starting, that's it. Far too short! With that sort of intro, after that sort of build-up you are left waiting for something special to happen, but it dosn't. Never mind, you learn to expect that sort of thing with demos, it's was still the best at the show.
3D rendered stairs and Sandstone
In second place was Dark Train by Deathless with 79 votes. Unfortunatly I am unable to show you any thumbnails as Deathless have disabled the 'Print Screen' key on this one so obviously don't want people to see their work of art.
In third place was 6th june 2002 by Syn[RJ] with 65 votes. This demo has various 3D scenes and yet again, I think it's the soundtrack that shines out the most.
6th June 2002 by Syn[RJ]
The other winners and scores are as follows.
4th Piece oF by Marshals et Mooncast with 55 votes
5th AlphaB by Damnez Team with 51 votes
6th 2 minutes by d'Oh! Crew with43 votes
7th St0pW33d!!! by WoodTower with 29 votes
8th Light by dlyr Li_Long Kala with 25 votes
9th Dinde by AABS 21 votes
10th Hot Space by Condense and Toaster with18 votes
My personal favourite (apart from the winner) was HotSpace which came tenth. This demo has a red and yellow BMW racing along a cliff road. Then an aircraft flies over the top of the yellow sports car, picks it up and takes it into outerspace. The BMW then spends time flying through space following markers and avoiding obsticles on the way.
HotSpace
Many thanks must also go to www.scene.org for continuing to support the demo scene and allowing mortals like myself to download and enjoy them.
Still nothing beats VIP2 by Popsy Team...
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Blueys’ week in review. by bluetracker @ 11:58 am
You may all have wondered why nothing of interest save a few driver updates and application patches covered by The Caretaker, have appeared in here over the last week? Well to be perfectly honest…Now’t much of import has really happened! Or we were never informed it had!
A few stories I have managed to dig up were, by themselves, not quite the earth shattering stuff you have come to expect of us, but still worthy of note.
Let us have your feedback on this endeavour as I could be persuaded to make it a regular in here.
I could always be bribed not to as well! Although any such requests MUST be sent written on the back of a ten pound note and have the amount of the bribe enclosed within the same envelope!
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We have the technology …and the cellphones
Toyota Motor Corp plans to develop a humanoid robot within a few years. (Now forgive me here but I thought we already had these. Y’know…the BT helpdesk crew!)
The reports say they will be aimed at providing assistance to the elderly and infirm and will be better able to communicate with people than similar robots devised so far. Oh well there goes my BT theory then.
One report suggests that to save all the cash invested…. give averyone a cellphone and you get an instant robot???
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Page three with the lights out!
The ailing US company WebMethods Inc say that $6.17 HAS to be saved by every employee every day seven days a week 365 days a year to rescue his or her job.
So come on you Guys and Gals, knuckle down and remember if you MUST take impromptu rest breaks in the loo; read your newspaper with the lights off! These cost-cutting measures also would prohibit the personal use of the Xerox machine to advertise your Assets via an open office window…shame!
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How to waste already depleted fossil fuel supplies
A Japanese motor team won the fuel-efficiency Shell Eco-Marathon race in the northern London suburb Corby on Thursday, completing 15.9 kilometers with just 4.836 cubic centimeters of gasoline. The fuel consumption translates into an astounding 3,294 kilometers per litre of gasoline, but still short of the 3,600-km-per-litre record marked in a similar race in Scotland last year. Good news for OPEC and Shell no doubt.
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BETA = Badly Engineered Technology Again!
For years we have seen Microsoft churning out their wares then a few weeks after the product has hit the shelves patches/fixes and updates have been issued because the product they were selling you didn’t work as it was supposed to. Well this week as The Caretaker has reported Microsoft have a new marketing ploy.
They have unleashed a BETA copy of Internet “Exploder” in advance of the full Service Pack 1 for their XP Operating system platform which they say will be released in the UK in August this year. They say its release is to enable testing of the product prior to the full SP1 launch. Sorry I did say a New marketing ploy I was mistaken! Well at least it is Free to download so peeps can’t complain when it turns their machines into a glorified calculator when they install it; and of course you HAVE to agree to the usual Get-out clauses in the EULA before unleashing it onto your system. You know the ones they appear in the FULL version releases as well!
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Is your ISP playing Cowboys or Indians?
