The Internet Has Gas

With gasoline prices remaining so high year-round, is it any wonder that there just might be a lot of good information about the subject on the Internet? I thought it might be of interest for you to have a list of some of the better gasoline websites and perhaps help you find the lowest prices.

My favorite gasoline-related Web site Washingtongasprices.com. Obviously its only good if you live in this state, but if you do, you will find the local gas prices for your city quite easily. Local volunteers report their prices and a price can only stay on the site for 48 hours, so you are assured of getting current information. For instance, for my hometown of Ephrata, that page shows prices at four different gas stations.

My next favorite site is actually a single page on GasBuddy.com. The page shows a county-by-county color-coded map of the United States. Here you can see in vivid detail how gasoline prices vary greatly, not only state-by-state, but also county-by-county. In looking at the map today, it looks like my Grant County is the second lowest priced county in Washington State, behind only Spokane. Hooray for us! But we are still way ahead of much of the country in expensive gas.

To get another look at gas prices on a less detailed regional basis, check out the US map on fuelcalculator.com. It’s broken out into regions with their average gas prices. For instance, today the West Coast average price is $2.51, whereas the Midwest average price is $2.00.

If you want to understand the rhyme and reason of the disparity of prices, take a look at the special web page on the howstuffworks.com web site. Here you will find a concise explanation of gasoline pricing, why fuel prices are so high, how the per gallon price is apportioned, and the historical gas price history, adjusted for inflation.

MSN also has a gas price web site where you can enter your zip code and see the local prices. I don’t like it as much as Washingtongasprices.com as it sometimes a few days behind and the two lowest priced station in my city are not even listed.

Gasbuddy.com, mentioned earlier, is also a good web site for checking out gas prices across the nation. Washingtongasprices is an offshoot of gasbuddy.

If you know of any other good gasoline-related Web sites that are interesting, please send them along.

Inside Lucas Film's Data Center

Just a quick blog today as I struggle to meet deadlines and fight off a nasty cold. Last week, George Lucas, the most eminent creator of the Star Wars saga, and guru behind some of the most cutting edge visual effects for movies, received four Oscar nominations for his 2006 work. At the same time, he also allowed a crew from CNET onto the grounds of his new Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco. There, they photographed not only the main facilities, but the incredible data center.

I didn't know this until I read the article that Lucas had moved much of his operation from Skywalker Ranch in Marin County to new facilities in San Francisco at the now former Presidio Army Base near the Golden Gate Bridge. It must have been quite a moving job.

Anyway, here are some links to the main story and the photographs. Enjoy.

Main Story
Data Center Photos
Main Facilities Photos

Some Final Thoughts on Vista

This is the week...the big one for Bill Gates and his boys and girls at Microsoft. The new operating system, Windows Vista, goes public on Tuesday. And the question still begs..."Should you get it?"

Well let me throw out a few more kernels of thought that might help. Just this last week, CNET reviewed four of the six flavors of Vista. Here is the bottom line on all four of their reviews:

"The bottom line: Windows Vista Home Basic is essentially warmed-over Windows XP, Windows XP SP3. If you're currently happy with Windows XP SP2, we see no compelling reason to upgrade. On the other hand, if you need a new computer right now, Windows Vista is stable enough for everyday use."

If memory serves, that was my recommendation a couple of weeks ago when I talked about whether or not to upgrade. And from reading other reviews, if you do decide to go with a new computer, make sure it has a dual processor and probably 2 Gb of memory. Of course, after Tuesday, you will have no choice but to go with Vista on your new computer, but from what CNET and others say, there is nothing wrong with it.

And if I were to buy a new computer, I would make sure that it came with the Home Premium Version, as the Basic Version does not come with Aero, which is arguably the best (and sexiest) part of Vista.

If you want to know what is the difference between the different Vista's, CNET also put a very good chart together that might help you. It is on their website. By the way, this chart only compares four of the versions...the other two are a special server program for larger businesses and a very stripped-down version to be used in developing and third-world countries. The four on the chart will be the ones you choose from.

