Digital Deadline Moved Up

The Federal Communications Commission has voted to move up the deadline requiring television manufacturers to ensure all mid-size sets they sell in the United States can receive digital signals. That date is now less than one year away...March 1, 2006.

As part of an effort to speed the transition to digital television, the Consumer Electronics Association had asked the FCC to move the date up from the original July 1, 2006 deadline. This decision affects all sets made with screens 25 inches to 35 inches. The digital signal is a higher quality signal than the current analog signal that has been used since the inception of television in the 1940's.

However, the FCC rejected another request by the association to eliminate a July 1, 2005 deadline (less than a month away) for the manufacturers to ensure half of those sets with the mid-size screens are capable of receiving digital. Manufacturers had argued that the 50 percent deadline did not work because consumers would end up buying the cheaper analog sets, and retailers were less willing to order the more expensive, digital sets.

The FCC also proposed moving up by at least six months the July 1, 2007, deadline for manufacturers to make small television sets, with screens 13 inches to 24 inches, that can capture the digital broadcasts. Congress and the FCC are anxious for Americans to adopt digital television so the old analog airwaves can be reclaimed and sold for billions of dollars to commercial wireless companies, as well as be used by public safety agencies. The Bush administration also wants the revenue from the sale of the analog airwaves to help stem the federal budget deficit.

Shopping at Frys

One of the fun things about coming to the San Francisco Bay Area, or for that matter, the Portland area or the Seattle area around Renton, is the ability to go shopping at Frys Electronic Superstores. They actually started in the Bay Area and have been here for years. It is a recent event that they have expanded to other states.

Frys is like no other computer/electronics store you have ever been in before. Quite frankly, it is huge. Imagine a store the size of a Costco that is devoted strictly to computers, peripherals, and other electronic goodies. It is difficult to image, so I urge you to visit one when you are close by.

I usually go to Frys when I need something, which is most of the time. And before going, I always check their current ads in the newspaper, which usually come out every other day. Sometimes their sale items only last for two days, sometimes a week. Finding one of their ads in the store is next to impossible as they are usually hidden somewhere that is difficult to get to. But they are there. Just ask.

It is worth checking out the ads as many of their ad items are at incredible prices. For instance, when I arrived here, I discovered that I had left my wireless adapter for my laptop back in Washington. I look at the latest Frys ad last Friday and found they had a wireless card on sale for $10. I got one and it works great (if it didn't, I would be unable to be write this blog).

Not too long ago, I purchases a 200 Gb USB-2 external hard drive for $100, after the rebates (which did come in). That was an in-store special rather than an advertised item. I have picked up many items at great prices over the years shopping at Frys, but you need to exercise some caution when shopping there.

Not all their items are well priced. In fact, many of them are marked up at full manufacturer's retail prices and are available much, much cheaper at other places. They use the Wal-Mart practice of offering some things at incredible prices to fool you into thinking that everything in the store is discounted.

For instance, while picking up my new wireless adapter, my friend Paula needed a PCI card with a parallel port. At Frys, they were selling for $39.95. I found them at several places on the Net for $10-12 and at a local computer store for $29.95. As I do a lot of shopping and price comparisons, I am pretty up-to-date on pricing. All I am saying is that you need to be aware of this when shopping at Frys.

But a trip to their superstore is definitely worth the time and effort, especially if you are a computer nerd. They also carry TV, sound systems, books, DVD's, CD's, appliances, candy and sodas, and much more. Stop by there and have some fun.

Still More on Homeland Security

I am trying not to write too much about my criticism of Homeland Security goals and operations, so as not to drive my readers away, but I can't help but pass this one along.

While Homeland Security was keeping us safe from Star Wars file swappers (see blog dated 5/31/05), a report was issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) saying that the Department of Homeland Security has failed to meet a single one of its 13 cybersecurity goals.

According to the report, the DHS has not created national cyber vulnerability assessments or government and industry recovery plans for cyber attacks. Cyber attacks are becoming more and more likely to threaten vital national infrastructure, the report says, and the tools to launch cyber attacks are becoming more and more easy to find.

Still more from the report...the DHS needs to address several challenges, including more organizational stability in its National Cyber Security Division, better awareness of its cybersecurity roles, and better partnerships with private industry. "Much work remains ahead," the GAO report said. "Until it confronts and resolves these underlying challenges and implements its plans, DHS will have difficulty achieving significant results in strengthening the cybersecurity of our critical infrastructure."

The GAO report will come as no surprise to many IT vendors and trade groups, which have called for DHS to focus more on cybersecurity issues. DHS needs to better work with the private sector and provide cybersecurity leadership, said Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), in an interview earlier this month. The ITAA and other groups have called for DHS to appoint an assistant secretary for cybersecurity, instead of the current lower-level director of cybersecurity, as a way to bring more attention to cybersecurity issues.

Another update to my story on 6/1/05 about bugging cell phone calls on airplanes, the FCC has been inundated with letters, e-mail's and phone calls from thousands of people who do not want cell phone usage to be allowed on airplanes. They are not objecting to Homeland Security listening in on their calls. Rather, they do not want to listen to the guy in the next seat talking on his cell phone on a cross-country flight while they are trying to sleep or read. I could not agree more.

Apple Switching to Intel

Talk about turnabout...after years of trying to get people to switch from Intel-based computers to Macs, Apple Computer itself has switched. Apple CEO Steve Jobs has announced that Apple will gradually shift its Mac line to Intel-based chips over the next two years.

Jobs' announcement formed the centerpiece of a keynote speech to Mac programmers attending the company's annual Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco. The conference is a traditional venue for Apple product launches.

Apple will begin moving its systems to Intel processors by June 2006 and will finish the transition by June 2007, according to Jobs. He underscored his point by demonstrating a Power Mac running Apple applications on a 3.6GHz Intel Pentium 4.

The move will be made possible by work that's been ongoing at Apple for some time. Apple's Mac OS X has been leading a secret double life, having been compiled for both for Intel and the PowerPC, Apple's current processor of choice, Jobs said in the keynote. The company will support the PowerPC, which currently uses IBM's PowerPC 970FX chip, for some time to come.

Apple will use dynamic translation software called Rosetta, named after the famous Rosetta stone, to allow applications designed for PowerPC chips to run on Apple's Intel systems.
To underscore the point, Jobs showed Adobe Systems Inc.'s PhotoShop running and opened Microsoft Word and Excel files on an Apple-Intel system. The chief executives from Adobe and Intel joined Jobs on stage to express their rapport.

Apple, which has been maintaining a complete version of OS X for Intel chips, (code-named Marklar) in secret for some time, could not build the machines it wanted with IBM PowerPC chips inside, given their power consumption. Intel won out, he said, on watts. Although he declined to say specifically what new products he had in mind, the implications of Jobs' comments are that IBM's PowerPC roadmap will not meet Apple's needs for notebooks and miniature desktops, both of which are sensitive to power consumption and heat.

Last Windows 2000 Update Due Next Week

If you are using Windows 2000, you need to be aware of this. Microsoft plans to announce as early as next week that it is ready to ship a Windows 2000 Update Rollup, the final security patch for the 5-year-old operating system. The Update Rollup, which replaces Windows 2000 SP5 (Service Pack 5), is a cumulative set of hot fixes, security patches and critical updates packaged together for easy deployment.

The Update Rollup will contain all security-related updates produced for Windows 2000 between the time SP4 was released and the date the update ships. It will also feature a small number of important, non-security updates.

The Update Rollup comes just one month before mainstream support for Windows 2000 client and server releases expires on June 30. Microsoft divides its support lifecycle into two phases: mainstream and extended. Once a product enters the extended support period, Microsoft charges for support.

Windows 2000 remains the most dominant operating system used in the enterprise, but once mainstream support ends later this month, analysts expect corporate migration to Windows XP to speed up.

As we wrote in a recent blog, this basically marks the end of Microsoft support for Windows 2000. Someday in the future, the same thing will happen to Windows XP, a few years after the next version of Windows (code named "Longhorn") is released. Just a friendly warning.

PS. I am writing this blog from Walnut Creek, CA as I am down here for an art show. I should have an Internet connection for most of the time I am in CA, so I can write the occasional blog from time-to-time between shows. My first show begins this morning.

More News from Homeland Security

I guess the Department of Homeland Security read my plea yesterday about focusing on stopping terrorist as they have come up a new project. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are now objecting to a proposal to permit the use of cellular telephones and other wireless devices on airplanes. Unless telecommunications providers follow a lengthy list of eavesdropping requirements for calls made aloft, the FBI and Homeland Security don't want cellular or wireless connections to be permitted.

