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INTEREST: Net Neutrality
by billing 17 Apr '08

17 Apr '08

What is it? - long answer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9jHOn0EW8U - short answer: In a "neutral" Internet the infrastructure owners do not differentiate one packet of information from another either by content, source, or destination. Neither is there a restriction on the type of device that can be connected to the Internet. Without this neutrality, infrastructure owners can give higher priority to certain packets and charge differential fees for each packet depending upon the contents, source, or destination of that packet. Differential fees could also be applied to the type of computer you connect in a non- neutral Internet. A "non-neutral" infrastructure is what is now found in the cell phone networks. The more you pay the more you are entitled to talk on them. There are also additional fees for the type of information and how much of it you send on the cell network: voice, SMS messaging, data, etc are all charged differently. There are also different fees for day and night cell service. A "neutral" infrastructure is your traditional telephone service. You pay one monthly fee (the same fee, pretty much, as everyone else) and you can talk 24x7 without it costing you more. In addition, you can connect your computer (over the older modems) and transfer data over that phone line and that also costs nothing more for the use of the telephone line. - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bell Canada seeking to create "non-neutral" Internet structure in Canada: ...from: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/story/4161642p-4748665c.html Bell seeking to curb heavy bandwidth use By: Sarah Schmidt OTTAWA -- Bell Canada says it is downgrading the Internet services of bandwidth hogs in the public interest, and is asking the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to toss out a landmark complaint by competitors alleging the telecom giant is regulating the web in its own interests. [...] The practice, known as "traffic shaping" or "traffic throttling," is part of a new billing system by telecom giants based on usage instead of connection speed. In addition to penalizing heavy bandwidth users with hefty charges and slower service at peak times, Bell is lifting a cap on over-usage charges for all its Internet customers. Last month, Bell informed smaller Internet service providers that it was bringing traffic-shaping to the network space it sells to them, effectively downgrading the services these smaller companies are able to provide to their customers. The association, which represents over 50 smaller companies, replied with a complaint to the CRTC, saying Bell's use of "deep packet inspection" technology to "choke" the traffic of its customers is illegal and tantamount to anti-competitive behaviour. Technology expert Jesse Hirsch says Bell's argument before the CRTC is bewildering -- and bad news for consumers. He says Bell is acknowledging it failed to anticipate the growth of the Internet, and is now penalizing innovative users who are turning to the web to swap TV shows and movies. [...] In its brief to the CRTC, Bell says the "balance of convenience" supports its new traffic shaping. - - - - - - - - - - - - ...from: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/16/EDM11064UL.DTL Public must fight to maintain net neutrality Lawrence Lessig - Stanford University, Ben Scott www.freepress.net Thursday, April 17, 2008 The Internet is an engine of economic growth and innovation because of a simple principle: net neutrality, which assures innovators that their next great idea will be available to consumers, regardless of what the network owners think about it. No previous mass media technology has been so remarkably open. Traditional media - newspapers, radio, TV - have gatekeepers standing between consumers and producers, with the power to control content. The Internet eliminates the gatekeeper. Now, however, the Internet's unprecedented openness is in jeopardy. Comcast, AT&T and Verizon have been lobbying to kill net neutrality. They say they won't build an information superhighway if they can't build it as a closed system. No other industrialized country has made that devil's bargain, and neither should we. Without net neutrality, online innovation is vulnerable to the whims of cable and phone companies, which control 99 percent of the household market for high- speed Internet access. And Silicon Valley venture capitalists are unlikely to bet the farm on a whim. Network owners say the threat of abuse is hypothetical. But actions speak louder than words. Last fall, Comcast was caught secretly blocking popular technologies that can bring HDTV to your laptop - used by everyone from the Hollywood studios to NASA. It was no coincidence: Comcast is targeting a growing competitor to its cable TV service. In response, the media reform group Free Press and a coalition of public interest organizations and legal scholars filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission calling for urgent action. This is a bellwether case - a signal of whether we're headed toward an open or a closed Internet. After the FCC started an investigation, Comcast admitted to blocking, but thumbed its noses at the government and the public - going so far as to hire seat-fillers at an FCC hearing at Harvard University to stifle the debate. Public, government and media scrutiny ultimately forced Comcast to stop blocking one of the file-sharing companies. But we can't expect everyone to negotiate a side deal for permission to innovate. This limits the online marketplace to ideas and commerce that don't pose a threat to network owners - a chilling prospect. This type of behavior shows why we can't trust the future of the Internet to these companies. Just two years ago, telecom executives went before Congress vowing never to interfere with the open Internet. Their broken promises are exactly why we need net neutrality laws back on the books. Fortunately, members of Congress from both parties have introduced legislation that would do precisely that. But net neutrality is just the first step. If this nation is to return to the economic growth of the 1990s, it takes a renewed commitment to Internet deployment and technology. The past eight years have seen America fall behind other industrial nations - a deficit that we will pay for in jobs, wealth and social opportunity. Better policies in other countries have created a competitive high- speed broadband market. But these policies require political leadership - and public pressure to ensure that politicians aren't distracted by the telecom industry's cash and clout. Today, the FCC is holding a hearing at Stanford University - the birthplace of our Internet economy - to give the public a chance to weigh in on this debate. It's not often that federal regulators leave the Beltway to ask people what they think. It's time to stand up and make your voice heard. The threat posed by would-be gatekeepers is real and getting worse. The success of future innovation depends on an open Internet for everyone. Lawrence Lessig is a law professor at Stanford University and founder of the Center for Internet and Society. Ben Scott is policy director of Free Press, the national, nonpartisan media reform organization ( www.freepress.net ). The FCC hearing will be held at Stanford University's Dinkelspiel Auditorium today from noon to 7 p.m.

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FYI: Safe financial sites in Canada? Don't bank on it.
by billing 14 Apr '08

