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Can Google be greener?
An interesting story did the rounds in the office a little while when a website suggested that if the background to the Google homepage was black it would reduce the amount of electricity used by monitors across the world.
Google has done some thinking and replied, saying that it wouldn't actually make any difference. Or, it may even increase the power consumption. Detailed results from the study are available if you want figures.
It makes sense for flat panel displays as the light behind the screen is always on, so the colour of the picture doesn't make much difference. Older CRT monitors might see some savings but the real savings come from tweaking the power saving options in Windows to put the computer into a low power mode sooner.
I've found the Local Cooling utility helpful for this. It has the added motivator of telling you how much energy you have saved since installing it. So far, I've saved 3.324 trees, 30.10 Gallons of oil or 62.KWh of power. It's surprising how quickly the savings mount up.
Staying up to date with Secunia
I've found Secunia to be a very valuable resource for checking the security status of all kinds of software. So I was very interested with the news (via the Testbed blog) that they now have a Personal Software Inspector for checking whether any software needs updates.
It is still in Beta the moment but still sounds very exciting to check the status of software without going through a different website for each one.
It sits in the Notification Area and monitors in the background. The only problem there is increased demands on the computer, but I consider that a worthwhile tradeoff for staying secure.
Official word on Vista Service Pack 1
There's plenty of information about the upcoming Service Pack 1 for Vista over at the Vista Team Blog.
What is quite interesting in the post is the apparant move away from Service Packs to online updates. On one hand that's a good thing, why wait for a pack to be finished before sending an update, let's get it as soon as possible. I suppose it may even be a good thing for dial users as it spreads the load over a longer period rather than one enormous download.
I wouldn't recommend downloading the test Beta unless you happen to have a computer running Vista that can easily be restored. I think I'll leave it to the dedicated tester, but may have a quick read through the more detailed White Paper.
Size is important for Service Packs
Rumours are still flying around about the details of the upcoming Service Pack for Vista. The latest information received is that according to news.com, the complete uncompressed pack will weigh in at 1GB. That's more than some operating systems from scratch (at least the size of the XP disc).
Before panic really sets in, Ina Fried pointed out that a fully patched system will only require a 50Mb download. That strikes me as from the sublime to the ridiculous, suddenly I start wondering what it will actually contain. That's a lot for pure software, but not much when extra media is included.
I also wonder if there will be different classes of Service Pack. There have been some Ultimate Extras released since Vista arrived so it would make sense for those to be included as well. The video wallpapers and poker would certainly add to the service pack size.
Unpredictable incompatibilities
A curious story has unfolded on our forum over the last few days. A reader posted a question about playing DVDs on Vista. CyberLink PowerDVD was fine but Windows Media Player reported a problem with the digital copy protection between the DVD drive, decoder and video card. Upgrading the graphics card drivers was the recommend fix but this had not helped.
It has to be said that my interest was piqued by this questions because of an article about copy protection that did the rounds when Vista was released. It raised several concerns about quality being automatically degraded if there was the possibility of the copy protection technology being circumvented.
The reality seemed very different, we ripped MP3s, played DVDs, took screen grabs from DVDs and recorded audio from protected files (test purposes only, of course). None of this was with HD content however.
Sadly the situation seems a little less exciting than first thought. According to KnowledgeBase article 935466 this error message appears if the computer is put in sleep mode or a 3D screensaver starts while the movie is paused.
WGA problems down to user error
Technology gets beaten by human error everytime. A post on the MSDN blog has admitted that it was a mistake that caused a problem with Windows Genuine Advantage.
The posting pointed out that WGA defaults to validating rather than blocking in the event of a problem with the physical computers controlling it. The problem was that some programming code was uploaded to the live server when it shouldn't have been.
Still I'm impressed that Microsoft has admitted it made a mistake, it's too easy to blame these things on a technical problem.
Multiple desktops for Vista
One of the features I really like about Linux is the multiple desktops. It might not be included with Windows but it has been available as a Windows Power Toy for Windows XP.
