|
Please visit the LangaList Home Page Please note: Older issues may contain information that is now out of date. How To Subscribe
and Unsubscribe is at the end of this note. Mailing List Trouble? See http://www.langa.com/help.txt Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000 !) An
easier-to read formatted HTML version of this newsletter is available on line at The LangaList 2000-07-24 A Free
Email Newsletter from Fred
Langa ---( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList Free! )---
--------------(
the above is an advertisement )--------------
Everyone past a certain age will
remember from the fiction of our youth that, by now, the world was supposed to
be populated with personal, intelligent, autonomous mechanical servants, taking
over all manner of routine drudgery and unpleasant tasks. OK, it's the year
2000; so where are our personal silicon servants? Where are the real robots? Instead of real robots, what we
have are things like a robotic toy dog from Sony ( http://www.world.sony.com/Electronics/aibo/top.html
) that, at $2500, costs more than many for-real pedigreed pooches; or a $1000
robotic butler from Hammacher-Schlemmer that's really little more than a
self-propelled serving tray; or an $850 robotic lawnmower ( http://www.friendlymachines.com/
) for people with small lawns and large wallets. Looking at the really low end,
there's a menagerie of robotic toys such as those found at http://www.robotstore.com/index.html
. At the really high end, we have the $10 million, one-of-a-kind
"Robosaurus" ( http://www.robotstore.com/index.html
). Not exactly what Asimov,
Heinlein, Clarke, et al envisioned, eh? Even so, the hardware for
robotics---even truly humanoid robots--- is slowly but surely developing. For
example, the Honda car company is actively developing a for-real humanoid robot:
Visit http://www.honda.co.jp/english/technology/robot/
and watch some of the amazing video clips. Although they're corny and staged,
you can see that Honda's working prototype of a humanoid robot can exhibit
surprisingly fluid and lifelike motion. And if you read the background
information, you'll also see just how hard this technology really is: It's taken
Sony almost 15 years to get the point where this non-autonomous robot can walk
smoothly, balance stably on one foot, and accurately kick a soccer ball. Indeed, although it's slow going,
robotics is a maturing field, and for-real, no-kidding, non-toy robotics is what
my "Monitor" column is about this month at Byte.Com . The column lets you link to
world-class R&D research sites to see---live and in streaming video--- what
various robot projects are up to. And in one case, you can even tell the robot
what to do, controlling it from inside your browser, for Free! There's a ton of info, and it's
all for-real, and free. The column should be available midday (UT-4) today (July
24 2000) on the Byte home page at http://www.byte.com
and via the "Monitor" front door at http://www.byte.com/index/monitor
. Check it out today! Click to
email this item to a friend In addition to the many links and
sites I mentioned in the original "Save Your Butt With Dos" article
at http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/explorer/2000/15.htm
, readers are sending in their own favorite tools and downloads. For example, take this email from
a French reader: Mr. Langa I give email to my wife
to read on her computer, and back up those files in a \RESERVE directory (yes,
I'm an old DOS user! - just now getting used to saying "folder...". I wanted to delete old
files by DATE, leaving more recent ones.E.g. "delete everything older than
April 1, 2000". I found a bunch of DOS utilities, including DELAGE.EXE to
do just what I wanted, at http://home.nikocity.de/horst.muc/int/horst.htm Horst Schaeffer seems
like a neat guy to know! - Jim Munn, in France Thanks, Jim. Looks like some good
stuff there! Click to
email this item to a friend ---( Your
Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList Free! )---
--------------(
the above is an advertisement )--------------
The folks at Microsoft have been
busy killing bugs. Here's the scoop on the worst of
the recent crop of problems that came to light: A component
[Inetcomm.dll] shared by Outlook and Outlook Express contains an unchecked
buffer in the functionality that parses e-mail headers when downloading mail via
either POP3 or IMAP4. By sending an e-mail that overruns the buffer, a malicious
user could cause either of two effects to occur when the mail was downloaded
from the server by an affected e-mail client - If the affected field
were filled with random data, the e-mail could be made to crash. - If the affected field
