Saturday, July 15, 2006
Tech News
It’s been 10 years since the launch of “The Site” where I voiced a virtual reality man named “Dev Null”
Intel has unveiled the Core 2 Duo chip which blows the socks off of the previous two chips.
11a-Noon
Q Bob from North Hollywood - Ripping/editing sitcom DVDs
The only problem you may have is that some of these DVDs have additional copy protection. I use the free MacTheRipper
Q Richard from Fullterton - Status of Net Neutrality/What to do about it
We’re for net neutrality, and against “net descrimination”. The three big telcos are making a lot of noise about Internet companies “getting a free ride”. However, the Internet companies are already paying for bandwidth. So, in effect, they’d be charged twice. Savetheinternet.com is a huge pro-net neutrality site that gives instructions on how to take action. There are forms to contact your senators.
Q Don - Error when attempting to boot Windows
It’s a driver issue. You can get newer drivers from Intel’s site. Look for a firmware update and flash update your network card. Here is Intel’s site about its boot agent. It’s not booting because it’s looking for a master computer. If you look in the options, disable the PXE boot.
Q Rich from Yorba Linda - Monitor showing gray mask/Nodal points on a camera
The monitor problem is that it’s trying to match its refresh rate with the computer and eventually figures it out. Make sure you have the right monitor driver.
I still have not found the nodal points. However, I’m talking to a guy from Bel Air camera about it.
Noon-1p
Q Mark from Santa Ana - Forwarding/masking domains
The way you redirect it is to edit the .htaccess file on the server. You’ll need access from the root server. However, what phishers do is take advantage of bugs in the browser. You’d be setting off a bug.
Q Sharon from Kennedy Meadows - No idea where to start with a computer
You’re going to want a UPS. You’ll want the power conditioning because it keeps the power consistent. Go with a Macintosh computer. The iMac is a great choice. Learn the operations, teach yourself typing through Mavis Beacon, and call back in a month or so and then I’ll help you set up the website.
Q Medi - Spyware on a PC
Secure the PC, install antispyware software, antivirus software, and get her to start using Firefox. Also, set up a limited user account for your mother. That way, software cannot install itself. The next time you get her a computer, get her a Mac.
Q Abe from Long Island - Syncing Treo on a Mac
You got to spend the $40 for a program called The Missing Sync.
Q Ted from Santa Monica - Windows key being invalid
Your copy of Windows that you got second-hand was probably illegitimate. Try buying a new XP install disc. Another thing you could do is get Ubuntu Linux. There’s a great book called Moving to Linux: Kiss the Blue Screen of Death Goodbye! that could ease the transition. There is a table of software equivalents for Windows users switching to Linux.
1–2p
Q Bob from Pittsburgh - Charging for videos on Google Video
Nowadays, film production is so cheap with a digital camera, computer, and the Internet. There are companies such as CD Baby that get independent songs into iTunes. Soon enough, there will be a service like that for video. What you could do is embed advertisements in your videos. You can check out Bob’s videos at AskMisterWizard.com.
Q Dave from Ontario - Are laptops good gaming platforms
ATI makes some great mobility chips. Processors do help, but don’t do it all. The video card does the actual 3D rendering. Go to Alienware and look at what they’re doing with their graphics cards. For processors, until now, Athlon64 was considered the holy grail for gaming. However, the Core 2 Duo chips are creaming AMD right now.
Q Jack from San Juan Capistrano - Moving from PC to Mac-Is it worth it right now?
If you’re getting a Mac now, definitely get an Intel Mac. I recommend the iMac for a desktop machine. If you want the latest and greatest chip, you’ll have to wait for Apple to implement the chip. If you want to run Windows, get memory from Newegg (2 gigabytes). Then you can run a program called Parallels.
Q Carol from Redlands - Phone interfering with Linksys router
Set the router’s broadcast channel a bit higher, or try your best to move the phone.
Chat Logs and Show Audio
Listener Comments
15 July 2006
So what is the new PC DVD ripper program that Leo alluded to in the show?
11:34 by anonymous.
How to change a .rp to mp3 file on a MAC G3
11:49 by anonymous.
Not having Net Neutrality makes as much since as putting toll booths on the interstate highway. However, if you are from the local state you don’t need to pay, if you are from out of state you need to pay to use the interstate. The whole point of an interstate is to go between states. Why call it an interstate if most of the people will need to pay, they should call it an interstate-toll. Since I pay for my car’s license plates, I already pay for access to the interstates.
Intel boot agent is used on motherboards with onboard ethernet ports intended to be used in servers. Dell Pentium-3 servers with Intel motherboards had that too. I usually just ignored it but there is a way to change the settings or disable it when the boot agent message pops up on the Dells. I’m not sure about the IBM version though.
Based on the fact that the caller got the Windows CD to boot (he said he installed it and the machine wouldn’t go to HDD afterward), it would appear that the boot priority is something like floppy/cd/network/HDD or cd/floppy/network/HDD. I know he said he went into the bios to disable it, but maybe he didn’t change the boot order or didn’t understand the question and just said yes (happens a lot in my tech support experience, and Handel on the Law if anyone listens to that).