One of the things I did to prepare for this blog, was to do a Google search on "reasons to upgrade to Vista." Here are a few links to websites that had some good information on the subject.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ttpcworld/20060210/tc_techtues_pcworld/124642

http://www.btxformfactor.com/item/35/1.php

http://apcmag.com/5082/10_reasons_you_should_get_vista

And finally a link to a website that put together a satirical list in the form of David Letterman's Top Ten Reasons...
http://www.bbspot.com/News/2006/03/top-11-reasons-to-upgrade-to-windows-vista.html

McAfee's Site Advisor Revisited

I have written about McAfee's SiteAdvisor in the past here in this blog. If you don't remember what it is, let me remind you. SiteAdvisor is a free software add-on for either Internet Explorer or Firefox. Its job is to advise you whether of not a particular Website is safe before you click on a link on a search page to go to it. When you do a search using Google, Yahoo or MSN, a green, yellow, or red check mark shows up next to each result on your search. This tells you whether or not a website is safe to visit, as rated by McAfee and their reviewers.

Why am I writing about it again? Because I spend a lot of time browsing the web, much of it researching and checking information for this blog. And I have been surprised at the number of Websites that show up as being possibly dangerous. During my searches, I've run across many Websites that appear to be safe and seemingly have the answers I am looking for, only to be marked as hazardous to my computing health. (To be fair, there are far more safe sites listed than dangerous ones.)

This being the case, I must rate this tiny piece of software as a must for any computer that accesses the Internet...and as you are reading this on the Web or via e-mail, that means YOU! As I said, it is free, small in size, and easy to install. Currently, there are two versions available, one for Firefox and one for Internet Explorer.

If you want to read more about it, you can head over to the special Website that McAfee has set up for this program. To download the Firefox version, head over to this page. For Internet Explorer, you need to visit this page.

While you are improving your Web searching and browsing experience, you also might want to look at another free program that works with Google search pages. It is called "GooglePreview." Again, there is a version for both Internet Explorer and Firefox. This little add-on gives you a thumbnail preview of a site next to its listing on the Google search page. It is not a "must" like SiteAdvisor, but it does enhance your searching experience.

To download the Firefox version, go to this page. For IE version, go to this page.

I May Have Been Wrong About IE7

Back in November, I wrote a couple of blogs about the then-new Internet Explorer 7. Somewhere in there, I recommended that even if you use Firefox as your browser, you should probably update to the new IE7. I take back that recommendation.

After reading about problems caused by installing IE7, both on the Internet and from a couple of my own readers, I tell you now that if you update, you do so at your own risk. One of my readers wrote that his printer stopped working after IE7. When he uninstalled the EI7 and went back to IE6, it worked just fine.

There are many reports all over the Net documenting problems caused by the upgrade. Some report that the new browser continually crashed...another reported he can't watch videos on sites like YouTube...and still another said that he can no longer burn DVD's and CD's with Roxio software. There seems to be a wide variety of different issues apparently caused by the upgrade.

To be fair, the majority of computer users apparently had no problems upgrading, including me. As I reported in another blog in November, I upgraded to IE7 on my laptop. Nothing went wrong, other than the fact that I didn't like it very much and was not willing to put in the time to customize it for my browsing habits.

With that in mind, I didn't upgrade on my office desktop computer. After all, as many of you know, I am a hardcore Firefox convert and that is all I use 99.9% of the time. IE6 is just fine if I ever have to use it. And, after reading about other people's problems, I definitely am happy about not upgrading. Last week, I took delivery of my new home computer, equipped with Windows XP Media Center Edition, and IE6. Again, I did not upgrade. Thank God, when downloading the latest batch of Microsoft fixes, Microsoft, to their credit, does ask if you want to upgrade to IE7. "No" is now my answer of choice.

I read an interesting article this week by John Palleto, a writer with eWeek magazine who covers enterprise computing. He was incensed that Microsoft "hid" the IE7 upgrade inside their monthly security updates. He compared it to being suckered into opening an attachment to an e-mail infected with a virus or worm and that Microsoft had violated his trust. After thinking about it, I believe he is right.

Storm Worm Attacks Computers Worldwide

There is a new worm out there spreading itself on computers around the world with a vengeance. It is called the "Storm Worm" and is named after the bad weather and storms that engulfed much of Europe late last week. It arrives as an e-mail with an attachment that purports to bring breaking news about the weather, in an attempt to get people to download an executable file. There are other infected e-mails that purport to carry news of a yet unconfirmed missile test by the Chinese against one of its weather satellites, and reporting that Fidel Castro had died.

