Modern PC News for the Week Ending June 10, 2003
- Windows Automotive in New BMW "Crashes" Trapping Minister
- New BIOS Firmware Will Disable Stolen Computers
- HP Sends Bots to the Boardroom
- Nvidia Accused of Fudging Tests
- AMD Athon 3200+ Fastest Processor In the World... I Think Not!
- The Mighty Commodore 64 is Back as Part of the Worlds First "Reconfigurable Computer"
- Incredibly Thorough Free Online Network Utilities
- How to Make a Bootable Windows 2000 CD with Service Pack Integrated
- Great Doom-Like Game Available in Java for Your Browser
- MS 'Slush' Fund Provides Big Discounts to Stop Linux
- Multiplayer Cheats
- Ever Wonder How to Gain Access to the "System Volume Information" Folder
- Microsoft Outlines Add-Ons For Windows Server 2003
- Microsoft To Bundle Support with Licensing Next Week
- SCO Licenses UNIX Technology to Microsoft
- SCO Threatens To Sue All Commercial Linux Users
- Windows 2003 Feature Summary That Microsoft Is Not Hyping
- Matrix Game Sales Skyrocket
CNet.com | Windows Automotive in New BMW "Crashes" Trapping Minister
Thanx to Victor for this one
Security guards smashed their way into an official limousine with sledgehammers on Monday to rescue Thailand's finance minister after the car's computer failed. Suchart Jaovisidha and his driver were trapped inside the BMW limo for more than 10 minutes before guards broke a window. All doors and windows locked automatically when the computer crashed, and the air conditioning stopped, officials said.
"We could hardly breathe for over 10 minutes,'' Suchart told reporters. "It took my guard a long time to realize that we really wanted the window smashed so that we could crawl out. It was a harrowing experience.''
Click the picture to see the Microsoft Press Release.
News.com | New BIOS Firmware Will Disable Stolen Computers
By Ed Frauenheim...TheftGuard, developed by Austin, Texas-based Softex, is designed to run independently of a computer's operating system. It is installed on Phoenix software called the Core Managed Environment, which resides on the computer's underlying hardware and on part of the machine's hard drive. Phoenix's Core Managed Environment technology is centered on the firm's FirstBIOS, which is basic input/output system software.
Every time a computer outfitted with TheftGuard connects to the Internet, it pings the TheftGuard site. A computer-theft victim can register the machine at the site. If the stolen machine is brought online, the original owner can arrange to have the machine crippled or crippled with all data erased, and can determine the Internet Protocol address used--which can help in hunting down the thief...
News.com | HP Sends Bots to the Boardroom
By Ian Fried
Why travel on business when you can send your robot double?
T
hat's the idea behind Hewlett-Packard Laboratories' "travel robot." A team made up mostly of former Compaq Computer researchers has built the gadget that allows a distant colleague to be more accurately represented at a meeting than is possible through traditional videoconferencing.
With HP's setup, a distant co-worker sits in a small room surrounded by projectors that display the surroundings of the meeting. The robot's liquid crystal display (LCD) screen beams back sounds and images from the meeting to the person. Meanwhile, the robot's head, which consists of several flat-panel displays, shows the distant co-worker's face and facial expressions to those attending the meeting...
...HP wouldn't say how much such a robot could cost--though it is certain to be more than the price of a few plane tickets. The current setup for the distant co-worker uses five PCs, five cameras and a surround-sound system, creating a virtual environment. The in-office robot is made up of two PCs, a number of cameras, four directional microphones and several speakers. A high-speed 802.11a wireless network is needed at the meeting site to transmit the information back to the remote colleague....
News.com | Nvidia Accused of Fudging Tests
By David BeckerA software maker that specializes in tools for measuring performance of PC components has accused graphics chip giant Nvidia of manipulating test results for its latest graphics chip.
Saratoga, Calif.-based Futuremark on Friday said in a statement that Nvidia tweaked software needed to run its new GeForce FX 5900 processor to distort performance in Futuremark's 3DMark 03 testing application. Futuremark is one of the leading independent providers of software and services for performing PC "benchmark" tests.
...Nvidia is amid a hard-fought battle with rival ATI Technologies to claim the performance lead in PC graphics processors. After years of Nvidia dominating both in market share and performance, ATI took the speed lead last year with new versions of its Radeon chips. After settling manufacturing issues that resulted in ongoing delays of product launches, Nvidia hoped to regain the performance lead this year with the 5900...
