Monday, August 25, 2003
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - Handhelds the next virus target?: "Symantec will introduce this week Symantec AntiVirus for Handhelds, mobile device-residing software designed to detect malicious code for the Palm and Pocket PC platforms.
Despite little evidence that viruses severely affect handheld devices, security vendors want to ensure on-demand AV (anti-virus) infrastructure protection if an outbreak occurs.
The licensed enterprise version of the product is offered in two forms: the Corporate Edition and Corporate Edition with Event and Configuration Management, according to Laura Garcia-Manrique, senior product manager for Symantec.
Symantec is also introducing a client-based Annual Service Edition of Symantec Anti-Virus for Handhelds.
As the size of the handheld's installation base soars, bringing with it rich handheld applications and new connectivity options, the environment for potentially harmful code increases, said David Thompson, a senior research analyst for Meta Group.
News source: InfoWorld.com"
Despite little evidence that viruses severely affect handheld devices, security vendors want to ensure on-demand AV (anti-virus) infrastructure protection if an outbreak occurs.
The licensed enterprise version of the product is offered in two forms: the Corporate Edition and Corporate Edition with Event and Configuration Management, according to Laura Garcia-Manrique, senior product manager for Symantec.
Symantec is also introducing a client-based Annual Service Edition of Symantec Anti-Virus for Handhelds.
As the size of the handheld's installation base soars, bringing with it rich handheld applications and new connectivity options, the environment for potentially harmful code increases, said David Thompson, a senior research analyst for Meta Group.
News source: InfoWorld.com"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - Close encounter, by celestial standards: "Sixty thousand years ago, the Neanderthal people and early modern humans must surely have watched a faint but familiar point of light in the southeastern sky grow brighter and brighter until its brilliant topaz-yellow light outshone everything in the nighttime heavens save the moon.
We will never know what those people may have thought or feared, because they left no record among their rare artifacts. But today we do know what they were seeing: It was the distant planet Mars, flying on its elliptical track around the sun and closing its gap on Earth's orbit while it appeared to blaze in brightness as the two planets neared.
That same phenomenon is occurring once again as Mars draws closer to Earth day by day, and on Wednesday at precisely 2:51 a.m. PDT, the fabled Red Planet will pass 34,646,437 miles from Earth -- closer than it has been in the past 60 millennia.
News source: SFGATE.com"
We will never know what those people may have thought or feared, because they left no record among their rare artifacts. But today we do know what they were seeing: It was the distant planet Mars, flying on its elliptical track around the sun and closing its gap on Earth's orbit while it appeared to blaze in brightness as the two planets neared.
That same phenomenon is occurring once again as Mars draws closer to Earth day by day, and on Wednesday at precisely 2:51 a.m. PDT, the fabled Red Planet will pass 34,646,437 miles from Earth -- closer than it has been in the past 60 millennia.
News source: SFGATE.com"
Sunday, August 24, 2003
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - CD-Recordable discs unreadable in less than two years?: "The Dutch PC-Active magazine has done an extensive CD-R quality test. For the test the magazine has taken a look at the readability of discs, thirty different CD-R brands, that were recorded twenty months ago. The results were quite shocking as a lot of the discs simply couldn't be read anymore:
Roughly translated from Dutch:
The tests showed that a number of CD-Rs had become completely unreadable while others could only be read back partially. Data that was recorded 20 months ago had become unreadable. These included discs of well known and lesser known manufacturers.
It is presumed that CD-Rs are good for at least 10 years. Some manufacturers even claim that their CD-Rs will last up to a century. From our tests it's concluded however that there is a lot of junk on the market. We came across CD-Rs that should never have been released to the market. It's completely unacceptable that CD-Rs become unusable in less than two years.
News source: cdfreaks.com"
Roughly translated from Dutch:
The tests showed that a number of CD-Rs had become completely unreadable while others could only be read back partially. Data that was recorded 20 months ago had become unreadable. These included discs of well known and lesser known manufacturers.
It is presumed that CD-Rs are good for at least 10 years. Some manufacturers even claim that their CD-Rs will last up to a century. From our tests it's concluded however that there is a lot of junk on the market. We came across CD-Rs that should never have been released to the market. It's completely unacceptable that CD-Rs become unusable in less than two years.
News source: cdfreaks.com"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - DVD Burner? Have you seen DVD shrink?: "What is DVD Shrink :
DVD Shrink is software to backup DVD disks. You can use this software in conjunction with DVD burning software of your choice, to make a backup copy of any DVD video disk.
DVD Shrink does not burn DVDs! The output from DVD Shrink is saved as files on your hard drive, which you can then burn to a DVD-R using separate burning software, such as the software provided with your DVD-R drive.
Why Use DVD Shrink :
Most DVD titles are designed to prevent you from making copies.
The first preventative measure is encryption. Most DVD titles are encrypted, which prevents you from either copying them to your hard drive, or if you manage to do so, being able to play the resulting files. DVD Shrink overcomes this problem with built-in decryption algorithms.
