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Remote Control for Windows Vista
One thing I'm very pleased to see in Vista Home Premium and Ultimate is Media Center. Having had the opportunity to use a Media Center for a few months at the beginning of the year, it is a great way to use television.
Of course, one snag with it being supplied with ordinary computers is that there is less chance of a remote control being supplied.
Enter the Trust Vista Remote Control RC-2400. In my opinion this is a little more stylish than the standard Media Center remote.
The only fly in the oitment that I can see is that the IR receiver is just that and nothing else. Official Windows Media Center remote controls can be used to control up to 2 other devices such as digiboxes or Sky receivers. Given that the official remote is around the same price of £20, that looks the better option if you have external boxes to control.
I know this from experience as I get my television via FreeSatFromSky. Still if you can receive television using a USB or built in TV Card this is not a problem.
Microsoft to start selling PCs...
...but not over here. Not yet, anyway. The software giant has been selling hardware for a long time, from the Microsoft Mouse of the early 1990s up to today's mice and keyboards and, of course, the Xbox 360. But it's never actually sold computers before.
That's going to change, with the launch of the IQ PC, which will retail for some 21,000 rupees in India (equivalent to around £260). It makes sense, in a way - the company has been trying to combat rampant software piracy in Asia for years, most recently with the launch of special cut-down cheaper editions of Windows (both XP and Vista) for Asian markets.
So what the IQ PC actually is is a copy of Windows with a PC attached to it - by selling the hardware direct, Microsoft ensures that each person who buys one is also buying a legitimate copy of Windows.
Will we see the equivalent of the IQ PC over here, then? Probably not, although it wouldn't be a surprise to see them pop up in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
Games for Vista
We've recently reviewed a couple of games that are only available for Vista users. Is this is a ploy to get people to use Microsoft's unpopular new operating system, we've been asked. Well, it's certainly easy to draw that conclusion.
But in fact, Vista does include a couple of technologies that aren't in older editions of Windows, which could mean that newer games using those features won't run on XP. But it's telling that the only two we've seen so far are published by Microsoft. Maybe it's only when we start to see other developers making Vista-only games that we'll be able to be sure it's not all just a sales ploy.
XP and Vista: the choice, six months on
The Shuttle mini XPC we've recently reviewed is available with both Windows XP and Windows Vista pre-installed. A quick look at the Dell website confirms that the world's largest PC seller is also offering customers a choice on most of its computers.
Now, we haven't seen any firm numbers on how many people are choosing which version. But it's something we'll be looking into. Personally, given the choice, I'd go for Vista every time, but from the letters we've seen from readers, it's clear that not everybody agrees with me.
So it's over to you: what are the best reasons to pick up a new PC with Windows XP on it, when it's the same price as a Vista device?
Biometric for the masses
Fingerprint scanners are a rather cool alternative to having to remember passwords and Dell announced an interesting incentive to use it on their new M1330 notebook. As well as one finger acting as the password, the other fingers can be used as shortcuts for other programs
Leaving aside my occasional need to label my hands with an L and R, let alone identify individual fingers, this might just be the kind of gimmick that will promote biometrics.
You might remember my comments about QWERTY and the AK47* and how people are happy to stick with what they know even if it isn't very good. It would be very encouraging if this kind of added extra helps persuade people to use biometrics. The irony is that this kind of utility probably doesn't take very long to write.
Sadly, one UK journalist (who shall remain nameless) felt the need to ask if there was an upper limit to the number of shortcuts that can be set up. The Dell guys responded brilliantly with the answer of 20, though the thought of everyone in the office taking their shoes off to start Notepad is too horrific to contemplate!
*I did give Dvorak another go but then needed to file quite a lot of copy urgently, another day...
Multi-touch
Yes, I know, this is a Windows blog, and Apple's iPhone has already had enough hype without any help from us. But all the talk about the new phone's multi-touch interface reminded me of a scene from the always-excellent Ted 'ideas conferences'. From last year's session, in fact, at which Jeff Han of New York University demonstrated the first working multi-touch interface. It's a spectacular demonstration, and one that shows a whole new way of working with a computer. The pertinent question is: when are we going to get a Windows version?
(Image from Jeff Han's website)
Vista does well in another security report
Undeterred by the response I got last time I praised the security in Vista, I was interested by this story on VNUNET about the vulnerabilities in Vista, XP, Mac OS X, and three Linux Distributions in the 90 days after Vista was released.
