Archive for October, 2005
Monday, October 31st, 2005
Google plans to hire programmers to improve OpenOffice.org, a demonstration of its affinity for open source initiatives and one the company believes also shows sound practical sense.
OpenOffice has its roots in Sun Microsystems’ StarOffice suite of programs. Five years ago, Sun turned its proprietary software into an open-source project. Only recently, however, has the competitor to Microsoft’s Office attracted serious attention.
Now Google believes it can help OpenOffice–perhaps working to pare down the software’s memory requirements or its mammoth 80MB download size, said Chris DiBona, manager for open-source programs at the search company.
“We want to hire a couple of folks to help make OpenOffice better,” DiBona said.
Google has shown an affinity for open-source software, which are programs developed in the open and available for free. Many of the company’s programmers came of age in the open-source era, so advancing the open-source agenda comes naturally, DiBona said. But the company also has business reasons to justify its open-source embrace.
“We use a fair amount of open-source software at Google. We want to make sure that’s a healthy community. And we want to make sure open source preserves competitiveness within the industry,” he said.
Full article: ZDNet
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Monday, October 31st, 2005
Under the radar
A worm propagating through AOL’s Instant Messenger network comes with rootkit technology designed to slip under anti-virus defences. The Sdbot-ADD worm is being passed through instant messages from members on a user’s Buddy List and within AOL chat rooms.
Sdbot-ADD, the latest variant of a family of worms that is continuously modified with new components by hackers, comes complete with an adware bundle and a rootkit file, lockx.exe. “The executable provides an attacker with the capability to upload, download and monitor the infected host. Furthermore, the executable attempts to shut down anti-virus programs and leaves a backdoor on the host PC to install additional software,” according to IM security firm FaceTime, which was among the first security firms to notify of the threat.
Full story: The Register
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Sunday, October 30th, 2005
Earth3D is a program that visualizes the earth in realtime in a 3D view. It uses data from NASA, USGS, the CIA and the city of Osnabrück.
The program’s features are:
- viewing the earth as a whole
- zooming in until countries, cities and even single houses become visible (in areas where the necessary map resolution is available)
- embedding external data like current earthquake positions or cloud data
Earth3D is available as binary for Linux, MacOS X and Windows under the GPL license.
Download: Earth3D 1.0.4 all OS
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Saturday, October 29th, 2005
Sun Microsystems’ pay-per-use grid initiative is in use commercially and has “thousands of customers” waiting in the wings for a public launch.
A recent media report alleged that Sun’s pay-per-use $1 per CPU hour initiative, which will launch during the next few weeks according to a company spokeswoman, had yet to log a single customer.
But Sun has a somewhat different view of the success of its initiative, which it first announced in September 2004.
At the company’s Network Computing ‘05 (NC05Q1) event in February, it revealed further details of the plan, which involves massive computing power on Opteron processor-based Sun Fire servers running Solaris 10.
Aisling MacRunnels, senior director of utility computing at Sun, explained that in February, the company clarified where it was going to go and put out a definition of what the industry should aspire to.
“We are committed to that definition and have launched the pay-per-use utility over that time and have customers,” MacRunnels told internetnews.com. “We are now getting ready to open the doors on this to the public.”
After Sun’s announcement, the company garnered interest from oil and gas financial companies that had an immediate need. MacRunnels explained that in order to meet that need, Sun developed a commercial compute utility that is a $1 per-CPU per-hour with companies committing to volume contracts.
Full article: internetnews.com
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Saturday, October 29th, 2005
Nuclear testing in a Big Blue box
The US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has unveiled two new IBM supercomputers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), which are capable of the fastest processing speeds yet achieved.
The 65,536 processor BlueGene/L supercomputer has performed a record 280.6 trillion operations per second on the industry standard LINPACK benchmark - software used to rank the speeds of the world’s fastest machines.
Purple, the other half of the most powerful supercomputing twosome, is a machine capable of 100 trillion operations per second as it conducts simulations of a complete nuclear weapons performance.
Together, the Purple and BlueGene/L systems will perform half a petaflop, or half of a quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000) operations per second.
Full article: vnunet.com
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Saturday, October 29th, 2005
The Microsoft Color Control Panel Applet adds a new ‘Color’ item to the Windows control panel, providing a single place to view and edit color management settings in Windows XP. Using it, you can install and uninstall color profiles, change color profile associations for displays, printers and scanners, view detailed properties for color profiles (including a 3D rendering of the color space gamut), and rename color profiles, keeping the filenames and “internal” names consistent.
This tool also enables Windows to automatically adjust the gamut curve of the display when a color profile containing gamut table information is set as the default profile for the display. Typically, such profiles are created by custom monitor calibration tools, such as those available from ColorVision, GretagMacbeth, and X-Rite. If a color profile has this information, it is shown with an asterisk (*) in the user interface.
