Microsoft has released its next-generation Windows Server "Longhorn" software for public testing on April 25th and has claimed the product is on track for a debut in the second half of 2007.
Microsoft expects hundreds of thousands of information technology workers to download the test, or "Beta 3," version of the next server operating system code-named Longhorn.
Longhorn, which will replace the current Windows Server 2003, is the server operating system equivalent of Microsoft's new Windows Vista PC operating system with an emphasis on many of the same features such as better security.
The download is available at www.microsoft.com/getbeta3 for those feeling brave or inquisitive!
Thursday, 26 April 2007
Customising the Windows Start menu
You're probably familiar with the Windows Start menu and the left hand side of it -but do you know why the program list is divided in two? Here's what you need to know about the "pinned" items list found in Windows XP, and how you can customize it to easily access your favourite programs.
The left panel of the Start menu consists entirely of a divided list of programs that Windows XP thinks will come in handy for you: the "pinned" items list above the separator line (ie they will always appear), and the most frequently used programs list, displayed below the line.
By default, Windows XP places links to your Internet browser and your e-mail application in the pinned items list and will place as many as 30 shortcuts to the programs that you've recently used in the most frequently used programs list. (The most frequently used programs list is, by default, six shortcuts long.)
In order to really take advantage of the Start menu as a launching area for all the programs you use most often, you can configure the entire left panel as a pinned items list. Here's how:
1 Right-click the Start button and select the Properties command to display the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box.
2. Click the Customize button adjacent to the Start Menu radio button to display the Customize Start Menu dialog box.
3 In the Programs panel, use the Spin button to set the Number Of Programs On The Start Menu setting to 0. Click the Clear List button.
4. In the Show On Start Menu panel, you can clear the Internet check box because the Internet Explorer icon already appears in the Quick Launch menu by default, and maybe even the e-mail check box, depending on how you launch your e-mail application.
5. Click OK twice—once to close the Customize Start Menu dialog box and once to close the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog boxes.
6. Click the Start button and access the All Programs submenu.
7. Locate and right-click on a shortcut to a program you use most often and select the Pin To Start Menu command.
You can pin as many as 30 of your most often used programs to the Start menu, depending on your screen resolution setting. With your actual favourite programs on the pinned items list, you can now really take advantage of the Start menu.
Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.
The left panel of the Start menu consists entirely of a divided list of programs that Windows XP thinks will come in handy for you: the "pinned" items list above the separator line (ie they will always appear), and the most frequently used programs list, displayed below the line.
By default, Windows XP places links to your Internet browser and your e-mail application in the pinned items list and will place as many as 30 shortcuts to the programs that you've recently used in the most frequently used programs list. (The most frequently used programs list is, by default, six shortcuts long.)
In order to really take advantage of the Start menu as a launching area for all the programs you use most often, you can configure the entire left panel as a pinned items list. Here's how:
1 Right-click the Start button and select the Properties command to display the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box.
2. Click the Customize button adjacent to the Start Menu radio button to display the Customize Start Menu dialog box.
3 In the Programs panel, use the Spin button to set the Number Of Programs On The Start Menu setting to 0. Click the Clear List button.
4. In the Show On Start Menu panel, you can clear the Internet check box because the Internet Explorer icon already appears in the Quick Launch menu by default, and maybe even the e-mail check box, depending on how you launch your e-mail application.
5. Click OK twice—once to close the Customize Start Menu dialog box and once to close the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog boxes.
6. Click the Start button and access the All Programs submenu.
7. Locate and right-click on a shortcut to a program you use most often and select the Pin To Start Menu command.
You can pin as many as 30 of your most often used programs to the Start menu, depending on your screen resolution setting. With your actual favourite programs on the pinned items list, you can now really take advantage of the Start menu.
Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.
Saturday, 21 April 2007
Dell resurrects XP
Dell has relented and is now once again shipping home user PCs with Windows XP rather than Vista. The move has been forced by customer opinion. The BBC article is here.