In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission sent last week, the police agencies said any rule permitting "in-flight personal wireless telephone use must consider public safety and national security" concerns (as a student of history, I have heard this phrase used many times by totalitarian regimes).

"There is a short window of opportunity in which action can be taken to thwart a suicidal terrorist hijacking or remedy other crisis situations onboard an aircraft, and law enforcement needs to maximize its ability to respond to these potentially lethal situations," the agencies say in their letter.

The police agencies, for instance, want to be able to eavesdrop on conversations no "more than 10 minutes" after the call is made. Other requirements the FBI and Homeland Security are requesting that the FCC mandate include: identifying the seat number of the passenger making the call, making sure police can "expeditiously interrupt" a conversation, cut off service to all passengers except government agents on a plane, and so on.

So, if I understand this correctly, Homeland Security wants to listen in on all telephone calls made from commercial airlines. I am not sure this is what Congress wanted when they passed the Homeland Security Act. While I am all for thwarting terrorism aloft, history has taught us that once you enable a government to invade our privacy in the name of security, they will begin to take liberties far beyond the intent of the law.

I must also say at this point that this administration and Congress are really beginning to make me nervous. I think the best thing to do is to continue to ban cell phone use aloft so as to not give the government more excuse to invade our privacy. Oh, and of course, ban the showing of Star Wars on airplanes as it might be a pirated copy.

New Terrorist Threat - Star Wars Pirates?

I feel a little ignorant here, as if I missed something. Wasn't the Patriot Act and the resulting Homeland Security Agency meant to protect all of us from terrorist plots around the world? Didn't we just give up more of our rights for protection against the evil lords of terror that threaten to destroy our lives, our property, and our country in the name of their religion, politics, or other some such silly reason?

Then answer me this...why was it that Home Security Agents went forth in the last few days to shut down a popular Web site that allegedly had been distributing copyrighted music and movies, including versions of "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." It was Homeland Security agents from several divisions that served search warrants on 10 people around the country suspected of being involved with the Elite Torrents web site, and took over the group's main server.

The Homeland Security Agency said it was the first criminal enforcement action aimed at copyright infringers who use the popular BitTorrent file-swapping technology. According to the investigators, "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" was made available through the Elite Torrents site before being shown in theaters and was downloaded more than 10,000 times. Investigators said that the site had 133,000 members and that it distributed more than 17,000 individual movie, software and music titles.

"Our goal is to shut down as much of this illegal operation as quickly as possible to stem the serious financial damage to the victims of this high-tech piracy--the people who labor to produce these copyrighted products," Acting Assistant Attorney General John Richter said in a statement. "Today's crackdown sends a clear and unmistakable message to anyone involved in the online theft of copyrighted works that they cannot hide behind new technology."

"Today's actions are bad news for Internet movie thieves and good news for preserving the magic of the movies," said Motion Picture Association of America Chief Executive Officer Dan Glickman in a statement. "Shutting down illegal file swapping networks like Elite Torrents is an essential part of our fight to stop movie thieves from stealing copyrighted materials."

I am just having a small problem with Homeland Security being used to do Hollywood's dirty work. But, I guess a little pressure from the Hollywood-owned Congress can work wonders. I just wish they would focus their energies on protecting us from the real evil that's out there in this world, waiting to release their havoc.

Maybe I am just mad I didn't get a chance to get the new Star Wars movie before the site was shut down. No, not really. It is a very good film, by the way and I will happily lay down my $20 bucks for it when it comes out on DVD.

Google's Digital Library Plans Under Attack

Back in December, I wrote about Google's ambitious plan scan to scan and digitize the books in the world's largest libraries including nearly all the 8 million books in Stanford's collection and the 7 million at the University of Michigan...as well as the New York Public Library and libraries at Harvard and Oxford.

However, this idea and plan has been denounced by a group of academic publishers who complain that the project may violate copyright laws and hurt book sales. In a letter to Google, Peter Givler, executive director of the Association of American University Presses, called Google Print for Libraries a "broad-sweeping violation of the Copyright Act" and questioned the search leader's right to digitize the entirety of copyrighted works.

It doesn't matters, said Givler, that materials that are not out of copyright will not be full-text viewable (they will be full-text searchable). "The fact is Google Print for Libraries appears to be built on a gigantic fair use claim, which we think is questionable at best," Givler wrote. "If the fair use is not valid, it could be a gigantic copyright violation. ... Google's claim that it is fair use to make copies of every copyrighted work in even one major library, let alone three of them, is completely unprecedented in scale; it is tantamount to saying that Google can make copies of every copyrighted work ever published, period. Courts have never recognized a fair use claim of that magnitude."

The association is hardly the first organization to object to Google Print. Back in March, Sally Morris, chief executive of the Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers, an international association of more than 300 not-for-profit publishers, registered the same complaint.

"The law does not permit wholesale copying (which is what digitization is) by a commercial organization of works that are still in copyright," she told The Harvard Crimson. "It is also illegal to make those works available digitally once they have been copied."

This is such a wonderful plan that I hate to see it attacked and perhaps even shut down. Sometimes life seems to be full of disillusionment. But of course, we live in an age of full blown greed.

VOIP Phones Must Now Include 9-1-1 Service

In one of the biggest challenges yet for the young VoIP telephone industry, the Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously that Net phone operators must be able to steer 911 calls to the geographically appropriate emergency call center. In addition, the calls themselves must be accompanied by the originating address and phone number, the FCC said.

VOIP phone operators will have 120 days to comply after the ruling is published, which is expected in the next few days. The commission is responding to concerns from lawmakers and the public about a growing number of U.S. residents who use VoIP services. VoIP, or voice over Internet Protocol, allows a broadband connection to double as a phone line, and Net phone calling plans are cheaper than regular landline plans.

But because the calls aren't routed through the traditional phone system, carriers must engineer a way to get them onto the 911 infrastructure serving the nation's 6,200 emergency call centers. That task involves many technical, business and political hurdles.

Congress is joining the effort to force Internet telephone companies to link up to the 911 network. A 10-page measure, which has been introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives, also would permit state and local governments to levy taxes on VoIP companies in exchange for providing access to 911 operators. The bill was made public just hours before the meeting at which the FCC passed its 911 regulation.

Focus on the VoIP 911 issue heightened in late 2004, following a string of incidents in which VoIP subscribers couldn't get through to emergency services, some with allegedly deadly consequences. According to Florida resident Cheryl Waller, her 3-month-old child died as a result of the delays.

Attorneys general in Texas and Connecticut are suing Vonage, alleging the company misleads customers about its 911 services. This is the direct result of a Houston teenager who failed to reach 911 on her Vonage line to get help for her parents who were shot during a home burglary. Vonage did advertise a limited 9-1-1 service, but typical VoIP 911 calls are answered by someone in the emergency call center's administrative offices and aren't accompanied by a call-back number or the caller's location. And, callers after business hours hear a recorded message that the offices are closed and that they should call 911 if there's an emergency.

VoIP operators blame 911 problems on their inability to access the telephone infrastructure owned by Verizon Communications, Qwest Communications, SBC Communications, and BellSouth that serve the nation's 6,200 emergency call centers. In turn, those Bell companies say VoIP operators have always had access, just not under the terms they want.

As I mentioned here before, the VOIP phone service I use, Packet8, does already have and E911 service now mandated by the FCC. Although they don't get the press that Vonage does, Packet8 is an excellent phone service that is actually cheaper than Vonage, and has local Grant County numbers.

A Big "Whoops" for the New Netscape

On Thursday, AOL, owners of the web browser Netscape, released the new version, 8.0. It was touted as the security-conscious browser for all of us as it took aim to protect users from spyware and phishing scams.

In less than 24 hours, they had to release an update to fix several serious security flaws. Whoops!! Apparently there were 44 security issues that had to be hurriedly patched, which to their credit, the Netscape folks did in a hurry and had version 8.0.1 on the market the next day.

The new Netscape is based on version 1.0.3 of Firefox, and the Netscape folks thought the new browser was immune to security vulnerabilities in the Firefox software that were fixed last week in Firefox 1.0.4. Well, it turns out that Netscape 8 was vulnerable after all.

"We had been misinformed by an external security vendor that the Firefox security issues did not affect us," Netscape spokesman Andrew Weinstein said Friday. "Within hours of discovering that the vendor was not accurate, we had addressed those issues and posted an updated version of the browser."

Netscape, is still facing heat over the security goof-up from Mozilla developers. Ben Goodger, lead engineer for Firefox, on Thursday posted an exploit on his blog to demonstrate that Netscape 8 was vulnerable. At the same time, he pitched Firefox as a more secure Web browser.

