Entries for Elmer

Sudden drop in spam [Sudden drop in spam]

Elmer — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 01:32:31 GMT

My daily intake of spam suddenly dropped from 150+ per day, to about 10+ and I started to panic that something must be wrong.

Then I noticed an article about the FTC pulling the plug (without notice) on an ISP called Pricewert, which they claim to be the worst ISP in the USA, and behind many botnets.

Wow... just coincidence ?? and how am I going to live without my daily reminders of how inadequately proportioned I am ?

in reply to Sudden drop in spam

Win7 Upgrade Pricing - Should Vista qualify for a discount ? [Win7 Upgrade Pricing - Should Vista qualify for a discount ?]

Elmer — Wed, 13 May 2009 01:54:00 GMT

I saw this:

http://www.reuters.com/article/wtUSInvestingNews/idUS184649393320090512

While I think it's not likely to fly, I do think that MS needs to review the upgrade pricing structure, and consider making concession to those who committed to Vista and dealt with the issues.

Perhaps a solution is, instead of just a version upgrade price, offer a version discount to people upgrading from the version immediately prior. i.e. Upgrading from XP or earlier, you pay the full upgrade price, upgrading from Vista and you get a discounted price. This is the way many application upgrades are priced.

At the end of the day, upgrades are probably not going to be a big %age of Win7 sales for MS (I'm guessing) and so discounting Vista upgrades could buy MS a lot of PR, as well as acting as an incentive for Vista owners to upgrade to Win7.

in reply to Win7 Upgrade Pricing - Should Vista qualify for a discount ?

Win-7 migration resistance likely ? [Win-7 migration resistance likely ?]

Elmer — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:11:36 GMT

http://www.kace.com/about/releases/systems-management-appliance/computer-management-software-alternative/04_14_09.php

Dodgy stats, from a company who sells stuff ( why didn't you buy that trial you downloaded? ) but still perhaps enough to be a bit of a worry for MS.

in reply to Win-7 migration resistance likely ?

Win7 RC due in May ?? [Win7 RC due in May ??]

Elmer — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:23:34 GMT

http://www.tcmagazine.com/comments.php?id=25453&catid=3

in reply to Win7 RC due in May ??

IE8 removable from Win-7 [IE8 removable from Win-7]

Elmer — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:30:42 GMT

Hadn't seen this before

http://www.aeroxp.org/2009/03/ie8-functionally-removable/

Hopefully that will be enough to satisfy those pesky EU and DOJ officials, but not give Opera the free ride it's looking for.

in reply to IE8 removable from Win-7

Windows Update Issue - Anyone else ? [Windows Update Issue - Anyone else ?]

Elmer — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:14:49 GMT

The company perimeter firewall is a W2003-R2 server running IsaServer-2006.

As always, it downloaded and installed the latest updates, and promptly stopped talking to the DMZ domain controllers (that run on a private maintenance LAN in the DMZ) and refused all RDP connections (presumably because it wouldn't authenticate).

Fortunately, the IsaServer is configured with a local configuration database, so it's not totally reliant on the DC and still operated, albeit not accepting any changes.

Much futzing about, I eventually tried backing out the latest update, just in case, and... bingo! everything starts to work again.

I believe that this is an SMB vulnerability, and this service is not exposed to the internet, but I'm now in two minds... play it safe and apply the update but not be able to access it except from the server room, or wait to see if there is a fix and/or workaround.

Anyone else have trouble with it, or is it just me ?

in reply to Windows Update Issue - Anyone else ?

Windows7 Reviews [Windows7 Reviews]

Elmer — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:24:23 GMT

Really only posting this because it appears in the INQ, and they are normally such a rabid anti-MS site.

Of course, there is always an agenda at the INQ, and this time it might well be to stir up the Linux and OS/X fanboys... but it is nevertheless very surprising to read something that doesn't just outright slam a product because it comes from "the vole" as they like to put it.

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/review/392/1050392/windows-7-is-enough-to-kill-linux-on-the-desktop

Anyway... it got me thinking... what is the consensus so far with reviews of Windows7-B1 ??

in reply to Windows7 Reviews

IE8 Blocker toolkit out... IE8 imminent ?? [IE8 Blocker toolkit out... IE8 imminent ??]