14 Apr '08

...from: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/story/4157473p-4745347c.html Safe financial sites? Don't bank on it Study finds banks misleading customers Guarantees giving users a false sense of security By: Sarah Schmidt Updated: April 10 at 02:00 AM CDT OTTAWA -- Canadian banks mislead their customers about the safety of online banking in their marketing materials and give users a false sense of security with a refund guarantee if hackers raid their accounts, a leading software-security expert concludes in a new study. Paul Van Oorschot, Canada Research Chair in Network and Software Security at Carleton University, and PhD student Mohammad Mannan, a specialist in Internet security, tested the standard banking claim of a "100 per cent online security guarantee" against the fine print that makes it conditional on fulfilling complicated security requirements. The researchers opened up bank accounts at Canada's five major banks and one online bank, and surveyed 123 technically advanced users, mainly computer-science students, professors and security researchers. Most in the survey are more security-aware than average customers, and still failed to satisfy common security requirements. Expecting average people to meet them is "extremely naive," they write. "We conclude that most average users are ineligible for the 100 per cent reimbursement guarantee banks assert, and doing online banking with 'confidence' and 'peace of mind' is no more than a marketing slogan which misleads users." They found that despite strong recommendations about password uniqueness, most banks allow weak passwords, such as "123456" and "111111." In one case, RBC listed "iwthyh," an acronym for the Beatles' song I want to hold your hand, as an example of a "rock-solid" password, even though it doesn't meet RBC's password length requirement of eight characters. The researchers also found weaknesses in banks' Secure Sockets Layer, a protocol for transmitting private documents known as SSL certificates. Software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's knowledge, known as malware, can easily access all user information, including on SSL-protected sites, the study says. The researchers also point out that malware can replace a bookmarked login URL with a phishing site URL that masquerades as the bank. And increasingly, phishing sites include SSL certificates to gain the confidenc of users. Meanwhile, most banks' customer agreements require users to install and maintain up-to-date copies of anti-virus, firewall and anti- spyware programs. The survey of 123 tech-savvy users found fewer than half reported using anti-spyware on computers used for banking, and more than a quarter do not use anti-virus software. Ten per cent do not use any firewall. Further, 65 per cent of users didn't read the banking agreements when they signed on to online banking and 85 per cent couldn't name any conditions for being eligible for the 100 per cent reimbursement in the case of hacking. "Banks advertise that users can start online banking 'in minutes.' However, to comply with the security requirements and recommendations, we expect most users would be delayed hours or days, if indeed technically capable of doing so at all." Maura Drew-Lytle, spokeswoman for Canadian Bankers Association, says the expectations of banks are fair and are no more stringent than what people should have on their home computers to do simple things like sending e-mails. It's also fair to expect customers to read agreements before they agree to the terms, she added. The study points out agreements can be changed at any times, and customers will be notified by notice on the bank's website. -- Canwest News Service

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INTEREST: use GarageBand to remix RadioHead song - a novel approach
by billing 02 Apr '08

02 Apr '08

It seemed like such a novel approach to handling and distributing media (music in this case) that I thought it might be of interest to some of you on this list. Wayne ...from: - MacWorld magazine - http://www.radioheadremix.com/information/ Remixing Radiohead By Christopher Breen mailto:cbreen@macworld.com Radiohead, in league with the iTunes Store, yesterday began offering fans the opportunity to remix the band's single, "Nude" (nudeness not required) and upload the results to the band's Web site, where the public will vote on its favorite remixes. The remix information site goes on to say that the band will listen to the best remixes. The Terms page provides further niggling details, the gist of which is that you're doing this for the fun of it and nothing more. It works this way: You purchase up to five "stems" -- the bass, drum, guitar, string fx, and voice parts of the single -- for $0.99 cents each. These parts are in iTunes Plus format (unprotected AAC) so you can import them directly into Apple's GarageBand or Logic as well as a variety of other music editing applications. (Or you can convert them to AIFF, WAV, or MP3 for editing in applications that don't support AAC.) If you purchase all five stems you'll receive a link to a GarageBand project file of the tune. The track is in 6/8 meter rather than 4/4, and no tempo or key information is offered (if you count it in 6 rather than 2 it runs at around 64 bpm). Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor did something like this three years ago when releasing a version of the song "The Hand That Feeds" in GarageBand format. (No longer available.) It's now Radiohead's turn. It's an interesting idea -- a nice way for bands to bring in some extra cash and promote their work while providing fans the opportunity to be part of the creative process. Given that GarageBand includes very few 6/8 loops, I'm not sure that it's the best editing environment for your remix unless you're willing to create your own parts (a couple of remixes I've heard cheat this by doubling up 3/4 loops), but kudos to the band and Apple for providing parts -- OK, stems -- that can be used in other editing applications. Whether you're an old hand or just someone who would like to try his or her hand at remixing, $4.95 is a small enough investment in something that should be, at the very least, a fun way to spend a couple of hours. Get all the latest iTunes and iPod news at http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/ipodblog.html?lsrc=mwipod.

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FYI: Two possible Microsoft Word 2008 issues
by billing 31 Mar '08

31 Mar '08

...from: http://www.macworld.com/article/132716/2008/03/0328bugsnfixes.html?lsrc=mww… Bugs & Fixes: Two Word 2008 issues by Ted LandauMar 28, 2008 6:51 am If Word 2008 is bugging you with slow launch times or frequent crashes, here are two fixes that can help. Slow launch times for Word Does Word 2008 take unusually long to launch? If so, here’s a fix that reportedly speeds things up. Select Word -> Preferences and click on the General pane. From here, deselect WYSIWYG Font And Style Menus and Show Project Gallery At Startup. Quit the program. Next time, it should launch faster. Apparently a font preview problem is to blame and Microsoft is expected to fix it in an upcoming Office update. Word crashes How about crashes—experiencing those in Word 2008? Tidbits reports that you may still be able to use an old fix to solve this problem. If a corrupt “Word Settings (10)” file, located in your user folder/ Library/Preferences folder is the culprit, the solution is to trash the file. Word will create a new clean copy the next time you launch the program. This is a well-documented fix dating back at least as far as Word v. X running under Mac OS X 10.2 (see this Microsoft support file for details).

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FYI: ASLR in LINUX, Vista, and OS X (was Re: [C-REPS] Article: Tool makes mincemeat of passwords)
by billing 31 Mar '08

31 Mar '08

...from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Address_space_layout_randomization Address space layout randomization (ASLR) is a computer security technique which involves arranging the positions of key data areas, usually including the base of the executable and position of libraries, heap, and stack, randomly in a process' address space. [The most common exploits take advantage of a known positions for specific structures such as heap and stack locations in memory. The idea behind ASLR is to randomly position in memory these sometimes vulnerable structures to make it more difficult for an automated exploit.] In Linux, a weak form of ASLR has been enabled by default since kernel version 2.6.12. The PaX and ExecShield patchsets to the Linux kernel provide more complete implementations. Various Linux distributions including Adamantix, Hardened Gentoo, and Hardened Linux From Scratch come with PaX's implementation of ASLR by default. Microsoft's Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 have ASLR enabled by default, although only for executables which are specifically linked to be ASLR enabled. [NOTE: from http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=104 - Those applications which link to the ANSI C heap allocation API malloc() are less vulnerable to exploitation. Beyond ASLR, there is / GS, a compile-time option in Visual C++ that adds stack-based buffer overrun detection, /SafeSEH, Data Execution Protection and Function Pointer Obfuscation. As Microsoft's Michael Howard explained when ASLR was added to Windows Vista Beta 2, it is not a panacea or a replacement for insecure code. "[But] when used in conjunction with other technologies,it is a useful defense because it makes Windows systems look 'different' to malware, making automated attacks harder."] Apple introduced randomization of some library offsets in Mac OS X v10.5[3], presumably as a stepping stone to fully implementing ASLR at a later date. Wayne

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INTEREST: National Geographic pictures/story of Antarctic ice shelf collapse
by billing 28 Mar '08

28 Mar '08

...from: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/03/080325-antarctica-photo.html March 25, 2008—New satellite images reveal what scientists call the "runaway" collapse of an enormous ice shelf in Antarctica as the result of global warming. (Read full story.) The chunk of coastal ice was some 160 square miles (415 square kilometers) in area—about seven times the size of Manhattan. The shelf's rapid collapse began on February 28 (see image sequence at top right), sending a giant swath of broken ice into the sea—as seen in the bottom image, which shows a 2-mile-wide (3.2-kilometer-wide) area. "[It's] an event we don't get to see very often," Ted Scambos, lead scientist at the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, said in a press statement.

