Commercial games now released as freeware
Gaming is no longer the very expensive business it once was if you are willing to stick with slightly older graphics. Given the cost of high end graphics cards and computers this is often an advantage.
In fact there is even no need to go rooting through the bargain bins in games shops (though I strong recommend the No One Lives Forever series) as plenty of games are available for free.
Wikipedia has a useful list of commercial games released as freeware. Good selections of older games can also be found at Abandonia and Home of the Underdogs. Older DOS games may also benefit from the use of DOSBox, see their site for a list of supported games.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 15, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Microsoft antiphising advice
It's hard to know at what point repeating advice about phishing does more harm than good as it becomes background noise but there are some useful tips to be found on the Microsoft antiphishing site.
Always double check links in emails before clicking on them. In fact I would go further than that to say never left-click on a link in an email. It is much better to right click on the link and copy the address to the clipboard first. Look at it for suspicious content. Otherwise enter the address of the site by hand using the address you always do. Why risk clicking on a link that purports to be from a bank if you already know the address.
Instant Messaging is also risky now. For example I managed to rickroll someone by changing the text displayed for the link to something other than the link itself. We had all just assumed that the Instant Messages were plain text and the software automatically created the links when it detected an URL. In fact the messages are HTML so it is possible to have a different link to the text that is displayed. I also got caught out by clicking on a link that installed a Trojan.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 15, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Parental controls on media players
The good thing about Parental Advisory labels is that they warn about inappropriate content on music albums. The bad thing about them is that they make the album all the more attractive!
There are family safety settings built into the Microsoft Zune player, assuming both you and said child have Windows Live IDs. The controls can also be used to block premium content, effectively blocking all purchases from the Marketplace.
Full instructions can be found on the Microsoft web site.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 14, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Maybe XP SP3 problems are not Microsoft's fault
Well that's what they seem to be suggesting according to this article. It claims that some of the endless reboot problems are actually caused by manufacturers not installing Windows properly.
The problem happens on some AMD systems because they had Intel drivers installed. More technical details from Microsoft.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 13, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Service Pack 3 not so smooth all round
We are reading reports that there are some sporadic problems when installing XP Service Pack 3 on computers. There have been reports of problems with AMD systems.
I know this is no relief for anyone with a damaged system but it is really important to take a complete backup before making a radical change like a Service Pack.
Find out more here
Posted by Tim Smith on May 13, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Windows is not alone in being vulnerable
The most spirited discussions I read on our forums are the debates over the relative security of Linux/Mac OS compared to Windows.
Things really get heated when someone makes the claim that *nix (read Linux and Max OS) based operating systems never get viruses or vulnerabilities.
This just isn't true, as the steady trickle of updates to my Ubuntu installation proves. I'm not passing judgement on the severity of the possibility of the computer being hacked, but the vulnerabilities do exist and need to be countered.
The comments following this blog post ( Word up to Linux fan boys: Multiple Linux flaws show that Linux also has kernel issues ) reflect my experience.
One revealing remark was someone who said
"I have used Linux for over 4 years without even a thought to virus or security. All with no problems."
As I said the other day, that should really read "All with no apparent problems"
At one point the blog author ended up making this remark
"In fact, the strangest thing since I've joined this blog is I've found myself defending Microsoft more often then I'd like to due to people claiming things are Microsoft's fault when they aren't, or making ridiculous claims of Linux/Mac's capability of standing up to certain flaws."
It's a situation I've found myself in many times. There are many things about Microsoft products that annoy me, but I'm not prepared to stay silent when people make arguments based on hearsay or general FUD. There's no shame in admitting that there have been problems with your favourite operating system. To do otherwise just makes you look stupid.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Game of the week: Roller Coaster
Some of the best recent Flash games have been those that have stuck rigidly to the laws of physics. 
Roller Coaster is a good example of that. In fact, it's been produced by Cambridge University as a cross between a simulation and a game.
You start with an incline, and the aim on each level is to move the supports up and down to create the curve of a roller coaster track. You need to strike a balance between providing maximum enjoyment and not making your riders ill.
