[H] Off - topic
Some years ago, a member of the list wrote about an attachment that he mailed to his buddy at work. When it was opened, the sound volume went way up and a loud voice said Look everybody, I'm watching porno, and simultaneously porn pictures briefly flashed on the screen. Instant panic!!! I have a couple of sons in their 40's that I'd like to try this on. Does anyone know the source of this attachment. Be well. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Best Rated Firewall Save US$39.95 Today ONLY
Online Armor the top rated Firewall is available ONLY today, absolutely free from; http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/online-armor/http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/online-armor/ Click Download Online Armor now Follow instructions in the Readme file carefully http://www.matousec.com/matousec.com is a highly respected site for rating Firewalls. They rate Online Armor #1 http://blog.scotsnewsletter.com/Scot's Newsletter Blog Review at http://tinyurl.com/3bdg4xhttp://tinyurl.com/3bdg4x or http://blog.scotsnewsletter.com/2008/03/24/the-best-firewall-software-of-2008-online-armor/http://blog.scotsnewsletter.com/2008/03/24/the-best-firewall-software-of-2008-online-armor/
[H] All-In-One Printer-Scanner-Fax recommendations
For some time there has been a conflict between Microsoft Office 2007 and some HP printers. I've heard that MS put out a patch for Office that created the problem. So far as I know, neither side has fixed the problem, saying it is the responsibility of the other.. See the discussion below: http://www.tech-archive.net/Archive/Word/microsoft.public.word.application.errors/2007-11/msg00307.html http://tinyurl.com/8clq2r
[H] (no subject)
I say that there are no legs on the bus...buses do not have legs. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] VHS to DVD recorder - LiteOn LVC-9016G
I have some VHS tapes that I want to record to DVD. I see that Geeks has a LiteOn-9016G for $79, but this model seems to have had mixed reviews. I might also use it to record TV programs, but the old VCR seems to do an adequate job. Anyone have a suggestion for another make or model? Thanks for any recommendations. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Intel chips
10:59 (Dow Jones) Intel (INTC) is gearing up to slash prices on its Core 2 Quad microprocessors in late July, according to published reports. Price cuts for its high-end Core 2 Quad chips are expected to be as much as 50%, with prices for some of its mainstream Core 2 Duo chips getting cut by 40%. INTC spokesman Chuck Mulloy said the chip maker never comments on price cuts until they happen. He did say INTC routinely reduces the prices of its chips as it continues to introduce new products. Shares up a fraction at $21.99. (DLF) Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Compaq hidden partition
Winterlight, I have dug up some old notes that I made relating to laptop repair which includes some notes on the Compaq hidden partition and formatting the hard drive. I will be happy to send a copy to you (and any other list member) if you will send me your home email address. Best Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES
The following article was written some years ago by a prominent Canadian journalist. It's as true now as it was then. TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES America: The Good Neighbor. Widespread but only partial news coverage was given recently to a remarkable editorial broadcast from Toronto by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian television commentator. What follows is the full text of his trenchant remarks as printed in the Congressional Record: This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States. When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it. When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped. The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans. I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International lines except Russia fly American Planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy, and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy, and you find men on the moon - not once, but several times - and safely home again. You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at . Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here. When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both are still broke. I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of those. Stand proud, America! Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] The Laptop-Desktop trend
From The Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB117987955659611510-Sn_6ulmTlec9nO34vmhvjjA5SsE_20070529.html?mod=mktw http://tinyurl.com/2udms3 Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Intel Core 2 Duo E4300
Does any one know if there is a notebook version of this chip planned or will this chip be also used in the notebook market. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Mail
I haven't received any Hardware Group email for a few weeks now. Is there a problem??? Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Stressed? Busy? Excel-erate your life
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060826.EXCEL26/TPStory/TPEntertainment/Style/ Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Laptop Batteries
