Technology Wrap

Monday, June 05, 2006

Steve Ballmer can't Rid PC of Spyware/Malware

Originally, I had decided not to post this but I'm sorry this is just undeniably hilarious and it further stresses the fact that Microsoft generates its own bad press.

Microsoft VP Jim Allchin recently told a story about Steve Ballmer and it turned out to be a good one. Steve Ballmer was at a wedding reception when the bride's father said that his PC was slowing to a crawl and asked Ballmer to check it out. PAUSE. This is Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Just keep that in mind.

So Ballmer took the PC under his care and the CEO and manager of the Operating System in front of him COULD NOT rid the PC of malware and spyware.

Ok, ok he couldn't do it. Maybe he is just a business man and isn't that techie. Ballmer sent the PC to some of Microsoft's best engineers and they could NOT rid the PC of spyware and malware no matter what they tried. The PC was infected with over 100 pieces of malware: many of which the TOP engineers could not exterminate.

Moral of the Story: If Microsoft's CEO and top engineers can't rid their own OS from malware and spyware then how do you expect the ordinary person to do so?

Google Spreadsheets (Sign Up Now for Beta)

Google is now offering a signup program for the upcoming beta of Google Spreadsheets. It is on a first-come first-serve basis so sign up soon. Google Spreadsheets will be an online Excel if-you-will and will hope to compete with Microsoft's Office Excel.

Google Spreadsheets will allow you to create, share, and store spreadsheets. Here are some pics from their Google Spreadsheets Sneak Peek.

Flip4Mac becomes Universal! Finally!

Flip4Mac is now a Universal Binary. Although it is a closed beta there are some great guys out there that have provided links to download so you can have it even if you didn't sign up for the beta.

For those of you that don't know Flip4Mac is a plugin that allows you to play .wmv files through Quicktime. Microsoft now supports it as its official way to play .wmv files on Macs ever since they cut Windows Media Player support for Macs.

Eventually, Flip4Mac will be released for real and of course for free but if you wish then go ahead and download. I chose to download it because I have been waiting for it for so long and I hate having Windows Media Player on my Mac.

It works great for me and I haven't experienced any difficulties.

Download here.
Another link just in case the previous one doesn't work.
Another option.

Xbox 360 to get 125 New Features Tomorrow

Here is the complete list via xbox.com. Before you start reading I just would like to point out that all these improvements are being made while still being the ONLY next-gen system out For Sale. These new features just puts the Xbox 360 one step ahead of the Wii and PS3.

NEW FEATURES

“Download manager” - Marketplace items now download in the background, queue up to six pieces of content
DVD bookmark support will remember the film’s timing and location when resuming viewing
Fast-forward and rewind now offered at 2x -16x for any videos saved to hard drive
“Boot to Dashboard” setting will bypass the loading of any disc in the drive and open directly to Dashboard during power-on
Begin slideshows from any photo
Music player saves “shuffle” setting
Much player save “repeat” setting
Music player now displays which file is currently playing in the playlist
Music volume level persists between game / reboots
8 new locales added (Chile, Brazil, India, South Africa, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Separate settings now offered for Game and User volume controls
Themes can now be set from the “System” blade on the Dashboard
User-selected music continues play when switching from Dashboard to game or game to Dashboard
“All Arcade Games” added as a selection in the Xbox Live Arcade area
Personal gamer pictures allowed as Gamertiles – displayed only to those on your Friends List
Added support to disable sound effects when navigating Dashboard
Instantaneous “Change Theme” option added upon downloading new Dashboard themes
Preserve folder structure of source when viewing photos
A / B labels now provided to identify memory units in Dashboard
Online status set to “Away” when screensaver becomes active

SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS

DVD Player

Improved audio/video sync after extended pauses
Improved visual quality
DVD player outputs at native resolution over VGA connection
Improved playback smoothness
Improved fast-forward and rewind smoothness
DVD play continues to attempt to read a disc after “disc read” error
DVD play à Pause à Play jitter / out of synch issues improved
DVD play à Slow Play à Play jitter / out of synch issues improved
Repaired issues with missing menu selection icon from DVD disc menu for certain films
Improved Xbox 360 Guide efficiency during certain films
Repaired playback stutter during certain films