Those nice people at Panda Software sent this to my inbox this week in their Oxygen newsletter
A recent survey carried out by Netcraft, which demonstrates that websites are more vulnerable than ever, due to recently reported problems with Internet Information Server (IIS) and Apache. The survey of 38,807,788 Web servers, which was carried out in June, reveals that 23 million websites - 59.67% of the sample analyzed – run under Apache software and 28.96% run IIS. Furthermore, 45% of these IIS sites support '.htr' file mapping, meaning that they could be vulnerable to buffer
overflow attacks when handling these files, even though Microsoft reported and fixed this problem on June 11.This Netcraft survey also reveals that the Apache vulnerability, which could allow an attacker to remotely compromise the server, has been patched in 6 million Apache web sites. However, over 14 million servers are still vulnerable, although the problem was reported on June 17.
Is your ISP’s Apache patched, or is it liable to attack by General Custer? Y’know there are a lot of Cowboy ISP’s out there! Ok …I’ll get me coat!
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Welcome to this month's Look Forward - we've got some great prizes and deals for you. Enjoy.
My “Pick of the bunch” given my current relationship with the ISP.
When Btinternet changed it’s name to BTOpenworld (Christened by some, including myself BTOpenwoe) It splashed a new look homepage onto the web and also launched a free newsletter for subscribers entitled Look Forward then advertised as a means of supplying us customers with information regarding what BT was going to do in the future as regards it’s internet activities and services. (It’s all in the name y’see Look Forward Geddit?) Anyway after the first issue or two the Look Forward to BT’s future endeavours diminished and was replaced by a tacky advertising blurb for use by BT’s partners who happen to have items for sale under various titles. Within this months issue you can get “Rod Stewart” concert tickets or “Win a Freelander” but you won’t find any news about future innovations to REPAIR their rapidly declining standards of service.
I refuse to simply ‘un-subscribe’ from this newsletter and thus save space in my inbox…my reasons are clear…ONE day they MAY actually use Look Forward to do what it was intended to do… INFORM it’s customers about it’s future plans rather than provide another platform for vendors to ‘get in your face’. Let’s be quite candid here, the default BTOpenworld homepage is looking like an excerpt from Exchange and Mart or EBay already…do we actually need any more adverts? I think NOT!
Enjoy your week-end!
Bluey.
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Nvidia leaked 3030 drivers by @ 11:40 am
A set of 30.30 unified drivers have been leaked from Nvidia. Newsbytes has tested them out.
Thanks must go to Zebedee who posted about the availability of these leaked drivers from Suma. I had read about these and the 3020 version but wasn't aware anyone had made them available.
Well, in time honoured tradition, I've downloaded the WinXP version and given them a little test. Rumour had it that Nvidia had made some changes to the Antialasing of these drivers but apart from an extra option on the OpenGL tab in the control panel (which I had problems with), I can't see or notice any other changes at all.
I gave them the usual 3 tries with 3DMark 2001 and I find them a few points slower with my Geforce3 and doing the default test. But not slow enough to worry about.
I found that games like my MSTS trainsim seemed jurky. But this may have been that the system hadn't settled down after installing them. Something I find I need to do these days is use them a bit and boot up a few times before they stop jurking too much. I also got sound problems with my Soundblaster live when I had ticked the 2x AA box in the OpenGL tab. I tested this out 3 times and ticking and unticking it, running games etc. Just couldn't stop it. It was OK if it was left disabled. A very odd one that!
Also the v-sync didn't seem to work so well as the 29.42 current drivers from Nvidia. Especially on the 3DMark tests part like the church spire as the dragon flies round was decidedly chopped up.
All in all, I didn't like them. Yet again, it could be that any support for my Geforce 3 in the drivers has stopped or the tweaks are now so small that I don't notice them anymore. I really must get round to getting a G4 ti4600. Mind you, that's due to be replaced soon with something even faster, how do you keep up! (Any card manufacturers reading this) :-)
If you want to give these drivers a try you'll have to take a look at Zebedee's post for the links. CLICK HERE
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Thursday 11 July, 2002
IE Bug by @ 9:38 pm
PivX has discovered a new vulnerability in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability has been classified as an extremely high risk. The vulnerability uses universal cross domain scripting, allowing the arbitrary execution of programs, unprivileged reading of files, and stealing of server cookies.