Speaking personally I have not upgraded any of my PCs to Vista yet - they are capable of running the software but running the compatibilty check tells me that way too much of the softweare I use is not Vista compatible, and "may not work properly". I'm afraid that's a risk I'm not prepared to take.
Speaking personally I have not upgraded any of my PCs to Vista yet - they are capable of running the software but running the compatibilty check tells me that way too much of the softweare I use is not Vista compatible, and "may not work properly". I'm afraid that's a risk I'm not prepared to take.
Wednesday, 18 April 2007
Wi-fi theft really does happen.......
Two people have been cautioned for using people's wi-fi broadband internet connections without permission. Neighbours in Redditch, Worcestershire, contacted police last Saturday, April 14th, after seeing a man inside a car using a laptop while parked outside a house. He was arrested and cautioned. A woman was arrested in similar circumstances in the town earlier this month.
These cases are believed to be among the first of their kind. The man arrested at the weekend was cautioned for "dishonestly obtaining electronic communications services with intent to avoid payment" but of course he could well have been accessing personal and business data; additionally he could have been accessing porn or criminal sites - making it very difficult to trace as it would have appeared to be the owner of the network who was accessing them.
The man apparently attracted attention from neighbours in the early morning, as he had put up cardboard around his car windows but the light from his computer could be seen through the back window - a bit of a giveaway really!!
It all just goes to show that all wireless networks should be adequately secured then this kind of thing couldn't happen.
These cases are believed to be among the first of their kind. The man arrested at the weekend was cautioned for "dishonestly obtaining electronic communications services with intent to avoid payment" but of course he could well have been accessing personal and business data; additionally he could have been accessing porn or criminal sites - making it very difficult to trace as it would have appeared to be the owner of the network who was accessing them.
The man apparently attracted attention from neighbours in the early morning, as he had put up cardboard around his car windows but the light from his computer could be seen through the back window - a bit of a giveaway really!!
It all just goes to show that all wireless networks should be adequately secured then this kind of thing couldn't happen.
Thursday, 12 April 2007
Microsoft fixes "critical" flaws
In its monthly security update Microsoft released five patches, four of which are for flaws the software firm rates as "critical". Flaws given this rating are so serious that they could be used to hijack a Windows PC without a user's knowledge.
The update includes a new version of a patch released in early April that had been causing problems for some users. The second Tuesday of every month is the day Microsoft chooses to issue security updates for its software. The five updates issued in April are for users of Windows Vista, XP, 2000, Server 2003 and Microsoft Content Management Server.
The four critical patches are for flaws that Microsoft says could lead to "remote code execution" which means that hackers could exploit them to take over a PC, steal information on it or put it to their own uses. Also in the security bundle is a fix for a patch that Microsoft released in early April to close a flaw in the way that Windows handles animated cursors. It released the patch early because many criminal hacking groups were using the flaw to set up booby-trapped websites that could hijack a PC. Among those targeted in this way were World of Warcraft players as a single account for the hugely popular game can prove very lucrative.
However, Microsoft was forced to issue a fix for the cursor patch as some users found it conflicted with other programs installed on their PC. Users of programs such as ElsterFormular, TUGZip, CD-Tag, and Realtek HD Audio Control Panel found that installing the patch stopped these utilities working.
Make sure you always keep up to date with Windows Updates, particularly the security ones!
The update includes a new version of a patch released in early April that had been causing problems for some users. The second Tuesday of every month is the day Microsoft chooses to issue security updates for its software. The five updates issued in April are for users of Windows Vista, XP, 2000, Server 2003 and Microsoft Content Management Server.
The four critical patches are for flaws that Microsoft says could lead to "remote code execution" which means that hackers could exploit them to take over a PC, steal information on it or put it to their own uses. Also in the security bundle is a fix for a patch that Microsoft released in early April to close a flaw in the way that Windows handles animated cursors. It released the patch early because many criminal hacking groups were using the flaw to set up booby-trapped websites that could hijack a PC. Among those targeted in this way were World of Warcraft players as a single account for the hugely popular game can prove very lucrative.
