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
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
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
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
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
AVG Free 8 is here
Hot on the heels of the full Security Suite, AVG AntiVirus Free 8 is here.
One clever extra is the Linkscanner software. This software scans links in Google Searches to check for malicious scripts that might damage the computer. 
I've been using it a little while as a stand alone app. It's similar to McAfee's SiteAdvisor (for Firefox and for Internet Explorer) but it works on the fly. The advantage of this is that it still protects without any delays for threats to be identified.
It doesn't seem to be included in the updater for AVG Free 7.5 so it needs to be an uninstall/reinstall job.
Posted by Tim Smith on April 25, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
AVG Free 8 is here
Hot on the heels of the full Security Suite, AVG AntiVirus Free 8 is here.
One clever extra is the Linkscanner software. This software scans links in Google Searches to check for malicious scripts that might damage the computer. I've been using it a little while as a stand alone app. It's similar to McAfee's SiteAdvisor (for Firefox and for Internet Explorer) but it works on the fly. The advantage of this is that it still protects without any delays for threats to be identified.
It doesn't seem to be included in the updater for AVG Free 7.5 so it needs to be an uninstall/reinstall job.
Posted by Tim Smith on April 25, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Odd Validation experience
Microsoft's validation for Windows and Office seems to be getting quite a bad press at the moment. I don't think this is going to help even though this isn't going to descend into a rant.
I've been writing a review of the Getting Started Tab for Word 2007. I needed to check the download details and that involved visiting the download page. It prompted me to validate, which I duly did and succeeded.
That's great, apart from the fact I don't have Office 2007 on my computer here, only 2003. It just seems odd that no one thought to check version numbers. I wonder what would have happened with a legit copy of 2003 but illegitimate copy of 2007...
Posted by Tim Smith on April 24, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
More quick launch apps than menu options....
As regular readers will know I'm a big fan of Launchy for quickly running programs whose exact location in the Start Menu I've long forgotten.
Then I found Calq, a similar app dedicated to sums. Launchy has some basic arithmetic capabilities but Calq can remember often used formulas.
Now there is Fingertips, similar to Launchy but with a big advantage for Outlook users. It can be used to create new appointments and tasks. Now that's another shortcut key combination to remember.
Then again, Vista users may want to stick with the Start Menu search.
Posted by Tim Smith on April 22, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) due 29th April
Microsoft has finally announced the release date for Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3). The update has now been released to manufacturing, and will be available on the web from the 29th of April. A Microsoft spokesperson told us that automatic distribution via Windows Update will "begin in early summer".
Unlike XP SP2, the new update is not expected to add any major new features to Windows XP - instead it contains all the previously available updates and "a number of small additions that should not significantly change the Windows XP experience", according to Microsoft.
Posted by Tom Royal on April 22, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Customise the Outlook Today view
Using a summary view in Outlook (or your PIM of choice) is a good way of finding out what kind of day it's going to be. Like most things to do with productivity, what seemed like a good idea to the Outlook Team might not be how you want to work. I now keep my Task list in a filofax, so there's not need to waste screen space with that information.
Digital Streets has a very useful article on how to create a personalised Today view. It's all done in HTML so it's easy to follow. It also means that you are not editing crucial Outlook files, the new Today view can be a completely new file.
I'm encouraged to experiment by the big and friendly 'Restore Defaults' button. It removed my quick changes without any fuss.
Posted by Tim Smith on April 21, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Build a Program Now! Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition: Book review
Visual Basic is a good choice for anyone wanting to make a start with computer programming. While purists may think that C is a better language it can be hard to get started and text only programs do lack instant gratification.
Build a Program Now! covers the basics of Visual Basic - what might be described as the most beginner friendly programming language. It will look familiar if you have ever edited a macro in Office.
A lot of ground is covered very quickly and it's not long before a fully working web browser has been created. This introduces a very important aspect of programming, reusing code. This might sound like cheating but the point is that there is no point in reinventing existing solutions. This is especially important for beginners as it can avoid security pitfalls.