"If security is important to you, this demonstration should show that browsers that are redistributions of the official Mozilla releases are never going to give you security updates as quickly as Mozilla will itself for its supported products," Goodger wrote.

Sounds to me like the Netscape people were set up to look bad.

Still, Netscape does have some nice new features. It protects users against online scams such as phishing and spyware by automatically adjusting security settings while people surf, based on lists of sites that are known to be malicious and of trusted sites.

If you would like to read a PC Magazine review of the new Netscape, as compared with the newest version of Opera and Firefox, go to:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1815833,00.asp

WalMart Out - Netflix In

Netflix will take over Wal-Mart's DVD rental business. Under the deal, announced today, Netflix and retailing giant Wal-Mart will co-promote DVD sales and rentals. Wal-Mart will shut down its online rental service to concentrate on DVD sales.

The deal calls for Netflix to promote Wal-Mart DVD sales to its 3 million subscribers, and Wal-Mart will offer its online customers the opportunity to sign up with Netflix at the current subscription price for a year. Wal-Mart is the world's largest DVD retailer, and Netflix is the world's largest online DVD rental service.

Netflix will also take over Wal-Mart's online service, allowing its customers to pay the $12.97 per month guaranteed by Wal-Mart for 12 months.

The partnership radically changes the competitive landscape for the online DVD rental industry pioneered by Netflix, which more recently has been against larger rivals such as Wal-Mart and Blockbuster. The new partnership also could discourage Amazon from bringing its U.K.-based online rental service to the United States.

New Windows OneCare Program

Microsoft will soon be releasing the beta of a new service called Windows OneCare, which is designed to keep busy computer users' machines automatically updated and protected from viruses, spyware and other threats and running at top performance.

It's an interesting idea, and it will certainly be of benefit to consumers who don't have time to spend on PC maintenance and administrative tasks. You can read more about it here:

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2005/may05/05-13WindowsOneCarePR.asp

The service will eventually be subscription-based and will will draw in part on existing tools like the company's anti-spyware software, as well as on basic PC management functions inside Windows. But it will add a more powerful firewall, ongoing antivirus protection, and the right to get a live support person on the phone without paying extra.

The OneCare service marks the first time that Microsoft has offered antivirus software directly to consumers, even though it has spent several years buying companies that offer the technology. Executives said they did not plan on offering the virus-fighting technology outside the OneCare bundle of services.

The service will be launched in beta form to Microsoft employees in a week, and will be released to consumers in late summer or fall. The company did not provide any details on projected pricing.

Is 1/3 of All Software Pirated?

According to the latest study released the software trade group, the Business Software Alliance, more than a third of the software installed on PCs worldwide during 2004 is pirated, with losses from unauthorized software increasing by $4 billion from 2003. The actual number is 35%, which is down 1% from the previous year. The study was put together for the BSA by the research firm IDC.

Estimated losses from software piracy climbed, however, from $29 billion to $33 billion, as both the legal and unauthorized software markets grew from 2003 to 2004. IDC estimated that $90 billion worth of software was installed in 2004, compared to $80 billion in 2003, with sales of legal software growing 6 percent.

Lest you think this is all attributable to US users, the countries using the most pirated software, according to IDC, are Vietnam, Ukraine, China, and Zimbabwe. Ninety percent or more of the software used in those countries was pirated during 2004, according to the BSA report. In more than half the 87 countries studied, software piracy exceeded 60 percent.

IDC estimated that 21 percent of software in the U.S. was pirated, compared to 23 percent in New Zealand, and 27 percent in the United Kingdom. Austria and Sweden were also among the countries with the lowest software piracy rates.

Frankly, I believe these numbers are a little high and that the results of the study are to be used for political purposes; ie: the White House and Congress putting heat on countries like China and the Ukraine. I also think the US numbers are a little inflated, although I know software piracy does occur on a regular basis. I have nothing to base my thoughts on except my knowledge of good, old fashioned hard ball politics.

Firefox News and Updates

If you use, or are thinking about using Firefox as your web browser of choice, you might be interested to know that the Mozilla Foundation has released a new version of Firefox that fixes three security flaws that have recently been uncovered. The new version, V.1.0.4 is available on the Firefox/Mozilla web site.

As with all the other recent security fixes, the new versions are not patches but complete new versions that must be completely downloaded and installed through normal program installation means. Firefox 1.0.4 for Windows is a 4.7MB download.

Security updates are getting to be a common occurrence with Firefox and Mozilla. This update is the fourth addressing 32 security holes in 2005. But what separates Mozilla from Microsoft is the fact that they fix their problems within days of being uncovered, rather than months.

Recently, an Internet security company released information that there were only 7 days out of 366 in 2004 during which Internet Explorer had no unpatched security holes. This means IE had no official patch available against well-publicized vulnerabilities for 98% of the year. On the other hand, Firefox users went only 26 days in 2004 with a known security hole.

For this and other reasons, IBM is encouraging its employees to use Firefox instead of IE. Firefox is already used by about 10 percent of IBM's staff, or about 30,000 people. Now, IBM workers can download the browser from internal servers and get support from the company's help desk staff.

For IBM, the move is a significant step in lessening dependence on a product from rival Microsoft. By supporting Firefox internally, IBM is also furthering its commitment to open-source products based on industry standards.

Meanwhile, Mozilla is self-promoting Firefox with three new video ads. The short videos show people getting so entranced by Firefox that they do things like scream loud enough to crack office walls and become disoriented enough to take a bite out of a cell phone, as if it were a candy bar.

The videos had registered 300,000 hits by the end of the weekend, and were nearing 500,000 hits by Monday. The videos can be viewed at Funnyfox.org, a site set up by Mozilla Europe. They are cute.

Buying Wine on the Internet

Wine drinkers rejoice! The U.S. Supreme Court this morning ruled that state governments cannot prohibit people from purchasing wine from out-of-state wineries, determining that states' claims of possible lost taxes or shipments to minors don't justify such prohibitions.

The justices, voting 5-4, said the traditional state authority over alcohol sales must yield to the constitutional requirements that states not engage in protectionism. "States have broad power to regulate liquor," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority. "This power, however, does not allow states to ban, or severely limit, the direct shipment of out-of-state wine while simultaneously authorizing direct shipment by in-state producers. If a state chooses to allow direct shipments of wine, it must do so on evenhanded terms."

The ruling is a great victory for smaller vintners and Internet commerce and a blow to the liquor distributors who'd been enjoying enjoy fat markups. About half of the states now have protectionists laws prohibiting interstate sales.

There is a loophole, however. Because the court was only concerned about discriminatory state laws favoring in-state wineries, a state could require that all alcohol sales take place face-to-face, and levy the same strict rule on its own wineries as well.

We shall see...

Hidden Menu - An Excellent Utility

Let's talk about your computer's desktop. Is it covered with shortcut icons to launch programs...and/or do you have launch icons in your system tray? I know that is probably true for most of you. I know I used to do the same thing. I had icons on my desktop that I hadn't used in a long time.

I tried moving my most important icons into the Quick Launch tray on the task bar, but found that it got too crowded. So I decided to look for a utility that would allow me to store my program icons unobtrusively, but would be there immediately when I needed it.

I found a wonderful free program called, "Hidden Menu" that does exactly what I wanted. It stores all of my most used programs in a menu that is hidden from view. To see the menu, I just move my mouse pointer to the upper left hand corner of the screen and Hidden Menu opens right up, allowing me to launch the program I want.

Hidden Menu has a variety of user options including what locations you want to have it open when you move your mouse there. I chose the upper left hand corner as there are useful icons already in the other three corners. But you could have the upper left and lower right if you wanted.

Getting the icons into Hidden Menu is also easy...you just drag and drop them from your desktop. After dropping them into Hidden Menu, I just delete the original icon from the desktop. I then go into Hidden Menu and edit what I need, such as the title I want to be seen when the menu opens or move the icons around so that similar programs are grouped together. That's all you need to do.

To prepare for Hidden Menu, I just analyzed what programs I use the most and want to be easily available for a fast launch. If they are not on the desktop to drag and drop, I use the [Start] [Programs] buttons to find the program, then right click on it and select [Send To] [Desktop], which then puts a shortcut icon for the program on to the desktop. Again, after dragging it to Hidden Menu, I delete it from the desktop.

I still use the Quick Launch on my task bar for programs I use several times a day, such as e-mail and Internet browsers. I also have Excel and Word there because I use them several times a day.

Check out Hidden Menu and see if it is for you. To get your free copy, go to:

http://home.i-cable.com/lokinwai/

First Review of Dual Core Chips

Both AMD and Intel are up against the wall when it comes to making their chips any faster. To make higher speed processors using today's chip technology would bring bring them to the point of meltdown because of the amount of heat being generated.

