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Archive for the ‘Software’ Category

January 15 2009 – Dropbox

In Software on December 15, 2008 at 10:30 am

Backing up your files is a problem that computer users find anything, but easy to overcome. Now some new software called Dropbox may help you.

It uses Amazon’s S3 cloud based, file system to store data. “Cloud” means that the data is stored “somewhere out there on the Internet”. Once downloaded and installed, Dropbox puts a little icon in the system tray, and creates a new folder called Dropbox. To backup files just put them in the Dropbox folder. They will then be automatically encoded and copied into your own personal storage space in the cloud.

The files have to be in the Dropbox folder to be recognised. To some people this will be a non-problem, they will just put everything into the Dropbox folder. Others may see this as a nightmare solution. As the files are not in the correct folders it will be tempting to copy, rather than move, them into the Dropbox folder. Having two copies of a file is a sure fire way to get confused about which is the most up to date. Luckily there is a solution to this problem. Simply create a “symlink” in the Dropbox folder to the file you want Dropbox to backup. Windows users will have to use the Mlink command for this. Now there is only one copy of the file, stored in the folder you want, but Dropbox knows about it because the symlink makes it look like the file is in the Dropbox folder.

Dropbox is more than a backup system. It also provides revision history, this neat feature saves a history of updates to the files stored in the Dropbox folder. If you happen to accidentally save a file after making some disastrous change, by using the revision history feature, it is easy to recover the version of the file you want.

Because you are able to install Dropbox on more than one computer it is also possible to synchronise your files across your multiple computer systems, even across different operating systems. This is handy for those with a laptop and a desktop. It can also be used to transfer files between your work, and home PC.

Contained within the Dropbox folder are two folders, “Public”, and “Photos”. These two folders allow the sharing of files with other Dropbox users, or via the web, with a URL that Dropbox generates. Remember putting a file into these folders doesn’t make them accessible to others until it is specifically allowed.

Using the Photos folder is an easy way to share your photos with others. Create a folder in the Photos folder, and fill it with photos. Then use the “Copy public gallery link” option, and email the generated URL to anyone with whom you want to share your handy work.

There is also a way to share files without using the Public or Photos folders. Simply create a folder in the Dropbox folder and put the files to be shared into it. Then all that is needed is to click on the folder and select “Share”. Combining this feature with the revision history is a simple way of allowing more than one person to work on a document at once. People that you “Share” folders with need to install Dropbox on their PC, but if that is a problem store them in the Public folder, and share them by URL, over the worldwide web.

Dropbox is available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux systems, and can be downloaded for free. The first 2GB of storage is also free.

November 20 2008 – Adeona

In Software on November 5, 2008 at 2:41 pm

More and more of us are carrying around laptops and notebooks. Their growing popularity means that our personal information and precious files, like photographs and mp3s, are at greater risk of loss. According to one report there are 12000 laptops lost in US airports every week, and 70% of them are never recovered. That’s a lot of laptops! And with the devices getting smaller, it only makes them easier to filch.

There are things that can be done to secure your laptop, and, hopefully, safeguard your Kodak moments. Locks are available, somewhat like those used to chain bicycles to power-poles, and products are available to ensure the identiy of the person, using the laptop, is valid. There is also software available to locate a lost laptop.

Until recently that software has been based on proprietary code, and used a third-party central service for tracking the whereabouts of the device. These offerings have also had questionable privacy, in that it was possible that others could track the laptop, as it travels around, and therefore track the owner.

Adeona, new software from the University of Washington, USA, claims to be “privacy-preserving”. Meaning that only the owner can use their system to track the laptop. But wait there’s more! It is free. Free in both senses of the word. Free at no cost, and free, as in open-source. Adeona was the Roman Goddess of safe return. The software is available for Windows, MAC OS X, and Linux operating systems.

Once downloaded, installed, and activated, Adeona goes to work. At intervals that average 30 minutes it will send information to a distributed storage system. This information includes IP addresses, nearby routers, the wireless hot spot, and, if you have a MAC, a photo of the current user. All this information is encrypted. An IP address is an identification number given to each computer connected to the Internet, for example 192.159.1.56. Think of it as your computer’s phone number. Routers are equipment that connects bits of the Internet together, and a wireless hot spot is where connections can be made to the Internet, via a laptop, without using cables.

If your laptop goes astray it is a simple matter of finding another computer on which you can install Adeona. Once installed you run “retrieval mode”, and this information is downloaded. The writers of the software claim that by giving this information to the police, they, with the help of ISPs, who can identify where the computer was used, will be able to locate the missing computer, and hopefully return it to its rightful owner. You should also take note of your laptop’s make, model and serial number, thus helping police to identify it, when recovered.

Adeona need not be restricted to laptops. It can also be installed on desktops, and servers. The university is also hoping to release a version for devices like the iPhone.

There is one major problem. The unscrupulous person that takes possession of your computer may have enough knowledge to wipe your hard drive, reinstall the operating system, or just remove Adeona before it can issue a report. In saying this, there is always the chance that expert thieves are going to get around any steps taken to prevent theft. In the majority of instances, the felon will be an opportunist with no knowledge of Adeona, thus allowing the software to report the laptops new location.

It is always better to be safe than sorry.

October 23 2008 – Google Chrome

In Internet, Software on September 19, 2008 at 12:37 pm

September marks Google’s tenth birthday. They celebrated by announcing just what the world needs, another web browser. They call theirs, Chrome. Why would Google go to all the trouble of creating a new web browser, when there is a perfectly good one available? It’s called Firefox, and most people don’t even know that it exists!

Google has some perfectly good answers to that question. Since 1998 the way, web pages present their contents, has changed. Back in the nineties there was no video, and the use of sound was minimal. Web applications were a rarity. Now videos are everywhere, and applications on the web have become so sophisticated that it is possible to use web-based, word processors, spreadsheets, and other office type applications.

All this functionality requires, according to Google, speed, stability, and security. They have addressed this by a fundamental change in browser design. In Chrome each tab in the browser window has its own environment, separate from others. This allows greater stability, because if one tab should fail due to a bug, only that tab crashes, not the whole browser. Security is enhanced, because there is no cross communication between the tabs. To address the issue of speed, Chrome has a new “engine”, they call “V8″, which speeds up the running of web applications. The code, that displays the web page, is also of a completely new design, allowing pages to appear much faster.

Google required this new approach as they are committed to computing in the cloud. That is, allowing people to use applications that do not run on their own PCs, but on Google’s servers, somewhere out there in the Internet. While this can be done with current browsers, it can be a little bit slow. By redesigning the browser, Google have openly declared that they are in direct competition with Microsoft for the future of computing. Cloud computing, sometimes called Software As A Service (SaaS), is effectively positioned to replace Microsoft Office, and make the Windows operating system almost redundant.

But TANSTAAFL (as Simon Jester scrawls on the walls of the lunar colony in “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” by Robert A. Heinlein). There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. The browser may be free to download but Google will want to recover the development costs, somehow. Google has, arguably, the largest database of individuals’ search details. By supplying these individuals with a browser, Google is now able to keep track of every page visited, as well. A much needed bonus, allowing those Google ads to be even more specific, and targeted to the individual, than they are now.

Chrome, at the time of writing, is only available for Windows. It has been released as a beta version, this means that there are bound to be some problems. Some have already been reported, and there are warnings that it may not be as secure as Google thinks.

Interestingly, one of the main developers of Chrome is ex-Aucklander Ben Goodger, who worked extensively on Firefox, concentrating on the extensions facility. Goodger joined Google in 2006, and immediately started work on Chrome. Unfortunately there is no extensions facility in Chrome. Extensions are one of the major features in Firefox, and Google have announced that extensions will be coming to Chrome.

For Chrome to succeed, Google has to battle against inertia. People are unlikely to change from Internet Explorer on a whim. Firefox, and the lesser known Opera browser have found this out. Sometimes, just being better, doesn’t mean that you get the largest market share.

May 17 2007 – SaaS – The Future Of Computing

In Software on May 17, 2007 at 8:21 pm

Back in the antiquity of computing, it’s not that long ago possibly some of you will remember, there used to be a bulky terminal sitting on your desk. This terminal was connected to the company’s network, and allowed you to enquire about the level of stock, progress of an order, state of an account, and so on. Inter-departmental memos were either handwritten, or typed by a nameless girl in the typing pool, and delivered by the company mail-boy. There was no email, spreadsheets, word processing or the Internet.

Then came the PC, and it freed workers from the centrally controlled computer system. There was still a box on your desk that looked the same as a terminal, but you could type your own memos and reports, and use spreadsheets for all manner of things. After a while the PCs were connected to the Internet, and email swept away the company mail-boy. The software was installed on your office PC, and all your data was stored there, or on a file server attached to the Local Area Network (LAN).

When all this happened there was some resistance, by die-hard IT professionals, to the autonomy that PCs gave the user. There was also a large logistical problem, how do you keep track of all the software on the ever growing number of PCs in the company? Now there are growing demands for access to company data at any time, and anywhere.

The latest buzz word in the IT world is SaaS – that is Software as a Service. A day doesn’t go by without an article mentioning SaaS appearing in my web browser.

Oh how the pendulum swings. With SaaS, that PC on your desk will act just like the terminal of old, all be it a much smarter one. The software that used to be installed on your PC is now installed on another computer to which your PC is connected by the Internet.

SaaS solves the problems of portability, the Internet is available everywhere. It also removes the problem of software proliferation and maintenance. Financial savings can also be made by companies, both big and small. By adopting the SaaS methodology, there will be reductions in the cost of hardware, software, and staff levels in the IT department.

SaaS provides not only word processing, spreadsheets and the like, but extends to other applications that a company, however small, will require. The cost of writing, and maintaining software is enormous. Many projects in the past have been curtailed because of cost. These costs can now be shared across organisations, because the SaaS provider develops and maintains the software, not just for one company, but any that wish to use it, provided, they pay.

Google’s SaaS offering is a package called Google Apps. It provides word processing, spreadsheet, calendar, chat, web page creation, and email. There are 3 levels of entry into Google Apps, Standard Edition which is free; Premier Edition for a cost of US$50 per user per year; Education Edition which is also free. The Standard Edition is supported by Google advertising, while the Premier, and Education Edition are ad free.

eStuff has already featured articles on the Google offerings, as well as Spresent, and Thumbstacks (1, 2). ThinkFree also provides word processing, spreadsheet, presentation applications, and also 1GB of data storage, all for free.

SaaS will not just change IT in the workplace, but also for the home user. More and more people want to sever the ties to the desktop PC, and do their computing wherever they wish.

March 7 2007 – Windows Vista

In Software on March 7, 2007 at 8:20 pm

Microsoft Windows Vista is on the shop shelves at last, but apparently that is where it’s staying. A report, from research firm NPD Group, claims that sales of Vista are 59% lower when compared to Windows XP at its launch. That has worried Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer so much, that he is claiming that sales’ forecasts for Vista may have been “overly aggressive.” He has also been taking aim at piracy, saying “Piracy reduction can be a source of Windows revenue growth…”

Along with this, Ballmer and Microsoft are spreading the usual FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) about Linux, an alternative to Windows. They are claiming that “every Linux customer basically has an undisclosed balance-sheet liability”, because Linux is using some, as yet undisclosed, intellectual property belonging to, who else, but Microsoft.

There is probably more than one reason why Vista is slow to sell. In my opinion, the main reason is the general public do not upgrade their operating systems. They upgrade their computer. This means that they will only switch to Vista when they consider their PC running Windows XP is too old and tired. Think of your PC as a car. Would you rip out the engine of your car, and put in a new one that Toyota has on sale? I don’t think so!

Another reason for Vista staying on the shelves is probably the vast number of PCs that do not meet the minimum requirements for running the operating system. If you have less than a 1 GHz processor, 1GB of memory, and 40GB of hard disk space, you may want to think twice before purchasing Vista.