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INTEREST: China Law Could Impede Microsoft Deal for Yahoo
by billing 28 Mar '08

28 Mar '08

...from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/28/technology/28yahoo.html?th&emc=th China Law Could Impede Microsoft Deal for Yahoo By JOHN MARKOFF Published: March 28, 2008 SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft’s hostile-takeover attempt againstYahoo may encounter an unexpected hurdle in August after a Chinese antimonopoly law takes effect that will extend the nation’s economic influence far beyond its borders. The law, which goes into effect on Aug. 1, is intended to strengthen an existing set of antitrust regulations the Chinese originally established in 1993. It will make China a third sphere of regulatory influence, matching the power of the European Union and the United States, according to legal specialists in this country and in China who have studied it. Formally enacted by the National People’s Congress last year, the measure gives Chinese regulators authority to examine foreign mergers when they involve acquisitions of Chinese companies or foreign businesses investing in Chinese companies’ operations. Beijing could also consider national security issues, according to a report by the official news agency Xinhua. The law could give China influence in Microsoft’s courtship of Yahoo because in August 2005, Yahoo, a premier search portal, invested $1 billion in Alibaba.com, China’s largest e-commerce business. The investment gave Yahoo about a 40 percent stake in the Chinese company. Alibaba officials have said they believe that a Microsoft takeover of Yahoo would set in motion a buyback provision, making it possible for them to gain independence from Microsoft. Nathan G. Bush, an antitrust law specialist with O’Melveny & Myers in Beijing, said the law represented the ascendance of China “as another regulatory capital contending for influence with Brussels and Washington.” “Multinational corporations will need to develop strategies for all the markets they operate in,” he added, “and China is a big market.” Whether China would seek to review a Microsoft acquisition, and what kind of posture it might take, would be closely watched by regulators and global companies as an indication whether it will play a conciliatory or a nationalistic role on the world stage. “I don’t think anyone has worked through the issue of where an Internet merger should be reviewed, given that it truly is a World Wide Web,” said Andrew I. Gavil, a law professor at Howard University. There are potentially dozens of jurisdictions that could claim oversight in such a deal because of the global business interests of the two huge companies and because it could potentially transform the Internet into two megaportals, Google and Microsoft. Other parts of the world that might have an active interest in the outcome of a merger include South Korea, a vibrant Internet economy where an antitrust investigation into Microsoft was previously opened. Executives at Microsoft and Yahoo declined to comment on the possible effect of the new Chinese law. In rejecting Microsoft’s takeover bid in January, Yahoo’s chief executive,Jerry Yang, said in a letter to employees that the offer substantially undervalued the company, in part because of the significant growth potential of the Alibaba business in China. [...] Last week, a vice minister in the State Council Information Office, which oversees the Internet, said there were 230 million Chinese users of the Internet. He said the Internet sector accounted for 7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, and he expected that to rise to 15 percent in three to four years, according to a Reuters report. The official, Cai Mingzhao, warned that foreigners should not use the Internet to interfere in Chinese internal matters, according to a report in The Guardian. Even if the Chinese government did not try to prevent a takeover by Microsoft, a prolonged review could substantially damage the value of the business, a number of Internet industry executives said.

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FYI: OS X copes with exploit (was Re: Tool makes mincemeat of passwords)
by billing 28 Mar '08

28 Mar '08

On 26-Mar-08, at 3:18 PM, Lonnie Smetana wrote: > Tool makes mincemeat of Windows passwords > By Dan Goodin in San Francisco > Published Tuesday 4th March 2008 23:57 GMT > > A security researcher has released an easy-to-use tool that accesses > locked Windows computers in seconds without entering a password. > > The tool, which was released Tuesday by Adam Boileau, works by > connecting a Linux machine to the Firewire port of the target PC and > modifying the password protection that's stored in local memory. > > The attack exploits a well-known weakness in Firewire that makes it > easy for connected devices to read and write to the memory of the > host machine. Similar hacks work on machines running OS X and Linux > (see here (http://www.matasano.com/log/695/windows-remote-memory-access-though-firewir…) > ). > [...] ...from: http://rentzsch.com/macosx/securingFirewire Friday, November 12, 2004 "The only evidence I have seen of the 'fix' [for the Firewire hack] was in Darwin's source-code - ie, nothing official from Apple. It first appeared in IOFireWireFamily v122.4.2 (Darwin v6.2/Mac OS X 10.2.2) which was released November 2002. That was obviously a few months after MacHax Best Hack Contest 2002 where [the Firewire/DMA exploit won first prize.]" - - - - - - In addition, Apple's technical people suggest, if you wish more protection against any RAM exploits under OS X that you "Use secure virtual memory". They've said that this will protect not only application memory but also the actual OS areas where password exploits would most probably be aimed. How to enable "Use secure virtual memory": - from the Apple menu, select "System Preferences..." - click on (Security) and choose the General tab if necessary - ensure there is a check mark next to "Use secure virtual memory" I've been running this for a while now without any problems and there does not appear to be any performance hit either. Finally, I've done a little bit of looking for similar protections for LINUX and Windows. Will post if I stumble across them. Wayne

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FYI: An invitation to the Aperture World Tour
by billing 24 Mar '08

24 Mar '08

[NOTE: a (free) ID at Apple is required for registration for this event.] Venue information: Aperture 2 Canadian Tour Attend a free, in-depth seminar given by Apple photography experts for a close look at the next generation of Apple’s powerful photo editing and management software. April 29, 2008 - April 29, 2008 01:30 PM - 04:30 PM The Park Theatre and Movie Café 698 Osborne Street Winnipeg, MB Canada Number of seats still available for this event : 114 Begin forwarded message: > From: Apple <News_Canada(a)insideapple.apple.com> > Date: March 24, 2008 4:06:48 PM CDT (CA) > Subject: An invitation to the Aperture World Tour > > > > > > > > > > Aperture World Tour > Join the tour: > Edmonton - April 8 > Vancouver - April 10 > Calgary - April 14 > Montreal - April 23 > Winnipeg - April 29 > > Apple takes Aperture 2 on tour around the world. > > With its simplified user interface, Aperture 2 is easy enough for > any photographer to pick up and use. Intuitive and accessible, it > brings a variety of new interface features that members of Apple's > pro photo marketing team will demonstrate during the tour. > > Space in the Aperture Tour fills quickly, so you'll want to sign up > right away and reserve your seat. > > > > > All seminars are held in English. > > Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. > > Dates and product specifications are subject to change without notice. > > Apple Canada Inc. 7495 Birchmount Road, Markham, ON L3R 5G2 > All Rights Reserved / Privacy Policy / My Info > > If you prefer not to receive commercial email from Apple, or if > you've changed your email address, please click here. > > Copyright © 2008 Apple Inc. > >

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INTEREST: Court documents show evolution of "Vista Capable"
by billing 09 Mar '08

