Submission + - Pay wireless could hurt Starbucks
An anonymous reader writes: Story about Starbucks losing focus, and one of the big tip-offs is a paid wireless network. http://bizblast.blogspot.com/
Submission + - Bruce Schneier on DRM in Windows Vista
chiraz90210 writes: "Bruce Schneier posted his newsletter this week with some comments on the use of DRM in Windows Vista and why Microsoft is supposedly pushing for DRM to be entrenched in the Operating System at all. Quoting from the article:
Microsoft put all those functionality-crippling features into Vista because it wants to own the entertainment industry. This isn't how Microsoft spins it, of course. It maintains that it has no choice, that it's Hollywood that is demanding DRM in Windows in order to allow "premium content" — meaning, new movies that are still earning revenue — onto your computer. If Microsoft didn't play along, it'd be relegated to second-class status as Hollywood pulled its support for the platform ....... Unfortunately, we users are caught in the crossfire. We are not only stuck with DRM systems that interfere with our legitimate fair-use rights for the content we buy, we're stuck with DRM systems that interfere with all of our computer use — even the uses that have nothing to do with copyright.
"
Submission + - MacTech's VBA to AppleScript Transition Guide
John C. Welch writes: "As pretty much everyone in the Mac Universe knows, (or should know), the next version of Office for Mac OS X, Microsoft Office 2008, will not support VBA. However, that doesn't mean Office Automation is dead on the Mac. It just means you can't use VBA. However, AppleScript will automate the holy beejeezus out of Office 2008, the trick is dealing with the conversion. To help with this, MacTech Magazine, along with Paul Berkowitz, AppleScript AND VBA maven have been working on a fairly massive transition guide. Details are at: http://www.mactech.com/news/?p=1009354 and in conjunction, the Microsoft Mac BU is offering discounts on MacTech subscriptions at http://www.mactech.com/vba/.
It's not a perfect answer to the VBA issue in Office 2008, and there may end up being better answers from folks like RealBASIC, but it's not a bad way to at least see what one of the more constructive options is going to be like."
It's not a perfect answer to the VBA issue in Office 2008, and there may end up being better answers from folks like RealBASIC, but it's not a bad way to at least see what one of the more constructive options is going to be like."
Submission + - Master Boot Record Guided Tour
IdaAshley writes: This article explores the Linux boot process from the initial bootstrap to the start of the first user-space application. Along the way, learn about other boot-related topics such as the boot loaders, kernel decompression, and the initial RAM disk. Also take a look at a scheduled chat about the Linux desktop and how it is evolving, including improvements in application interoperability, and desktop graphics.
Submission + - Businesses may die but their webpage lives on
An anonymous reader writes: This may be a statement of the bleeding obvious but I have only just realised it.
I was recently dealing with Linux Tech Toys as the shopfront for Lix Systems, ordered a system and paid my money. They answered my emails up until 3 weeks ago. Since then nothing. Emails to both sites go unanswered. Phones calls can't go to voice mail because the voice mailbox is full. They are unreachable.
Upon revisiting the website to see if there was some other means of contact that I had missed I realised that the website could still accept orders (and your money) even though the business is for all intents and purposes not there.
Just a warning to "Consider: is the business behind the website I am dealing with still actually there."
I was recently dealing with Linux Tech Toys as the shopfront for Lix Systems, ordered a system and paid my money. They answered my emails up until 3 weeks ago. Since then nothing. Emails to both sites go unanswered. Phones calls can't go to voice mail because the voice mailbox is full. They are unreachable.
Upon revisiting the website to see if there was some other means of contact that I had missed I realised that the website could still accept orders (and your money) even though the business is for all intents and purposes not there.
Just a warning to "Consider: is the business behind the website I am dealing with still actually there."
Submission + - Charter implements SiteFinder-like DNS
paulbiz writes: It appears Charter Cable's DNS servers have just started resolving all invalid hostnames and pointing them to their own error page. The about page states "This service automatically eliminates many of the error pages you may encounter as you surf the web. No software was installed on your computer for this service to work." It has an "opt-out" page, but when you "opt-out" it simply sets a cookie that makes their page redirect errors to Microsoft Live Search instead!
Submission + - LAMP =~ s/L/S/
tbray writes: "This is your friendly local Sun corporate drone reporting that we're going to be building and optimizing and DTrace-ing and shipping and supporting the AMP part of LAMP. Details here. I think that basically the whole tech industry, excepting Microsoft, is now at least partly in the AMP camp."
Submission + - Questioning the Linux Foundation's credentials
nadamsieee writes: Neil McAllister has posted a though provoking article titled Questioning the Linux Foundation's credentials in which he questions the motivations behind the newly formed organization. From the article:
Neil then goes on to explain what he sees as the dirty truth about the matter.But wouldn't it make more sense to call the merged organization the Open Source and Standards Lab, or the Free Software and Standards Group? Why did they have to go and call it the Linux Foundation?
Submission + - Anti-virus software certification is useless
spge writes: Simon at Transceiver looks into the independent tests that lie behind the certificates you'll find on anti-virus software. Did you know that these companies get the virus samples used — before their failed products are retested?
From the article:
Have a look at the box for the anti-virus software that you are using now. I bet it displays a certificate called West Coast Labs Checkmark and another called ICSA Labs Certified. If not, it will be on the company website. West Coast Labs and ICSA Labs run independent tests against security software submitted by developers. But what do you know about these tests? Do they mean that you are holding the best anti-virus program available? Or do they simply verify that you are holding some anti-virus software?
From the article:
Have a look at the box for the anti-virus software that you are using now. I bet it displays a certificate called West Coast Labs Checkmark and another called ICSA Labs Certified. If not, it will be on the company website. West Coast Labs and ICSA Labs run independent tests against security software submitted by developers. But what do you know about these tests? Do they mean that you are holding the best anti-virus program available? Or do they simply verify that you are holding some anti-virus software?