Vista also raises some very interesting usability issues. Peter Guttman a security researcher at the University of Auckland, and self described “Professional Paranoid”, has written a critique of Vista. Briefly, he claims that if you are lucky enough to have a PC with high-end display, video card, and the other features, required to run Vista Aero Glass (one of the Vista packages), the benefits of these hardware devices will be lost, as Vista downgrades their performance in an effort to prevent piracy of the DVD, or audio that you are trying to enjoy. It does not stop there. Vista will “switch off” any hardware that it considers might allow piracy. If you “fiddle” with your hardware in any way this “safety feature” may be activated. Wouldn’t it be just peachy to have your PC stop working when Vista decides? (5, 6, 7, 8)

For those of you who want to consider the move to Vista, I recommend reading an archived eStuff article. It may help you make your decision. It was written about upgrading to Windows XP, but the six points it contains apply to upgrading to Vista, as they do to upgrading any software.

Some of you may think that it is just not worth it, and it is time to switch to Linux. eStuff recommends Ubuntu as an easy to install, and use, Linux distribution.

December 21 2006 – Spresent & Thumbstacks

In Software on December 21, 2006 at 7:52 pm

Way back in September, I told you about Google’s range of office software, that runs inside your web browser. That is the word processor, and spreadsheet programmes, and I said if you combine them with Google’s Gmail, Calender, and Notebook, you had a comprehensive set of office software that all run in a web browser, and are available to you on any computer anywhere, your files being stored somewhere on the web. The only software missing was a Powerpoint equivalent, to produce presentations.

In this article, I want to tell you about two options for building presentations online, using just your web browser.

The first one is Spresent. Based on Flash, which is a technology that allows you to create animation, for display, on a web page, Spresent allows the building, and sharing by email, or the web, of presentations.

There is a set of standard templates that you can base your presentation on, or if you wish, you can build your own layout. There are several templates to choose from, as well as a selection of photographs, and clip-art. You can also use animated images, and you have the ability to animate the text you input. There is the opportunity to select wallpaper to act as a background to your information. Photos, and images stored in Flikr can also be used in the presentation.

It is very easy to build a presentation with Spresent, and once you start construction, you can get lost in the software for hours.

I have produced a sample presentation as an example of what is available. There is a gallery with examples, at the Spresents web site, that are better than anything I could produce. For more information take a look at the YouTube videos (1,2), which provide a basic introduction.

Another answer to the presentation question is Thumbstacks. In comparison to Spresents, Thumbstacks’ look is minimal, and there are no templates etc available, you have to provide all that input yourself. But I wouldn’t let that distract you from giving it a try. Once again it utilises Flash, but only if it is available. Another technique, called Ajax, is used, if Flash is unavailable.

Despite the minimal feel you can manipulate the fonts, size and colour of the text, to produce a decent set of slides.

Apparently the software is very new, and still has a few bugs. The author recommends that you do not rely on it for “mission critical” presentations. He has plans to expand the functionality by adding features such as; drawing tools, allowing the slides to include, lines, arrows, shapes, etc; export to Powerpoint, and other formats; private sharing of presentations. The sharing at the moment is only public, but the “public” has to know the URL; and lastly, a search feature for finding public presentations.

Once again I have produced a very simple slide to show you what is possible.

Currently I believe that Spresent has the edge, and produces better presentations, but Thumbstacks is still in its’ infancy, and should improve over time.

The question is, which one will Google purchase to include in its suite of office software?

August 17 2006 – Windows Vista

In Software on August 17, 2006 at 7:52 pm

MySpace, the social networking site favoured by teenagers, recently had an embarrassing security problem. Some devious people had placed an advert on their pages. Unknown to MySpace, and surfers, anyone clicking on the ad infected their PC with a virus .

This virus used a known security flaw in Windows, called the Windows MetaFile bug, which had been fixed by Microsoft months before. The fix had to be downloaded from Microsoft, or the PC was still vulnerable. It mattered not one bit that you religiously updated your virus scanner. The problem was with Windows itself.

Microsoft regularly releases fixes, for all sorts of problems, which are crucial to the well-being of your PC, and data. The MySpace incident proves that millions of people do not update their software regularly. No matter how hard Microsoft tries to get people to do so, there will always be some computers that need fixes applied. Easy meat for the cyber-villains.

Recently Microsoft stopped support for Windows 98, 98SE, and ME. It will be dropping support for XP Service Pack 1 in October. Windows 95 has been unsupported since the end of 2001. Not only do you have to apply the fixes, but you to move to the latest version of Windows.

Currently the IT world is in hiatus, holding its breath, patiently waiting for the release of Microsoft’s next incarnation of Windows – Vista. It has been a long time coming. It was first heard of way back in 2001, under the codename Longhorn. It has had many delays, and this year there have been reports of major code rewrites, as parts of it were found not to work, as expected.

The release date for Vista is still vague, but we are told it should be out some time in the first quarter of 2007. This has upset many IT companies, and retailers, who hoped to make a buck, or two, selling it, and the new PCs that will probably be required, during the Christmas season.

Those of you thinking of getting a new PC, should ensure that it is Vista capable. A little sticker saying so, should appear on the case. The specifications for a PC capable of running Vista are a bit daunting. An 800 Mhz processor, 512MB of memory, and it takes 20GB of hard disk space. Then you need a DirectX 9.0 capable graphics card to experience the super, new, graphical presentation, included in Vista. These specs are the minimum requirements, so going on past experience, people are already recommending a 1 GHz processor, 1GB of memory, and at least 40GB of hard disk space. These requirements have led some commentators to suggest that many companies, and individuals, may not upgrade to Vista, and look at Linux instead .

To try and stop MySpace type embarrassments, Microsft have put in a huge effort to ensure that Vista will be more secure than previous versions of Windows. There is already some discussion that this is just a false sense of security.

More Windows Vista Links

May 4 2006 – Ubuntu – Linux For Human Beings

In Software on May 4, 2006 at 8:00 pm

Anyone who can afford to pay US$20 million, to the Russians, for a trip to the International Space Station, has to be rich. Mark Shuttleworth is a very rich man, a very rich man indeed, and in 2002 he did just that. In 2004, through his company, Canonical Ltd, he started to distribute his own flavour of the Linux operating system. He named this Ubuntu, from the ancient African for “humanity to others”. In 2005 he founded the Ubuntu Foundation, which pays the Ubuntu developers, with an initial investment of US$10 million.

Ubuntu has set the Linux world a-buzz, and people are converting to this free alternative, to Windows in droves. The whole concept of Ubuntu Linux is that it should “Just Work” (Trade Mark). A community-driven project, Ubuntu is bound by the Ubuntu Philosophy of Software Freedom. These ideals have helped create a distribution that is easy to install, comes with all the software you could want, with access to more downloadable software should, there not be enough on the CD for you. There is comprehensive documentation available online. If you get into a sticky problem there is a large online community ready, and willing, to assist. It all means that people, switching from Windows to Linux, should be able to cope with the transition easily.

A CD package is available from the Ubuntu website. The package contains 2 CDs, housed in a cardboard wallet. One of the CDs is the installation CD, holding the Linux operating system and all the software to run on it. The full list is too long to mention here, but there is OpenOffice.org, providing word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. For email, there is a comprehensive program called Evolution, which provides similar functions to Outlook. Should you wish to use Thunderbird to read your mail, it is easy to switch. The web can be browsed with everyone’s favourite, open source browser, Firefox. If you like to listen to music, that is accomplished by using Totem.

There are at least two websites (Automatix and EasyUbuntu), that provide simple scripts, (small programs), to assist in the installation of software not provided during the initiall install.

For those of you wondering if you should take the plunge, the decision is made easier by the second CD in the package, which is a live CD. A live CD allows you to experience the Ubuntu system on your computer, without changing any files. You just put the CD in your CD-ROM drive and boot your computer.

Please note, I will not provide support for Ubuntu, or any problems that arise from installing the software. Ensure that you take the necessary precautions by backing up your data, and software before doing the install.

Links

January 12 2006 – Sony and The Rootkit Problem

In Software on January 12, 2006 at 7:54 pm

When is a CD not a CD? When it is a copy-controlled disc.

To be a CD, or Compact Disc, the information, and by information I mean music, must be burnt onto the disc, using a procedure that Philips and Sony first announced in 1980. This standard is known as the Red Book. A disc not conforming to this standard is not an audio CD, and should not be called one.

Since MP3s first started being shared on the Internet, record companies have been trying to staunch the flow. They have tried everything in their battle against this affront to their business model. They have tried calling the sharers “pirates”. They have tried education, remember the “Burn and Get Burnt Campaign”. In America, they have tried suing people. Their latest weapon is the copy-controlled disc.

A copy-controlled disc looks like a CD, but isn’t a CD. These discs contain software, that the record companies believe will stop people copying the audio to their computers’ hard drive. Immediately these discs were released, on the market, horror stories started appearing on the Internet.

The Red Book standard was developed to ensure that every audio CD, and every playback device, would work together. It wouldn’t matter which CD you put into which player, you knew you would hear music. With copy-controlled discs this flexibility disappeared. Each record company has their own method of copy-protecting the discs. These new discs may not play in some CD players, and there is no way of knowing until you put the disc into the player.

You would also expect that if an audio disc was released, in a copy-controlled format, it would be a worldwide release, but this is not so. There doesn’t seem to be much point in trying to make it impossible for people in New Zealand to create MP3s, when, in the USA, the audio disc is not copy-controlled. Add to this, that, as each attempt at copy-controlling an audio disc is released, some hacker, somewhere, finds a way around it, and the MP3s still appear on the Internet.

The latest attempt at copy-controlling is from Sony BMG, who have bungled so badly that they are being sued by the states of Texas and California, and possibly New York, with a class action suit to answer as well. All because they released discs containing a rootkit. The purpose of a rootkit is to secretly run programs on your computer. Once installed, anyone knowing of its existence, can use it to exploit your PC and data. It was found in October, by chance, by an American security researcher.

The resulting furore saw Sony release a program to remove the rootkit, which only made things worse, and Sony BMG Global Digital Business President Thomas Hesse announced, “Most people, I think, don’t even know what a rootkit is, so why should they care about it?”. Which, of course, completely ignores the fact that your privacy has been violated, and your PC security compromised.

Needless to say, sale of the affected discs have plummeted, and the artists whose music is on the discs are complaining about lost income.

Sony BMG, in New Zealand, have stated that no discs released here carry the rootkit.

For more information about rootkits see eStuff, and for exhaustive coverage of the Sony debacle visit Boing Boing

July 7 2005 – Opera

In Software on July 7, 2005 at 4:44 pm

You have to have a lot of faith in your product, if you promise to swim from Norway to America, only stopping in Iceland for some hot chocolate, if there are not one million downloads in the first four days of release. That is exactly what Opera Software CEO Jon S. von Tetzchner said he would do. Luckily, for him, the one million barrier was reached, but we missed a spectacle, that would surely have beaten any thing Richard Branson could come up with.

von Tetzchner was publicising the latest release, version 8, of the Opera web browser. Opera has been around since 1996, and he knew he was not going to get his feet wet, because over ten million copies of Opera were downloaded in 2003.

I was an early user of the browser when I still used Microsoft Windows, and on occasions, the Linux version; I can attest to the strength, durability, and speed of Opera. In fact, Opera claim to be “The Fastest Browser on Earth”, a fact backed by independent speed tests.

These days, though, speed is not as important as security, and Opera 8 claims to be very secure. It contains all the usual security features, but adds support for anti-phishing technology. So you no longer have to worry about false websites. Opera displays security information, alongside the address of the web page, you are visiting. Just a click, will give you more information about the validity of the web site security certificate.