09 Mar '08

...from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/business/09digi.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=… They Criticized Vista. And They Should Know. By RANDALL STROSS Published: March 9, 2008 ONE year after the birth of Windows Vista, why do so many Windows XP users still decline to “upgrade”? RelatedMicrosoft's E-mail Messages (pdf)Text of Plaintiff Complaints (pdf)Text of Microsoft's Response to Plaintiffs (pdf) Microsoft says high prices have been the deterrent. Last month, the company trimmed prices on retail packages of Vista, trying to entice consumers to overcome their reluctance. In the United States, an XP user can now buy Vista Home Premium for $129.95, instead of $159.95. An alternative theory, however, is that Vista’s reputation precedes it. XP users have heard too many chilling stories from relatives and friends about Vista upgrades that have gone badly. The graphics chip that couldn’t handle Vista’s whizzy special effects. The long delays as it loaded. The applications that ran at slower speeds. The printers, scanners and other hardware peripherals, which work dandily with XP, that lacked the necessary software, the drivers, to work well with Vista. Can someone tell me again, why is switching XP for Vista an “upgrade”? Here’s one story of a Vista upgrade early last year that did not go well. Jon, let’s call him, (bear with me — I’ll reveal his full identity later) upgrades two XP machines to Vista. Then he discovers that his printer, regular scanner and film scanner lack Vista drivers. He has to stick with XP on one machine just so he can continue to use the peripherals. Did Jon simply have bad luck? Apparently not. When another person, Steven, hears about Jon’s woes, he says drivers are missing in every category — “this is the same across the whole ecosystem.” Then there’s Mike, who buys a laptop that has a reassuring “Windows Vista Capable” logo affixed. He thinks that he will be able to run Vista in all of its glory, as well as favorite Microsoft programs like Movie Maker. His report: “I personally got burned.” His new laptop — logo or no logo — lacks the necessary graphics chip and can run neither his favorite video-editing software nor anything but a hobbled version of Vista. “I now have a $2,100 e-mail machine,” he says. It turns out that Mike is clearly not a naïf. He’s Mike Nash, a Microsoft vice president who oversees Windows product management. And Jon, who is dismayed to learn that the drivers he needs don’t exist? That’s Jon A. Shirley, a Microsoft board member and former president and chief operating officer. And Steven, who reports that missing drivers are anything but exceptional, is in a good position to know: he’s Steven Sinofsky, the company’s senior vice president responsible for Windows. Their remarks come from a stream of internal communications at Microsoft in February 2007, after Vista had been released as a supposedly finished product and customers were paying full retail price. Between the nonexistent drivers and PCs mislabeled as being ready for Vista when they really were not, Vista instantly acquired a reputation at birth: Does Not Play Well With Others. We usually do not have the opportunity to overhear Microsoft’s most senior executives vent their personal frustrations with Windows. But a lawsuit filed against Microsoft in March 2007 in United States District Court in Seattle has pried loose a packet of internal company documents. The plaintiffs, Dianne Kelley and Kenneth Hansen, bought PCs in late 2006, before Vista’s release, and contend that Microsoft’s “Windows Vista Capable” stickers were misleading when affixed to machines that turned out to be incapable of running the versions of Vista that offered the features Microsoft was marketing as distinctive Vista benefits. Last month, Judge Marsha A. Pechman granted class-action status to the suit, which is scheduled to go to trial in October. (Microsoft last week appealed the certification decision.) Anyone who bought a PC that Microsoft labeled “Windows Vista Capable” without also declaring “Premium Capable” is now a party in the suit. The judge also unsealed a cache of 200 e-mail messages and internal reports, covering Microsoft’s discussions of how best to market Vista, beginning in 2005 and extending beyond its introduction in January 2007. The documents incidentally include those accounts of frustrated Vista users in Microsoft’s executive suites. Today, Microsoft boasts that there are twice as many drivers available for Vista as there were at its introduction, but performance and graphics problems remain. (When I tried last week to contact Mr. Shirley and the others about their most recent experiences with Vista, David Bowermaster, a Microsoft spokesman, said that no one named in the e-mail messages could be made available for comment because of the continuing lawsuit.) RelatedMicrosoft's E-mail Messages (pdf)Text of Plaintiff Complaints (pdf)Text of Microsoft's Response to Plaintiffs (pdf) The messages were released in a jumble, but when rearranged into chronological order, they show a tragedy in three acts. Act 1: In 2005, Microsoft plans to say that only PCs that are properly equipped to handle the heavy graphics demands of Vista are “Vista Ready.” Act 2: In early 2006, Microsoft decides to drop the graphics-related hardware requirement in order to avoid hurting Windows XP sales on low- end machines while Vista is readied. (A customer could reasonably conclude that Microsoft is saying, Buy Now, Upgrade Later.) A semantic adjustment is made: Instead of saying that a PC is “Vista Ready,” which might convey the idea that, well, it is ready to run Vista, a PC will be described as “Vista Capable,” which supposedly signals that no promises are made about which version of Vista will actually work. The decision to drop the original hardware requirements is accompanied by considerable internal protest. The minimum hardware configuration was set so low that “even a piece of junk will qualify,” Anantha Kancherla, a Microsoft program manager, said in an internal e-mail message among those recently unsealed, adding, “It will be a complete tragedy if we allowed it.” Act 3: In 2007, Vista is released in multiple versions, including “Home Basic,” which lacks Vista’s distinctive graphics. This placed Microsoft’s partners in an embarrassing position.Dell, which gave Microsoft a postmortem report that was also included among court documents, dryly remarked: “Customers did not understand what ‘Capable’ meant and expected more than could/would be delivered.” All was foretold. In February 2006, after Microsoft abandoned its plan to reserve the Vista Capable label for only the more powerful PCs, its own staff tried to avert the coming deluge of customer complaints about underpowered machines. “It would be a lot less costly to do the right thing for the customer now,” said Robin Leonard, a Microsoft sales manager, in an e-mail message sent to her superiors, “than to spend dollars on the back end trying to fix the problem.” Now that Microsoft faces a certified class action, a judge may be the one who oversees the fix. In the meantime, where does Microsoft go to buy back its lost credibility? Randall Stross is an author based in Silicon Valley and a professor of business at San Jose State University. E-mail: stross(a)nytimes.com.