The next problem is not so easy. Most DVD video titles are simply too large to fit, without modification, onto a single recordable DVD-R disk. DVD Shrink overcomes this problem by modifying or 'shrinking' the data from your original DVD.
DVD Shrink provides two ways of shrinking your DVD disk. These are re-authoring and re-encoding. You can use one, or the other, or for maximum 'shrinkage', both combined.
Last but not least, why use DVD Shrink? Because DVD Shrink is free!
News source: DVD-R Digest"
DVD Shrink is software to backup DVD disks. You can use this software in conjunction with DVD burning software of your choice, to make a backup copy of any DVD video disk.
DVD Shrink does not burn DVDs! The output from DVD Shrink is saved as files on your hard drive, which you can then burn to a DVD-R using separate burning software, such as the software provided with your DVD-R drive.
Why Use DVD Shrink :
Most DVD titles are designed to prevent you from making copies.
The first preventative measure is encryption. Most DVD titles are encrypted, which prevents you from either copying them to your hard drive, or if you manage to do so, being able to play the resulting files. DVD Shrink overcomes this problem with built-in decryption algorithms.
The next problem is not so easy. Most DVD video titles are simply too large to fit, without modification, onto a single recordable DVD-R disk. DVD Shrink overcomes this problem by modifying or 'shrinking' the data from your original DVD.
DVD Shrink provides two ways of shrinking your DVD disk. These are re-authoring and re-encoding. You can use one, or the other, or for maximum 'shrinkage', both combined.
Last but not least, why use DVD Shrink? Because DVD Shrink is free!
News source: DVD-R Digest"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support: "Feeling tied down to your lumpy office chair? So stand up, trash your antiquated scroll-wheel mouse, and start living. Believe it or not, you could be mousing in the air. (Director's note: cue theme song to Greatest American Hero.) Never thought you could feel so free?
All kidding aside, the new version of the Gyration Ultra GT mouse isn't exactly the next Greatest American Hero, but it's in the running for the Greatest American Mouse. This little beauty gives you the amazing and uncanny ability to mouse around, free from your desktop with natural hand movements. Even more unique, you can use the mouse either as a standard desk mouse - it rolls around like a standard optical mouse - or held in the air, like a remote control.
Whether standing or sitting, as long as you're within 30' of the base receiver, you can surf the web, play games, and control your home theater PC (see ExtremeTech's Build It: Extreme TiVO PC for an example), all with the swipe of your hand. There's no need to own a mousepad ever again.
News source: ExtremeTech "
All kidding aside, the new version of the Gyration Ultra GT mouse isn't exactly the next Greatest American Hero, but it's in the running for the Greatest American Mouse. This little beauty gives you the amazing and uncanny ability to mouse around, free from your desktop with natural hand movements. Even more unique, you can use the mouse either as a standard desk mouse - it rolls around like a standard optical mouse - or held in the air, like a remote control.
Whether standing or sitting, as long as you're within 30' of the base receiver, you can surf the web, play games, and control your home theater PC (see ExtremeTech's Build It: Extreme TiVO PC for an example), all with the swipe of your hand. There's no need to own a mousepad ever again.
News source: ExtremeTech "
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support: "A man who has admitted illegally distributing songs on the internet before they were released in shops faces up to five years in prison.
Federal prosecutors said Mark Shumaker, 21, of Florida, who headed the Apocalypse Crew group, has admitted infringing copyright laws.
The Apocalypse Crew obtained pre-release copies of CDs from music industry workers including DJs and magazine employees, according to the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
It would then release the music on to the internet which would filter down to file-sharing services such as Kazaa and Morpheus before going on general release to the public.
Shumaker faces a maximum jail sentence of five years and a fine of $250,000 (£158,590) at a sentencing hearing on 7 November.
He was also accused of operating an invitation-only website where members could secretly discuss their activities.
News source: BBC News "
Federal prosecutors said Mark Shumaker, 21, of Florida, who headed the Apocalypse Crew group, has admitted infringing copyright laws.
The Apocalypse Crew obtained pre-release copies of CDs from music industry workers including DJs and magazine employees, according to the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
It would then release the music on to the internet which would filter down to file-sharing services such as Kazaa and Morpheus before going on general release to the public.
Shumaker faces a maximum jail sentence of five years and a fine of $250,000 (£158,590) at a sentencing hearing on 7 November.
He was also accused of operating an invitation-only website where members could secretly discuss their activities.
News source: BBC News "
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - Google's new tricks: "Everyone's favorite search engine keeps getting better. Did you know that google can block pop-ups?
The Google Toolbar takes only seconds to install, is free to use and enables you to:
Search the web with Google from any site
New! Eliminate pop-up ads *
New! Fill in forms with one click *
New! Link a weblog to the page you're visiting *
New! Restrict your search to pages located in a specific country *
Search just within the pages of a site
Highlight search terms on a page
Or, that it has an advanced built in convertor and calculator.
