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INTERST: Ya gotta love convergence.... Google Street Maps, meet Google Satellite maps
by billing 02 Aug '05

02 Aug '05

> last Friday, Google introduced Google Maps Hybrid which is > "Google Maps Transparancies" on steroids. Just point your web browser > to > > http://maps.google.com/ > > search for something, and then in the upper right corner of the map > click on the "Hybrid" button. Google Maps will show you a satellite > image with street names and points of interests laid on top of that > image. For example, if you go to > > http://tinyurl.com/8tqs7 > > you'll see Tower Bridge--and the surrounding street names--in London. > And, yes, like all Google maps this map is draggable. > > Google Maps is still in beta, so some of the hybrid maps are still a > little off [like Tower Bridge Road or streets north of Ground Zero at > http://tinyurl.com/7banf .] Still, the Hybrid maps > feature is an amazing addition to a tool that is already amazing. >

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INTEREST: Microsoft drops LongHorn (name) for new VISTA...
by billing 02 Aug '05

02 Aug '05

I guess so the hype'ing can begin again, Microsoft has changed the code name for it's next version Operating System; it was "LongHorn", it is now "Vista". Microsoft is saying to expect Windows Vista by the holiday season of 2005.... ...from: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5672671.html?tag=nl.e539 http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.mspx Getting a handle on Windows Vista By Ina Fried, CNET News.com Published on ZDNet News: July 22, 2005, 7:30 AM PT Longhorn--now Windows Vista--may be arriving more slowly than expected and it might not have everything that was once planned, but Windows chief Jim Allchin maintains "It's a big deal." Among the features in the OS are security improvements, some snazzy new graphics, and a new means of searching and organizing information. Rather than having to remember the single folder where something is stored, users will be able to put documents in any number of virtual folders. They can also establish folders that will automatically update, such as "files edited in the last week" or "documents from Jane." In addition, Microsoft is trying to simplify an array of other tasks, such as adding a PC to a home network or connecting a laptop to a projector. When will Windows Vista arrive? Microsoft has promised that Vista will be widely available on computers for the 2006 holiday buying season. A beta, or test, version is planned for release on August 3. The server version is slated for 2007. So what's in this Vista thing? Vista--what used to be called Longhorn--has evolved quite a bit since Microsoft first demonstrated an early version in 2003. The company has dropped plans to include its all-new WinFS file system and has also changed the way it's implementing a new Web services architecture, known as Indigo, and a new graphics engine, dubbed Avalon. Among the key features of Vista as it currently stands are: security enhancements, a new searching mechanism, lots of new laptop features, parental controls and better home networking. There will also be visual changes, thanks to Avalon, ranging from shiny translucent windows to icons that are tiny representations of a document itself. On the business side, Microsoft said Vista will be easier for businesses to deploy on multiple PCs and will also save costs by reducing the number of times computers will have to be rebooted. [...]

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Well looks like heck has frozen solid ... again
by Doug Hamilton 02 Aug '05

02 Aug '05

Hey Everyone: First the switch to Intel processors, what could be next. Well, how about a two button mouse from Apple. Here it is: http://www.apple.com/ca/mightymouse/ Regards, Doug

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INTEREST: Canada’s Supreme Court Thursday rejected attempts to levy a special tax on iPods
by billing 01 Aug '05

01 Aug '05

...from: http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=12212&Page=1&pagePos=3 http://playlistmag.com/news/2005/07/29/ipodtax/index.php Canadian Supreme Court rejects iPod tax By Macworld.co.uk Staff, Macworld.co.uk Canada’s Supreme Court Thursday rejected attempts to levy a special tax on iPods and other digital music devices. The court refused any further arguments on the matter. There will be no such levy applied in Canada. A local royalty collection body, the Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC), had fought to reinstate the tax, which was quashed by Canadian Federal Courts last year following action by retailers and manufacturers including Apple. A nonprofit agency CPCC had been collecting the tax on behalf of musicians. When implemented, the tax was designed to compensate artists for illegal downloads of their music. The rates were: CDN$2 (US$1.62) for non-removable memory capacity up to 1GB, $15 for 1-10GGB, $25 for over 10GB. CPCC had collected $4 million for artists.