In a press release today, PivX tells us:
Today Mr. Larholm and PivX discovered a new vulnerability in Internet Explorer. This vulnerability has been classified as an extremely high risk. The vulnerability uses universal cross domain scripting, allowing the arbitrary execution of programs, unprivileged reading of files, and stealing of server cookies.
As with it's recently announced Gopher Smoker tool, PivX engineers have created a workaround/fix for this serious vulnerability. For a complete briefing on this vulnerability and information on closing the hole, please go to http://www.pivx.com/larholm/adv/TL003/
Pivx decided to release it's discovery of this vulnerability based on research received yesterday from the The Register where it was reported: "End-users overwhelmingly support the full disclosure of security vulnerabilities, according to a recent survey by analysts Hurwitz Group, which demonstrates widespread frustration about vendor responsiveness to security issues." Based on interviews with more than 300 software security professionals, the report shows that end users overwhelmingly support immediate full disclosure - announcing security vulnerabilities as soon as they are discovered.
About PivX Solutions
PivX Solutions, is a premier network security consultancy offering a myriad of network security services to our clients, the most notable being our proprietary Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RAVA). Dedicated PivX founders have also developed the patented Invisiwall™ network security device which offers the most comprehensive and secure intrusion detection system available.
All in all, what this all means is administrators should disable ActiveX scripting until a patch is available from Microsoft.
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E-Mail encryption bug by @ 9:17 pm
A bug has been found in a popular e-mail encryption plug-in which can allow a hacker to read your email, execute code, install a backdoor or pinch password keys.
There isn't a problem with the encryption itself, it's a bug in the plug-in program that allows a user to encrypt their emails. The plug-in allows a user to encrypt their emails so that only the recipient can read them.
The bug was discovered by eEye Digital Security. PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is one of the most common and widely used encryption plug-ins. It's used by may companies throughout the world.
If you use PGP email encryption, you can download a patch from Network Associates
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Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 Beta by @ 10:30 am
Can't wait to get your hands on Service Pack 1? Well, Microsoft have made available another beta version of the Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 part. This beta version fixes many of the bugs in the original shipped version that came with WindowsXP.
You can download this beta version HERE or HERE
I wonder if they have fixed the US spelling of favorites to the English 'Favourites', as those of you who visit the forums may remember that I pointed out this problem to Microsoft who have told me that they have passed this on to their development team.
The full name of this beta version is: Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 Beta (Build 2800.1067)
Remember, this is a beta version. Only download this program if you know what you are doing. This beta version has been released by Microsoft to be tested. It is not the final release. The release date for the full 'Service Pack 1' hasn't been given yet, but it is thought to be available towards the end of August according to Microsoft.
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New Creative GPU drivers by @ 10:11 am
Creative have just bough out a range of new drivers for their Nvidia based graphics cards.
The new drivers are available for all Windows systems and are numbered 29.42
These new drivers are for Creatives Nvidia based cards TNT, TNT2, GeForce, GeForce2, GeForce3 and GeForce4 series. Creative tells us that these new drivers offer better support for newer graphics card and Improves performance in some graphics-intensive games.
CLICK HERE to visit the download page on the Creative website.
I might just give them a try myself.
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Wednesday 10 July, 2002
Moosoft cuts out "Cyber cheats" by bluetracker @ 9:43 pm
Moosoft slams door shut on software pirates
We are all aware of software piracy and warez sites reducing software companies incomes, and by the use of such software, redirecting available server bandwidth away from bona-fide users downloading updates and patches for their legally obtained software.
A few weeks ago I told you about Moosoft's "up front approach" by it's informing 'legit' users of The Cleaner (the Companys Trojan detection and removal software) about impending security remedies soon to be implemented to curb "Cyber Theft" of the software.
At this time I was impressed by their approachability and dedication towards their Customers by inviting comments and suggestions on how best to tackle the problem, BEFORE actually implementing any changes to the software itself.
I am still impressed !
Today sees the culmination of Daniel Otis-Vigil's efforts to combat the problem. In the final stage in upgrading to a more secure version Moosoft hope to gain breathing space against Crackers by rendering all previous "cracked" activation codes useless.
Authenticity checks when updating reference files now ensure that only legal copies of the Company's software get access to the server leaving more bandwidth for us legal users.
There are so called Crackers (the bad guys), who will, even now be working away to circumvent this latest attempt to stop software piracy. But Daniel and his Company have now got room to manoeuvre in the fight to keep one step ahead of these pirates.