From The New York Times: Tips on Longevity and Reviving the Dead http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/24/technology/24basics.html?themc=th Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Dell batteries update
Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/14/AR2006081400881.html?referrer=email Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Symantec - Norton
http://shorl.com/hosufohinyta Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Dell Laptop Batteries
Steve Bass newsletter: International Herald Tribune: Flaming Computer Puts Dell on the Defensive http://www.iht.com/bin/print_ipub.php?file=/articles/2006/07/10/business/dell.php Gizmodo has some pictures: Dell Laptop Explodes in Flames http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/laptops/dell-laptop-explodes-in-flames-182257.php And the kicker is, it happened again about a month later. [Thanks for the tip, Robert D.] Read about it on Tomshardware Forumz: Dude, your Dell just freaking blew up!!! http://community.tomshardware.com/dellpost.html?name=Forumsfile=viewtopict=192887ex=Dude-Dell-freaking-blew Wait! You want yet another kicker? Try the exploding laptop in Singapore. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the owner thought it was a fluke: Dell Laptop Became a Flamethrower http://www.smh.com.au/news/laptops--desktops/laptop-turns-to-flamethrower/2006/07/28/1153816375720.html Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] AntiVirus - Consumer Reports
The September issue of Consumer Reports has a cover article on the best software to protect against Viruses, Spam and Spyware. They rate 12 antivirus programs and the top three are: 1. BitDefender 2. ZoneAlarm 3. Kaspersky Labs I have no idea how reliable their testing is, BUT the point of this message is that it is important to be aware of what information customers who read Consumer Reports will have. Best Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Best Antivirus
According to Scott Finnie, the best antivirus program is F-Secure. It prevailed over the other two final contenders: NOD32, and AVG Network edition http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/83.htm#avv FWIW Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] OT - Al Jazeera
This is quite a remarkable segment from Al Jazeera television: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ai=214ar=1050wmvak=nullhttp://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ai=214ar=1050wmvak=null Wafa Sultan is a psychologist from Los Angeles and was on some sort of panel discussing Muslims and the West. She is very articulate and outspoken and makes her case very well that Muslims must change their thinking if they are to have a place in the world. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Dinosaur computers
Interesting stuff: http://nl.com.com/view_online_newsletter.jsp?list_id=e138 Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Switch
At 01:00 AM 7-26-06 +, you wrote: Any Apple guru's out there? I'm jumping into Apple systems now. All signed up and legit (background investigation completed - lol). I am looking for some basic info, apple email lists, and pc(MS) user to apple user how-to's etc. Need to get started on this so I can get up to speed. Some months ago, I assembled some material on this topic. I'll send you a copy of the memo off-list. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Malware - Support Alert newsletter
From the Support Alert newsletter of July 20-06: (Not posted on the site yet) http://www.techsupportalert.com/issues/back_issues.htm By the time this series is completed, I'll have some specific recommendations for you on the best way to protect your computer against the latest generation of threats. These recommendations will be based on facts rather than vendor hype or commercial affiliation. Even now, two things are already clear to me. First, it's almost impossible to defend your PC from a modern malware program that is allowed to run on your PC with full admin privileges. The problem here is not with the security programs. The problem is with Windows. Second, it looks like virtualization techniques such as those used by VMWare, Sandboxie and the newcomer GreenBorder (see section 2.1 below) offer the best option for preventing infection. Here's my interim recommendation: If you are using Windows 2000 and later I strongly recommend you always surf using one of these virtualization products. It needn't cost you a cent either; SandBoxie is free and GreenBorder is free for the next 12 months. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Is Nothing Safe Anymore?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060717.gtrmp317/BNStory/Technology/home Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] XP No OS found
At 12:11 AM 7-05-06 +, you wrote: I have an XP Pro machine that has stopped booting. HD tests fine, and there's a Windows folder, and the boot.ini appears right, but it won't boot. Any ideas what I can try? Here is a useful check list: Boot: 10 Things You Can Do When Windows Xp Won't Boot When you're dealing with a Windows XP system that won't boot, it helps to know what areas to target as you try to diagnose the problem. Windows expert Greg Shultz put together this list to help you identify and resolve the boot issue. http://ct.techrepublic.com.com/clicks?c=1333867-14662934brand=techrepublicds=5fs=0 Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Hot Laptops