Vista does rather well (although curiously XP had fewer unpatched flaws at the end of the period). For me the most worrying figure is the number of unpatched flaws at the end of the period. Mac OS X was pretty much on a par with Vista but Red Hat Linux had 60 and Suse 20.
I often use the website www.secunia.com to check on software. For instance, although I use Firefox and like it, I recognise that at the time of writing there were still five unpatched vulnerabilties, compared to none at all for Opera.
I was particulary amused by the remarks Tom makes about Apple fans: "Researchers, meanwhile, have started to closely track Apple software. This has been sparked by frustration over the firm's arrogant attitude towards outside researchers as well as the refusal by so-called Mac fan boys to acknowledge that Apple software is not bullet-proof." The same often applies to Linux fans (I'm still waiting for links to all the security experts who rubbished the last security report I quoted).
Leaving aside inherent flaws, I've found that Microsoft has a much better attitude towards security over the last few years and feel that credit should be given where due.
Open My Computer from the Vista Taskbar
A really useful tip from howtogeek.com for adding a link to My Computer to the Taskbar, that I've used in various permutations with Windows XP as well.
As with many things to do with computers, the toolbars are actually much simpler than they seem at first. Basically a toolbar is just a folder on the computer somewhere with whatever shortcuts are useful to you.
It is worth scrolling down to the comments at the bottom of this post for help with renaming the toolbar to save space.
I've used this to quickly open folders with work, photos or music. If I may humbly add my own bit of advice, I found it very helpful to change the icons for the shortcut so they stand out without needing space-hungry text.
Right-click on the shortcut and select Properties. Left-Click on the Change Icon button and pick something from the list that appears. You could make your own if you want but this is much quicker.
Flip3D on dual monitors
I was introduced to the joys of running two monitors some time ago and have found it a really great way to work more efficiently. The only problem is that some advanced video tricks don't always work very well. The guys over at the Windows Vista Blog have just posted a video showing Flip3D in action on a dual monitor computer. As you might expect from a Microsoft Blog post it works rather well, click on the picture to view the video.
Flip3D with 2 Monitors in Windows Vista
The current record for multi monitor setups that I have seen is five. One of our more ambitious labs people got his hands on a Matrox card. If anyone has any good pictures, leave them in the comments.
Video while you work
Thanks to a copy of Vista Ultimate and an inquisitive editor, I had a quick play with DreamScene today. This is an extra bit of software that can be downloaded via Windows Update and plays videos on the desktop in the place of a static wallpaper image.
I'll admit to being sceptical at first. As far as I'm concerned wallpapers in general are very nice but not worth wasting any time over. After all they should be covered up by whatever work I should be doing at the time. Still, they are a good way to make a statement when the computer is locked (Windows key and L, strongly recommended).
The videos supplied with DreamScene are well chosen. There is enough movement to make it worth while but not so much as to be overly distracting. And as the transparency effects of Glass still work, it's a good way of showing off a new Vista computer. You can even use your own videos. I'd suggest a small prize for the most inappropriate video people can think of, but I suspect most entries would violate our Acceptable Use Policy! What about a webcam feed mod?
My biggest concern though is battery life for my notebook. According to the Sidebar CPU meter, I've added something 10-15% load on my CPU over and above the 8% it normally runs at. That means a shorter battery life on the train, even if the constant movement will drive the person sitting next to me crazy.
Customising the Alt-Tab display in Vista
I found a very useful tip for changing the settings of the Alt-Tab previews in Windows Vista. This is the tradition windows selection shortcut, rather than the new 3D version that is accessed with the Windows Key and Tab.
It does involve editing the Registry (Windows Key and R, type regedit and press enter) but I've had no ill effects from adding the Key and individual settings. Sadly all the settings are in hexidecimal rather than ordinary decimal so they are a little hard to decipher.
Thankfully though, the people over at CyberNotes have created a short list of suggested thumbnail sizes depending on your screen resolution.
1024×768: MaxThumbSizePx = 00000078
1280×1024: MaxThumbSizePx = 0000009E
1680×1050: MaxThumbSizePx = 000000d2
1920×1200: MaxThumbSizePx = 000000f5
As ever though, I'd recommend being sure that your files are safely backed up before editing the registry.
Follow up on 'Days of risk'
I thought this post might get a response (and no, that's not why I wrote it) so I'll give a response to Richard's remarks.
I was quite clear in my post this is not about the severity of the security problems but the speed with which they are fixed.
There is also a question of attitude. Windows users are now well into the habit of updating frequently and there are options to make Windows do this automatically. For me, one of the problems with telling people how secure Linux is, is that they will stop thinking about security and common sense is the most valuable tool in the fight to stay secure.