Also built into this release is a function for the MooLive updater to work more closely with the download server to make sure there is sufficient bandwidth available to facilitate speedy downloads for Genuine Moosoft software owners.
As Daniel tells us in the e-mailed information on the subject-
"This version finalizes the move to authentication and disables all pre-authentication updaters. It has some advanced communication with the server and will back off if told to. That is, if the bandwidth is approaching maximum, it will ask you to try later instead of killing the whole server”.
This latest release of The Cleanerand it's companion Moolive Updater utility can be downloaded by using the MooLive updater you currently have installed, which will itself be upgraded on connection to the server (Providing that is, that your software IS legal of course!)
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New site for train buffs by @ 9:01 pm
A new website has been set up to meet the needs of young people who enjoy trains. The site is aimed at kids from 7 - 11 years but I'm sure kids of all ages will enjoy this site.
Trakkies offers visitors to the site 3 main zones. There is a funzone with lots of fun facts, a quiz and games you can play on a train. You will find a History zone where you can travel back in time and you can visit the Traine zone where you can explore the world of trains.
In the train zone, you can find out about train books, films and songs. You can find out what people do at the station and send in your own pictures of what you think trains will look like in the future.
It's a very well laid out site with lots of things to see and do.
I might just know one or two people on the forums who will enjoy this site. Me included!
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Another AVG update by @ 8:26 pm
Grisoft have released another update for their free antivirus software AVG. This update fixes an error in yesterdays update which gave false positives concerning Norton AV.
As you can see from this image of AVG downloading, the file size is 1628.3KBytes.
If you use the Outlook Plug-in then you should see the following message at the bottom of your emails:
Version: 6.0.375 / Virus Database: 210
Release Date: 10/07/2002
As this is a fix for yesterdays download, We advise that you update AVG as soon as possible.
Whatever antivirus software you use, always keep it up to date!
Many thanks to Slarty for spotting this update and telling Newsbytes about it. Well done!
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BT retail to offer 24/7 net access by @ 4:51 am
BT retail are to offer customers 24/7 net access. This means that BT customers will be able to get telephone and net services charged to them via one telephone bill.
BT retail already offer a number of services and packages but have only offered off-peak net access until now. But the service is at a price, it will cost BT customers £17 per month on top of their together service. This is almost £1 more expensive than BTOpenworlds Anytime access.
However, that's a part of the convenience of getting all the services charge through the telephone bill. It's a welcome move as having to pay for net access using a credit card has often put customers off and until now, very few companies offered any alternative to this payment method.
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Tuesday 9 July, 2002
AVG update by @ 10:56 pm
Grisoft have just updated their free antivirus software. There were lots of changes in this update which came in with a 1628kb download.
If you used the Outlook Express plug-in you should see the following message at the bottom of your emails:
Version: 6.0.374 / Virus Database: 209
Release Date: 09/07/2002
Grisoft tells us - Update 374 available. Added detection of new viruses - I-Worm/Liac, Worm/Datom, I-Worm/Sunder, Worm/Kazmor, I-Worm/Bajar.B, Worm/Benjamin.B.
A restart is not required. You can visit the Grisoft homepage if you CLICK HERE
Newsbytes would like to thank Tony for sending this information to us. Many thanks!
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Sunday 7 July, 2002
New Unified Creative Soundblaster drivers by @ 6:20 pm
Creative for the first time has just bought out a set of unified drivers for the Soundblaster Audigy and Live! sound cards. They also fix alot of known bugs.
These drivers that have been designed from the ground upwards are not available via download, but Creative will send you them on a CD for £1.00 (UK Sterling) ex VAT £1.18 inc VAT
CLICK HERE to buy them from the Creative website.
These new drivers are for the following:
Sound Blaster® Audigy™ - for Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP only
Sound Blaster® Live!™ - for Windows 98/98SE/ME/2000/XP only
They include many bug fixes and have AudioHQ, Windows diagnostics, Minidisc center, Play Center, Recorder, Surround Mixer, TaskBar, Wave Studio and Remote center (if you have the Platinum or Platinum eX).
The drivers on this CD are all new and have been designed with the new Creative MultiDriver architecture.
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Friday 5 July, 2002
Who shall we blame today? by bluetracker @ 11:58 pm
Many of the regulars to these columns will by now know how we incessantly drum into you allthe need to have an up-to-date antivirus application installed on your computers? The following story is further proof that we are not just ” Flapping our lips” to fill out the site! Perhaps now we should set up a ‘Corporate Tech-Advice Column’ too!
