North Eastern Guide Robot Applications [May 15, 2008 02:02] The North Eastern Guide, Canada's new GUIDE seller offered in a bilingual format and in colour. The North Eastern Guide is a guide for selling homes, cars, motorcycles, businesses and recreational vehicles. This is a quick sale opportunity for you. The guide is released on a monthly basis and exposed at convenience stores in the region (Bathurst, Campbellton, Miramichi, Péninsule acadienne). The first release is scheduled for June 1st. All classifieds are published in the guide as well as on thi...
North Eastern Guide Applications [May 15, 2008 02:02] The North Eastern Guide, Canada's new GUIDE seller offered in a bilingual format and in colour. The North Eastern Guide is a guide for selling homes, cars, motorcycles, businesses and recreational vehicles. This is a quick sale opportunity for you. The guide is released on a monthly basis and exposed at convenience stores in the region (Bathurst, Campbellton, Miramichi, Péninsule acadienne). The first release is scheduled for June 1st. All classifieds are published in the guide as well as on thi...
NBC-Vista copy-protection snafu reminds us why DRM stinks News [May 14, 2008 22:53] From ArsTechnica: "Handfuls of Windows Vista Media Center users found themselves blocked from making recordings of their favorite TV shows this week when a broadcast flag triggered the software's built-in copy protection measures. The flag affected users trying to record prime-time NBC shows on Monday evening, using both over-the-air broadcasts and cable. Although the problem is being "looked into" by both NBC and Microsoft, the incident serves as another reminder that DRM gives content provider...
Survey: 20% in U.S. have never sent an e-mail News [May 14, 2008 22:53] From ComputerWorld: "Roughly one-fifth of all U.S. households are disconnected from the Internet and have never used e-mail, according to research firm Parks Associates. A recent phone survey of U.S. households by Parks found 20 million households are without Internet access, approximately 18% of all U.S. households."
If Gates is right, how much longer for keyboards & mice? News [May 14, 2008 22:53] From CNet: "It wasn't exactly `Minority Report' but Bill Gates's technology demonstration at the company's CEO Summit earlier today may be remembered years from now as a harbinger of the end for the keyboard and mouse era. Not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But soon enough. (Cue Winston Churchill here about how this is not the end, the beginning of the end, but perhaps, it's the end of the beginning.)"
Why Would Anyone Leave Google? News [May 14, 2008 22:53] From eWeek: "It's hard to believe that workers would leave Google, yet many have in recent months. What gives? You would have to be living on a desert island not to have heard by now about Google's workplaces, which have been awarded top honors by nearly every available yardstick of corporate culture."
Botnet Installs SQL Injection Tool News [May 14, 2008 22:53] From eWeek: "The Asprox botnet is sending out more than just phishing e-mails—it is now spreading a SQL injection attack tool. A botnet is outfitting its army of compromised computers with a SQL injection attack tool to hack Web sites, researchers at SecureWorks have discovered."
Businesses Consider Skipping Vista News [May 14, 2008 22:53] From ExtremeTech: "The bad news just keeps on coming for Windows Vista . First there was the "Vista-Capable" class action lawsuit. Then IT advisory firm Gartner claimed Windows may be collapsing under its own weight. Now Business Week is reporting that a number of large businesses are considering closing the door to Vista, opting instead to stick with XP until the release of Windows 7, due sometime before 2012."
LG Display unveils elliptical and circular-shaped LCDs News [May 14, 2008 22:53] From InfoSyncWorld: "LG Display today announced it has succeeded in the development of the world's largest 6-inch elliptical and 1.4-inch circular-shaped LCDs. The 6-inch elliptical LCD measures 78.8 mm in height and is 131.4 mm wide, while the 1.4-inch circular LCD measures 35.5 mm in diameter. Both LCDs are capable of displaying up to 262K colors and have a near 160 degree viewing angle."
New Office 2007 add-on makes commands easier to find News [May 13, 2008 22:45] From CNet: "Microsoft claims that Office 2007's ribbon interface saves time by putting the features people use most often closer at hand. For those of us who spent years learning where those functions were in previous versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the changes aren't the productivity boosters Microsoft envisioned. I've done more than my share of rummaging around the ribbon in Office 2007 trying to find a particular command, and I've even used Microsoft's user-interface guides to hunt d...