To use Google's built-in calculator function, simply enter the expression you'd like evaluated in the search box and hit the Enter key or click the Google Search button. The calculator can evaluate mathematical expressions involving basic arithmetic (5+2*2 or 2^20), more complicated math (sine(30 degrees) or e^(i pi)+1), units of measure and conversions (100 miles in kilometers or 160 pounds * 4000 feet in Calories), and physical constants (1 a.u./c or G*mass of earth/radius of earth^2). You can also experiment with other numbering systems, including hexadecimal and binary.
Download: Google Toolbar
View: Google Features
View: Google Options"
The Google Toolbar takes only seconds to install, is free to use and enables you to:
Search the web with Google from any site
New! Eliminate pop-up ads *
New! Fill in forms with one click *
New! Link a weblog to the page you're visiting *
New! Restrict your search to pages located in a specific country *
Search just within the pages of a site
Highlight search terms on a page
Or, that it has an advanced built in convertor and calculator.
To use Google's built-in calculator function, simply enter the expression you'd like evaluated in the search box and hit the Enter key or click the Google Search button. The calculator can evaluate mathematical expressions involving basic arithmetic (5+2*2 or 2^20), more complicated math (sine(30 degrees) or e^(i pi)+1), units of measure and conversions (100 miles in kilometers or 160 pounds * 4000 feet in Calories), and physical constants (1 a.u./c or G*mass of earth/radius of earth^2). You can also experiment with other numbering systems, including hexadecimal and binary.
Download: Google Toolbar
View: Google Features
View: Google Options"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - Building an AMD Based Computer System: "Building your first computer system can be a daunting task. With the help of this guide and our forum members, we can help you get on your way to building this computer and many more in the future. This guide will help you decide what type of computer you want, what components you need, and what software to need to run on your system to suit your needs. You'll need to decide which parts are right for you and decide how you're going to use your system.
View: amdmb.com | full article"
View: amdmb.com | full article"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - SoBig spam hits millions of mailboxes: "SoBig is so prevalent, as sixth variant mass mails itself around the world
A new variant of the SoBig worm has been filling inboxes worldwide, after it was mass-mailed to millions of email addresses.
The worm arrives as a .Pif (Program Information file) attachment in emails with the headers:
Re: That movie
Re: Wicked screensaver
Re: Your application
Re: Approved
Re: Re: My details
Re: Details
Your details
Thank you!
The worm is 72,000 bytes. Once activated it copies itself to Windows as 'winppr32.exe' and edits the registry to ensure that it starts whenever the computer boots.
All email addresses on the PC are collected and are then sent copies of the worm using the worm's own SMTP engine.
News source: vnunet
A lot of virus/worm activity this week! Make sure your computer has anti-virus software installed, and that it's updated regularly!"
A new variant of the SoBig worm has been filling inboxes worldwide, after it was mass-mailed to millions of email addresses.
The worm arrives as a .Pif (Program Information file) attachment in emails with the headers:
Re: That movie
Re: Wicked screensaver
Re: Your application
Re: Approved
Re: Re: My details
Re: Details
Your details
Thank you!
The worm is 72,000 bytes. Once activated it copies itself to Windows as 'winppr32.exe' and edits the registry to ensure that it starts whenever the computer boots.
All email addresses on the PC are collected and are then sent copies of the worm using the worm's own SMTP engine.
News source: vnunet
A lot of virus/worm activity this week! Make sure your computer has anti-virus software installed, and that it's updated regularly!"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - RIAA to concentrate on big-time file swappers: "The recording industry is insisting its anti-piracy campaign will refrain from taking legal action against small-time song swappers and will focus only on those copying 'substantial' amounts of music via the internet.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) pledged in a letter to US Senator Norm Coleman, R-Minn., that it is 'in no way targeting de minimus users' in its campaign to stop the copying of songs without permission.
Cary Sherman, the trade group's president, wrote: 'RIAA is gathering evidence and preparing lawsuits only against individual computer users who are illegally distributing a substantial amount of copyrighted music.'
News source: Silicon.com"
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) pledged in a letter to US Senator Norm Coleman, R-Minn., that it is 'in no way targeting de minimus users' in its campaign to stop the copying of songs without permission.
Cary Sherman, the trade group's president, wrote: 'RIAA is gathering evidence and preparing lawsuits only against individual computer users who are illegally distributing a substantial amount of copyrighted music.'
News source: Silicon.com"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - 64-bit power computing set to invade PCs: "Faster than the usual 32-bit chips, these breakthrough processors mark a new era of computing.
Apple Computer has recently received much praise for its iTunes music service. But its new Power Mac G5 computers will probably have a much larger impact on the world of personal computing. Apple already has 100,000 orders for its G5 machines, which are priced at between US$2,000 (S$3,500) and US$3,000, depending on the configuration.
The breakthrough is that the computers use 64-bit microprocessors, a significant step beyond the 32-bit processors on current Apple machines and most PCs. Apple is not alone.
In the Windows world, Advanced Micro Devices plans to roll out a 64-bit processor, the Athlon 64 FX, next month.