Visual Studio even has a collection of frequently used commands in the My namespace. This is a very convenient time saver. For example it means that only one line of code is required to play an audio file:
My.Computer.Audio.Play("c:\windows\media\Windows Startup.wav")
instead of having to learn how to open the file and then play it. Combine this with the Intellisense feature that works like AutoComplete in Word but will also show what information is required to make a command work properly, and it is possible to create fairly complex programs very quickly.
As well as the essential work of finding and correcting mistakes, there is also plenty of help for creating and using databases. This is the best way of storing any information used by programs and better than simply suggesting text files.
A DVD is included with the Visual Studio Express Edition family. This almost makes the book worth the cost if you are on a dial up connection.
The biggest problem with learning Visual Basic is that it is restricted to Windows computers. That said, most of the basic concepts of programming apply equally between different languages.
Sadly there were one or two production errors in the book (p82 for example) with main text appearing in boxes. Nothing appears to be actually missing so it is no more than an irritation.
This book gives a good grounding in both the specifics of Visual Basic and more general aspects of programming. As we found it on Amazon for around £10 it is excellent value too.
Posted by Tim Smith on April 18, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Alternatives to Notepad
Of all the utilities included with Windows, Notepad is one of the most useful. It can be used for quick todo lists or editing a variety of files from configuration files to all kinds of programs.
The limited editing options do get frustrating, especially when dealing with large files. The lack of line numbers, for example, is a big problem. There are lots of alternatives, my favourite is Notepad++. Not only does it number lines, but it can also colour code text to make reading and writing programming code much easier.
I'm pleased, therefore, to see that Notepad++ is doing rather well in a survey on the Lifehacker website.
Also popular is Notepad2, which has a slightly cleaner interface.
The only snag as far as I'm concerned is the hassle involved in replacing notepad with one of the alternatives. I suppose replacing the browser is a far more common requirement. My solution is to use Launchy for starting apps. It seems to learn that I want Notepad++ not Notepad after a couple of selections. Alternatively Notepad++ adds an option to the right-click context menu.
Posted by Tim Smith on April 18, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Winroll: a very useful utility
One feature of Mac OS and Linux that I had long envied was the ability to roll up windows into their title bar. It's a far more efficient way of switch between windows
Enter Winroll. This is a tiny download (just 89Kb) that makes windows roll up when the right mouse is clicked on the title bar.
I'm not sure if this will work in Vista given the new window manager. Unfortunately Winroll has not been updated in several years.
Posted by Tim Smith on March 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Playing old games in Vista
As I've mentioned before, there are lots of older games considered abandoned that can be downloaded from websites such as Abandonia.
The only snag is that Windows XP and Vista can sometimes be a little funny about playing old games, especially if they were written for DOS. There is some advice to be found at www.vistagamedoctor.com. Unfortunately, the site recently lost some data but there is still plenty of information to be found.
The DOSBox web site also has a comprehensive list of games with advice on any tweaks that are required to make them work. I have found this to be invaluable advice, and often very simple.
For example a favourite of mine is Might and Magic II, all that is required to make it work is to enter the command 'loadfix'. Simple but vital.
Posted by Tim Smith on March 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Mozilla isn't keen on the Apple Update Safari issue either
John Lilly from Mozilla has voiced his concerns about the decision to include Safari in the Apple update software, even if it hasn't previously been installed.
If you want a way of checking if the software on your computer is up to date, I can recommend the Secunia Personal Software Inspector. It scans the software installed on the computer and warns if anything is out of date. As the list of software installed on my computer gets very long, this is a very useful tool.
What do you think? Is this helpful or an imposition?
Posted by Tim Smith on March 26, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Manage addons for Internet Explorer 8
It's odd that not more is made of addons for Internet Explorer, given that they are so popular in Firefox. One reason may be that not all of them are free but they are still very useful.
