Sunday, January 1, 2006
Not only a new year, but my second anniversary on KFI! Happy New Year!
Tech News
Check out the LA Times’s 2006 Predictions. A Google PC sold by Wal-Mart? Wow!!!
Ilfak Guilfanov fix for the Windows metafile flaw is available here.
11a-Noon
QPaul in Big Bear - recommendations for a brand new laptop
He wants a security suite, browser, and photo editing software. Here are my recommendations.
Firewall: as long as you have Windows XP Service Pack 2, the Windows firewall is fine and will not slow down your system
Free Anti-Virus Programs:
Anti-vir
Avast
best of breed: NOD32 from Eset - but it’s not free
Anti-Spyware:
Use all three, and turn on the real time protection in Defender.
For a browser it’s a no-brainer, Firefox is not only superior to Internet Explorer, it’s safer, too.
Finally I recommend a great free program from Google called Picasa for simple photo manipulation. If you need more the inexpensive Photoshop Elements from Adobe is superb.
Another good program is Photoplus 6 http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/PhotoPlus/default.asp]]
It is also free it looks a lot like paint shop pro.
One can also use GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) for photo/image manipulation. It’s found more commonly on Linux systems, but it can be run on Windows based systems. It’s a little more involved when installing, but instructions are available at the offcial GIMP website here.
Noon-1p
QHarriet in Anaheim - is autocomplete dangerous
Nope.
QAdam in Salt Lake - downside of buying a TV online
breakage, can’t check pixels
make sure you buy from a reputable dealer
QBetty in Santa Ana - buying a new computer
http://www.webtv.com/pc/buy/
QJay in Los Angeles - wireless card doesn’t work
He’s using Windows ME and his Linksys wi-fi card has stopped working. He’s getting an error message in the odservice.dll - that’s the Odyssey client software that the Linksys requires. You should uninstall it completely and reinstall.
Jayrot adds: by the by, I imagine that the caller mistook “IRC” for “IRQ” when he was asking if he should be checking for conflicts.
QJohn in Gilman, Wisconsin - getting my Windows printer to work with my Mac
Not all Windows printers will work with Macintosh, but if there’s no compatibility issue the easiest way to do this is with the Apple Bonjour Client for Windows.
note added by TastesLikeLead
Installing Bonjour Client enables Windows to browse and connect to a Bonjour Networked Printers.
Essentially, connect the printer to the Mac mini, then share it. Have Windows using the Bonjour Printer Wizard to look for the shared printer.
Bonjour Client on Windows does not enable the Windows machine as a Bonjour Print Server.
Not ALL printers will work with Mac OS. The best way is to visit the manufacturer’s Support Website. Depends on what version of Mac OS John has, it might have the driver for the printer installed already.
In some cases, there are printers that is “Windows compatible only”.
For example:
HP LaserJet 1012 - Drivers are available for Windows OS, Mac OS X, and Linux.
HP LaserJet 1020 - Drivers are available for Windows OS only
HP LaserJet 1022 - Drivers are available for Windows OS, Mac OS X, and Linux.
HP LaserJet 1020 and HP LaserJet 1022 are practically sharing the same mechanism and design. As a matter of fact if you install the driver for HP LaserJet 1022, Mac OS X will recognized HP LaserJet 1020.
1–2p
QScott in Chicago - decrypting iTunes
Exact Audio Copy
http://www.exactaudiocopy.de/
JHymn
http://hymn-project.org/
In iTunes 6.0 and later you can burn an audio CD of the tracks you have purchased and then import that CD into your itunes library as unprotected mp3 files under the import tab.
QMichael in Long Beach - HDTV
$9.99 movies on iTunes
PC to HDTV using DVI connector
QKurt in Woodland Hills - OS 9 on Panther
(http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=42929)
http://forums.macosxhints.com/archive/index.php/t-18803.html
QFred in Fullerton - streaming video
QMargie on the 405 - is myspace safe?
www.myspace.com is the place to be for everyone under 25 these days. It can be a little adult, but I wouldn’t prevent them from having a page there. It’s basically a blog with pictures and music. I’d encourage them to password protect it to keep predators out, and to restrict the people who they interact with to people they know in real life.
The Sakefids’ parental contract is also helpful.
QDarren in Fullerton - compressing audio books
You can combine MP3 files into a single file with the Windows copy command:
copy file1.mp3 + file2.mp3 + file3.mp3 bigfile.mp3
or in the OS X terminal:
cat file1.mp3 file2.mp3 file3.mp3 >>bigfile.mp3
You can also combine files in Quicktime. If you want to make the files bookmarkable convert them to AAC then use Doug’s Applescript to make it bookmarkable.
Peter in Columbus, OH adds:
On the Windoze side, I find that simply joining MP3’s does cause some rough transitions between files. Some audio CD’s arbitrarilly track every three minutes, creating a new MP3 file at each new track, and sometimes in the middle of a word (!) leading to choppiness when listening. I use a program called ACExtractor which can rip individual tracks or the whole CD into one file.
QGlenn in Winnekta - will the new Sober worm be detected by my anti-virus
According to security experts the Sober worm is set to update itself on January 6 and launch a new round of infections. If you have an up-to-date anti-virus it should be able to detect and remove the current worm. But in all likelihood any new worm will require signature updates. Make sure to keep your AV up-to-date and don’t open email attachments, especially later this week!
Sites like Symantec’s anti-virus research center do post bulletins about the most recent virus and security threats, but it’s hard to tell how important they are. Can anyone offer a suggestion for a good page that we can check daily to get the latest security information in a usable form?
I suggest http://www.us-cert.gov/nav/nt01/ for current vulnerabilities even though it is a little geeky.
Chat Logs and Show Audio
Listener Comments
01 January 2006
Happy New Year Leo! Keep up the good stuff in 2006.