Music Player

Player now populates music data (Title, Artist, etc.) when no track information is available
User music is now pauses, instead of stopping, when games override user-selected background music
Selecting an artist’s album no longer displays albums for all artists
Improved performance when retrieving playlists from a Windows Media connection
List music tracks in track-order when viewing albums by specific artist
Unified music controls for music player in Dashboard and pop-up Guide
Improved playback for Mono AAC-encoded files
Improved connection timing between console and CD database over Internet
Player no longer allows hard-drive selection when no hard-drive is connected
Removed handling of MTP/USB devices when playing music from them more robust
Improved error codes / messaging associated with unplayable content

Localization Improvements

Fixed partially truncated strings in Portuguese, Spanish and Italian
Korean clock / date format corrected after initial set-up
Fixed system hang when changing the language of the console immediately after signing out
Korean virtual keyboard “down” navigation now works for lower-right button
Korean virtual keyboard caps disabled for input mode
Fixed overlapping characters for pre-paid Gold membership card (Japanese localization)
Removed extra spaces in several translated words (French localization)
PC name displayed properly when containing Japanese characters
Support single apostrophe character for Japanese virtual keyboard

Memory Area Improvements

Streamlined selection – no profile selection required
Improved overall performance, allowing quicker access to content
Improved content views including name, file type, size, profile owner and location
Faster identification of file types and fewer steps for actions such as copy, move, delete, etc.
Capacity (or percentage-full) of storage device now consistent between select-a-device and storage scenes
Device selection now shown on each screen to improve usability

Miscellaneous System Improvements

Time elapsed now displayed when playing music files
Enhanced categorization of media library
Accelerated scrolling of large music lists
New “shuffle” icon
Repeat / Shuffle icon now operates as toggle button
Default button for manual IP address is now “A” instead of “Done”
Hidden and system folders are no longer displayed from MTP / mass storage devices
Difficulty levels for gamer profiles ordered correctly
Added additional line and word-wrap to “Publisher” in video area
Shuffle / Random no longer skips last image in list when viewing photos
Improved handling of Friend Requests between Gamertags that have changed names
No longer asked “Exist to Dash?” when switching between areas in the Dashboard
New error messages for when Windows Live ID requires password change
Unlocked Achievements now displayed first in Game Summary page
Selecting an Achievement now shows the specific Achievement details
Full date now displayed for “Member Since” and “Next Bill Date” tabs on Membership scene
Updated messaging for deleting arcade games purchased by different profiles
No longer launch music CD in disc-tray when moving from Live sign-up to Dashboard or Network Troubleshooter
Improved voice quality when connected through wired gamepad
Show “Last Played Game” selection in Xbox Live Arcade first before enumerating all games (when Arcade game was last game played)
Improved performance of picture enumeration from iPods formatted for Mac
Adopt latest updates to Cero-based ratings for Family Settings
Show videos downloaded from Marketplace in the Video area of the Media blade
Improved usability around “Play Now” when downloading demos, trailers and videos
Added support for South Africa-specific Family Settings
Updated support for Japanese game ratings
Video area changed to include game trailers and entertainment videos
Improved robustness of Gamerscore when doing account recoveries
Improved messaging around handling corrupt or non-fully recovered profiles
Improved download performance for popular content being downloaded through Marketplace
Total USB keyboard support
Testing Live connection while streaming music from PC works correctly
Next item / Focus sound not played when scrolling past the bottom of the video list
Handle profiles on memory units inserted into system while enumerating profiles from other storage locations
Warning / Alert icons now show as part of deleting items in Memory area
Repeat rate for remote control matches game controller repeat rate
“A” button disabled when in a list with no items available
Wireless battery level added to mini-pop-up guide over backward-compatible games
Pop-up guide / Dashboard now supports USB keyboard
Console no longer enters “charge” mode when shutdown and the battery has been removed from wireless controller
System no longer waits indefinitely when attempting to contact Windows Media Connect service on XP PC
Improved Marketplace storage device selector
Correctly set focus on selected item when back button pressed on “select a game” scene
Notify users when multiple wireless SSIDS with identical names are within reach
Provide Gold membership information when trying to join a session or accepting game invites with Silver accounts
New text to highlight the ability to clear the passcode for Live account signing
Photo slideshow no longer resumes when pressing “previous” or “next” from paused state
Improved handling of corrupt profiles when deleting them
No longer turn off wireless gamepads after system update reboot
More robust handling of initial setup experience for memory unit users
Improved handling of backward-compatible update experience, reboot back into Xbox v1 environment instead of Dashboard
Improved handling for "block communications" from other players
Improved keypress sounds when using USB keyboard
Improved usability and performance of content enumeration for storage devices
Show visual location for where Xbox Live Arcade games reside
Improved user messaging when overwriting content while copying
Improved consistency of messaging between "sign out" and "switch profile"
Updated troubleshooter text for connection to Windows PC's joined to domain
Better support for Xbox 360 game disc recognition
Improved initial setup text messaging
Improved overall error message terminology
Game updates downloaded to memory unit no longer show "please reinsert" notification when memory unit removed
More robust support for handling game deletes from memory unit and simultaneously removing memory unit
Improved system performance between console and affiliated Windows Media Connect PC