News source: The Straits Times"
Apple Computer has recently received much praise for its iTunes music service. But its new Power Mac G5 computers will probably have a much larger impact on the world of personal computing. Apple already has 100,000 orders for its G5 machines, which are priced at between US$2,000 (S$3,500) and US$3,000, depending on the configuration.
The breakthrough is that the computers use 64-bit microprocessors, a significant step beyond the 32-bit processors on current Apple machines and most PCs. Apple is not alone.
In the Windows world, Advanced Micro Devices plans to roll out a 64-bit processor, the Athlon 64 FX, next month.
News source: The Straits Times"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - In MSBlast's wake, a DirectX threat: "Microsoft seems to have survived the MSBlast worm attack, but now the company is urging Windows users to patch their systems against a different, and potentially more dangerous, vulnerability in its software. Even though most businesses have installed the patch for MSBlast, there is another vulnerability that could overshadow last week's events. On July 23, Microsoft posted a security bulletin on its Web site that describes a 'critical' vulnerability in DirectX. According to the company, unprotected systems could be at the mercy of an attacker by simply playing a midi file or visiting a malicious Web page.
The danger comes, says Microsoft, in a component of DirectX that relies on a library file called quartz.dll, which is used by a number of applications--including Internet Explorer--to play MIDI files. A specially designed MIDI file could cause a buffer overflow error and either pass control of the system to an attacker, cause damage to the system or use the system to set off another MSBlast-type attack. Russ Cooper, chief scientist at security company TruSecure, expects a worm or virus to take advantage of the vulnerability in the near future: 'We are definitely afraid of the DirectX vulnerability.'
The vulnerability, he said, is very widespread because few people have applied the patch for this. Cooper believes it could be exploited by a worm that uses several methods of spreading, similar to the way that MSBlast did.
Download: DirectX 9.0b End-User Runtime (includes fix)
View: Security Bulletin
News source: ZDNet"
The danger comes, says Microsoft, in a component of DirectX that relies on a library file called quartz.dll, which is used by a number of applications--including Internet Explorer--to play MIDI files. A specially designed MIDI file could cause a buffer overflow error and either pass control of the system to an attacker, cause damage to the system or use the system to set off another MSBlast-type attack. Russ Cooper, chief scientist at security company TruSecure, expects a worm or virus to take advantage of the vulnerability in the near future: 'We are definitely afraid of the DirectX vulnerability.'
The vulnerability, he said, is very widespread because few people have applied the patch for this. Cooper believes it could be exploited by a worm that uses several methods of spreading, similar to the way that MSBlast did.
Download: DirectX 9.0b End-User Runtime (includes fix)
View: Security Bulletin
News source: ZDNet"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - Survey finds widespread dissatisfaction with tech support: "Busy signals. Annoying online help menus. Technicians who didn't know what they're talking about.
Of the estimated 8 million computer users who seek technical support from software manufacturers every year, about a third never get the help they need, according to a survey in the latest issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
The March survey of 10,000 computer users found widespread dissatisfaction with the level of service offered by U.S. software manufacturers. Quality has been the victim as companies cut corners to cut costs. As a result, the magazine put software tech support among the lower-ranked services that it's rated in the last 10 years -- slightly worse than the customer support offered by cell phone carriers and just a little better than that provided by cable TV companies.
More and more, people are turning to tech-savvy friends, online message boards and paying independent computer service firms to get results.
News source: CNN"
Of the estimated 8 million computer users who seek technical support from software manufacturers every year, about a third never get the help they need, according to a survey in the latest issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
The March survey of 10,000 computer users found widespread dissatisfaction with the level of service offered by U.S. software manufacturers. Quality has been the victim as companies cut corners to cut costs. As a result, the magazine put software tech support among the lower-ranked services that it's rated in the last 10 years -- slightly worse than the customer support offered by cell phone carriers and just a little better than that provided by cable TV companies.
More and more, people are turning to tech-savvy friends, online message boards and paying independent computer service firms to get results.
News source: CNN"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - 'Good' Worm Fixes Infected Computers: "'Good' Worm Fixes Infected Computers
Posted by admin on 18 Aug 2003 - 21:10 0 comments Previous Post | Main | Next Post
A new Internet worm emerged today that is designed to seek out and fix any computer that remains vulnerable to 'Blaster,' the worm that attacked more than 500,000 computers worldwide last week.
The new worm scours the Internet for computers already infected with Blaster and deletes the 'bad' worm, according to two anti-virus software vendors. The worm then fixes the computers with one of eight software patches developed by Microsoft Corp, and it uses infected computers as a base for searching the Internet for other vulnerable systems. Blaster and the new worm both target vulnerabilities in recent versions of Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0.
Even though the new worm is 'good,' it can cause plenty of trouble for computer users, said Oliver Friedrichs, senior manager at Symantec Security Response, an Internet security company based in Cupertino, Calif.
Once it infects a computer, it is programmed to remain there until Jan. 1, 2004, all the while scanning the Internet for other computers to infect. That activity saps an infected computer's processing power and Internet connection speed, Friedrichs said.
