Apple Users
My advice to Apple users has been to perform monthly clean-up maintenance using MacJanitor. However! If you have updated to the latest version of OS X - Jaguar then delete MacJanitor. Don't use it unless the author updates it for Jaguar. Unfortunately, it rewrites permissions on a lot of files that Disk Utility cannot later correct. I'm looking into other applications that might help in keeping your computer clean. In general, though, as long as you're not leaving your computer on 24/7, Macs do a pretty good job of cleaning up temporary files, logs, etc.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Vista Capable?
For those of you who bought Windows computers with the label "Vista Capable" on them with the thought that maybe you would later upgrade to Vista - well, don't be so certain. A lawsuit has been filed against Microsoft charging the company with deceptive practices as many of the machines with "Vista Capable" labels would only be able to run Vista Home Basic!
Further details can be read at:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?email&NewsID=19776
Further details can be read at:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?email&NewsID=19776
Monday, November 26, 2007
Two Book Reviews: Sagan and Pullman
Just finished two books over the Thanksgiving break:
Carl Sagan's posthumous: The Varieties of Scientific Experience
and
Philip Pullman's: The Golden Compass
The publication of Carl Sagan's "The Varieties of Scientific Experience" might well go to prove that there is life after death - although the work itself would tend to put that in doubt. Sagan's latest book is taken from a series of lectures he gave for the Gifford Lectures, which specifically address the topic of natural theology or "the knowledge of God." In this work, Sagan advances his thoughts on the relationship between science and religion, doing so in his own unique calm, courteous and enlightening manner. His mild, yet definitive approach stands in stark contrast to the more caustic and militant approach in other recent atheist/freethinking publications, such as those by Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, etc. (whose works I have also reviewed and are certainly worth a read!). However, by virtue of his character most readers, who might otherwise be offended by those other works, will be drawn in by Carl Sagan's persuasive arguments for the non-existence of a god or gods. A wonderful complement to the book is the addition of some of the questions and answers that followed each lecture.
In cerebral contrast to Carl Sagan's work is Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass." I remember hearing about Pullman's works when the last Harry Potter book came out. In an article that touched upon the Potter books, the author stated that books by Philip Pullman were a much better read. Since then I have never been able to remember who the author was, till the Catholic church made a big fuss of the soon-to-be-released movie, based on "The Golden Compass." Now, I just had to read it!
In short, the novel was quite entertaining. Considering that I read it without having to renew it at the library... well, that speaks volumes as to how much I enjoyed it.
I'm sure there are those who have no intention of reading the novel, nor seeing the movie. Not because of the Catholic church's ban, but because it's not really of interest to you. Nonetheless, you might be interested in knowing why this movie has been otherwise condemned.
According to the pre-reviews, the movie is quite mild compared to the books. Philip Pullman is a out and out atheist and his trilogy, the first book of which is "The Golden Compass," reflects that. In fact, Pullman wrote the trilogy as a counterweight to the theological Narnia series of C.S. Lewis.
Having only read the first book in the series, I can only say that it seems to be that the saga is not anti-religious, but they are anti organized religion. The Catholic church is the only organized religion presented in the book.
One last note: If anything the book and/or the movie are worth reading/watching because the last time the Catholic church came out against a movie was over The Last Temptation of Christ - both of which are great works (as far as I'm concerned).
Take it or leave it!
Carl Sagan's posthumous: The Varieties of Scientific Experience
and
Philip Pullman's: The Golden Compass
The publication of Carl Sagan's "The Varieties of Scientific Experience" might well go to prove that there is life after death - although the work itself would tend to put that in doubt. Sagan's latest book is taken from a series of lectures he gave for the Gifford Lectures, which specifically address the topic of natural theology or "the knowledge of God." In this work, Sagan advances his thoughts on the relationship between science and religion, doing so in his own unique calm, courteous and enlightening manner. His mild, yet definitive approach stands in stark contrast to the more caustic and militant approach in other recent atheist/freethinking publications, such as those by Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, etc. (whose works I have also reviewed and are certainly worth a read!). However, by virtue of his character most readers, who might otherwise be offended by those other works, will be drawn in by Carl Sagan's persuasive arguments for the non-existence of a god or gods. A wonderful complement to the book is the addition of some of the questions and answers that followed each lecture.
In cerebral contrast to Carl Sagan's work is Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass." I remember hearing about Pullman's works when the last Harry Potter book came out. In an article that touched upon the Potter books, the author stated that books by Philip Pullman were a much better read. Since then I have never been able to remember who the author was, till the Catholic church made a big fuss of the soon-to-be-released movie, based on "The Golden Compass." Now, I just had to read it!