Each new wave of e-mails carries different versions of the Trojan horse, according to anti-virus vendor F-Secure. Each version also contained the capability to be updated, in an attempt to stay ahead of anti-virus vendors.

"When they first came out, these files were pretty much undetectable by most anti-virus programs," said Mikko Hypponen, director of anti virus research at F-Secure. "The bad guys are putting a lot of effort into it...they were putting out updates hour after hour."

As most businesses tend to strip executable files out of e-mails they receive, Hypponen said he expected that companies would not be overly affected by the attacks. But hundreds of thousands of home users may be infected.

Once a user downloads the executable file, the code opens a back door in the machine which can be remotely controlled...and at the same time, installs a root-kit that hides the malicious program. The compromised machine becomes a zombie in a network called a botnet. Most botnets are currently controlled through a central server, which, if found, can be taken down to destroy the botnet. However, this particular Trojan horse seeds a botnet that acts in a similar way to a peer-to-peer network, with no centralized control.

Each compromised machine connects to a subset of the entire botnet, around 30 to 35 other compromised machines, which act as hosts. While each of the infected hosts share lists of other infected hosts, no one machine has a full list of the entire botnet, making it difficult to gauge the true extent of the zombie network.

Most security experts expect that more attacks are going to come over the several days, and that the botnet would most likely be hired out for spamming, adware propagation, or be sold to extortionists to launch distributed denial-of-service attacks.

One security expert called this current malicious campaign "very aggressive," and said that the gang responsible was probably a new entrant to the scene, hoping to make its mark. No one seems to know where the attacks are originating from. Be aware!!

"Free" WiFi at Washington Rest Stops

I had to take a quick trip to Seattle on Saturday and, being a coffee drinker, I can never make it all the way without a stop at one of the fine rest stops along Interstate 90. On this trip, I went by two of them, "Indian Johns" near Cle Ellum, and "Ryegrass", just east of Ellensburg.

I noticed that both of them have signs on the highway and at the rest stops themselves advertising they now have Wi-Fi connections so you can wirelessly use your laptop to get on the Net. What a great service, I thought to myself. I didn't get a chance to use it as I didn't bring my laptop on this trip.

After returning home, I did a little research. It turns out that Washington State Department of Transportation has installed wireless connections at 28 of the state's 42 rest stops. Most of them, of course, are west of the Cascades. And, while I assumed that it was free to use, it turns out that this is only partially true.

For free, travelers can log onto the state Department of Transportation's (DOT) Web site, other travel sites and Washington tourism sites at no charge. You can check the mountain pass conditions, ferry times, Amtrak times, Seattle Metro bus schedules and Sounder information...all for free.

But, if you want to check your e-mail or browse other Web sites, it is going to cost you. The prices...$1.99 for 20 minutes and $3.99 for a full day's use. The paying part of the system is being handled by a company called Road Connect. Besides Washington, they offer wireless Internet services at rest areas in Oregon, Texas and Kansas.

Still, in all, I am glad to see this service being initiated in our state. Now, you you can get free coffee, free Internet (well, almost) and free rest room facilities. Not bad, considering Starbucks charges for two of those three services. However, I am a little concerned that some travelers might tie-up the stalls a bit longer than normal as they browse the Net.

More Freebies

I have some free goodies for you today, some of them are pretty darn good. I hope they can be of use.

Netflix
This isn't really a freebie, but more a follow-up from yesterday's blog about Netflix's new movie download. First it is called "Watch Now." Second, the folk from Crave.com have put together a video on how it works. Click here to see it.

TaxCut
As you may remember, a few days ago I wrote about the three do-it-yourself tax programs. Low-and-behold, I found out today that you can get a free copy of TaxCut Basic with no strings attached. ZDNet has put it up on their Website to download for free. If you live in Washington State or in any state that does not have an income tax, this may be all you need. I checked out the software and found it to be very complete, even if you run a small business.