A Microsoft official declined to comment on the new worm.
News source: WashingtonPost.com"
Posted by admin on 18 Aug 2003 - 21:10 0 comments Previous Post | Main | Next Post
A new Internet worm emerged today that is designed to seek out and fix any computer that remains vulnerable to 'Blaster,' the worm that attacked more than 500,000 computers worldwide last week.
The new worm scours the Internet for computers already infected with Blaster and deletes the 'bad' worm, according to two anti-virus software vendors. The worm then fixes the computers with one of eight software patches developed by Microsoft Corp, and it uses infected computers as a base for searching the Internet for other vulnerable systems. Blaster and the new worm both target vulnerabilities in recent versions of Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0.
Even though the new worm is 'good,' it can cause plenty of trouble for computer users, said Oliver Friedrichs, senior manager at Symantec Security Response, an Internet security company based in Cupertino, Calif.
Once it infects a computer, it is programmed to remain there until Jan. 1, 2004, all the while scanning the Internet for other computers to infect. That activity saps an infected computer's processing power and Internet connection speed, Friedrichs said.
A Microsoft official declined to comment on the new worm.
News source: WashingtonPost.com"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - Virus writer used porn site to flood internet: "As they clicked on the pornographic image, they could not have realised the havoc they were about to cause. These internet users were triggering the biggest virus attack in history.
FBI investigators have now tracked down the source of the virus, known as SoBig F, to a porn website in Phoenix, Arizona. It was put on the net in the guise of a photograph posted in an adult 'newsgroup', a forum where users post messages and pictures. When people clicked to download the picture their computers unwittingly became infected and spread the virus which emailed copies of itself from their accounts.
The virus was uploaded on to the internet by an individual with an account at Easy news.com, an Arizona-based internet company. The account was set up just seven minutes before the virus first appeared. However, the writer has hidden his tracks well. The account was set up using a stolen credit card and via a computer, belonging to an unwitting resident of British Columbia, that had been hacked into by the virus writer.
News source: Yahoo! News"
FBI investigators have now tracked down the source of the virus, known as SoBig F, to a porn website in Phoenix, Arizona. It was put on the net in the guise of a photograph posted in an adult 'newsgroup', a forum where users post messages and pictures. When people clicked to download the picture their computers unwittingly became infected and spread the virus which emailed copies of itself from their accounts.
The virus was uploaded on to the internet by an individual with an account at Easy news.com, an Arizona-based internet company. The account was set up just seven minutes before the virus first appeared. However, the writer has hidden his tracks well. The account was set up using a stolen credit card and via a computer, belonging to an unwitting resident of British Columbia, that had been hacked into by the virus writer.
News source: Yahoo! News"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - Google Searches the Web And Does Math Homework: " Between Blaster and the blackout last week, one of the Google search site's quirkiest experiments yet went largely unseen.
The Internet's top search engine announced it had crammed a mathematical calculator into its search service, letting users type math problems directly into the search box and get instant answers. Google's calculator is trained to recognize words as well as numbers, so you can type in 'eight plus seven minus four' or '8 plus 7 minus 4.' Both will yield 11.
You can type numeric expressions either into the search box at Google's Web site (www.google.com) or directly into your Internet browser if you've installed Google's tool-bar software or you use a browser with built-in Google searching, such as Mozilla or Apple's Safari. Below the numeric answers Google returns, it will present a link to a regular Web search for your phrase in case you weren't trying to use the calculator.
But this calculator doesn't just do simple multiplication. It also handles conversions. Cooks may like being able to type in 'quarter cup in teaspoons' and see Google reply '1 quarter US cup = 12 US teaspoons.' Does a mechanic want to know the size of a replacement part for a clock in inches, but you only know it in millimeters? Enter ' .715 mm in inches' and Google will inform you it equals 0.0281496063 inches.
News source: Yahoo News"
The Internet's top search engine announced it had crammed a mathematical calculator into its search service, letting users type math problems directly into the search box and get instant answers. Google's calculator is trained to recognize words as well as numbers, so you can type in 'eight plus seven minus four' or '8 plus 7 minus 4.' Both will yield 11.
You can type numeric expressions either into the search box at Google's Web site (www.google.com) or directly into your Internet browser if you've installed Google's tool-bar software or you use a browser with built-in Google searching, such as Mozilla or Apple's Safari. Below the numeric answers Google returns, it will present a link to a regular Web search for your phrase in case you weren't trying to use the calculator.
But this calculator doesn't just do simple multiplication. It also handles conversions. Cooks may like being able to type in 'quarter cup in teaspoons' and see Google reply '1 quarter US cup = 12 US teaspoons.' Does a mechanic want to know the size of a replacement part for a clock in inches, but you only know it in millimeters? Enter ' .715 mm in inches' and Google will inform you it equals 0.0281496063 inches.