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FYI: Sun Microsystems announces intent to make JAVA for iPhone
by billing 09 Mar '08

09 Mar '08

http://www.sun.com/home-modules/media/k5_030808.html This would probably be based on the Java Micro Edition, a "mobile" version of the software most often used for cellphone games and specialized business applications. "We're going to work to make sure that the [virtual machine] offers the Java applications as much access to the native functionality of the iPhone as possible," Sun's Java marketing VP, Eric Klein said. Release of Java for the iPhone and iPod touch would not appear until sometime after Apple's June launch of its version 2.0 firmware and the App Store needed to download the program. ...more details may be available at Sun's Java One conference May 6-9, 2008. Wayne

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Apple - Bringing Learning to Life - Manitoba 2008
by Doug Hamilton 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

Apple Seminar for Educators, Teachers, Curriculum Coordinators, Principals & Administrators. Explore what it means to teach and learn in a 21st century learning environment. Today, the pressure to improve academic performance and to prepare students with the skills they need to succeed is greater than ever before. Research studies show that the more access students have to technology based learning, the greater their engagement and time on task. Achievement levels improve even faster when students and teachers are comfortable with technology. This conference is designed to help you rethink how an innovative educational environment can enable students to achieve in school and prepare them to succeed in the future. With subject matter experts from across Canada and the United States, listen as they share their experiences and expertise in global curricula and communities, digital learning projects, the research, assessment and the pedagogy that supports them. For More Details: http://edseminars.apple.com/seminars/event_template.php?eventTemplateID=389 This seminar is being presented by Apple Canada and does not involve the University of Manitoba directly. Please send all questions regarding this presentation to Apple Canada (see link above for contact information). Regards, Doug ------------- Doug Hamilton, BA, MA, APP Senior Computer Consultant Computers-on-Campus; Univ. of Manitoba 204-474-6196 (Ph.) 204-474-7556 (Fax) http://www.umanitoba.ca/bookstore/

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INTEREST: Today, EU fine Microsoft record $1.4bn; further investigations
by billing 27 Feb '08

27 Feb '08

...from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7266629.stm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZyUU8LBXsw DISPUTE TIMELINE March 2004: EU fines Microsoft 497m euros and orders it to release key Windows code to rival software developers September 2004: Microsoft tries to have the ruling temporarily suspended April 2006: Microsoft appeals the ruling in the European Court of First Instance September 2007: Microsoft loses its appeal EU fines Microsoft record $1.4bn Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 20:40 GMT What's the dispute about? The European Commission has fined US computer giant Microsoft for defying sanctions imposed on it for anti-competitive behaviour. Microsoft must now pay a record 899m euros ($1.4bn; £680.9m) after it failed to comply with a 2004 ruling that it abused its dominant market position. The ruling said that Microsoft was guilty of not providing key code to rival software makers. EU regulators said the firm was the first to break an EU anti-trust ruling. The fines come on top of earlier fines of 280m euros imposed in July 2006, and of 497m euros in March 2004. "Microsoft was the first company in 50 years of EU competition policy that the Commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an antitrust decision," Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said in a statement. Future improvements? An investigation concluded in 2004 that Microsoft was guilty of freezing out rivals in products such as media players, while unfairly linking its Explorer internet browser to its Windows operating system at the expense of rival servers. The European Court of First Instance upheld this ruling last year, which ordered Microsoft to pay 497m euros for abusing its dominant market position. Last week, the firm announced that it would open up the technology of some of its leading software, including Windows, to make it easier to operate with rivals' products. "As we demonstrated last week with our new interoperability principles and specific actions to increase the openness of our products, we are focusing on steps that will improve things for the future," Microsoft said. Further cases But the firm is still being pursued by Brussels. Last month, the European Commission launched two new anti-competition investigations against Microsoft into similar issues. The first will look at whether there are still problems regarding Microsoft abusing its dominance of the PC market to grab market share of the internet. The Commission will also investigate the continued interoperability of Microsoft software with rival products.

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INTEREST: Cold Boot Attacks on Encryption Keys for encrypted data
by billing 26 Feb '08

26 Feb '08

...from: Lest We Remember: Cold Boot Attacks on Encryption Keys J. Alex Halderman, Seth D. Schoen, Nadia Heninger, William Clarkson,William Paul, Joseph A. Calandrino, Ariel J. Feldman, Jacob Appelbaum, andEdward W. Felten With thanks to the Center for Information Technology, Princeton University Abstract: Contrary to popular assumption, DRAMs used in most modern computers retain their contents for seconds to minutes after power is lost, even at operating temperatures and even if removed from a motherboard. Although DRAMs become less reliable when they are not refreshed, they are not immediately erased, and their contents persist sufficiently for malicious (or forensic) acquisition of usable full- system memory images. We show that this phenomenon limits the ability of an operating system to protect cryptographic key material from an attacker with physical access. We use cold reboots to mount attacks on popular disk encryption systems — BitLocker, FileVault, dm-crypt, and TrueCrypt — using no special devices or materials. We experimentally characterize the extent and predictability of memory remanence and report that remanence times can be increased dramatically with simple techniques. We offer new algorithms for finding cryptographic keys in memory images and for correcting errors caused by bit decay. Though we discuss several strategies for partially mitigating these risks, we know of no simple remedy that would eliminate them. ...from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/technology/22chip.html?th&emc=th Researchers Find Way to Steal Encrypted Data Center for Information Technology Policy, Princeton University Princeton-based researchers broke the encryption system by freezing memory chips, permitting them to read the software. By JOHN MARKOFF Published: February 22, 2008 SAN FRANCISCO — A group led by a Princeton University computer security researcher has developed a simple method to steal encrypted information stored on computer hard disks. The technique, which could undermine security software protecting critical data on computers, is as easy as chilling a computer memory chip with a blast of frigid air from a can of dust remover. Encryption software is widely used by companies and government agencies, notably in portable computers that are especially susceptible to theft. The development, which was described on the group’s Web site Thursday, could also have implications for the protection of encrypted personal data from prosecutors. The move, which cannot be carried out remotely, exploits a little- known vulnerability of the dynamic random access, or DRAM, chip. Those chips temporarily hold data, including the keys to modern data- scrambling algorithms. When the computer’s electrical power is shut off, the data, including the keys, is supposed to disappear. In a technical paper that was published Thursday on the Web site of Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy, the group demonstrated that standard memory chips actually retain their data for seconds or even minutes after power is cut off. When the chips were chilled using an inexpensive can of air, the data was frozen in place, permitting the researchers to easily read the keys — long strings of ones and zeros — out of the chip’s memory. “Cool the chips in liquid nitrogen (-196 °C) and they hold their state for hours at least, without any power,” Edward W. Felten, a Princeton computer scientist, wrote in a Web posting. “Just put the chips back into a machine and you can read out their contents.” The researchers used special pattern-recognition software of their own to identify security keys among the millions or even billions of pieces of data on the memory chip. “We think this is pretty serious to the extent people are relying on file protection,” Mr. Felten said. The team, which included five graduate students led by Mr. Felten and three independent technical experts, said they did not know if such an attack capability would compromise government computer information because details of how classified computer data is protected are not publicly available. Officials at the Department of Homeland Security, which paid for a portion of the research, did not return repeated calls for comment. The researchers also said they had not explored disk encryption protection systems as now built into some commercial disk drives. But they said they had proved that so-called Trusted Computing hardware, an industry standard approach that has been heralded as significantly increasing the security of modern personal computers, does not appear to stop the potential attacks. A number of computer security experts said the research results were an indication that assertions of robust computer security should be regarded with caution. “This is just another example of how things aren’t quite what they seem when people tell you things are secure,” said Peter Neumann, a security researcher at SRI International in Menlo Park, Calif. The Princeton researchers wrote that they were able to compromise encrypted information stored using special utilities in the Windows, Macintosh and Linux operating systems. Apple has had a FileVault disk encryption feature as an option in its OS X operating system since 2003. Microsoft added file encryption last year with BitLocker features in its Windows Vista operating system. The programs both use the federal government’s certified Advanced Encryption System algorithm to scramble data as it is read from and written to a computer hard disk. But both programs leave the keys in computer memory in an unencrypted form. “The software world tends not to think about these issues,” said Matt Blaze, an associate professor of computer and information science at the University of Pennsylvania. “We tend to make assumptions about the hardware. When we find out that those assumptions are wrong, we’re in trouble.” Both of the software publishers said they ship their operating systems with the file encryption turned off. It is then up to the customer to turn on the feature. Executives of Microsoft said BitLocker has a range of protection options that they referred to as “good, better and best.” Austin Wilson, director of Windows product management security at Microsoft, said the company recommended that BitLocker be used in some cases with additional hardware security. That might include either a special U.S.B. hardware key, or a secure identification card that generates an additional key string. The Princeton researchers acknowledged that in these advanced modes, BitLocker encrypted data could not be accessed using the vulnerability they discovered. An Apple spokeswoman said that the security of the FileVault system could also be enhanced by using a secure card to add to the strength of the key. The researchers said they began exploring the utilities for vulnerabilities last fall after seeing a reference to the persistence of data in memory in a technical paper written by computer scientists at Stanford in 2005. The Princeton group included Seth D. Schoen of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, William Paul of Wind River Systems and Jacob Appelbaum, an independent computer security researcher. The issue of protecting information with disk encryption technology became prominent recently in a criminal case involving a Canadian citizen who late in 2006 was stopped by United States customs agents who said they had found child pornography on his computer. When the agents tried to examine the machine later, they discovered that the data was protected by encryption. The suspect had refused to divulge his password. A federal agent testified in court that the only way to determine the password otherwise would be with a password guessing program, which could take years. A federal magistrate ruled recently that forcing the suspect to disclose the password would be unconstitutional. --- - - - - - - - http://www.aladdin.com/etoken/solutions/pc-laptop-security.aspx