But, both companies have come up with an ingenious solution for making computers faster and more efficient. To put it simply, their new CPU's will have two processors built on one chip. Hence the name, "Dual Core" CPU's. These new computers can do more because it is almost like having two computers controlling your work flow.

Both AMD and Intel introduced their new chips within two weeks of each other. Right now, these chips are very expensive (as you would expect) and are used mostly in network servers, although one of the Intel processors is available in a high end gaming computer.

Soon, these new processors will find their way to our desktops. Inevitably, people will want to know whether AMD or Intel is building the better chip, at least in terms of speed and efficiency. Our friends at CNet have already gathered all these chips together in one place to run the first series of tests.

For those of you who don't want to read the review, the clear winner was AMD. If you would like to read the review, go to:

http://www.cnet.com/4520-6022_1-6217968-1.html?

The Search Engine Wars Continue

The boys and girls at Yahoo and Google are working overtime to not only improve their respective products, but looking for new ways to search for previously unsearchable items.

To start, Yahoo is developing a search engine for finding music data and downloadable songs from across the Internet. The search giant plans to introduce the music search engine within the next couple of months, according to a well-placed source. The specialty engine will let people search on an artist's name and retrieve all the available songs from other music services, as well as album reviews and band information from Yahoo Music. Yahoo considers audio and video to be cornerstones of its future. In addition to buying song outlet MusicMatch for $160 million, Yahoo is working on another music service in conjunction with rival MusicNet.

But wait, were not done. Both Yahoo and Google turned to video search this week, with each company touting more searchable content and superstar partnerships. Yahoo released a finalized version of its video search engine, after five months of testing. The company will also announce alliances with CBS News, MTV, Reuters and others to include their video clips within its searchable database.

Meanwhile, Google announced a string of new liaisons with television programmers, including the Discovery Channel and CNN, so that people can find still images and text of their shows in Google's index. The company, however, is continuing public tests of Google Video, which launched in January.

Google is also seeking to patent a technology meant to help its Google News section sort stories based on their overall quality, which would augment the current methods of ranking results by date and relevance to search terms. In separate filings with the U.S. and world patent offices, Google detailed the new ranking formula. The technology would let Google prerank content from specific news outlets to ensure that those stories appear above other search results.

And the winner of this consumate search engine rivalry...all of us.

Spyware Roundup - Keeping Informed

Have you ever wondered why there is so much spyware out there and why companies keep trying to infect your computer with it? The answer is simple...there's lots of money involved. In fact, the spyware industry is worth billions of dollars.

I've written many articles in the past about spyware, mostly about how to get rid of it off your computer. I would be willing to bet that everyone who is reading this article is infected with some sort of spyware. When I started using Counterspy, I discovered that I was picking up spyware on a daily basis, usually in the form of cookies. Many of them keep showing up daily, depending on where I surf the net.

All this made me wonder why people or companies want to know so much about me and my computer habits. So I did a little research. But rather than rehash it all, I am going to give you a few links to the most informative articles I found. What you read may surprise you, but at least you will know why spyware is so rampant.

Research: Spyware industry worth billions
Spying on Spyware Makers
The remedy for spyware…not anytime soon
New spyware bill needs a rewrite

Because there is so much money involved, don't expect our government to come to our help anytime soon. There may be a new law enacted sometime soon, but it will probably be a toothless fraud. Politicians are anxious to tell you that they have done something about this problem, but it will be as useless a law as the anti-spam laws they have enacted in the recent past. Am I cynical, or what?

On a personal note, I will be back on the road later today for another art show (where there is no wireless connection), so there will be no blogs for a few days.

New Sober Worm Spreading at Light Speed

The newest variation of the Sober worm has spread rapidly across the Internet in the past 24 hours and now makes up two-thirds of virus traffic on the Internet, according to security experts.

Sober.P, first detected on this last Monday, now accounts for 77 percent of all viruses detected by Sophos's threat-monitoring stations worldwide. Kaspersky Lab, a Russian maker of antivirus software designed to combat such threats, described the worm's spread in Western Europe as an "epidemic."

Variants of Sober have been circulated since 2003 and have continued to hit corporate and home systems. The mass-mailing worm has continued to spread because people still open attachments in infected e-mail's, despite warnings.

The latest Sober offshoot uses an e-mail written in both English and German. One of its lures is a message saying the recipient has won free tickets to the 2006 World Cup soccer tournament. Once victims open the infected attachment, the virus harvests their e-mail addresses. The virus copies itself onto the user's computer and then sends a similar e-mail to the harvested addresses.

Free tickets to the World Cup won't thrill too many people in the US, so the spread of this Sober is not very big in this country. But, in Western Europe, its a different story. Soccer is almost a religion over there, hence the epidemic proportions of the infections can be traced to that area.

States Want Those Sales Tax Dollars

It's a big sticking point with many states that so many purchases made over the Internet don't include sales tax. For instance, if you live in Washington State (as does your's truly) and you buy something from a company that has no presence in this state, you pay no sales tax. If they have a presence here, under the same corporate name (like Amazon) sales tax is collected.

If you live in Washington State and you buy one of my paintings, I must (and do) charge sales tax. But if you live in New York State or any of the other 48 states, I will not charge you any sales tax. I do report the sale when I fill out my Washington State business tax forms, but I get to deduct it as an exception since it was an out-of-state sale.

All this, of course, is a real sore point with Washington and all the other states that charge sales tax. They want those tax dollars! But there is a way they can collect them, especially if they come after you.

You see, every state that has a sales tax, also has a Use Tax. What's that, you ask? Its basically a law that says if you buy something from out-of-state and are not charged sales tax, you are required to pay your state the same amount of tax that you would have paid in-state in the form of a use tax.

Example...you live in California and go to Oregon, a state with no sales tax. You buy $100 worth of goods. California's use tax is 7.25%, therefore you would be required to pay the state of California $7.25. In Washington State, you are required to pay the same amount of use tax that you would have paid had you bought the item in your home town, since every area here has its own tax rate.

Of course, very few consumers report their out-of-state or non-taxed Internet sales. But states are looking to beef up their enforcement of use tax collection. Here is how California is doing it:

Last year, California added a line on its state income tax form that requires residents to estimate how much use tax they owe. So, if you report nothing and did actually do some tax-free Internet buying, you are lying to the state (remember, you sign your tax form under penalty of perjury) and, if you get audited, you could wind up paying a pretty hefty penalty.

This year, the state tried a use-tax amnesty program that brought in about $2.3 million. That leaves the estimated $1.34 billion that went uncollected, according to California. Other states report similar shortfalls.

From the perspective of state tax collectors, the simplest solution would be to require out-of-state shippers to collect taxes. But shippers generally can't be compelled to do that, thanks to a Supreme Court decision that said only businesses with offices or other tangible connections in the destination state can be required to collect sales taxes.

Still, state officials are lobbying Congress to change these rules. They're proposing a so-called "streamlined sales tax." The idea is to create a uniform set of rules effectively permitting tax agencies to require out-of-state sellers to collect use taxes.

Look for state governments to keep hammering to get these sales and use taxes any way they can. Remember the old adage from Howard Jarvis..."if you've got a dollar in your jeans, there is always some government agency trying to take it."

Time Warner Employee Data May Have Been Stolen

I sure hope you are not now, nor have ever been an employee of Time Warner. Why? Because personal information for 600,000 current and former Time Warner employees has been lost, potentially setting the stage for one of the largest cases yet of identity theft.

Time Warner said the mishap occurred on March 22, when data storage company Iron Mountain was transporting its backup tapes to a storage facility away from its offices. The company lost the tapes while in transit. The tapes were discovered missing on the same day they were picked up, and when they could not rule out foul play, they contacted the U.S. Secret Service to investigate.

Time Warner waited for more than a month before notifying current and past employees that their personal information may have been compromised. The reason for the delay was that they didn't want to comprimise the investigation by going public. The media giant has set up an 800 number to answer past and current employees' questions and provide free credit monitoring for a year. A few days ago, the company began the process of encrypting its data.

The Time Warner case is just the latest in a string of data theft cases to rock corporate America, from Bank of America to educational institutions such as the University of California at Berkeley.

Be Careful How You Type

Security researchers have discovered an attack aimed at would-be visitors to Google.com, one that attempts to download malicious programs onto the computers of people who simply mistype the search giant's Web address.

According to security specialist F-Secure, unsuspecting Web surfers may be bombarded with various types of Trojan horse threats, spyware and backdoors when they go to "Googkle.com." The scheme is meant to take advantage of sloppy or hurried typists, given that on most keyboards the letter "k" key sits next to the "l" needed to type "Google."