Software Developers Taking a Starting Salary Hit News [May 13, 2008 22:45] From eWeek: "A shrinking dollar has forced technology workers to accept positions at lower salaries than they did just a month ago. With news of hiring freezes and budget cutbacks popping up everywhere, the job market is looking increasingly stormy for new graduates."
Microsoft vs. Google: Are all monopolies created equal? News [May 13, 2008 22:41] From ZDNet: "Are Microsoft and Google really locked into a zero-sum game, where every gain in Google’s search business translates into an automatic kick-in-the-pants for Microsoft? That seems to be the premise, to a degree, of a couple of new items — one on the Financial Times and the other on Silicon Alley Insider. Silicon Alley pundit Henry Blodget’s conclusion: If Google continues growing its online search business at its current pace, it could surpass the size of Microsoft’s Windows business...
Gates emphasizes PC-phone connectivity in Windows 7 News [May 13, 2008 22:41] From ZDNet: "Improved collaboration and connectivity between Windows PCs and cell phones is going to get a major shot in the arm with Windows 7, according to Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. During a speech for members of the Windows Digital Lifestyle Consortium in Tokyo last week, Gates referred a few times to Windows 7, the next version of Windows which Microsoft has said will ship in 2010. Gates highlighted improvements to Windows 7’s lower power and memory requirements that are in the works. B...
Microsoft to raise Windows Small Business Server price 80 percent News [May 13, 2008 22:41] From ZDNet: "When Microsoft starts shipping its Windows Small Business Server 2008 product later this year, its price will be substantially higher — as much as 80 percent — than the current version of Small Business Server. Surprisingly, some testers and at least one market researcher don’t seem fazed by the change. While base prices are higher, users are going to get more functionality, performance and product with the new release, they said."
Google opens geographic search interface News [May 13, 2008 22:41] From CNet: "Google added a new element to its search interface that will let others' Web sites use geographically linked information. The company has opened up outside access to its Geo Search API (application programming interface), said John Hanke, head of Google Earth and Google Maps, at the Where 2.0 conference here Tuesday. That means other Web sites incorporating Google Maps will be able to find geographic features that are in Google's database but that previously were visible only through...
Hackers going after restaurants, supermarkets News [May 13, 2008 22:41] From CNet: "Many people are worried about hackers stealing their data when they buy things or bank online, but it's turning out that even an innocent trip to a restaurant or supermarket can be risky. Three men from the Ukraine, Estonia, and Miami, were indicted on charges related to stealing credit card data by hacking into cash register terminals at nearly a dozen Dave & Buster's chain of restaurants around the country, according to the Department of Justice."
Microsoft to bring back Visual Basic in Office for Mac News [May 13, 2008 22:41] From INfoWorld: "Microsoft on Tuesday announced it would restore support for VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) to Microsoft Office for Mac, a direct result of complaints from users about the removal of the suite's cross-platform automation functionality. Microsoft will return VBA to the next full upgrade to the Mac version of Office, the company said. While Office 2008, which was sharply criticized for omitting VBA, will receive bug-fix updates (such as Service Pack 1, also announced Tuesday )...
Named Parameters Downloads [May 13, 2008 03:46] The Named parameters servers for processing and checking input EXE/APP parameters. ...
Microsoft issues first SP1 betas for VS 2008, .Net Framework 3.5 News [May 12, 2008 22:59] From ZDNet: "Microsoft is making available to testers a first beta release of Service Pack (SP) 1 for Visual Studio 2008 and the accompanying .Net Framework 3.5. On May 12, Microsoft made available to any/all interested parties the first beta bits for both VS 2008 SP1 and .Net Framework 3.5 SP1. These can be downloaded from Microsoft’s Microsoft Developer Network site. Microsoft is warning testers that there are some compatibility issues involving the VS 2008/.Net Framework 3.5 SP1 betas and Exp...
Windows Vista 37% Less Vulnerable Than Windows XP: Study News [May 12, 2008 22:58] From RealTechNews: "Depending on how you spin this information, it’s either good news or bad. A study by a decidedly partial observer, security vendor PC Tools Software, showed that Windows Vista, while much improved over Windows XP, is still far too vulnerable. Not that we needed a study to tell us that …"
Outsourcing: Not just about cutting costs? News [May 12, 2008 22:58] From Silicon.com: "Global outsourcing has moved past corporate penny pinching according to industry experts. Speakers at the Financial Times Global Outsourcing and Offshoring Conference agreed that companies making a success of outsourcing no longer see low-cost labour as their main motivation."