It's all done with g-forces: they need to be high enough that the riders aren't bored, but make the curves too steep and you'll injure or even kill the rider.
Posted by Anthony Dhanendran on May 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
OpenOffice 3 Beta: First thoughts
OpenOffice is a very impressive office suite, especially when you consider that it's free. It has had one or two rough edges compared to Microsoft Office, but there's rarely been anything I can't do with it*.
So I've been intrigued by the release of the beta of OpenOffice 3. Apart from anything else it can now open Office 2007 files. It also works natively in Mac OSX.
The icons have also been given a makeover. I hesitate to criticise a program on something like this but it can make a difference, and I've noticed that both Ubuntu and Suse have got their own icon sets that look better. Sad to say though it does make a difference for many people.
OpenOffice are still at pains to remind everyone that this is a beta and not suitable for day to day use or important documents. I've not had any problems so far thankfully.
OpenOffice 3 Beta can be downloaded from the OpenOffice website.
*Well there was once, I tried to get a simple Function I created in Excel to work and it refused all my efforts to do so. Having tried it again in OO3 it now works - much excitement.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 9, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Victorian Steampunk PC: it's for real
Just catching up on a few links from the last couple of weeks, and chanced again across the remarkable Steampunk PC put together by Jake von Slatt of the Steampunk Workshop.
It's put together from a standard widescreen 24in monitor, a Pentium 4 and a load of metal found in dumps and scrapyards. From such humble beginnings he's created something quite spectacular, and even beautiful. There's plenty of detail about how he made it on the SW site.
Posted by Anthony Dhanendran on May 9, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Game of the week: Competition Jezzball
It looks like this one's been around for a while, but Jezzball is new to us.
The basic idea is to block off sections of the game area: whenever you click the mouse, a line is drawn across the 'pitch'. If it makes it to the other side, the enclosed area is painted out, but if a ball hits it before it's painted, you lose a life. 
Paint three quarters or so of the screen to move to the next level. You can play anonymously, or create an account and play against others.
That's about it: simple, but addictive.
Posted by Anthony Dhanendran on May 9, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
A useful keyboard utility
I've just installed a new Logitech keyboard, the Wave Corded Keyboard and the SetPoint software that comes in the box.
I'm normally a little skeptical about the value of software for a keyboard. But it can be useful for setting up the special keys, or sometimes making them work at all.
Well SetPoint has an extra trick up it's sleeve. It can be used to disable annoying keys such as Caps Lock and Insert. I've seen people in office physically remove the Caps Lock key from their keyboards, and a small dent in the wall suggests that they didn't put the offending key in a drawer in case they need it again.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 8, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Why tabs don't make a good todo list
Information overload is the biggest problem on the internet. Quite apart from the distraction possibilities, there is always more available than there is time to write about.
One way I try and deal with this is to leave interesting sites open in a tab for later. I suppose I could try and justify that under the 'defer'.
The problem is that my browser starts using rather a lot of memory. As you can see here Opera is using over 125MB of RAM.
This isn't a criticism of Opera, it's the same with any browser but it's a good example of a good idea that isn't.
My alternative is to use del.iciou.us an online bookmarking service. I don't have a huge contact list but it is very useful for making a note of bookmarks at work to look at when I get back home. Then again it's been a very long time since I looked through the toread tag.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 8, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The service packs are coming
News from the Windows Update Product Team Blog. Windows XP Service Pack 3 is now on Windows Update. It's not on Automatic Updates yet but that'll be happening soon.
So far this service pack has been notable for a distinct lack of problems. I've not heard of any problems either in reader letters or in our Windows forum.
I may live to eat these words, but if this continues then Microsoft deserve some praise for a job well done.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 7, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
When only the most secure password will do
I know this is a bug, but it's a funny one. In certain conditions Windows 2000 will present the following error message:
"Your password must be at least 18770 characters and cannot repeat any of your previous 30689 passwords. Please type a different password. Type a password that meets these requirements in both text boxes."