In its advisory, F-Secure strongly advises people not to go to Googkle.com. People who do so will see two pop-ups linked to Web sites that install the Trojan programs. One of the programs is a phishing-style Trojan that attempts to garner individuals' online banking information, while another drops phony antivirus alerts on the victim's desktop that attempt to lure people to other infected Web sites.

While relatively low-tech in terms of its social engineering, the URL mistype attack is an approach that has long been incorporated by many different kinds of Internet opportunists, from legitimate companies trying to steal traffic from their rivals or simply piggyback on the success of larger companies, to criminals looking to misrepresent themselves and trick consumers into handing over personal data.

In one of the most famous instances of URL deception, the site hosted at Whitehouse.com for several years was an advertisement for pornography, not a link to the office of the president, whose official site is Whitehouse.gov.

On another subject, tomorrow officially begins my six month art show tour season. Today is my travel day so I will be leaving in a few hours. I plan to continue both my blogs this year while traveling. The problem is, of course, getting an Internet connection. While I can write my blogs on my laptop, transmitting them while on the road can sometimes be tricky.

I usually try to stay at hotels that have wireless Internet connections, but am not always successful. For the next five weekends, I will be staying in my travel trailer in Leavenworth where I have no connectivity. So, while I will still be writing, you may not see them posted to the net or your e-mail box until I get back home. Thanks for your understanding.

A Preview of Longhorn and Windows 64

In case you haven't heard the name before, "Longhorn" doesn't refer to a Texas steer, at least for this blog, but rather the next Windows operating system due out late next year. Longhorn will be the successor to Windows XP.

At the recent annual Microsoft WinHEC (Windows Hardware Engineering Conference), attendees were given a copy of the latest test version of the product. If you would like to read more about it what it looks like and what it will do, PC Magazine has put together a preview. To read it, go to:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1789345,00.asp

Meanwhile, Microsoft has just released a 64 bit version of Windows XP ( the current version that many of us have on our computers is 32 bit). But don't get too excited as there are very few (if any) programs in existence that can take advantage of it.

But, it is a momentous occasion, because the transition to 64 bits may be just as important as the move to Longhorn. The Windows XP 64 bit will run most current programs written for the 32 bit system, but you would see little improvement in performance. And, in order to run it, you would need a 64 bit processor from either Intel or AMD, which probably would mean a new computer.

To take advantage of 64 bits, the programs must be written for it. The biggest advantage for 64 bits is for programs that are processor intensive. Those would include games, CAD, and 3D video rendering, to name a few.

If you would like to read an in-depth review of the new Windows 64 bit operating system, PC magazine has written an excellent report. To read it, go to:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1788843,00.asp

New Images from Hubble

Just a quick note to let you know that there are some new and stunning images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. Most show pictures of galaxies that are far, far away and of new-born stars.

Believe it or not, yesterday was the 15th anniversary of the day Hubble was placed in orbit. In that time, it has taken over 700,000 photographs, many of which just knock my socks off!

Anyway, to see a few of the newer images, go to:

http://news.com.com/Images:+Far-flung+galaxies+and+newborn+stars/2009-7337_3-5683122.html?

Windows 2000 Support About to End

If you use Windows 2000, better mark your calendars. On June 30, Microsoft will stop its mainstream support for this operating system.

Microsoft divides its support lifecycle into two phases: Mainstream and extended. Once a product enters the extended support period, Microsoft charges for support. Microsoft continues to provide security-specific hot fixes for products during extended support, but nonsecurity hot fixes may be obtained for extended-support products only by purchasing an "extended hot-fix agreement."

Windows 2000 is still the operating system of choice for a large number of businesses, especially those in the small and midsize business space, according to industry watchers. This cut-off date applies to both Windows 2000 client and server packages.

Late last year, Microsoft said it planned to provide a primarily security-focused "update rollup" for Windows 2000 in lieu of issuing a Service Pack 5 for the product. Microsoft officials said the rollup is on track for delivery in mid-2005, but declined to provide further information on the beta stage that the rollup is in. The rollup will require Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 as a prerequisite. It is still not known if that rollup release will be released before June 30.

Microsoft, for its part, is continuing to encourage Windows 2000 users to upgrade, by steering them towards Windows XP on the client and Windows Server 2003 on the server. The company is pushing its File Server Migration Toolkit and Application Compatibility Toolkit, as well as tools and services from third-party partners, as keys to helping customers transition to more current versions of Windows.

Learning More About DVR's.

Several people, whose opinions I respect, have moved to watching television programs using Digital Video Recorders (DVR). Sometimes this kind of system is incorrectly referred to as a TiVo System. I say sometimes because there is a TiVo System, made by Sony, which is a Digital Video Recorder. So while all Sony TiVo's are DVR's, not all DVR's are TiVo's.

Oh, just skip it! You get the idea. A DVR, no matter what's its name, allows you to "timeshift," or watch television programs when you want. It is in a sense, a special kind of computer, complete with a hard drive that can record up to 100 hours of programming. You just tell it to record the programs you want, which sounds like a VCR, but it is much easier.

For instance, you can tell it to record all of the West Wing shows and it will turn itself on and off whenever West Wing shows up on either NBC or the Bravo channel. Some of the new DVR's will actually record two shows at once, in case there is a conflict.

But, a good DVR does more than that. On playback you can skip right over the commercials. Or in watching a live program, you can actually pause it if the phone rings, then restart it exactly where you left off, even though the program is live.

Sony was the first out with this new concept in watching television, the Sony TiVo. It was an immediate success. Now, the TiVo is being pushed by several other brands of DVR's, some of them being given away free by cable and satellite TV companies.

For instance, you can order one free from Dish TV if you subscribe to their $31.95 programming package. (There is an installation charge, but it is credited back to you on the first invoice). As I said, several people I know have changed over to DVR's as their preferred way of watching TV. They can watch only the shows they want, when they want, thereby adding a little more efficiency to their lives.

Recently, one of the cent reviewers took an in-depth look at these new DVR's and compare them with the Sony TiVo. It is worth reading if you are thinking about getting one, as I am. I really like the concept a lot, especially as I am about to go out on the road for six months.

To read this informative review, go to:

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6449_7-6209060-1.html?

The Best Congress Money Can Buy

Very soon, copying a movie and making it available on the Internet for downloading could put you in jail for three years or cost you up to $250,000 in fines. Those same penalties may also apply to anyone having even one song available to share. What?

That's right. Our congress has approved a law that says a file swapper who distributes a single copy of a prerelease movie on the Internet would face a possible prison sentence of up to three years. But, the bill is written so broadly that, if signed into law, it could make a felon of anyone who has even one copy of a film, software program or music file in a shared folder. Fines of up to $250,000 could also be levied. Penalties could apply regardless of whether any downloading took place.

The bill could also be used to target casual peer-to-peer users, although the Justice Department to date has typically reserved criminal charges for the most egregious cases.

Using a floor procedure reserved for noncontroversial legislation, the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the measure, called the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act. Because the bill already has cleared the Senate, it now goes to President Bush for his expected signature.

Enactment of these criminal penalties has been a top priority this year for the entertainment industry, which has grown increasingly concerned about the proliferation of copyrighted works on peer-to-peer networks, especially those movies and music that show up there before their commercial release.

"This bill plugs a hole in existing law by allowing for easier and more expeditious enforcement of prerelease piracy by both the government and property owners," said Mitch Bainwol, chairman of the Recording Industry Association of America. "We applaud Congress for taking this step."

Peer-to-peer network operators criticized Congress' vote on Tuesday.

"It appears the entertainment industry has once again gotten Congress to use taxpayer dollars to clean up their internal problems," said Michael Weiss, chief executive of StreamCast Networks. Weiss, whose company distributes the Morpheus client, says that many movies and music files that find their way to the Internet early are provided by insiders in the entertainment industry.

Do I have a gripe with this bill? No, not really, although I think the penalties described are way too strong. I do not promote or use file swapping over the Internet. But, I do think our jails are already overcrowded and the spaces there should be reserved for more more serious criminals. I can imagine this conversation taking place in the future in one of our prisons between two cell mates:

"Why are you in this place?"

"I killed my wife, but the DA cut a deal to make it manslaughter instead of murder, so I will probably be out of here in two years. What about you?"

"I got caught with a copy of the latest 'Star Wars' movie on my hard drive. I still be here when you are paroled."

A little far fetched, to be sure. No, my gripe is not with making copyright violations punishable by law...they already are. Its the fact that an organized commercial group like the entertainment industry can buy just about any legislation they want, simply by making large campaign contributions to congressmen and political parties. And they can put their agendas ahead of more important issues whenever they want.