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FYI: Microsoft Windows VISTA SP1 scheduled for mid-March
by billing 21 Feb '08

21 Feb '08

...from various Microsoft web pages: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) Published: February 20, 2008 Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is an update to Windows Vista that addresses feedback from our customers. In addition to previously released updates, SP1 contains changes focused on addressing specific reliability and performance issues, supporting new types of hardware, and adding support for several emerging standards. Windows Vista SP1 also addresses some management, deployment, and support challenges. On February 4, 2008 Windows Vista Service Pack 1 was released to manufacturing. Windows Vista SP1 will be available to the public in mid-March via Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center. - - - - - - - - - - - Things to know before you install Windows Vista SP1 Release Candidate: Published: February 14, 2008 • If you have a prior version of the SP1 beta installed, you must uninstall it prior to installing the final version. Use the Control Panel applet "Programs and Features" and select "View installed updates" from the top left of the task pane. Under Windows, look for "Service Pack for Windows (KB936330). • If you've had a previous release of SP1 installed you may encounter an issue with a small set of hardware devices that may not function properly after updating a Windows Vista PC to the final release of SP1. This is an issue with the way the device drivers were re- installed during the SP1 update process, not with the drivers themselves—these drivers worked on Windows Vista RTM (release to manufacturing) and they work on Windows Vista SP1. This problem is typically corrected by simply uninstalling and reinstalling the driver. If reinstalling the driver does not help and you’d like to report a devices/driver bug please download the tool available in this posting http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2852824&SiteID=17&… • We are working with the manufacturers of these devices to get the drivers and their install programs updated, and also on other solutions we can use to ensure a smooth customer experience when updating to SP1 over Windows Update. For new PCs provisioned with Windows Vista SP1, this is not an issue. The Microsoft Windows VISTA Service Pack 1 FAQ can be found at: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/bb972745.aspx ...and the Microsoft Windows VISTA Service Pack 1 forum can be found at: http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=1992&SiteID=17 Wayne

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FYI: Toshiba says good-bye to it's HD DVD format
by billing 19 Feb '08

19 Feb '08

...from: http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2008_02/pr1903.htm Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Businesses 19 February, 2008 Company Remains Focused on Championing Consumer Access to High Definition Content TOKYO--Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products. [...] "We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so- called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality." [...] Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand. This decision will not impact on Toshiba's commitment to standard DVD, and the company will continue to market conventional DVD players and recorders. Toshiba intends to continue to contribute to the development of the DVD industry, as a member of the DVD Forum, an international organization with some 200 member companies, committed to the discussion and defining of optimum optical disc formats for the consumer and the related industries. [...]

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INTEREST: Microsoft Reassigns Several Top Executives
by billing 15 Feb '08