Unfortunately we are still waiting for the same utility for Windows Vista from Microsoft but help is at hand from the Vista Virtual Desktop Manager (thanks to Lifehacker for link)
Windows Update is the only update
Micrososft has told an alternative to Windows Update to stop what they are doing, providing packages of multiple updates for Windows and Office.
The people behind AutoPatcher were concious of the time between Service Packs in Windows and that this made it very inconvenient to save patches to use again on multiple computers. Most updates are available as a download from Microsoft rather than through the Automatic Updates software but this can lead to tens of files, and the hassle of installing them in the right order.
Despite the convenience of what AutoPatcher was offering, I think Microsoft was justified in this action. Updates make really fundimental changes to the inner working of Windows and so must be completely trustworthy.
I'm not accusing AutoPatcher of creating malicious code, or suggesting that they were any more open to hacking attacks than Microsoft, but I don't know who they are, where they are based or what their accountability is. I might be able to find out their address by running a WHOIS command on the website but where does that leave me if an update goes wrong?
For these reason I think that downloading updates from a source other than Microsoft introduces an element of risk that I think is unacceptable.
Now I recognise the frustration of having to download updates to new installs or computers that haven't been updated for a long time. I've done it twice in the last month but at least I know where the updates are from and that they are authentic.
Ultimately, if you don't trust Microsoft to provide updates or won't use Internet Explorer for this single tasks for which it is required, why are you using Windows at all?
This news has caused some spirited discussion in the office so keep reading for different opinions.
RocketDock, for that Mac OS X feel
The Windows Taskbar is functional is not particulary pretty but it does get the job done. RocketDock is an alternative that has the look and feel of the Mac Dock.
I think claiming that it is the 'single greatest piece of software. Ever' might be a little ambitious, but it's still a useful utility.
My greatest problem with docks like this and ObjectDock is starting software, so I'm going to pair it up with Launchy.
Different wallpapers on different monitors
An interesting follow on to my tip on embedding the Polar Clock on the Desktop by using Active Desktop. The How to Geek website has some helpful advice for including different images on different monitors.
The other advantage of this tip is that it doesn't mattter if the two monitors are running at different resolutions. Very cool.
Bluetooth: A technology redeemed
My feelings towards Bluetooth were changed for the better this morning as I actually managed to connect a phone to my computer and then back it up.
I remember being shown Bluetooth for the very first time by hp. They had a Bluetooth adapter connected to a PocketPC and we used it to print documents without a PC and to transfer files. It seemed to promise all the convenience of USB but without the wires.
Returning home (and some might say to reality) proved to be a disappointment. Devices failed to connect properly, it sucked the battery life from early devices and it seemed to have an odd approach to security. After a briefing with Belkin, several of us installed a Bluetooth dongle and then tried to send files. Strangely, the software not only allowed the text files to be copied without proper pairing, but didn't bothe to tell me that the file had been received.
So my hopes weren't high when I tried to connect a Nokia 9300, but had no choice because the cable had been lost. Amazingly it all worked as I followed the wizard.
I will still have to remember to turn Bluetooth on and off as I need it on the phone to save on battery life but I'm returing to some of my initial enthusiasm.
What's the minimum age for Windows?
We had a chat with VTech yesterday, a company that makes childrens toys, including some that plug into computers.
The Whiz Kid is an educational toy that works a little like a graphics tablet but with activity sheets that work with the pen. For example clicking on the correct animal in the Old MacDonald had a farm activity.
It got me wondering at what age I should start letting my children loose on my computers. My eldest has been desperate to have a play on my notebook since she was about 1. I managed to get around the random characters in articles by using the keyboard on the shelf under the desk with an unplugged keyboard on top of the desk as a decoy!
But apart from distraction techniques, I find myself wondering when I should start doing things with a computer. Despite the techie leanings, part of me wants to hold off as long as possible to emphasis books and proper writing but I'd rather not martyr my children to my own opinions.
What do people think is the right age to start using computers properly?
Keeping Desktop shortcuts to yourself
There's an interesting question on our forum about restricting shortcuts to specific desktops.