I've not come across any Linux professional who does not recognise the need for regular security updates, nor do I view the regular release of security updates as a flaw. In fact, one of the reasons I have stuck with Suse for so long is that it checks for updates automatically.
So this is a question of attitude. Regardless of the severity, Windows users are by and large now in the habit of looking for updates on a regular basis. I have a genuine worry that the claims of Linux security will make people think that they don't need to look for updates.
Let me give an example from my own experience of why I think this report is relevant. I reported on a vulnerability in Firefox a little while ago. It was possible to spoof the download dialogue box to make it look like the file was coming from a different server. When I called the Mozilla Foundation the attitude of the person I spoke to was very much one of it'll be fixed when it's fixed. He couldn't or wouldn't give me a timeframe and didn't seem to think that was a problem.
Regardless of the severity of the flaw, I find that thats a worrying attitude. Windows may have significant failings but it is hard to deny the efforts Microsoft has made, sort of writing the whole operating system from scratch. No bad thing in my opinion
Perhaps I shouldn't call myself a fan of Linux, rather a friend. A good friend who will point out mistakes in an honest fashion. That's what I do with Linux. Partly that's my job. A journalist's role is to do the digging to warn other people. The other reason is because I genuinely want to see Linux succeed but there are plenty of things that need to be sorted out. An incredible amount of work has been done and it rightly deserves praise.
So call me a lacky of Steve Ballmer if you want, I'll keep on using Linux, and Windows, and Mac, and Palm OS, and whatever else does the job that I need to do and I'll be honest about the failings in all of them.
Finally, a personal request to Richard. Would you send me some links to the experts who have reputed this report please?
Windows vulnerabilities fixed faster than those in Linux
Fans of Linux (and I'm one of them) often claim that Linux is more secure than Windows. In many respects this is true but there are some important limitations to that claim. When people say this, it normally means that Linux is more secure by design. But that should never be taken to mean that Linux (or any operating system) is perfect.
When making a decision about an operating system (or indeed any software) it is also very important to consider how quickly vulnerabilities are fixed because they will happen.
So a blog post by Jeff Jones about 'Days of risk in 2006' makes interesting, if rather technical reading. Rather than measure the number of security vulnerabilities that surfaced in the year, he counted the number of days that these vulnerabilities were widely known but not fixed.
The winner but a significant degree was Microsoft with 29 days. Apple came in second with 46 days. Two of the larger Linux businesses did rather badly. Novell left users vulnerable for 73 days and Red hat a shocking 107 days. That's nearly a third of the year.
So, although Windows vulnerabilities make the news more often, regular updating keeps you safer.
Play Flash movies on the Windows Desktop
A link that has been doing the rounds in the office is the rather impressive Polar Clock. There is a screensaver available, but what I really wanted was a way of showing the clock on my desktop. An image is simple but this is a flash movie and so can't be used with the normal Display Properties settings.
The solution is the Active Desktop, a technology loudly proclaimed in Windows 98 and then quietly forgotten even since. The idea of having a webpage as your desktop is not actually that bad, especially now that broadband is more common. Seven years ago, it was just not practical to have a live webpage on the desktop.
A lot also depends on the webpage itself and the number of icons you have on the desktop. A webpage with lots of links on a Desktop full of icons (I've only just spilled onto the second monitor) is messy and hard to use.
The Polar Clock is ideal because it sits in the background and does not interfere with anything else.
Here's how I did it....
Right-click on the Desktop and select Properties from the menu that appears. Click on the Desktop tab and then on the Customize Desktop button.
Click on the Web tab and then on New. Copy the address of the page you want to use, in this case http://blog.pixelbreaker.com/upload/polarclock/polarclock.html, and then paste it into the New Desktop Item box. Click on OK to save the change. No password is needed for this page so click on OK in the next window.
Windows then downloads the webpage and associated files such as pictures or the flash movie we want here. Click on OK in all the windows to save the changes. You may need to left click once on an empty part of the desktop and press F5 for the change to take place
Beware regular upgraders
Microsoft has obviously decided that the venerable philosophical conundrum of My Grandfather's Ax does not apply to Windows XP Home. Having upgraded my computer just one time too many, Windows refused to activate without being provided with a new Product Key, effectively saying that I must buy a new copy.
This crops up every now and again and the line from Microsoft is that a new motherboard and processor counts as a new computer. That's a shame for me as those are the only parts that I changed, all the hard disks, the graphics card and even the case are the same as before.