Laptops have been really hot lately. String of fires, sparked by faulty or overheated batteries, is raising concern with industry experts and computer manufacturers http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060705.wxlaptop05/BNStory/Technology/home Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Grammatical slip-ups
From Techrepublic: http://ct.zdnet.com/clicks?t=2804135-04024a745cf97824b3f143452bc20f87-bfs=5fs=010 flagrant grammar mistakes that make you look stupid When you need to craft an error-free message that reflects your professionalism, be on the lookout for these common grammatical slip-ups. http://downloads.techrepublic.com.com/5138-10881-6075682.html?tag=tr.dl.zdntag=nl.e530 Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Dell's remote assistance
From the New York Times: ... the decline in computer prices took a toll on customer service, long a hallmark of the Dell model. The company found it harder to justify the kind of service it had provided for $1,000 PC's when those systems were selling for $350. So it decided to stop fixing certain kinds of problems, mostly related to software, spam and viruses. It decided to answer more of its customers' questions from call centers overseas, and long waits became common. ... Mr. Rollins sees a new service, DellConnect, as a technology that could solve customer woes and save the company money at the same time. A call center employee asks a customer with a troubled PC whether a Dell technician can take over the machine remotely via a high-speed Internet connection. The technician then diagnoses and fixes as much of the problem as possible. Mr. Rollins said that DellConnect, which was in testing until early this month, had been used 450,000 times and that 80 percent of problems were resolved. Here is the part Mr. Rollins really liked: 95 percent of customers were left satisfied. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/15/technology/15dell.html?pagewanted=1_r=1thadxnnl=0emc=thadxnnlx=1150376487-O8O2BN6SmSrUlSnbk5crNg Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] worst products of Q1 2006
From PC Mag: Here are the worst products of Q1 2006: 1. Dell W5001C Plasma Display 2. Iomega ScreenPlay External Hard Drive 3. Verizon Wireless CDM-180 4. LG CE500 5. Olympus Stylus 600 6. i.Sound Max 7. Konica Minolta PagePro 1400W 8. HP Scanjet 4890 Photo Scanner 9. Pentax *ist DS2 10. Klegg Mini 11. Nokia 6061 http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1953611,00.asp Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Benefits of Defragging
From TechRepublic: Download this IDC report to read the findings of tests conducted by NSTL, a leading independent hardware and software testing organization, on the impact that disk defragmentation has on Windows XP performance. http://ct.techrepublic.com.com/clicks?c=2138756-14662934brand=techrepublicds=5 Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Can a computer turn you on?
Interesting article on electrosensitivity. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060328.gtelectricity28/BNStory/Technology/ Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Evolving technologies
Interesting article on evolving technology: http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/P143816.asp#msnhp Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Motherboard upgrade gotcha
From the Lockergnome newsletter: Microsoft recently made changes to the license agreement. A new motherboard is now apparently the equal of a new computer, and if you upgrade it you need to purchase a new Windows license. Microsoft's new policy states: An upgrade of the motherboard is considered to result in a new personal computer to which Microsoft OEM operating system software cannot be transferred from another computer. If the motherboard is upgraded or replaced for reasons other than a defect, then a new computer has been created and the license of new operating system software is required. http://channels.lockergnome.com/windows/archives/20060223_microsoft_upgraded_motherboard_new_windows_license.phtml Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Wi-Fi to Go
New York Times: Wi-Fi to Go: The Hot Spot in a Box You know what would be so cool? A portable Wi-Fi hot spot. Actually, such a thing exists. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/23/technology/circuits/23pogue.html?_r=1themc=thoref=slogin Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Consulting Contract sample
TechRepublic has issued a suggested form of Consulting Contract. It contains some unnecessary legalese, but would be useful for some members to read. http://ct.techrepublic.com.com/clicks?c=1406165-14662934brand=techrepublicds=5fs=0 Best to all. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] PC World anitvirus reviews
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,124163,pg,2,00.asp Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Microsoft patch
Responding to an outcry from the tech community, Microsoft said it will release a critical patch at around 2:00 p.m. Thursday instead of waiting until next week. http://ct.zdnet.com/clicks?c=1102881-14662934brand=zdnetds=5fs=0 Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Microsoft patch
At 01:01 PM 1-06-06 +, Ben Ruset wrote: This is the third time that this has been posted. :) Ben, my email was sent at 7PM , Toronto time, yesterday. I received an email saying the it was being held for review ??? Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Windows vulnerability?