Using the Microsoft Color Control Panel Applet, you can:
• Install and uninstall ICC color profiles
• Inspect, rename, and compare two different color profiles
• View a 3D graphics plot of color profile color gamuts
• Associate color profiles with devices such as printers, monitors, and scanners
• Apply custom color gamut adjustments to one or more displays –on the fly–
• Set up display calibration reminders at intervals you specify
System Requirements
• Supported Operating Systems: Windows XP; Windows XP Home Edition ; Windows XP Professional Edition ; Windows XP Service Pack 2; Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
• Operating System. Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later installed. This program is not recommended for use on any other version of Windows.
• Hardware. See the minimum hardware requirements for the Windows XP operating system you are using.
• Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 of the Microsoft .NET Framework is required. This software will be automatically installed when running Setup if it is not already present on your system. (Other versions of the .NET Framework may be safely installed on your system without affecting the use of this software.)
Download: Microsoft Color Control Panel Applet for Windows XP 1.0
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Saturday, October 29th, 2005
Oracle intends to release a free version of its database, a reaction to the growing competitive pressure from low-end open-source databases.
The database heavyweight on Tuesday is expected to announce the beta release of Oracle 10g Express Edition (Oracle Database XE), which will be generally available by the end of the year. It is targeted at students, small organizations and software vendors that could embed the Oracle database with an application.
The latest edition is the same as other databases in Oracle’s lineup but is limited in usage. It can only run servers with one processor, with 4GB of disk memory and 1GB of memory.
The new low-end edition is aimed squarely at free and open-source alternatives to Oracle’s namesake database, said Andrew Mendelsohn, senior vice president of Oracle’s server technologies division.
Open-source databases have caught on steadily in popularity over the past few years with corporate customers and Web developers.
MySQL is the most popular open-source database among developers, according to a recent Evans Data study. IBM earlier this month released a free version of its own DB2 database as part of a PHP development package. And Microsoft intends to ship a free version of SQL Server 2005, called Express, next month.
Full article: News.com
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Friday, October 28th, 2005
Anti-spyware group issues rules for bad behaviour…
The Anti-Spyware Coalition (ASC) offered up standard guidelines on Thursday for detecting, rating and protecting against unwelcome programs that have plagued internet users in recent years.
The group, composed of software companies and consumer advocates, also finalised its definition of spyware, veering little from the version it proposed in July.
The coalition defines spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies as programs deployed without sufficient user consent or which impair user control over any of the following: privacy, system security and user experience; use of their system resources; or collection, use and distribution of personal information.
Spyware and adware have become widely despised for sneaky distribution tactics, unauthorised data gathering, the eating-up of computer processing power and other annoyances. Although adware makers say there are legitimate uses for their programs, an entire anti-spyware market has been spawned to combat the stuff.
Yet attempts to define spyware and create guidelines are also controversial. Critics fear spyware makers will use the guidelines to avoid getting caught by blocking tools but will find ways to continue bad behaviours.
Full article: silicon.com
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Friday, October 28th, 2005
The Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0 redistributable package installs the .NET Framework runtime and associated files required to run applications developed to target the .NET Framework v2.0.
The .NET Framework version 2.0 improves scalability and performance of applications with improved caching, application deployment and updating with ClickOnce, support for the broadest array of browsers and devices with ASP.NET 2.0 controls and services.
System Requirements
- Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000; Windows 98; Windows 98 Second Edition; Windows ME; Windows Server 2003; Windows XP
- Required Software:
o Windows Installer 3.0 (except for Windows 98/ME, which require Windows Installer 2.0 or later). Windows Installer 3.1 or later is recommended.
o IE 5.01 or later: You must also be running Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or later for all installations of the .NET Framework.
- Disk Space Requirements: 280 MB (x86), 610 MB (x64)
Download: Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package (x86)
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Friday, October 28th, 2005
Nude sunbathing clip hits web
Janet Jackson yesterday made an unexpected guest appearence on at least two websites in a 34-second clip showing the singer sunbathing in her birthday suit. According to Reuters, the video “appears to have been shot surreptitiously through an opening in a fence surrounding an outdoor enclosure where the subject was lying on a chaise lounge (sic)”.
The offending item popped up on both iFilm.com and ThisWebsiterules.com (the latter most certainly NSFW), although it has now disappeared, apparently because of swift legal sabre-rattling by Jackson. Indeed, iFilm.com last night posted a message stating: “Out of respect for Ms. Jackson, this film has been removed from IFILM.com.”
Full story: The Register
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Friday, October 28th, 2005
Similar to Windows 9x/Me, the registry files in an NT-based system
can become fragmented over time, occupying more space on your hard
disk than necessary and decreasing overall performance. You should
use the NTREGOPT utility regularly, but especially after installing
or uninstalling a program, to minimize the size of the registry files
and optimize registry access.
The program works by recreating each registry hive “from scratch”,
thus removing any slack space that may be left from previously
modified or deleted keys.
