HiWEB-Interactive Show Log –
009 – 050108
-Opening Comments
1:00
“Welcome to HiWEB-Interactive, bringing you information from the edge of technology”
*This is a summary of recent news and
technology highlights.
HiWEB-Interactive – Show #9 – From May 1st 2008
Airing weekly Thursdays at 8p (PST) – And available on LIVE.HIWEB.NET as well as archived
-Hot News Topics this week
(*Prepped 24 Hours Prior)
1:30
1 - New Microsoft
law enforcement tool bypasses PC security
2 - Spoofing flaw
in Safari 3.1.1
3 - Microsoft
releases Windows XP SP3 (Well Maybe)
4 – Apple Updated
iMac = higher speeds
5 - Rumor: Foxconn
to build 25 million tiny 3G iPhones
6 - Opera 9.5 beta
2 improves speed, adds features
*Youtube viewers make sure to see HiWEB.NET for the live streaming, also this entire show and other past shows.
<<<CUT FOR YOUTUBE POSTS>>> IE:
Stop Recording/Start Recording
-Review of Hot Topics
(*Elaborate on Hot Topics)
6:30
*SEE PRINTED NOTES…..
1 -
New
Microsoft law enforcement tool bypasses PC security
- Microsoft revealed its development of a digital forensic analysis toolkit
at a recent security conference as part of a wider discussion of how technology
can be used to fight crime. The Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor, or
COFEE for short, is a USB thumb drive that
contains 150 commands that can dramatically cut the time it takes to gather
digital evidence, which is becoming more important in real-world crime, as well
as cybercrime. It can decrypt passwords and analyze a computer's Internet
activity, as well as data stored in the computer.Once
plugged in, COFEE can be ordered to decrypt system passwords, display a history
of internet activity, and search the system for evidence. Microsoft has been
distributing the devices to law enforcement agencies around the world since last
June. Currently, about 2,000 people in 15 countries world-wide have access to
the devices, which allow police to gather dig for data immediately onsite, thus
avoiding the wait involved in offsite analysis COFEE also allows law enforcement
to snapshot any data that might be lost when a system is shut down for seizure
and transport.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoft/2004379751_msftlaw29.html
<Change Slide>
2 -
Spoofing flaw in Safari 3.1.1 -
Apple just recently released Safari 3.1.1, a (mostly) security-related update.
As usual, security researchers started testing the new release fairly quickly,
and have already uncovered a few new (or previously unreported) security
problems in the new update. Specifically, researcher Juan Pablo Lopez Yacubian
from Secunia has discovered a new URL spoofing flaw in the latest version of
Safari, in addition to two crash bugs.
The URL
spoofing security issue lets mischievous someones display a fake URL in Safari's
address bar simply by hiding the page's actual address by using a string of
characters in the "user" field of the address. The issue affects both the Mac OS
X and Windows versions of Safari 3.1.1, but is described as "less critical" by
the security firm. Oh, and if you're curious, the temporary solution is to stop
visiting sketchy websites that would want to spoof your address in the first
place.
Demo Page
at
http://es.geocities.com/jplopezy/pruebasafari3.html
Luckily,
there's a
demonstration page
where you can try both of them out, along with the URL spoofing bug. As of now,
the bugs obviously haven't been patched, and there's no word on whether or not
the current nightly builds are affected. Chances are that you won't be hit by
any of these issues, but if your Safari randomly crashes, I guess you could
always blame Apple if it makes you feel better.
<Change
Slide>
3 -
Windows XP SP3 now available... just
kidding
Update:
Apparently due to a "glitch" in the latest SP, Microsoft has
delayed the release
of the update, now aiming for a May 2nd street date. Thanks commenters and
tipsters, and no thanks to you, Microsoft.
In the last few days, we have uncovered a compatibility issue between Microsoft
Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) and both Windows XP SP3 and Windows
Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). In order to make sure customers have the best
possible experience, we have decided to delay releasing Windows XP Service Pack
3 (SP3) to the web.
Once
Microsoft releases the long-anticipated Windows XP SP3 (updated)
As per the
unofficial timeline,
Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) has been uploaded to Microsoft's servers.
Currently, the final build is only available on the download.windowsupdate
domain. According to Microsoft
TechNet, the 300MB+ x86 standalone installer (build 5512)
will not be
available today on the Microsoft Download Center nor on
Windows Update.
Microsoft has still to confirm the date, SP3 should be rolled out via Automatic
Updates on June 10, 2008. There are reportedly 1,073 fixes in SP3, as well as
various
performance improvements.
Every service pack Microsoft releases is cumulative, meaning it is possible to
install (or slipstream) SP3 onto Windows XP SP1/SP2. Windows Internet Explorer 7
is not included as part of SP3 and still must be downloaded and installed
separately (unless it is already installed). With the release of SP3, XP will be
found on consumers' PCs for years and years to come. On the other hand, with
Windows 7 a
couple of years out,
and with the recent
broad release of
Vista SP1, Windows XP's life as market leader is slowly coming to an end.