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INTEREST: Microsoft's VISTA OS Beta released on time...
by billing 28 Jul '05

28 Jul '05

...from: http://www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/sample/DOMIS/update/ 2002/11nov/1102afitrt_illo.htm - in a 2002 article entitled "The Windows Development Timeline (Illustration)", we see the release of VISTA (nee LongHorn) happening around the beginning of 2003. ...from: http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/24857/24857.html - also in 2002, "If you were expecting the next major Windows release (code-named Longhorn) sometime next year, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Several Microsoft representatives revealed yesterday that Longhorn won't ship until the second half of 2004--at the earliest. " ...from: http://www.osisoft.com/articles/5_822.aspx - a 2004 article entitled "Microsoft Cuts Key Longhorn [NOTE: soon to be VISTA] Feature", we see the following quote from Will Poole, the Microsoft senior vice president in charge of the company's PC Windows business, "The industry would like us to deliver Windows innovation on a regular basis. From our perspective, 2006 is a good time to do that. Longhorn should be on the market in the second half of 2006." ...from: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9590_22-5807061.html Published on ZDNet News: July 27, 2005, 11:16 AM PT Windows chief talks up Vista By Ina Fried, CNET News.com Last week Microsoft said that the operating system known for years as Longhorn would be called Windows Vista and that a beta version would be available by Aug. 3. Then on Wednesday morning--a week ahead of schedule--the software giant said that the beta is ready to go. In the four-year history of Longhorn--Vista's previous code name-- it's arguably the first time Microsoft can claim to be ahead of schedule. Since first discussing Longhorn in 2001, Microsoft has changed the features of the release and pushed out its launch date several times. But there is little room for error now, as Microsoft is trying to have a final version ready by next year's holiday buying season. Microsoft's Jim Allchin, the group vice president managing all Windows development work, spoke to CNET News.com this week about the beta release of Vista, its features and limitations, and hurdles remaining before the software's eventual launch. Q: Microsoft today released the first public test version of Vista. What's the audience for this test release? Allchin: This beta isn't really for even tech enthusiasts. This beta is to test out some of the capabilities that we've got, if you will, in the plumbing. We've got the beginnings for the virtual folders, but really this is plumbing. [...]

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Data thief lives on...
by Doug Hamilton 27 Jul '05

27 Jul '05

Hi All: Some of you may remember an old Mac OS 7/8 utility called Data Thief. It was a handy little utility that enabled you to approximate the original data used to generate a chart. You would scan in the chart and then click once on each corner of the graph to define the area of the chart, then input the range of both axis's and lastly you would then click on each point in the chart (obvious not useful for Pie- chart ... but then it would be need for this chart type). Well this handy little utility is back for Mac OS X in the form of a freeware program (however, certain features you need to pay for, but its only $8-USD) with the less sensational name of GraphClick. You can find it here: http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/math_science/graphclick.html Why would you want this type of application? Well, one example would be if you found a chart in a periodical that you wanted to use in a PowerPoint or Keynote, but a scan of the chart looked bad. GraphClick would let you extract the data (obviously with some minor level of error) and re-plot the chart in your favourite charting application. This clean chart could then be placed into your presentation. Of course this is still someone-else's data so make sure that you include the appropriate reference. GraphClick won an Apple Design award at this years World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC). Cheers, Doug

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SPSS for OS 10.4 Patch Not Available Yet
by Will Christie 27 Jul '05

27 Jul '05

I've checked SPSS' support site and at present they're still saying that SPSS for OS X is NOT compatible with version 10.4. I'll try contacting one of SPSS' reps to see if they can give me a better idea on when their promised patch will be available. -- Will_Christie(a)UManitoba.CA "You know what you are?" Instructional Software Coordinator "Ruggedly handsome?" Academic Computing & Networking "No! A control freak!" University of Manitoba "Can't I be both?" 622 Engineering --Lochley and Gideon, "Crusade" Ph: 204-474-9475 Fx: 204-474-7920

