Sunday, February 19, 2006
Tech News
Did you know it’s technically illegal to play poker online? Congress wants to make sure you know with a bill proposing five years in jail.
Amazon hopes to create an iPod killer with its new music store.
Ladies of the evening ask parents’ help - don’t let your kids play Grand Theft Auto.
11a-Noon
Q Paul in Tustin - Plextor’s ConvertX
It’s an external video capture box that costs $200. PC Magazine recommends it but doesn’t much like the bundled software. You could use it to capture but buy Adobe’s Premiere Elements if you want better software.
Q Ed in Murraysville PA - iPhantom throughput is slowing down
iPhantom user
reducing throughput
Q Larry in San Clemente - cell phone usage overseas
Get a Quad-band GSM phone (one that supports 850/900/1800/1900Mhz) and you’ll most likely be able to use it world-wide. T-Mobile seems to be the best for worldwide service.
I love Cingular’s Blackberry 8200 for synching with Macs, and it works worldwide for me, as well/.
Q Ed in Aliso Viejo - using the Linksys VPN router
He is trying to connect with his partner - each has a VPN router. This is an immensely complicated topic but generally the problem is that the Windows VPN client doesn’t support NAT traversal. If the router manufacturer offers a VPN client, you’ll want to use it. But I have a better solution: the free Hamachi. It works VERY well and is trivial to set up.
For information on the issues on setting up VPNs on Windows listen to episode 17 of Steve Gibson’s Security Now podcast. To learn more about Hamachi listen to episode 18.
Ron in Amarillo adds:
Ed only needed to be sure the NETBIOS option in the advanced settings of the vpn tunnel settings. Linksys VPN endpoint routers will do full VPN’s between them and to other VPN IPSEC routers and clients.. He was connected, but the tunnel was not passing netbios traffic. Also he would need to network browse to the LAN ip address of the remote pc in order to see files shares and printers, etc. Or do manual LMHOSTS entries.
Noon-1p
Q Donna in Grants Pass, OR - protecting Wi-Fi access points
Turn on WPA, change the access point password, and turn off Universal PNP (UPNP) and you’ll be secure.
You also need to install a patch for windows xp to enable wpa on your wifi adapter. Here’s the link
Q Tim in Chicago - longer streaming video files fail
That’s because the file size is exceeding 2GB and Windows is choking on it. I recommend compressing the files so they’re less than 2GB before you try to transfer them to the Windows machine.
Q Dan in Temeculah - synching iPaq to Outlook
I would make sure you have the most recent version of Microsoft’s ActiveSync software. For more information about Pocket PC visit MobilityToday - formerly Dave’s iPaq.
Q Daniel in Reno - booting Windows on the Intel Macs
You can’t right now because Windows does not support the new EFI BIOS that Apple is using (despite the fact that EFI was jointly developed by Intel and Microsoft). The bounty is growing for someone who can figure out how to do it, though. Up to over $11,000 now (ok it’s not exactly PowerBall money but that’s decent change).
Ray in Indiana says: It was reported on Digg.com that the reward challenge has been successfully completed. More details are available at onmac.net.
I think the WINE folks will be the first to figure out how to get Windows apps running, and frankly I think that’s a good way to go since no copy of Windows is needed.
dagrouch in Chicago adds:
The Darwine Project is working on porting WINE to OS X and they have just released their first x86 Mac-compatible version.
tardis3 in Melbourne Australia adds:
If only there was a way to do the reverse! Can OSX be installed on a windows PC - or just on an Intel/AMD PC?
1–2p
Q Susan in Boulder - installing OS X Widgets
Download them, unzip them if necessary, then double click the .wdgt file - it will install automatically if you have Tiger.
Q Mark in Tustin - Which compact camera?
I just bought the Fujifilm Finepix F10 and have been very happy with the images. You can check out some of my images on Flickr. This one, for instance, was taken with the Finepix. This with the Nikon D70 SLR. The Nikon is definitely more detailed - but it’s three times the price.
Q Brian in Hillsborough, NC - Replacing the Tapwave Zodiac
Palm TX or Nokia 770? I think the 770 is a gimmicky device. Get the TX.
Q Valerie in Torrance - Filesharing won’t work
She’s added a new computer to her network and can’t get to it. Sounds like Norton Internet Security. You could probably configure it to work with filesharing, but it’s easier just to get rid of it.
Q Chip in Laguna Hills - Firefox doesn’t work with MSN Games
Firefox doesn’t support ActiveX - that’s a good thing, it’s why I recommend it since ActiveX is one of the ways spyware infects your PC - so for sites that require it you’ll have to use Internet Explorer.
You can also install IE tab - Firefox extension Link
It will allow you to run a web site in IE in a Firefox tab.
Q Ken in Trabuco Cyn - Can’t modify office files
You need to reassert your ownership of those files.
- Open Windows Explorer, and then locate the file or folder you want to take ownership of.
- Right-click the file or folder, click Properties, and then click the Security tab.
- Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.
- In the Change owner to box, click the new owner
- (Optional) To change the owner of all subcontainers and objects within the tree, select the Replace owner on subcontainers and objects check box.
Chat Logs and Show Audio
Listener Comments
19 February 2006
Leo, you are always saying that if I have a router I’m protected from bad things on the internet and I don’t really need anything else because that NAT gives enough protection. However, that doesn’t seem to be true because just a few hours after installing the Kerio software firewall yesterday a message popped up saying there was an attempted incoming connection to port 1032. I looked up the IP address and it was from China Telecom! It seems that a software router is necessary!
How can a foreign IP address get through the router and attempt to connect to port 1032?
Leo, I think you gave bad advice to Peggy in San Diego yesterday about not needing a firewall. This morning I got an attempted connection to port 1026 from someone in Atlanta on Cox cable!
How are those getting through the Linksys router when Shields Up says everything is in stealth mode?
10:55 by Leo.
Interesting question from Arizona Steve. If ShieldsUP is reporting those ports are stealthed then the question is why is Kerio reporting incoming traffic on them. Actually this is another point my argument against software firewalls: spurious warnings. If it makes you feel better to see these warnings, fine, but unless you have something on your system accepting incoming traffic on these ports the warning is meaningless - and in fact, I suspect it’s an error on Kerio’s part.
It’s also possible uPnP is enabled on your router, so some ports are open some of the time…
Also, possible that the traffic on that port was from inside your networks, and maybe the Firewall was incorrect on the origin.
My 3 cents:
GTA deserved it’s AO rating BEFORE the “Hot Coffee” thing. I’d never let my kids play it, if I had any. (Only 21 years old. =-P)
Online gambling: stupid if it involves real $$$. I know, however, that my sister plays sometimes on game sites just to test her skill.
I’d never just “rent” music. I’m still someone who would rather buy the CD than download it from Apple or anyone else.
Love the show! ^_^
11:22 by Jim?.
What happened to Call for help in the US?
Call for Help was cancelled in the US. But I still watch it on a regular basis…
-**cough** http://cfhtracker.info/ **cough** :)
Any tune downloaded from the itunes store can be played on any MP3 player!! It does not have to be played on an iPod. Burn purchased music to a CD. Now import that CD into iTunes and the files are now MP3 files no longr protected, and can be loaded into any MP3 player
11:29 by .
Leo,
The issue with online gambling is no dofferent than IRL gambling. If they try and shut it down it will just go underground and you will get people making Gambling Clients that auto setup an onion proxy server and there will be little any government will do.
People have been gambling since there has been things to barter. The issue is not to punish the gambler providers, but to educate people in NOT gambling or IF they will gamble to gamble more intelligently.
I have gambled myself at a dog track one, played one race, won and then left. Played a slot on a gambling ship, shot 25 in got 250 out, left the gambling room. That is because I KNOW that the house has the advantage and it is something gamblers should always know.
Life itself is a gamble, will there be a law against life? I doubt it. Again we have to stop scapegoating the thing and instead making people become personally responsible.
Ditto for file sharing, GTA and all the rest.
Cursor_
Leo, did you talk about Windows Vista yesterday, 2/18/06, as announced? I am so sorry I could not stay tuned!
I need to know whether it is worth waiting till the fall to buy a new laptop for average word processing and voice recognition software use.
Vista will not be out by the Fall…. very very unlikely at least.
I would not let that stop you from buying a laptop.
Leo:
“only GSM phones have SIM cards”
Sorry, but in China, all fones, including the CDMA cellco, China Unicom, are required to have SIM cards.
There is no doubt that, for the international traveler, this has become a tech nightmare, but Verizon and UK’s Vodafone offer cellfones that support both CDMA and GSM for voice, but with no data for GSM.
The whole issue depends on a customer’s home area and where they will travel, plus, whether they need or expect data services while traveling.
I believe that those who want to use data should simply get a PC Card modem that supports the technology where they will frequently roam. The voice issue is simpler with global roaming fones from VZW & Vodafone, where the base cellco is CDMA.
What a mess!
Mykl
San Diego (wireless data industry analyst)
PS: few commentators recognize that all the world’s ~1.5 BILLION GSM subscribers are being aggressively converted to xCMDA (WCMDA/HSDPA) by their cellcos in order to amortize BILLONz of $$$ for 3G licenses by begining to charge for data services that those subs had never used.
I always run a hardware AND a software firewall.. If you know how to use your software firewall (i.e.; dont allways click ‘allow’ new connections) you’re covered against outbound connections. Recently Leo has been saying you ‘dont need’ a software firewall, which i disagree with (and talk about on my website).. I think Leo should promote BOTH hardware and software firewalls for many (most) people..
but then again, i’m not Leo..
You missed the part where Leo has repeatly said that
the Black Hats know how to DISABLE the popular software firewalls.