BSD bug found and fixed after 25 years News [May 12, 2008 22:58] From ZDNet: "A Unix developer has discovered and fixed a filesystem bug in Berkeley Software Distribution, a widely used, open-source, Unix-like operating system, discovering in the process that the bug was at least 25 years' old. The discovery of the bug sheds light on the process of maintaining and developing open-source software, which is handled by distributed developers rather than centralised teams, as is usual in the case of proprietary software."
Deep packet inspection under assault over privacy concerns News [May 12, 2008 22:58] From ArsTechnica: "Add the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) to the list of groups concerned about the privacy implications of widespread deep packet inspection (DPI) by ISPs. CIPPIC has filed an official complaint with Canada's Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddart, asking her office to investigate Bell Canada's use of DPI (and we're flattered to be quoted as an expert source in the complaint). In addition, the group would welcome a wider investigation into possible...
Stolen MacBook Owner Logs On, Takes a Photo, Busts Thieves News [May 12, 2008 22:53] From TechNewsWorld: "The Back to My Mac feature brought a MacBook back to its owner recently. Kait Duplaga, an Apple store employee who had her MacBook stolen in April, was able to recover it by remotely taking a photo of one of the thieves while he was using the laptop. When Apple created the Back to My Mac feature on its .Mac service, it probably never envisioned it as a crime-solving tool. Yet that's just what it became last week, when the service helped the owner of a stolen MacBook recover ...
Can a Windows PC Really Be Cheaper Than a Linux Box? News [May 12, 2008 22:53] From TechNewsWorld: "A Windows machine that's cheaper than a roughly equivalent Linux version? How could that be? That's the question making its way around the Linux blogs these days as Asus has begun selling a version of its Eee PC with Windows installed that costs $50 less than the one with Linux preinstalled. That was all the fodder the commenters needed."
IS Development Software Analyst Jobs [May 12, 2008 20:16] Company: NARBHA (Northern Arizona Regional Behavioral Health Authority) Department: NARBHA Management Information Systems Development Unit Send email with Word Doc resume/vitae to: Dave.Taylor@narbha.org General Description: Responsible for assisting the MIS Development Manager in the MIS program/system development using managed care software package (CMHC/MIS) and third party software tools on the mini/micro computers. Provide assistance with general program analysis/programm...
Enumerating printer forms under Windows NT/2K/XP FAQ [May 12, 2008 10:57] It's quite simple to enumerate the forms supported by the specified printer using Windows API, but it is complicated to retrieve information about forms because it's returned as C/C++ structure and VFP doesn't have built-in capabilites to work with structures. However it can be done as shown below. The latest version of this article Enumerating printer forms
How to add/delete custom printer forms under Windows NT/2K/XP FAQ [May 12, 2008 10:35] To distribute applications that use repors with custom paper size you have to create custom printer forms on every destination PC that runs Windows NT/2K/XP. The mskb #Q157172 How to Create Custom Forms in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 explains how it can be done manually. However there's a way to do that programmatically using Windows API. The latest version of this article Add and delete custom printer forms
Broadband: other countries do it better, but how? News [May 11, 2008 22:01] From ArsTechnica: "One of the ironies of the current broadband situation in the US is that staunch free marketeers defend the status quo even though the result of their views has been duopoly and high prices. Meanwhile, other countries (including those with a reputation in some quarters for "socialism") have taken aggressive steps to create a robust, competitive, consumer-friendly marketplace with the help of regulation and national investment."
Trojan-Infected MP3s Have PC Users Singing the Blues News [May 11, 2008 22:01] From TechNewsWorld: "A new type of Trojan horse malware application is hiding inside fake MP3 media files, infecting approximately 500,000 consumer PCs, McAfee Avert Labs reported. The nefarious files have been delivered primarily on peer-to-peer networks during the last several days. The trojan, known as "Downloader-UA.h," was added to McAfee's DAT files about a week ago. Since then, McAfee VirusScan Online users have reported the half-million detections. The trojan hides in fake music and vi...
