Friday, March 30, 2007

Google secures and may rescues M$ with new Google Pack

Google secures and may rescues M$ with new Google Pack.
I was looking for add ons for my ever groving Google stuff! I noticed the new add ons that increase the value of the Google Pack. Google Pack now sports two new packages, Symantec's Norton Security Scan, which detects and removes viruses, and PC Tools' Spyware Doctor Starter Edition, a top-rated anti-spyware utility.
And once your computer is clean and secure, you can start Photo casting with new Screen saver.

In the past when ever I had to help out a person in trouble, I had to scour the web for tools to help me clear up the mess they have created. Now I have the Google pack in one of my flash drives that I constantly fill/upgrade with rescue tools.
Symantec is not one of my favorite tools for virus removal, due to my personal reasons. But I have seen other people and my clients very happy with the product. Spyware Doctor Starter edition is also not my tool of the trade for removing and protecting from Spyware and malware. But again I have seen happy users that smile when they see the name!. see below for my choices.

I think this one of the best tool box, Google Pack, that any user can benefit without having to run to multiple sources to collect and keep their PC's up to date. There is a link on your right to grab the Google Pack.

The tools I use, are Avast Home edition for Virus protection. It also provides multiple shields, that I will have to write a complete article on it. By the way it is free for home or personal use.

For Spyware, I use Spybot search & destroy, or Spybot S&D, a supereb tool that I have used for many a years on my personal computers.

But it is not a easy job to keep your computer clean. Constant attention and time is needed. But I am proud to say I have had no Virus or Spyware trouble that I could not manage. For the record;
Virus attacks, fell victim 2 times in my whole computer life. (It is pretty long, my computer life, that might show how old I am. Let's say Apple II was the first computer that my parents gave me). But I have helped a bunch of people in trouble and a tool like Google pack will certainly come in handy.
The links give a statement by Google pack's Product Manager,Jesse Savage. And of course a link to download Google pack. You can also click on the Google Pack button on the right (PSSST, it gets me some Google money).

Links;
Google Pack cures the PC blues

Google pack


Wednesday, March 28, 2007

RIAA gets a letterfull and drops a case

This letter was written by California attorney Merl Ledford III, of Visalia, California, to the RIAA's lawyer. I enjoyed every bit of it. Have a read and enjoy it.
With courtesy of Recording Industry vs The People.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Another one says M$ sucks

MICROSOFT’s “technology evangelist” says that M$ sucks. Robert Scoble of Scobleizer fame have criticized M$'s moto "we are in it to win".
“The words are empty,” Scoble responded. “Microsoft’s internet execution sucks (on the whole). Its search sucks. Its advertising sucks. If that’s ‘in it to win’, then I don’t get it.”

He continued: “Microsoft isn’t going away. Don’t get me wrong. They have record profits, record sales, all that. But on the inter-net? Come on.

I have to laugh when some one tells me that their "LIVE" products are not dead!

Funny, I got scobleized twice today!

Read Scoble's thoughts;
Microsoft tells MVPs “we’re in it to win” — Really?

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

More Open and better RedHat gives you RedHat 5

Linux Format reports that RedHat % is out with vast improvements in both corporate and the product. What I saw and read may sway me from SUSE to RedHad again.
" Today we're witnessing the rebirth of a company central to the Linux movement. In case you didn't realise, Red Hat has launched its Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 operating system at Cebit and, more importantly, overhauled its corporate infrastructure to more closely involve the open source community.

Of course, Linux Format was ready and waiting for this announcement, and we were lucky enough to be granted access to RHEL 5 before its official release. We got our hands on a dual Quad-Core Xeon (5340), giving us effectively eight cores and 4GB of RAM with which to test RHEL 5. We're sure you'll agree that this gives us ample firepower to throw at it. You'll find the results in a review that will appear in Linux Format issue 92, on sale 5 April. But while you wait, this companion article will give you a first look at the new technology that has gone into the release. We also had a chance to talk to some folks within Red Hat to get the inside view on what RHEL 5 means in the context of the company's new community-pleasing strategy."