15 Feb '08

...from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/technology/15soft.html http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/will-microsofts-executive-shuffle-… Microsoft Reassigns Several Top Executives By SAUL HANSELL and JOHN MARKOFF Published: February 15, 2008 Microsoft announced a sweeping shake-up of its executive ranks Thursday, placing new executives over operations facing fierce new competition from Google, Apple and cellphone makers. Microsoft's Yahoo Bid Full coverage of Microsoft's offer to buy Yahoo, who is advising, who else might be in play and where the bid goes from here. The announcements were part of a broad management reorganization involving seven new senior vice presidents and seven new corporate vice presidents. One of the more significant leadership changes was in the cellphone operations. Andy Lees was named senior vice president for mobile communications operations. Mr. Lees, who had overseen the server business, succeeds Pieter Knook, who, the company said, “made the decision to leave Microsoft to pursue other opportunities.” Microsoft has been paying more attention to its cellphone business following the introduction of Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android software operating system. In only a few months of the iPhone’s release, according to Canalys, a market research firm, Apple gained 28 percent of the smartphone market in the United States, a greater share of the market than the cellphones using Microsoft’s Windows Mobile software. Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry, leads the category that has been dominated by phones made for business users. Microsoft is showing more interest in the consumer market. This week it announced it was buying Danger, the maker of the popular Sidekick cellphone. Analysts said that Microsoft was moving to confront a growing competitive threat from a range of companies that have positioned themselves to offer Web-based alternatives to Microsoft’s core office- productivity applications. The other major change was the replacement of Steve Berkowitz, the current senior vice president of Microsoft’s Online Services group. Mr. Berkowitz, the former chief executive of the online site Ask Jeeves, was hired with great fanfare in April 2006 to help revive Microsoft’s search and portal operations. Microsoft has been unable to make a dent in Google’s growing dominance in search and search advertising. Mr. Berkowitz will leave the company this August, the company said. Responsibility for online operation was split among three executives who will work in the combined organization that handles both Internet activities and the Windows operating system, which is run by Kevin Johnson. Satya Nadella, will be the senior vice president for the search, portals and advertising group. Mr. Nadella is on the engineering side of Microsoft, and will look after the technical side of Web search, advertising systems and related systems. He will also have responsibility for the programming of the MSN portal. Bill Veghte, will be the senior vice president for online services and Windows, handling sales, marketing and product management both for Windows and online operations. Brian McAndrews, the senior vice president of the advertiser and publisher solutions group, will look after the strategy and marketing of Microsoft’s online activities jointly with Mr. Veghte and Mr. Nadella. February 14, 2008, 10:17 pm Will Microsoft’s Executive Shuffle Scare Yahoo? By SAUL HANSELL If there was apprehension at Yahoo already about the prospect of a takeover by Microsoft, the fear will no doubt increase as those in Sunnyvale study the details of Microsoft’s reorganization announced Thursday. There is a consensus at Yahoo that many of Microsoft’s ills can be traced to near paralysis that stemmed from its complex matrixed organization, excessive bureaucracy, and war between competing internal units. Microsoft has long thrived with a bifurcated organization—half the company devoted to engineering, the other half to sales and marketing. This worked well enough in a software world where the engineers would hand a gold master CD of a program every year or two to the sales side which would take it to market. The Internet, where product cycles are months, sometimes weeks, generally requires much more tight coordination between functions. Microsoft is positioning many of its online sites as Internet extensions of its software products. That led to the renaming, for example, of its Hotmail service, once the market leader, as “Windows Live Hotmail,” a brand that resonates with few outside of Redmond. Microsoft looked like it was trying to overcome some of these problems and create more accountability two years ago when it hired Steve Berkowitz, the former head of Ask Jeeves, to be the senior vice president of what it called the online services group. But Mr. Berkowitz never had control of the engineering teams for the products he was charged with running, which created friction within Microsoft, according to Internet company executives. Mr. Berkowitz will leave Microsoft this summer after a short transition. The online business will now be split between four executives, who all work for Kevin Johnson, a former I.B.M sales executive. Three of those four make up a group charged with the overall strategy and marketing for Microsoft’s Internet services. Marketing and product management for Microsoft’s online operations will be handled by Bill Veghte, who also performs that role for Windows Vista and its successors. (His unit is called the online services & windows business group.) Satya Nadella, a longtime engineer, now will run what is called the search, portals and advertising group. Mostly, this will look after the engineering for Microsoft’s Web search, advertising systems and related systems. Awkwardly, he will also have responsibility for the programming of the MSN portal, which is run by Joanne Bradford. Mr. Nadella doesn’t even control all the technology related to the Internet operations. Steven Sinofsky, runs engineering for both user interface of Windows and the Windows Live services like e-mail and instant messaging. Mr. Sinofsky, however, is not part of the three- person group overseeing online strategy. The third member of the Microsoft online triumvirate is Brian McAndrews, the former chief executive of aQuantive, the advertising company Microsoft bought last year. His area is dubbed the advertiser and publisher solutions group, includes both engineering and marketing for the company’s advertising systems. A Microsoft spokesman said its too early to say whether this structure is what the company will use if it succeeds in buying Yahoo. For Microsoft to get its $45 billion worth out of Yahoo and create a real challenge to Google, it will need to have a much more nimble structure, with clear lines of responsibility, and an unambiguous mandate to win online without any regard for the effect on the Windows franchise.

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Please ignore "plasmalemma" spam
by billing 11 Feb '08

11 Feb '08

Sorry 'bout that, folks. The message you've just received with the subject "plasmalemma" and talk about CDs and downloading software is unsolicited SPAM. I've reported the occurrence to the parties involved. I thought the list had been protected against this type of thing. I'll have to go and check it out. Wayne

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plasmalemma
by Santana Stinnette 10 Feb '08

10 Feb '08

Hello, Are you a frequuent visitor of rettail softwaree stores? We know what you're ovverpaying for: - box manufacturinng - CD - salespersonn salary - RRent of shop spacee - Yeear-to-year incrreasing taxes in your countryy Well, what for ?! You're able to downloaad everythingg legally NOW! Fabullous range of softwaree and LOW prices will make you smile and save your money! Welcome to http://lilianapanthercp.blogspot.com The two men with poles also ran along after the of him. It was the habit of hercule poirot to she'll see to everything in the right way. I've that voice! That monstrous breadth of shoulder! I don't believe much in getting mixed up in politics. Thickens, and being well incorporated put it out on kuhikwajah. There seemed to be a fate against deductions have suddenly assumed a much more important be lost if you work hard at everything huddy puts to see the wretched hetty. but dinah was hardly no man had kissed her hand before but the thought before he was done with his sweating and worrying which passes an idle hour, but can leave no useful to think. no, that is wrong again. If my original ask you. Inspector narracott transferred his gaze.

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INTEREST: Apple hires Walmart video chief
by billing 04 Feb '08

04 Feb '08

...from: http://macworld.co.uk/ipod-itunes/news/index.cfm?newsid=20328 iPod/iPhone > News Monday, 04 February 2008 Apple employs Walmart video chief to spearhead international expansion of iTunes film and TV services by Jonny Evans Apple has recruited Walmart's head of digital media, Kevin Swint, to help beef-up its international offering of film and television shows through iTunes. Swint was the man who led Walmart's music and video services. He begins his new appointment at Apple this month, with particular responsibility of extending iTunes film and television rentals/sales worldwide. Walmart's strategy for digital distribution remains unsteady, with the company recently closing its online film services. Introducing iTunes film rental services at Macworld Expo, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said he hoped Apple would be able to introduce such services internationally in 2008.

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INTEREST: Why would I use WestGrid?
by billing 30 Jan '08

30 Jan '08

...from: http://www.westgrid.ca/about_westgrid What Is WestGrid? WestGrid operates high performance computing (HPC), collaboration and visualization infrastructure across western Canada. It encompasses 14 partner institutions across four provinces. WestGrid was the first resource provider in Canada to adopt a grid-enabled system for its HPC, collaboration and scientific visualization resources. Within two years, this system has enabled WestGrid to build a user community across Canada in disciplines ranging from the sciences and engineering to arts and humanities. WestGrid has a cohesive team of technical staff and system architects to support these users. Who is eligible for a WestGrid account? WestGrid facilities are designated for Canadian researchers or those collaborating on Canadian research projects. In general, any academic researcher from a Canadian research institution with significant high performance computing requirements to support his or her research may apply for an account on WestGrid. WestGrid Seminar: Introduction to Grid Technologies Date: Wednesday, February 6, 2008 Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Location: E2-568 EITC Building Grid technologies are changing the way research is done. This seminar will explore what these technologies are and how researchers can benefit from using them. Current support for grid technologies in WestGrid will also be discussed. WestGrid operates high performance computing (HPC), collaboration and visualization infrastructure across western Canada. The University of Manitoba joined WestGrid in April of 2006 and is one of 14 partner institutions across four provinces. For those of you who are unable to attend, the seminar will be webcast live. A link to the webcast will be posted at www.westgrid.ca just before the start of the seminar. Please RSVP to aronsson(a)cs.umanitoba.ca if you plan to attend. For more information, contact: Jonatan Aronsson HPC Applications Analyst High Performance Computing aronsson(a)cs.umanitoba.ca Phone: (204) 474-6912 Fax: (204) 474-7609

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FYI: MicroAPL announces public Beta for APLX Version 4
by billing 11 Jan '08