IE8 to boost ActiveX security on Vista News [May 11, 2008 22:01] From ArsTechnica: "ActiveX has long been regarded as a thorn in the side of Windows users everywhere; a gaping hole through which spyware and viruses can contaminate your PC and compromise your data. Although much of the criticism leveled at ActiveX is excessively harsh, binary browser plugins—that can do just about anything the user can do—do have security concerns. With Internet Explorer 8, Microsoft's forthcoming version of its embattled browser, steps will be taken to further reduce the expo...
Microsoft not pulling XP SP3 again (so far) News [May 10, 2008 23:43] From ZDNet: "Microsoft isn’t halting Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 distribution — so far, at least — in spite of endless-reboot problems reported by AMD-based PC customers, a company spokeswoman said on May 9. Reports of the reboot problem are cropping up on Microsoft forums and other sites across the Web. Microsoft resumed Windows Update delivery of XP SP3 this week, after temporarily halting its distribution due to an incompatibility involving SP3 and Microsoft’s Retail Management System (RMS...
Security flaw turns Gmail into open-relay server News [May 10, 2008 23:42] From ArsTechnica: "A recently-discovered flaw in Gmail is capable of turning Google's e-mail service into a highly effective spam machine. According to the Information Security Research Team (INSERT), Gmail is susceptible to a man-in-the-middle attack that allows a spammer to send thousands of bulk e-mails through Google's SMTP service without fear of detection. This attack bypasses both Google's identity fraud protection mechanisms and the current 500-address limit on bulk e-mail."
Hackers find a new place to hide rootkits News [May 10, 2008 23:38] From InfoWorld: "Security researchers have developed a new type of malicious rootkit software that hides itself in an obscure part of a computer's microprocessor, hidden from current antivirus products. Called an SSM (System Management Mode) rootkit, the software runs in a protected part of a computer's memory that can be locked and rendered invisible to the operating system but which can give attackers a picture of what's happening in a computer's memory."
How to pass parameters to VFP EXE FAQ [May 9, 2008 22:10] Passing command-line parameters from Windows to VFP EXE is different from passing parameters to VFP programs or functions in VFP application. 1. All parameters are passed to EXE as strings 2. Parameters should not be enclosed in single quotes because quotes will be treated as part of parameter 3. Parameters with spaces can be ecloused in double quotes 4. Prameters are separated by spaces not commas The latest version of this article How to pass parameters to VFP EXE
How can I get the number of jobs in print queue FAQ [May 9, 2008 22:08] The following code uses Windows API function OpenPrinter(), ClosePrinter() and EnumJobs() to get number of jobs in a print queue. It also shows how to use Windows API functions GetLastError() and FormatMessage() to retrieve a code and text of the last API error. The latest version of this article Get number of jobs in print queue
Enumerating jobs in print queue FAQ [May 9, 2008 22:07] It's quite simple to enumerate jobs in print queue using Windows API, but it is complicated to retrieve information about jobs because it's returned as C/C++ structure and VFP doesn't have built-in capabilites to work with structures. However it can be done as shown below. The latest version of this article Enumerating jobs in print queue
Cannot access selected table error FAQ [May 9, 2008 22:04] The explanation for the error 'Cannot access the selected table (Error 1152)' - 'You have attempted to select a table outside the 32K work area range or are attempting to reference a file variable in a table that is not open' in help isn't too helpfull. The latest version of this article Cannot access the selected table (Error 1152)
How to delete all Print Jobs from a print queue FAQ [May 9, 2008 22:03] The Windows API SetPrinter function can be used to delete all jobs from a print queue. A specific print job can be deleted by SetJob function. The following code has been tested under Windows 2000 and Windows XP but may work under earlier Windows versions. The latest version of this article How to delete all Print Jobs from a print queue
Four Microsoft security patches due next week News [May 8, 2008 23:53] From InfoWorld: "Microsoft plans to fix critical bugs in its Word, Publisher, and Jet database software next week. The software vendor also plans to release a less-critical update for its antivirus products, fixing a flaw that attackers could use to launch a denial of service attack against products such as Windows Live OneCare and Microsoft Forefront Security."