12:10 by .
when i have modified or replaced componets in intregrated units i have found that the componets are logged on two levels in cmos and software to remove check cmos access as in per boot post. as well as software load up. to fix remove/disable from cmos then reload oem
Did you read all the and if & buts about callingid ? Spyware dude!
Bartbull, thanks! a word to the wise is sufficient
terrym
Bee lady isn’t online man… so she won’t have to see your lame post. ^_^
WHAT IS THE ADDRESS FOR MANDY “800 SEARCH PHONE???”
To get rid of Spyware per a previous caller’s question, you can also start windows in Normal mode first then run your antivirus software.
Over 90% of the time this does the trick.
Carlos
Dear Leo,
I’ve listened and enjoyed you for a long time, but I have to add my voice to your propensity for Windows and Explorer bashing. You’ve incrementally increased the diatribe to the point where it’s obvious and embarassing. Please get some perspective—you are coming of as a “pumper” for Apple or as someone who is trying to look intelligent by pushing things that go against convention.
As others have mentioned, the reason Windows Explorer has more problems than Mac or Firefox is that it is simply a bigger target. If Mac were more popular than PC’s, hackers and spammers would concentrate their talents accordingly.
Firefox? I’ve tried it and it is slow and doesn’t even handle some of my needs. I use web-based email systems with several companies, and it simply doesn’t work. There are other sites that also don’t work. Firefox is part of the Sun Microsystem hate group that is trying their best to hurt Msft by offerring free software. Problem is, their free software is worth what it costs—I’ve tried it.
Like it or not, a high percentage of your listeners are Windows, Explorer users because it is more universal (easy to use with a variety of applications) and is the business sytem of choice. Of course you should point out problems and solutions with Windows and Explorer, but please, lay off the extreme bashing and position that everything is perfect with Mac and non-Windows. You are doing a disservice to the public.
Thanks for listening.
Yeah, there’s your TYPICAL Leo Fan Boy
As for Leo knowing what he’s talking about (NOT), earlier in the show HE actually recommended McAfee. Guess he’s either clueless (again) or covering for McAfeee just like all the Apple Flaws and Bad Press. No wonder he does such a good Bill “Slick Willy the Liar” Clinton impersonation … birds of a feather flock together. -
Leo responds: Clean out your ears. I’ve never recommend McAfee in my life. And for the final time, please don’t cut and paste copyrighted content into the wiki - that’s a no-no (read the front page). Post a link instead.
Anyone know how to install mplayer? everything in the forums is incomplete or just doesn’t work
About the phone interfering with the router:
I found it best to lower the channel when I had this problem.
Wow it been that long sinc Dev Null made his debut on MSNBC The site. Its odd that G4 media still owns the rights to the that since G4tv drop and completely strip out all of the technology related programming from the network.
Yarby,
I agree with most of what you say except I like free open source software, especially Firefox.
I switched from IE to Mozilla-based browsers in May 2004 because of all the hoopla about the latest IE vulnerabilities. I had already started using a firewall and antispyware software just to fill the holes in IE’s security. I’ll admit that Firefox may not render pages as fast as IE but it’s not compatible with the IE-exploiting viruses. I also have Opera installed but it doesn’t do a very good job of rendering certain web sites. Plus, on slower machines, Opera runs very slowly compared to Firefox or IE.
Generally, open source software runs faster than commercial software, and on older/lower end hardware. For example, the fancy features in xgl run fine on my two-year-old Intel 82845 integrated graphics. As for features, open source apps have most of the features found on commercial software. However, it seems that lately many commercial apps are becoming free products. MS is even giving away a lot of stuff lately. Just the other day, they started giving away Virtual PC. When Vista is released, will the lowest-end version be free? So does that mean that these apps are worth what they cost too?
Now I will point out a bug in Windows XP that no-one, not even Léo (his real name, lol), will admit. Windows Explorer. It has a tendancy to say recently-used files are locked and will not permit the deletion of those files. However, they can be immediately deleted using the command prompt or the Windows NT File Manager borrowed from an install of Windows NT 4.0. In fact, Explorer can get very slow in many functions when File Manager zips right through the same tasks.
Sorry for such a long rant.
Jack: Just do it. Don’t even think twice. I just got a Blackbook and I totally love it. It’s easily one of the best PC’s I’ve ever owned and with 2 gigs of RAM, Parallels is more than enough to run any flavor of Windows you want to run.
As the Nike commercial says… Just do it :-D
16 July 2006
I hope Leo will give a password to some the extremely competent folks who have posted thoughtful comments in prior weeks. Its’ a shame that windows fanboys post such attacks on Leo & Macs.
Out of context “facts” on troubles a few users have (out of thousands who do not) are used to attack something they know nothing about. Leo is the best we have in tech advise.
