Mac OS 10.5.2 = Apple Vista?

Posted Tuesday, May 6, 2008 5:14AM by dadx2mj

" *

I’ve heard many different complaints about Mac OS 10.5.2 since it was released, from my own Skype/podcasting problems to issues with just about everything else, including: printing, third-party wireless routers, software freezing and problems with Time Machine. The Apple discussion boards are littered with stories about all kinds of crawlers in 10.5.2, and while hardly an epidemic, they’re not exactly isolated incidents either.

Chuck Freedman from the PowerPage Podcast shares his problems with 10.5.2 on his MacBook Pro – he thinks it’s the buggiest software update in years. So much so, that his friend Dennis (updated to give proper credit) coined a new term for 10.5.2 – “Apple Vista.” ZDNet

AMD launches ‘business class’ Phenom, Athlon chips

Posted Monday, April 28, 2008 5:02AM by dadx2mj

"AMD on Monday announced “business class” versions of its Phenom and Athlon processors for the commercial markets. The big pitch: PC manufacturers will maintain AMD’s business class systems for 24 months to ensure that systems aren’t phased out before they are deployed.

The chipmaker (all AMD resources) is angling to differentiate itself from Intel in the commercial markets and says that stability of platform is important to public sector purchases as well as enterprises." ZDNet

Mozilla delivers Firefox update

Posted Thursday, April 17, 2008 5:21AM by dadx2mj

"Mozilla one Wednesday patched one flaw in Firefox in an update (2.0.0.14).

The fix–a crash in JavaScript garbage collector–was deemed critical by Mozilla. According to Mozilla, the problem was created by a previous fix. " ZDNet

Will XP’s ‘execution stay’ for emerging markets apply to other countries?

Posted Wednesday, April 2, 2008 5:58AM by dadx2mj

"Speculation continues to swirl as to when and whether Microsoft will extend the June 30, 2008, cut-off date on which many PC makers will be expected to cease bundling Windows XP with new PCs.

But some pundits seem to have forgotten that when Microsoft initially granted Windows XP five more months to live, back in 2007, the company left itself a loophole. (And I don’t mean just the early 2009 cut-off date it granted white-box vendors/system builders). Late last year, Microsoft officials said that vendors preloading Windows on PCs aimed at “emerging markets” wouldn’t have to stop selling Windows XP until 2010." ZDNet

Why I downgraded from Vista to XP

Posted Wednesday, March 12, 2008 5:21AM by dadx2mj

"While this debate continues, the related question has now arisen of whether even some PCs pre-installed with Vista are capable of running it adequately. Based on my own experience, this is a very pertinent question to ask if you are considering buying anything with less than a 1.8 Ghz Core2 Duo processor with 2Gb of memory - the current minimum spec I work on for serious business use. Yet there are lots of Vista machines out there on the market that are significantly less powerful than this." The Register

IE 8 to add malware blocking

Posted Thursday, March 6, 2008 4:56AM by dadx2mj

"Amid all the hubbub about the first beta of IE 8 the security features haven’t gotten a lot of attention. Part of the problem is that Microsoft hasn’t disclosed a lot, but it does appear that the browser will block malware.

About its Safety Filter feature, Microsoft in IE 8 (Techmeme, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes and gallery) says the following:

The Safety Filter continues to block known Phishing sites and now blocks sites known to contain malicious software that could harm users’ computer or steal their information. Beyond this improved protection, the Safety Filter operates more quickly than ever before to ensure that users can browse both safely and quickly." ZDNet

US seeks terrorists in web worlds

Posted Monday, March 3, 2008 3:51AM by wvjohn

According to the BBC, the US government has begun a project to develop ways to spot terrorists who are using virtual worlds. The project aims to recognise "normal" behaviour in online worlds and home in on anomalous activity. It is likely to develop tools and techniques for intelligence officers who are hunting terrorists and terror groups on the net or in virtual worlds. "I think its highly unlikely terrorists would use things like Second Life or World of Warcraft as they do not have the necessary security," said Mr Jones.
Maybe they'll be looking for volunteers, paid subscriptions, 10 lvl 70s. etc. :) I have actually met a number of law enforcement folks who believe that online worlds are used by organized crime for money laundering, esp. worlds like Entropia. " BBC