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LangaList 2003-01-13 Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!
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1) Power-Line Networking Comes Of AgeThe idea is simple: Use your existing electrical wiring to create a local area network for your PCs, Macs, Linux boxes or other network-enabled devices. To do this, you use special (and safe) electrical-socket adapters that convert the standard Ethernet data into very high frequency signals that ride over the standard electrical wiring. This doesn't affect the wires' ability to carry power: Rather, powerline networking allows an electrical system simultaneously to deliver power and data over the same wires. Powerline networking devices can see and decode the networking signals, but standard electrical devices--- lights, motors, etc.--- don't even know the network data signals are there, and continue to operate normally. This isn't theoretical: Powerline networking devices have been around for years, but remained on the fringes of networking due to problems of interoperability and high cost. But recent standardization efforts and aggressive price cuts have made powerline networking easy, affordable, and worth a serious look by anyone seeking to add or extend networking for PCs, Macs, Linux boxes, or any networkable device (including things like game boxes). In many ways, powerline networking combines the best of wired and wireless networks. Like wireless networking, a powerline network lets you move around from room to room or floor to floor: You can access your network from any standard electrical outlet just by plugging in. But like conventionally wired networks (and unlike wireless), your data isn't broadcast out into the surrounding area where anyone can detect and try to hack it. I recently tried two representative types of powerline networking--- a compact "power brick" type device and a stand-alone cable-modem-type device--- and experienced the pros and cons of both firsthand. I've put all the details of my real-life tests, with links to additional data, in the current InformationWeek.Com column, now online (it's free!) at http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20030108S0003 . Please come check it out, and add your voice to the discussion: Have you tried powerline networking? Have your experiences been positive or negative? Join in the discussion! Click to email this item to a
friend 2) Restore Outlook 2000's Missing HolidaysIf you're like reader Tim Downey and use Outlook 2000, you may have noticed that New Year's Day--- and all future holidays--- have disappeared from your calendar! Tim went looking for an answer, and found it:
Microsoft says it may offer the updated holiday file via Office Update, although they have not done so as of this writing. But Tim has shared his copy with us, so you don't have to wait for Microsoft to get around to posting it. It's a large file (over 200K), so I've zip-compressed it to just 19K; you'll need a suitable un-Zipper to decompress the file. Once you have it, follow the Microsoft directions, above, to add the new holidays to your copy of Outlook 2000. Plus! Subscriber's Private Download Area: http://www.langalist.com/plus/extras/outlook2000holidays.asp Public Download Area (may be slow--- sorry!): http://www.freetune.com/extras/outlook2000.zip Click to email this item to a
friend 3) Ad-Aware Takes A Dive?There's more trouble with Ad-Aware (the free anti-spyware tool from Lavasoft).
For months now, it's been suffering from slow or missing updates, download sites
dying, etc. But it's gotten worse. A number of readers--- first among them CptSiskoX and Jeff Rankin-Lowe---
pointed to a disturbing article at Sadly, I must agree. Although my own experience producing the free version of this newsletter makes me have great sympathy for anyone who tries to offer a free product to the public, Lavasoft seems to have effectively abandoned the free version of Ad-Aware. As of this writing, there have been no updates for almost four months. That's reason enough to walk away: An outdated spyware tool is all but useless. The folks at Spywareinfo recommend four alternative tools: the free Spybot Search-and-Destroy ( http://security.kolla.de/ or http://ejrs.com/spybot/ ) and three separate commercial tools for removing surveillance spyware, keyloggers, and password stealing trojans, at a total cost of $140. (Ouch!) See http://www.spywareinfo.com/newsletter/archives/december-2002/12252002.php for links to the tools they recommend. I dunno about you, but $140 seems a little pricey to me. I covered my two favorite alternatives in an article at http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2002/2002-10-31.htm#1 : There, I also recommended the free Spybot Search-and-Destroy ( http://security.kolla.de/ or http://ejrs.com/spybot/ ) but also suggested PestPatrol, which has a free trial version, and--- even if purchased--- costs as little as $30, or fully $110 *less* than the solution that Spywareinfo suggests. Note