Elmer — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:25:44 GMT

Previously, the blocker kit (to stop Windows Update automatically pushing it onto your machines) was released only a few months prior to the version of IE being released as a critical update.

Based on the Beta-2 I'm using, I can't believe we really that close... are we ??

in reply to IE8 Blocker toolkit out... IE8 imminent ??

So who is next on the RI hit-list ? [So who is next on the RI hit-list ?]

Elmer — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:07:44 GMT

I know this has been done to death on the internet.

However, I find it so amazing that a govt would even consider such legislation, just to placate an industry lobby group.

http://creativefreedom.org.nz/s92.html

According to the website, the potential is, that with a single, unsubstantiated accusation, your ISP would be compelled to disconnect your service.

There appears to be no requirement for evidence (RINZ chief comments that this is a ridiculous requirement) or due-process and there appears to be no provision for how/why the suspected activity was detected, and no provision for penalties of false accusation.

There also appears to be no distinction for the type of connection... a company or public connection is fair game if the RI says so.

I thought that this must be a wind-up at first, but it appears to be for real... although getting accurate details is difficult, as both sides of the argument are firmly entrenched in their dogma.

in reply to So who is next on the RI hit-list ?

Windows goes sub-90% [Windows goes sub-90%]

Elmer — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:49:29 GMT

http://marketshare.hitslink.com/os-market-share.aspx?qprid=9

Clearly, this is the year of the Linux desktop.

in reply to Windows goes sub-90%

I admit... I did laugh... [I admit... I did laugh...]

Elmer — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:50:31 GMT

-- A longtime rival called the move the equivalent of Microsoft raising the white flag. "We view this announcement as a capitulation by Microsoft, and a reinforcement of the notion that it's simply not in Microsoft's DNA to provide high-quality, frequently updated security protection," said Rowan Trollope, senior vice president of Symantec's consumer software, in an e-mail Wednesday. --

Symantec, High-Quality and Security Protection... ok, ok... I'm sure it's probably true, and that I shouldn't laugh... 'cos surely not everyone has the same crap experiences that I've had.

in reply to I admit... I did laugh...

So... do we start a betting pool on the Win7 RTM date ? [So... do we start a betting pool on the Win7 RTM date ?]

Elmer — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:18:28 GMT

WinHEC all but confirmed... Windows-7 on sale by next year's holiday season... I assume they are talking mid-2009, but what does that actually mean ??

in reply to So... do we start a betting pool on the Win7 RTM date ?

Silverlight Streaming for complete idiots. [Silverlight Streaming for complete idiots.]

Elmer — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:41:21 GMT

I am a total bozo when it comes to this stuff (actually, most stuff, but that’s beside the point) and can’t figure out how to get a streaming video to work on my free Live streaming service.

I have a standard .wmv video my customer supplied, and I imported it into Expressions Encoder (V1), using Source input and Silverlight output templates... clicked on encode, and then uploaded the output file to the service... which then, after much thinking about it, decided that it could not “process” the file.

Anyone know of a simple guide for Silverlight morons, that I can follow ? as I can’t work out what I am doing wrong.

in reply to Silverlight Streaming for complete idiots.

Nvidia CEO - is this guy serious ?? [Nvidia CEO - is this guy serious ??]

Elmer — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:27:19 GMT

Apparently Nvidia are going to war with Intel.

Commenting about Intel's products he says:"How much faster can you render the blue screen of death?"

Hmmm... Pots and Kettles ???

http://www.dailytech.com/NVIDIA+CEO+Were+Going+to+Open+a+Can+of+Whoop+(I need to watch my language)/article11448.htm

in reply to Nvidia CEO - is this guy serious ??

UKUUG vs. OOXML - just sour grapes ? [UKUUG vs. OOXML - just sour grapes ?]

Elmer — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:15:41 GMT

http://www.ukuug.org/ooxml/

I don't get their points, they seem to be harping on about something they will never use anyway... implemented or otherwise.

in reply to UKUUG vs. OOXML - just sour grapes ?