were filled with carefully-crafted data, the e-mail client could be made to run
code of the malicious user's choice. Customers who have
installed Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 1, and customers who have
installed Internet Explorer 5.5 on any system other than Windows 2000, would not
be affected by this vulnerability. Likewise, Outlook users
who have configured Outlook to use only MAPI services would not be affected,
regardless of what version of Internet Explorer they have installed. OK, that means if you're using an
older, non-upgraded/patched browser--- that is, you do NOT have IE 5.01SP1 or
5.5 and if you DO have: - Microsoft Outlook Express
4.0/4.01 then you could have the problem. You can fix the problem (if you
have it) by any one of several methods: 1) Install the patch available
at: Note that the patch works on
systems updated to at least IE4.01 SP2, or IE5.01. If you're running IE4.01 and
don't have Service Pack 2 installed, grab that first at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/download/ie401sp2.htm
. If you need to upgrade to IE5.01 first, it's at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/download/ie501.htm 2) Or, perform a default
installation of Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack: 3) Or, perform a default
installation of Internet Explorer 5.5: So, you have a lot of ways to
correct this problem; they all work for everything except Windows 2000: Because
the patch involves updating system components, you have to add the patch in a
way that doesn't trigger Win2K's "system file protection" feature. The
answer is to install Win2K's own (free) SP1; it includes the updates to close
this security hole. Frequently Asked Questions: Click to
email this item to a friend This is a weird one: Microsoft has released a
patch that eliminates a security vulnerability affecting Microsoft Outlook
Express. The vulnerability could allow a malicious user to send an email that
would "read over the shoulder" of the recipient as he previews
subsequent emails in Outlook Express.... This is (IMHO) a low-probability
security issue, but still, it should be fixed. The good news is that the fix for
this is already built into newer versions of OE, and also is available in the
patches described in Item #3, above: If you followed the patch/upgrade
recommendations there, you're already OK. The affected versions are exactly the
same as in #3; the fixes are likewise exactly the same. If you skipped over Item #3, now
you have a reason to go back and check it out. In any case, the EXACT same set
of patches and upgrades mentioned in #3 also fix the bug mentioned in this item. Click to
email this item to a friend ---( Your
Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList Free! )---
--------------(
the above is an advertisement )--------------
We're not quite done yet with the
current bugfest: Microsoft has released a
patch that eliminates a security vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook and Outlook
Express. The vulnerability could allow a malicious user to send an HTML mail
that, when opened, could read, but not add, change or delete, files on the
recipient's computer. If coupled with other vulnerabilities, it could
potentially be used in more advanced attacks as well. By design, an HTML mail
that creates a file on the recipient's computer should only be able to create it
in the so-called cache. Files in the cache, when opened, do so in the Internet
Zone. However, this vulnerability would allow an HTML mail to bypass the cache
mechanism and create a file in a known location on the recipient's disk. If an
HTML mail created an HTML file outside the cache, it would run in the Local
Computer Zone when opened. This could allow it to open a file on the user's
computer and send [information to] a malicious user's web site. The
vulnerability also could be used as a way of placing an executable file on the
user's machine, which the malicious user would then seek to launch via some
other means. This also is a low-probability
security risk, but again, is one that still should be fixed. And guess what? Like the bug in
Item #4, the good news is that the fix is available in the patches described in
Item #3, above: If you followed the patch/upgrade recommendations there, you're
already OK. The affected versions are exactly the same as in #3; the fixes are
likewise exactly the same. If you skipped over Item #3, now
you have a reason to go back and check it out. In any case, the EXACT same set
of patches and upgrades mentioned in #3 also fix the bug mentioned in this item. In short: Many bugs--- one patch.