News source: Yahoo News"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - Apple's School Days Are Numbered: " Sadly, it's looking like Jobs & Co. won't overcome the new classroom enemies: School superintendents and district IT managers
Mom and dad have spoken, and what they say is this: Why should my child work on a Mac in class when most people use PCs at home and in the office? I've heard this lament time and again in my son's schools over the years. To listen to these parents, you'd think the schools were forcing children to use a history book that says the world is flat.
Such complaints speak loudly to Apple's (AAPL ) fall from grace in education. Oh, sure, it's O.K. for parents to think different -- as long as it's the same different as everyone else. Now, Apple's real battle to regain lost market share in education is about behavior, not pricing.
News source: Business Week"
Mom and dad have spoken, and what they say is this: Why should my child work on a Mac in class when most people use PCs at home and in the office? I've heard this lament time and again in my son's schools over the years. To listen to these parents, you'd think the schools were forcing children to use a history book that says the world is flat.
Such complaints speak loudly to Apple's (AAPL ) fall from grace in education. Oh, sure, it's O.K. for parents to think different -- as long as it's the same different as everyone else. Now, Apple's real battle to regain lost market share in education is about behavior, not pricing.
News source: Business Week"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - Madden NFL 2004 release date Aug. 14: "'Madden is the closest I've ever seen in a game to what's really out there,' said running back Clinton Portis of the Denver Broncos. 'In some ways, you can put on a game tape, and play Madden, and if you've got a good tape, you wouldn't know the difference.'
For the release of Madden NFL 2004, some stores are holding midnight Madden events, where they will put the game on sale in the first moments of Aug. 14. Some video game stores will send their employees to the airport to pick up the store's copies of the game, instead of trusting UPS to deliver them.
The game is even in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
News source: Wired News"
For the release of Madden NFL 2004, some stores are holding midnight Madden events, where they will put the game on sale in the first moments of Aug. 14. Some video game stores will send their employees to the airport to pick up the store's copies of the game, instead of trusting UPS to deliver them.
The game is even in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
News source: Wired News"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - Nvidia Detonator Drivers v45.23 (Official) WHQL: "NVIDIA have released their newest Detonator (now called Detonator FX) and these are WHQL'd so get 'em today if you own an NVIDIA card.
Release Highlights:
New performance and compatibility fixes - please consult the v45.23 Release Notes
The industries only true Unified Driver Architecture (UDA) - supports over five generations of NVIDIA GPUs - from TNT to GeForce FX - all in a single driver binary
The industry's best Microsoft DirectX 9 support
Ultimate 'The Way It's Meant to be Played' experience
nView 2.0 multi-display technology increases productivity and provides the necessary tools to control the way users access and view applications.
NVRotate enabling image rotation on today�s advanced flat panel displays.
NVKeystone allows for real-time image correction on portable projectors and heads-up displays.
Digital Vibrance Control 3.0 allows users to adjust color controls to achieve accurate, bright colors under all conditions.
Download: WinXP & 2K
Download: 9x & Me"
Release Highlights:
New performance and compatibility fixes - please consult the v45.23 Release Notes
The industries only true Unified Driver Architecture (UDA) - supports over five generations of NVIDIA GPUs - from TNT to GeForce FX - all in a single driver binary
The industry's best Microsoft DirectX 9 support
Ultimate 'The Way It's Meant to be Played' experience
nView 2.0 multi-display technology increases productivity and provides the necessary tools to control the way users access and view applications.
NVRotate enabling image rotation on today�s advanced flat panel displays.
NVKeystone allows for real-time image correction on portable projectors and heads-up displays.
Digital Vibrance Control 3.0 allows users to adjust color controls to achieve accurate, bright colors under all conditions.
Download: WinXP & 2K
Download: 9x & Me"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - Microsoft kills off Outlook Express: " It might be the world's most widely distributed e-mail client, but Microsoft has confirmed that it has no intention of further developing Outlook Express.
'[Outlook Express] just sits where it is,' said Dan Leach, lead product manager for Microsoft's information worker product management group. 'The technology doesn't go away, but no new work is being done. It is consumer e-mail in an early iteration, and our investment in the consumer space is now focused around Hotmail and MSN. That's where we're putting the emphasis in terms of new investment and new development work.'
News source: zdnet"
'[Outlook Express] just sits where it is,' said Dan Leach, lead product manager for Microsoft's information worker product management group. 'The technology doesn't go away, but no new work is being done. It is consumer e-mail in an early iteration, and our investment in the consumer space is now focused around Hotmail and MSN. That's where we're putting the emphasis in terms of new investment and new development work.'
News source: zdnet"
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support - RPC Shutdown?: "URGENT Security Alert!
System shuting down by itself every 60 seconds? Do you, or someone you know have a Windows computer that shuts down by itself? A recent security hole exposed in Windows XP Home/Pro and Win2K, is being exploited by someone trying to gain total control of the computer.
A free patch is available from Microsoft
Download: Free patch from Microsoft
If you regularly run Windows update, this patch has already been installed for you. If you're getting this message, or haven't run Windows update, apply this patch NOW!