From ZDNet: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/index.php?p=143tag=nl.e589 Microsoft's official workaround to unregister a certain DLL file using the command of regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll at the Start-Run prompt seems to also be very effective. Unfortunately, it kills the ability for Windows Explorer to display thumbnail images but I'm afraid we'll have to live without it until an official patch from Microsoft comes out (hopefully next month's patch cycle). There are new reports that there are certain cases where this fix doesn't work. MSPaint and Lotus Notes can still be exploited even with this DLL unregistered. I think we haven't heard the end of this one yet and there may be many more applications vulnerable to this exploit but the combination of hardware-enforced DEP and unregistering the shimgvw.dll file seems to be very effective for now. Best to all. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Re: Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas
At 01:00 AM 12-25-05 +, Jeff Lane wrote: I'm smilingMerry Christmas to all and to all a Happy Ho Ho To be politically correct, you can't say Ho, Ho, Ho. It's been changed to Lady of the Night, Lady of the Night, Lady of the Night. :-) Best wishes to all! Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Sygate RIP
Now that Symantec is killing Sygate (effective tomorrow), I've been considering new firewall software. I've also dropped Symantec (all of its software). Does anyone have any experience with Panda? The price seems right in the blurb I got today. This program analyzes software's behavior--not just its definitions--to block damaging programs from your PC. It also gets rid of macro viruses, which affect Word, Excel, and Access documents. It can eliminate e-mail viruses, as well as those from Java applets and ActiveX controls. A fully integrated firewall, an advanced-configuration wizard, and the ability to scan and disinfect both incoming and outgoing e-mails round out the program. Price: Free trial; $15 to purchase Download Panda Titanium Antivirus 2006 + Antispyware now at: http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,5068,tk,hsx,00.asp Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] It's a mad, mad world!
On an August morning in 1978, French filmmaker Claude Lelouch mounted a gyro-stabilized camera to the bumper of a Ferrari 275 GTB and had a friend, a professional Formula 1 racer, drive at breakneck speed through the heart of Paris. The film was limited for technical reasons to 10 minutes; the course was from Porte Dauphine, through the Louvre, to the Basilica of Sacre Coeur. No streets were closed, for Lelouch was unable to obtain a permit. The driver completed the course in about 9 minutes, reaching nearly 140 MPH in some stretches. The footage reveals him running real red lights, nearly hitting real pedestrians, and driving the wrong way up real one-way streets. When this film was first shown, Lelouch was arrested, and because of this, the footage has spent many years underground before it began to resurface on DVD a few years ago. http://www.toronto-subaru-club.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=STf=17t=29497 Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Bart XP CD
I want to burn another Bart CD with utilities on it. What are the most useful utilities to include on this CD? Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Looking for a tech site?
note, that if a service runs for catalog indexing such as Cidaemon.exe that is discussed in the Win2k article [Q156756], further discussed in [Q308202] for both Win2k and WinXP, it is suggested that some testing be conducted to perhaps check whether certain services are necessary and used -- after reading the article, HOW TO: Use Computer Management in Windows XP (Q308423). Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] OT - Cat Bowling
Keep your hand on the spacebar: http://www.syix.com/elmer/Flash%20Games%202/Cat%20Bowling.swf Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Help identifying a PCI card
Belarc Advisor or one of the other diagnostic utilities? Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Anti-Virus Programs
. the tests show that by layering protection by combining AVG with another free product, Ewido, the overall detection rates were higher than using NOD32 alone. You can find the results of the tests on the Tech Support Alert web site at http://www.techsupportalert.com/free-vs-paid-av.htm Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Electronic Gunk ???
From Bob Rankin's newsletter: ... Until recently, I would have dismissed the notion that electronic gunk can accumulate in a machine and cause it to act erratically. But a few months ago my high-speed Internet connection, which is normally rock solid, started getting flaky. I unplugged my cable modem, plugged it back in and voila... things were back to normal. And since then I've repeated the procedure a few times with good results, whenever I noticed a slowdown in my Internet speed. ... http://www.askbobrankin.com/do_computers_get_tired.html Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Sticky notes/hyper links ideas
At 04:58 PM 13/10/2005, Brian Weeden wrote: Any ideas for a better solution? Something where I can make notes as I am surfing along for things to go back to later and accessible from multiple machines? The first software I open after my email client is MS Word and a document that contains all my email extracts. Then whenever I run across something that I want to keep for future reference, I copy and paste to the Word document which contains headings in alphabetical order. When the Word document is 100 pages long, I start another. You would be amazed at how many extracts there are from this list. It works for me. The pack rat a.k.a. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] iPod versus ?