TomsHardware.com | AMD Athon 3200+ Fastest Processor In the World... I Think Not!
...The Athlon XP has slid from being a mighty value champ to a pusillanimous paper tiger, although our testing engineers only found fault with the aggressive model-numbering scheme AMD has adopted. On the plus side, there are some new features, including 200 MHz FSB and the nForce 2 chipset's support for dual DDR400...
Commodore.ca | The Mighty Commodore 64 is Back as Part of the Worlds First "Reconfigurable Computer"
The mighty 64 has sprung up from the ashes of Commodores 1994 dissolution in the form of the C-One. The Commodore One was conceived and designed by Jeri Ellsworth, an engineering student. Her original intent in 1999 when she started the project was to create a circuit that would allow the original Commodore 64 to function with a modern VGA monitor. After learning the complications of such a task, the work expanded and expanded and now is a full blown 100% C64 compatible machine for about US$200, that uses a DIMM, Flash Memory, SVGA Monitor and other modern hardware.
The C-1 has now been branded "The Reconfigurable Computer". The intent is to produce a machine that is as updatable as possible. Not just thing like the BIOS, but the actual CPU and other components. "...it evolved into a re-configurable computer, a new class of computers where the chips do not have dedicated tasks any more. The two main chips carry out different tasks, depending on the needs of the program.
The technology used is called FPGA - field programmable gate arrays. These chips can be programmed to do the tasks that the chips of the C-64 or other computers have done. It's no emulation, but it's a re-implementation of the chips that are no longer available since many years. The one thing that is not contained in the FPGAs is the main processor - it would take too much space, resulting in too high cost. To maintain flexibility, the CPU resides on a card that can be exchanged by the user - as simple as plugging in a PCI card.
After a cold start, the FPGA programs are loaded from a mass-storage device like harddrive, disk drive or a compact flash card. What's described in one short sentence is a giant leap in computer technology: The hardware can be altered by the user without even opening the computer. The FPGA programs - so-called 'cores' - turn the C-One into clones of famous 80's computers like the C64, VIC-20, plus/4, TI-99/4a, Atari 2600, Atari 400/800 series, Sinclair Spectrum, ZX81, Schneider CPC and many more."
CentralOps.com | Incredibly Thorough Free Online Network Utilities
As a small sample of what this fantastic site can do, click the GO button below and prepare to be impressed. Note that is will take a minute or two to complete all of its tests so be sure to give it the time it needs.
I think you can even embed this code on your site or in your own custom tools! "This site is a collection of Internet utilities developed by Hexillion using its HexGadgets components. Most of the utilities have ASP or ASP.NET source code available." Check their site for details.
Domain Dossier
Investigate domains and IP addresses
The email check is a great tool for email admins:
Bink.nu | How to Make a Bootable Windows 2000 CD with Service Pack Integrated
On this page are the instructions of making a bootable Win2k CD (Professional or server editions) with the integrated Service Pack and while your at it, you can add extra files, like drivers or Internet Explorer 6 setup files. With unattended scripts (winnt.sif) you could auto install this software...
Brackeen.com | Great Doom-Like Game Available in Java for your Browser
Move through the maze while collecting ammo, keys, and health along the way. Find the exit to the next level while avoiding and killing robots. Click the above link to start!
TheRegister.co.uk | MS 'Slush' Fund Provides Big Discounts to Stop Linux
Thanx to Rolando for this oneMicrosoft's head of worldwide sales last summer circulated a 'stop Linux at any price' email to sales execs and senior company executives, including Steve Ballmer, Jim Allchin and Jeff Raikes. According to the International Herald Tribune, which has seen the email, Orlando Ayala was aiming to block Linux's progress in government. "Under NO circumstances lose against Linux," he said, saying that in cases where the deal involved governments or large institutions there was a special fund available which could be used to offer large discounts, or even to give Microsoft software away.
The existence of what the casual observer might term a slush fund is confirmed in an IHT interview with Microsoft EMEA chairman Jean-Philippe Courtois, who defends it as "part of a strategy to be 'competitive' and 'relevant' in the market for big government and educational deals." Microsoft is known to be particularly concerned about the prospect of an open source avalanche engulfing its European government operations, and the likely European focus of the 'get Linux' operations is confirmed by another email obtained by the IHT, from outside legal counsel.This covers EU law and discounting, says Microsoft should not discriminate among clients, and takes the view that short-term discounting is more likely to escape Brussels' scrutiny. Now, why would Microsoft want to ask lawyers about that kind of stuff?...
