Dr. Computer News Wire

Web 3.0

2007-01-23T23:00:00.000-08:00

What do you think that I mean by that? I've been thinking that technology has proliferated our lives to the point that for some, it's completely integrated. Take my life for instance, I spend all day on my work computer assisting people who are relying on my boss's software to run their pool company. At night I operate my own business. I use accounting software to send invoices and bill my customers via PayPal. And now I'm updating my blog using Blogger's website.

Web 2.0 is a term used by the modern websites such as Blogger, MySpace, etc. Web 3.0 in my opinion is what's next. OnDemand TV is a fact for many of us. I see in the future the demise of what we call TV. OnDemand will be the only way we watch. This content will not come from cable providers but from the content producers themselves. If you want to watch Medium, you won't have to wait until it's on; you can click on a link on CBS Paramount's website to watch the program. Yes, I know it's on NBC, but CBS produces it.

Web 3.0 will be completely changing and effecting our lives. There are currently refrigerators that can order milk when you're low. When the internet becomes transparent, is when I believe Web 3.0 will arrive.

IRam Speeds Windows XP Start Up

2005-06-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

Taiwanese hardware maker Giga-byte Technology has stumbled upon a faster way to boot up PCs based on Microsoft's Windows XP operating system.

Giga-byte's IRam is a PC add-in card with four DDR DRAM (double data rate dynamic RAM memory) slots that's designed to be used as a PC drive. Because the IRam uses DRAM rather than a hard disk to store information, data can be retrieved from the drive up to 60 times faster than is possible with a hard drive, according to Giga-byte, which showed the board at the Computex exhibition in Taipei this week.

The IRam was originally designed for video and editing applications where users require fast access to very large files, but the company soon realized that the IRam had other potential applications, says Tim Handley, a marketing account manager at the company.

Quick Start
For users who are tired of sitting around and waiting for their Windows-based PCs to boot up, they can install Windows on the IRam and use that as the drive to start the system more quickly, Handley says. When the card is used in this way, starting Windows XP is a matter of seconds, rather than a minute or more, he says.

The IRam can also be used by gamers, who want to reduce the time required to access stored data, he says.

The IRam holds up to 4GB of DRAM in four memory slots. The card fits into a standard PCI slot, which provides power, and it uses a SATA (Serial ATA) connection for data transfer.

Unlike DRAM-based main memory, the IRam card doesn't lose data when the PC is switched off, says Thomas Chang, a product manager at Giga-byte. As long as the PC is plugged into a socket, a very small amount of current continues to run through some parts of the system, including the PCI slots. This provides enough power to make sure that no data is lost, he says.

If the PC is unplugged, the IRam has an on-board battery for emergency power that can last up to 12 hours, he says.

The IRam will be available in July and will be priced at around $60 without DRAM.

Computex runs through Saturday.

Holy Bat Guano! This is cool!

Rant on IE and Microsoft Haters

2004-11-19T13:06:00.000-08:00

I use IE because I want to. I use free software to buffer me from any attacks. I have a firewall/router as well. Two antivirus programs, Windows XP Sp2, Spybot S&D, Ad-aware and a freeware port scanner to alert me if none of those seemed to work. Therefore this WINTARD who's been in the IT business for 11 years and has been using computers for well over 20 years will continue to use IE because I hate Firefox. I think it's clunky and who gives a rat's behind about tabbed browsing anyway. I'm secure! My machine is secure! AND the FirePOX movement is starting to smell like other movements I've had. I use IE because I like Active X, I like to be able to view all websites as they were intended to be seen. It doesn't matter that poor programmers are at fault. I just want to see the %^$#^%$# page properly. I'm sick of "anybody but Gates" people telling me I've got to switch. IE users are only on they're own because of lack of knowledge. The internet isn't anything else but the wild west and if you get shot it's your own damned fault. Virus writers, spammers, and spyware perveyors are no better than the criminals floating around South Central Los Angeles or Hell's Kitchen of New York. I can ramp the security in IE so tight that I'll only be able to view the beginning web designer's first project of "Hello World."

If I were going to switch I'd listen to established experts and not all you people who are caught in the swoon of the MacAttack or the lilting lullaby of Linux. Bill Gates is NOT Satan. He's an entrepreneur who wants to make money. Last I heard we lived in a free market society. Most capitalists, when unchecked, would be entirely in favor of rampant monopoly power. The good thing is, though that where monopolies exist, there are checks put in place to prevent such things.

Microsoft is a monopoly by default. It is an easy operating system that most people have chosen to use. Therefore, Microsoft has the power of the marketplace to set prices and do business. I see nothing very wrong with that.

Bill Gates is not Satan and Microsoft is not the harbinger of the apocolypse. Please be aware that there are some people who just simply like using the products that are presented to them. The more third party applications I install, the larger my registry gets, and the slower my computer eventually becomes.

You get the point. I'm a power user, but I really don't care about tabbed browsing. The popup blocker in XPSP2 is awesome, and so is the firewall. I don't want to bloat my machine any more than is necessary. Or then maybe your paranoia blinds you to the point I'm making.

I have 4 browsers on my computer. IE, Maxthon, Opera and Firefox. I detect no speed difference, and since I have secured my machine, I don't detect any troubles. I go to only certain safe sites. I don't get caught in phishing schemes either. My email client is Outlook and I'm damned proud of it. My customers whom I support and protect have trusted me with the same and I have performed magnificiently.

In conclusion: Open your mind to all possiblities. I've chosen my browser and I've tried them all before coming home to what I've always used. Comes down to want I always say, "Fear breeds ignorance, Ignorance breeds paranoia."