News from around the country in newspapers and on the web tells us of a council worker in Scotland who has lost his job after technicians traced the spread of a destructive virus - which crippled the authority's network - back to his computer terminal.
It's your fault ....NOT ours!
The poor soul, a temporary agency worker, is said to have been employed in a City Council's housing department, was fired earlier this week for allegedly allowing a destructive virus namely Metrion Cascade 111, better known as Metrion-B. to infect the council's computer systems.
Metrion Cascade 111, is a destructive virus which infects executables and overwrites batch files and HTML files. Estimates say that there is up to 200 PCs infected with the virus and as a precautionary measure to prevent it spreading to the entire network, they have shut it all down.
Apparently it is the second time this year that this particular council has fallen victim to virus infection. The council (by its own estimates) say it will cost £10,000 to repair the damage. Guess who foots the bill? You won't need two guesses to get that one right!
HULLOOO......someone pinch me here, this is a nightmare right?.... No?..... Then why in the name of any Holy Deity you care to invoke, didn't the Council have common sense enough to have an antivirus package installed on their system?
Surely they knew or suspected that with their computer terminals connected to the Internet the chances of them ‘picking up’ a viral contaminant were an odds on certainty? Apparently not!
Do they not pay qualified people as IT technicians to advise on such things?....... Apparently they do!
Then why on Earth did this ever happen, and more to the point how did it happen TWICE?
Why make the employee the scapegoat for their ineptitude; a Temp at that, who would have no reason to suspect that a large concern such as a Council would be so irresponsible enough, not to have safeguards to prevent virus contamination on their computer systems?
Apparently or so it is reported; they believe the contamination was a deliberate act...if this proves to be so, then fair enough, but in my book it still doesn't excuse the lack of responsibility in the protection of their systems in the first instance.
To be perfectly honest this Council isn't alone in the "See no evil" stakes, and I speak from personal experience when I say there are a lot more Councils/companies out there that still have no valid means of detecting a virus contamination on their computer systems.
There are of course, those who pretend to have antivirus software installed but in my experience I have learned that this software is often woefully out of date.
I go to work each day, switch on my computer and am greeted with the message..." Your antivirus software is more than six months old...new viruses are appearing all the time and it is strongly recommended you update your software!"
My pleas on bended knee to the Gods of the I.T. dept fall on deaf ears. They have either not been given the funds to to the job properly or…………..
Now my employer is no 'Corner shop' concern, they are a multi million pound nation-wide distribution business that depends on computer systems for the day-to-day running of the company. After all their investments in the technology that is essentially the beating heart of their business it amazes me (a humble employee) that they can't find the money to provide adequate protection for their Hardware investments.
Who amongst us will shed tears for these people when the inevitable DOES happen and all their Stock databases/Customer orders and other records no longer exist? Perhaps me, as I can tell you I will be doubled up with mirth in the corner of my office, tears rolling down my cheeks whilst all the time trying to tell the IT engineer tasked with repairing the system " I told you so!"
I might then be out of work as the company, no longer able to conduct it's business effectivly, folds, but even that won't take the edge off my merriment.
Then I wonder “will I too be sacked (perhaps as a means to avoid any redundancy payment) if a virus gets into my employers system via my terminal?”
Whoo hoo! I can just hear my lawyer arguing my case in front of the Unfair dismissal Tribunal now! Wonder what I'll spend the compensation award on?
JULY 6th IS KLEZ "F" DAY I might not have a job on MONDAY...........
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Was it worth it? by @ 9:32 pm
Yesterday, Newsbytes told you about the availability of 'Americas Army'. A free preview game for Nvidia based GPUs. Well, Newsbytes takes a look at the preview game and asks, Was it worth downloading?.
It was one hell of a download. With my trusty 56k modem it took a total of 14 hours 35 minutes. Most download sites where very busy as expected when someone gives away something free.
Installation was easy, I had to smile at the heading of the T&C's which said 'This software is owned by the U.S. Army'.
When I first started the game I was a little confused as to what to do. ZoneAlarm also popped up with a message that asked if the game could act as a server. However, before playing with other people, I wanted to get used to the game first. I wasn't asked to dial at this stage.
The first part of the game is a practise shooter in typical first person shooter style. You are given your orders, asked to collect your weapon and ammo and told to go to pit number 9. In fact, in this demo, it's always pit number 9.