DOJ: Piracy Funds Terror -- recycling speaches ?? [DOJ: Piracy Funds Terror -- recycling speaches ??]

Elmer — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 07:44:21 GMT

The "warez == terrorism" thing... didn't they try to run this one a few years ago ??

http://www.justice.gov/ag/speeches/2008/ag_speech_080328.html

in reply to DOJ: Piracy Funds Terror -- recycling speaches ??

Cute trick [Cute trick]

Elmer — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:42:12 GMT

As mentioned on a tabloid site (lol)

http://www.windowsserver2008.com/

in reply to Cute trick

Sometimes I wonder where they get them from... [Sometimes I wonder where they get them from...]

Elmer — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 02:55:47 GMT

I have no issue with people being Anti-MS or saying Vista is crap... but I find this piece of journalist comentary beyond a joke.

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/01/30/vista-later

Bla bla bla... MS is evil... bla bla bla... Vista is crap... bla bla bla...

"As of this writing, I have never installed a release version of Vista"

Bla bla bla... MS is evil... bla bla bla... Vista is crap... bla bla bla...

"To be honest, MS did try to engage me after I wrote that, but the sad thing is it was through bribery. I don't use that word lightly, but there is nothing else I can call it. I think I explained my differences of opinion quite clearly in that article, and the response I got from MS was as follows, names removed to protect the sender."

"Hi Charlie, I'm really sorry to hear of your bad impression of Windows Vista, I would be very interested in having a chat with you to dispell some of your worries, and to provide you with your first contact at Microsoft! I've got a copy of Windows Vista here for you as well if you want to have a go with the real deal RTM build! (signature)"

In other words, they tried to "bribe" this "journalist" with a free copy of the final product to evaluate... WTF ??? How DARE they !!

in reply to Sometimes I wonder where they get them from...

VS2008 - Nice [VS2008 - Nice]

Elmer — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:54:52 GMT

Just downloaded and installed the Professional trial... very slick.

Now I've just gotta work out how to pay for it. :(

However... one of the first things I did was to install my fave macro, and thought I'd share it with those who might also find some use for it.

I found it here: http://www.helixoft.com/blog/archives/15

A multi-line search & replace tool. Basically, a dialog that converts multiple lines of text into a regex that is then fed into the standard Quick Find & Replace tool.

in reply to VS2008 - Nice

AMD - Where to now ? [AMD - Where to now ?]

Elmer — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 06:34:27 GMT

This is from Anantech's review:
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3153&p=11

"Phenom is, clock for clock, slower than Core 2 and the chips aren't yet yielding well enough to boost clock speeds above what Intel is capable of. While AMD just introduced its first 2.2GHz and 2.3GHz quad-core CPUs today, Intel previewed its first 3.2GHz quad-core chips."

It's a bit of a worry...

in reply to AMD - Where to now ?

Fanboyism, Zealots and Blog Culture... I am too old. [Fanboyism, Zealots and Blog Culture... I am too old.]

Elmer — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 01:10:57 GMT

I admit it, I just don't get it.

Why would anyone want to dedicate their energy to supporting & defending a computer and/or it's software, regardless of the facts, and often even in the face of overwhelming logic.

Alternately, why would anyone want to dedicate their energy and time to obsessively attacking and spreading rumours & half-truths (or even lies) about the same things.

I’ve always viewed a computer as a tool and simply means to an end... nothing more. I’m about as attached to it as I am the cordless drill in the workshop. If the tool works, I use it... if it doesn't, I find an alternate solution.

The latest post on the Inquirer (that bastion of truthful & honest reporting on the computer industry) is clearly yet another cynical article of theirs aimed at attracting argument and response from the various polarised groups.

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/11/02/leopard-buggie

Yes, there is no doubt some truth and facts in there somewhere, same as there are with the various Vista horror stories (Vista ate my new-born baby) but the extreme anti-whatever and pro-whatever postitions are just more evidence to me that we really have not advanced much, despite education. We still need something to hate and still need tribes to belong to.

Now I need to go evaluate my own response and figure out what the hell is wrong with me... :P

in reply to Fanboyism, Zealots and Blog Culture... I am too old.