Microsoft has plans to stop selling XP to most manufacturers and system builders
on June 30, 2008, OEMs are
fighting back.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/29/windows-xp-sp3-now-available/
<Change Slide>
Apple announced Monday morning and revealed an
updated iMac line with faster CPU and GPU
options. Inclined customers can now
purchase up to a 3.06GHz 24" model of the Apple all-in-one. They may also choose
2.4GHz and 2.66Ghz configurations of the 20" model, or 2.8GHz for the 24".
Graphics options have also been updated, now allowing the choice between
an ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro (256MB) or the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS (512MB) in the
24" model. The 20" low-end model is stuck with an ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT, but for
$300, you can get an ATI HD 2600 Pro, an extra 260MHz, and another 70GB of drive
space. All but the lowest-end model of the new line comes standard with at least
2GB of memory and a faster front-side bus, now running at 1066MHz. Prices are
found at $1199 and $1499 for the two 20" models, and $1799 and $2199 for the 24"
behemoths. Users will be happy to know that the Apple remote still comes
standard on all iMac models.
If you have been waiting for a new iMac, Now's the Time™ to take that
economic stimulus money and take the plunge. Or, you could just spend it on
rising gas prices.
<Change
Slide>
5 -
Rumor: Foxconn to build 25 million tiny 3G
iPhones – This new
3G iPhone has an assembler, and it will be both smaller and lighter than the
current model. Foxconn has been awarded the contract to assemble the 3G iPhone
beginning in May. As Foxconn has a long history with Apple, including assembling
the iPod nano and iPhone, this part of the report may even be true. What's
difficult to believe is the size of the order: "three million units in June with
the model likely to ship a total of 24-25 million units throughout its
life-cycle." By comparison, after one year, the 2G iPhone will have likely seen
fewer than 7 million units sold. Assuming the 3G iPhone has a similar lifespan,
and that the 2G iPhone is taken off the market, that's a hell of a lot of
iPhones to sell in a year, even 18 months with a stretched the life cycle.
Still, it's easier to believe than a smaller iPhone.
According to Fortune, AT
The newest version is the third generation of this phone, weighing only 110 to
120 grams vs. first generation cousin's 158 grams and running on 3G mobile
technology. Adopting plastic casing instead of aluminum-magnesium casing largely
brings down the gear's weight and cost by nearly one third. In addition to
weight advantage, the latest version is also more energy efficient and
externally smarter. LCD screen on the phone measures 2.8 inches diagonally, a
downsize from first generation's 3.5 inches. Imagine
the virtual keyboard in a vertical position on a screen that is physically 20
percent smaller.
Note: AT&T will subsidize the cost of the new,
3G iPhone
by as much as $200, bringing the price within the $199 range. Apparently, a
"person familiar with the strategy" claims that the provider will create this
bargain bonanza for customers signing new, two-year contracts
<Change Slide>
6 -
Opera
9.5 beta 2 improves speed, adds features
- Opera has consistently defied expectations
about what a browser (and browser company) can accomplish. Begun back in 1994 as
a research project at the Norwegian research company Telenor, the Opera browser
was first released as version 2.0 in 1996, and ported to multiple platforms in
1998. Originally a paid-for browser, Opera became ad-supported with version 5,
but the ads were removed in the 8.5 release, bringing the browser to completely
free status. Version 9 offered many improvements, and now the company has
released a second beta preview of version 9.5.
Opera 9.5 Beta 2 is a 4.4MB download on Windows, a surprisingly small
file size considering the plethora of features that Opera has to offer (in
comparison, Firefox 3 Beta 5 is a 7.2MB download, and Safari comes in at
18.7MB). The installer is short and sweet.
Opera remains one of the fastest browsers on
the planet: extensive tests of Opera 9 done a couple of years ago found it to
blow away all contenders in a suite of
tests that measured startup time, CSS rendering, table rendering, image display,
browser history, and JavaScript speed. I ran some JavaScript speed benchmarks on
Opera 9.5 Beta 2 on my home system (Core2Duo at 1.8GHz, 2GB RAM, 256MB graphics
card) to test how well it stacked up against version 9.0, and also against the
latest versions of other popular web browsers. The
benchmark I ran is
fairly old, but seemed to produce reliable and repeatable results. On my system,
Opera 9.5 Beta 2 was definitely the new speed champion, finishing the tests in
0.44 seconds. Opera 9 got a score of 0.86 seconds, with Firefox 2 coming in at
1.3 and the latest Firefox 3 Beta 5 coming in at a respectable 0.82 seconds. (I
tested Safari for Windows, but because Safari
reports JavaScript timers in a different way than all other
browsers, the results could not be
compared). In essence, Firefox 3 has caught up with where Opera 9 was in terms
of JavaScript rendering speeds, but Opera 9.5 is, in some cases, up to twice as
fast!
Opera has always proved the naysayers wrong by surviving
even when many pundits didn't give it a chance. However, the folks at Opera
Software ASA have to be wondering just what it will take for their browser to
ever exceed the tiny
1 percent market
share that it has held steadily for many years.
<Change Slide>
- Viewer Questions
(*Troubleshooting, New Tech,
Etc.)