Links;
Linux Format RedHat 5 report with screen shots.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Human Side of Bill Gates

I have almost never have spoken good about M$ and Bill Gates, except for a few instances. But I did not get a real opportunity to talk just about Bill gates. But today I do!
"Bill and Melinda Gates talked with a reporter at the conclusion of their trip to South Asia.He is the world's richest man, the founder of Microsoft and, along with his wife Melinda, co-founder of the world's wealthiest charitable foundation, with a $29 billion endowment. Together, the Gateses are out to make a difference, fighting global poverty and giving, as Melinda says, some voice to the voiceless. James Nachtwey joined the private, billionaire couple recently on their latest "learning tour" through slum colonies and hospitals in India and Bangladesh."

Above is the blurb from the Photo essay about Bill and Melinda Gates visit to Asia where the following Photo belonged to. I have got used to Bill Gates image on slashdot that I almost forgot how he looked like!
Thank you, Gateses, I am very happy to see that you are putting same efforts to this venture, as you did with M$. Now I know you are human!


Photo by: James Nachtwey

Links;
The photo Essay on Bill and Melinda Gateses visit to India and Bangladesh

Tags: ,

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Now M$ get's on Google with copyright issues

Following /. article on "Microsoft's Associate General Counsel who was giving a speech to the Association of American Publishers" and ample comments tell us how M$ looks in sheep's clothing. among many a comments, I liked these......

"From TFA:

Microsoft, he said, asks the copyrights owner for permission first...

They should have added:

...unless it's software."

and

"This sounds like an April Fools article.

Next Article:
RIAA concerned about musicians being ripped off by lopsided contracts

After that:
Auto Makers insist Congress must tighten emissions and fuel economy standards."

Links;
Microsoft Attacks Google on Copyright on slashdot


Saturday, March 03, 2007

To Vista or not to Vista,

According to Tim Webber;
"You will probably enjoy Vista, but there's little reason to do it the hard way."
Tim has gone through the upgrade to Vista and reversed back to XP due to lack of support for drivers, from manufactures to M$.
The article is a nice read, closer to $1000 (including Vista Price) and still no Vista. But I read in the local sales flyers That one could get a PC with Vista home version installed.
I have been beta testing Vista (On My Notebook This a a Vista upgradable from HP and yet ran into driver and network problems) and I have Vista business to be installed in one of my PC.
I loved this M$ assumption;
"A top Microsoft executive, who does not want to be quoted by name, tells me that "the refresh rate on [mobile] devices is typically 18 months, from our research - hence the view that most Pocket PC 2002 devices would no longer be in use.

"Our view (which may be incorrect) is that those people using the latest Desktop [operating system] would potentially also be using later devices as well." "
Follow the link to read before you leap in to a Vista Upgrade.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Vista rises India's economy, just on activation calls

From the past experiences, with XP keys and activations, all the calls ended up in India. Nice Indian people trying to sound and act like Non-Indians, names when asked, given were, Smith, Andrew etc.
If the Slashdot article is true, there will be many calls and they might end up in India, helping Indian Economy! Hail M$
I could not think of writing this any better way, Here it is straight from /.
""The Inquirer has a story about a brute force Vista key activation crack. It's nothing fancy; it's described as a 'glorified guesser'. The danger of this approach is that sooner or later the key cracker will begin activating legitimate keys purchased by other consumers. From the article: 'The code is floating, the method is known, and there is nothing MS can do at this point other than suck it down and prepare for the problems this causes. To make matters worse, Microsoft will have to decide if it is worth it to allow people to take back legit keys that have been hijacked, or tell customers to go away, we have your money already, read your license agreement and get bent, we owe you nothing.'""
I also followed the links but seems that link Inquirer gives takes you to a ad filled site.
But you can read the Slashdot article get enough information.

Links;
Shashdot " Vista Activation Cracked by Brute Force "