Sending out an SMS

2004-10-11T01:11:00.000-07:00

Google is now beta testing GOOGL, it's new SMS service to provide limited search engine functionality to text messaging capable phones. People who would like to may text 46645 to obtain directory assistance and other such things.

Get local business listings when you're on the road and want to find a place to eat
Compare online product prices with ones you find in retail stores
Look up dictionary definitions to expand your vocabulary or prove a point
Find other specialized types of information, as described in how to use Google SMS

I've used the service and it works quite well. I can find anyone's directory information if I can type it in on my keypad. Helpful hint. Most phones have something called T9 mode which guesses words based on what keys you type. It's a must use for this service as it is difficult to type all that stuff.

For example: I can type Pizza 93534 and it will text me back with a few directions. Use this service. Text messages are much cheaper than 411 which on my phone costs 1.50 per use.

Great Quote to Live By

2004-10-10T16:48:00.000-07:00

"If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things."
René Descartes (1596-1650); French philosopher and mathematician.

Is Microsoft the Great Satan?

2004-10-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

Some people believe that Microsoft is the Great Satan. Well let me tell you this...

Most capitalists, when unchecked, would be entirely in favor of rampant monopoly power. The good thing is, though that where monopolies exist, there are checks put in place to prevent such things.

Microsoft is a monopoly by default. It is an easy operating system that most people have chosen to use. Therefore, Microsoft has the power of the marketplace to set prices and do business. I see nothing very wrong with that.

I don't approve of crushing businesses. Microsoft has in the past done this. However, businesses have learned how to survive in the MS dominated marketplace by simply being better.

Bill Gates is not Satan and Microsoft is not the harbinger of the apocolypse. Please be aware that there are some people who just simply like using the products that are presented to them. The more third party applications I install, the larger my registry gets, and the slower my computer eventually becomes.

I am pleased that Yahoo! is attempting to improve their site. But saying that. I don't use third party apps whenever possible. I have Opera and Firefox on my machine primarily because I design web pages and they have to show up the same on all pages. Little quirks here and there make it necessary for me to tweak and render. I choose one simple search engine, A9 which is very cool. I choose one IM to stay mostly in, MSNIM, but my mom has AOL so...

You get the point. I'm a power user, but I really don't care about tabbed browsing. The popup blocker in XPSP2 is awesome, and so is the firewall. I don't want to bloat my machine any more than is necessary. Or then maybe your paranoia blinds you to the point I'm making.

'Paranoia comes from ignorance. Facts bring peace' -- Steven Brock (Myself)

Should I build or buy?

2004-07-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

I often get calls from customers asking if I could build them a computer or upgrade their current one. Normally what I do is I ask them how old their current machine is. If a computer is more than 3 years old I start talking to them about a new machine. To be honest, I can't build a machine that Compaq or Dell can sell online or in the stores. And after you start upgrading and factoring in labor it becomes even cheaper to buy new. Go to Dell.com; they tend to have the best prices. Or you can call me to assist you with your investment.

10 Security Flaws Found in Mozilla

2004-09-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

By Nate Mook, BetaNews
September 15, 2004, 6:26 PM

While Microsoft's Internet Explorer has become the bane of computer security, switching to Mozilla may not be the simple answer after all. Security firm Secunia has issued a 'highly critical' advisory that details 10 separate vulnerabilities found in Mozilla, Firefox and Thunderbird. The flaws can be exploited remotely, allowing an attacker to compromise a system and expose sensitive data. Mozilla users are urged to upgrade to the latest releases of each application, which contain the necessary fixes.

(ed. Nothing is totally secure. Hackers have nothing better to do than to crash whatever they can get they're hands on. Just keep everything up to date, no matter what browser you use.)

Browsing the Site

2004-06-14T01:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting my site. My site offers much knowledge if you look around. However, I was wondering if you'd like me to offer more. Advice on new software or other such things. Please email me on the left so that I can serve you well.

W32.Mydoom.V@mm

2004-09-13T01:39:00.000-07:00

This is the latest to come down the pike. Be very careful. Never open attachments unless you have verified by phone that it's been sent. Viruses can use your address book to send out and it would seem like the virus came from someone you knew. This one not only installs itself without your interaction or knowledge, it also downloads W32.Sykel and Backdoor.Nemog.C. Just be careful and update your antivirus program. It's your best defense.

In the Beginning

2004-02-04T16:29:00.000-08:00

Thus begins the Dr. Computer News Wire. This is a special blog that will make reports and commentary on events in technology and any peripheral topic I can think of. Today's entry will talk about security.

We recommend that customers update their virus definitions every week as needed. An excellent program is Grisoft's AVG Antivirus. There is a free version there that rivals it's paid competitors.

Also, make sure that you have these two programs running on your machine: Spybot Search and Destroy and Ad Aware. These two programs are completely essential to blocking those random toolbars from appearing in your browser and any other spyware that may be polluting your system. And remember in Spybot S&D there's an immunize feature. Use it or you'll be using spyware detection software all over the place.

Don't worry folks these three programs are totally free and do not have any spyware added to it. Other products may say they'll help your system, but as shown by this article in CNET Spyware cures may cause more harm than good, other programs, such as SpyBan, may include it's own spyware.

So watch out folks. The internet is like the old west. If you didn't carry a gun, you might not be shot, but then again you might. At least if you were packing protection, you had a fighting chance. It's the same here. I help my customers identify spyware and viruses, sure. But I also help them change the behavior that allowed the nasties to get there in the first place.

Have a good day folks.