Having used TaxCut since the very first edition (in MS-DOS), and have always liked it very much and am glad to get this free copy. If you download and install it, make sure you check for updates as there is an update for it. The program will tell you how. You should also check for more updates around the end of January as the IRS does not always finalize their forms until that time.

AVG AntiVirus
The folks at Grisoft have come out with a new version of their free anti-virus software, which is considered one of the best freebies in the anti-virus business. You can download it off their Website. While you are there, consider downloading their new, free Spyware detector software.

AOL's Free Virus Software
Another highly respected name in anti-virus protection is Kaspersky Labs. AOL has put together their free anti-virus software using the Kaspersky detection system. You can download it for free from the AOL website without having to be a subscriber or user of the AOL system.

Free Sketching Software
Turn your photos into different kinds of sketches with this free tool called "Photo to Sketch" from Thinker Software. ZDNet has it on their website.

Netflix Adds Instant Movies

Netflix, my DVD rental company of choice, today is adding Internet movie downloads to its repertoire. Customers will be able to download a limited selection of movies and TV shows on demand via their PC's. The cost? Right now it will be for free for a limited number of hours per month.

For instance, I am signed up for their $17.99 service and will get 18 hours of free movie downloads per month. Some users with more expensive plans will get up to 48 hours free. What are the limitations? The service will only work on computers running Windows XP or Vista software. That means the movies can't be watched on cell phones, TVs or video iPods, let alone computers that run on Apple's operating system.

Also only about 1,000 choices will be available initially, even though Netflix has over 70,000 DVD titles in stock. Like most movie download sites, many of those will be so-called B movies, mostly not worth watching. But there will be some classy titles available right away such as "Network," "Amadeus," "Chinatown" and "The Bridge On the River Kwai."

Netflix is being pretty smart about introducing this new service. Initially, only a limited number of customers will be allowed access to the new service. Then, about 250,000 new customers will be added each week until every subscriber has the option to use the service by June. Netflix wants to make sure that its computers can comfortably handle the workload. The company has alloted over $40 million to add this service.

The system works by streaming video directly to the customer's computer rather than downloading it entirely. The show begins almost immediately after the customer places the order and the customer must stay on-line during the show. Netflix's innovative system is also designed to adjust the picture's resolution based on a user's cable bandwidth so that the movie doesn't freeze during play.

Despite its limitations, the online delivery system represents a significant step for Netflix as it tries to avoid obsolescence after the Internet becomes the preferred method for piping movies into homes. Even though the company has been growing and is profitable, its stock has been dropping steadily lately as experts predict the company will eventually become unprofitable as the Internet slowly becomes the movie delivery system of choice. I am not sure I agree with this outlook, but what do I know.

Online movie delivery already is available through services like CinemaNow, MovieFlix, Movielink, Vongo and Amazon.com Inc.'s recently launched Unbox. Apple Inc. also is emerging as major player, with hundreds of movies and TV shows on sale at its iTunes store and a new device that promises to transport media from a computer to a TV screen.

But none of those online services have caught on like Netflix's mail-delivery system, partly because movie and TV studios generally release their best material on DVD's first. The studios have had little incentive to change their ways because DVD's still generate about $16 billion of highly profitable sales.

When I get access to this new service, I will definitely give it a spin and let you know the results. Like all new toys, I look forward to it.

Some Follow-ups

Every once in a while, I like to write a follow-up blog about items I have written in the past and give you some updates. This is one of those days.

Microsoft Office Accounting 2007
This is the free small business accounting software from Microsoft I told you about on 11/8/06. I did download it and played with it for some time...and let me tell you this is a very good piece of software. Rather than some obscure traditional accounting programs that are out there and only a CPA can understand, this program bears a close resemblance to Quickbooks, and works just as well....and is a whole lot cheaper (try free). If you are in business or going to start a business in 2007, give this free software a look. It is very, very good.

System Suite 7
I wrote about this one on 12/24/06, even though I had not received it as yet. Of course, I have received it and used it. It is a good piece of software and I recommend it. If you remember, I bought it mainly for the ability to clean up my Windows XP registry on all our computers. So far, I have run it on three computers and all three are loading Windows much faster these days, cutting down on wait time between turning the computer on and when I can actually use it.