Listening to today’s newly posted KFI podcast (#206), you mention that your news links can’t be reached because they’re located on del.icio.us and that site is down. On Security Now, you and Steve extol the virtues of several sites, services and equipment (which integrates with external services) to provide secure tunnelling of one form or another (e.g., iPhantom, Hamachi, and others). On Net 2.0, you and Amber interview a fellow from 37 Signals who provides on-line services for keeping lists as well as for some simple project management or CRM services (disclaimer: I haven’t visited those sites yet). There is also discussion of on-line versions of word processors and the like.
Perhaps it would be useful to step back and caution your fans to consider the risks of relying upon external services of one form or another to manage, store, transport, or otherwise handle your personal, sensitive, proprietary, or other “mission critical” data.
Whether you’re a husband who can’t explain to his wife why the website with all of the stored baby pictures is not available, or you’re the small business owner considering using on-line services for your word processing, project scheduling, or your accounting, it’s always important to consider the risks before making the decision to go ahead.
11:18 by anonymous.
Leo, Glad to find you and appreciate your efforts and Podcasts. Just listed to your last two podcast over the last two days and Security now #20. Great stuff.
Happy new year from Swartz Creek, Michigan! Listening via Internet while trying to recover an ISA server that died here at work on Friday.
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Take care,
Johnny F
11:29 by JZA.
I suggest users t0 get 0pen0ffice.0rg when they get a new c0mputer instead 0f spending 300 dls 0n an 0ffice suitee.
11:49 by Lou?.
Leo,
WildBlue Satellite (wildblue.com) may be the way to go for people who have no othe options. Speeds and price are decent.
Cable internet is really expensive on Mediacom here in AZ, $58.00 a month! I don’t have to get TV service though, that would be a lot more and besides all the channels are weak and snowy!
Happy New Year Leo!
You mentioned on show number 206 that Google is going to favor AOL webpages in their search results. Do you know anything more, is it just a rumor?
For me, if it is true, it is no big problem - I will start using Yahoo search engine which is as good as Google.
A few weeks ago someone wanted to know how to save streaming audio to wma or mp3. With MS Window Media Encoder 7(free), you can save to a wma file anything running on your sound card. If you can hear it, you can record it. It’s easy to convert wma to mp3 from there (Nero, Roxio, etc..)Is this analog or digital. Anyone?
I run windows 98 and I don’t have the shimgvw.dll file.
Am I still vulnerable to the WMF vulnerability problem that 98 has no fix for?
For the lady who wants a computer, The Mac Mini is SUPER and with CRT monitor and keyboard $600 would do it!
What are the downsides to using the meta security fix? I notice that once I did the windows recommendation I can no longer view my jpeg files.
In regards to the ipod shuffle and continuing where you left off. My credit goes to Chris Breen, who wrote a great ipod book!
Before shutting down, hit the pause button, then shut off. If you have a regular ipod with the remote, then use the button on the remote and it will do the same thing. Once you turn it back on you will go right back to where you left off!
I have been using this method for a few years now and it works on everything except my crappy ipod nano (NEVER get one of these they stink!)
Happy New Year Leo!
When Microsoft comes with the WMF vulnerability patch, what will be titled on their web [Microsoft] site?
Isn’t is interesting how folks think that Leo is clairvoyant?
Happy New Year, Leo!
BTW is it just me, or has the ThisWeekInTech.com web site been Down for quite a while?
Thanks Steve and leo for the Ilfak Guilfanov fix for the Windows metafile flaw. I have loaded this on all of my system that in manage in my network of friends and family. It getting to the point this year I will be switching to linux to avoid these windoze hazards in the future. and happy new year 2006 to you leo.
02 January 2006
Leo Why is the TWIT site so hard to load?
I tryed IE and FIRE FOX and most of the time a get an error, please coment about that.
Have patience, its not your browsers its Leo’s site. He may have had to go back to server school for a refresher. Hopefully it’ll be back up or/and happily serving all geekers soon.
03 January 2006
How much security should you run? I have Norton Internet Security 2004, Spyware Doc, Stopzilla and Windows general security center (only Norton firewall running). Is this too much?
Amy, software firewall can be turned off easily by malicious software. You’re ok as long as nothing is allowed in to begin with. Also, you didn’t mention it but keeping Windows Update current is very important. Its not a question of too much, or too little—its the right blend of monitoring and blocking key access points of vulnerability. Go to Leo’s Tips section for futher enlightenment.
10 January 2006
18 January 2006
20 January 2006
23 January 2006
DSL Availability:
If you are in a fringe area for you telco’s DSL service, don’t rely on the phone company web site for determining if service is available. Instead, call and get a live person, and ask that you’re request be escalated. There is some line conditioning your telco can do, as well as field equipment that acts as a mini central office that may not be showing up correctly in the program you’re telco uses for determining DSL availability. I worked for a major telco, and would get a list every month of denied DSL service request, and we were often able to investigate and find a way to get these people service. Good luck!
25 January 2006
Leo:
You mentioned how frustrated you were w/ Soundtrack Pro . . . there is a new upgrade (ver. 1.0.3) A lot of people on the Apple / STPro forum are saying that crashes are much more “infrequent” . . . thought you might want to “revisit” this program.
02 February 2006
Try rolling back your wireless card
07 February 2006
Re: Lloyd in West Covina (sp?)
Cable provider providing high-speed internet without cable? That, I’ve never heard of. Here in Northeast Ohio, the big cable company in much of the area is Time-Warner, and you cannot get the cable modem internet without getting at least the basic cable service on your TV — they won’t do it. That way, they can get you for the internet fee AND the cable fee.
15 February 2006
Charter Communications charges an additional $10 per month for Cable internet if you do have cable service with them.