TomsHardware.com | Multiplayer Cheats
...Cheating is bad for you, but then again, so is chocolate. Doesn't stop anyone from doing it, and justifying it. It just isn't much fun if you don't know when someone is doing it to you, or if you have your own code of honor when you're gaming. We take a look at some of the more common cheats in games...
Microsoft.com | Ever Wonder How to Gain Access to the "System Volume Information" Folder
Right-click the System Volume Information folder in the root folder, and then click Sharing and Security.
Click the Security tab.
Click Add, and then type the name of the user to whom you want to give access to the folder. Choose the account location if appropriate (either local or from the domain). Typically, this is the account with which you are logged on. Click OK, and then click OK.
Double-click the System Volume Information folder in the root folder to open it.
TechWeb.com | Microsoft Outlines Add-Ons For Windows Server 2003
...Microsoft executives have detailed a bevy of additions and improvements to the server software that it plans to introduce in coming months... They will not be major Windows release, but effectively part of Windows and delivered through service packs, he said.
In June, Microsoft will bring out support for iSCSI, the protocol that uses Ethernet and TCP/IP to connect storage area network (SAN) devices rather than the more expensive Fibre Channel technology.
Next up, Thompson said, will be the 3.0 release of a Network Attached Storage (NAS) appliance built on Windows Server 2003. Like earlier Windows NAS products, 3.0 will come out of the OEM channel as ready-to-use hardware with a simpler version of Windows Server pre-installed.
Following in the third quarter will be the first use of the Automated Deployment Services technology, Microsoft's move in the automatic server provisioning area, and in the fourth quarter its Virtual Server, which lets companies create virtual servers to run older applications.
...Although future plans -- particularly Blackcomb, the code name typically tagged to the next generation of Windows Server -- remain fuzzy, Pawlak thinks the recent out-of-band announcements show that Microsoft is "trying to set expectations that Windows Server 2003 will be the product for the next two or 2 1/2 years."
Among the down-the-road enhancements to Windows Server, Pawlak pointed out several as significant. One is the support for iSCSI.
"It's a small, but important, improvement to help boost Microsoft in the emerging SAN market," he said. "It may not be super exciting, but iSCSI wasn't going to go anywhere in the Windows world until Microsoft did something." Although the initial interest in iSCSI will come from storage and switch vendors, he expects iSCSI to play an important role in enterprises a year from now.
Virtual Server is another of these add-ons that Pawlak recommends tracking. The Virtual Server is designed to let companies deploy Windows Server 2003 while still supporting older applications. That's important because, one major thing holding back some companies from migrating to Windows Server 2003 is the large numbers of Windows NT applications that won't run on newer operating system.
"What's interesting about some of these gaps that Microsoft's filling with add-ons is that it shows how the company sees the world," Pawlak said. Some of these components don't have equivalents in the Unix (news - web sites) or mainframe universe, the market Microsoft's been increasingly targeting over the last couple of years, he said
TechWeb.com | Microsoft To Bundle Support with Licensing Next Week
...the software giant will throw in some technical support at no additional cost with its Software Assurance contracts to reduce the overall cost of ownership of Microsoft software and push more customers to buy upgrade rights. Software Assurance is Microsoft's maintenance program.
..."Microsoft has mulled over the concept of increasing technical support, and there's an unflattering comparison between the price of their upgrades and support v.s the competition," said one source briefed on the change. "It's been a struggle for them to figure this out. There are real costs associated with this, and support is expensive for everyone."
BetaNews.com | SCO Licenses UNIX Technology to Microsoft
By Nate MookCiting the need to ensure compliance across its UNIX-based products, Microsoft licensed from SCO a technology patent and source code to the UNIX operating system. The revelation has sparked heated discussion and speculation among open source advocates questioning the intentions of Redmond...
TechWeb.com | SCO Threatens To Sue All Commercial Linux Users
SCO on Wednesday threatened to sue commercial Linux (news - web sites) users, charging that Linux is an "unauthorized derivative" of Unix...
...In a letter it sent to 1,500 of the world's largest corporations, SCO said, "We believe that Linux infringes on our UNIX intellectual property and other rights. We intend to aggressively protect and enforce these rights. Consistent with this effort, on March 7, we initiated legal action against IBM for alleged unfair competition and breach of contract with respect to our UNIX rights."...