Here's the full text of the message:
'This system is shutting down. Please save all work in progress and log off. Any unsaved changes will be lost. This shutdown was initiated by NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Time before shutdown: (counts down from 60 seconds)
Message
Windows must now restart becasue the Remote Call Procedure (RPC) service terminated unexpectedly.'
UPDATE: If your having problems installing the patch within the 60 sec, when you see the window pop up telling you 60 sec, Go to Start, Run and type in shutdown -a. This will cancel the shutdown attempt.
This problem can also caused by W32.Blaster.worm the latest worm to use the RPC DCOM BUFFER OVERFLOW exploit.
Anyone experiencing this problem should also search for msblast.exe on their system, and be sure your anti-virus software definitions are up-to-date.
View: Test your system
Download: FixBlast - W32.Blaster.Worm Removal Tool]
View: Free Virus Scan
View: Save $5 on McAfee VirusScan Online
View: Discuss in our user Forum
...if you find any of these files, boot into Safe Mode and delete them:
Rpc.exe
Rpct"
System shuting down by itself every 60 seconds? Do you, or someone you know have a Windows computer that shuts down by itself? A recent security hole exposed in Windows XP Home/Pro and Win2K, is being exploited by someone trying to gain total control of the computer.
A free patch is available from Microsoft
Download: Free patch from Microsoft
If you regularly run Windows update, this patch has already been installed for you. If you're getting this message, or haven't run Windows update, apply this patch NOW!
Here's the full text of the message:
'This system is shutting down. Please save all work in progress and log off. Any unsaved changes will be lost. This shutdown was initiated by NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Time before shutdown: (counts down from 60 seconds)
Message
Windows must now restart becasue the Remote Call Procedure (RPC) service terminated unexpectedly.'
UPDATE: If your having problems installing the patch within the 60 sec, when you see the window pop up telling you 60 sec, Go to Start, Run and type in shutdown -a. This will cancel the shutdown attempt.
This problem can also caused by W32.Blaster.worm the latest worm to use the RPC DCOM BUFFER OVERFLOW exploit.
Anyone experiencing this problem should also search for msblast.exe on their system, and be sure your anti-virus software definitions are up-to-date.
View: Test your system
Download: FixBlast - W32.Blaster.Worm Removal Tool]
View: Free Virus Scan
View: Save $5 on McAfee VirusScan Online
View: Discuss in our user Forum
...if you find any of these files, boot into Safe Mode and delete them:
Rpc.exe
Rpct"
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support: "Computers can simulate all manner of sights, sounds and physical sensations. Now they can add food to the list.
Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have devised a food simulator that imparts the sounds, forces and tastes associated with eating real food.
The system could be used to rehabilitate those, like the elderly, who have biting difficulties; it can impart the experience of biting difficulties to those who don't have them; it can allow people to have unusual food experiences like a cracker turning suddenly to gel; and it can be used to design new foods, according to the researchers.
News source: Technology Review "
Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have devised a food simulator that imparts the sounds, forces and tastes associated with eating real food.
The system could be used to rehabilitate those, like the elderly, who have biting difficulties; it can impart the experience of biting difficulties to those who don't have them; it can allow people to have unusual food experiences like a cracker turning suddenly to gel; and it can be used to design new foods, according to the researchers.
News source: Technology Review "
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support: "Jalweg is based on a simple idea: you control a small sphere (the hero ) in a level and you are chased by at least one big metal sphere (a monster ). The goal is to destroy all the other spheres (the balls ) by making the monster colliding with them. If the hero collides with a monster it is destroyed ... and you lose. However the hero can safely collide with the balls. The idea is simple - but trust me, you will have a hard time to finish all the levels ! And if it is not enough, a game editor is included !
View: Jalweg
Download: >here< "
View: Jalweg
Download: >here< "
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support: "Thirty minutes into this write-up, I began to realize how large of a topic filtering spam email actually was, and how many different opinions there are on what works best. The purpose of this edition of Ask Ars is to provide you, the reader, with a broad overview of anti-spam solutions for Windows. This article will quickly introduce you to a number of anti-spam techniques, setting you up to head on out and try those that fit your needs.
View: Article
News source: Ars Technia "
View: Article
News source: Ars Technia "
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support: " Are you folding? Since October 1, 2000, over 400,000 CPUs throughout the world have participated in Folding@Home
Not doing anything with your extra CPU cycles? Folding@home is a small screensaver application that folds proteins in an effort to find cures for diseases. It is that simple. It is so simple, and you will actually be helping to save lives.
What are proteins and why do they 'fold'? Proteins are biology's workhorses -- its 'nanomachines.' Before proteins can carry out their biochemical function, they remarkably assemble themselves, or 'fold.' The process of protein folding, while critical and fundamental to virtually all of biology, remains a mystery. Moreover, perhaps not surprisingly, when proteins do not fold correctly (i.e. 'misfold'), there can be serious effects, including many well known diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, and Parkinson's disease.