For more information and fix, in the highly unlikely event of it happening to you, can be found on the Microsoft KnowledgeBase. Just as well it's not combined with a fingerprint scanner really.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 6, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Just because you don't know it's there....
There has been a lot of lively discussion on the web in general (and our forums in particular) as to the value of security software. Some people have even suggested that there is no point in installing anti-virus. Before going any further, let me just say I think this is a very, very bad idea.
One discussion I was involved in revolved around the value of a software firewall. I've had several people tell me that the firewall on a router is all the protection they need. Other discussions have been running on LifeHacker and AskMetafilter.
Routers certainly offer valuable protection but only really against inbound threats. If a computer tries to connect to your home network that hasn't been invited it is simply ignored. That protects from threats outside the network.
The problem is that many attacks don't rely on slipping past a firewall. I've been speaking with several security experts recently and they all say that browsers pose a big threat due to malicious (or hacked) websites. Sometimes just accessing the site is enough to get infected. And from that point the malicious software is sending information out of the network. By default most routers will let them do so quite happily.
My router didn't help me when a computer I was using was hit by a virus but luckily I was running a software firewall (ZoneAlarm as it happens) that stopped it in its tracks.
Allysa Myers on the McAfee Avert Labs Blog also points out that it's very hard to tell if a computer has been infected any more. If you want to steal data from people the last thing you want them to know is that you're doing it.
I've seen demonstrations with Sophos of modern viruses and there really is no way of knowing that the computer has become infected.
True there is a performance penalty for running all of this but it is very minor, especially when you consider the alternatives. I also have problems believing people who say they can tell the difference, especially when they are usually the ones with more powerful computers. As suggested in a Windows Secrets article by Fred Langa, people rarely notice a less than 10% drop in performance.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 6, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Game of the week: Stranded
Stranded is a fishing game, but don't let that put you off. In fact, it's the first fishing game we've played since the lamented Sega Bass Fishing for Dreamcast, and if anything, it's better. 
You're stranded on a remote Pacific island, and you need to curry favour with the locals by catching fish for them. Unfortunately you've forgotten your rod, so the only way to catch fish is to hurl rocks into the water and hope you hit one.
It's not easy to get going - it took us a couple of minutes to hit a fish (before we realised we'd started on the hardest level) and a couple more to hit the one we needed - the natives will tell you which fish they want you to catch. Bringing back the right fish gives you points, which in turn are used to boost your abilities.
Hints and more at Jay is Games.
Posted by Anthony Dhanendran on May 2, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
A novel way of cooling a notebook
Though I've never burnt myself with a notebook, the heat can still be uncomfortable. There are plenty of stands around such as the amps Lapguard or the Laprest but a gentleman named Ron Brinkmann has come up with a novel solution, a hot water bottle.
There's a certain amount of logic to the idea. Water is a great way of moving heat around (if it's good enough for nuclear power stations, I think it's safe to assume it will work for a notebook). Perhaps it shouldn't need saying but I would imagine that this works best with plain hot water bottles. Cute sheep or cat faux hair may impair the cooling abilities somewhat.
The only disadvantage I can think of right away is trying to explain to my wife why I am trying to crush ice cubes to fit into a hot water bottle. Maybe just putting it into the freezer to start with would be a better idea.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 1, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Be careful with Vista SP1 and dual booting
A small word of warning about Vista Service Pack 1 if you use more than one operating system on your computer and Vista Ultimate. Well, that's if you are using Linux.
According to APC, there is an update to the BitLocker encryption tool, which involves making a change to the bootloader. This is the bit that controls how Windows starts and is changed by the Linux installer.
The advice is to restore the Vista bootloader before installing any of the updates and then reinstall the non-Windows one. This is simple to do with a Vista DVD.
The refusal of Windows to recognise that there might be any other operating systems installed on a computer has frustrated me for some time. There are ways round it but it just adds needless stress.
Posted by Tim Smith on May 1, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