From the New York Times: Those who want to remain neutral in the digital audio format wars may spend more and endure inconveniences. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/06/technology/circuits/06basics.html?themc=th Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Activation of XP questions
Here is a clip from WXPnews this morning with another variation on this theme: .. we talked about reformatting the hard disk and reinstalling XP. But do you have to go through the whole product activation hassle again when you do that? Actually, there's a way around it. Before you wipe out the current installation, backup your product activation files and then you can restore them to the new installation. Here's how: * Right click Start and click Explore. * In Windows Explorer, navigate to \WINDOWS\System32\ (usually on the c: drive but may be on a different drive depending on where you installed XP). * Copy the following files to a floppy, CD or second hard disk: wpa.dbl, wpa.bak. To restore the files, start the computer in Safe Mode and copy them to the same directory (\WINDOWS\System32). Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Toshiba Satellite 3000 inverter card
There is a little more information available about the inverter card issue. Apparently there was a class action lawsuit against Toshiba relating to the inverter problem. http://www.lieffcabraser.com/notebook-flicker.htm This apparently caused Toshiba to recognize the inverter problem for some models. See:http://www.LCDFLInverterAdmin.com which spells out how to get the inverter replaced without charge for notebooks of the Satellite 1800 series, Satellite Pro 4600 series, and the Tecra 8100. The warranty is extended to May 4, 2006 for the inverter even where the main warranty has expired. I have found nothing relating to the other Toshiba notebook models that have this problem. Perhaps Toshiba is sufficiently shy about the class action lawsuit risk that it can be pressured into correcting the problem in individual cases. Best wishes Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] activation of XP questions
Why does everybody use the phone...why not the online activation? Here's a scrap that I picked up somewhere - not sure where: When you activate windows it gives you the option to do it automatically or by phone. If you do it automatically your computer sends an ID code to Microsoft and if the code is accepted Microsoft sends back an activation code which is stored in an encrypted file in the system32 folder (wpa.dbl) To get around this you should choose to activate by phone. This will open a window giving you a phone number to call, an ID number, and a set of blocks to type in the [WPA] key. When you call the number you get an automated system that will ask you to read the ID number. If it accepts the number it will give you the [WPA] key a few numbers at a time. it will ask you if you got the numbers after each set and give you the option to have them repeated. Just write down the numbers the first time and ask to have them repeated and type them in the appropriate box the second time. Keep doing that until you have all the numbers, and then activate your windows installation. Keep the [WPA] key with your installation disk and you can use it to activate windows as many times as you want. Just choose activate by phone and type in the [WPA key you saved]. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Toshiba Satellite 3000 inverter card
Recently I was working on my sister's Satellite 3000 notebook which had lost its display. Apparently it starting out losing its display after working for several minutes - and then got to the point of a black screen on bootup. I thought that it might be a software problem or a dead backlight. I searched the Net extensively and only accidentally came upon a site in which numerous emails described many Toshiba notebook models with the same black display problem due to a faulty connector on the inverter card. http://217.115.198.3/content/topic/13841/?o=0 See the email dated Dec 16-03 by Bob Pfeiffer for the fix (the problem may recur). Apparently Toshiba has offered a free fix for some models with this problem. Thought this might be helpful to someone on the list. Best wishes Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] AV Reviews
At 10:58 PM 9-08-05 +, you wrote: Someone posted a link before that listed the number of detections that the various AV softwares made. Can someone repost that? I'm essentially looking for a comparison between McAfee and Trend corporate editions. Not sure if the URL you want is in the text below: ++ Antivirus program tests: Gizmo Richards' newsletter at techsupportalert: 1.5 Virus Scanners Tested and Rated I'm pretty suspicious of many of the comparative tests of anti- virus products I read. Most are based on simple file scanning tests. Few reviewers take the trouble of running tests of detection-on-execution, detection of existing infections and removal effectiveness mainly because these tests are so time consuming. That's why I was delighted to see John Bang's latest reviews over at SuggestAFix. John did it right which is perhaps why I find myself in the unusual position of largely agreeing with his findings. Not entirely of course; I think NOD32 is rather better than John infers and AntiVir impresses me less but otherwise we are pretty well aligned in our views. http://www.suggestafix.com/index.php?act=STf=16t=16990s=407229a133914019ef7531bdc8207d1c He also did his own testing in a previous newsletter where he determined that no single AV was sufficient. He recommends using two AVs one trojan hunter and at least one antispyware. I also use two intrusion monitors; prevx and Winpatrol. All are free and give high level of coverage when combined. AntiVirus: Langa: While AVG (free) is probably the best free antivirus tool around, it doesn't seem to be the best AV tool overall: For example, it hasn't done as well in independent, third-party tests as have some of the other AV tools: Take the Virus Bulletin ratings ( http://www.virusbtn.com Best wishes Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] VHS to DVD