However, Microsoft was forced to issue a fix for the cursor patch as some users found it conflicted with other programs installed on their PC. Users of programs such as ElsterFormular, TUGZip, CD-Tag, and Realtek HD Audio Control Panel found that installing the patch stopped these utilities working.
Make sure you always keep up to date with Windows Updates, particularly the security ones!
Wednesday, 11 April 2007
Does this sound familiar?
Apparently two out of three British internet users lose significant portions of their time to irrelevant web browsing, a recent study has revealed. Are we surprised though? I'm sure we're all guilty at some stage.
Workers confronted with the almost unlimited pool of online information become distracted and begin "wilfing," short for "What Was I Looking For?".
Wilfers lose an average of two working days a month to aimless browsing, with men being the worst offenders, the study said. Shopping sites are the most distracting. In addition to the time and money apparently being lost by UK businesses, the YouGov poll of more than 2,400 people reports other problems.
A third of men quizzed said wilfing through "tempting adult entertainment sites" had damaged relationships with their partners. Jason Lloyd, from price comparison Web site moneysupermarket.com, which commissioned the research, said: "Although people log on with a purpose, they are now being offered so much choice and online distraction that many forget what they are there for, and spend hours aimlessly wilfing instead.
"It's important people do not allow unnecessary online distractions to get in the way when surfing the Internet, as it can affect productivity in the workplace and relationships at home."
So......you have been warned!!
Workers confronted with the almost unlimited pool of online information become distracted and begin "wilfing," short for "What Was I Looking For?".
Wilfers lose an average of two working days a month to aimless browsing, with men being the worst offenders, the study said. Shopping sites are the most distracting. In addition to the time and money apparently being lost by UK businesses, the YouGov poll of more than 2,400 people reports other problems.
A third of men quizzed said wilfing through "tempting adult entertainment sites" had damaged relationships with their partners. Jason Lloyd, from price comparison Web site moneysupermarket.com, which commissioned the research, said: "Although people log on with a purpose, they are now being offered so much choice and online distraction that many forget what they are there for, and spend hours aimlessly wilfing instead.
"It's important people do not allow unnecessary online distractions to get in the way when surfing the Internet, as it can affect productivity in the workplace and relationships at home."
So......you have been warned!!
Wednesday, 4 April 2007
Who said broadband is a load of ****?
Underground sewer pipes are being used by Bournemouth Borough Council to cut the cost and disruption of laying new broadband internet cabling. Interesting thought!!
Around 1,400 metres of the 18mm fibre optic cable has been laid through the town's sewer network, owned by Wessex Water, using ready-made ducts to push the cable through and save the cost and time usually taken digging up roads. Bournemouth is using the fibre optic cable underground sewer system developed by UK company H20 Networks.
Bob Rhodes, IT manager at Bournemouth Borough Council, said laying the cable, which will mainly be used as back up to the authority's existing BT network, has resulted in a "tremendous cost saving". He said "This is ideal for resilience. Going deep in the sewers it is less likely to be hit by a JCB digger. It gives us complete alternative routing."
He said the armoured cabling is also strong enough to prevent communications being taken out by sewer rats chewing through it.
Elfed Thomas, MD for H2O Networks, claimed it is 80 per cent faster to lay cables in the sewers and said it offers organisations a fixed-term cost rather than bandwidth tariffs, which means no further charges are incurred when extra capacity is needed.
I just wonder why use sewer pipes? Aren't there existing conduits used for other utilities that could be used? We so often hear of sewers being old and in need of replacement - so what then happens to the fibre optic cable while the sewer is being replaced?
Do I smell a rat, or is the proverbial going to hit the fan?