View: Folding@Home
Download: >here< "
Not doing anything with your extra CPU cycles? Folding@home is a small screensaver application that folds proteins in an effort to find cures for diseases. It is that simple. It is so simple, and you will actually be helping to save lives.
What are proteins and why do they 'fold'? Proteins are biology's workhorses -- its 'nanomachines.' Before proteins can carry out their biochemical function, they remarkably assemble themselves, or 'fold.' The process of protein folding, while critical and fundamental to virtually all of biology, remains a mystery. Moreover, perhaps not surprisingly, when proteins do not fold correctly (i.e. 'misfold'), there can be serious effects, including many well known diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, and Parkinson's disease.
View: Folding@Home
Download: >here< "
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support: "CompUSA is offering VisionTek's XTASY 9800 PRO 128MB on their web site, for a limited time, at just $299 after rebates.
View: CompUSA
Though a bit pricey for the everyday gamer, and the casual web surfer, nothing we have seen can match it's power at this price. "
View: CompUSA
Though a bit pricey for the everyday gamer, and the casual web surfer, nothing we have seen can match it's power at this price. "
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support: "THE PENTIUM M appears to be such a fantastic chip that it knocks the socks off the best Intel can offer with Pentium 4 technology and AMD with an XP 3000+.
That's the surprising conclusion of two sets of figures, one by individuals attempting SETI@home work cycles using the Pentium M and the other on Intel's own web site.
A posting on ALT.SCI.SETIand using a 1.6GHz Pentium M, which is the chip at the heart of the Centrino, appears to indicate that a little Centrino machine can crunch at high, high speed, trashing the performance of Pentium 4s and Athlon XPs.
News source: The Inq
If you're considering a laptop, don't overlook the Pentium M. Clock speed is not a true indicator of performance, and battery life is greatly improved!
Dell has a $200 rebate available on their 300m, also get a free DVD burner and free shipping. No tax in most states click here "
That's the surprising conclusion of two sets of figures, one by individuals attempting SETI@home work cycles using the Pentium M and the other on Intel's own web site.
A posting on ALT.SCI.SETIand using a 1.6GHz Pentium M, which is the chip at the heart of the Centrino, appears to indicate that a little Centrino machine can crunch at high, high speed, trashing the performance of Pentium 4s and Athlon XPs.
News source: The Inq
If you're considering a laptop, don't overlook the Pentium M. Clock speed is not a true indicator of performance, and battery life is greatly improved!
Dell has a $200 rebate available on their 300m, also get a free DVD burner and free shipping. No tax in most states click here "
Geeks to Go - Free, friendly, web-based computer help & tech support: "URGENT Security Alert!
Do you, or someone you know have a Windows computer that shuts down by itself? A recent security hole exposed in Windows XP Home/Pro and Win2K, is being exploited by someone trying to gain total control of the computer.
A free patch is available from Microsoft
Download: Free patch from Microsoft
If you regularly run Windows update, this patch has already been installed for you. If you're getting this message, or haven't run Windows update, apply this patch NOW!
Here's the full text of the message:
'This system is shutting down. Please save all work in progress and log off. Any unsaved changes will be lost. This shutdown was initiated by NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Time before shutdown: (counts down from 60 seconds)
Message
Windows must now restart becasue the Remote Call Procedure (RPC) service terminated unexpectedly.'
UPDATE: If your having problems installing the patch within the 60 sec, when you see the window pop up telling you 60 sec, Go to Start, Run and type in shutdown -a. This will cancel the shutdown attempt.
This problem can also caused by W32.Blaster.worm the latest worm to use the RPC DCOM BUFFER OVERFLOW exploit.
Anyone experiencing this problem should also search for msblast.exe on their system, and be sure your anti-virus software definitions are up-to-date.
View: Test your system
Download: FixBlast - W32.Blaster.Worm Removal Tool "
Do you, or someone you know have a Windows computer that shuts down by itself? A recent security hole exposed in Windows XP Home/Pro and Win2K, is being exploited by someone trying to gain total control of the computer.
A free patch is available from Microsoft
Download: Free patch from Microsoft
If you regularly run Windows update, this patch has already been installed for you. If you're getting this message, or haven't run Windows update, apply this patch NOW!
Here's the full text of the message:
'This system is shutting down. Please save all work in progress and log off. Any unsaved changes will be lost. This shutdown was initiated by NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Time before shutdown: (counts down from 60 seconds)
Message
Windows must now restart becasue the Remote Call Procedure (RPC) service terminated unexpectedly.'
UPDATE: If your having problems installing the patch within the 60 sec, when you see the window pop up telling you 60 sec, Go to Start, Run and type in shutdown -a. This will cancel the shutdown attempt.
This problem can also caused by W32.Blaster.worm the latest worm to use the RPC DCOM BUFFER OVERFLOW exploit.
Anyone experiencing this problem should also search for msblast.exe on their system, and be sure your anti-virus software definitions are up-to-date.
View: Test your system
Download: FixBlast - W32.Blaster.Worm Removal Tool "