Other features include:

* The very handy, tabbed browsing, which allows multiple web pages in the same window

* A pop-up blocker for stopping those pesky pop-up adverts

* A password manager for remembering your logon ids, and passwords, to all those sites that require them

* Keeping notes, like a digital Post-it Notes, linked to a website, you may want to refer to later

* Search Google, eBay, Amazon, and other sites from the toolbar

* Save open tabs as a session, and recall the session for browsing later

* Zoom in, and out, on the page you are viewing, from 20% to 1000%

* A clickable trash can, in the lower right of the screen, gives users access to all the closed tabs, and blocked pop-ups from their current surfing session.

* A, full function, email client allows you to import mail from Outlook, Thunderbird, Eudora and others. Then once imported, you can forget about your old email client, and use Opera 8

* If you are a fan of newsgroups, and many are, there is an easy to setup reader, accessed from the toolbar.

* IRC chatting is made easy, by the ability to set up, and use, an account from the toolbar

* A very nice RSS reader is also made available from the toolbar

* The most intriguing feature, is Opera Voice, which allows you to control Opera with voice commands, and to have the web pages you browse, read to you

* For those who are privacy conscious, Opera 8 has an excellent, easy to use, panel that allows you to delete all data captured about your surfing session

By including email, newsgroup, IRC chatting, and RSS feed reading functions Opera 8 is more than just a browser, it is all the Internet software you want rolled up in the one download.

Opera comes in a free version that displays adverts on the screen, or for US$39 you can have a version that is advert free. For more information visit the Opera website.

March 24 2005 – Personal Financial Software

In Software on March 24, 2005 at 4:47 pm

The advent of the home computer, and the Internet, has changed the way most of us live. We no longer write letters with a pen and paper, using a word processor instead. Emails have replaced letters and Christmas cards. We don’t have to spend money on encyclopedias, using the power of search engines to find the information we want. Visiting the banks, or paying bills in person is waning, as on-line banking grows in popularity.

Yes, the PC has made life easier, in lots of ways. One area that is, perhaps overlooked, is the management of personal finances. Not a lot of people know that software exists to do this, or even, that it may be installed on their computer. Yet this, often neglected, software can be so helpful, when it comes to managing the household budget.

Some PCs offered for sale come with Microsoft Money pre-installed. Which has a vast range of features. It is not the only product designed to help you manage your personal finances. Intuit produce Quicken, which provides very similar functions, and there are a number of smaller companies producing their own versions, on the same theme.

Personal finance software can do much more than just balance the cheque book. It can help track your current accounts, savings, loans, credit cards, investments, assets, liabilities and mortgage. Link this, with its ability to download your latest statement, from your banks on-line system, and you immediately have your finger on your financial pulse. It usually includes a budgeting feature, a scheduling system for bills, and deposits, so you can monitor your cash flow. These and many more features make the software indispensable.

Before you rush of to your computer, and install a personal financial software package, you should be aware of some security issues. Recently news broke about a hacker, using a key-logger program, in a Wellington Internet cafe. By using this program he was able to gather information about other cafe users, who were using the service to perform Internet banking functions. I make it a rule never to use a computer in a public place for Internet banking. Secondly, Microsoft Money 2005, has a feature that allows you to use it away from home. A Web-based MSN Money account can be linked to your PC, at home, so Money can be used anywhere in the world. Doing so requires that you acquire a .Net Passport account from Microsoft, open an MSN Money account, and, of course, your home PC must be switched on, and connected to the Internet. With the security issues surrounding Windows, and other Microsoft software, you may not wish to trust Microsoft with hosting a copy of your financial status, so be wary of using this feature.

Once you start to use a product to manage your finances, you will begin to wonder how you coped for so long, without it. Imagine not knowing how much you spent on electricity last year, or even how much you spent at a particular shop. Of course sometimes this can be frightening, perhaps you don’t want to know how much money went on beer last year.

February 17 2005 – The OpenCD

In Software on February 17, 2005 at 4:40 pm

The web browser, Firefox, and the email client, Thunderbird, have served as a reminder, that Windows’ users do not need to be tied into Microsoft software. There are alternatives out there to most of Microsoft’s offerings. For the average user, the problem has been finding an alternative, and then getting it installed, on the computer. One organisation has decided to make it easier for people to do just that.

TheOpenCD has made available, on the Internet, a collection of programs, that can replace Microsoft software. They have gone about this is, for the Windows’ world, in a unique fashion, by providing a CD image, for download. Once downloaded, the image is burned onto a CD-R, and is ready for use.

The software that TheOpenCD provides, is called Free, or Open Source Software. Defining what is meant by Free Software, and Open Source Software, can be tricky.

Both types of software provide the user with the program and the source. The difference between Open Source, and Free software, is really down to what happens to the source code, when you make changes. Open Source Software requires that the code can only be distributed by the original author. Thus any changes, made by users, must be made known to the author. While Free Software requests that any changes, are just made public, so everyone can benefit.

Changing the source code is unnecessary, 99.9% of the time, as the programs work perfectly well. So don’t worry if you know nothing about computer programming, because you still won’t need to. Free/Open Source Software looks to be spreading quickly through the Windows’ world. It is already a nice system, that works very well in the Linux world. Linux is another operating system, and an alternative to using Windows.

Among the software being made available on TheOpenCD, is the following:

OpenOffice.org, an alternative to Microsoft Office, providing word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software.

PDFCreator, will generate PDF documents, directly from any Windows program.

GIMP, which allows for image manipulation, in the same style as Photoshop

Audacity is a sound editing program, which can record, playback, and mix sounds, or apply effects, using a variety of filters.

CDex rips tracks from music CDs, to various standard computer sound files, such as WAV, MP3, or Ogg Vorbis.

FileZilla is an FTP client, handy for transfering files to, and from, your website host.

GAIM is an instant messenger (IM) client. Use it to chat with others, in real time, using any supported network, including AIM, ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, IRC, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu, and Zephyr.

And, of course, both Firefox, and Thunderbird.

And it is all comes at no charge, provided you download the CD image.

Version 2 of the CD was released in December, although the two New Zealand download sites did not have this available, so try the Australian sites. For those of you unable to download the CD, and I warn you, it is going to take a very long time on dial-up, copies can be bought from lankum.com in Australia for AU$7.70 plus p&p.

January 13 2005 – Firefox and Thunderbird

In Software on January 13, 2005 at 4:42 pm

Back in the 90s, the majority of people had no idea what a browser was. In those days, there was only one browser of any importance, Netscape Navigator. In 1995 Microsoft woke up to the idea of the Internet, and Internet Explorer (IE) was born. In the next couple of years several versions, of both IE and Netscape, were released. Each company trying to outdo the other, and gain the majority of the market. This is known as the period of the Browser Wars.

In 1997 IE 4.0 was released. At that stage IE had 18% market share, while Netscape had 72%. Microsoft was soon to gain the edge, using aggressive marketing practices, with its share rising to around 88% in March 2003.

Once dominant, Microsoft diverted its development dollars elsewhere, and there was an end to the rapid innovation in web browsers. IE 6.0 was released in 2001, and there have been no new releases since then (1).

All this has changed. The second Browser Wars are upon us! There has been a rapid decline in the use of Internet Explorer, in favour of the new kid on the block, Firefox. eStuff wrote about this new browser in March 2004. Since then, Firefox version 1.0 has been released (in November), and IE has now only 72% of the market. The switch to Firefox is rapidly increasing. This has been mainly driven by discontent with the lack of security, and safety, provided by IE. Also there are many enticing features in Firefox.

Not content with denting Microsoft’s web browser market, the Mozilla Foundation, who are responsible for Firefox, have also started a brush war, by releasing Thunderbird, an alternative to Microsoft’s email client, Outlook. Version 1.0 of Thunderbird has been available since the beginning of December.

It’s debatable if there will be a dent, the size of the one affecting IE, in Outlook’s market share. The existing alternatives to Outlook, like Pegasus and Eudora, to name two, have not caused that much of a problem for the Microsoft juggernaut. Things may be a little different with Thunderbird. It comes from a good pedigree, the same lines as Firefox, and, like Firefox, has features not present in the Microsoft offering, such as settings to help stop spam, and prevent viruses.

There is also an integrated RSS reader, which allows users to keep up with their favourite news feeds and blogs. Finding mail you want to read, is made easier with message filters, grouping, message views, labels, and if all that fails, a search feature, and the wonderful, virtual folders. Thunderbird also enables address synchronization with your Palm address book. Like Firefox, there is an extensive, and growing, collection of extensions, to add function, and themes, to customise your installation.

Thunderbird is easy to install, and migration of your mail and address book, from Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, and Netscape Communicator, is automatic, when you first run it.

Is all this enough, to get people to change from Outlook? Other email clients have tried, and failed. Maybe Thunderbird can ride on Firefox’s coat-tails? Maybe Thunderbird is a better mousetrap, and the new features will be enticing enough? Perhaps it is just a matter of timing, have the Mozilla Foundation got that right? Only time will tell.

September 2 2004 – Windows XP SP2

In Software on September 2, 2004 at 8:25 pm

The long-awaited Windows’ XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), has finally been released. Before users of Windows’ XP install this extremely large, and very important collection of fixes and improvements to XP, they should ensure that they are aware of problems surrounding its installation.

The first problem, for many, will be the sheer size of the update. At 80MB, it is not advisable for those on dial-up Internet connections, to attempt to download it from Microsoft’s website. To assist users on dial-up lines, Microsoft is, reportedly, making the the SP2 update available in sections, using the Windows’ automatic-update feature. There are two ways use this. Either let Microsoft do it for you, or follow their instructions. In New Zealand, Microsoft is making the service pack available, in conjunction with PC World. The September edition of PC World, available from August 31, will carry 2 CD-ROMS on the cover.

The next problem is, whether to install SP2 now, or to wait. Several websites are carrying reports (1, 2, 3), that major companies are taking cautious steps towards completing an install on their PCs. There have been several reports of compatibility problems, with software, and some hardware. Some experts are even suggesting, that it may pay to wait before doing the installation.

The approach large XP users are taking, is that this is not a simple update to the system, but a major operating system upgrade. This is because, at the core of SP2, are the security upgrades that, hopefully, will make Windows more secure.

One website is suggesting that users make use of Windows’ System Restore feature, which will ensure that, if you experience problems, you are able de-install SP2, and try again.

Microsoft have a web page that contains information, and links to other Microsoft pages, on Windows’ XP and SP2. There is also a growing list of software that, may behave differently, or seem to stop working, after you install SP2.

SANS, a trusted source of information on PC security, have established a website, that contains peoples’ own experiences on the installation of SP2. At the time of writing, 47% of people had reported no problems with the service pack installation, while 28% had reported only small problems, and only 7% had insurmountable problems.

The installation of SP2 is a big step, but should be worth the effort, because of the increased security it is said to give, even if Microsoft has already had to issue a fix to SP2.

Before attempting to install SP2, I strongly suggest that you ensure that you are virus free, have a backup of your data, use the Windows’ System Restore feature, and read the Microsoft website. For people that are buying a new computer, my advice is to ensure that SP2 has already been installed, or that the store will install SP2 for you, at no extra charge.

August 12 2004 – Spyware

In Software on August 12, 2004 at 11:25 am

Recently, someone mentioned to me that they had just inherited a new computer at work. The computer had been used previously, so they decided that they should check how safe it was to use.

This included updating Windows’ software, and the virus checker signatures, and, of course, the usual virus check. The interesting thing that they decided to do, was run a spyware check.

Spyware is defined as, software that tracks your computer usage, and other information, without you knowing about it, and transmits reports back to the originating organisation. This usually means that the organisation is gaining, in some way, from the gathering of this information.

It could be just as simple as displaying targeted advertising, based on the websites that you visit. For example, visits to car enthusiasts’ pages, will result in advertising popping up, about cars, and related technologies. It could be worse than that. The spyware could be monitoring your user names, and passwords, for your bank, eBay, or Paypal sites.

