Archive for March, 2006
Friday, March 31st, 2006
The search giant claims this has only happened in a ‘few cases’, with poor user account security to blame
Google has admitted that a few users’ Google Mail accounts were mistakenly deleted, but the search giant claims it is not responsible.
“We have seen a few cases where users report that their accounts have been deleted, and in each case our investigations have revealed that the accounts were deleted by someone with that account’s password. In these cases, we’re unfortunately unable to restore accounts,” a Google spokeswoman told ZDNet UK on Tuesday.
Google Mail service is known as Gmail in much of the world, but not in the UK as Google ceded the right to that name here after a legal fight. Despite being launched almost exactly two years ago it is still in beta.
To delete an account, users must follow the steps detailed on Google’s Web site and must re-enter their account password to confirm the operation.
Full story: ZDNet UK
Posted in News | No Comments »
Friday, March 31st, 2006
The battle over Web e-mail is spilling onto the desktop.
Microsoft started testing Windows Live Mail Desktop this week. It will let people manage their Hotmail–or e-mail from other accounts such as Yahoo Mail and Gmail from Google–offline without accessing a Web-based server. They still must connect to the Web to send and receive e-mail.
Although billed as an e-mail client, Microsoft’s desktop software offers more than just a way to read e-mail. In its current form, the software also allows users to instant message their address book contacts, post a blog or read RSS feeds.
It makes sense for Microsoft to deliver this new desktop software, analysts say, because of its history on the PC, huge Windows user base and effort to build a network of ad-supported software. Microsoft has been looking for ways to support new free software through advertising.
That said, other big Web-based e-mail providers are saying they have no plans to follow suit. The proliferation of broadband connectivity and wireless Internet access makes Web-based e-mail easy and popular and makes adding desktop software to the mix a moot point, at least right now.
“What we hear is that our users really appreciate the ‘anywhere access’ of Web mail that we provide,” said a representative for Yahoo, whose e-mail program, with nearly 226 million users worldwide, is the most popular. Hotmail and Gmail have 222 million and 52 million global users, respectively, according to ComScore Media Metrix. AOL has 66 million users worldwide.
Full article: CNET News.com
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Thursday, March 30th, 2006
XP Conversion Pack is a full conversion pack to turn Windows Server 2003 into a Windows XP clone OS, without any of the conflicts and instabilities. Enjoy server-class performance on desktops, with none of the pain!
Download: XP Conversion Pack 1.0 Techconnect Magazine
Posted in Windows | No Comments »
Thursday, March 30th, 2006
First it was China, now it’s genetics; Google is in hot water with privacy advocates again
Search giant Google has been accused of being the “biggest threat to genetic privacy” for its alleged plan to create a searchable database of genetic information.
Google was presented with an award as part of the Captain Hook Awards for Biopiracy in Curitiba, Brazil, this week. The organisers allege that Google’s collaboration with genomic research institute J. Craig Venter, to create a searchable online database of all the genes on the planet, is a clear example of biopiracy.
Biopiracy refers to the “monopolisation of genetic resources” according to the show’s organisers. It is also defined as the unauthorised use of biological resources by organisations such as corporations, universities and governments.
According to the award’s Web site, Google is guilty of biopiracy because plans for a searchable database could make it easier for private genetic information to be abused. “Google, in cooperation with Craig Venter, are developing plans to make all of our genomes Googlable to facilitate the brave new world of private genetically-tailored medicines,” the site claims.
Full story: ZDNet UK
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Thursday, March 30th, 2006
SkinStudio is a program that lets you design your own graphical user interfaces that can then be applied to Microsoft Windows or various programs on Windows such as Windows Media Player.
Features
Supports Universal Skin Format (USF)
Create a skin from a pre-made image
Create WindowBlinds Skins
Import .msstyles into USF
Use pre-made GUI widgets
Import parts from other skins
Advanced Skin Colorizing
Create Media Player Skins
Download: SkinStudio 5.01 | Screenshots
Posted in IMAGE/PHOTO Editor | No Comments »
Thursday, March 30th, 2006
Microsoft headed into two days of closed-door hearings with European regulators, facing $2.4 million in daily fines over what the EU feel is noncompliance with a 2004 antitrust ruling.
This is a case the software giant just can’t win, according to analysts.
In late 2005, European regulators warned Microsoft it could be fined for every day of noncompliance, retroactive to Dec. 15.
At the crux of the EU’s decision is whether Microsoft permitted rivals access to technical information needed for third-party applications to work with Windows.
Neil Barrett, a UK professor serving as an independent trustee in the case, has called Microsoft documentation unusable.
To refute that, Microsoft submitted statements from EMC, StarBak Communications, Tandberg Television and Network Appliance, referring to the Microsoft Communications Protocol Program documentation licensing as “useful and helpful,” according to a statement.
