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Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Monday, December 12, 2005
WSJ.com - Microsoft May Give Consumers A Share in Advertising Revenue
"Microsoft Corp. may up the ante in its competition with Google Inc. by sharing some of its online-advertising revenue with consumers who use its Internet search engine.
The concept, described by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates in a presentation last week in India, is being considered as a way to draw more users to Microsoft's search business. It would mark a significant change in how a major search engine operates."
After a while you have to wonder if they are capable of any originality at all. Well, you don't have to wonder for too long.
The concept, described by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates in a presentation last week in India, is being considered as a way to draw more users to Microsoft's search business. It would mark a significant change in how a major search engine operates."
After a while you have to wonder if they are capable of any originality at all. Well, you don't have to wonder for too long.
Paul Kedrosky's Infectious Greed: Backup This!
Seems like more and more people are using external USB drives. Every time I go to Sam's club or Costco these days they have some previously unheard-of amount of storage on sale for around $100. Noticing that I had accumulated two of these things, I decided to do something fancier than just hooking them up to the USB ports on my laptop...
For a long time my backup strategy has been to always be actively using at least two computers at any given period of time and then to just network-copy all my important things from one to the other. Generally this has taken the form of a desktop machine and a laptop with a hefty sized hard drive.
Since I travel less now, I've taken to using a new laptop (Powerbook) as a desktop replacement and my older laptops as more expendable devices that I can carry around an not worry about getting lost or broken. Between photo collections and music, no laptop has enough disk space to save it all anyway, so I too got an external USB drive, which I left disconnected most of the time, just in case.
I recently came to the conclusion that it makes more sense to just use the external drive for almost everything as well as for backup. I obtained yet another external drive (for $99 I find these things hard to resist). But on top of that, I also got (experimentally at first) a Linksys NLSU2 which supports two USB drives and makes them available on the network as SMB/CIFS file shares supported by Windows, OS X and Linux (I use all three at times). You can use both drives for different purposes if you wish, but as an alternative you can also set up the second drive strictly as a backup of the first. Not quite as good as RAID perhaps, but it's smart enough to do an incremental backup, and you can schedule the backups for every day if you wish and I noticed that while my first backup took a couple of hours (the device is not lightening fast by any means) the subsequent backups only run a few minutes and I schedule them for 5AM when I'm sure to be sleeping.
So far I'm pretty happy with this thing (I've only had it for a couple weeks), but be aware that there are firmware updates already out for it which should probably be applied before first use.
Now when I am on my various machines I generally am working directly from the networked drive and keeping my local hard drive relatively clean. When traveling I just allow and hour or so to copy down anything I want to take with me. When it comes right down to it, the notion of keeping important things one "the network" rather than on individuals machines makes as much sense for the home user as it does in business, and now that can be accomplished without spending big bucks.
As a bonus, I've noticed that the Western Digital drives spin down after a few minutes of not being used. The Maxtor drive I have doesn't share this desirable property. With the two WD drives and the Linksys I just leave everything running all the time and don't worry about heat, power or wear and tear. I keep the boxes out of sight on top of my computer hutch, but with a wireless G network (properly secured) I could put them just about anywhere. The Linksys also works as an FTP server and, while not quite a web server, you CAN get to your files (but not update them) via a web interface. I haven't used this capability yet, but in theory I could set it up as a file server to be accessed remotely without having to leave a computer running all the time as I have in the past.
I guess you have to be a bit of a geek to set something like this up, but it was pretty easy as such things go and I'm quite sure that there will be even more turnkey solutions in the near future. The home data-center has arrived. And it runs Linux by the way.
For a long time my backup strategy has been to always be actively using at least two computers at any given period of time and then to just network-copy all my important things from one to the other. Generally this has taken the form of a desktop machine and a laptop with a hefty sized hard drive.