Sunday, June 04, 2006

2000s: Decade of the Cult

I usually don't get that editorial but this time I will. It seems to me that cults are springing up left and right in mainstream America. This decade more than any other is the Decade of the Cult. There are cults for Apple, Microsoft, Whole Foods (yes whole foods), Starbucks, anything open source, Google, Yahoo, Digg, anything video game, and even IKEA. These are just some to name a few. Never before have people idolized companies as much as they do now. Mostly it is due to the Internet. The internet gives you the latest ins and outs of every company, strategy, move made, acquisition, and even celebriticizes CEOs. Big brand name companies have ideologies now that CEOs say is their way of life (just listen to Whole Foods CEO John Mackey).

Fanboys are everywhere on the web hiding in forums and comment pages. I like Apple and anything Apple-related (well almost). It's because they make great products that are useful to me. However, contrary to what I like, I do not preach sermons on the 1-button mouse or believe in using only Apple software. I am not a part of the Apple cult. I am not a fanboy. I like Apple but I do not love them.

It seems to me that one cannot even make a remark about one of the aforementioned companies without being bashed at. I've read so many comments (too many) that seem so polarized. I've read forum topics that make it seem like someone would die for that company. I will be honest; I have been bashed a few times over my views on a certain product. It has not happened recently because I feel that I have to restrict myself before I get into a huge debate over one thing or the other that wastes an hour of my day.

Fanboys and cult members should be banished off the face of the Earth. It seems that the fanboys and cult members are everywhere nowadays and cannot be put away.

The reason I am writing this is to try and influence some readers out there as to what you may say and how you are thinking. I beg and plead that you do not become a part of one of the main cults. Don't try and be ideologically sound with the company you adore. Be open to other solutions and other ideas. Be open to different products and don't care so much about the brand that it is. If it is good than buy it and if it isn't than don't. Don't be one of those people that buys anything that comes out of a companies' ass.

If you were to ask me if I liked Windows about 5 years ago I would have said yes. Now, I have looked at other options, even experimented with Linux and if you were to ask me the same questions I would say no in a heartbeat. Be open to change and don't be a fanboy. Don't be an over-obsessive person and part of a cult.

Be human.

Game Informer reveals Nintendo Wii secrets

This article from the upcoming Game Informer magazine focuses on the pros and cons of the development environment of the upcoming Nintendo Wii. As well as revealing the last big secret concerning hardware functionality. Here are some summarizations from that article.

-Pros-

-Inexpensive graphics development.

-Developer-friendly “camera” program

-Will support HDR lighting, normal maps, bump-mapping, nurbs rendering, and panoramically-composted depth-composited cubemappng, ray-tracing.

-Chipsets are very inexpensive although EXTREMELY powerful, WILL incorporate many aspects of the Project Reality study.

-Nintendo is providing extensive documentation to ease the incorporation of the Wii-mote.

-Cons-

-Challenging to program effectively for the Wii-mote, due to it being very new to the industry.

-Marketing to be more challenging for bigger third-party franchises due to nature of the innovative qualities.

-The development cycle to possibly equal the time cycles of PS3 and Xbox360 due to the time needed to be innovative and effectively program for the controller.