Writer and humorist P.J. O'Rourke put it best in his book about Washington DC politics, "Parliament of Whores:"

"Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys."

Having spent sometime on the inside of power and money politics at the state and federal levels, I know that to be true.

A Handy Tip for Windows XP Users

Here is something I came across and thought you might find interesting. It comes from my friends at WinXPnews.

This little technique is designed to give you a list of all the Microsoft programs that are installed on your computer. But, it also gives you a list of programs that start up automatically when you power up...and a list of your last computer crashes and what caused the problem.

1. Click <Start> then <Help and Support>
2. In the left column of the Help and Support window, under Pick a Help Topic, click Windows Basics.
3. In the left pane, click to expand Core Windows Tasks, then Click Searching for information
4. In the right pane, under Pick a Task, click Get information about your computer
5. In the right pane, under What do you want to do?, click View a list of Microsoft software installed on this computer

If all this info is helpful to you, you can copy and paste it into another document.

Actually, you might want to spend some time exploring the entire Help and Support area. It is very useful and filled with good information.

Happy computing!!

Update on the "Other" Web Browsers

Recently, when I wrote blogs about Internet browsers, I talked mostly about the two main browsers that have captured most of the public's interest: Microsoft's Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Foundation's Firefox.

But, there are two other browsers out there that are quite good and should receive some digital ink every now and then...Opera and Maxthon. With the release of the new version of Opera, I have decided today is that day.

Touting fast performance and new security features, Opera Software this week launched Version 8 of its Web browser for Windows and Linux. The browser is available for free download from the Opera Web site in four languages: English, German, Dutch and Polish. Additional languages will follow. Opera also released a beta edition of Version 8 for the Macintosh computer.

Key new security features in Opera 8 include a security information field that displays the trustworthiness of banking and shopping Web sites.

This field, which is automatically started when the user visits a secure site, measures security levels in a range from one to three. It also displays the site's certificate owner of record, so users can judge whether they feel secure enough to execute purchases and credit card transactions on the site. The feature aims to lower the possibilities that users will sign into a "spoofed" site that dupes them into executing fraudulent transactions that result in the theft of cash or their identity.

Opera officials claim that the browser's tight coding and speedy rendering engine make it the fastest browser in the market for loading pages and displaying text. The browser also offers fast navigation features such as providing keyboard shortcuts and giving users the option of opening all of their favorite pages at once.

The browser includes a tabbed interface to give users rapid access to navigation features. It is also highly self-contained, with no need to download extensions to gain access to special features or enhancements, according to Opera officials.

The browser also has a new voice feature that lets users surf the Web using voice commands and have the computer read documents aloud for them. The voice feature is currently offered in English only and runs on Windows 2000 and XP.

Click here to read more about the new Opera.

Meanwhile, Maxthon continues to update their browser. So far in 2005, they have updated the browser six times, which tells you they are sincere in their continued support for their product. Some are security updates while others are fixes to previous versions including speed updates. You can see the update features on their website.

One great addition is they have made their sidebar extremely functional, adding RSS feeds that allows you to add your own favorite blogs and create your own catagories. I am really enjoying this feature. As blogs are becoming a huge factor on the Internet, this is an extremely valuable addition. This is not available in Firefox yet.

But their sidebar also offers other functions such as favorite, weather for your selected cities, browsing history, and a resourse menu with several valuable functions like maps, world time zones, on-line stocks, and many more to numerous to name here. It has been fun exploring all the features that Maxthon has.

Unlike Opera and Firefox, Maxthon uses the Internet Explorer engine, which makes it subject to some of the security flaws that keep popping up in IE. But since both Microsoft and Maxthon keep addressing security issues, I have not found this to be a problem.

What is my favorite browser? I just can't answer that because I haven't figured it out yet. I like all three alternate browsers for different reasons. In fact I like all three better than I like Internet Explorer. Each has features that I love. Right now, I lean slightly more towards Maxthon because of the new features they have added, like easy access to RSS feeds.

But, the problem is that no matter which of the three alternate browsers you chose, you still need to have Internet Explorer as there are a few web sites that don't work well with anything but IE. For instance, I must write this blog in IE because I have had problems with the spell checker in the other browsers. My stock trading company also has difficulty with alternate browsers, especially when I try to run real time stock trackers.

But, since IE comes built-in to Windows, I don't find all this too much of a problem. Do you have a favorite browser? If you do, please drop me a line and let me know.

Virus Warning: The Sober Worm is Back

Just when you thought we had seen the last of the Sober Worm, it has made a comeback of epic proportions. Some evil virus writers have resurrected the Sober worm with a new variant that is spreading quickly over the Internet.

Security experts said yesterday that the worm, dubbed Sober.M, reports e-mail addresses of victims back to its anonymous author, a technique known as harvesting. Spammers typically buy these fresh addresses to add to their lists of e-mail recipients. Here is what the e-mail looks like:

Subject Line: I've got your e-mail on my account.

Message text:
Hello,First, Very Sorry for my bad English.Someone is sending your private e-mails on my address.It's probably an e-mail provider error!At time, I've got over 10 mails on my account, but the recipient are you. I have copied all the mail text in the windows text-editor for you & zipped then. Make sure, that this mails don't come in my mail-box again. bye

Attached file: your_text.zip

Anti-Virus company Sophos said that the new Sober variant was the fifth most reported virus over the last 24 hours, closely followed by versions of Zafi and Netsky. It's thought that all the major antivirus companies are now offering protection against the worm, so you may need to update your virus protection.

Search Engines for Your Computer

Back in the days of MS-DOS, long before Windows, there was an ingenious software called Magellan. In the days of DOS, you were restricted to eight letter file names (plus 3 additional letters on the right side of a dot). So, one had to be clever when saving files like letters or spreadsheets. A letter to your mother could be saved as "mom_let," but if you wrote her more than once, you could ad a date, like mom_let.215 or mom_215.let.

The point is you had to be clever, but remembering that file name a month later was difficult, especially if you have a bad memory like me. If you pulled up a list of file names, you really got confused as to what was what, as your clever coding confused its creator.

The advent of Magellan allowed you to attach a note to the file giving you a description of its contents. What a difference this program made, at least in my computing life! Finding files was made much easier.

Now, of course, you can have long file names, thanks to Windows. But, this innovation, along with others, has made us more productive, meaning we are doing more with our computers, thereby creating more files. Now, it is almost as difficult to find files as it was in the days of MS-DOS.

It stands to reason that since searching the vast territory of the Internet has become easy, thanks to search engines like Google, we should be able to apply those principles to finding data on our own computers. Until recently, few had addressed this problem.

Now, there are some good programs available to help you find your data. In recent posts here, I have talked about Google's Desktop Search and and Yahoo's Desktop Search. They are good programs, but, according to one reviewer, they are not the best.

According to CNet's Robert Vamosi, that honor belongs to a free program called "Copernic." This fine program allows you to search through all your files including e-mail's, contacts, graphics..,.plus all the usual files like word processing documents, spreadsheets, and just about all the other types of programs that creates your files.

It works like a search engine, where you put in the terms you are search for and Copernic finds that files that contains these terms. So, while finding letters to your Mom can be done without a search engine, finding the file where you described to her how you created a new recipe for chicken marinade is much easier with a program like Copernic.

I have only recently begun to use the program and found it very useful and easy. After you install the software, it wants to index all your files to make searches easier. It can take awhile (at least it did in my case), so I recommend you install the program before you go to bed and let it run during the night.

Vamosi also reviewed seven other files searchers in his excellent article, and I suggest you take a look at it. The good news is that seven of the eight programs reviewed, including Copernic, are absolutely free. You gotta love that!

Amazon to Enter DVD Rental Market, But....

It has been rumored for quite some time that Amazon was getting close to entering the DVD rental market as a competitor to Netflix, Blockbuster, and Wal-Mart. In fact, the rumor that Amazon would enter the U.S. online DVD rental market sparked a price war late last year between Blockbuster and Netflix, which pioneered online DVD rental and now controls about 75 percent of the market.

Amazon is going to enter the market in the US, but with a twist. Amazon wants to partner with a provider rather than launch their own service. They have approached online DVD rental service companies, including Blockbuster and Netflix to explore this kind of partnership. This comes as a surprise as Amazon has its own DVD rental service in Britain which it started in December.

It is probably a smart move on their part as profits have have been dropping in the on-line video rental service. Industry subscription rates for customers have dropped by at least 20 percent and marketing costs soared in the past six months.

Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings said the company was prepared to run at break-even in the current fiscal year, and possibly beyond, in a bid to sign up 4 million U.S. subscribers by year's end, and to reach 20 million by 2010. It has more than 3 million now. Meanwhile, Blockbuster, which has about 750,000 subscribers, said it planned to spend $120 million marketing its fledgling online service in its current fiscal year.