Each user has their own desktop folder for files and shortcuts but there is an extra folder for All Users, because it would be a real pain to have to create shortcuts for every user.
Some software now gives the option to only install a shortcut for the current user although it makes it sound like a security measure, which is a little optimistic.
If you do start moving shortcuts around, it's worth noting that this is also possible in the Start Menu. This is normally first encountered when moving folders around with the appearance of a warning that the change may affect other users.
Google is not the only search tool
It's easy to forget that Google is not the only player in the search business, even if it has become a verb as far as the Oxford Dictionary. If you feel the need for a desktop search engine it is also worth considering the Windows Desktop Search from Microsoft.
Vista of course has the new search tool built into the Start Menu and it is genuinely very good. Writing a feature on the subject gave me the opportunity to get to know the search tool and it is worth the time getting used to it.
A good place is the Vista Team Blog who wrote a very helpful article on the subject of search.
Windows XP users can add some of the searching ability to their computers with the Windows Desktop Search. It's not quite as fast as the Vista search but does look through documents and Outlook emails.
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Now nVidia creates a vulnerability in Vista
First it was Ati that might have allowed malware the chance to change the Vista kernel (the really, really important bit of Windows), now it is nVidia.
In some respects I can understand why graphics drivers might attempt this. Performance is everything in the graphics world and there is no better way of improving performance than cutting out the middle man.
Once again, keep an eye open for updates from nVidia.
Helping your notebook stay the course
I often think of the battery in my notebook as a mobile UPS (uniteruptable power supply - not the parcel company), partly in that I try not to depend on it if at all possible. If there is the slightest hint of an available power socket I'll take my power supply along with me.
There are some times when there is no choice but to rely on the battery and it is worth spending a little time getting to know your notebook and how to save power. For example my main notebook has a keyboard shortcut to turn wireless off. Annoyingly, whilst this can be done at any time in Windows, Ubuntu doesn't react to the key. Score one to Windows there.
Armelle O'Neal at Microsoft came up with a helpful list of tips for lengthening battery life. Well worth a read, even though it is focused on Windows XP.
Car Windows (there's a joke in there somewhere)
Slashdot is reporting that Microsoft has filed a patent application for an "adaptive heads-up user interface for automobiles" or what the rest of us might refer to as an on-windscreen display.
It's the sort of thing you get in aircraft (and flight simulators) to show the pilots all sorts of information without them having to move their eyes from the screen.
Interestingly, Microsoft's patent includes a pair of virtual fluffy dice that move in time with the car. Clever, eh?
Swooping for the coupon hackers
We're all familiar with the idea of people trying to hack the music industry's DRM copy protection on music downloads, but this is new. A California man, John Stottlemire, is being sued by a discount voucher company, which accuses him of trying to circumvent its copy protection (a crime under US law).
The company makes software that allows users to print off their own coupons, each of which has a serial number, so that it can be used only once or twice. Stottlemire appears to have created some software that removes the number, meaning the coupons can be used more than that.
But Stottlemire says all he's doing is deleting a few registry keys from the computer, which - he says - doesn't amount to circumventing copy protection. Watch this space for updates.
How much do you value online gaming performance?
Most of the time, the best advice for improving performance in online gaming is to get a better graphics card, or maybe more system memory. The humble network card rarely gets a look in.
Well, the KillerNic is anything but humble. In either claims, performance or price.
I met with the founder who designed server network cards for Intel (and lists his job title as Mad Scientist as well as CEO) and it is a very interesting product.
Basically it bypasses all of the networking stuff in Windows, dealing with it faster and taking the load off the computer. It can do this because it is actually a complete computer system on one chip, with it's operating system. This promises to reduce ping (the delay between computers in a game) and improve frames per second.
The astute will have noticed the USB socket on the back along with the Ethernet. This can be attached to external storage (USB key or hard disk) and the card can then be used to download files from Bit Torrent. Because it is written to do this, it makes sure that game traffic gets through without delay.
Emil from TestBed is testing the card tonight so we'll see what he says.