You get your instructions from this guy!
He is well animated and the sound quality of the game is good. The graphics are very good. However, I would have liked to roam around a bit to take in these graphics.
A quick look around!
I did get a few seconds to move out of game before it defaults back to day 2 of your training. The general graphics are good but not exeptional. You can see that the game uses features of my Geforce3 like T&L effects. For a demo, when often you find graphics have been reduced or compressed, they are pretty high. It must always be a compromise between the file size and the quality of the demo.
In my last screen shot, I have zoomed up on the fence and hut where even at close range you can see how good the graphics are.
A close-up of the fence and hut!
As for the game play, I found it very hard to get on with using the mouse. I can't seem to get it to work with my joy-pad. I must confess, I enjoy 3D graphics and simulations but I'm hopeless at playing games. So far, after 5 or 6 attempts at trying to get past the qualifying shoot out, I have not met the skill required to get any further. So at this stage I am unable to tell you how far you can go with the demo. All other game part options are unavailable and guess that you will have to buy the full game when it is released in the summer.
Well, was it worth the 208mb download which took me over 14½ hours to download. A tentartive Yes. I think they will need to make the screens a little easier to understand first off and make the keyboard, mouse and keypad controls a little easier to set-up.
Would I buy the game.... I'll answer that one after I have played it for a little longer. But as it stands at the moment, I've got to say NO! It's not really my cup of tea but If you like this sort of first person shooter combat style game, then you'll probably love it.
I just hope my ISP is still speaking to me!
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JULY 6th IS KLEZ "F" DAY! by bluetracker @ 7:04 pm
Tomorrow, July 6, the 'F' variant of the Klez virus is programmed to overwrite ALL the files on infected systems with a series of ones and zeros, leaving them completely unusable.
Anyone not protected by an up-to date antivirus package is at risk. NOW is the time to make sure that your system is "Squeaky clean" of viruses. Update the antivirus and run a complete scan NOW!
Don't put it off until tomorrow it could be too late!
W32/Klez.F is designed to spread via e-mail in an attachment to a message with variable characteristics. It also exploits a vulnerability in Internet Explorer, which has already been used by other worms, that allows files to run automatically simply when the message containing them is viewed in the Outlook/Outlook Express preview pane.
So if you boot your computer tomorrow and find ALL your files overwritten you can't say you "didn't know" or "weren't informed" of the KLEZ danger
You can download AVG a free antivirus package. . Or there is another good utility, again free to use online ....Panda Active Scan
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
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Thursday 4 July, 2002
Microsoft makes a 'HASH' of things by @ 8:05 pm
I don't normally pick out another sites news item, but I've got to hand it to TheRegister, this one made me chuckle.
It seems that this fun argument has started because of the name Microsoft has given it's new software dev tool 'C#'.
It appears that we Brits find the '#' key a minor irritation as this is where our '£' key should be. But then The Register goes to great lengths to tell us about all the names people give the '#' symbol.
It seems that in America, they call it the pound key. Not because it's where the '£' key should be, but it was used in the 1700s as a pound in weight. It's also know as the 'sharp' key as it looks remarkably like the symbol used in music. You know, C# is the same as D flat.
Other names The Register have found are as follows:
Octothorpe, number sign, hash mark, sharp sign, scratch, gate key, pound sign, square, numbersign, grid, crunch, crosshatch, mesh, flash, square, pig-pen, tictactoe, scratchmark, thud, thump, splat, hex, grate, reticule, grid, crosshatch, octothorp, flash, pig-pen, ictactoe, cratchmark, thud, thump, plat.
So, what the hell do we call Microsofts new C# software?
What do you call it? It's seems that The Register has given it another new name, the 'Splat' key. So it's C 'splat' from now on then, agreed!. Well done The Register, for adding fun to the news.
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Panda Software reports the appearance of Dadinu by bluetracker @ 7:34 am
'© Panda Software 2002'
In a Press release yesterday Panda Software reported the appearance of Dadinu (W32/Dadinu), a new e-mail worm programmed in Delphi that sends itself out to all addresses in the Microsoft Messenger Address Book.
They report that over the last few days, they have detected numerous incidents involving this virus and have had a stream of enquiries to the company's tech support services, largely from Spanish speakers, concerning this new virus who at the moment seem to have been singled out for the attack.