Getting addons onto a browser is one thing but managing or removing them is sometimes quite another. Firefox has a capable manager that can be used to disable addons and a way to access their options. Internet Explorer has as well although it looks more like the techie management tools rather than something welcoming to ordinary users.
The good news is that this has been addressed in Internet Explorer 8 and there is a good explanation of the changes on the IEBlog along with a peek of what the new management window will look like.
It's probably a very personal gripe but one thing I'm looking forward to is that the new window can be resized; it is very frustrating when text will not fit, and it's not unheard of for these fixed windows not to have a scroll bar either.
If you want a look at the sort of addons available, head over to the Windows Marketplace.
Posted by Tim Smith on March 25, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Virus update
Sadly my hopes for the Symantec Virus removal tool were overly optimistic. Just then the Microsoft updates window appeared with the March Malicious Software Removal Tool. What great timing I thought.
This also reported having removed a virus but the problems did not go away and Internet Explorer is riddled with popups and dodgy warning messages.
Enough is enough, so I've asked our Systems department to wipe the computer and start again. My files are safe in a roaming profile (a clever technology where the Documents and Settings folder is copied to a server so that it is available wherever I log in) so the only inconvenience installing extra software not included in the default setup.
I recognise that I've very lucky to be able to do this and it is unlikely to be an option for most home users. But spending some time preparing for a disaster like this is a good investment.
Software like DriveImageXML is a good start although restoring the image may require creating a Windows recovery disc, using something like Barts PE. These tools are all free but frankly I think this is a situation where it is worth spending a little money to save time. Something like Acronis True Image 11 Home is much simpler to use and worth the £40 price tag. Now all I need to do is find the time to make the backup.
Posted by Tim Smith on March 18, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Do you benefit from multiple monitors?
I've been using two monitors at my desk for many years now, and it is frustrating to return to a single monitor at home. It can be very helpful to have a document open in one monitor for reference while working on another.
I don't think it's always a good solution. I've known people who spend more time looking for the correct browser window and then rearranging everything around it on the screen. I've done it myself but now tend to have an 'active document' monitor and a 'reference' screen.
I've never used more than two monitors for any length of time, apart from testing the Matrox Parhelia, a graphics card with three outputs. Without access to three identical monitors, the gaming side of things didn't really work out, not to mention some odd display problems in Dark Forces: Jedi Outcast. The only other games I've seen that support multiple monitors are Microsoft Flight Simulator and X3 Reunion
The picture on the right is from Coding Horror, who have plenty of links to studies on how helpful multiple monitors can be.
Don't rush out to buy three 20" LCD panels though, apparently productivity drops off after a certain point. This is probably as people start to lose programs.
Am I alone or do other people find this helpful?
Posted by Tim Smith on March 18, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Do you like the Office ribbon?
Office 2007 was quite a radical move for Microsoft because they made a big change to the interface. The traditional toolbars were discarded in favour of a dynamic ribbon.
Bigger than the old toolbars the ribbon change the icons on show depending on what you happen to be doing at the time. For example, move the cursor into a table to see all of the table options.
Some programs have now followed the example of Office, MindManager being one of them.
I've found myself warming to the ribbon. It needs more screen space to really shine, otherwise it takes up too much room that I would rather use for editing.
Thankfully there is a solution as a quick double-click on the ribbon makes it hide away leaving the tab titles at the top. Click on a title to reveal that part of the ribbon.
But so long as my screen is at least 1024 pixels high, I leave it on as I've found it to be an improvement on the old windows, and certainly one on the personalised menus of Office 2003. Turning those off is one of the first jobs on a new installation.
So what do you think? Is the ribbon an aid to productivity or just a clever gimmick?
Posted by Tim Smith on March 14, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Windows Secrets - Dual booting tips
There's some interesting tips on making the most of dual booting over at Windows Secrets.
I'll have a moment of pride by highlighting the fact I was triple booting on my notebook (I believe the record I've seen is around 9). The problem is that it gets difficult fitting everything in on a smaller hard disk. Desktop computer are less prone to this because 3.5" disks are cheaper and bigger.