Spyware arrives on your computer in two ways. One way the spy program can be installed is by a virus, either carried by a rogue email, or from visiting a website that contains malicious code. The second way, is by installing software that claims to help make your computing experience easier, for example, the Alexa toolbar (1, 2). Hidden, in that helpful software, could be information-gathering instructions it will perform in the background.

The spyware checker they chose to run, was Spybot Search & Destroy. This software has just been given an excellent review in PC World, being cited as a “Best Buy”. They were surprised with the amount of spyware detected on the PC.

Downloading, and installing, Spybot is very easy. Once installed, it runs a wizard to help you through the initial setup stages, like backing up your Windows’ registry, and downloading any updates. Most importantly it runs an immunisation routine, which blocks all known spyware from being installed on your PC.

The next step was to read the tutorial, which explains about spyware, and how Spybot works. Once you have done that, run the program by clicking the “Search & Destroy” button, and then click “check for problems”. You may as well go and grab a cup of coffee, and a slice of banana cake, as this is going to take a while.

When complete, Spybot produces a list of the offending programs, and allows you to select which ones you want removed. You then click “fix selected”, and it is done.

You can schedule regular runs of Spybot by using the Mode function, on the menu, change from “default”, or novice mode, to “advanced” mode. Then you can click on “settings”, and choose the “schedule” option.

If you think that you are not affected by this phenomenon, think again. A recent BBC article claims, “on average every PC has 28 so-called spyware programs installed on it”. While CNET report that “one in three machines” are affected.

June 3 2004 – Rootkits

In Software on June 3, 2004 at 8:11 pm

You may have given control of your PC to someone else, and not know about it. Your virus scanners may not show any evidence of infection, but things are not right. That 100GB hard drive you thought would last a lifetime may be half-full. Your Internet usage may be higher than you expected. You may be a victim of a remote access trojan (RAT), or, as they are commonly known, a rootkit.

Rootkits have existed in Unix and Linux for some time, but they have only recently become common in the Windows’ environment. The purpose of a rootkit is to run programs on your computer without your knowledge. They can also be used to hide files of any size. It’s almost impossible to know if your computer has been hit. Before you know what is happening your PC may be making pornography available to the Internet , or a program could be waiting to log your credit card number to send to the perpetrator. Remember, they can do anything with your computer, gain access to any of your files, or run any program they like. They can even be used to compromise your virus scanner.

The reason rootkits can achieve this level of anonymity, and depth of infiltration, is because, they attack the core of the operating system (OS), known as the kernal. Once in place they fool the OS, so it will not report the offending program, or show it is running. Files are hidden because the rootkit does not report them to the OS.

The rootkit, itself, is not the problem. It is the program that it is hiding, that causes your woes. Initially your PC would have been the victim of a virus, this would have installed the rootkit. Once the rootkit is installed, another program is enabled, which does the dirty work completely hidden from view.

Fortunately there is help at hand. VICE, a free program, can be downloaded from rootkit.com. This program is the work of Jamie Butler, who specialises in rootkits, and other subversive technologies. Butler works for HBGary, a company founded by Greg Hoglund, who co-authored the book “Exploiting Software”. Both are involved in training IT staff through BlackHat , and run the “Aspects of Offensive Rootkit Technology” course. An excerpt of Hoglund’s book is available at the TechTV website (5), where there is also an excellent video of Butler and Hoglund talking about rootkits.

Once you have identified that your computer has been hit by a rootkit, you have to clean it up. Butler and Hoglund recommend removing your hard drive, and putting it into another machine. This will allow you to delete the offending files. There is another option, recommend by About.com, that is, to reformat your hard drive, and rebuild it from an uncompromised backup.

Whichever method you choose, you may want to ensure that it does not happen again. See the eStuff, protecting your PC article. You may wish to install Process Guard, from Diamond CS, to stop further unknown programs running.

Barron Mertens admits to being puzzled last January when a cluster of Windows 2000 servers he runs at an Ontario university began crashing at random. The only clue to the cause was an identical epitaph carved into each Blue Screen of Death, a message pointing the blame at a system component called “ierk8243.sys.” He hadn’t heard of it, and when he contacted Microsoft, he found they hadn’t either. “We were pretty baffled,” Mertens recalls. “I don’t think that cluster had bluescreened since it was put into production two years ago.” [SECURITY FOCUS NEWS]

History of Unix Trojan Horses [University of Washington]

Hackers can obtain user-level security privileges and install a rootkit, which is basically a collection of tools, to compromise a system or network. The rootkit will exploit a known system vulnerability or crack a password for a user with administrator-level privileges and will then cover the hacker’s tracks, making them difficult to detect. The best way to protect your network against rootkits is to know how they work and what type of damage they can do. [ZDnet]

Not every case of a successful intrusion is “crowned” with a replaced Web site on the server, data theft or damage. Often electronic intruders do not wish to create a spectacle but prefer to avoid fame by hiding their presence on compromised systems, sometimes leaving certain unexpected things. They use sophisticated techniques to install specific “malware” (backdoors) to let them in again later with full control and in secret. [Windows Security]

Nothing unusual running on your system? Don’t bet on it. A small piece of code called a rootkit may be lurking in the recesses of your system. Every week I write about evil people and the evil software they write. But nothing scares me like rootkits. [eWeek]

My client’s PC had been experiencing strange symptoms that included slow performance, a CD-ROM tray that opened and closed at random, strange error messages, and inverted screen images. After I severed his Internet connection and followed my typical malicious software (malware) hunting steps, I located the culprits – two Remote Access Trojans (RATs). [Microsoft TechNet]

May 20 2004 – Sasser Worm

In Software on May 20, 2004 at 8:22 pm

Take an unprotected PC, and connect it to the Internet; within ten minutes it will be infected by the Sasser worm. So says Mikko Hypponen, anti-virus research director at F-Secure. Don’t think that you’re safe because the German police have arrested the culprit. The worm will live on for as long as there are computers to infect.

Sasser is different from other viruses. It doesn’t need to be sent to you via email. It searches for computers that it can infect, those running Windows 2000 and XP. Though other Windows systems could be used to pass it on, they will only be carriers, not fully infected. Once a computer is infected, the code looks for another victim. It is this technique that earns Sasser the title of “worm”. If your computer has been infected, there will be no lasting damage, just the inconvenience of the machine shutting down, and automatically rebooting several times.

The speed at which the virus writers complete their code is incredible. Microsoft was first informed of the vulnerability that Sasser exploits, by security firm eEye Digital Security, on 8 October 2003. The Sasser worm was unleashed on 1 May 2004, just 18 days after Microsoft first announced the availability of a patch. It is unwise to announce that a vulnerability in code exists, before the patch is available, otherwise the virus would be attacking PCs, and there would be no protection available at all.

People that work in IT know that a patch must be applied as soon it is available. That is why it is surprising to hear of so many organisations falling victim to Sasser. From the South African government, to the Hong Kong government. From Westpac in Australia, to Goldman Sachs. From Deutsche Post, to the Taiwan Post Office. From Australia’s Railcorp, to US airline Delta. From British Airways, to the UK Coastguard. Those organisations affected had to resort to pencils and paper. How dangerous could it have been if Sasser had managed to hit air traffic control computers? What if the worm had a method of recording PIN numbers, and accounts, while it was resident in an ATM machine? This time the IT world was lucky, it could have been more devastating.

It may be the large organisations that suffer most, but it is likely that home PCs are going to be the biggest problem in the eradication of this worm. If you are connected to the Internet via broadband, and do not have a firewall, you will almost certainly have a PC that is infected, or a carrier. If you are a dial-up Internet user, it is only a matter of time.

For Windows 2000 and XP users, the first step in protection, or eradication, is to visit the Microsoft information site, and follow the instructions. The second step, is to ensure that you always update your Windows system, and your virus scanner. The third step, is to test the secutity of your firewall by using LeakTest and ShieldsUp!

For those of you with Windows systems other than 2000 and XP, follow the instructions at your virus scanner website (see below). You will also need to ensure that you have a firewall installed, so see the eStuff Protect Your PC article.

  • A computer worm that spreads using flaws in the code of the Sasser worm has been identified by computer experts. Called “Dabber”, the new worm is the first to scavenge access to computers using another worm.[New Scientist]
  • First detected over the weekend, the worm has already infected, by some estimates, over 1 million PCs. Among its victims are banks, travel-booking systems, European Commission offices and Britain’s 19 coast guard stations.[Wired]
  • Politicians are rarely known to speak out about computer worms but South Australian Democrat Ian Gilfillan is not about to let the Sasser worm episode go by without having his say. [The Age]
  • Australia’s Open Source Industry Association has used the Sasser worm incident to push its claim that operating systems such as Linux, FreeBSD, Mac OS X and Unix are reliable and secure.[The Age]
  • Gartner is advising its customers to budget for extra security spending on Windows desktops in the wake of the raft of problems caused by the Sasser worm this week.[The Register]
  • More than a million computers around the world have been infected by the “Sasser” computer worm or one of its variants, according to some estimates.[New Scientist]
  • Some viruses like Code Red (debut in 2001), SQL Slammer, (appeared in January 2003) and Nachi (from August 2003) are still out on the web finding and infecting fresh victims. He said that although half of all machines vulnerable to a new loophole are patched within 30 days of an outbreak occurring, 50% of the rest take another 30 days and so on and so on. The result is that there are always some machines on the net that are vulnerable to a particular virus.[BBC]
  • One reason why this Sasser virus is spreading fast is because there are many thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people online with the fake FCK WindowsXP key using pirated software. Microsoft is not allowing these users to update their computers with the latest patches. This is exacerating the problem. Should Microsoft allows any computer with any keys to update, solely to help stop the spreading of this virus?[Broadband Reports]
  • Stuart Okin, chief security advisor for Microsoft UK, says “I believe the real problem is that software quality sucks,” he told New Scientist. Schneier suggests that software companies would improve the quality of their code if they were held legally liable for any damage resulting from bugs.[New Scientist]
  • An 18-year old man has been arrested in Rotenburg, North Germany, in connection with writing and distributing the infamous Sasser internet worm, which is estimated to have attacked tens of millions of PCs across the world. Sophos’s virus experts believe that the gang responsible for distributing the Sasser worm may also be responsible for the hard-hitting Netsky worms which have infecting computer users for most of the year.[Sophos]
  • The arrest in Germany of two men suspected of writing crippling computer worms may be the biggest break yet in taking down the most prolific virus-writing group, security experts said on Saturday.[NZ Herald]
  • An 18-year-old German high school student has admitted creating the Sasser internet worm, police say.[BBC]
  • An 18-year-old German who confessed to creating the “Sasser” computer worm launched a new version meant to limit the damage just before his arrest last week, investigators said Monday.[CNN]
  • Microsoft has credited its virus bounty scheme for the arrest of a German computer programmer who is suspected of unleashing the Sasser computer worm.[New Scientist]
  • More serious security problems for Microsoft software could follow in the wake of the Sasser worm.[BBC]

April 22 2004 – Windows XP Update

In Software on April 22, 2004 at 11:24 am

On Tuesday, January 15 2002, Bill Gates announced to all Microsoft staff in an internal memo, that the main focus of the company should be “Trustworthy Computing”. This would ensure that “Our products should emphasize security right out of the box.” The memo was issued about one month after the infamous Code Red Worm.

It has been two years since this announcement, and I still hear, via the media, and from personal contact with many Windows users, that they would love to see a secure system that they could trust. People want an operating system that will protect them from worms, like MyDoom, and that will prevent them from getting spam. They also want an operating system that provides this protection from the moment they first switch on the computer.

Just recently Bill Gates has written another memo, once again stating that Microsoft is committed to providing an environment that is secure. He also announced in February, that Microsoft will stop spam by 2005.