10:00
How to remove Bloatware or
Crapware off new Windows PCs?
Old fashion way use Control
Panel, Add Remove Programs and uninstall one at a time.
OR
The PC Decrapifier will uninstall many of the common trialware and annoyances found on many of the PCs from big name OEMs. Below is the current list of software and items that the PC Decrapifier can detect and remove. You get to see the list of items it detects and then choose what will be removed automatically.
http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/apps
In version 1.9.1, Some of the newly detected apps are: Norton 360, Microsoft Office 2007 Trial and Activation Assistant, Quickbooks Financial Center, Napster, Memeo AutoBackup and Picasa 2. There were some additional bug fixes for WildTangent Games (again!) and Symantec LiveUpdate.
Simply download the file. Open up the zip file and run the EXE. Then you may then pick and choose what you want to remove. It will not begin removing anything without prompting you first!
The PC Decrapifier is free for
personal use if you like it donate $5
-----Commercial
(IE: Brought to you by HP
(Sony)/HiWEB)
“This show is being brought to
you by many affiliates including Sony, see Sony for Great Deals on electronics.
Including audio equipment, cameras, computers, notebooks, video, televisions and
more.
Also
see HiWEB.NET at shop.hiweb.net for great more deals from many show sponsors.”
Type ‘shop sony’
-New Technology to
keep an Eye On
12:00
(Auto
Tech, Alt. Fuel, Environment, Hacking, High Tech, etc…)
1 – Sunrgi
Exits Stealth, Promises to be as Cheap as Coal -
Grid parity...it's what we're all hoping for. That magical moment when solar
power (or other renewables for that matter) become available at the cost of
current power sources. And, if Sunrgi's
claims are to be believed, it could be only 15 months away.
Sunrgi's technology
is fairly simple. Basically they use a magnifying glass to concentrate the power
of the sun 1600 times onto a tiny square of the most efficient photovoltaic
material on the planet. While others are concentrating on bringing the price of
the panels down (along with efficiency), Sunrgi actually uses panels from
Spectrolab, which are three times more efficient than the cheap panels being
produced by NanoSolar.
The photovoltaic cells remain efficient
even when collecting these huge amounts of light per square centemeter. However,
they don't remain efficient at 3000 degrees F. In fact, if this much light were
concentrated on the cells, and the cells were not cooled, they would melt.
Sunrgi has developed a proprietary cooling system to keep the ultra-expensive
cells at nominal temperatures even at the hottest part of the hottest day. You
can see, in the render, that the bottom of the panels actually look like huge
CPU heat sinks. In fact, they're
saying that, in sunny climates, it will be sold for around $0.05 per kilowatt,
about the cost of coal. They already have demonstration units running and hope
to be selling their first units (to utilities and large businesses) in twelve to
fifteen months.
http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1596/83/
<Change Slide>
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9929923-1.html
<Change Slide>
<Change Slide>
4
-
HDTVs Will Get Stupid Cheap Next Month -
According to HD Guru, Sony's not content with its
less-than-number-one status in flat panels, so it's planning to claw its way
back into consumers' hearts with deep price cuts on all of its 2008 models next
month. The other guys, like Samsung, LG and Sharp, are already planning their
own price war counter-attacks. And then, in reaction to the wave of cheap LCDs,
plasma dudes like Panasonic (check our
quick and dirty guide to plasmas)
will prolly be doing their own slashing. To give you an idea of how much you
might save, for instance, Sony's cutting $400 off its 46-inch KDL-46S4100, to
$1599, and $500 off its newest 1080p 40-incher, to $1199. So we're looking at
discounts in the 20-25 percent range, which is none too shabby, and definitely
worth holding off for a couple weeks on your Best Buy TV hunting expedition.
http://gizmodo.com/385729/dealzmodo-ahoy-hdtvs-will-get-stupid-cheap-next-month
<Change Slide>
-Tech Tip / Demo
Caffeine is a tiny program that puts an icon in the right side of your menu bar. Click it to prevent your Mac from automatically going to sleep, dimming the screen or starting screen savers. Click it again to go back. Hold down the Command key while clicking to show the menu.
Caffeine 1.0.2 - Freeware @ 240 KB
http://lightheadsw.com/caffeine/
-General
Talk/Discussions
16:00
1- Viewers see giveaway link on HiWEB.NET for more details. Next Giveaway May 16th – Remember the eligibility requirements. Sub to Youtube, Register and Comment on Blog – *And then stay Tuned for Hot Giveaways
2- Future segments will include music production segments, hardware reviews and product demos…
3- We are currently engaging SME to produce custom segments away from live show –
4- Viewers can send show Tips / Recommendations to live@hiweb.net
5- HiWEB-Interactive Past Shows on http://www.hiweb.net/pastshows.html (past shows)
-Closing Comments
18:00
This was HiWEB-Interactive – Show #9
Remember tune in anytime at live.hiweb.net and Thursdays at 8p (PST) for the HiWEB-Interactive Tech Show
“Thank You for participating in HiWEB-Interactive, we look forward to bringing you more information from the edge of technology” Until next time have Fun with your technology – Gotta Jiboo!