It certainly solves the problem of what to get the gamer who has everything.
Reading RSS feeds in Windows Vista
The Windows Vista Team Blog has a small piece about reading RSS feeds in Vista using Windows LIve Mail.
I should make a small confession that RSS is one of my favourite technologies, particulary for keeping on top of the news. It makes it easy to cover new articles on websites really quickly and you can do all sorts of fun things with the information, like our Computeractive News Widget.
As I flit between computers on a regular basis I use Bloglines.com to read my feeds. Keeping them on a local computer is much faster for searching though. Maybe I ought to start using a local reader at home as well.
Windows in unusual places
Another fun image from the guys at Channel9, this time a picture of an Airbus A380 cockpit with a couple of screens with what looks like Windows.
It's fairly unlikely it's there for anything important, although what worries me more is not so much the thought of the pilot surfing Facebook during a fight, but for the potential arguments between him and the co-pilot over the single keyboard.
I'm sure the budget isn't that tight on the Airbus construction.
Actually, what is worrying, and I'm hoping that this is a trick of lighting, but there only appears to be rudder pedals on one side of the cockpit. Rather difficult to swap over in the event of the pilot eating the chicken....
Where do you put your computer?
A reader emailed yesterday about the different locations in desks for computer tower systems. While he has his computer on his desk, a relation has bought a desk with a cupboard for the computer just off the desk. His criticism is that it is inconvenient to bend down to insert CDs.
My computer is kept under my desk on the floor, and to be honest inserting CDs is very inconvenient; short cables mean the computer is so far back that I have to almost climb under the desk. Thankfully I don't use that many CDs. If I did I would probably connect an external DVD drive.
Why? Well I prefer to keep my desk as clear as possible and the tower is a little imposing in classic Dell black. A USB hub in my monitor means I can plug everything in that I need and my headset cable reaches under the desk.
There is one big problem with keeping a PC under a desk, heat. Computers generate a lot of this and a reasonable amount of ventilation is a must. I install a low spec computer in someone's once in a very nice oak desk. The only problem was that the computer was to be installed in cupboard. The only holes were for cables, one on the bottom for power and one on the top for keyboard etc. Even this didn't provide any ventilation because there was a cover to tidy the cables.
With the door shut for just 20 minutes when the computer was left idle the temperature began to rise rapidly. Short of drilling out a large hole in the back of an expensive desk, the only thing I could suggest was to leave the door open.
What do you do?
Firefox is bad for the internet
Internet content is available for free, largely, and what pays for that is advertising. The excellent Firefox browser includes the ability to block these ads on websites, through a third-party tool called AdBlock Plus.
Now, here at Computeractive, we're fairly sanguine about that - true, our site is supported by the revenue from ads, and if you don't click on them, we lose out on money. But that's the user's choice - Firefox remains an good browser, and we'd prefer people to be able to read our site, even if they can't see the ads.
Some people don't feel the same way, however, which is why one web developer has started to block all Firefox users from his site.
Danny Carlton doesn't seem to like Firefox, or its users, whom he accuses of stealing his revenue, because they (or at least, the few of them who use both Firefox and Adblock) can't see his ads. If you click on that above link to his religion website using Firefox, you'll be redirected to the 'why Firefox is blocked' site instead.
Of course, if you really wanted to view the guy's websites, you could just use another Firefox add-on to fool the site into thinking you're using Internet Explorer.
So what do you think? Is it true that not viewing ads on a free website is equivalent to theft? Is Adblock morally wrong?
[via discussion at Metafilter (some strong language in discussion thread)]
Faster Windows restarts
An interesting piece of advice here from codejacked.com, hold down the shift key when clicking on the restart option in Windows to restart Windows not the computer. This can save as much as 30 seconds depending on the various bits of hardware detection that the computer goes through.
This is called a warm boot rather than a cold boot. My problem is that I will probably waste at least 30 seconds before the restart trying to remember the key combination but still worth using when installing software and updates.