What does this mean for the average Windows user?

First, all those users of Window 95 or 98 can just forget it. Microsoft’s efforts will be based only on their latest products. So it looks as if you better check with your bank manager, and fork out for a new computer that will run Windows XP.

If you already have Windows XP, you have some work to do.

There is an update for Windows XP that all users should apply. Microsoft have named this Windows XP Service Pack 2, or SP2. It will become available later this year, June is the expected date. (a, b)

The update will certainly help in providing “Trustworthy Computing”. It provides the following features; pop-up ads will be blocked in Internet Explorer; Outlook Express, Internet Explorer and Windows Messenger will warn about attachments; web graphics in email will no longer be loaded by default; some spyware will be blocked; and the Windows Messenger Service will be turned off by default.

SP2 goes further by including; logging of the origins of downloaded files; protection against buffer over-runs, a method by which viruses gain access to your PC and data; and there will also be reminders to ensure that your copy of Windows is updated.

The most intriguing features of SP2 are a revamped firewall, which will be on by default, meaning that you, may, no longer have to download programs like ZoneAlarm. It will include a Security Centre that will provide information about anti-virus protection, updates and the firewall. Couple this with Microsoft’s purchase, last year, of the Romanian anti-virus supplier GeCAD Software, and you can easily surmise that there are plans to include a virus checker in future releases of Windows software.

Don’t expect to be able to download this update from the Microsoft web site. By Microsoft’s own estimates it will take 11 hours 30 minutes to complete the download using a dial-up connection. It is intended to make SP2 available on CD, for order from Microsoft’s website, and maybe some dealers.

As to whether it will provide a safe, secure environment, remains to be seen.

March 4 2004 – Mozilla Firefox

In Software on March 4, 2004 at 8:18 pm

Mozilla Firefox is a newish web browser, that is very exciting. Originally called Phoenix, then Firebird, it has now been re-branded as Firefox. This startling new browser is a byproduct of the Mozilla project (eStuff featured Mozilla about a year ago). It has been developed by a dedicated group of volunteer programmers, using a different philosophy to the “bundle up” of the original Mozilla design. They have chosen to strip the browser down to its basic principle, browsing the web, and provide email facilities via another program, called Mozilla Thunderbird.

Firefox is available for free, and can easily be downloaded, and installed. All you need to do is click the download, and follow the instructions. Be careful not to make Firefox your default browser, until you are ready to give Internet Explorer (IE) the order of the boot.

Once you have Firefox running, you will see why it’s so exciting. The major feature is tabbed browsing, something that is still missing from IE. Tabbed browsing lets you have several web pages open, all at once, within the one window. Just under the toolbar, is a list of all the tabs you have open, and you can just click from one, to the next.

The next advantage, is ad blocking. Just one click, and those pesky adverts in the web pages will be gone. What you see is a blank space. Wonderful. Be careful what you block, because some sites display the adverts, from the same place, as the normal images.

One of the options available, enables the blocking of pop-up windows, yet another item unavailable in IE. There is a small box you can tick in “Options”, and pops-ups are gone for ever.

A download manager is also provided. This lets you monitor the progress of your downloads. There are controls for pausing, resuming, cancelling, and, last of all, retrying the download. Don’t forget to make sure you set the folder, you want to download into, in the options.

Up in the right hand corner of the Firefox window is a little box that allows you to do searches. There are two default options provided. One is Google, for searching the web. The other is the ability to search for words included in the web page you are viewing. If you are not satisfied with that, you can add sites, from a list of hundreds, like the Cambridge English dictionary, the vast movie database IMDB, Amazon.com and, eBay.

Those are the features that come with Firefox. Also available are “extensions”, which, as the name suggests, extend the functionality of the browser. There are extensions ranging from the trivial, like games of Solitaire and Tetris, to the absolutely must have, like the “add bookmark here” function, and a very nice quick note program, for making notes whilst browsing.

Why should you change to Firefox? If the above list isn’t enough, perhaps the vulnerability of IE is a good reason. Email scams catch people all the time by using the security holes in IE. That’s not to say that if everyone was using Firefox, the villains wouldn’t find a way to attack, via that web browser.

The reason more people don’t switch to another browser is inertia. Microsoft relies on inertia. That’s why IE comes pre-installed. People just can’t be bothered to switch, even if the alternative is better.

February 19 2004 – Why Mydoom?

In Software on February 19, 2004 at 11:37 am

In its original form, Mydoom, the virus, was written to perform a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on the SCO Group’s website. A DDoS attack uses many computers to send an excessive amount of traffic to a web server. This virus was so successful that the SCO Group had to create another website, because people were unable to get to its usual website. What was behind this attack?

In the late 1960s, AT&T developed an operating system(OS) called Unix. This proved to be very popular with universities, which might explain, why, in the 1990s, Linus Torvalds began working on, what is known, as Linux.

During the 1980s, IBM acquired rights to use Unix from AT&T. In 1993 AT&T sold Unix to Novell, who sold it to SCO in 1995. A company called Caldera (now the SCO Group) later acquired the rights to Unix, from the original SCO company (now Tarantella).

As the popularity of Linux grew, Unix’s waned. This, of course, had a negative effect on any company selling a version of Unix. In the 1990s, IBM started to market its own version of Linux.

One reason Linux is popular, is because it’s an open system. This means that, not only is the OS free, although you may have pay for a distribution of it, but also, all the Linux system code is available to anyone. Users can then make any changes they like, as long as they make these changes available to everyone else.

In 2003 the SCO Group dropped a bombshell, it announced that it was suing IBM for US$1 billion+, because of, misappropriation of trade secrets, tortious interference, unfair competition, and breach of contract. They also claim about 1 million lines of Linux code were “stolen” from its copyrighted Unix system. Next, they announced, that licences to use Linux, with this code, would be required, at an appropriate charge.

It didn’t take long for this all to turn messy. IBM is counter suing SCO Group, Novell is claiming it owns Unix, and SCO Group is suing Novell. Meanwhile, SCO Group still have to announce what code has been misappropriated, so that their claims can be verified.

With all these court cases, the only people getting rich, are the lawyers. SCO Group’s legal bill is reaching US$9 million. Of course, the licence fees will cover this quite nicely. It is estimated that Massey University will have to pay NZ$171,192.61, and Weta NZ$2,594,532.85. That is, of course, if anyone pays. Legal advice is not to pay.

Apart from companies using Linux, there is an enthusiastic bunch of home users. Unfortunately, among their number are some that feel taking, direct, unlawful, action is going to stop SCO Group. One of them may have gone to far by writing the Mydoom virus.

Hopefully, your PC was protected by a virus scanner. Check the list on the eStuff web site.

Correction

Please that the statement “In the 1990s, IBM started to market its own version of Linux” is incorrect.

IBM doesn’t produce or market it’s own Linux version. They partner mainly with RedHat or SuSE, however they will partner with others, if the customer requires it, and do not promote one ‘flavour’ of Linux as their own version.

December 4 2003 – Alexa Toolbar

In Software on December 4, 2003 at 8:17 pm

Awhile ago eStuff reported on the Google Toolbar, and found that it was a worthy addition to your software arsenal. There is another toolbar available, from Alexa, and I thought it would be nice to try it out.

Alexa maintain a search engine. The search engine that they use, is, surprise surprise, Google. This is possible because Google, to make money, licences its search engine software to companies.

To entice surfers into using their version of Google, rather than Google itself, licence holders have to go that bit further than Google. After all Google is the epitome of a search engine. Alexa achieve this, by adding extra information and functionality.

The extra information that you receive about each site is:

* A little thumbnail picture of what the web page looks like

* The site’s ranking, calculated by Alexa

* Details of traffic to the site

* Other pages viewed by people who visited the page,

* Information on the website owner

* What people who viewed this page bought at Amazon.com

* Site reviews written by Alexa toolbar users.

By downloading the toolbar, you get access to all this information by clicking on icons. You also gain the added advantage of being able to block popups. The toolbar is easily downloaded, and installed, by following the links on the main page.

Before you rush off and download the toolbar, I recommend that you read the terms and conditions. You may not like what you read. It is blatantly obvious from reading these, that the Alexa toolbar is spyware. Alexa clearly state that they are gathering information about your surfing habits, and that this may include any personal information you enter into forms.

This information is stored in a database, allowing Alexa to, not only provide the information on the search engine results page but, also, to provide statistics to their owners, who just happen to be Amazon.com.

Google recover the cost of providing a free search engine to the public by charging companies that use the technology. It is a fair guess that Alexa recoup the cost of the toolbar by using the database to improve the Amazon.com website. With the toolbar installed, Alexa are able to monitor your online shopping habits, and the price you paid for purchases. This would certainly enable Amazon.com to have an edge over their competitors, making the free search engine and toolbar worth the money they cost, to maintain.

If you decide to try the toolbar, be aware that as part of the install, it will ask some questions in order to gain a user profile. Down at the bottom of the page of questions, it states that answering the questions is optional.

With the toolbar installed I searched for the same thing in both Google and Alexa. I was not surprised to find that both searches produced the same sites in the same order. Alexa’s related links, and traffic detail information were interesting to look at, but proved to be more of a time waster, as you surfed from site to site, and lost the original path you were on. Overall, to be honest, I did not find that Alexa’s extra information helped me find what I was looking for any better, or quicker, than Google did.

One last thing, if you install the Alexa toolbar, it is a simple matter to uninstall. There are instructions in the Alexa FAQ.

September 25 2003 – Time Synchronisation

In Software on September 25, 2003 at 9:25 pm

There is an old saying, “A man who has one clock, will always know the time, while a man with many clocks, will never be sure.” This has always proved to be true in our house. If you really need to know the exact time, it is no good looking at our clocks, they all tell a different time. The only way to be sure of the time, is to wait for the hour, and listen to National Radio’s time signal.

In ancient times I tried to use the PC as an accurate clock, but found that this wasn’t a good idea. The first PC we ever owned, gained time. The next PC lost time. Apparently this has something to do with the batteries that maintain the time when the machine is switched off.

Our temporal problems were solved, when we discovered a program that synchronises your PC time with a server, connected to an extremely accurate clock. Later, when we created our first home network, we realised that we needed a method of synchronising the time for the network. Of course there was also a program available to do this. All this only happens when you are logged on to the Internet, but it is enough to keep the time accurate.

These time servers may be connected to either; atomic clocks; GPS clocks, which derive atomic clock accuracy in real time, from the atomic clocks in orbiting GPS satellites; or Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES).

The time is transmitted to your PC, over the Internet, using the Network Time Protocol (NTP). The client, or program, you choose to use on your PC, should come with a list of servers to which it can connect. It is etiquette to choose one that is geographically close to New Zealand, if not in New Zealand. Most of the programs are US based, and choose to connect to one of the US government servers.

There are plenty of these time sync programs to choose from. The one I tried is WorldTime, which you can download for free.

WorldTime is a truly feature rich program. Of course, it will keep your PC time accurate. It will also, by use of a small independent program, synchronise other computers on your network. What makes WorldTime interesting is that it provides so much extra. There is the option to show times in other cities around the world, and see Swatch time. You can also set an unlimited number of alarms, utilise the stopwatch, or calculate what time it will be somewhere, when it is a certain time elsewhere. The world map allows you to see which timezones are in the dark, check the time around the world, and see the distance from your local timezone. There is also an astronomical function which displays the phase of the moon, and sun rising, and setting times.

As they say on TV, wait there is more! The TraQdate feature allows the timing of any event you wish, say, how long it takes to read eStuff. You can also set multiple events. Last, but not least, is a little pop-up calendar.

Now, is it lunchtime yet?

September 11 2003 – Knoppix

In Software on September 11, 2003 at 9:23 pm

I have written about the Linux operating system before, so most of you will be aware that, instead of Microsoft Windows, I have been using it, for over five years, on my PC. The reasons I do so are many, but the main ones are:

I have freedom of choice over software for word processing, spreadsheets, and just about anything else you want to use a computer for.