8-) Click to
email this item to a friend In a recent issue ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/2000-07-13.htm#8
), I mentioned http://browserwatch.internet.com/stats.html
as a good place to find some alternatives to Internet Explorer and Netscape
Navigator/Communicator. Several readers--- John Anderson
was the first--- wrote to suggest another location: Fred, You gave a good
site to find what browsers are "in the wild" as you put it, but here
is another site I found, it won't help you find the most popular browsers, but
it will give you alternatives This site is also useful
for web developers who are looking for older browsers to test compatibility. Thanks, John, and all who wrote
in! Click to
email this item to a friend If you think the
LangaList is a worthwhile read, maybe a friend would find it useful too! Just
use the following link to recommend the LangaList---your friend may find a new
source of useful information and you just may win $10,000 for your trouble (full
details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#1 Or, win a copy of
"Poor Richard's E-Mail Publishing: Creating Newsletters, Bulletins,
Discussion Groups and Other Powerful Communications Tools." This book has
been described as "An excellent, straightforward manual on email
publishing, banner ads, driving traffic and especially ethics." (Full
details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#2 Either way, thank
you, and good luck. Click to
email this item to a friend ---( Your
Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList Free! )---
--------------(
the above is an advertisement )--------------
Do you have a home page or
website? (It doesn't matter what size.) Please click over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm,
and maybe you can join the hundreds and hundreds of LangaList readers who have
"Loaded the Code!" (If you've already "Loaded The Code" and
are wondering if your site will appear here or on the Langa.Com web site, please
see http://www.langa.com/link.txt
) Speaking of which: Here's another
eclectic sample of reader sites--- some professional, some very personal:
Click to
email this item to a friend More supposedly-real warning
labels from packaging around the world, collected and sent in by a number of
readers (thanks!) On Sears hairdryer: Do
not use while sleeping. On a bar of Dial soap:
Directions Use like regular soap. On some Swanson frozen
dinners: Serving suggestion Defrost. On Tesco's Tiramisu
dessert (printed on bottom of the box): Do not turn upside down. On Marks & Spencer
Bread Pudding: Product will be hot after heating. On packaging for a
Rowenta iron: Do not iron clothes on body. On Boot's children's
cough medicine: Do not drive car or operate machinery. On Nytol sleep aid:
Warning may cause drowsiness. On a Korean kitchen
knife: Warning keep out of children. On a string of
Chinese-made Christmas lights: For indoor or outdoor use only. On a Japanese food
processor: Not to be used for the other use. On Sainsbury's peanuts:
Warning contains nuts. On an American Airlines
packet of nuts: Instructions open packet, eat nuts. On a Swedish chainsaw:
Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals. On a child's Superman
costume: Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly. Click to
email this item to a friend ---( Your
Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList Free! )--- Advertising
in the LangaList --------------(
the above is an advertisement )--------------
See you next issue! Best, Please recommend
the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win $10,000!I) An easier-to read
formatted HTML version is available in the "Current Issue" section of http://www.langa.com.
(The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [UT-5] of the
issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available at the Langa.Com site. Why are you getting this
newsletter? This is a 100% OPT-IN newsletter: There are only three ways to get
on the list--- signup via direct email request from you, or signup via the
WinMag newsletter page or signup via BrowserTune's email-notification service.
If you're getting this newsletter; your name came to me through one of those
signup channels. At signup, you also received a confirmation email from my list
software---no one is signed up secretly or against their will. SUBSCRIBE (it's Free! ):
Create and send a new email address it to subscribe-langalist@lyris.dundee.net UNSUBSCRIBE: From the
same address you used to sign up with (it's shown on the first line in the body
of each email issue you receive), create and send a new email address to unsubscribe-langalist@lyris.dundee.net
. CHANGE ADDRESS? LIST
TROUBLE? HAVE QUESTIONS? NEED HELP? See http://www.langa.com/help.txt About
the advertisers: Langa Consulting LLC will never knowingly accept
advertising for a fraudulent product, company or service. However, Langa Consulting LLC makes no implied or explicit warranty, recommendation or endorsement
of or for the products, companies or services mentioned in the ads. Disclaimer:
(Please see full disclaimer here: http://www.langa.com/legal.htm.)
Abbreviated version: The tips and other information given in the newsletter are
researched and are believed to be accurate, but we cannot and do not guarantee
that all the information here will work on all systems, for all users, all the
time. All information herein is offered as-is and without warranty of any kind.
Neither Langa Consulting LLC, nor its employees nor contributors are responsible for
any loss, injury, or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from application
of any information presented here. This newsletter is a
free service of Langa Consulting LLC and is Copyright © 2000 Langa Consulting LLC. All
rights reserved. |
|
Please visit the LangaList Home Page |