Disable Windows Update automatic restart - but use with care
Now I recognise the importance of timely updates but I've lost work on at least two occaisions because of automatic restarts. Yes I should have saved my work before leaving the computer, but sometimes we all forget things.
A Lifehacker.com reader has come up with this solution. Click on the Start Button and then on Run. Type cmd and press enter. This will open the command prompt. Type "sc stop wuauserv" without the quotation marks and press enter. This will disable the automatic restart from when the computer is next started.
But BEFORE you do anything, a couple of caveats. I haven't tested this yet so make sure you have a System Restore Point made before following the advice and a backup of all your important files. It shouldn't disable Automatic Updates but keep an eye on things to make sure they are still coming. Sometimes there are goodies on Windows Update that don't make it into Automatic Updates.
And, don't forget that the restart needs to happen at some point...
Be careful when removing removable drives
Found this little gem buried towards the bottom of the latest Technet newsletter (We read it so you don't have totm). If you're USB key or external hard disk is formated with NTFS there may be problems when removing from the computer, even if you use the proper Safely remove hardware icon in the notifications area.
I'm hoping it's not a widespread problem because according to the Microsoft KnowledgeBase article the hotfix is only available by contacting Microsoft Customer Services.
The most worrying thing about random errors like this is actually knowing that they are happening. I don't verify every file on my USB key and it could be a few days before I realised what was going on.
Quick Windows Media Player Tip
Windows Media Player has a rather useful function, press Ctrl and B together to return to the last bit of media you were watching/listening to.
Why is this useful? Well, it's not uncommon now to find video clips on the web that play in Media Player rather than in the web browser. Ctrl+B is a quick way to get back to the previous playlist with the minimum of fuss.
Going too far to promote Windows
I really hope this image picked up by the Channel9 forums is a photoshop job
Read the full story on the Gizmodo blog. The problem I see for the Mac and Linux fans, it that it will be much harder to alter their windows to their respective logos, let alone open them occaisionally. I think I will just restrain myself to the odd sticker on my notebook/fridge.
Updates for August
In case you haven't already noticed there is a selection of updates for Windows and Internet Explorer that need to be installed today. Annoyingly a restart is required but it's a small price to pay I suppose.
According to the Internet Explorer blog the fixes are for for some problems that allowed other people to run programs on computer and to fix some vulnerable ActiveX technology.
ATI driver problem fixed: time to download updates
The problem with the ATi driver opening a security vulnerability in Vista has now been fixed, according to the Inquirer.
Probably a very good time to head over to the Ati site and download the latest drivers.
Do you shut your computer down at night?
One of the problems with the immediacy of email and instant messages is that there is the temptation to leave the computer on 'just in case'. Or, it's to avoid the frustration of waiting for Windows to start first thing in the morning.
The Code Project has the result of a survey asking this question and a little surprisingly only half of the voters turn their computer off.
Of course, if you are using Vista, you may not be turning the computer off when shutting down. Individually this probably doesn't use much power but when you consider the millions of computers in the world it quickly adds up.
My solution is somewhere in the middle. I do turn my computer off at night but I use hibernation rather than a complete shutdown. It's not a perfect solution for Windows XP as regular restarts still seem to be a good idea, but that's something I can do at lunchtime.
The only problem is that Hibernation is not always immediately obvious on a computer.
If you use Windows XP and have the shut down menu with icons for Standby, Turn Off and Restart, hold down shift to change Standby to Hibernate. That's after enabling Hibernation of course.
Left click on the Start button and then on Control Panel. Click on Classic view and then double click on Power Options. Click on the Hibernate tab and then in the box marked enable hibernation. There is a certain amount of hard disk space required but if you can't spare that much it's time to get a bigger hard disk or make some more space anyway.
Windows in unusual places
I was sent a link to a promotional video by VIA about their ultra mobile PCs
It's interesting not so much about the notebook (as it's hardly seen) but about the way that Richard Brown sees life in the future. Always connected, never away from a computer or (presumably) the internet, constantly sharing our experiences as quickly as possible because any delay will see them gone forever.