Netflix and Blockbuster will probably work extra hard to land the Amazon contract. With 47 million paying customers and the Internet Movie Database in its hip pocket, Amazon will dramatically transform the online DVD rental market within months of entering it. It doesn't take much imagination to see an "Add to queue" button appearing beside Amazon's DVD listings and a "Buy it now" button beside those of its DVD-distribution partner once this deal is done.

If that "add to queue" button points to Blockbuster, Netflix might end up looking like the one-theater town that the new freeway bypassed.

Microsoft's Shrinking Tablet PC

In the year 2000, Microsoft introduced its current version of the tablet PC. The idea of the tablet PC was that instead of typing, you handwrite whatever you are doing and the tablet will convert your notes and letters into regular fonts like you are looking at on your screen right now. Most tablet PC's are flatter than laptops, but about the same width and some a little taller.

The concept was not new when Microsoft introduced the new versions in 2000, running a special version of Windows. They had never really been a hit prior to that, and frankly, they are still not a big hit today. According to Microsoft, the millionth Tablet PC was sold in February of 2005. That is not a lot of sales when spread over a 4+ year timeframe.

So, in order to make them a "hotter" commodity, Microsoft is playing with shrinking the tablet PC in size. The new mini-Tablet, which measures about six inches by eight inches and features a digitizer, is just one of a number of new, smaller Tablet form factors expected to debut in the coming months.

Although Microsoft won't confirm or deny any details about it, there are some definite hints. During an interview in February with ABC News anchor Peter Jennings, Bill Gates outlined his vision for this new type of form factor. Gates told Jennings:

"I am meeting with our tablet people about the idea of carrying text books around. They'll have just a tablet device that they can call up the material on. That's been a dream for a long time, we're making progress there. So review of the software projects and encouraging them in terms of what they are doing well and telling them who else they need to work with."

The education market has been one which Microsoft has done relatively little to tap, but which some industry watchers say could be one of the most promising for Tablet PC devices.

The new hybrid gadget is not a Pocket PC, nor some other kind of PDA. It's not a modified Smartphone. And it's not a personal communicator. It's definitely a mini-Tablet of some sort, sources said.

Gates might show off the hybrid prototype during his keynote at WinHEC (the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference) on April 25, according to sources. I still don't think they will ever be more than a sideshow of the computing world, but what do I know?

Comparing Music Download Websites

Personally, I have all the music I could ever want. In fact, I have so much I am thinking of liquidating some in a yard sale!

So, the thought of downloading music for 99 cents or even 10 cents per song doesn't excite me very much. However, you might feel differently. With that in mind, I found an interesting article on the Extreme Tech web site that compares several of the top web musical download web sites.
The first thing you should know is that the heady days of free downloads and file swapping is pretty much over. Yes, there are still file swapping sites out there, but the music industry and their gaggle of lawyers have put the fear of God in all of us (for file swapping , anyway) with their myriad of lawsuits against websites and users. (I still find it ironic that the RIAA is suing the very people who are legitimately buying their music. But I guess if you can afford lawyers and you own several politicians, you can do whatever you want.)

So, if you want music and don't want to be a pirate or pay excessive amounts of money in a music store, you may want to consider joining one of these online music services. In the end, you are still going to pay a lot of money for music, but you will wind up with the music you really want instead of buying a CD with a lot of songs you don't want.

The one thing that fascinated me while reading the article is that almost all of them use some sort of proprietary software or hardware. For instance, the Wal-Mart service requires you to only use Microsoft's Media Player. Apple's i-Tunes service require you to own an Apple i-Pod player, which aren't cheap.

Although I am not about to sign up for any service, I found the article very interesting in comparing what the various sites have to offer. If you are interested in music downloads, you definitely need to read this article.

Go to:

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1784304,00.asp

Update on Satellite Radio

I continue to follow with great interest, the comings and goings of the two satellite radio companies, XM Radio and Sirius. As I have written here before, I'm leaning toward becoming a subscriber, but have been too busy with other things to focus on it. But, I still like to keep current. I thought I would pass along some updates and links to a few articles that will also keep you up-to-date.

Satellite radio is starting to grow by leaps and bounds. XM Satellite Radio reports that in the first quarter of this year, they signed up over 540,000 new subscribers. This brings their subscriber base up to 3.8 million. According to Wall Street, XM needs to hit 4.5 million users before they start to turn a profit. Sirius subscribers number around 1.2 million.

Many of both company's new subscribers come as a direct result of the company's deals with new car manufacturers. According to car dealers, new car buyers are becoming enamored of having commercial free, satellite radio in their new cars.

Both Sirius and XM continue to wheel and deal with new business deals. Some time ago, Sirius signed a deal with DishTV to add many of their stations to the satellite TV company's offerings. Recently, XM completed a contract with AOL to create a online radio service that will go into operation this summer with the launch of the new AOL.com

Meanwhile, both companies continue to look for new opportunities to spread their wares via new and existing technologies. For instance, XM says they will soon be able to offer a "wearable device" as well as adding satellite radio to DVD players and clock radios.

The most informative article I've read recently was in the New York Times. Their in-depth article focuses on how satellite radio is forcing changes in AM and FM radio stations.

After the FCC changed their regulations to allow giant corporations to buy up radio stations, the airwaves began changing for the worst. The number of commercials per hour increased to ungodly proportions and the music playlists became so vanilla and so limited that a great deal of new music was not being heard. People began looking for alternatives and found it in commercial-free satellite radio with lots of musical choices.

Now, AM and FM stations are having to make some changes. Commercial times are starting to be cut and providers are starting to change their playlists. They are also looking at additional services to keep their audiences like offering musical downloads via the Internet.

The final chapter of this saga is many years away from being written. But, the intense rivalry, not only between XM and Sirius, but between satellite radio and AM/FM radio will only continue to heat up. This, of course, means new technologies and new innovations. It is fun to watch.

A Different View of Netflix vs Blockbuster

Two days ago, I wrote a blog with reference to an in-depth review of the Panasonic Oxyride batteries written by the New York Times technology writer David Pogue. Today, I am going to recommend two more articles by David you might find interesting.

Not long after I wrote my recent blogs comparing the two big on-line DVD rental outlets, Netflix vs Blockbuster, David wrote an in-depth look at these two rental companies for the Times. He took a different approach than I did, but basically came to the same conclusions as me...that Netflix offered better selections, customer service, and delivery times.

I think you will find this article to be an excellent supplement to my review.

Then, just three days ago, he wrote a follow-up article featuring reactions from his readers and some interesting information that both he and I didn't know and should be read by everyone who is considering renting movies by mail.

The two biggest items mentioned by many users include the practice of "Throttling" experienced by many Netflix users...and the censorship practiced by Blockbuster.

Throttling is the term describing the practice of cutting costs by holding back DVD's for a day or so before shipping them back to customers. Netflix has admitted this practice as a way of keeping it fair for users who don't rent as many DVD's per month as high power users. But, if you are renting only three movies at a time (the $17.99 per month rate) you will probably never experience this.

However, the censorship practiced by Blockbuster (and WalMart) seems a bit more insideous to me. These two outlets refuse to stock and ship movies that are unrated or rated NC-17. They do, however, have re-edited versions of these films on DVD, but don't identify them as such on their website. Netflix does not practice this. I object strongly to this practice as I want the right to choose what I want to see, not be subject to the whims of large corporations.

There are more interesting tidbits submitted by David's readers, so be sure and read this follow-up article if this subject is of interest to you.

Get Ready for More Microsoft Fixes Next Week

After a month off for good behavior, Microsoft will issue eight security alerts next week with patches, some critical, for Windows, Office, MSN Messenger, and Exchange.

Five of the security bulletins apply to Windows and at least one of those is deemed critical, Microsoft said in a notice posted to its Web site. Office, MSN Messenger, and Exchange, will get one bulletin each, all deemed critical. In Microsoft's rating system for security issues, vulnerabilities that could allow a malicious Internet worm to spread without any action required on the part of the user are rated critical.

Microsoft gave no further information, other than that some of the patches for Windows will require restarting patched computers, as may the MSN Messenger patch. The fixes for Office and Exchange will not require users to restart the applications.

The software maker provides information in advance of its monthly patch release day, every second Tuesday of the month, so users can prepare. Last month Microsoft did not release any patches, after a dozen security bulletins in February.

In addition to the patches, Microsoft on Tuesday through Windows Update plans to release an updated version of the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool and two "high priority" updates for Windows that are not related to security issues. The Malicious Software Removal Tool detects and removes malicious code placed on computers.