Note that the program does NOT change the contents of the registry in
any way, nor does it physically defrag the registry files on the drive
(as the PageDefrag program from SysInternals does). The optimization
done by NTREGOPT is simply compacting the registry hives to the
minimum size possible.
Download: NTREGOPT 1.1j
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Friday, October 28th, 2005
ERUNT - The Emergency Recovery Utility, is a Registry Backup and Restore for Windows NT/2000/2003/XP
Features
• Backup the Windows NT/2000/2003/XP registry to a folder of your
choice
• System and current user registries selectable
• Command line switches for automated registry backup and restoration
• Restore the registry in Windows 9x/Me/NT/2000/2003/XP and MS-DOS
(all-in-one restore program) or the Windows Recovery Console
• Included in this package:
NTREGOPT program for optimizing the registry
• All programs in this package are completely localizable
(translate them into your language), German version included
Download: ERUNT 1.1j
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Friday, October 28th, 2005
Company still a top target
AOL?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s instant messaging service has been hit by a virus which downloads spyware onto computers via a special website.
The virus spreads via messages on AOL?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s AIM software, either saying HILARIOUS!!! Or see thing!!!, with a URL. Clicking on the link takes the user to a web page that attempts to download a Trojan onto the computer using patchable flaws in the browser.
?¢‚Ǩ?ìWe have seen several versions of the URL,?¢‚Ǩ? said web monitor Websense, which issued an alert about the virus.
Read more: vnunet.com
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Friday, October 28th, 2005
With HDCopy you can make an identical copy of a hard drive onto another hard drive. If you buy a new hard drive and don’t wish to change your Windows configuration in any way, you can use HDCopy to copy your old hard drive completely to the new one (hidden files as well).
Platforms: Windows 95, 98 and Me
Download: HDCopy 2.104
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Friday, October 28th, 2005
Microsoft says it may be forced to withdraw its Windows software from the South Korean market if the country’s antitrust agency orders it to unbundle its instant-messaging application and media player from the operating system.
South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has reportedly been investigating charges that Microsoft has breached antitrust laws by bundling streaming video and instant messaging into Windows software.
“If the KFTC enters an order requiring Microsoft to remove code or redesign Windows uniquely for the Korean market, it might be necessary to withdraw Windows from the Korean market or delay offering new versions in Korea,” Microsoft said in a U.S. regulatory filing late Thursday.
A Microsoft spokeswoman said the software maker had an obligation to make the disclosure under U.S. securities laws as part of its 10Q filing of its quarterly financial statements to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Full article: internetnews.com
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Thursday, October 27th, 2005
A new search feature on Google lets people quickly get to airline flight information.
Users can type in two different cities, or airport codes, in the Google search box to bring up two boxes for entering departing and returning flight dates. Below those are links to the travel Web sites Expedia, Hotwire and Orbitz. Clicking on one of those links leads directly to flight options for your selected itinerary on that site.
“Google is testing a new search feature for specific flight inquiries between two points,” Google said in an e-mailed statement.
Read more: CNET News.com
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Thursday, October 27th, 2005
POP ‘N’ Check, resides in the systray, and connects to your mail server on a given interval.
You can have 100 accounts, and it supports APOP/CramSHA1/CramMD5/AUTH login and stuff.
Download: POP ‘N’ Check 0.6
Posted in eMail | No Comments »
Thursday, October 27th, 2005
If someone is trying to understand where Microsoft is headed with its services push, they might want to start by checking out the iPod.
Ray Ozzie, Microsoft’s newly appointed services guru, pointed to Apple’s iconic music player as a “perfect example” of a product that marries hardware, software and services. He also points to Research In Motion’s BlackBerry, which brings together an e-mail device, server-based software and wireless data service.
In both cases, people don’t think about the individual pieces of the package, he said. They just think about the tasks they want to do, such as listening to their music or getting e-mail on the go.
“You just want to think about what you want to accomplish,” Ozzie, Microsoft’s chief technical officer, said on Tuesday during a noontime session at the VortexSF 2005 tech conference in San Francisco.
The comments were the first detailed indications of where Ozzie and Microsoft are headed following a company reorganisation last month. The reshuffle was seen by some as an attempt to better compete against services-based rivals such as Google.
Full article: ZDNet Australia
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Thursday, October 27th, 2005
Sick twist to social engineering
Today brings further proof that no human disaster these days arises without been exploited by internet ne’er-do-wells. Hot on the heels of a spam campaign punting Tamiflu, the drug believed most effective at protecting humans from the potentially-lethal H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus, comes a piece of malware designed to tap into topical concerns about the disease.
The Naiva-A Trojan masquerades as a Word document containing information about the bird flu epidemic in order to dupe unwitting Windows users into opening the maliciously constructed file. Once executed, the malware uses two Word macros to run and install a second item of malicious code, Ranky-FY, onto infected PCs. Ranky-FY gives hackers the ability to control compromised PCs.
Full story: The Register
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