...SCO, formerly known as Caldera, began its intellectual property push in March when it sued IBM for over $1 billion, claiming UNIX technology was misappropriated and built into the open source Linux operating system. As one of the largest backers of Linux development, IBM proved an easy target for the struggling SCO. Although, industry experts hypothesized the lawsuit was simply a ploy to court a purchase by Big Blue......Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy said users of Solaris, also based on UNIX, have nothing to worry about. Sun had received a "free and clear SCO license" a decade ago, according to McNealy...
Commodore.ca | Windows 2003 Feature Summary That Microsoft Is Not Hyping
What follows are notes I created during a Win2003 Server Webinar. They are not pretty or in any particular order, however, I think they will be useful all the same:
New Group Policy Management Console – let you know the net effect of Policys being applied to a user or machine
Win95 not supported, even in mixed/interim mode because there is no NTLM client for Win95
RIS Remote Installation Service Now works for Servers
Big advantage here is emergency backup machines
you can image your primary live servers periodically
if one of your servers dies, you can image a new one with RIS, which is one Hell of a lot faster than taking a new machine, installing the W2003, the drivers, the service packs the ATTEMPTING a restore from tape backupNew Active Directory Replication model only replicates changes to Group membership so WAN traffic caused by W2000 servers replicating is substantially reduced (upto 40%)
WRM Windows Resource Manager (downloadable utility) allows administrators to set CPU and
memory limits per application or Terminal Server session
New Dynamic WEP Wireless Encryption Protocol Key, forces WEP key to change frequently making it very difficult for hackers
Currently a hacker a can monitor your 802.11x wireless network and look for the part of the packet that does not change in each packet; that is the static key
Can create DC Domain Controllers using a file or CD to perform the initial replication.
This removes the need for either a local install of a DC before it is sent to a remote site, or waiting hours/days for the initial replication of Active Directory information through your WAN if the machine was built at a remote site
ASR Auto Server Recovery can be done from tape backup or RIS
Schema Changes can be Removed.
Under Windows 2000 if you install Exchange 2000 or anything else that appends your schema and then you decide to uninstall that product, the schema changes are not and can not be undone
Terminal Servers RDP protocol is improved to the point that it is roughly equivalent to Citrix’s ICA protocol for security and bandwidth consumption
Terminal Server now automatically maps local drives, network printers, local printers, com ports, and sound if you use the new Remote Desktop Client v5.2 which is available in the WINDOWS\CLIENTS folder.
Can rename Domains using RENDOM (downloadable utility) but can not rename Forests.
If you are a large company trying to get around the Forest rename problem, simply put a dummy “placeholder” machine at the top of your Forest and put your Domains under - see item below “Trusts Are Back”
Trusts are back
“Cross Forest Trusts” allow for easy assimilation of mergers and acquisitions
They also allow for schema changes to exist in one Forest but not others.
If one division uses Exchange and has the extra 1000000 schema changes that it makes, the other divisions (in other Forests) who do not use Exchange and do not want see all those useless tabs and fields, do not have to see them
ADMT Active Directory Migration Tool v2 (on the CD?) doesn’t suck
IPv6 - Check Out This Post I Stumbled On: ...even through IPv6 is fully implemented in Windows 2003, not every application will be supported for IPv6. Terminal Server is one of the applications that is not supported by any current release of the Microsoft IPv6 protocol stack
Bizarre Terminal Server Licencing For WinXP - From Another Post: ...Customers who acquired Windows XP Professional licenses through these channels will have received a product key with their software. After April 24, 2003, customers will be able to go to a transition Web site (https://activate.one.microsoft.com/) to input the product key using the Install Client Access License Tokens option. Eligibility will be validated through the transition Web site. Once validation occurs, the customer will receive a license key pack (via the Web site) that should be entered into the Terminal Server Licensing administration tool.
TomsHardware.com | Matrix Game Sales Skyrocket
Let's face it, any game riding off the success of The Matrix is going to sell like hotcakes, regardless of whether it is good or not. "Atari Inc. said Friday that it had sold more than 1 million copies of Enter the Matrix one week after the computer and video game hit shelves in the United States and Europe". The game was released on the same day as "The Matrix: Reloaded" and features additional footage as well as some of the best motion capture we've ever seen. Enter The Matrix is available on Xbox, PS2, GameCube and PC, and is a worthy addition to any Matrix fan's memorabilia collection.
Read the rest of the story here.