I have some VHS tapes that I want to transfer to DVD. (I will not be recording from TV.) I have researched this on the Net, and a popular solution seems to be a stand-alone device. I have been looking at ADS Tech's DVD Express. Comments are both positive and negative. The commentaries say that it runs hot, but that can be corrected by turning it over and putting a glass of ice on it. If I were to go the PCI card route, one recommendation is a V-Stream Xpert DVD Maker 883 PCI card: which can capture, author, and burn any videos from any video source such as DVD Player / VCD / VHS /Camcorder - and can Direct-Burn to DVD without any extra HD space by using CyberLink PowerProducer Gold. Another possibility is the Kworld VS-LTV883D Xpert DVD Maker PCI card. The software is included and can load the VHS onto the computer, edit it, and then burn to DVD - or burn directly from VHS to DVD. Any thoughts or recommendations? Best wishes Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] VHS to DVD
CNet has just done a comparison of leading VHS to DVD recorders. http://reviews.cnet.com/4521-6531_7-5021437-3.html?tag=nl.e404 Looks like the Lite-On LVC-9006 has come out on top of those tested. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Opera
Opera is offering free registration codes: http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?QTaDHwzOcQsEJ.HqdlXxgg http://www.opera.com Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Re: Operation Retro Gaming Rig
At 01:00 AM 28/08/2005 +,James Boswell wrote: I'm having some 'hrmm' and I'm wondering if you guys know where I could get ALL the 'final' patches for Windows 98, and a good source for Win98 drivers would nice too if anyone has one. You might find something here: http://www.9software.com/category_s/19.htm Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Real hardware guy
At 03:40 PM 23/08/2005 +, Thane wrote: Instructions (and video) of home made flamethrower. Isn't this what we all need? :) http://carpetmonster.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fj.htm I'll bet the neighbors are thrilled to have this nut living next door! Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Verizon blue eyes
From the broad_band discussion list: +++ Subject: RE: [broad_band] Verizon DSL Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit LOL! They gave me a dedicated line right to my DSL modem, and all is working beautifully now. Faster speed too! They mentioned that it is typical of Verizon Online to give customers the run-around like they gave me before sending them (the actual he-man type tech) out to actually work at someone's home. They said they usually get people who are just livid and screaming by the time they get to them. And they said that Verizon has lost a lot of business in this area because their telephone CSR's are so terrible. Interesting... Diane ++ Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Fwd: OT Softwood lumber dispute , US - Canada
Date: Sat, 20 Aug 2005 16:03:21 -0400 To: hardware@hardwaregroup.com From: Robert Turnbull [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: OT Softwood lumber dispute , US - Canada http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050820.wxnafta20/BNStory/National/ and they whine, Why does the world hate us so? No wonder Russia and China are holding joint military manoeuvres. Shades of Orwell's 1984. +++ The above text was sent to me by an acquaintance. I believe it illustrates the importance of America being conscious of its international image. No one can afford to be without friends. I thought I'd get a nibble or two - everyone must be on vacation! :-) Best to all Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] OT Softwood lumber dispute , US - Canada
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050820.wxnafta20/BNStory/National/ and they whine, Why does the world hate us so? No wonder Russia and China are holding joint military manoeuvres. Shades of Orwell's 1984. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Video cables
The PC World Test Center evaluated analog and digital video cables from five vendors: budget-cable companies CableWholesale.com and StarTech.com, industry leader Monster Cable, and boutique brands AudioQuest and Kimber Kable. For analog connections, we tested the three-wire component-video cable--the only common analog interconnect that can carry high-definition TV or progressive-scan DVD signals. For digital connections, we used High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), which carries digital video and audio signals. Prices for the component cables ranged from $18 (CableWholesale.com) up to $275 (AudioQuest). The HDMI cable prices ranged from $31 (CableWholesale.com) to $300 (Monster Cable). See our chart for pricing and vendor information: http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,121777,pg,4,tk,box,00.asp Our verdict: Whether you hook up your TV via digital connections, analog connections, or both, you are unlikely to detect any difference in picture quality between a cable with a moderate price and a luxury brand. Read on for details. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Acoo Browser 1.20
From the Internet Scout Report: Acoo Browser 1.20 http://www.acoobrowser.com/http://www.acoobrowser.com/ As summer begins to draw to a close, some regular Scout Report readers may be interested in taking a look at a new Web browser. One such browser of note is the Acoo Browser, which allows users to surf multiple sites within one browser window. The browser also contains a number of features, such as an ad filter, a pop-up blocker, and script error suppression. This latest version of Acoo is compatible with Windows 98 or newer. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] End of the Internet ???