It also has a great feature for reviewing your startup programs to help you get rid of those items you don't need (thereby freeing up more memory). After each startup item, it lists its purpose and tells you whether you really need it or not.

Another program that came with the software was V-Com's Anti-Spam, a good program that cleans up your spam e-mail's before they get to your computer. If you use Thunderbird or Outlook Express, this one would really help you.

There are a couple of things that I have had problems with (it comes with over 60 different programs), but it is still a good piece of software...and you get three licenses with it for three computers.

CounterSpy
I've written about this program on several occasions and still like it very much. The new Version 2 is currently in beta testing. However, I did discover one thing about it that I don't like very much. In using System Suite 7, I became more aware of how much memory each program takes. I discovered that if you have "Active Protection" running with Counterspy, it takes up almost 200 Mbs of memory.

That means if you have 1 GB of system memory, 20% of it is used to run Counterspy...almost 40% if you only have 512 Mb of memory in your computer. That is way too much. I solved the problem by disabling the Active Protection. My computer is still protected as I run Counterspy every night automatically to scan my system for any new problems.

By the way, you don't need any additional software to see your memory usage. With Windows XP, just hold down the Control, Alt, and Delete keys at the same time. That will bring up the Windows Task Manager. Then, just click on the Performance tab and your physical memory usage will be displayed in the lower right corner. If you click on the Processes tab, you can see how much memory each running program is using.

IPhone
I wrote about this new device from Apple last week. It was, by far, the #1 subject of conversation at both CES in Vegas and the MacWorld show in San Francisco. In less than a week, the naysayers and doubters are already out. Here is an interesting article entitled "Thirteen Reasons to Doubt the iPhone." It is good reading, if such things interest you.

FolderShare
This might just be best software I have used this year. I wrote about this one on 12/5/06. If you remember, it allows you to synch your various computers so they always have the same data at all times. It has changed the way I use my computers for the better. For instance, I can update my calendar at home, and when I get to work, my office computer has all the same information. I have tested it and it synchronizes your files almost instantaneously.

I have an external hard drive that I use to back up my main computer automatically every night. When that computer was at home, I could also backup all of Susan's documents. When I opened my studio, the computer and the external backup drive moved downtown. I had no way to backup Susan's stuff. Now, with FolderShare, her data is backed up almost as soon as she does a save, even though the backup drive is at the studio. This is the greatest invention since sliced bread and I can't recommend it enough.

Misc.
Regarding my blog in December about the new Yahoo TV...I am still waiting for it to load.

I am also still waiting to hear from Microsoft to see if they will bribe me with a new laptop.

Getting Ready for Vista

I read an interesting article this morning about the forthcoming release of Windows Vista on January 30. In the report, the question was asked if consumers could still purchase computers equipped with Windows XP on or after January 30. The answer was an emphatic no!

If you go online and are looking at computers on January 29, they will be equipped with XP. On January 30, those same computers you looked at the day before will be equipped with Vista. That was a bit of a shock, but that's the way it goes. My recommendation is that if you want a new computer, wait until after the switch- over to Vista, on or after January 30, then buy a computer equipped with a dual-core processor and at least 1.5 Gb of memory. ( And if you do buy a dual-core processor, get the AMD to save money and get better performance.)

If speed isn't that important to you and you want to save a few dollars, then buy a single-core processor from either AMD or Intel before January 30 equipped with XP. Still, I would recommend at least 1 Gb of memory.

There is one exception to buying a new computer after January 30. Some dealers that sell computers to businesses and corporations will continue to sell computers with XP after that date so that companies can still have all-XP machines to make it easier for their IT departments.

And speaking of businesses...Another report issued today by the NPD Group says that corporate sales of Vista are much higher than expected. Remember, that Vista has been available for about a month to the corporate world. Commercial revenue from Vista in December was 62.5 percent above that racked up by Windows 2000 in March 2000, its first month after launch. But Vista's total is 3.7 percent below what Microsoft got in the commercial channel for Windows XP in November 2001, its first month on the market.

Counting down - 18 days to Vista.