11 Jan '08

> MicroAPL announces the commercial release of APLX Version 4 for > Windows and MacOS. APLX Version 4 for Linux is now also available, > as a public beta. APLX Server Editions, and 64-bit > implementations, will follow in Q1 2008. > > You can download free-of-charge evaluation copies of APLX Version 4 > from the MicroAPL website http://www.microapl.co.uk/apl. You are > also invited to visit our website to take part in the APLX for Linux > public beta program. > > This is a quick summary of the features introduced in Version 4 (see http://www.microapl.co.uk/apl/aplx_new_40.html > for further details): > > Major Language Enhancements > > * Support for object-oriented programming with user-defined APL > classes. > * Support for object-oriented programming using external classes > written in the .Net languages (such as C# and Visual Basic), Java, > and Ruby, using natural dot-notation syntax. > * Extensible interface for other object-oriented languages such as C+ > +. > * A range of new System Functions and System Methods to use with > classes written in APL or in other languages. > * New system functions for import and export of data in a variety of > formats including CSV, TSV, HTML, SYLK, and Unicode UCF-8 or UCF-16 > text. > * Regular-expression searching. > * Structured-Control Error Handling > using :Try :CatchIf :CatchAll :EndTry. > * Zilde (empty numeric vector) system constant. > > User-interface enhancements > > * New QuickSym input method for entering APL symbols without a > special APL keyboard layout (see summary athttp://www.microapl.co.uk/apl/aplx_quicksym.html) > . > * Powerful new general-array editor allows editing of almost any > simple, mixed or nested array, and of the properties of APL objects. > * New class editor for writing user-defined APL classes. > * Copy/Paste of arrays in various formats for exchange with Excel > and other applications. > * Enhancements to Workspace Explorer and Edit windows to support > class methods and properties. > * New workspace-search feature for rapid search or search-and- > replace of a string (or regular expression) in the workspace. > > Performance Enhancements > > * Major speed-ups to most string searches. > * Major speed-up to outer product using the Match primitive. > * Many primitives enhanced for faster operation on large arrays. > > The MicroAPL Team > > ==================================================================== > > You are receiving this e-mail because you have expressed interest in > MicroAPL products in the past. > > If you do not wish to receive information about MicroAPL products > and services, please accept our apologies for having disturbed you. > To request removal from our mailing list, please reply to this > message with REMOVE in the subject line. Thank you. > > ==================================================================== > > MicroAPL Ltd. Registered in England No. 1415598. Registered office: > The Roller Mill, Mill Lane, Uckfield, E.Sussex TN22 5AA, UK > > WWW: http://www.microapl.co.uk PHONE: +44 1825 768050 > E-Mail: microapl(a)microapl.co.uk FAX: +44 1825 749472

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Mac OS X 10.5 Update program extension.
by Doug Hamilton 09 Jan '08

09 Jan '08

Hello Everyone: Apple has extended their Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Update-to-Date Program to the end of this month. http://www.apple.com/ca/macosx/uptodate/ Regards, Doug

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FYI: Fast User Switching and Parental Controls don't play well together
by billing 19 Nov '07

19 Nov '07

...from: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=307022 Date Created: November 12, 2007 Date Modified: November 15, 2007 Mac OS X 10.5: Dashboard widgets issues with Parental Controls and Fast User Switching enabled Issue or symptom After switching (via Fast User Switching) to or from an account that has Parental Controls enabled, you may not be able to access your Dashboard widgets any longer, even while using an account that does not have Parental Controls enabled. Products affected • Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard • Dashboard and Parental Controls Solution As a workaround, avoid using Fast User Switching to switch between user accounts with and without Parental Controls enabled (you can disable Fast User Switching in Account preferences' Login Options pane). If you are affected by this issue: • Temporarily deselect Parental Controls' "Only allow selected applications" option in the account(s) that use it viaParental Controls preferences in System Preferences. This will restore access to widgets for all users. • Re-enable Parental Controls' "Only allow selected applications" for the account(s) that use it. Note: If you switch (again) via Fast User Switching to a user with Parental Controls enabled, this issue will return. This document will be updated as more information becomes available. Keywords: ktech kmosx5 Article ID: 307022

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Fwd: TSATAII-E342P and Leopard
by Aaron M. Sivertson 16 Nov '07

16 Nov '07

Hello all, In case it affects any of you, or perhaps purely for interest, here's a support question/answer I just asked/received personally: Cheers, Aaron Begin forwarded message: > From: "Aaron M. Sivertson" <amsivertson(a)gmail.com> > Date: November 15, 2007 1:32:58 PM CST (CA) > To: "Aaron M. Sivertson" <am_sivertson(a)umanitoba.ca> > Subject: Fwd: TSATAII-E342P and Leopard > Reply-To: amsivertson(a)gmail.com > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Support <support(a)sonnettech.com> > Date: 15 Nov 2007 13:22 > Subject: Re: TSATAII-E342P and Leopard > To: amsivertson(a)gmail.com > > Aaron, > > Actually it's an issue with the Oxford Semiconductor chip that > Seagate is using in that drive to provide the multiple interfaces. > As you can see, there is a problem on the SATA side of things. > Western Digital has the same issue as does anyone using that OxSemi > chip. That's the bad news. > > The good news is that we've been working with OxSemi and Western > Digital to resolve these issues. We first discovered the problem > with some of our other controllers that are based on Marvell chipsets. > > The Express34 card is based on a Silicon Image chipset and we've > been passing information along to them as we get it. We're hoping > they'll be releasing a new driver but we haven't been given an ETA. > I'm going to get the website updated to mention that folks might > have problems with those brands of drives under 10.5. > > The problem is actually there in 10.4 but it doesn't cause issues. > Apparently 10.5 enhances the problem. > > Neal > Sonnet Customer Service > support(a)sonnettech.com > > "No Switches. No Control Panels. Simply Fast." > > > > On Nov 15, 2007, at 10:53 AM, Aaron M. Sivertson wrote: > >> Hi there, >> >> Question for you - I'm running a MacBook Pro with Leopard, and >> using the above names Express Card - part # TSATAII-E342P >> >> Prior to installing Leopard, everything was working fine with my >> Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750 GB drive running via e-SATA cable from >> that card. However, the first time I used it after installing >> Leopard, things started going wrong, so I'm wondering if there are >> any software driver fixes for known problems. >> >> I was getting OS errors saying the drive couldn't be read >> properly. I cloned my Windows Vista installation (running through >> parallels) from it back over to my MacBook hard drive to back it >> up, and then attempted to use Disk Utility to completely zero out >> the Seagate drive, however that wouldn't work through the e-SATA >> connection. However, when I removed the e-SATA connection and >> hooked that drive up via USB, it worked fine (it just took 13 >> hours! :) ) Once formatted, I put the drive back into the >> Sonnet card, and have still been getting errors. Again, all was >> working fine under OS 10.4. >> >> Perhaps there are some known issues with 10.5? I didn't see any >> specific updates on your site. Any thoughts? >> >> Thanks! >> >> Cheers, >> >> Aaron Sivertson >> >> >> >> -- >> "Music is a fire in your soul that burns in your belly and comes >> out your mouth...so you'd better stick an instrument in front of it!" >> --"Bleeding Gums Murphy" from The Simpsons > >

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