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INTEREST: SKYPE- VOIP for free, VVOIP coming
by billing 21 Jul '05

21 Jul '05

BACKGROUND: SKYPE is a free VOIP program that runs on Macintosh, Windows, Pocket PC, and LINUX. From the Skype web site: http://www.skype.com SkypeOut Gift Days At Skype, we don’t believe you should have to pay for [VOIP] calls. That’s why Skype-to-Skype calls will always be free. But even we have to charge a little bit for SkypeOut calls (our service for calling landlines and mobile phones). That’s where SkypeOut Gift Days come in. On SkypeOut Gift Days you’ll be able to redeem 10 minutes of credit for SkypeOut calls and it won’t cost you a thing. It’s free. How do I know when it’s a SkypeOut Gift Day? We wish every day could be a SkypeOut Gift Day, but that would make us bankrupt. So our accountant says we can have 2 more this month. When one is approaching, we’ll let you know through our website and on Share.Skype.com. We’re planning to have SkypeOut Gift Days throughout July, so keep checking back for details. GLOSSARY: VOIP: Voice Over IP (Internet). In effect, local or long distance telephone call. Note that, with Skype, you need a computer. If you want your call to be free, the person you are calling must also have Skype installed but you can call anyone, for a small per minute charge, even if they have only a regular telephone. VVOIP: Voice and Video Over IP NEWS STORY: Skype: A new, friendly communications monopoly? -Posted by Dan Farber @ 10:01 am Home Software Infrastructure Wired & Wireless Web Technology The first morning session of the AO2005 Innovation Summit was a Skype video call (vSkype correction: vSkype is from a third-party user of Skype's API. The product used for the video call was a Skype internal alpha product that the company said will be the foundation for its video offering later this year) between host Tony Perkins and MarketWatch's Bambi Francisco in Palo Alto and Skype CEO Niklas Zennstrom and investor ($10 million in Skype) Tim Draper of Draper Fisher Jurvetson [...] NOTE: - If you install Skype, you can test your connection by placing a call to user "Echo123". This is an automated service that will let test if you can hear other Skype users and if they can hear you. - this is very similar to what iChat already provides within the Macintosh OSX environment. iChat, however, is not yet available for other operating systems.

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SECURITY: survey of 2, 000 Inet users. Survey says: 81% don't open attachments, 25% won't download
by billing 21 Jul '05

21 Jul '05

STATISTICS, STUDIES & SURVEYS --Study Shows Users are Changing Internet Habits to Avoid Spyware (8 July 2005) A Pew Internet Project survey of 2,000 Internet users (http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Spyware_Report_July_05.pdf) found that more than 90% have altered their on line habits in an effort to reduce their exposure to spyware. More than 80% of those surveyed do not open attachments from unknown senders. http://www.cio-today.com/news/Internet-Users-Change-Habits-for- Spyware/story.xhtml?story_id=020000O5OSBS [Editor's Note (Schultz): I am not sure that the reported figure concerning the percentage of people who do not open attachments they are not expecting is very encouraging. If this figure is true, nearly 20 percent of users open attachments they are not expecting, making their systems prime targets for worm and virus infections. (Shpantzer): The word is out that spyware is a serious threat, and people are paying attention. Ideally there would be integrated tools that really prevent this crud from getting onto our systems. I must say that I'm very disappointed that the antivirus vendors are so late in bringing anti-spywarepyware functionality to their software that spyware has become so prevalent.]

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SECURITY: another breach - 270,000 vulerable at USC
by billing 21 Jul '05

21 Jul '05

ATTACKS, INTRUSIONS & DATA THEFT --University of Southern California Computer Security Breach ( 9 July 2005) The University of Southern California is notifying approximately 270,000 people who either applied to or began the application process for the school over the past eight years that their personal data may have been compromised. The exploited SQL injection flaw was discovered in June. Officials estimate that only about 10 records were exposed; these contain names, addresses and Social Security numbers. USC's Information Services Division has blocked access to the site. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/state/la-me- hacker9jul09,1,1003945.story?coll=la-news-state

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