Practical Technology

for practical people.

August 31, 2009
by sjvn01
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Five messages to never trust in your e-mail box

I love Dr. Gregory House. As a journalist, I can really appreciate his view that “Everybody lies.” That may be too cynical for most people, but when it comes to dealing with your e-mail I’m not sure it’s possible to be cynical enough.

Every day, and I mean every day, I get not only spam messages, but notes trying to trick me into going to a site that will infect my Windows PC with malware or con me into giving up my bank account or credit-card numbers. You simply can’t trust anything you find in your e-mail box.

Here are some of the most common scams. Many of you might think, “How could anyone fall for these?” The sad truth is that people fall for them every day. That’s why thieves use them. If you already know them, think about your friends and relatives who aren’t as smart as you are and send the URL to this story to them. You might save them a lot of money or, at the least, a busted computer.

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August 30, 2009
by sjvn01
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The easiest operating system to update is…

Over the weekend, I decided to see which of the major operating systems would be the easiest to update. The answer may surprise you.

First, I took several of my Windows systems and tried to upgrade them to Windows 7 Ultimate. It was… interesting.

With Windows XP, I found, as I expected, that there is no easy way to upgrade. The only way to do is what Microsoft calls a “custom install.” I, though, call it a cut and burn install. The be-all and end-all is that you have to let the Windows 7 installation DVD delete everything on your hard drive.

Microsoft provides a tool, Windows Easy Transfer, aka migsetup, on the DVD that will let you transfer files and settings to an external drive. This is a pain in the neck, but it does work. What it doesn’t do, however, is transfer programs, fonts, or drivers. So, once Windows 7 was setup, I had to reinstall every, last application, fonts and drivers. I found it hard to believe that a modern operating system actually made it so hard to upgrade it.

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August 28, 2009
by sjvn01
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What happens next in SCO vs. Novell

Earlier this week, a Federal Appeals Court ruled that the U.S. District Court had overstepped its grounds in ruling that SCO had never bought Novell’s Unix IP (intellectual property) rights. Without those IP rights, SCO didn’t have a leg to stand on in all its other anti-Linux lawsuits against IBM, Novell, Red Hat, et. al. So, now SCO can start again right? Ah wrong. It’s much more complicated than that. Here’s what really going to happen next.

First, SCO doesn’t own Unix’s IP. The Court rules that Judge Dale Kimball overstepped his authority, to make that decision and that the question of who owns Unix should be decided by a jury, but that’s not the same thing as deciding who owns Unix’s IP. That question is up in the air.

According to SCO CEO Darl McBride this decision enables the company to continue its Novell and IBM lawsuits. Not really. You see McBride no longer has any control of SCO. The day after the Federal Appeals Court made its decision, the Bankruptcy Court put SCO under the control of a Chapter 11 Trustee, Edward N. Cahn. Cahn, a former judge who has no connection with SCO’s management, is now the man in charge, and his priorities have nothing to do with SCO’s manic self-destructive drive to spend every dollar it can beg, borrow and steal on anti-Linux lawsuits.

So, the real question isn’t what McBride wants to do. What he wants doesn’t matter any more.

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August 27, 2009
by sjvn01
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Saving Linux cash on Vista clunkers

A friend of mine, Joe Eckert, recently penned a short, funny piece entitled, “Does Tech Need a Boost? How About “Cash for Vista?”. After I got done smiling at it, I thought, why not offer desktop Linux to people with Vista clunkers? Seriously, why not?

I’ve suggested that Microsoft owes it to its Vista customers to often them a free upgrade to Windows 7. I mean, come on, Windows 7 is really just a massive Vista service patch. There are no new significant features in Windows 7. You’d think that Microsoft, which has been having one bad quarter after another, would want to be nice to its customers, but, nope, that’s not going to happen.

So, since Microsoft won’t give Windows 7 for people stuck with Vista clunkers, why doesn’t a Linux vendor do it instead? Say, you just send an e-mail into a Linux distributor, and they’ll send you a URL to a Web site where they can download a brand, spanking new copy of a top desktop Linux for free! What a deal!

What’s that? Yes, of course, I know Linux is free, but they don’t know that! If they think they’re getting a bargain maybe they’ll finally start giving Linux a try

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August 26, 2009
by sjvn01
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And the best free Anti-Virus program is…

When I recently grew discouraged with the popular Windows anti-virus program AVG and considered the alternatives, little did I know that an overview was coming of the free anti-virus programs.

According to this review, I’m not the only one who’s found AVG doesn’t that good a job anymore. I’m also pleased to report that this crew, who did a much more scientific study than I did, agrees with me that if you want a good, free A/V (anti-virus) program, you want Avira.

Now, if Avira would only kill their daily pop-up ad, I’d be happy. It’s not that I begrudge them looking for customers, it’s just that, well, it’s one honking, big pop-up ad. And, as Erik Larkin of PC World points out in his review of A/V software even its paid interface is a bit daunting for non-techie sorts. On the other hand, it delivers the best protection out there so I can live with ads and a hardcore techie front-end.

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August 26, 2009
by sjvn01
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FSF takes on Windows 7

The FSF (Free Software Foundation) has never liked proprietary software, but for most of its history, it’s focused on singing the praises of free software, and, with some distaste, its near-twin, open-source software. Not anymore. These days, the FSF is spending its time attacking proprietary software, like it did today, August 26th, when it went after Windows 7 in its new Windows 7 Sins: The case against Microsoft and proprietary software.

The seven deadly sins are, according to the FSF, the “seven major areas where proprietary software in general and Microsoft Windows in particular hurt all computer users: invading privacy, poisoning education, locking users in, abusing standards, leveraging monopolistic behavior, enforcing DRM (Digital Restrictions Management), and threatening user security.”

Beside the Web site, and a public demonstration at the Boston Common, the FSF elaborated on these points in a letter to the leaders of the Fortune 500 companies. Well, actually 499 CEOs since, as the FSF notes on the site, “We didn’t think Microsoft would listen.”

Yeah. I think that’s a safe bet.

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