In short, the novel was quite entertaining. Considering that I read it without having to renew it at the library... well, that speaks volumes as to how much I enjoyed it.
I'm sure there are those who have no intention of reading the novel, nor seeing the movie. Not because of the Catholic church's ban, but because it's not really of interest to you. Nonetheless, you might be interested in knowing why this movie has been otherwise condemned.
According to the pre-reviews, the movie is quite mild compared to the books. Philip Pullman is a out and out atheist and his trilogy, the first book of which is "The Golden Compass," reflects that. In fact, Pullman wrote the trilogy as a counterweight to the theological Narnia series of C.S. Lewis.
Having only read the first book in the series, I can only say that it seems to be that the saga is not anti-religious, but they are anti organized religion. The Catholic church is the only organized religion presented in the book.
One last note: If anything the book and/or the movie are worth reading/watching because the last time the Catholic church came out against a movie was over The Last Temptation of Christ - both of which are great works (as far as I'm concerned).
Take it or leave it!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Speed up OpenOffice/SunOffice/NeoOffice
For those who use one of the following programs, here's a hack to make them start up quicker.
OpenOffice (Windows, Mac, Linux), SunOffice (Windows, Linux), NeoOffice (Mac)
What this hack does is remove the splash screen when starting the relevant program. The splash screen, by the way, is a windows that pops up prior to the program actually opening, which tells you which program is being opened. I have noticed that all three programs open up a little quicker by removing the splash screen.
The Hack!
>In Windows go to /Program Files/OpenOffice2.2/program/soffice.ini
[NB! The directory for OpenOffice may be different depending on which version you have installed]
>in Linux it's under /etc/openoffice/sofficerc
>In NeoOffice on a Mac go to Contents/MacOS and look for sofficerc
Make sure OpenOffice and NeoOffice are closed.
Open the respective file and change:
Logo=1
to:
Logo=0
Then launch OpenOffice or NeoOffice. You should no longer have a splash screen.
OpenOffice (Windows, Mac, Linux), SunOffice (Windows, Linux), NeoOffice (Mac)
What this hack does is remove the splash screen when starting the relevant program. The splash screen, by the way, is a windows that pops up prior to the program actually opening, which tells you which program is being opened. I have noticed that all three programs open up a little quicker by removing the splash screen.
The Hack!
>In Windows go to /Program Files/OpenOffice2.2/program/soffice.ini
[NB! The directory for OpenOffice may be different depending on which version you have installed]
>in Linux it's under /etc/openoffice/sofficerc
>In NeoOffice on a Mac go to Contents/MacOS and look for sofficerc
Make sure OpenOffice and NeoOffice are closed.
Open the respective file and change:
Logo=1
to:
Logo=0
Then launch OpenOffice or NeoOffice. You should no longer have a splash screen.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Apple Users
Apple Users
Yes, it's that rare newsletter just for Apple Users.
I have updated to the latest version of OS X (Leopard) and would like to provide you with a few pieces of advise if you are planning to upgrade or have bought a new system with Leopard.
I highly advise that you go to Apple's website and view the guided tour. It will give you a good introduction to the new capabilities.
You can go directly to the Guided Tour at:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/guidedtour/
Once you're running Leopard you will notice that the launchers for Applications, Downloads (and whatever else you put on the launch bar) show the first application in that folder. Many users have found this quite annoying. The solution is to create an alias for the folder with an "@" in front so that it's the first item in the folder.
If you want to preview multiple items in Finder, one option is to select them and then click on the SpaceBar.
Another cool feature is that you can now scroll in windows that are not in the forefront.
I have edited OSX Tips at the ACSS website to include some of additional features. You can view it at:
http://www.avantguardsystems.com/secIss.php?id=73&sVer=17&sOS=14
(NB. That all squares are actually the Apple key "". Unfortunately, that symbol doesn't translate over to the webpage correctly.)
Yes, it's that rare newsletter just for Apple Users.
I have updated to the latest version of OS X (Leopard) and would like to provide you with a few pieces of advise if you are planning to upgrade or have bought a new system with Leopard.
I highly advise that you go to Apple's website and view the guided tour. It will give you a good introduction to the new capabilities.
You can go directly to the Guided Tour at:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/guidedtour/
Once you're running Leopard you will notice that the launchers for Applications, Downloads (and whatever else you put on the launch bar) show the first application in that folder. Many users have found this quite annoying. The solution is to create an alias for the folder with an "@" in front so that it's the first item in the folder.
If you want to preview multiple items in Finder, one option is to select them and then click on the SpaceBar.
Another cool feature is that you can now scroll in windows that are not in the forefront.