Linux allows a computer to last longer. Constant upgrades to the PC, or even buying a new PC, is not required when you upgrade Linux.

Linux is robust, I do not constantly experience those “blue screens of death” that Windows’ users complain so much about.

Some people still poo-poo the idea that you can use Linux for a desktop. To them I say codswallop! I have been using it successfully for five years, that is enough proof for me.

If you would like to try the Linux experience for yourself, there is now an easy way to do so. You don’t need to install Linux on your computer, all you need to do is boot up your computer from your CD drive.

This is made possible by Knoppix. Knoppix is a bootable CD with Linux software on it. It allows the easy use of Linux on any PC, meeting the **minimum** requirements. These are: 486 processor, 128 MB of RAM, a bootable CD-ROM drive, a standard SVGA-compatible graphics card, and a serial or PS/2 standard mouse or IMPS/2-compatible USB-mouse. If you don’t have a bootable CD-ROM drive, it is possible to make a boot floppy and use your standard CD-ROM drive. I would also recommend a processor that is faster than a 486, and a PC with more RAM.

Using Knoppix requires no change to any hardware, nor the installation of software on the hard disk. The best thing is, in default mode, Knoppix will not write anything to your hard drive, thus keeping your Windows system, and your data completely safe.

The CD comes with the KDE desktop ready to run, and all the software you could ever want, including OpenOffice.org for your Office requirements.

To try out Knoppix, you need to change your computer’s boot setting in the BIOS. There is a different method for each brand of PC, so I can’t give you instructions. You should find the instructions in your PC’s manual.

Once done, insert the CD, and boot the PC. If any questions are asked during the boot-up, just press enter and take the default. Voila! Linux!

Your files will be found by clicking on an icon probably labelled, “Hard Disk Partition (hda1)”. Remember that you will only have read access to them, until you change the defaults. The KDE equivalent of the Windows’ “Start” button is the K-on-a-cog-symbol, you will find all the software here.

You can obtain a copy of the CD, either by downloading an ISO image from Knoppix, and then burning it to CD, or by purchasing a copy from sellers on TradeMe.

One last thing, the normal caveat applies, make sure you have a backup of your files, and Windows system, just in case.

August 14 2003 – Google Toolbar

In Software on August 14, 2003 at 8:15 pm

Just recently Google announced the release of version 2.0 of the Google Toolbar. Note that this is a beta release, which means that there may be a few problems that still need ironing out, and as Google says “You’re agreeing to test software that is still being tweaked and perfected by our Toolbar Team.”

The Google Toolbar is an addition to Internet Explorer (IE). Once installed, it sits at the top of your IE window with your Explorer toolbars. Installing it adds several superb functions to speed up searching, and generally make web surfing easier.

The main addition is the little search box, which allows you to type in a search, without going to the Google page. After entering your search string press the “Search Web” button, and up pops the results. The search string you have typed is stored in a history, so that you can quickly repeat the search at other times.

You can customise the appearance of the toolbar by the addition of extra buttons, using the “Options” feature. Some buttons add functions to search the various Google sites like the directory, images, and Google’s news service. Other buttons allow you to navigate through web pages.

The best button, in my opinion, is the “Search Site” button. This allows you to search only the site you are currently visiting by typing a search string into the Google Toolbar, and clicking on the “Search Site” button. For instance, if you were at www.lordoftherings.com, and typed “Frodo” into the toolbar and hit “Search Site”, Google returns all the instances of “Frodo”, only at www.lordoftherings.com, and nowhere else.

Like me, you might have sometimes found hunting for the words you searched for in a web page, difficult. Google’s “Highlight” button makes the job a lot easier by emphasising each word in the search in a bright colour.

The “Page Info button” produces a drop-down menu, giving the choice of several functions to perform on the page you are viewing. You can view a cached snapshot of the page, find web pages with similar content, see which websites link to the page or, if the page is in another language, translate it into English.

Are you tired of those annoying popup ads appearing over, under, and next to websites you visit? Then use the Google Toolbar “Pop-up blocker”. You must have IE5.5 or above, for this feature to work.

One feature that you might need to think seriously about before putting it into use is “AutoFill “.

Using this feature you will no longer need to type your personal information into web forms. You enter the information into the Google Toolbar and it is stored on your computer. Then when you visit a site that needs your address etc. “AutoFill ” will complete the form for you. Google claims that this information is secure, and will not be transmitted unless you tell “AutoFill” to do so. I still have strong reservations about storing my credit card number in the system.

“PageRank” is a feature that allows you to see, how popular the web page, you are visiting, is. The main problem is, that by enabling this feature, the toolbar keeps track of all sites you visit, and reports them to Google to help in the construction of their database. You can choose, either at download time or, after installation, to disable this function, and stop big brother watching you. (PC Magazine)

Go on, Googleise yourself!

July 31 2003 – Digital Photo Albums

In Software on July 31, 2003 at 8:48 pm

Have no fear, those sleepless nights of tossing, turning, and worrying about where to store your digital photos are over. The digital camera is becoming so ubiquitous, that, its very presence is creating a new problem for the snap-happy. We’re all used to storing photos in shoe boxes safely at the top of the wardrobe, but, with digital cameras you can’t do that. . . Unless of course, you have prints made. There are answers to this nagging problem, and I am going to share them with you.

Just transferring your masterpieces to your PC hard drive is one answer, but, why not do it with panache and use specially designed software?

Photography is no fun unless you share the result with others. At that excellent repository for Windows software, TUCOWS, is a wide range of programs to choose from, that allow you to display your images, on your website, hard drive, or CD. I also located several alternatives on the web.

Splats HTML from iSBiSTER is a program that helps you build on-line photo albums. This software has been written by owners of digital cameras, who realise the limitations that the Internet imposes on users with ordinary dial-up connections. You just don’t want to take the time to download the megabyte-heavy pictures, produced by some cameras, when you only have a 56K modem. Splats HTML creates a thumbnail, and what they call, a “full view” image, the correct size for displaying efficiently by “slow” modems. Captioning and rotation of photos is possible, as is adding text directly onto all your images.

Gallery allows the creation of photo albums on your own website. With this free software you can automatically build thumbnails, perform image resizing, rotation, add captions to photos, and so on. An interesting feature is the ability to create accounts for friends, and family, so they can upload, and manage their own photos on your website.

Providing a similar set of features are, EZ Thumbnail Builder, !Advanced Album Editor, and ABC Photo Album Software from the Digital Photo Album Software Center, and for those MAC users, Image Rodeo.

All this software assumes that you have your own website. Not all of you will have such a luxury. Do not despair, because there is an option open to the websiteless.

Several enterprising sites have been created that allow you to create an account enabling a personal online photo album. Some are free, some charge, but all allow you to share your photos. Some have secure areas, so that only family or friends with a password can view your snaps.

Photobucket, Photofun, Photoisland and Picturetrail are all free, and offer a varying range of features, read what is available and pick the site for you.

Web-A-Photo costs US$35 per year and for that you get 190MB of space, enough, they say, for 600 high-resolution pictures. At that price, registering your own web site starts to become a viable option.

Before you sign up for any of the above, read the terms and conditions. A clause at Photoisland stated that by signing up, you allow others to use your images, and granted Photoisland rights to do what they liked with your photos. Something you may not wish to do.

Now, say “Cheese!”

March 20 2003 – OpenOffice.org

In Software on March 20, 2003 at 8:56 pm

You know how it goes, you want to install Microsoft Office, but inquiring at the PC shop you find that you can only buy the XP version. That means an upgrade of your existing operating system from Windows 98 to Windows XP. Then you find out that you haven’t got enough space on the hard drive, or enough memory, and your PC is too slow to allow for Windows XP. All this brings the cost of Microsoft Office from around $390 to about $2,500 including a new PC.

Luckily there are alternatives to Microsoft Office.

OpenOffice.org started life, over 6 years ago, as StarOffice, which was developed by Star Division. It was released free on the Internet, or for a small fee you could purchase a copy on disk with manuals. Sun Microsystems bought the company in 1999, and now charge for all copies of StarOffice. However they released all the code into the public domain and the OpenOffice.org project started. We can now reap the benefits of this project.

OpenOffice.org has all the features you expect from “Office” type software.

Writer, the word processor, includes auto spell checking, thesaurus and word completion, but not a grammar checker. You can also use Writer to produce form letters, or mail merge. Writer will read HTML, text, and RTF files. I found that not all MS Word files (.DOC) would open correctly, nor could I open Wordperfect files. I am writing this article using Writer, and so far so good.

Calc, provides the spreadsheet functions. Not being a major user of spreadsheets I make no comment except to say the Excel (.XLS) files were imported with no problems.

For very quick graphics there is Draw. I was able to make some very professional looking, but simple graphics. They can be exported into your favourite format for inclusion on your web site or into a document.

For those presentations where you want to make more of an impression than just using a whiteboard, there is Impress. Never having used PowerPoint, I can’t comment on compatibilities between the two products. Impress is certainly easy to use, with an autopilot that guides you through the presentation building process.

Unfortunately there is no database program. If you want a database you have to purchase Staroffice 6.0 from Sun at US$75.95. StarOffice is basically the same as OpenOffice.org, but some of the underlying features may vary.

Those of you familiar with StarOffice 5.2 will be wondering what happened to the email program and file management interface. These have been dropped from OpenOffice.org and from StarOffice 6.0.

Before you download the programs check that your computer meets the minimum requirements. These are: Pentium-compatible PC, Microsoft Windows 95 or higher, 64-Mb RAM 250-Mb hard disk space.

It is easy to download the 51MB install file and follow the instructions at the OpenOffice.org site. As the download is a large file it takes a while to complete, especially on a 56K modem. OpenOffice.org recommend the use of a download manager like Netants, which allows the download to be done in sections.

To add to the OpenOffice.org experience there are sites offering help and free add-on goodies.

OpenOffice.org – Comments

Dear James, Try 602 it is compatible with MS word, and free unless you want other add ons. I have been using arachnophilia for web pages and it’s updateable dictionary.Regards, Ken

February 20 3003 – Instant Messaging

In Software on February 20, 2003 at 8:20 pm

Our daughter lives in Auckland, yet I talk to her everyday. I don’t use the phone, or email, and I’m not telepathic. I use Instant Messaging (IM). By downloading software from the Internet, I am able to talk, not only with her, but with anyone else who is also connected using similar software.

The software allows a “conversation” one-on-one, or between a group of people. You just type your message into the software, and, within seconds, the person you are “talking” to, receives it.

IM has been around for some time, but it wasn’t until 1996 when Mirablis produced ICQ (pronounced “eye-seek-you”) that IM took off. The biggest ISP in America, America Online (AOL), only provided IM between its own users. IM to the outside world was a no-no! In 1997 AOL announced AIM (AOL Instant Messenger), and the ability to talk between AOL users and the rest of the Internet. The use of AIM grew at such a rate that it eventually usurped ICQ as the IM client of choice, and in 1998, AOL bought Mirablis and became the “big cheese” in Instant Messaging.

Once the popularity of IM was proven, everybody wanted a piece of the action. Several small companies joined the fray, along with the big boys, bringing us MSN Messenger from Microsoft, and Yahoo Messenger from, of course, Yahoo. Each IM system has its own way (protocol) of issuing messages, and communication between them is not possible. As soon as one company manages to break another’s protocol, allowing their own system to talk to another one, the protocol is changed to stop the breach. For a period of time the media referred to it as “IM Wars”.

If you want to talk with your friends and relatives around the world, you will, no doubt, end up needing more than one piece of software. This can be a real nuisance, and lead to confusion that most of us don’t need. This problem has been solved in two ways. You can either install Trillian or one of the Jabber clients.