-The challenge of marketing the Wii’s controller in ads and commercial may turn third-parties away from exclusivity. (The challenge to display through ads how “playing is believing”)

-The Final Secret/minor surprises also-

-Wii will include a built-in decent resolution camera that can be used to add your face to character models and add innovation to games. These snapshots can be tweaked as well. It is still being decided whether to allow camera to record and stream video. Mention made to have this feature be a strong feature in online play.

-A wireless headset will be made available at launch.

-SD cards will range from 2GB to 7GB and will be priced “within reason”.

-A new router technology is still in development and not yet available to developers. In the final product Nintendo hopes to be able to make every Wii a sort of “Wi-Fi hotspot” with each user connecting to that user and so on. They also want to be able to allow different users to share things and are thinking about setting up a pseudo-P2P network through Connect24, where users can share content and “other things”. This means that even if you have a dial-up connection or no internet, you can still connect to Wii Connect24.

-The Wii will indeed have a PPU included in final hardware. It will have only 32MB though, which will still take a considerable amount of pressure off of other chips.

-A still-in-development simple dev tool will be made available to users through the Connect24 network. It will allow users to create a simple game in 2D or simple 3D and share it with the world. This will hopefully be available on the network by launch.

-The last big secret is the “graphics solution”. It revolves around a whole lot of non-volatile RAM (opting out of HDD support, RAM is much faster than a HDD). And a development interface that centers on a AI-controlled command-line interface. This additional tech only included in final dev kits, while most developers don’t have access to final dev kits.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Test your Internet Speed (Great tool)

This is a great tool to test out your Internet speed by download and upload speeds. Try it out here. I've tried many different internet speed tests but the one that I've used mostly (CNET's) gives it to you instantly which does give an accurate depiction of your true internet speed. This one take about 45 seconds and is worth every second. I took the test multiple times and for the most part it was plus or minus 200 kbps for downloads and plus or minus 15 kbps for uploads.

Apple releases Mac at Work

Apple has introduced a new site called Mac at Work that stresses Science, Small Business, Pro, and Education. Apple is really trying to take back some market share and is starting to push using Macs for things other than just "lifestyle" fields like music, movies, and photos. Hopefully, it works and with those new business-black MacBooks they just might. Couldn't you just imagine it? You walk into the office with a sweet MacBook and your boss rolls buy and starts oooo-ing and ahh-ing at your aesthetically pleasing yet business suitable Mac.

Atlanta Apple Store Opening

A new Apple Store is in our midsts at the Perimeter Mall in Atlanta. I'm here typing this post directly from the new Apple Store. This is the 3rd Apple Store in the Atlanta Metropolitan area and it is probably the best (in Atlanta). Music is playing and it is pretty jam-packed in here.

This Perimeter Store is the first Apple Store opening since the famous Fifth Avenue grand opening (you know the one with the big cube). It looks like this one hasn't disappointed. The store is big and if I'm correct the biggest now in Atlanta. Everything seems to be on display right now. All the standard Mac stuff such as the iMac, MacMini, MacBook, MacBook Pro, iPod etc. This store however also seems to stress other products as well. Unlike other Atlanta Apple Stores this one has got a full row dedicated to printers, and storage solutions such as the LaCie 500GB Big Disk Extreme.

Also, there is a row dedicated to speakers with, of course, the iPod Hi-Fi.

Like the Fifth Avenue Store in New York there is now a Studio Bar. Here is what it is meant to do:

"The Studio is the creative hub of the Apple Store, Perimeter. A place where your ideas and our help come together to enhance your Mac projects. Whether your interest is photography, moviemaking, music or everyday use of your Mac, our team of Creatives can help you. They’ll teach you one-on-one how to re-touch photos, compose music and make Hollywood-style movies. To save time, use the Apple Store Concierge to Make a reservation."

Sadly, I couldn't come in the morning because I already had plans but I came as soon as I could and unfortunately it looks like I missed out on the Free T-Shirt so that means that 1,000+ people have already come in.

Here are some of the pics I took below. I used the Built-in iSights and the cameras that they have at the Apple Store. I brought my own camera but my batteries were too low. Sorry about that.

Friday, June 02, 2006

Video: ThePirateBay servers being raided

This is a video of the recent Pirate Bay raid that was reported earlier. The "authorities" begin to cover up the cameras. I don't really see the point all that much but I guess I'm just too dumb to find a good reason besides not wanting to be on the internet. Oops guess it didn't work.