Scott Dunn suggests installing applications into the same folder for both Vista and XP to avoid duplicating the files. The installation wizard has to be run on both to include all the Registry information.
It sounds like a good idea, and one I'll be intrigued to try. It'll be interesting to see how Windows Updates copes with Office.
One tip I've done several times in the past is to have a separate partition for files; I found that Vista and XP were not always happy accessing the others Documents folders. Ironically it was Vista that complained about not having access rights. XP just opened the folder. Or you could use a network share.
There's always some compromise involved but dual booting is as close as getting the best of both worlds as possible.
Posted by Tim Smith on March 14, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Are your passwords safe?
It must be my day for being shamefaced. Having fallen for a trojan, I then took a look at the Microsoft Password Checker. Only a couple of my passwords were considered strong or safe and quite a few came up as weak.
That was mainly due to length as they use a mix of cases, numbers and non alpha numerical characters.
Perhaps it's time for a complete security overhaul...
Posted by Tim Smith on March 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
No password safer than weak password?!
I couldn't quite believe the headline Set a Blank Password in Windows XP To Protect the Computer from Internet Attacks but it seems that there might actually be something in this.
If there is no password on an account it cannot be accessed over the network or internet. There is still the question of physical security but this is less of a problem at home. Unless you want to run parental controls software. Or your house is broken into, as we heard in an email into the office a couple of days ago.
Given that most people end up using simple passwords for an easy life, this advice is fairly good. But I would still recommend people to create a strong password (upper and lower case, numbers and even extra characters like !"£$% if allowed).
And never, ever, ever leave a notebook without a password when out and about.
Posted by Tim Smith on March 11, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
What is S/PDIF?
If you've ever wondered what the socket with a red glow inside was, this article on the Vista Team Blog will reveal all.
It is an optical audio connection called S/PDIF. The important thing about it is that it is a digital connection so there is no loss of quality; Windows works in a purely digital sense with audio until it is time to send it to an output. Inevitably some quality is lost, which doesn't make sense if the output device is also digital and has to convert it from audio to digital again.
I was caught out on my notebook because the ordinary headphone socket was doubled up as the S/PDIF. I saw the red light and thought that there wasn't a headphone socket. Silly me!
Posted by Tim Smith on March 7, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
More information on the XP Eee PC
Asus has finally announced details of a version of its cheap Eee PC notebook with Windows XP preinstalled. We were rather impressed by the original Eee, which cost £220 and included a version of the Linux operating system, but (despite much derision from Linux lovers) we also tried installing Windows XP, and found that it worked well.
Interestingly, just as the original Eee PC included OpenOffice, Asus says that the new Windows XP Eee will include "Microsoft Works features" - word processor, spreadsheet and database applications. It'll be interesting to see whether any anti-virus software is included, but we had no problems protecting our Windows Eee with AVG.
We have contacted Asus to request details on how much the Windows Eee will cost and when it will be available, but these will apparently follow "in due course" - we'll keep you updated.
Posted by Tom Royal on March 6, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Internet Explorer 8 will now follow web standards
It's probably not related to my rant of the other day, but there was an announcement on the IEBlog saying that IE8 will follow standards in the most standards compliant way it can. That's not quite saying that it will but it's a very welcome step in the right direction.
There's a proper press release as well.
Posted by Tim Smith on March 4, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Why local software is great
As more and more online services appear such as email, word processors, even complete desktops, you might be forgiven for thinking that the age of the 'thin client' (a pc with just enough power to display the hard work of a big central server) has arrived.
I'd like to stop this trend, or at least suggest that some work is left to the computer on which you happen to be working.
This has been brought on by having to spend the best part of a day running statistical reports with a web based system, and the amount of time it has taken.
Now some of this is inevitable but even under the strain of playing some MP3's I'm sure my computer could have finished most of the reports much faster once the raw data had been downloaded.