Of course, I could just go ahead and install PCLinuxOS and save myself the cost of Windows, but I had rather been hoping to play some games on the new computer.
Windows MCE 1, Linux MCE 0
Having got my hands on a barebones system I thought I would replace my much missed Media Centre. Not wanting to fork out for a Media Center version of Windows ( XP MCE or Vista Home Premium) I thought I would give LinuxMCE a go.
Frankly it's reaching the point where I'm about to get my wallet out. Before going any further, it should be pointed out that LinuxMCE is still in beta and shouldn't be regarded as a finished product. Then again, the Wine project has now been going 13 years and has yet to actually release version 1.
Installation of Linux MCE is a little convoluted. First you must install Ubuntu 6.10 and then download a second CD image to install the Media Center componants. Remember at this point I was still thinking that I was going to save around £250 and that's worth a certain amount of hassle.
Once the installation had finished Linux MCE seemed extremely slow, but I persisted and tried to set up the TV card. I had checked and it was explicitly listed as supported. Although supported, it couldn't be set up with the Linux MCE wizard so I had to find the MythTV setup.
Once I'd found that, I was presented with a large number of arcane options. Now, I've some experience with Linux so they didn't come as too much of a surprise but I couldn't recommend playing with these options to anyone who is used to Windows.
Finally I got the settings in such a way that Linux MCE found some channels but nothing I could do would actually make them play on the screen. I was already late from lunch so I gave up.
So the future is not looking good for Linux MCE, especially as I received a press release from Hauppague about a new release of their TV software that would work with the copy of Windows I could install on the computer. Sadly it arrived just as I was wiping Windows to make way for LinuxMCE. What irony!
Faces in unlikely places
There's a story doing the rounds about some faces that have been found on the Windows Vista DVD. The page is in Spanish but the pictures speak for themselves. There has been some speculation as to who these people are and why they are there. A response on the Vista Team Blog attempts to dispell any notions of conspiracy theories. Although what consiparacies might achieve from this escapes me. A mutilated Tux the penguin would seem more apt in that case, although I doubt Microsoft would do something that stupid.
In actual fact the pictures are of members of the team that worked on the hologram on the disc. The hologram is supposed to make it harder to produce fake copies of the Windows Vista DVD. If the disk has a badly placed printed label, don't act surprised if it won't activate.
There's nothing new in this. There is a long tradition amongst stone masons of carving faces in hard to reach places on cathedrals. While spending some time with the masons at Canterbury Cathedral I discovered that one of the recently restored spires had, instead of the usual gargoyles, the face of the current Dean and one of the mason's dogs carved on it. Hopefully that was not a comment on their feelings of the Dean.
At just 1mm big, the Vista images were somewhat harder to find but still bigger than the pictures that used to be printed on computer chips. Sadly the tradition has been stopped in the interests of efficiency but you can find out more in an article in the IEEE magazine Spectrum about 'Silicon Graffiti'
Forget the Start menu with Launchy
One of the best things about the new Start menu in Vista is the ability to search for programs. A combination of installing lots of software for review and periodic attempts to organise my Start Menu normally means that it is faster for me to find the program using My Computer than search through the Start Menu.
Now, at last, I have found a solution for Windows XP, Launcy. Simply press Alt and the space bar to reveal the box shown above. Start typing the name of the program and the best guess appears on the right. Pausing reveals a drop down menu of other possibilities.
The Vista Start Menu can also search for documents on the computer. Launchy can as well but this needs a little work in the settings window.
In fact, I might combine this with ObjectDock and get rid of the Task Bar altogther. Add Safari to the mix and my Windows computer is starting to look a lot like a Mac!
The AK-47 and the Qwerty keyboard, or No Change Please, we think we're happy
It's often amazing how people not only put up with the mediocre but even defend it in the face of criticism. So I was intrigued by a story likening the QWERTY keyboard to the AK-47.
Leaving aside the question of the human impact of RSI about to hit a generation compared to terrorist atrocities, the common ground of why both products have become ubiquitous is a compelling read as neither is the best in its respective field by a long way.
"Economic historians recognize that an inferior product may persist when a small but early advantage becomes large over time and builds up a legacy that makes switching costly. In the case of the AK-47 that early advantage may be that as a Soviet invention it was not subject to patent and so could be freely copied."
The history of the different keyboards at dvzine.org is a very interesting, and there is also a helpful reference card.
My colleagues have had to put up with me going on about the Dvorak keyboard layout but I've never had enough time to properly learn it. Perhaps I shall find the time and make a start.