Dadinu creates a large number of .cpl' files in the Windows directory and in the root directory on the hard disk of the infected computer, each are reported to be 236,032 bytes in size and are actually copies of the worm itself. Panda says that the fact the worm uses a .cpl extension file is a new development in virus creation.
The names of the files created by Dadinu are selected at random from a long list contained in the worm's code and include 'SpidermanDesktop.cpl', 'Hacking.cpl', 'Zidane.Taliban.cpl'and others, many of which have obscene or pornographic connotations. These names are designed to lure unsuspecting users into opening these files, and therefore executing the worm.
To ensure that it is run whenever the affected system is started, Dadinu generates entries in the Windows registry in the path "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run".
Panda Software is warning users, (especially Spanish speakers) to treat e-mails received with caution in order to prevent further incidents with this virus. More information on this and other viruses is available in the Panda website's Virus Encyclopedia.
In order to know if your computer has been infected by this or any other virus, users should regularly take "Time out" to update their antivirus package and carry out a complete scan of their computer. Those currently unprotected can use Panda ActiveScan©,the free, online antivirus which already has the defintitions of this new threat loaded into the scanners' engine.
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Americas Army is now available for download by @ 4:48 am
Following on from yesterdays story about the Nvidia GPU based game 'Americas Army'. It is now available for download from both websites.
The file is a biggy. It's 208mb in size so you will need a fast internet connection or a very understanding ISP. Nvidia are showing off a number of screen shots and provide a number of download alternatives. You can download it in a number of small chunks if you only have a dial-up connection.
Nvidia says:
We’ve all seen the games that you can play for free – they’re often Java-based throwbacks to the 80’s arcades, combining lackluster graphics with minimal gameplay. Well, no more. Check out these titles on the way from the U.S. Army.
You will find the links on the original story. Enjoy!
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Nero update available by @ 4:32 am
An update is available for Nero, the popular burning ROM. It has been uprated to version 5590.
The file is 11.9 MB (12.569.197 bytes) and was released on 3rd July 2002.
The makers of Nero says: This file can be used as a free Nero demo version, if you didn't have Nero installed previously, or as an update from an older version of Nero. In case of an update the software will detect whether you are entitled to a free upgrade or not.
For those of you who have not used Nero or wonder what it is, Ahead tell us:
Nero Burning ROM is the best friend your recorder could ever have. Fast, ultra-stable, powerful, and user-friendly, Nero is the complete answer to your recording needs. Since 1995, Nero's development has been guided by users like you. Now, with Nero 5.5, the world's premiere recording application has gotten even better!
An example of the Nero interface
You can download your update from the Nero download page.
Newsbytes would like to thank Slarty for sending in this story.
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Wednesday 3 July, 2002
In the Army now! by @ 10:58 pm
Have you got a Geforce 2 or higher? Want a stunning 3D game for free? To celebrate the 4th of July, Nvidia are offering a taster of a new game due for release this summer 'Americas Army'. Don't be put off by the name, it's top notch realism according to the reviews.
Nvidia have teamed up with Americas Army and set up a 'Special Ops Team' to Optimize U.S. Army’s Anticipated Game for GeForce GPUs. The game will be downloadable from both the Americas Army and Nvidia website at 12.01am on the 4th July.
The folk at Nvidia tell us, "When powered by NVIDIA GPUs, “America’s Army” achieves amazing levels of graphic quality—from the barracks and bunkers rendered in rich 3D detail to the true to life character animations of real soldiers—providing gamers a truly immersive gaming experience".
Optimized for GeForce2 GPUs and above, “America’s Army” delivers a true-to-life experience of military training and combat. Throughout the game’s development process, NVIDIA’s special ops team worked with the U.S. Army to initiate and enable special 3D effects and imagery made possible only on NVIDIA GPUs. The result is a 3D virtual soldier experience that’s the next best thing to enlisting.
On the Americas Army website today they posted the following message:
In less than 24 hours, the 'Recon' version of America's Army: Operations will be made available for download. For those of you who are counting-off each minute, the game will be made available on Thursday, 4 July at 00:01am PST -- or at 03:01am EST. No need to keep refreshing your browser every 5 seconds for the next 13 hours! Get out of the house while you still can, cause once you start playing AA:O RECON -- you won't want to leave! Hooah!!
I've just tried to look at their website and it looks as though people arn't taking their advice. It only just about loaded after 3 attempts.