Microsoft contends it is willing to improve the documentation, but needs “clear, concise and consistent information from the commission” about what changes it wants made, according to a statement.
Full article: internetnews.com
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Thursday, March 30th, 2006
The SphereXPlorer is a three-dimensionals web browser. Enables you to browse the web like you had never before. The interface is based on experience and technology gained from the SphereXP project.
SphereXPlorer is
· a 3D web browser
· a new way of exploring the internet
· based on the SphereXP technology
· display LIVE explorer windows in a 3D environment
· provide easy manipulations and navigation
· make browsing more easier
Requirements
· Windows XP
· Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 installed.
· Internet Explorer
· 3D accelerated graphics adapter (min 64MB)
Download: SphereXPlorer 1.0.2710 | Screenshots (Shareware)
Posted in Browsers | No Comments »
Thursday, March 30th, 2006
With the rapid increase in the number of attempts to defraud customers by creating Web sites that mimic those of legitimate organizations in an attempt to obtain information about credit cards, online banking details, etc., McAfee has developed an anti-phishing filter that integrates into Internet Explorer to block potentially fraudulent sites. Real time analysis of various sources allows phishing sites to be identified and blocked in a very short space of time and dynamic updating ensures that as soon as a new site is identified by our engineers you are protected.
Download: McAfee Anti-Phishing Filter - Technology Preview 1.0
Posted in Security | No Comments »
Thursday, March 30th, 2006
Snooping is not all its capable of…
New software that hides on mobile phones and captures call logs and text messages is being sold as a way to monitor kids and spouses. But one security company calls it a Trojan horse.
The FlexiSpy application captures call logs, text messages and mobile internet activity, among other things. The software, released at the beginning of March, sells for $49.95 and is advertised by Thailand-based Vervata as a tool to monitor kids and unfaithful spouses. The data captured is sent to Vervata’s servers and is accessible to customers via a special website.
Similar surveillance software for PCs already exists and has raised the ire of groups fighting domestic violence, who fear it may be used by abusive spouses.
FlexiSpy has attracted a different kind of criticism from security company F-Secure, which has labelled the software a Trojan, or a malicious program that disguises itself as something innocuous.
Jarno Niemela wrote on the Finnish antivirus maker’s corporate blog on Wednesday: “This application installs itself without any kind of indication as to what it is. And when it is installed on the phone, it completely hides itself from the user.”
Full story: silicon.com
Posted in News | No Comments »
Thursday, March 30th, 2006
VP7 Personal Edition is a free version of On2’s industry-leading VP7 Video for Windows codec. VP7 offers better video quality than H.264, MPEG, and Windows Media, as measured in Peak Singal-to-Noise ratios.
PVR builders! VP7 Personal can also be used to power any Windows-based PVR solution that supports Video for Windows codecs!
Note that the VP7 Personal Edition license entitles you to create and publish video for personal use only. VP7 Personal Edition also includes an additional tab on the software interface that promotes On2’s Flix line of encoding products, as well as the enterprise encoding solutions.
Download: VP7 Personal Edition 7.0.1.0
Posted in Audio/Media/Video | No Comments »
Thursday, March 30th, 2006
BHOList is a frontend for TonyKlein’s BHO Collection that downloads the list, and displays it in a sortable, searchable list. You can also export it to a file and load that file back instead of downloading it from Sysinfo.org.
Download: BHOList 1.5
Posted in AntiSpyware | No Comments »
Thursday, March 30th, 2006
Microsoft has started beta testing software that will take its Web e-mail onto the desktop.
This week, Microsoft served up the first test version of Windows Live Mail Desktop, a free Windows program that will let users manage multiple e-mail accounts. The software is designed to work with Windows Live Mail, the successor to Hotmail that is also in beta testing.
The move is a shift for the Hotmail business, which in the past, has charged users who wanted to read their mail using desktop software, rather than a Web browser.
Read more: ZDNet Australia
Posted in News | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006
Fastream NETFile is an user friendly, multi-threaded and solid FTP client with resuming and multi-socket transfers combined together in a firewall friendly way.
Aside from all the features below, it is now -no-adware- freeware as a companion to NETFile Web/FTP Server.
Features
· Absolutely free!
· Superb multi-threaded FTP client
· Optional simultaneous transfers
· Resuming, firewall friendly passive mode, SOCKS and proxy support
· Multi-connection downloads with speeds faster than up to 400% faster than single socket downloads
· Directory cache for supreme speed listings
· Actions history
Runs on Windows 2000/XP/2003.
Download: Fastream NETFile FTP Client 6.0
Posted in Web/internet | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006
Apple Computer has released a free software update for some iPods that lets listeners set a maximum volume limit.
