Wednesday, 19. September 2007, 02:34:16
tablet PC, tech shopping
Been surfing PC specs and prices for quite a while now, so I thought I'd share which computer I decided to get.
I realized what I really wanted to spend my money on was a PC I could use like a tablet. Most of what I do with a PC, such as internet stuff, writing, art, pictures, work, email, etc doesn't require a super high end monster system. ... So after some extensive shopping and agonizing, I went with the HP tx1000 / tx1000z ...
Read more...
Friday, 14. September 2007, 18:52:39
windows
In recent days, Windows Update (WU) started altering files on users' systems without displaying any dialog box to request permission. The only files that have been reportedly altered to date are nine small executables on XP and nine on Vista that are used by WU itself. Microsoft is patching these files silently, even if auto-updates have been disabled on a particular PC.
It's surprising that these files can be changed without the user's knowledge. The Automatic Updates dialog box in the Control Panel can be set to prevent updates from being installed automatically. However, with Microsoft's latest stealth move, updates to the WU executables seem to be installed regardless of the settings — without notifying users.
When users launch Windows Update, Microsoft's online service can check the version of its executables on the PC and update them if necessary. What's unusual is that people are reporting changes in these files although WU wasn't authorized to install anything.
This isn't the first time Microsoft has pushed updates out to users who prefer to test and install their updates manually. Not long ago, another Windows component, svchost.exe, was causing problems with Windows Update (June 2007). In that case, however, the Windows Update site notified users that updated software had to be installed before the patching process could proceed. This time, such a notice never appears.
For users who elect not to have updates installed automatically, the issue of consent is crucial. Microsoft has apparently decided, however, that it doesn't need permission to patch Windows Updates files, even if you've set your preferences to require it.
Wednesday, 12. September 2007, 03:50:22
web video, web tools
An update to the online video aggregation and sharing program called "Miro" was released on September 9th. This update brings the version to Public Preview 2 (build 0.9.9_2007-09-04)
If you're not familiar with Miro: this is a free application that competes in the same space as iTunes. Miro allows you to automatically subscribe to free online web content (like video "pods"/broadcasts/"video blogs"). Or you can just search for content using the built in search engines.
Because its built on a popular open-source media player, it plays anything (any format; e.g. MPEG, AVI, DivX, Xvid, MP3, MP4, wmv, Flash video, etc. -- this is an advantage over iTunes, afaik).
Miro also allows you to save videos to your hard drive -- including all those YouTube and Google videos you couldn't figure out how to save before!
One caveat though: this update removes support for
Veoh ... (it might be a "compatibility" issue as claimed in the Release Notes blog, but it seems to me that these two products are so similar they are actually competing with each other...)
Read the announcement and get the download link at http://www.getmiro.com/blog/2007/09/miro-public-preview-2-099-released/
\\
Saturday, 11. August 2007, 07:03:59
Wow. If this is true it explodes a lot of the preconceptions I have about strict no-meat-no-milk diets for children...
Though I would still argue that moderation and balance is even _more_ healthy. Extremism in _anything_ is negative. While a lifestyle based on moral prinicples is admirable, some of the attitudes (like 'my child will never be allowed to eat a donut', or 'no zoos') seem to border on the extreme, in my opinion...
I wonder if these children will rebel as teenagers by eating burgers and candy until they're sick? And what if children need to be exposed to our crap food in order for their bodies to be able to deal with exposure as adults (in the same way that we must be exposed to viruses and other germs in order to build immunity)?
Anyone know of any clinical data on the _long term_ effects of strict vegan or vegetarian diets on children?
Monday, 6. August 2007, 03:44:12
(
click here to see the whole image*)
* If you had Opera, you could just right click the image and select "Open image"!
visit: musicovery.com
Friday, 3. August 2007, 19:19:07
movies and television
Warner Home Video announced that it will release yet another cut of Ridley Scott's classic SciFi movie Blade Runner on DVD on December 18 2007, preceded by a brief theatrical run in Los Angeles and New York on Oct. 5.
The announcement came at the beginning of Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, where Scott and some of the cast were scheduled to appear.
Scott did some post-production on the 1982 movie to create
Blade Runner: The Final Cut, which has also been restored and remastered from original elements. The new version will feature never-before-seen added or extended scenes, added lines, new and improved special effects, director and filmmaker commentary, an all-new 5.1 Dolby Digital audio track, and more, the studio said.
Blade Runner: The Final Cut will be sold in three DVD editions, along with 3 other versions of the film ... >>
read the rest of this article (with pictures)
Friday, 3. August 2007, 00:09:42
surfing, my interest
<secret> Neat ! Secret messages! </secret>
I'm fairly skeptical and jaded, but having accidentally stumbled onto current.tv today (check your local cable listings), I'm actually impressed. The vast majority of everything I've seen today is actually very interesting, and well presented. It's a timely experiment in this age of 'user-created' web content:
pay young people to create content that will be aired on their television station. (The pitch to corporate idiots: "Think youTube with brains! On TV!")
website:
www.current.tv=interest=
0.
Fun (or at least interesting) commercial website of the week (referred by ad on current.tv):
::
http://www.rushmylo.com (sony)
:::
what is Sony Mylo?1.
free DynamicDNS :
:: http://www.dyndns.com/services/dns/dyndns/
2.
Opera Widget > DynDNS Updater
:: http://widgets.opera.com/widget/6918
3.
Opera Twitter Widget
:: http://widgets.opera.com/widget/6918
4.
couch surfing
= current question =
How do I code a page so that if the user has Flash / FlashPlayer disabled (or not installed),
I can display for them alternate content (such as a preview image or disclaimer that the Flash isn't visible)?
<commentary> This should be built in: images have ALT text, for example... </commentary>
= note =
Create Account for current.tv :.
privacy policy
WIDGETIZE