that both Spybot and PestPatrol have evolved since I wrote that previously-referenced article. Spybot is now at version 1.1 release 4, and PestPatrol is at version 4.1. Both have expanded the number of malware/spyware/pestware nasties they protect you from, and both have added new features. I think Spybot is now the best free tool available; and PestPatrol the best commercial tool. In the interests of full disclosure, note that PestPatrol is a LangaList advertiser, although that has nothing to do with this recommendation. (If you disbelieve me, by all means feel free to do your own research into effective spyware solutions, because only you can decide what best fits your needs.) If you'd like to check out PestPatrol, you can get a 25% discount on the new version via this sponsored link ( http://www.digitalriver.com/pestpatrol/63171 ) , or use the normal front door to the site (no discount) at http://www.pestpatrol.com ). It's your choice. In any case, use *something* to protect you from spyware and such, and keep the tool current. Don't rely on old software to keep your PC safe from new threats! Click to email this item to a
friend --- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) --- Get a new PC for the holidays? Unlock its potential with more RAM! Free how-to instructions
(it's easy!) Crucial Technology, The
Memory Experts. --------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 4) Linux Hacks On The RiseThere's no question that Microsoft has a bad record with regard to security issues, but it's also true that hackers like to aim at the fat part of the bell curve because that's where the most potential victims are. Thus, more people try to hack Microsoft software--- the world's most popular--- than any other. I've stated repeatedly in the past that other OSes would start to experience more malicious hacks and exploits when enough people were using those OSes to make them attractive targets for hackers. And, with the rise in Linux's popularity, it's already started to happen, big time:
Doug's link points to an article called "Most Unsecure OS? Yep, It's Linux" which is based on security problems tracked by CERT--- the nonpartisan "Computer Emergency Response Team," part of a federally funded research and development center at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (See http://www.cert.org/meet_cert/meetcertcc.html and http://www.cert.org/advisories/ ) In part, the article states: "...more than 50 percent of all security advisories that CERT issued in the first 10 months of 2002 were for Linux and other open-source software solutions. The report muddles the argument that proprietary software such as Windows is inherently less secure than open solutions. And here's another blow to the status quo: Proprietary UNIX solutions were responsible for just as many security advisories as Linux in the same time period." None of this excuses or lessens the seriousness of Windows' own problems, of course, but it does show that as Linux grows in popularity, it will have its own full share of bugs and security problems, too. No OS--- *no* OS--- is immune, even if its more rabid fans try to tell you otherwise. <g> Click to email this item to a
friend 5) Visual Basic And The Scripting Host
Most Windows versions offer limited Visual Basic support through the "Windows Scripting Host" (WSH). But that's like a playback module: It *runs* the scripts, but doesn't help create them. It's possible to write VB scripts with just Notepad. For example, open Notepad and type this one line of Visual Basic, exactly as shown: MsgBox "Hello, World!", 0, "The Windows Scripting Host says" Use Notepad's SAVE AS function and save the file to your Desktop as HELLO.VBS. Now click on the file's icon. If the WSH is on your system (and it probably is), it will interpret the script and open a little "Hello, World" dialog box. It's *that* easy to add and run simple Visual Basic scripts! For somewhat more sophisticated scripts, see Karen Kenworthy's WSH article (old, but still good) at http://content.techweb.com/winmag//library/1998/0901/fea0059.htm To create full-blown programs--- not simple scripts--- you really need the full VB package, which is empathically not free (it can cost over $1,000 in some full-blown implementations). See http://www.google.com/search?q=visual+basic But there are free alternatives--- not exactly the same, but that allow you to do many of the same things: See http://www.google.com/search?q=free+scripting+tools and http://www.google.com/search?q=free+visual+basic Click to email this item to a
friend 6) New Year, New ChancesIt's a new month in a new year, and right now your chances are the best they'll ever be! To have a shot at winning a no-strings $30 Gift Certificate for any item at Amazon.Com--- books, software, hardware, kitchenware, toys, and more--- just use the following link to recommend the LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful information; I just may gain a new subscriber; and you just may win a mini-shopping spree! (Full details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#2 The more times you make a recommendation, the greater your chances are of winning! Or, if you'd like to try to win $10,000(really!), try this link (full details also available here): http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=143182 Either way, thank you, and good luck! Click to email this item to a