Since I travel less now, I've taken to using a new laptop (Powerbook) as a desktop replacement and my older laptops as more expendable devices that I can carry around an not worry about getting lost or broken. Between photo collections and music, no laptop has enough disk space to save it all anyway, so I too got an external USB drive, which I left disconnected most of the time, just in case.
I recently came to the conclusion that it makes more sense to just use the external drive for almost everything as well as for backup. I obtained yet another external drive (for $99 I find these things hard to resist). But on top of that, I also got (experimentally at first) a Linksys NLSU2 which supports two USB drives and makes them available on the network as SMB/CIFS file shares supported by Windows, OS X and Linux (I use all three at times). You can use both drives for different purposes if you wish, but as an alternative you can also set up the second drive strictly as a backup of the first. Not quite as good as RAID perhaps, but it's smart enough to do an incremental backup, and you can schedule the backups for every day if you wish and I noticed that while my first backup took a couple of hours (the device is not lightening fast by any means) the subsequent backups only run a few minutes and I schedule them for 5AM when I'm sure to be sleeping.
So far I'm pretty happy with this thing (I've only had it for a couple weeks), but be aware that there are firmware updates already out for it which should probably be applied before first use.
Now when I am on my various machines I generally am working directly from the networked drive and keeping my local hard drive relatively clean. When traveling I just allow and hour or so to copy down anything I want to take with me. When it comes right down to it, the notion of keeping important things one "the network" rather than on individuals machines makes as much sense for the home user as it does in business, and now that can be accomplished without spending big bucks.
As a bonus, I've noticed that the Western Digital drives spin down after a few minutes of not being used. The Maxtor drive I have doesn't share this desirable property. With the two WD drives and the Linksys I just leave everything running all the time and don't worry about heat, power or wear and tear. I keep the boxes out of sight on top of my computer hutch, but with a wireless G network (properly secured) I could put them just about anywhere. The Linksys also works as an FTP server and, while not quite a web server, you CAN get to your files (but not update them) via a web interface. I haven't used this capability yet, but in theory I could set it up as a file server to be accessed remotely without having to leave a computer running all the time as I have in the past.
I guess you have to be a bit of a geek to set something like this up, but it was pretty easy as such things go and I'm quite sure that there will be even more turnkey solutions in the near future. The home data-center has arrived. And it runs Linux by the way.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
China overtakes U.S. as supplier of IT goods | CNET News.com
"Data in the report, to be published on Monday, show that China's exports of information and communication technology--including laptop computers, mobile phones and digital cameras--increased by more than 46 percent to $180 billion in 2004 from a year earlier, easily outstripping for the first time United States exports of $149 billion, which grew 12 percent from 2003."
Where's the 'Wow'?
"And even though the company had the support of the big-name video game publishers -- Electronic Arts, Activision, Ubisoft and Sega, among others -- the Xbox 360 experience just hasn't been what it should be, given the hype, anticipation and price tag for one of the units."
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Nancy Drew and the Case of the Missing Xbox 360 Hard Drive Space - Gizmodo
"This is because Microsoft used the Nvidia GPU for the original Xbox, and now that they have switched over to ATI for the 360, that Nvidia GPU has to be software simulated to properly play original Xbox games. Nice one Microsoft, real classy."
That would also be my guess as to why some of these things re crashing. Good news is that it can (probably) be fixed with software. Bad news is... well, bad news is they should have stuck with Nvidia. Not that I have any interest in owning one of these, but it's fun to watch the good ship Microsoft run into another iceburg.
That would also be my guess as to why some of these things re crashing. Good news is that it can (probably) be fixed with software. Bad news is... well, bad news is they should have stuck with Nvidia. Not that I have any interest in owning one of these, but it's fun to watch the good ship Microsoft run into another iceburg.
NASA seeks private replacements for shuttle trips | CNET News.com
"NASA hopes to supplement, and eventually replace, crew and cargo flights to the space station that had been planned for the shuttle fleet. The agency also may have to pare down the number of shuttle flights to the station even before they retire to pay for development of a new spacecraft."
