2006 October

Could this be a viable alternative to iTunes at last? Maybe, but only from the independent music farm of course. After all, its mission is that of a DRM-free music selection. But for many AmaroK users, the real question is “why?” Simple, it’s called a shot over the bow to the application known as Songbird.
At […]

Well, it’s a good start. Seriously, it proves that when Microsoft tries, it is, in fact, perfectly capable of finding a balance between its preferred licensing scheme and that of the Open Source world.
Now that Microsoft has opted to work with Zend, it is working to make sure that the Zend product is a tight […]

Most days, modern ranchers hop into their pickups or on their horses and ride their fences. They’re checking for breaks. Sturdy fencing not only prevents cattle or sheep from escaping but also protects them from predators. Indeed, ranchers’ daily battles against the forces of nature have turned them into hackers. They’ll grab what’s handy - […]

Internet Information Services is a Web server that is included with Windows Server 2000 By installing the service, you can turn your computer into a powerful Web server to host your Web sites, applications and so on.
Windows Server 2003 makes it relatively easy to get a Web site up and running with IIS. When you […]

The animated TECHTip Tutorial is available here.
Refractive Index is the distance from the center of the optical fiber in nanometers.
Polarized light remains in the same polarization directions. That is, if an optical pulse is optically polarized vertically then the optical pulse emerges as vertical. Birefringence is the result of different results from […]

After reading about this latest issue that potentially could allow for an attack on Windows XP firewall, I don’t think I would be too worried about it. Why you ask? Because you would need to be running Windows ICS.
OK, unless I was trying to share a single dial-up connection, why in the heck would I […]

When it comes to configuring TCP/IP addressing on multiple computers, one of the most efficient methods is to install the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service on a computer running Windows Server 2003. The DHCP service will automatically assign IP addresses to your computers on the network with little intervention.
If you plan to use […]

It’s been a while since my last post… but I’m going to get back in the saddle again soon. Consider this my foot in the first stirrup. After my Maui vacation, I’m finding it hard to get back into the same groove I was in before. I promise to post some of my pictures […]

Memeo Inc., a worldwide provider of digital life and information management solutions for the consumer today announced a partnership agreement with D-Link to enhance the way home and business users protect, manage and access digital content. Under the agreement, Memeo’s high performance flagship backup software, Memeo AutoBackup 2.0, will be bundled with D-Link’s robust 2-Bay […]

The animated TECHTip Tutorial is available here.
Data transmission may be “coded” in different formats. In an optical network, a pulse of light will represented by a 1 (one) bit and no light will present a digital zero bit.
Symbol Encoding 4B/5B - four bits are represented by a five bit symbol - 16 of […]

Well I asked for feedback and wow, did I ever receive it:
Louie writes:
Keyboard Chaos. I suffer with “fat finger” syndrome. I use a small laptop & a regular PC. My solution was to get a wireless full size keyboard & mouse. The receiver is a small USB unit that I Velcro to the laptops cover.
Mike […]

Security templates are a good way to deploy security settings on your computer. All the security settings are contained within a single file that can be imported to various computers. You can easily apply the settings to the local computer using the Security Configuration and Analysis tool or to multiple computers at once using group […]

Usually, we try and give you something more related to your field of expertise here at IT Professionals, but what the heck? It’s the weekend!
iDump is a standalone tool that enables you to copy all or selected files from your iPod to your PC. It automatically detects your iPod and generates a list of the […]

Independent tests have determined that Outpost Firewall Pro 4.0 from Agnitum is the software firewall best able to defend itself from the type of direct and brutal attacks that can cripple, disable and shut down less robust firewalls.
Outpost was the only one of 13 software firewalls to pass all 38 tests conducted by Guillame Kadduch, […]

The animated TECHTip Tutorial is available here.
A LIM [Linear Induction Motor] is a flat rather than round motor. An electric current produces an magnetic field which accelerates the motion of the desired device such as a roller coaster.
As electricity creates a magnetic field or electro-magnetic force, it attracts (pulls toward) or repulses (pushes away) the […]

Before I get started here, let me be first to explain that I am not taking Microsoft’s side on this. Rather, I would like to point out that if the licensing requirements of Microsoft Vista are not to the user’s liking, then don’t buy it.
Seriously, give me a break. Microsoft has made no one upgrade; […]

As much as I hate to admit it, Alan Cox may just be right on the money. Even though it pains me to say this, it is totally true that a number of popular Open Source applications are, in fact, quite insecure.
But rather than side with Closed Source companies in saying “see, we told you […]

Because the offshoring of U.S. engineering and other high-skill jobs to developing countries is increasing, America needs a coordinated national strategy to maintain its technological leadership and promote job creation, IEEE-USA President Ralph W. Wyndrum Jr. said at the National Academy of Engineering today.
Wyndrum, speaking during the Academy’s two-day Workshop on the Offshoring of Engineering: […]

All right, I admit it. I have been using my notebook so often lately that I have real difficulty going back to a full-sized keyboard connected to my desktop PC. Now if I was only working off of my notebook, this in and of itself would be just fine. Unfortunately, this is simply not the […]

Maybe it is a simple matter of Zeitgeist, but I was pleasantly surprised to read Michael Shermer’s column in the November Scientific American. Shermer is well-known as the publisher of Skeptic and his monthly Skeptic column. Although his subject is not exactly the same as what we have been discussing the last several columns, it […]