friend 7) "Virtual Machine" WoesReader Sam Suklis writes of a problem that may seem obscure, but that will affect more and more users over time:
My sympathies: Problems like this can be a nightmare. Part of the problem is that, although Microsoft is updating existing installations of its Java VM, they're no longer allowing separate downloads of the VM alone, due to a lawsuit with Sun. (See http://www.microsoft.com/java/xp.htm ). What Java-related downloads are available from Microsoft are at http://www.microsoft.com/java/default.htm , but they almost surely will *not* solve the problem you're having. This is one of the reasons why I recommend disk imaging: Rather than spend untold hours trying to solve a problem like this, you can simply roll back your system to a time before the trouble started. You're back in operation in minutes, instead of an open-ended number of hours. (See http://www.langa.com/backups/backups.htm ) I know--- that doesn't help much if your PC is already hosed and you don't have a known-good disk image to fall back on. In that case, here's what I suggest, especially if (like Sam) you have Win98: Microsoft is pulling the plug on Win98 support in 6 months. So, if you plan on keeping Win98 longer than six months, why not do now what you'll have to do in a few months anyway? That is: Start over with a fresh install of everything, from the ground up. Get it perfect (all patches, all updates, etc;), make a full backup or drive image, and then go forward from there. This approach will simultaneously fix the problem at hand, and also provide a solid, known-good copy of your OS that you can fall back on in the future, when (inevitably) you need to reinstall your software, but no longer have access to patches, bug fixes, and such from Microsoft. Just restore the known-good copy of the OS, and you're back in business! Click to email this item to a
friend 8) They Loaded The CodeDo 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: View A Randomly-Chosen Reader Site Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At Radio Reading Service for the Blind Trading System Design SomeSmoke's Pages Photos by Jonathan Ramsdell BPS SoftWare Cisco Academy PRCox.org Sion Music TPA Software Click to email this item to a
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Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) --- Thanks, John! 9) Library Shoots Self In FootSpam- and content blacklists and filters continue to cause trouble, but they also sometimes provide unintentional comic relief. For example, the public library in Piqua, Ohio recently installed content filters to keep its patrons safe from bad words and sites. There was one small glitch: The filter banned the library's own web site. <g> Turns out the library's founding patron was a local businessman named Leo Flesh; the library is officially known as the "Flesh Public Library." But to the simple minds that created the web filter, "flesh" has only prurient meanings, so the library's own web site was banned. Doh! Eventually, people will realize that simple blacklists of "bad" sites and words cannot possibly work in the real world: Blacklists *of all types* are simply too crude. But until then, totally innocent sites, emails, newsletters and other materials will continue to be blocked. Sometimes, it may be funny. Other times, it's definitely not. For the full story, see http://www.activedayton.com/ddn/local/daily/1122flesh.html Click to email this item to a
friend 10) Just For GrinsAlthough Tim Downey (see #2, above) discovered that Outlook 2000 had trouble with dates in 2003 and onward, reader Paul Rudolf found that Windows 2000 could handle some dates *much* later than that. How much later? Well, let's just say H.G. Wells might have felt right at home:
Click to email this item to a
friend --- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) --- Get a printer for the
Holidays? --------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 11) Plus! Edition Highlights:
Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten items above, plus information on a major update to the Plus! subscriber database, designed to ensure easy access to the tons of extra content, features and downloads available only on the private Plus! subscriber site; and to ensure smooth, error-free delivery of LangaList Plus! issues themselves. To see what you're missing in the Plus! edition--- it costs literally just pennies per issue--- check out http://www.langa.com/plus.htm Click to email this item to a
friend 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. UNSUBSCRIBE: From the same email account you
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