Taxing Software Reviews

Yes, that time of year has rolled around again. It's time to fess up and pay your taxes. Now, most of us don't even start thinking about our 1040's until around February when we have all our W2's, 1099's and other forms in-hand. But, I thought I would give you an early heads-up on which tax preparation software you might wish to choose, if you do your own taxes.

PC Magazine has done an in-depth review of the top three tax programs for 2006, TurboTax, TaxCut, and TaxAct. Unfortunately, they did not put them all in one place, so you will have to click on each link independently to read the reviews. But, if you want to know the full scoop on each one, it is worth the trouble.

If you don't want to read the reviews, here is the bottom line: TurboTax got the Editor's Choice Award, by a country mile. It seems TaxCut has fallen behind in features and is only recommended for those folks who have used it in the past. TaxAct, as was true in the past, is a distant third. Also, TaxAct used to be free, but is not any longer.

There are also several versions of each software, depending on your filing needs. The good news for fellow Washingtonians is that we can usually get the least expensive version as we have no state income tax. To determine correctly which version of a particular software you should buy, I recommend you look at the back of a package of any version of your software of choice where there are usually comparison charts to help you determine which version is best for you.

Also, there are several sites on the Web where you can do your taxes. PC Magazine did a review a year ago, and if that is an option for you, you might want to read it, even if it is a year old.

Lots of New Toys at CES

If you love looking at all of technology's newest stuff, CES is the show for you. Held once a year in January in Las Vegas, this show combines not only the newest consumer appliances, but all the computers, software, hardware and other things that used to comprise the old COMDEX show that was once the king of Las Vegas. I used to go to Comdex almost every year and loved it! But, I noticed that the last two shows I attended were a bit of a letdown because I had already seen most of the new stuff on the then-rapidly evolving Internet.

Now, with all the great way to see things on the Net, I don't feel the need to go to Vegas anymore, a trip I really don't miss at all. It's all there for you to see on the Net...and today I will give you a few links here so you can see some of the neat new things for yourself.

The most intriguing toy so far, and the biggest splash in Vegas this week, is the new iPhone from Apple. Although it won't be released until June, and only with a two year contract from Cingular, the iPhone combines all the features of an iPod (music and video with a new very large screen), a telephone, and a web browser...complete with Apple's OS/X operating system. For all that it does, its amazingly small, but powerful. For more info, read the article from eWeek Magazine.

You can also see much more at CES by going to the special CNET Website that has many of the new products listed as well as the best-in-show awards. I personally like all the videos on the new products on the CNET TV Website, including Steve Jobs' presentation introducing the iPhone. That was a lot of fun to watch.

PS. For reasons yet to be explained, Apples big MacWorld Expo is also being held this week in San Francisco. You can also get the latest news and product information from there on CNET.

More Stupidity From the Halls of Congress

This story is just too good to pass up. When somebody associated with Congress does something really stupid, it just seems funnier than if some other average person did it. While the person in question here is not actually a congressman, he is (or was) the Press Secretary to Republican Congressman Denny Rehberg of Montana. His name is Todd Shriber and here is his incredible story.

It seems Todd, age 28 and a graduate of Texas Christian University, decided that he needed to improve his college grades and went looking for a hacker to break into the University's computers. He visited the web site of attrition.org, a security web site that is on a "crusade to expose industry frauds and inform the public about incorrect information in computer security articles."

Good-ol' Todd decided these were the very folks he needed to help him with his plan. So he started e-mailing two of the experts there about his needs. Needless to say, the fellows he wrote had no interest in performing anything illegal, but decided to goad Todd on to fully reveal is plan. Two members of attrition.org, "Lyger" and "Jericho" (a.k.a. "security curmudgeon") corresponded with Todd and fooled him into believing that they would carry out his wishes, with Jericho warning him at one point: "You are soliciting me to break the law and hack into a computer across state lines. That is a federal offense and multiple felonies."

But, Todd persisted and eventually revealed all. Jerico and Lyger kept goading him on, even including a story about using pigeons and squirrels to help with the hack. Good ol' Todd bought it all, hook, line, and sinker. Finally, the two hackers decided to end the conversations by telling him that they had been detected by TCU's security system and that they were about to be busted. They also told Todd that the university had information about him also, warning him of probable visit by law enforcement agencies.