Around 1,400 metres of the 18mm fibre optic cable has been laid through the town's sewer network, owned by Wessex Water, using ready-made ducts to push the cable through and save the cost and time usually taken digging up roads. Bournemouth is using the fibre optic cable underground sewer system developed by UK company H20 Networks.
Bob Rhodes, IT manager at Bournemouth Borough Council, said laying the cable, which will mainly be used as back up to the authority's existing BT network, has resulted in a "tremendous cost saving". He said "This is ideal for resilience. Going deep in the sewers it is less likely to be hit by a JCB digger. It gives us complete alternative routing."
He said the armoured cabling is also strong enough to prevent communications being taken out by sewer rats chewing through it.
Elfed Thomas, MD for H2O Networks, claimed it is 80 per cent faster to lay cables in the sewers and said it offers organisations a fixed-term cost rather than bandwidth tariffs, which means no further charges are incurred when extra capacity is needed.
I just wonder why use sewer pipes? Aren't there existing conduits used for other utilities that could be used? We so often hear of sewers being old and in need of replacement - so what then happens to the fibre optic cable while the sewer is being replaced?
Do I smell a rat, or is the proverbial going to hit the fan?
How safe is your network?
Many small businesses will be running a small network of some kind, and some recent research suggests that around half of users leave the default passwords unchanged on their network hardware. This can leave networks vulnerale to attack and therefore business data is at risk. The BBC's article here goes into more detail.
What makes this more of concern is how easy it is to get hold of the default passwords for hardware - guessing is often easy (user: admin password: admin is not a bad start!!) but there are also websites which list them. These are generally designed for legitimate use - I use them myself when a client has no idea what the router password is - but can be abused.
Also the increasing trend toward manufacturers putting the default settings on a sticker underneath the hardware makes it easy for discover the password.
So the message to the 50% who leave the default is to change the password to something more secure. No doubt these are the same people who do not have security on their wireless networks as well!!
Better safe than sorry.
What makes this more of concern is how easy it is to get hold of the default passwords for hardware - guessing is often easy (user: admin password: admin is not a bad start!!) but there are also websites which list them. These are generally designed for legitimate use - I use them myself when a client has no idea what the router password is - but can be abused.
Also the increasing trend toward manufacturers putting the default settings on a sticker underneath the hardware makes it easy for discover the password.
So the message to the 50% who leave the default is to change the password to something more secure. No doubt these are the same people who do not have security on their wireless networks as well!!
Better safe than sorry.
Tuesday, 3 April 2007
What is hard drive encryption?
Hard-drive encryption is a technology that encrypts the data stored on a hard drive using sophisticated mathematical functions. Data on an encrypted hard drive cannot be read by anyone who does not have access to the appropriate key or password. This can help prevent access to data by unauthorized persons and provides a layer of security against hackers and other online threats.
The concept of hard-drive encryption is simple enough. When a file is written to the drive, it is automatically encrypted by specialized software. When a file is read from the drive, the software automatically decrypts it while leaving all other data on the drive encrypted. The encryption and decryption processes are transparent to all common applications such as word processors, databases, spreadsheets or imaging programs.
A computer equipped with hard-drive encryption appears, from the user's point of view, to function as any other computer would.
Windows Vista Enterprise and Ultimate editions offer a hard-drive encryption program called BitLocker that employs two-factor authentication, but encryption software is widely available.
The concept of hard-drive encryption is simple enough. When a file is written to the drive, it is automatically encrypted by specialized software. When a file is read from the drive, the software automatically decrypts it while leaving all other data on the drive encrypted. The encryption and decryption processes are transparent to all common applications such as word processors, databases, spreadsheets or imaging programs.
A computer equipped with hard-drive encryption appears, from the user's point of view, to function as any other computer would.
Windows Vista Enterprise and Ultimate editions offer a hard-drive encryption program called BitLocker that employs two-factor authentication, but encryption software is widely available.
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