The trouble for me is that I don't know if a device running a full copy of Windows will ever be able to deliver this kind of experience. The Ultra Mobile PCs that we have seen here in the office (including those powered with VIA chips) have seemed underpowered, especially when trying to cope with Vista.
I recently took an old Psion Series 7 to a press briefing. It might be old but I was taking notes long before the full notebooks (Windows and Mac) had finished starting. Press the power button, enter my password, hit the shortcut for a new word document and ready to go.
On the other hand, I've used Windows Mobile for a couple of years now and it's been pretty good. I still have a soft spot for Palm but the Outlook integration is very useful. An ultramobile PC running Windows Mobile would be very attractive. Overpowered and so hopefully really fast with instant on and constant saving of input.
Superfetch
There's been some discussion on our forums about the pros and cons of Superfetch following a column by Gordon Laing in pcw.
In brief, Superfetch is when Windows Vista preloads (caches) files that it thinks you are likely to use based on statistics it gathers in the background. This includes program files as well as documents.
The problem, and I've been wondering about this for some time, is that Vista works so hard on Superfetch that it is not worth trying to do anything until the hard disk light stops flashing furiously. Once it's finished the computer is very responsive, but this five minute process is annoying on the train, away from a power point, when every minute counts.
According to Gordon the Superfetch process can last for as long as nine minutes and gave reduced the loading time of software by around 6-10 seconds. It doesn't sound like much but the effect was greater than it first sounds.
For a cynical moment it seems like part of the efforts that Microsoft is making to dissuade users from shutting Windows down when they have finished. I've made my feelings know about the problems inherent in putting the computer in sleep rather than shutting down. This just seems to be another push in that direction.
I still need to be persuaded that Windows really can last for days without a restart, but will give hibernation a try as my default power down rather than a full shut down.
Security flaw discovered in ATI drivers for Vista
Call me pessimistic but when people start talking about 'most secure ever', and 'new features to preserve security', it's only a matter of time before something goes wrong.
The problem in question is that the ATI (graphics cards) drivers for Vista appear to be able to write to memory used by the kernel (the really crucial bit of Windows). This is a security problem because malicious software may be able to piggy back past security restrictions.
Hopefully Ati are working away at a fix even as I write this. According to the ZDNet article the obvious action of revoking the driver for the Ati drivers (effectively turning them off) presents something of a problem because around half of the notebooks with Vista are using Ati graphics cards. I know mine is. Turning off that many people's graphics would surely create something of a backlash.
I'll be keeping an especially careful eye on Windows Update over the weekend.
It also proves that security problems are not always the fault of Microsoft.
Get the best from Vista with TweakVI Basic
I may have commented once or twice on this blog that some many of the options of Vista can be hard to find. Well help is at hand in the form of TweakVI.
As well as options concerned with the appearance of Windows, it can also be used to change options to improve the performance of the computer.
Windows Live SkyDrive (Beta)
Windows Live is one of those services that I know is creeping up on us all. Every so often Microsoft add another feature or service but without any great fanfare. The latest is Windows Live SkyDrive, which is still in beta.
It is another online storage service for accessing your files from anywhere. The upload limit of 50Mb is decent and is enough to include music files. Just remember to respect copyright of course. There is even a small game to play while waiting for files to upload.
Just to mention an alternative, I have unlimited storage available over the internet (around 200GB counts as unlimited) thanks to a home server and fixed IP address. It also serves my email and manages large downloads remotely. Quite a few Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices can do the same if you are willing to put in the work.
Having said that, the public areas of SkyDrive are more attractive. I don't publicise my file share address to help maintain security and, surprising as it may sound, I trust Microsoft more to keep files safe.
500Mb of online storage is not to be sneered at so it's worth signing up. All it needs is a way to map the drive in Windows like a local hard disk. Now that would be very useful....
First sightings of XP Service Pack 3
News from Winbeta.org that Microsoft has sent some early copies of XP Service Pack 3 out for testing. So far it seems that there are only bug fixes included rather than the goodies we have become accustomed to with SP1 and SP2 including Windows Movie Maker and the Firewall.