If music DRM is dead, the RIAA expects its resurrection News [May 8, 2008 23:53] From ArsTechnica: "Despite widespread declarations of the death of DRM in music, the Recording Industry Association of America insists that it's far from dead. At the Digital Hollywood conference taking place in Los Angeles this week, the organization argued that DRM is still used in the large majority of music distribution methods. Not only that, but DRM is poised to make a comeback to make up for where it has fallen."
Microsoft to push Office 2007 SP1 on June 16 News [May 8, 2008 23:52] From ZDNet: "Systems administrators: Mark your calendars. Microsoft is going to start pushing the first service packs for Office 2007 and SharePoint 2007 next month. In December, when Microsoft rolled out Service Pack (SP) 1 for the 2007 Office System, company officials said they’d give customers a minimum 30-day advance notice before pushing out the service pack via its Microsoft Update (MU) auto-distribution mechanism."
Google turns Postini into Google Web Security for Enterprise News [May 8, 2008 23:52] From ArsTechnica: "Google has been boosting its Google Apps product suite as fit for corporate use for months, with new security and deployment features arriving on a regular basis. The company's latest endeavor, Google Web Security for Enterprise, is now available, and promises to provide a consistent level of system security whether an end-user is surfing from the office or working at home halfway across town."
Microsoft shares more IE8 security details News [May 8, 2008 23:52] From ZDNet: "When Microsoft officials released a first test build of Internet Explorer (IE) 8 back in March, they said they were intentionally refraining from talking specifics about new security features and functionality that would be part of the next browser release. In the past few weeks, however, Microsoft has started providing more IE 8 security information via postings to the IE Blog."
Cell Phone Spying: Is Your Life Being Monitored? News [May 8, 2008 23:52] From RealTechNews: "You’ve been using your cell phone for years, and up until recently, doing so securely was something most people took for granted. But as time flies by, new means of using mobiles to tap directly into someone’s life are becoming easily available on the Web… and the worse thing is, most of these tools are completely free."
New bill ties net neutrality to antitrust law News [May 8, 2008 23:52] From ArsTechnica: "Earlier this week, we covered the debate in Congress over a bill that would define net neutrality as part of the nation's official broadband policy and direct the FCC to ensure that it happens. But regulating communications may not be the only way to get net neutrality enacted; a bill introduced today by Representatives John Conyers (D-MI) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) treats it as an antitrust issue and amends the Clayton Act accordingly."
Trojan Infects More Than 500,000 PCs News [May 7, 2008 23:19] From eWeek: "More than a half million computers have been infected by a Trojan spreading through bogus MP3 files on popular peer-to-peer networks in the past several days, according to researchers at McAfee’s Avert Labs. McAfee first reported noticing a spike in the discovery of a Trojan known as Downloader-UA.h on Tuesday. The malware was added to the McAfee DAT files May 2."
Microsoft going it alone? Not exactly News [May 7, 2008 23:19] From ZDNet: "Trying to parse Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates’ every utterance in search of clues about what Microsoft is doing next is a dangeous game. On May 6, headlines across the Web declared that Gates told reporters in Tokyo this week that now that post the abortive Yahoo acquisition, Microsoft plans to go it alone, without any other online services/online advertising acquisitions or partnerships. The problem? That’s not what Gates said, according to company officials."
First look: OpenOffice.org 3.0 beta a big step forward News [May 7, 2008 23:19] From ArsTechnica: "It has been almost three years since the release of OpenOffice.org 2.0. During that time we've seen community fragmentation and frustration resulting from Sun's heavy involvement with the office suite's development, and even a third-party online version that provides editing and collaboration features. Now, the open source office suite is back with a new 3.0 beta release, ushering in a handful of major enhancements, broader file format support, and a solid batch of evolutionar...
Mozilla: Firefox plugin shipped with malicious code News [May 7, 2008 23:19] From InfoWorld: "Mozilla warned Wednesday that a malicious program inserted adware code into a Firefox plugin that has been downloaded thousands of times over the past three months. Because of a virus infection, the Vietnamese language pack for Firefox 2 was polluted with adware, Mozilla security chief Window Snyder said in a blog posting. "Everyone who downloaded the most recent Vietnamese language pack since February 18, 2008 got an infected copy," she wrote. "Mozilla does virus scans at uploa...