Interesting article: How the Internet could die http://ct.cnet-ssa.com.com/clicks?c=352440-14662934brand=cnet-ssads=5fs=0 Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Benchmarks?
From PC World: Dr. Hardware 2005 This nifty little program contains tools to analyze all your Windows components. Like other system tools, it makes inquiries into your Registry settings; beyond that, it makes calls to your processor, cache, memory modules, chip sets, and monitor. It also makes independent calls to your BIOS and I/O ports, helping you detect conflicts that are independent of your OS. Finally, the program tells you the benchmark of your computer. Dr. Hardware provides information about SDRAM modules; sensor chips and main-board chip set; and any type of device your PC might have, whether it's SCSI, EIDE, or PCI. It also provides benchmarks for the CPU, the video adapter, and CD-ROM and DVD drives. This latest release detects the latest processors, PCI devices, and main-board chip sets. Version: 5.5.0 Price: Free trial; $30 to purchase Download Dr. Hardware 2005 now at: http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,7661,tk,hsx,00.asphttp://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,7661,tk,hsx,00.asp Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Electric Sheep
Interesting concept. Anyone tried it? More importantly, does it put a computer at greater risk of invasion. http://electricsheep.org/ Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. et al. v. Grokster, Ltd., et al.
From The Washington Post: In http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W6RH04C5C064AD9BC6D7A3C8141400Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. et al. v. Grokster, Ltd., et al., the Court held that Grokster could be sued by MGM and other entertainment industry firms for its creation of a peer-to-peer file-sharing service. That's not because Grokster's software could be used for downloading movies and music, nor because Grokster's software was being used for that purpose, nor even because the Groksterites intended that use. The difference here, Justice David Souter wrote for a 9-0 majority, was that Grokster advertised itself as a way to get movies and music without paying. To quote http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W6RH04C5C0575D9BC6D7A3C8141400Souter's opinion: one who distributes a device with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright, as shown by clear expression or other affirmative steps taken to foster infringement, is liable for the resulting acts of infringement by third parties. This is a somewhat fine distinction that seems to have gotten lost in some we're-all-gonna-die! analysis. The ruling does not throw people in jail for making hardware or software that could be used to share copyrighted works. It does not require the developers of hardware and software to act as copyright cops. The ruling makes this clear on page 19: Mere knowledge of infringing potential or of actual infringing uses would not be enough here to subject a distributor to liability, and in footnote 12 on page 22: In the absence of other evidence of intent, a court would be unable to find contributory infringement liability merely based on a failure to take affirmative steps to prevent infringement, if the device otherwise was capable of substantial noninfringing uses. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Norton, Bloody Norton
At 01:00 AM 04/07/2005 +, you wrote: You did make copies before you sent everything off, didn't you? Greg, I did make copies of everything before sending it off. Scanners are wonderful. Best Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] BitTorrent
From Securing the Enterprise: Anti-spyware advocates cry foul as the popular peer-to-peer protocol becomes the latest mechanism for the stealthy distribution of adware/spyware bundles. http://ct.enews.eweek.com/rd/cts?d=186-2159-5-92-42064-245376-0-0-0-1 Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Notebook drive
According to this reference, on a Thinkpad T23, it would make quite a difference: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=5726highlight=hard+drive+5400+speed+improvement Make sure that the thickness or height of the new drive fits the slot or the carrier in the notebook. Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
[H] Thinkpad T42
At 10:57 AM 14/04/2005 +, you wrote: The new machine they want to give me is a Thinkpad T42 the docking station is a Mini-Dock - Part Number: 287810U. You should be able to find lots of views here: http://forum.thinkpads.com/search.php?sid=c534fefc98460a893054126437473616 Best wishes Robert Turnbull, Toronto, Canada