The worrying thought there is whether these goodies are actually an essential bait to get people to upgrade. I've been picking up a worrying trend on our forums of people who won't update Windows on principle.
Please, please resist this temptation and turn Automatic Updates on. I'll compromise on one thing. I set Automatic Updates to download automatically but then prompt me to install the updates. This gives me a chance to review the updates in case there is anything that has been known to cause problems.
DRM on its way?
Universal has become the second major record label to start selling its music online without any copy protection. Until now, most music bought online for download has come wrapped in something called Digital Rights Mechanism (DRM), which essentially stops it being copied.
Problem is, it also generally stops it being used on more than one portable player, and sometimes on more than one PC in a home. It also limits iPod users to tracks bought at the iTunes store, and users of other music players to tracks bought at stores using the Windows DRM.
Now, after EMI said it would sell unprotected downloads through iTunes, Universal is following suit, with a trial that will last until January at Amazon and other American download sites.
The music industry has long been the driving force behind DRM, since the days of illegal downloads on the old Napster music-sharing service (the same name and brand is now used by a legal service). The labels panicked and insisted that music sold online should have these clamps.
What's changed? It's not that the industry has finally started listening to the customers it's been abusing for so long. What's really changed is that the music industry is in a dire position - bloated and money-grabbing, the major labels are haemorrhaging money, and they have realised that one way to start pushing up the amount of downloads being sold is to give people the freedom to do what they like. It's a desparate move by an industry in a corner.
What's next? Apple to buy one of the record labels? You never know.
Norton goes after the bots
Anti-virus companies are always at pains to point out how quickly they have to move to stay on top of the trends, virus-wise. And hot on the heels of scareware, we have 'bots'. Actually, that's a lie: bots have been around for a very long time. And what are they? Bot is a name for a hijacked home computer, which is being used by a spammer to deliver his messages.
Symantec's people tell us that there are 'bot herders' who control huge grids of hijacked PCs, and rent them out by the hour to any spammer who can cough up the cash. They're then used to route all kinds of dodgy emails, send out viruses or propagate the bot network.
And how do these guys turn your home computer into a bot in the first place? They send out an innocuous-looking email that actually has a trojan attached. When you load the attachment, it installs itself, and, bingo: your computer is under their control.
So Symantec thinks this is enough of a problem these days that it requires its own form of defence, hence Norton Antibot. This is a new program that sits on the computer all the time, and steps in whenever anything is run. It's designed to make sure the new programs are all clean. Unlike virus scanners, which only check programs' behaviour when asked, Symantec tells us that Antibot will constantly check all running programs.
Symantec says that the reason it wasn't included in the company's other existing security products is that they're already under development, that bots are enough of a threat that users should be protected now, and that it would have taken too long to integrate Antibot into the other software.
It's certainly an interesting area of security, and we'll be examining Antibot in detail over the next few weeks to see if it lives up to the claims. Keep an eye on Computeractive.co.uk for the review.
Brilliant Windows Tip
If you want to work/compare a couple of documents, it can take as long arranging the windows as it does to do the job. Well this very useful tip (thanks, again, to lifehacker.com) tell Windows to do it automatically.
Hold down the Ctrl button and then left-click on as many documents as you want to see at once (word to the wise - don't go made, even on a widescreen monitor). Once they are selected, right-click on one of them and select Tile Vertically or Tile Horizontally.
If I may add a tip while we're learning more about the Task Bar, it can also be used when dragging and dropping items between windows. Those of us with widescreen or dual monitors find it easy to have both windows visible at a time but if you are working on a single monitor, drag the item to the button for the program in the Task bar and pause. The program should then appear on top ready to have the item(s) dropped on it.
Too many names for bad software
In the old days it was simple. There were viruses (virii if you wanted to sound like a hacker) and black hat hackers. These days just trying to stay on top on the different names of the threats is hard work.