About Americas Army
Nvidia tell us, “America's Army,” is an innovative, realistic computer game providing civilians with an inside perspective and a virtual role in today’s premier land force: the U.S. Army. The “America’s Army” game blends two vivid simulations: “Soldiers,” a role-playing portion in which players navigate life’s challenges to achieve goals, and a first-person action game, called “Operations.” The “Soldiers” game is rated “E” for everyone and the “Operations” game is rated “T” for teen by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.
You can visit the Americas Army website HERE or you could try downloading the game from the Nvidia site.
Enjoy your free gift from Nvidia. Oh, that's 00.01 in America, I think that's around 3.01 EST or taking into account British Summer Time, that makes it 2.01am in the UK.
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Tuesday 2 July, 2002
Klez-H is the top virus by @ 8:50 pm
The Klez-H virus is the most common virus according to Sophos who have just published it's 6 monthly results for the period January to June 2002.
Sophos says it has detected and protected against 3,279 new viruses in the first six months of 2002. During this period, the single most prevalent virus was Klez-H, which was first reported in March 2002. All ten of the most prolific viruses in January to June 2002 were mass mailing Windows 32 viruses.
Ok, in typical top of the pops style, here are the results in reverse order.
In at number ten limba up to Nimda-A.
At number nine, bound for a pc near you is FBound-C
In at 8, Don't let the old beck see this one, it's Magistr-A
At number 7, It's not the webcam with a knighthood, no it's Sircam-A
In at 6, it's Klez-E
Now it's the top five virus pickers, In at 5, It's my party and I'll cry if I want to.. You'll be crying if you get this one, it's MyParty-A
In at number 4, It's the flip side to Magistr-A, it's Magistr-B
In at 3, it's ElKern-C
At number 2, Don't use your creditcard for a BadTrans-B
And at number one for the 3rd month running, (fanfare of trumpets not required) It's not Mel-C it's Klez-H coming soon to an email near you!
Senior techy Greham Cluley at Sophos said today, "What we see here is a clean sweep for Windows 32 viruses, taking every position of the top 10 chart" he added, "The days when Word macro and script viruses caused the most infections seem to be long gone. Worms and viruses that spread using networking functions or email clients currently dominate enquiries to our customer support."
As always, Newsbytes advice is, No matter what antivirus software you use, always keep it up to date and run regular checks on your system. Never click on attachments unless you are expecting it. If you use Microsofts Outlook Express then disable the preview payne and keep Windows up to date by regularly checking for Critical Updates with Windows Update.
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AVG Update by @ 4:19 am
Grisoft, the providers of AVG free antivirus software have an update available that adds some new virus information. Update now to keep your antivirus software up to date.
If you use the Outlook Express plug-in you should see the following details stamped at the bottom of your emails:
Version: 6.0.373 / Virus Database: 208 - Release Date: 01/07/2002
Grisoft don't tell us what viruses have been added to this update but the download is 845.3kb in size and a restart is not required.
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Monday 1 July, 2002
BT offers new broadband availability and pre registration service by @ 7:11 pm
BT have started their new broadband availability and pre registration service.
Unlike the old postcode system BT used to use, you can now type in your telephone number and get direct feedback from their database. This means you will get a far more reliable result as to your own availabilty. However, after a few tests I found that the system is not fool proof. For instance, if you have moved and taken your old telephone number with you, it doesn't recognise that the number has moved from the area it was first created.
If like me you live in an area with an ADSL enabled exchange but live too far from it to get ADSL broadband, you now get the chance to pre registration the service and if enough people apply then BT will look into offering that service in your area.
I got this message when I put my telephone number in:
We are sorry, but the Broadband ADSL service will only work on a combined underground cable and telephone line distance of approximately 5 kilometres. Our records show that the total distance to your premises is longer than this, which means that even though Broadband ADSL is available in your area, we are not able to offer you Broadband ADSL service.
BT is supporting the concept of using alternative technologies such as satellite to deliver new Broadband services to areas such as yours. Please note that the prices for any services of this nature will be different to those currently charged for the Broadband ADSL services.
Thank you for your interest.
If you are able to get ADSL broadband, which means that you live in an area with an enabled exchange, then BT now offers a long list of ISPs (internet service providers) that can offer you the service.
All in all, this will give BT a much better idea regarding the kind of demand in areas and will enable BT to come up with a map of demand from around the country.
If you would like to give the service a try CLICK HERE
Good luck!
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