In a related story, there is a fraudulent e-mail campaign underway to lure people to a fake Microsoft web site supposedly to download Windows patches. But instead of getting any patches, duped users will get a Trojan horse called Troj/DSNX-05. That little devil will let the attackers remotely take control of the infected PC.

Some people (not my readers, of course) are likely to click on the phony Microsoft update notices, given that they are making the rounds at the same time as Microsoft is poised to issue its regular monthly security update. Just be aware that Microsoft does not issue product fix notices in this way.

Test Results for New Oxyride Batteries

Somewhere along the line, whether here or in my newsletter days, I wrote an article about the new Oxyride batteries currently available only in Japan. In June, these batteries will become available in the United States.

To refresh your memory, the Oxyride battery is made by Panasonic. It will be available initially in AA and AAA sizes. They cost the same as alkaline batteries but are supposed to last twice as long as the alkaline ultra batteries. And, according to Panasonic, they are supposed to deliver more power, making flashlights shine brighter, portable tooth brushes spin faster, camera flashes recycle quicker and even make portable music players sound better.

Can all these claims be true? New York Times technology write David Pogue set out to test these claims by spending several days testing different devices. His test results make very interesting reading.

To read his article, go to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/07/technology/circuits/07pogue.html?

You might need to sign up to read the article, but it is painless and free. And for the number of worthwhile articles published in the Times, it is worth it.

Firefox Extends Its Pop-up Blocking

The Mozilla Foundation has developed a beta patch for the Firefox browser that it claims improves the blocking of pop-up ads. The popular open-source browser already contains a pop-up blocker by default, but this does not handle pop-ups launched by plug-ins such as Flash and Java.

According to Mozilla, many web sites are using these plugins to create a new breed of pop-ups that bypass the pop-up blockers now in use in some browsers like Opera, Firefox, and Maxthon...and in add-on tools like the Google Tool Bar.

While Firefox can block pop-ups launched by plug-ins, but this feature is disabled in the default set-up as it would affect Web sites that rely on plug-in triggered pop-ups for legitimate functionality.

The beta patch resolves this issue by enabling users to whitelist sites where pop-ups are needed. The beta patch has been packaged as a Firefox extension, called PopupsDie, and can be downloaded for testing here.

Google's New Satellite Service

Like many of you, I have been a user of Mapquest for several years. It is always nice when you go to someplace new to have a map in your hands for navigation. Occasionally, Mapquest gets it wrong, but overall, it is still a nice service.

Well, along comes our friends at Google to make maps and getting directions even better. Google has added satellite images to its map program. So, not only can you look at a map and get directions, but you can switch to satellite view and see actual satellite photos of the area in question. And, like other mapping programs, you can zoom in and out to get a better view.

I tried playing with this yesterday and found it a little difficult at first. But, then I got the hang of it and had a great time looking at places I know. Of course, my first attempt was to look at my own house. Finding it on the map was easy, but I was not able to zoom in close as they don't have the closeup images for Ephrata on line yet. I was able to see the city and surrounding areas from the satellite, but that was as close as I could get.

I then tried an address in San Francisco and was able to see the location I was looking for very clearly. What I also discovered was you can hold your mouse button down and drag the map to see other areas of the city.

I then tried my brother's home in Oakland and was able to see his house decently enough to identify. An arrow and red dot on the screen correctly pinpointed my brother's house. As he lives in an area that has thousands of homes all around him, this is important.

At any time, you can click back to "map" mode and see the clearly defined streets. What is also nice in map mode is the main streets and arteries are clearly defined in yellow.

This new map service was made possible six months ago when Google acquired satellite imaging company Keyhole. Aerial photos are just the latest tool Google has added to its search service as it battles it out with industry players such as Yahoo, Ask Jeeves and Microsoft.

You should give it a try. Go to:

http://maps.google.com/

Vatican Uses Hi Tech to Announce Pope's Death

The Vatican, one of the places you would least suspect of being "hi-tech," used some of the latest technology to get the word out the Pope John Paul II had passed away. The Vatican communications office used a special text messaging system called "SMS" and e-mail to announce the Pope's passing.

Less than 15 minutes after the pope was pronounced dead on Saturday, the Vatican sent journalists an SMS message alerting them to a pending statement. Television networks across the globe were already on standby a minute later when the e-mail communique was beamed to a large number of state-of-the-art handheld computers, purchased by journalists at the suggestion of the Vatican.

As a result, TV viewers around the globe learned of the pope's death even before the thousands of faithful gathered in prayer below the pope's window in St. Peter's Square.

All of this, as well as the Catholic Church's efforts to keep the media informed of the Pope's health in the last few years, is a huge change from the secrecy surrounding previous pontifs, even as recently as the 1960s. For example, the Vatican kept Pope John XXIII's inoperable stomach cancer secret until just a few days before he died in June 1963.

Much of this can be attributed to Pope John Paul II himself. In February, he wrote a letter that the Church should not be shy of using the media, including the Internet, to spread its message, saying the "mass media can and must promote justice and solidarity."

Galileo would be proud.

The Museum of Online Museums

As a habitual lover of museums, especially ones that display art, I could not help but be intrigued by a web site called The Museum of Online Museums . It features a very long list of links to museums and galleries on the Internet. The site has so many links that it even has an annex.

Some links take you to the Web sites of real museums such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Orsay of Paris, just to name a few. However, the majority of the links lead to more obscure online collections. Some may be really good, while others should probably be in a hall of shame.

But, it is all in good fun and should be recognized as such. But, bear in mind, they link to real web sites. Here are a few examples:

The Museum of Burnt Food
The Grocery List Collection
Museum of Food Anomalies
Candy Wrapper Galleries
The Drafting Pencil Museum
The Gallery of Deep Sea Diving Cards
The Collection of Candy Cigarette Packaging
The Gallery of Old Christmas Lights
International Central Services Toaster Museum
Sam's Collection of Folk Art Mailboxes
Museum of Coat Hangers

I hope you have as much fun browsing through these museums as I have. You should probably bookmark it as you will return quite often.

High Tech in the Supreme Court

This was a busy week in Washington, DC, as usual, but especially in the US Supreme Court where justices heard two cases involving technology that will probably have important, long term ramifications.

First, Supreme Court listened to the case involving music and movie file swapping over the Internet. While the justices appeared to cast a critical eye on entertainment industry proposals for stopping all forms of file swapping, they also appeared to have little sympathy for ongoing piracy on peer-to-peer networks.

Attorneys for the major record labels and Hollywood movie studios argued in front of the court in one of the most closely watched copyright cases in decades, which many observers say could help set the ground rules in the entertainment and technology industries for years to come.

The justices were clear that they were concerned about the effect of their ruling on the ability of technology companies to create future products like Apple Computer's iPod. However, several appeared to seek a way of holding file-swapping companies responsible for the piracy on their networks without endangering other technology companies.

As influential as the case is likely to be, few believe the issue will end with the Supreme Court, whose decision is expected in June. Many observers expect the losing side to take its case to Congress after the court rules.

In another case, one that could help determine the viability of the independent Internet Service Provider business, the Supreme Court took a close look at whether cable companies could keep other service providers off their networks. The case, which pits the Federal Communications Commission and the cable industry against a small Internet service provider called Brand X, revolves around a highly technical legal definition of cable Internet.

The FCC has said that cable companies can be the only ones to offer high-speed Net services over their broadband lines, while Brand X and other ISPs say that cable networks should be like telephone lines, on which any ISP can offer services.

Several of the justices appeared to scratch their heads over why the two industries should be regulated any differently.

As I said earlier, these two cases will have long term ramifications when they are decided. When that happens, I will bring you the results.

Microsoft on the Attack Against Phishers

Microsoft has filed 117 lawsuits against people who it charges created phishing Web sites designed to look like pages hosted by Microsoft.

The suits, filed in Seattle in U.S. District Court, are being brought against operators of Web sites that feature trademarked logos or images used by Microsoft on its official Web pages and products. The "John Doe" suits do not identify the individuals involved.

All the sites named in the lawsuits, which were online sometime in the past six months, have already been taken down, according to Microsoft. One of the primary goals of the legal attack is tracking down the individuals responsible for creating the fraudulent sites.

So called phishing schemes typically involve the distribution of e-mail messages constructed to appear as if they come from trusted companies, such as banks, online retailers or even giant companies like Microsoft. These messages attempt to lure people to bogus Web sites, made to appear as the authentic web site, where the victims are asked to divulge sensitive personal information. The phishing sites targeting Microsoft frequently tried to trick people into sharing their billing information or online password data.

The company and law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, expect to gather more detailed information on the individuals during the discovery period of the cases, which will begin over the next several weeks