I bring this up on the back of a post from the Internet Security Zone Blog that has coined the phrase 'Scareware' for those pop up warnings that appear on websites warning of spurious errors in the hope of persuading you to click on their links.
Let's recap, so now we have viruses, hackers, phising scams, malware, spyware, adware, scareware, badware, key loggers.
A cynic might suggest this helps persuade people they need a different program for each different type (although antivirus on its own is not enough) rather than just widening the remit of existing software. Please send your cheques for Tim's Nastyware Protection to the usual address...
What to do when Windows goes wrong
It's happened to the best of us. That sinking feeling in the stomach when Windows refuses to start normally. Sometimes turning off and starting again works (as when my notebook claims it can't find an operating system) but more often more work is required.
A good list of different things to try can be found on the TechRepublic website (link by way of lifehacker). I can't make any guarantees but many of these tips can be enough to recover Windows, and protect your wallet from the cost of calling someone out.
Winroll, another useful Window utility
Yesterday I was waxing lyrical about Launcy, so I thought I would flag up another favourite utility of mine, WinRoll.
The concept of WinRoll will be familiar to anyone who used Mac OS 9 and some versions of Linux. Right-click on the titlebar of a window to hide everything apart from the bar. As more information can be fitted on the title bar than in the button on the Task bar this is more useful when organising large numbers of Internet Explorer windows.
I've found it can pretty much replace the Task bar and is great for quickly finding programs without minimising everything. That probably means I'm not using dual monitors properly but it does help when I'm checking email from a couple of different programs but on the same monitor.
And, as a 89KB freeware app, it's no sacrifice giving it a go.
Curiously I've just realised that Winroll does not work with every program. Magix Mufin seems immune to its effects.
Widget Security Update
Having just posted about Microsoft Gadget security, it reminded me that I was prompted to download a security update for the Yahoo Widget Engine this morning.
I'm sure you all have already, but if you're not sure, right click on the widget icon in the Notification Area and then left-click on Check for Updates... in the menu that appears.
Apologies if this update has been around for a while; I've just got back from my holidays.
How to create safe Gadgets
Apologies if this is a little techie but there is a useful article about keeping Gadget users safe over on the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN), should you ever feel the need to write your own gadget.
It's nothing radically new but it is worth reading. In a nutshell it's all about not trusting input from users in case it is actually an attack by a hacker. With some quick code examples.
Actually as this is phising in a nutshell, maybe the sentiment is one we should all share...
Get the most from Launchy
Launchy is one of the fantastically useful utilities that you quickly wonder how you ever survived without. Well I do and it's become a must install on all my computers.
Just to recap it replaces the Start menu. Just press Alt and Space together and start typing the name of the program you want to use. It has an autocomplete so 'firef' is enough to start firefox.
As with most software that becomes indispensable there is more to Launchy than meets the eye. A very helpful article over at lifehacker.com has some tips about getting more from Launchy.
True it involves installing some extra software but once that is done, Launchy can then be used to set up entries on Google Calendar or Remember the Milk.
It's probably no surprise from these tips that the author describes himself as someone who 'loves the rebirth of the command line'. It goes to show that typing a command can be a faster way to work even if it can take longer to learn.
Run your own email server
Thanks to Jesus_disciple on our forum for sending me a link to PostCast Server. PostCast is software for sending emails without relying on your ISP. ISPs can be a bit funny if you try and use their server for sending email if you are not connected with their service.
PostCast takes the place of the ISP server, normally called the SMTP server. This gives you full access to the error logs if there are problems with emails and the opportunity to tweak the settings for things like how often it should try and send an email before giving up.
I like the idea in principle as I found this problem when I changed ISPs and was still trying to use the old account. This is also likely to be a problem if you are roaming around of different wireless hotspots.
However, I would also sound a couple of warning notes. The first is that an ISP may not allow your computer to run as an email server as part of their antispam policies. The other is that there is a risk in using your computer for this purpose; if someone is able to gain control it may become a spam server, draining performance and potentially landing you in trouble.
Still, that's a warning rather than a condemnation. Certainly worth a look for anyone not tied to one internet connection.