The other thing about the delay is that it is the most frustrating length. When I'm waiting for a video to render, there's time to get started on something else. Waiting for Word to launch or save a document is only a couple of seconds.
But web apps always seems to take around 30 seconds. Long enough to think about doing something else, but not to actually do anything. It doesn't sound like much but it quickly snowballs throughout the day
Dynamic websites are great but let's keep what is actually appropriate in mind. If nothing else but for the sake of my sanity.
Posted by Tim Smith on March 3, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Internet Explorer and web standards
I do a little bit of web design here and there and it has to be said that the biggest headaches come from Internet Explorer. And, as that's the browser used by well over 80% of potential visitors it's a big headache.
The problem I had last night was with a clever little bit of JavaScript called Nifty Corners Cube. It adds rounded corners to boxes on a web page with just one line of code. There are some people who don't have JavaScript enabled but the other ways are a lot more work.
The finished page looked fine in Opera (my default browser) and in Firefox but not in Internet Explorer. Even worse, Internet Explorer was showing some of the boxes with proper corners and others without. Frankly I find inconsistent problems even more annoying than if it didn't work at all*.
There's been quite a lot written about the extent to which Internet Explorer 8 will follow accepted standards for web design. The most recent decision is that it will have a full standards mode but that it won't be turned on by default.
I'm not entirely sure who is really going to use a non default mode other then web developers. I don't really think that adding a small sign to a web site recommending people change their browser mode is going to catch on.
The problem with having the standards mode on by default is apparently that it would break an awful lot of web sites around the world.
When I first started writing this post I was of the opinion that this would be a bad thing and the people calling for full standards should be more pragmatic.
After the stress of last night, I've changed my mind. Most of the web standards are there with good reason and lead to better looking pages that load faster and don't break in different browsers.
That
*If I'm honest there is some logic to the problem. IE applies the Nifty Corners Cube properly to divs with an id but not those with class. But I though that wouldn't really be interesting to most people
Posted by Tim Smith on February 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
A reminder to backup
I know I go on about backing up a lot but it is with good reason as these pictures show.
Apparently the only sign that anything was wrong was a 'nasty rattle'.
More horrifying pictures to be found on the original forum post.
If lack of software is holding you back, have a look at Drive Image XML, it's free and can make complete backups to a network share.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
2008 to be the year of Vista or Linux?
As usual, the beginning of this year saw plenty of rallying calls by the Open Source community saying that this would be the year when Linux takes over the desktop. As there were last year. And the year before that.
I'm sorry to disappoint but I just don't see it happening. The most positive outcome is the 'beginning of the end' but even that requires quite a stretch of the imagination.
Whatever its faults, Windows Vista is stable, has a host of useful utilities that people need such as parental controls and is very familiar. And let's not write off Windows XP just yet either. Support is going to continue for many years yet, and there are still new computers available with XP installed.
Linux has made great strides in the last few years but it still often seen as being hard to use. The reality is quite different for the most part but reputations like this are hard to shift. Think of how often the Mac and Linux camps complain about Windows instability when what they are really referring to is Windows 98.
The other problem is the wide diversity of Linux distributions. Distrowatch.com has a chart for the most popular one hundred Linux distributions. That's daunting for me and I've been using Linux for years now.
Finally, choice of operating system has as much to do with the available software. OpenOffice can fulfil most Microsoft Office tasks but there are times when the alternative just won't do. As I found out the hard way when opening a planning sheet in OpenOffice Calc once.
I also enjoy playing around with music creation software, such as Magix Music Maker and Studio, and Ableton Live (download the demo here), which keeps me on Windows. Or Mac at a pinch.
I'm sure that Linux will continue to gain ground throughout the year as long as distributions like Ubuntu keep up the good work they've been doing. But Windows is going to dominate for some years yet.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
New version of AVG Internet Security released
AVG (the company formerly known as Grisoft) has released a new version of their Internet Security software.