In the meantime, the two imps from attrition.com published all the e-mails from Todd on their website, not really knowing who he was or where he worked. Around the same time, a very savvy reporter from Network World did a little digging and found out who Todd really was, then published to the story. Needless-to-say, Todd's employment as a congressional aide was terminated the next day.

Todd reaction, as quoted in the Network World article, "I did something that's greatly out of character for me and it's a mistake that I regret." He also went on to say, "A solicitation was made but no action was performed. These are people misrepresenting themselves for a laugh."

No one really knows how bad Todd's grades at TCU were, but he apparently felt the need to change them so people would not think him to be stupid. Now, why would anyone think that?

If you would like to read all the e-mails involved in this case, including those involving pigeons and squirrels, you can see them at the attrition.com web site. Here is also the link to the Network World article.

Video Updates

Next week is the annual huge Consumer Electronics Show (CES), in Las Vegas. Many new technolgies will be announced and on display and we will try and keep you apprised of the more interesting ones. But, there is a lot going on in the world of video that we can tell you about right now, especially in high definition DVD players and high definition TV's.

HI-DEF DVD PLAYERS

As we have documented here in past blogs, there are two competing technologies in this field, Blu-ray and and HD-DVD. These two incompatible systems are vying for not only a place in consumer's living rooms, but in computers and, even bigger, the Hollywood studios. There is no clear winner yet...and in fact, both are losing.

For instance, the Computer Electronics Association had predicted that 750,000 of these units would be shipped in 2006. In fact, only 250,000 were shipped. Consumers are staying away in droves from these players until a clear winner is declared. And for the prices these players currently demand, who can blame us.

Some experts predicted that we would see DVD manufacturers put together units that will play both technologies. That is now starting to happen. NEC has developed a controller chip that will handle both systems. One chip that works with both standards could cut the cost of building a player that accommodates Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. The chip will start shipping in April.

Meanwhile, South Korea's LG Electronics said it would launch a DVD player that supports both. LG was a high-profile supporter of the Blu-ray format, backed by Sony until it said early last year it would join the Toshiba-led HD DVD camp as well.

In another move, Warner Bros., which helped popularize the DVD more than a decade ago, plans to announce next week a single videodisc that can play films and television programs in both technologies. They plan to formally announce the new disc, which it is calling a Total HD disc, at CES.

I actually thought one or the other system would win out, much like the VHS/Betamax wars many years ago. But, it's beginning to look like both will win, if the new forthcoming players can handle both...or DVD manufacturers can put out one disk that plays both. Stay tuned as it is still early days yet in this war.

HI-DEF TELEVISIONS

I just read an interesting article on what to expect in High Definition TV's this year. Rather than translate it, I will let you read it for yourself as it is quite interesting, although a bit techie. In seeing the trends toward lower prices and reading other articles about some of the new fortcoming improvements, I would lean towards waiting a little longer before stepping up to buy one of those lovely high definition sets. Prices just keep dropping and pictures just keep getting better.

BADVISTA.ORG - The Name Says It All

I suspect the launch of this new website, badvista.org, was inevitable. This new site, put together by the Free Software Foundation, says right up front the its mission is "exposing the harms inflicted on computer users by the new Microsoft Windows Vista."

According to FSF program administrator John Sullivan, "Vista is an upsell masquerading as an upgrade. It is an overall regression when you look at the most important aspect of owning and using a computer: your control over what it does. Obviously MS Windows is already proprietary and very restrictive, and well worth rejecting. But the new 'features' in Vista are a Trojan Horse to smuggle in even more restrictions. We'll be focusing attention on detailing how they work, how to resist them, and why people should care.”

Right now, the site consists mainly on negative stories about Vista from a variety of sources. Of course, you must realize that the FSF, as its name implies, is a huge supporter of Linux and other freeware products. But, after reading so much lately about Vista, both pro and con, I think they have a point about Vista being an upsell rather than a real upgrade. There really isn't all that much new about it. The Aero graphical interface is cool and their security has been improved...but that's about it. The rest of the changes are small and perhaps not worth the money.

(Disclosure...I am not writing a negative article here because I didn't get a free computer from Microsoft (see last blog). I still have not heard from Microsoft, probably because of the holidays.)