Yes - blackhats CAN disable a software firewall.. but not EVERY piece of spyware or trojan does!.. just becuse some or even many can disable a software firewall does not mean you should not use one (as long as what you use is not bloatware)
Amen to the *bloatware* thing.
Firewall principles have remained unchanged for decades.
The oldest version of a particular firewall can give you all you need
— without the added bloat of “updated” versions.
I think we all agree that a software firewall is not a BAD thing
and (in an ideal situation) can block spurious egress traffic.
The point has to continually be made that
IT IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR THINKING.
Ignorance and complacency by users
leads to effective “human engineering” attacks.
Not sure if you mentioned this or not but in order to use WPA, you need to install a patch from MS that adds it, here’s the link
— And some wifi cards only support wpa, not wpa2.
If your current Wireless card doesn’t support WPA, instead of getting a new card, try this free software from McAfee - It enables you to do WPA with your current card. They offer the software for free, but they are also trying to get you to buy something, and you don’t need to. Just download the free software.
http://www.wirelesssecuritycorp.com/wsc/public/WPAAssistant.do
Before you can use another company’s SIM card in your wireless phone, you should make sure that your phone is “unlocked” (i.e. it can accept other companies’ SIM cards). Because the price of wireless phones is often subsidized, companies often “lock” the phones their phones to their own SIM cards.
Hey Arizona Steve And Leo I To Get the chinese Pokes and i use Peer Guardian 2 and Kerio but had to dump Kerio Because it would Crash my Comp when i was using A program called WHO’s There the Peer Guardian only stops or see’s the Chinese or a bunch of others when utorrent is running… IT also stops some on web browsing. Who’s There works Like Sysinternals TCPView
I would suggest a mac because I just recently switched from windows and I am very happy with the quality and speed and it runs a lot cooler. And the interface is just pretty!
Regarding Hector’s comments that you can play itunes music on any mp3 player by burning it to a cd first. Why should I waste a cd just so that I can convert it to an mp3 afterwards? The point being that apple refuses to license their drm to other mp3 players out there. See my entry in my blog for more.
WINE is an acronym for Wine Is NOT an Emulator. The good folks working on this project want you all to know. Leo, PLEASE stop calling WINE an Emulator :)
Yup. Wine is a reverse-engineered set of Windoze APIs
(Application Programming Interfaces) for Unix-like OSes.
It’s better to think of it as a **function library**—not as an emulator.
Wine is a project to allow a PC running a Unix-like operating system and the X Window System to run x86 programs for Microsoft Windows. Alternately, those wishing to port a Windows application to a Unix-like system can compile it against the Wine libraries.
The name was derived from the recursive acronym “Wine Is Not an Emulator” (it implements a compatibility layer), although some have used the unofficial expansion “Windows Emulator”. Although the forms “WINE” and “wine” of the name are sometimes used, the developers have agreed on the now correct “Wine”.
Wine is free software, licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL). Wine was originally released under the same MIT License as the X Window System, but, owing to concern about proprietary versions of Wine not contributing their changes back to the core project, work as of March 2002 is licensed under the LGPL.
The first beta version of Wine, version 0.9, was released on October 25, 2005 after 12 years of development. LOOK HERE--→>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_software
20 February 2006
For a client’s computer use WPA, the card itself must support that standard. Just installing McAfee or using XP itself will not work as you are unable to make that selection. Luckily since WPA is nothing more than a software driver upgrade, most cards can be updated to use the newer encryption.
Janet said, I’d never just “rent” music. I’m still someone who would rather buy the CD than download it from Apple or anyone else.
Apple doesn’t rent music from the iTunes Music store, it sells it just like you bought the CD. The only difference is that you do download it. After that you burn it to a CD and you can keep it like you really did buy it from a regular store. I agree with you that I would not “rent” music only buy it. And I do all of my purchases online an usually at the iTunes Music Store.
14:02 by Mike.
Is that Leo in the purple polo shirt in this cartoon about Dvorak?
http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/789.html
Sure looks like him. Anyone know who the guy in the navy jumper beside him is?
—Yeah, that’s Leo.. the other guy is Patrick Norton.. Prolly would be easier to recognize if he was wearing a kilt.
21 February 2006
21 March 2006
I have the Plextor box and it works with Premeire Elements 2 not 1. Elements sometimes has a hard time editing MPEG video. I haven’t had a problem with the Plextor’s video in Elements 2, but it didn’t work at all in version 1 (I had to convert the MPEG to a DV AVI file).
04 April 2006
In regards to Tim in Chicago’s issue having to compress 2gig files, it certainly seems like he’s doing double work. Why pull the video in from FCP, move it to the PC and recompress it? Just use the Mac and encode it directly to it’s final output format. Move the completed file and voila!
Consider these products to help:
Flip for Mac — http://www.flip4mac.com/
Discreet Cleaner — http://usa.autodesk.com/
Sorenson Squeeze — http://www.sorensonmedia.com/
These will cost a few bucks, but get the job done faster, and in one step.
Good luck
16 May 2006