DVD playback software for Windows Vista
As we have to point out, Windows Vista Home Basic cannot play DVD movies without the help of extra software whatever the inference of the Windows Media Player information. Normally we end up recommending separate software such as Cyberlink PowerDVD but DVD Decoder from Roxio may well give this a run for it's money, after all it is rather a waste to buy the full software when you are happy with Media Player.
The other big advantage is price at just $15, £7.50. System requirements are within what you would expect for Vista.
Why ultra mobile PCs don't appeal to me
We love gadgets here so I was very interested to peer over Emil's shoulder as he reviewed the Medion Rim1000 ultra-mobile PC. The prospect of computing on the move is always exciting, especially when you spend a lot of time travelling.
Sadly Emil found himself rather frustrated by the poor performance of the Via chip and the tiny keyboard. As I read this I realised that few mobile devices have ever really lived up to their potential. Only two spring to mind, my old Palm Vx and the Psion Series 5 and 7. Neither of these devices are younger than five years old, so why do I have happy memories of these over a Windows Vista based device?
Well, a basic honest of purpose for one thing. The Palm operating system kept the core functions of the PDA really simple to use. I could quickly find contacts and tasks and the Graffiti writing system was great once you got the hang of it. The battery life was amazing, thanks to the monochrome screen, Palm claimed one month and I was never caught short.
I now use a Pocket PC based XDA2 and while I like the colour screen and ability to surf the web, I'm constantly hamstrung by needing to recharge the battery. It's not an entirely fair comparison as the XDA2 has a mobile phone to power whereas the Palm didn't, although I did have a mobile phone adapter for the Palm Vx for a little while.
The answer must be to start using some self restraint when deciding what features to try and include on a device. Programmers are remarkably adaptable when it comes to getting the best from limited resources.
For this reason I'm looking forward to looking at the Palm Foleo, a small device with no ideas above its station. It looks like a great improvement on the Alphasmart Dana concept.
Vista struggles with gamers
The creators of the Half Life series has published the results of a recent survey of the hardware and software used by people playing Half Life 2. This makes interesting reading for us, but probably depressing reading for Microsoft.
Just 5.41% of the 395,000 computers that completed the survey were using Windows Vista. Windows XP is still going very strong with a very healthy 93%.
Sound may be one possible reason. As we have previously noted the changes to sound in Vista disabled surround sound. Although gamers tend to want the latest and the best that may have been too great a sacrifice.
You can read the full results on the Steam website. Sadly there are no internal links so you will have to scroll down to find the Windows results (about 3/4 of the way to the bottom)
As an aside, if you have never played the original Half Life and consider yourself a First Person Shooter gamer, you should get yourself a copy as soon as possible. I lost three weeks of evenings to this game and it still stands up today.
Time to upgrade Firefox
Support for Firefox 1.5 ended last week so it is time to upgrade to Firefox 2. Even though Firefox is more secure than Internet Explorer it relies on constant updates to maintain the edge against hackers and other bad guys. Most addons for Firefox 1.5 have now been updated to work with Firefox 2, so there really is no reason not to upgrade.
The inconsistency of USB hard disks
One of the biggest frustrations with USB is that a device is not recognised as the same thing when plugged into a different USB socket on the same computer. Actually this happened to me today when I used a different cable. Most of the time this isn't a massive problem but today it was.
I have a USB hard disk plugged into my computer that is used for storing my music, pictures and other stuff that is probably best left off the work hard disk. I had to move my computer so I unplugged the hard disk so it didn't get damaged.
When I plugged it back in again, Windows thought it was a new hard disk and gave it a new drive letter. As a result I had problems with Outlook, Windows Media Player and Firefox because they were all looking for files in a different place.
Now I'm lucky, because I have had the experience to know that it is possible to override this setting and tell Windows what drive letter to use. Once done the software all worked again. But it still seems such a pointless problem. Surely there must be a way to identify a device and keep a record of it in case the USB socket is changed.
Read on for the instructions on how to change the drive letter.
Changing the drive letter is not something that should be done without justification as it can cause all sorts of problems if software expects to find files in one place and they are in another.
Warning out of the way. Left-click on the Start button and then right click on My Computer. Select Manage from the menu that appears and then left-click on Disk Management in the menu on the left. Rightl click on the drive you want to change (in either the top or bottom sections of the windows) and select Change Drive letter and paths... . There should be just one drive letter listed. Click on this and then on Change. Select a new letter from the list and click on OK. Click on Yes when the warning message appears.
Both the old and new drive letters are available until the computer is restarted, when the old letter no longer works. Click on Yes in the warning dialogue to complete the change.