Trillian allows you to connect to ICQ, AIM, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger from the one program. Cerulean Studios, the writers, are doing a good job chasing the protocol changes that each IM provider makes. It certainly does make it easy to talk to anyone across the myriad of IM systems.

Jabber has taken a completely different approach. Jabber is just another IM protocol, but it is open and free to the general public. Any programmer can use it to write an IM client. Jabber allows anyone to set up as an IM server. Jabber also offers an interface into each of the other IM systems

The recommended Jabber client for Windows is Exodus. Do not be put of by the download page saying that Exodus is only for Windows XP. It runs just fine on Windows 98.

Running a Jabber client means that I now have user ids with all the IM systems, as well as Jabber user id. I only have the one piece of software managing the connections so it looks just like the one IM system.

IM is easy, fun, and all the software, what ever you decide to use, is free. Now that can’t be bad can it!

  • AIM – http://www.aim.com/
  • Exodus – http://exodus.jabberstudio.org/
  • ICQ – http://www.icq.com/download/
  • Jabber – http://www.jabber.org/
  • MSN Messenger – http://messenger.msn.com/ Windows XP users already have Messenger installed
  • Trillian – http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/trillian/index.html
  • Yahoo Messenger – http://messenger.yahoo.com/

October 17 2002 – Bugbear, Scandisk & Defrag

In Software on October 17, 2002 at 8:06 pm

By now, most, if not all, of you will have received at least one email containing Bugbear. This has been a pretty virulent virus. In the first few days after it was released I received at least five emails containing it. What makes Bugbear worse than normal viruses is what lurks underneath.

Once infected with Bugbear anything you type is logged and sent out via the Internet to the perpetrator.

To ensure that you are not infected visit the following virus checking software sites:

Most of you will have read the e-stuff article about protecting your PC, and have been practicing “safe-email”. So, hopefully, you will not have been infected.

Continuing on from the last e-stuff column about spring cleaning your PC. It is not just the PC case, but also your hard drive, that should be cleaned up occasionally.

First run a backup. e-stuff has talked about backups before. Keep this in a safe place.

Check that the files on your drive are still required. Do this by clicking on “My Documents”. Delete the ones you no longer want, by using the right mouse button and clicking delete. Remember that it is safe to delete them, because you can restore them from the backup you completed. You did do that backup, didn’t you?

Next use the menu bar “Start/Find” and choose “Files or Folders”. Then type *.tmp in the “Named” box and press the “Find Now” button. Highlight all the files. Do not highlight the folders. Press the delete key. This action removes all the temporary files from your drive. Repeat this action for *.dmp, and *.log.

Start Internet Explorer, click on “Tools/Internet Options”, and make sure you are looking at the “General” tab. In the section marked “Temporary Internet Files” click on “Delete files”.

You should also delete all the files in your windows/temp folder. Once again do not delete the folder.

Clean out the Recycle bin by clicking the right mouse button on the “Recycle Bin” and choosing “Empty Recycle Bin”.

You are now ready to run Scandisk. This program searches your hard drive for errors and attempts to repair them. The sort of thing Scandisk looks for are, damaged file names or names containing invalid or unknown characters, and “lost” files whose names are not known to the system.

Once Scandisk is complete you should run another backup. Do not overwrite the one you did before running Scandisk. This backup is your “belt-and-braces” backup, just in case.

Now you have all your data secured you should run Defrag. Sometimes data is stored on your hard drive in non-contiguous sections. That means that when you saved the file there wasn’t a large enough free space to write the file in one piece, so it was written in two or more places on the hard drive. By scanning the hard drive and moving files around, Defrag writes each file in a contiguous section, or one piece.

You will be surprised after performing a Scandisk and Defrag how your computer speeds up, and the extra free space that appears on your hard drive. For more information see The Puter Geek.

July 11 2002 – Finding Software

In Software on July 11, 2002 at 5:52 pm

I was recently asked if I knew where to get a specific type of software. I would like to share the answer with e-stuff readers.

First let me explain the types of software that are available.

“Shareware” is the name used to categorise the software that carries a small charge. You can usually download this software and test it out for a short period, 30 days is common, before you have to pay for it.

“Freeware” is software that costs nothing. You just download it and use it.

“Open Source” is software, where, not only do you get the program, but also the source to the program. This allows you, if you have the skills, to change the program to suit yourself. Most Open Source software is also free. There is some confusion between the terms “free software” and “freeware”. “Free software” is another term used to describe Open Source software. It means that you are “free” to change the software as long as you stay within the terms of the licence.

There is also “Adware” where adverts are displayed when you use the software. Eudora mail client is an example of this. I have also seen “Postcardware” where you just have to send a postcard to the writer of the software to be able to use it.

Two really good places to get software for Windows are Dave Central, and TUCOWS.

I have no idea who Dave at Dave Central is, but he claims to have hordes of people who go looking for software on the Internet. If the 1000+ projects listed under the Email category and over 900 games is anything to go by, they do a good job.

Navigating your way round using the tree structure that appears on the left side of the page is easy, as long as the software you want is within the categories listed. I decided to look for software for “house design” and for “amateur radio” (ham radio), using the search facility. I found that this was a little more difficult. I could not find any house design programs and only four amateur radio projects.

The other is TUCOWS, or The Ultimate Collection Of Windows Software. It proved a little difficult to calculate the software in the Email and games sections at TUCOWS, but there is an extensive list to choose from in both categories. TUCOWS rates software by using cows (not stars), an excellent program is a five-cow product.

Navigation is by tabs across the top of the page, and then by section within the category displayed. The search facility produced better results for “house design”, but still not a direct hit. While “amateur radio” did not do much better than at Dave Central.

Both of these sites should be able to provide you with an answer to your software requirements.

Two new pieces of software have come to my notice.

First is a new email client called IncrediMail. It sets out to make email fun. You can use different backgrounds, sounds, and even animation. There is a demo of the capabilities at their website.

The second is a way to beat spam. SpamNet comes from Cloudmark. Unfortunately it is only available to users of Outlook 2000/XP, an Outlook Express version is coming soon. Just download, install it and restart Outlook. It adds a Spam folder and Block/Unblock buttons to your toolbar. Using a database at Cloudmark, mail is filtered resulting in spam going to the Spam folder. You can add mail to the filter by using the Block button.

February 21 2002 – Alternatives to Microsoft

In Software on February 21, 2002 at 5:46 pm

The general public may be ignoring computer security, but Bill Gates has decided that something should be done about it. He sent a memo to all Microsoft staff announcing a new direction for the company. No longer will Microsoft’s name be synonymous with “bug fix”. From now on Microsoft will mean “Trustworthy Computing”. Users will be assured that Microsoft software will provide them with an always available, secure and private environment.

CNET brings together links for all their news items about Microsoft and software problems. While at the BBC another article covers the same news, and also carries a frightening sidebar showing the increase in viruses since February 2001. By December they had increased 10 fold.

Microsoft’s new initiative is good news isn’t it? That’s not what some people think. “A publicity exercise” is what Richard Forno of Shadowlogic calls it in this article. At Aardvark Bruce Simpson, a technology commentator of long standing, reminds us that security is something that is fundamental to the design of all computer systems. If you don’t design security into a computer system it is very difficult to ensure that your add-on code is totally secure. One wag has even suggested that Microsoft should be split into two companies. One to sell the software and one to sell the fixes.

According to Microsoft, Windows XP is selling well but this is still causing problems for people with Internet Explorer, and, of course, Outlook. Users are also experiencing trouble with other software that Microsoft is not responsible for, and loosing their private and confidential information through a file sharing service.

So where does this leave normal users. What can they do now before “Trustworthy Computing” is available?

Firstly install all the fixes that Microsoft release, see my June 21 2001 article on Computer Protection.

Secondly, don’t use file sharing software such as Gnutella

Lastly, think about other products to get round the problems with Internet Explorer and Outlook.

For email, use Eudora. It comes in 3 versions. A light version, which is free. A sponsored version, with adverts but having more features than the light version, and a paid version. There is also a program called Pegasus. This is a free, New Zealand written, email client.

For Web browsing there are a number of alternative browsers available, but I would recommend sticking with either Netscape or Opera. Both are free, although you have the choice of paying or having adverts with Opera.

Netscape 6.2 includes the browser, email, an Instant Messenger client, and Netscape Composer for editing your own Web pages.

Opera 6 features email, instant messaging via ICQ and a completely customisable interface, as well as the browser.

In the past I have used Pegasus, Eudora, Netscape and Opera. They are all good products, and it is a matter of taste as to which one is for you.

December 20 2001 – Linux

In Software on December 20, 2001 at 8:02 pm

In my last column I stated that the Windows’ backup program does not support CR-R or CD-RW. This appears to be true only for Ntbackup.exe which is part of XP Professional and Windows 2000 Professional. I am reliably informed that Windows 98 will backup to CD-RW. Just change your drive address in the ‘Where to back up’ section, of the backup program to the letter of your CD writer drive. I apologise to you all. Thanks to John for informing me.

See also The Great Windows CD-R Backup Saga

You should also know how to backup your Outlook mail and address book. Check which version of Outlook Express you are using and then visit these sites:

I didn’t know about the Windows backup because I use Linux as my main operating system. I have been using it for about 3 years. I find that it’s no different to use, more stable, and certainly a lot cheaper than Windows.

Linux is free and the majority of the software that runs on it is also free. You can get all the application software you can imagine, from word processing, spreadsheets, and email, to money management. Linux comes in a package called a distribution, which includes the application software and is available from not just one organisation, as Windows is, but several.

Replacing Windows with Linux on your computer requires some knowledge of hardware and software. First gain knowledge, do not do this blind. Read! A good place to start is ZDNET. Next check that your hardware is Linux compatible. The only hardware incompatibility I’ve experienced is with a printer and a modem both of the “WIN” variety which depend on Windows.

One organisation that releases Linux has gone to a lot of trouble to make it as easy as possible to install. Mandrake’s Linux distribution uses a graphical frontend to ensure that the install process runs smoothly for those first timers or ‘newbies’ to the Linux world. There are other Linux distributions, including the popular Red Hat and Debian.

The distribution you choose to use can either be downloaded from the web or purchased on CD. Although the software is free, the cost of creating the package on the CD is recovered. Usually when you purchase the CD from the organisation you will also get some manuals, but this can be expensive. You will find cheaper CDs from New Zealand resellers like Copyleft or Xsolutions.Help can be found online from the distribution organisation’s site, or from Linuxdocs, Linuxnewbie or Linuxhelp and many other sites. Wellington has a Linux User Group who have meetings and discuss Linux online.

If you attempt a Linux install you may want to keep a Windows partition just in case you find something you can’t do in Linux. You may not be able to read some of your Word, or Exel files in Linux. Disks created by Windows’ backup program are unreadable. I was able to read Word files with Staroffice, and Word Perfect 8.0 for Linux. Most of my Excel files were readable by Gnumeric, and Staroffice. The email files I wanted to keep I saved as text files.

Good luck, be careful, and seek help first if you are unsure. I am unable to provide support or personal assistance.

Site Of The Week

America’s first web site celebrated it’s 10th birthday on the December 12th. Read about it at the BBC.

December 6 2001 – Backups

In Software on December 6, 2001 at 7:55 pm

“Death, taxes, childbirth and hard drive crashes! There’s never any convenient time for any of them.? To paraphrase Scarlett in Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With The Wind”.

There I was just trying to open a file in Microsoft Word, when Oops! Bang! Gone! Look Mum, no hard drive! I was lucky the hard drive was under warranty, so a quick call to the support people and a new one was installed the next business day… which happened to be a Monday. Life was tough that weekend. No computer. It was worse than giving up cigarettes.