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Yahoo makes its telecom play | CNET News.com
"Yahoo said on Wednesday that will offer two new fee-based voice over IP services so customers can make voice calls from a PC to a telephone and receive phone calls on a PC."
I'll wait 'till it's been out a year or so as Yahoo has a tendency to change their minds about these deal after 6 months or so, leaving you with some equipment or set-up that no longer works as you had planned.
(Got burned on Yahoo ISP, webhosting, text messaging before I learned my lesson)
I'll wait 'till it's been out a year or so as Yahoo has a tendency to change their minds about these deal after 6 months or so, leaving you with some equipment or set-up that no longer works as you had planned.
(Got burned on Yahoo ISP, webhosting, text messaging before I learned my lesson)
Is the PowerPC due for a second wind? | CNET News.com
"Because people have that personal link to that PC, they tend to equate processing with PCs, and they don't realize that there are increasingly tens, if not hundreds, of processors that you use every day, and those things are quickly becoming much more powerful.
You're going to be shocked I'm sure, but the PowerPC drives the engine control, the power train application in some automobiles. And by next year, 50 percent of car (models) in the world will have PowerPCs."
You're going to be shocked I'm sure, but the PowerPC drives the engine control, the power train application in some automobiles. And by next year, 50 percent of car (models) in the world will have PowerPCs."
Multiverse - cool new thing
"In July 2004, a team of Netscape veterans founded The Multiverse Network, Inc., a company aiming to become the world’s leading network of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) and 3D virtual worlds. Multiverse has pioneered a new technology platform designed to change the economics of virtual world development by providing independent game developers with the resources they need to enter and compete in the $2 billion online game market."
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
EFF volunteers to lose important suit over Sony 'rootkit' | The Register
Interesting tidbit:
"So why does Gilmore object to the quite reasonable security measure of searching an incognito traveler's bags and person? Because he doesn't like to be searched, and thinks only about himself. His selfish, unrealistic demands will go a long way toward ensuring that this case is decided in favor of the busybodies. It's a very winnable case, but it will be a miracle if Gilmore wins it. He's doing everything possible to kill any hope that you or I might fly the paranoid skies and keep our identities to ourselves."
"So why does Gilmore object to the quite reasonable security measure of searching an incognito traveler's bags and person? Because he doesn't like to be searched, and thinks only about himself. His selfish, unrealistic demands will go a long way toward ensuring that this case is decided in favor of the busybodies. It's a very winnable case, but it will be a miracle if Gilmore wins it. He's doing everything possible to kill any hope that you or I might fly the paranoid skies and keep our identities to ourselves."
Monday, December 05, 2005
Ten things we love about Microsoft - Download Squad
Well, I agree with about two of those ten things. The rest are either false or not that big a deal.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Retailers not pulling Sony BMG discs
"'It is unacceptable that more than three weeks after this serious vulnerability was revealed, these same CDs are still on shelves, during the busiest shopping days of the year,' said Attorney General Spitzer in a statement provided to SecurityFocus. 'I strongly urge all retailers to heed the warnings issued about these products, pull them from distribution immediately, and ship them back to Sony.'"
And consumers should blame SONY, not the retailers for this foot-dragging. The retailers, understandably, don't want to take a hit for something that was not at all their doing. Sony need to provide incentives for retailers to pull these discs, and if they don't they are just compounding their guilt, and ultimately compounding their monitary liability when these suits get settled.
And consumers should blame SONY, not the retailers for this foot-dragging. The retailers, understandably, don't want to take a hit for something that was not at all their doing. Sony need to provide incentives for retailers to pull these discs, and if they don't they are just compounding their guilt, and ultimately compounding their monitary liability when these suits get settled.
Microsoft's switches shared source execs | News.blog | CNET News.com
"Bill Hilf, who runs Microsoft's Linux lab, will take on the added responsibility for the shared source work."
Translation: We are no longer interested in this particular marketing initiative.
Translation: We are no longer interested in this particular marketing initiative.
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