One new addition is the LinkScanner (the free version can be downloaded here). AVG bought Exploit Prevention Labs last year and have integrated their technology. Put simply it checks on behaviour rather than relying on lists of suspicious files. These days the more malicious hackers try to keep their attacks small enough to avoid notice, so definition lists are not as effective as they used to be.
You can keep up to date with the latest discoveries by Exploit Prevention Labs on their blog.
Hopefully some of the new features will trickle down to the free version soon.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
New version of AVG Internet Security released
AVG (the company formerly known as Grisoft) has released a new version of their Internet Security software.
One new addition is the LinkScanner (the free version can be downloaded here). AVG bought Exploit Prevention Labs last year and have integrated their technology. Put simply it checks on behaviour rather than relying on lists of suspicious files. These days the more malicious hackers try to keep their attacks small enough to avoid notice, so definition lists are not as effective as they used to be.
You can keep up to date with the latest discoveries by Exploit Prevention Labs on their blog.
Hopefully some of the new features will trickle down to the free version soon.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 27, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Windows Live SkyDrive launches
Another online storage service, this time from Microsoft. Windows Live SkyDrive now offers 5Gb of online storage without any cost.
One benefit is the ability to share files with other Live users.
While all of these services are very useful it becomes a hard choice as to which to pick (I can't really remember five or passwords more passwords for regular services). Part of me wants to use these services to share and so make sure that other people are using the same service.
Then again, as I don't actually know anyone who might want to share files with me like this, perhaps I should just make a decision. If I'm going to use online storage I might as well have some online tools as well. For that reason the myGOYA online desktop is quite tempting. It includes the Zoho software for editing office documents.
More updates can be found on the SkyDrive Team blog, ht to the Vista Team Blog
Posted by Tim Smith on February 26, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Get Word and Writer to play nicely together
I've installed OpenOffice on just about all my computers, even those with Microsoft Office already on them. It's a useful backup in case of problems, and can get around 
some of the more basic password protection in Word and Excel (or at least in Office 2003).
OpenOffice can be told to use Microsoft Office formats, and this is probably the first thing you should try. As much as it seems to defeat the object of using an alternative, setting the default to Office does make life easier, especially when sharing files with other people.
More information can be found here.
Another useful tip is to install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Office 2007. Even if someone remembers to save the file in doc rather than docx, they may use the new fonts. This pack installs them onto the computer. It shouldn't require Office to install, but if it does complain the Word Viewer utility (download for free from here) should solve the problem.
Posted by Tim Smith on February 26, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Gaming nostalgia
Even with the amazing graphics and surround sound available to modern games, there are some classics that defy time.
Of course, nostalgia tends to look with rose tinted glasses. I have found that I think of the game graphics as I would expect to see them today, normally leading to disappointment when giving them another go.
There are several web sites with plenty of old games that are considered 'abandonware', that is to say the companies are not bothered that they can be downloaded for free. A website called the underdogs has a very large collection but it hasn't been updated for some time. Abandonia has regular updates.
Few old games will work without a helping hand in Windows XP or Vista. Help is at hand from the marvellous DOSBox. This creates a window running DOS that can be set up to mimic older computers. There are various utilities to give it a more friendly look including although my favourite D-Fend was sadly closed. DOSBox is open source and available for Linux and Mac.
Gamespy published a list of games they would like to see updated with modern graphics. Looking through the list, some games have already had worthy successors or updates.
One I've been playing recently is Titan Quest. There's nothing explicitly mentioned but it is very similar to Diablo. But in a good sense, as it is great fun and hasn't broken anything good about Diablo.
Sometimes the updates are enthusiast projects. I have been very impressed with the work by the Dark Forces mod for Jedi Academy. Dark Forces is one of my favourite games of all times, and was a brilliant first person shooter. It was more technically capable than Doom 2 and really felt like being in part of a Star Wars Movie. You will need to have a copy of Jedi Academy, but apart from that it is free.
Other games I think are worth a look are Carrier Command, Gods, Might and Magic II, Flashback and who could forget Elite?