The first thing the nice man who fitted the new drive said was “You realise that you have lost all your data?” To some people this would be the last straw, they would stand and scream and pull all their hair out. I didn’t have to do this, which was lucky because I haven’t got that much to pull out. The reason I didn’t perform was simple. I had a backup. A backup means no lost data, well I did loose some data, the files I had updated since the last backup, luckily that was only a few.

To protect yourself from lost data you need to put a backup strategy into action.

The first thing you need to do is organize your data. Microsoft has provided a start by putting the My Documents folder in place for you. This folder should be used to hold all your own data, Word processing, spreadsheets, photos etc. This will then be easy to backup.

The next step is a bit tricky. With the size of today’s hard drives using floppies to backup your data could require, depending on the amount of data you have, something in the order of 20 disks or more, plus several hours of slotting them into the drive.

To limit this, restrict your backups to only data that can not be recovered by any other method. For instance, MP3s can be downloaded again, photos can be rescanned, software can be reinstalled.

It would also be a good idea to segregate your data based on usage. Create another folder to act as an archive (My Archive) and place files in there that you have finished updating. This can then be backed up just the once, and repeated only when new files are added.

This still leaves the problem of which medium would be best suited to backup onto. My recommendation would be CD-RW. CD rewriteables are relatively cheap, when you consider how much time and effort you spent in creating the files. The only problem with using CD-RW is that the backup program supplied with Windows does not support them, so you would have to purchase one that does. Willow Creek Software sell one for US$19.95. I don?t use this so can not comment on the quality of the software. You can try it for 90 days before buying.

There are several sites that will help you further in planning for backups:

These are good check lists for planning backups:

Before your data is gone with the windows?, backup!

See also The Great Windows CD-R Backup Saga

Site Of The Week

Have you got a nagging pain or a strange rash somewhere, the answer may be at theHealth Network. They provide guides to many ailments and also a directory of Doctors, Dentists and Specialists. But as the site often reminds you the guides are not a substitute for a consultation with your doctor.

November 8 2001 – Email

In Software on November 8, 2001 at 8:19 pm

30 years ago Ray Tomlinson sent the very first email message. He can’t remember what it said but QWERTYUIOP comes to mind. Not a message to be remembered for, but Tomlinson will be remembered as the man who made the @ famous. Most native English speakers know that fred@company.com is said Fred-at-company-dot-com, but apparently some cultures had never seen @ until email came along. These cultures developed their own names for @, some of which are pretty weird.

According to a study by IDC there were 10 billion emails sent each day in 2000. The volume is predicted to grow at an incredible speed to 14.9 billion emails sent daily by 2002.

A surprising fact to come out of the IDC research is that, in North America, people using Web mail, Hotmail etc, will out-number those using email clients like Outlook Express or Eudora. This is interesting when you consider the bad publicity that has surrounded Hotmail, visit Wired and follow the “see also” links.

The problems have not just been restricted to Hotmail. I use email addresses at Bigfoot email.com and Operamail. All of these organisations have had problems.

Email.com was forwarding the email to an incorrect email address of mine. This problem was related to the swapping of data and programs to a new owner’s buildings and computers.

Operamail locked my accounts requiring me to apply for a new password once I could prove who I was.

Bigfoot, not web mail but an email forwarding service, has just issued restrictions on the number of emails that can be dealt with in one day. They now charge for all the extra features as well. A sign of the times in the Internet industry.

I must admit though that I am very pleased with the service provided by email.com and Bigfoot.

Why do I need all these email addresses?

These services give you an email address that is independent of your ISP, so, if you change ISP, people will still be able to use the email address they are familiar with.

Using web mail enables the checking of email anywhere there is a computer that connects to the internet. I choose email.com because it not only provides web mail, but will also forward all mail to an address you specify.

By using Bigfoot I am able to get a handle on the amount of spam that comes my way. I only give my Bigfoot email address out to companies, and in those online forms that require email addresses. I am then able to use filters in my email client to direct spam to a junk mail folder.

Organisations that I am involved with also have email addresses. I monitor the email for them using web mail sites. When I leave those organisations, the email address for the organisation can remain the same.

You may have noticed that I use Orcon for the email address for this column. If you are looking for a free New Zealand based email address providing web mail, or downloading to your email client , look no further.

Site Of The Week

How would you like to sit back in your seat a cup of coffee in one hand and a bagel in the other while the web page you are reading slowly scrolls the page without you touching anything. At Bookmarklets you can find page scrolling bookmarks which perform auto-scrolling and lots of other features. They are easy to install into your browser and work in both IE and Netscape.

October 25 2001 – Windows XP Part 2

In Software on October 25, 2001 at 9:44 pm

Should I take the plunge to empty my bank account and upgrade to Windows XP?

There are six questions you should ask yourself before any upgrade:

  1. What do I use my PC for?First make a list of all the things you do on your PC. You might like to play games,write letters, manage your finances, or use the Internet. I am sure there are as manyways to use a PC as there are readers of this column.

  2. Will the new software help me do this any better?When you have the list you can check this against the features of the software and see if it will improve the way you work on your PC. If it does – the software is foryou. If it doesn’t – why bother?

  3. Are there new features in the software I need?Those new features always sound so inviting, but you should check the list of featuresincluded with the new release. Ican’t tell you what features you will need, you have to make up your own mind,perhaps based on the list of what you use your PC for. Ensure that you really needthem and they are not just “wouldn’t it be nice?” wants.

  4. Is my current PC able to run the new software?Peruse the requirements Keep in mind that these are only the MINIMUM requirements, it may be that your PCwill meet these requirements but XP will run like a three-legged, blind greyhound onMogadon. It is usual for software to require more than the minimum stated to runefficiently. You can test your PC for these requirements atwww.pcpitstop.com/xpready/xptests.asp

  5. Is the new software stable?Stability of the software is a big question. No one can answer this until it has beenrunning on PCs around the world for a while. My experience is that you should neveruse the first release of any software. This is based on years of professional softwareinstalling and maintaining. You may of course override a decision to wait for theinevitable service pack because of an overwhelming desire for a function onlyavailable in the new release. In that case be prepared for some problems. HoweverXP is promised to be more stable than previous versions of Windows.

  6. Can I afford it?This depends on how much disposable income you have and what package of XP youpurchase. The Home Edition, the one most readers will be interested in, comes in twoflavours. An upgrade pack, remember you can only upgrade from Windows 98, 98SEand ME, or the full version. The cost for the upgrade pack is $309, while the fullversion is $599. If you own more than one PC Product Activation will force you to purchaseone copy for each PC. The third way to buy XP is to purchase a new PC with theoperating system pre-loaded. These have been available for about a month.

More information to help you make your final decision ZDNET have an article detailing key considerations.

The BBC have two pages, they detail their experience of an XP install. They also ask the question ‘To upgrade or not upgrade?’ and explain some alternatives to using Microsoft Windows as your operating system.

October 11 2001 – Windows XP Part 1

In Software on October 11, 2001 at 8:21 pm

On October 25 Bill Gates will launch Microsoft’s new flagship operating system,Windows XP, in New York. This is seen by the NY Mayor as a sign that the Big Appleis back in business after the terrible events of September 11.

XP is the most important Windows version to be released since Windows 95. Thereare two packages available, The Professional Edition, for business use and the HomeEdition, for private use. See the differences.

The biggest change between XP and its predecessors is the DOS operatingsystem(OS) is not required. DOS is an old OS that was initially called QDOS forQuick and Dirty Operating System. It first saw the light of day 20 years ago when thePC was launched by IBM. XP has its roots in Windows NT, a much sturdierand more reliant OS. This means that those frequent Windows crashes should be athing of the past.

XP comes packed with lots of new features.Microsoft provide a tour of XP,and you can read a review of the new OS at ZDNET

As with all Microsoft software there is controversy associated with it.

Passport allows one sign on to all computerservices. Soon companies will be joining Microsoft and using this service to sign youin to their system. XP enforces a requirement for a Passport sign on for services suchas Windows Messenger. This could be viewed as an attempt to possibly control, andcharge a fee for every transaction that requires a secure sign on. Some believe itallows an all encompassing database to be built about everyone who uses the web. (1, 2).

Windows Messenger, an instant message service built into XP, is sure to start a battlewith rivals like ICQ and Yahoo! Messenger. As Messenger is part of XP, it is bound tobecome the dominant software just like IE has over Netscape. (1).

Steve Gibson, a researcher, has discovered what he considers to be amajor hole in XP security allowing computer users to claim they’re using anothercomputer when on the Internet. It is a complex issue, for an explanation visit his site.

In an attempt to limit the impact of piracy and illegal copying of the software theProduct Activation feature checks your computer configuration and requires you to contactMicrosoft within 30 days for an access key. Should you change your PC configuration you will need a new access key. If you have more than one computer at home youwill have to buy a copy of XP for each PC, but you should be doing this already. Some people have seen the requirement as an invasion of their personal rights, orworse (1, 2).

On Product Activation, Microsoft claim there is no need to worry and there wouldappear to be support for that view at The Register. Although thequestion of its efficacy remains to be seen, Wired has already run an article claiming ithas been circumvented.

All this, and more, has seen calls for the US government to stop Microsoftfrom releasing XP or break up theirmonopoly.

The next column will deal with the question – should you upgrade to XP?

June 21 2001 – Protect Your PC

In Software on June 21, 2001 at 8:10 pm

Have I got bad news boy? There are script-kiddies, hackers and crackers trying tocreate havoc on your computer. So search, surf and secure, before they hit you withtheir viruses, worms and trojan-horses See 1, 2,3.

It used to be that you could only catch a virus by passing a floppy from computer tocomputer. Now the Internet has made it extremely easy to be infected by these rogueprograms. You are open to greater risk if you are “always-on” the Internet, eitherconnected by cable, DSL, or just using a second phone line plugged into your modem. This is because an intruder can use a program that scans for computer’s addressesand probes them for open ports (entries to your PC). See.

One of the nastiest and easiest methods for an intruder to gain access toyour data is by using Back Orifice. Thisprogram was written, to expose the weaknesses in Microsoft Office, by a group of hackers calling themselves the Cult of TheDead Cow.

You can do something to decrease the likelihood of an infection hitting your PC. Thefirst step is to install a firewall. Don’t think that firewalls are only for businesses. Oneof the best firewall programs is also free – Zonealarm. Othersare Norton Internet Security and BlackiceDefender. Once installed you should use LeakTest andShieldsUp! to test your system.

The next step is to install a virus checker such as Symantec’s Norton AntiVirus 2000, Mcafee, or F-Secure. Once installed remember to regularly download andapply the latest updates at regular intervals.

Now it is time to visit Microsoft or use theTools/Windows Update function on your Internet Explorer (IE) menu bar. Here youcan download the latest updates to Windows software installed on your machine. Ensure that you always apply the critical updates regularly. The email program,Outlook is notorious for security problems, so pay particular attention to noticesregarding it.

It is most important that you never launch programs or script files that arrive inyour email. Even mail you receive from someone you know should be treated withsuspicion. You can identify these files by their extension such as .exe, .com, .bat, .xls,.doc, and .vbs. Before you run them ensure they have been virus scanned, even scanWord documents (.doc). You should use the options in IE and Outlook to switch offthe ability to automaticly execute programs, scripts and even Activex. Be carefulabout hidden file extensions, like files named something.jpg.vbs. You will only seesomething.jpg and assume it is safe to click. To check these files change yourExplorer file window options to show hidden extensions. Do this by using theView/Folder option, select View and remove the tick on “Hide file extension for knownfile types”. Then save the files to a folder and view the folder to see the full filename.

With these simple precautions I can’t guarantee that you will be safe, but it will bemore difficult to get at your PC.

Site Of The Week

Liam Hannigan is a Wellington based animator andgraphic/web designer. His short animated film “The Agave Worm” follows the fortunesof a tequila worm in the Mexican desert. The film has been well received overseaswith Liam receiving several invitations from film festival organisers around the world.