I have edited OSX Tips at the ACSS website to include some of additional features. You can view it at:
http://www.avantguardsystems.com/secIss.php?id=73&sVer=17&sOS=14
(NB. That all squares are actually the Apple key "". Unfortunately, that symbol doesn't translate over to the webpage correctly.)
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Speed up your Windows computer
Windows Users
There is a good article that gives some explanation as to which services can be turned off on your computer in order to help speed it up.
You can read the article at:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=354&tag=nl.e102
There is also similar information on my website at:
http://www.avantguardsystems.com/secIss.php?id=66&sVer=24&sOS=1
There is a good article that gives some explanation as to which services can be turned off on your computer in order to help speed it up.
You can read the article at:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=354&tag=nl.e102
There is also similar information on my website at:
http://www.avantguardsystems.com/secIss.php?id=66&sVer=24&sOS=1
Updates
icrosoft Users
Today is Patch Tuesday! It is time to update all your Microsoft products.
This month Microsoft had but a couple of patches in it's release. Nonetheless they are always important.
For those using Office 2003, be sure to check that you are now on SP3. If you go to About in Word or Excel or any other Office application it will let you know what version of Office you are using and which SP it is on. If you are not on SP3 for Office 2003, then go to the following website and go through the Office update program in order to get the latest Office updates.
http://office.microsoft.com
Other updates
RealPlayer
A security patch was released for RealPlayer at the end of October. According to RealPlayer's bulletin, the patch addresses a risk whereby viruses and malware could be downloaded on to your computer.
Firefox
There have been an update to Firefox over the last month as well. In most cases (if not every) Firefox will update itself.
Today is Patch Tuesday! It is time to update all your Microsoft products.
This month Microsoft had but a couple of patches in it's release. Nonetheless they are always important.
For those using Office 2003, be sure to check that you are now on SP3. If you go to About in Word or Excel or any other Office application it will let you know what version of Office you are using and which SP it is on. If you are not on SP3 for Office 2003, then go to the following website and go through the Office update program in order to get the latest Office updates.
http://office.microsoft.com
Other updates
RealPlayer
A security patch was released for RealPlayer at the end of October. According to RealPlayer's bulletin, the patch addresses a risk whereby viruses and malware could be downloaded on to your computer.
Firefox
There have been an update to Firefox over the last month as well. In most cases (if not every) Firefox will update itself.
False security notifications
Beware of Security Bulletins!
But this is not one!
Over the years there have been numerous occasions when malicious spammers will send a security bulletin out, whereby their victim will follow the advise of the security bulletin and download the proposed patch or fix, but in fact one will end up downloading a virus or other malware. Today, I received just such a bulletin. Although there was nothing new in the attempt, what was most impressive was the degree to which they had replicated a Microsoft security bulletin and the linked website. The giveaway, however, was the fact that the website's address was not Microsoft's. Since I was working on a non-Microsoft computer, I decided to download the patch out of curiosity. Although the download was named much like a valid patch would be, sure enough it was a virus.
My advise to everyone is to only heed bulletins and notifications from trusted sources. Although Microsoft might seem to be a trusted source, ask yourself whether you have ever received such notifications before. As with banking information, don't click on links in an email. Go to the actual website for the product, whether it be Microsoft, your bank, Quicken, whatever the program is. Go to their website and check for the information on their website. If it's not there, then it's more than likely that you were spammed.
With the holidays approaching, it is likely that spam and other malicious attempts to compromise your computer will be more and more frequent.
NB! As a forewarning, following this "notification" I will be sending out a notification about patches and updates.
But this is not one!
Over the years there have been numerous occasions when malicious spammers will send a security bulletin out, whereby their victim will follow the advise of the security bulletin and download the proposed patch or fix, but in fact one will end up downloading a virus or other malware. Today, I received just such a bulletin. Although there was nothing new in the attempt, what was most impressive was the degree to which they had replicated a Microsoft security bulletin and the linked website. The giveaway, however, was the fact that the website's address was not Microsoft's. Since I was working on a non-Microsoft computer, I decided to download the patch out of curiosity. Although the download was named much like a valid patch would be, sure enough it was a virus.
My advise to everyone is to only heed bulletins and notifications from trusted sources. Although Microsoft might seem to be a trusted source, ask yourself whether you have ever received such notifications before. As with banking information, don't click on links in an email. Go to the actual website for the product, whether it be Microsoft, your bank, Quicken, whatever the program is. Go to their website and check for the information on their website. If it's not there, then it's more than likely that you were spammed.
With the holidays approaching, it is likely that spam and other malicious attempts to compromise your computer will be more and more frequent.
NB! As a forewarning, following this "notification" I will be sending out a notification about patches and updates.
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