The free update, available for video iPods and all iPod Nano models, also includes a parental lock option. After setting the volume limit, parents can lock the setting with a combination code to prevent children from raising the maximum volume without their knowledge.
The move follows a string of news articles and research reports, including a recent hearing in Washington, warning people not to listen to their MP3 players at excessive volume levels for prolonged periods.
The Mac maker also faces a class-action lawsuit that charges the company of not taking adequate steps to prevent hearing loss among American iPod consumers, despite limiting the output of the devices to 100 decibels in France.
Full story: CNET News.com
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Wednesday, March 29th, 2006
avast! External Control (AEC) tool was designed to extend avast! Antivirus functionality and security.
AEC gives you almost full control over avast! Home Edition or Professional Edition.
You can tweak hidden settings and view detailed avast! Antivirus status.
External avast! component launcher gives you ability to scan files externally or even schedule Boot-Time scan directly from AEC.
avast! Status Info function can be used to dump status log, so Alwil staff can easily help you on avast! Forums. Most functions is limited to Windows 2000/XP only.
AEC is a standalone application (extract&use).
Existing AEC users can update through integrated easy to use Smart AutoUpdate feature.
Download: avast! External Control 1.6.297
Posted in Antivirus | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006
Doh!
A student from Texas left internet giant Google with egg on its face by taking control of the company’s official blog when it went offline yesterday.
The unnamed student tried registering a new blog with the Google-owned Blogger service using the same googleblog name after the search firm’s usual page failed to load.
Yesterday the blog carried the message: ‘Google, fix your blog pleeassse!’
“Just to clear things up, I’m not associated with Google. I just wanted to take advantage of this before someone else with less worthy intentions did,” the site said.
“The username was giving a 404, so I tried registering a new blog with it. Surprisingly, it worked.”
Read more: vnunet.com
Posted in News | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006
You can easily visualize your images and photos on your Pocket PC with XnView Pocket. Thanks to these many tools of final improvement you can correct your photos, share them with your friends and your family by sending them by e-mail. XnView Pocket makes it possible to you to realize slide shows particularly with the executable format readable by all.
Image Formats :
Reading :Jpeg / Jfif, Gif, Bmp, Png, 2bp, Tif, Pcx, Pbm, Pgm, Ppm, Pnm, xbm, xpm, Tga, Ico
Writing :Jpeg, Gif, Bmp, Tga, Png
Features :
. Display in 5 input modes : Thumbnail, list, detail, Filmstrip et full screen.
. Use of the favourites to simplify and accelerate the navigation through files.
. Display informations, exifs and iptc of images.
. Sorting of images by the name, the date, the type, the size and the definition, the whole in ascending or decreasing order.
. Conversion of images between the different supported formats.
. Resizing of images according to various factors, sizes, and possibility to resize to the screen size in order to obtain the best ratio weight/clearness.
. Screen capture
. Association of image types with XnView Pocket possible and modifiable.
. Slide Show mode with adjustment of time between the slides, of the background color. The transition effects are also usable in this mode, the display in landscape mode (allowing the display of the images while turning the Pocket PC of 90?Ǭ?, becoming into the screen proportions in adequacy with the proportions.
. Sending of the images by email with change of size and format possible.
Configuration : Pocket PC 2000 (MIPS SH3), Pocket PC 2002/2003/2005 (ARM/XSCALE) .
Download: XnView Pocket 1.35
Posted in Pocket PC/PDA | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006
A new online service promises to send an e-mail alert when a Web site is copied and possibly used in a phishing scam.
The free service, dubbed PhishRegistry.org, is run by e-mail security company CipherTrust. Web site owners can use the service to monitor abuse of their brand, while consumers can submit URLs they use, such as a bank Web site, to the list of those monitored, CipherTrust said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Web addresses are submitted via forms on the PhishRegistry Web site. The system then analyses the legitimate site using CipherTrust’s “Phisherprinting” technology, the company said. The technology essentially creates a “fingerprint” of the genuine pages using source code, images and text as markers.
After that, the system scans the Web and when it comes across a site, determines whether it is authentic by comparing the markers. It sends out an alert when attempts to duplicate the legitimate site have been detected. Site owners will receive weekly reports with information about suspect Web sites, the company said.
Full story: ZDNet Australia
Posted in News | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006
Hosts Editor allows you to easily add hosts to your hosts file. Simply type the hostname you wish to add and click “Add To Hosts” After your next reboot, the host that you added will resolve to 0.0.0.0. This application was created to help save bandwidth while you are on the internet. Also Includes Clipboard Functionality. If you have copied an address to your clipboard, hit the “Clipboard” button to automatically add it to the address box, then click “Add to Hosts” and you are done after two simple clicks!
Download: Hosts Editor 1.10
Posted in Utilities | No Comments »
