Archive for October, 2008

Are Windows Vista, Windows Mojave and Windows 7 One And The Same?

Oct 23rd

Posted by George in Computers

No comments

Are Windows Vista, Windows Mojave and Windows 7 all the same thing?

I’ve looked at Windows 7 M1 Ultimate Edition screenshots on Feast Your Eyes on the Leaked Screenshots of Windows 7 M1 Ultimate Edition!, watched the Mojave Experiment (youtube) Video below and I own Vista. Now if you haven’t watched the Mojave Experiment video or visited the site, its a promotional gimmick to sell people on Vista. So, Mojave IS Vista. Now, is Windows 7 also Vista? Looking at the Windows 7 screenshots tonight I had to wonder if Windows 7 is Windows Vista with some security updates… no really, check out the screenshots and you’ll see is all very Vista-like.

Quote from WindowsMojaveExperiment.com

Fact: PCs running Windows Vista in 2007 were 60% less likely to be infected by malware than those running Windows XP SP2.

I had to wonder if Vista was 60% less likely to be infected by malware because it was 60% less likely to be installed?

I also read that Windows 7 might be out earlier than projected (New signs point to Windows 7 debuting earlier than expected) and I wondered if Microsoft had finally gotten the idea to say its next version will be out much later than they really expect, thus giving them time to work out the inevitable snags? Also, wouldn’t Microsoft be on schedule if they did some fine-tuning of Vista rather than a major overhaul?

THE WINDOWS MOJAVE EXPERIMENT

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Google comes to South Carolina

Oct 15th

Posted by George in Technology

2 comments

On October 7, 2008 the ribbon cutting ceremony at Google’s 500-acre data center in Berkeley County, SC. The new data center is in the Mount Holly Business Park on route 52 between Moncks Corner and Goose Creek, South Carolina.

The Goose Creek Gazette had this mouth-watering comment:

The company, which is bringing a major data center to Berkeley County, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by a barbecue chicken/Lowcountry boil supper at its 500-acre site in the Mt. Holly Business Park, between Goose Creek and Moncks Corner.

But the data center is still in “beta”. According to The Post and Courier:

The local Google data center is still in the testing phase, and a second, identical building under construction nearby is far from complete. But local Internet users probably won’t notice when it does open up, said Andy Johnson, manager of Google’s global data center development.

Hey, I’ll work for Google any day, woudln’t you?! Anyway, having a Google data center so close to my house is cool enough, but check this out from CNN.com:

According to a patent application seen by London newspaper “The Times,” Google is considering launching barges up to seven miles (11km) offshore to host the massive data centers required to run its Internet search engines.

The plan would likely see the data centers — which consist of huge supercomputers — use wave energy to power and cool themselves while stationed at sea.

In the application Google states: “Computing centers are located on a ship or ships, anchored in a water body from which energy from natural motion of the water may be captured, and turned into electricity and/or pumping power for cooling pumps to carry heat away.”

I am really impressed with news recently about green companies and “recycled energy“. Its cool that some of today’s businesses are looking toward solar, wind and water for energy generation and reusing the resources we have instead of relying totally on conventional energy.

Gears of War 2 Takes Aim at Used Game Sales

Oct 14th

Posted by George in Video Games

6 comments

As if $60 a pop for a new Xbox 360 wasn’t enough, now it appears Gears of War 2 (hitting the streets 11/7/2008) is taking aim at resale of their video games. Now, I’ve got a copy pre-ordered, but I was going to wait it out and get myself a copy around Xmas time when I figured used GOW2 would be hitting the streets en masse at my local GameStop. I figured, what the heck, its GOW2, I’ll buy it new and it will be one of the few games I bought new this year – but not because of what I found out just tonight.

According to Gears of War 2 features five classic maps, only in new copies Gears of War 2 will feature content only accessible to new game owners – a code allowing downloading of five additional, updated classic maps (click link above for list of maps). Epic says these maps will not be offered as updates to the game after it hits the streets.

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ESET Smart Security screenshot

McAfee, Norton not Number 1

Oct 13th

Posted by George in Computers

1 comment

DISCLAIMER: I am not some high-speed, professional computer consultant and am only providing information I’ve read about anti virus programs. I am making no reccomendations here, just reporting what I’ve read. I am saying that although Symantec’s Norton AV and McAfee Virus Scan are on millions of computers the world over – they are not the #1 programs available according to cited source and an IT professional I know.

As long as I’ve been using Anti Virus solutions on my computers I’ve been using McAfee. I thought McAfee and Norton were the top 2 anti virus programs on the market until a friend the Information Technology (IT) field recommended ESET’s NOD32 ( part of ESET Smart Security, see below). This was some time last year and I’d never heard of ESET or NOD32. He even sent me a link to an online review so I could see what the difference was and read their test results, but at the time I decided to stick with good old McAfee.

For about 2 weeks my computer had been crashing in an unusual manner. Right in the middle of working I’d start a program and I’d get a Dr Watson Post Mortem error report, then the computer would freeze up completely and I’d have to power it down. This got tiring after several crashes so I decided to a look into ESET Smart Security - visit siteESET NOD32 and scan my computer. The first thing I did was download AVG 8 Free (update: Microsoft Security Essentials is better for free … link below) while I looked for and purchased NOD32. AVG found a Trojan Backdoor infection in one of the websites I work on which had been compromised (probably via a 3rd party add-on like a forum or image gallery that should have been updated). A quick call to the site owner so he could send one of his computer guys into the server and take care of the trojan on the effected website, and close the hole and I continued cleaning my computer.

AVG 8 found and cleaned the trojan for me and then I installed and ran ESET Smart Security (which includes NOD32)

Here’s some a review on anti virus programs and another review of antivirus programs, and there are certainly other reviews posted by companies that test and compare these products out there.

FREE ANTI VIRUS PROGRAMS: Here are some free anti virus programs, if you cannot afford to pay for one of the anti-virus programs recommended in one of the reviews above then at least make sure you have a free, up-to-date version of some AV program. Here are some I’ve either used or have been recommended to me. These are just ideas, do your research and decide what’s best for you, I can’t make any recommendations – I’m just a web designer, blogger and computer semi-geek.

AMD Splits; The Foundry Company is born

Oct 8th

Posted by George in Technology

1 comment

Evidently beloved CPU manufacturer AMD has been experiencing financial woes recently and as a result is splitting. I say beloved because if you buy computers you either appreciate them as a less expensive alternative to more expensive Intel CPU’s or for keeping Intel’s prices down through competition – either way AMD = good.

This bit from ZDNet explains the AMD “split”:

AMD said Tuesday that it will split off its manufacturing operations in a deal with the Advanced Technology Investment Company of Abu Dhabi. AMD will also receive a capital infusion from Mubadala Development Company…

Reading Asset smart? AMD moves manufacturing off its balance sheet; Bolsters capital and The Business of Tech: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do – AMD Goes Fabless makes it clear that fabrication facilities that make CPU’s are becoming ever-more expensive to build, upgrade or replace to keep pace with advances in CPU design. So what happens is AMD gains some investment dollars and is free to focus on the business of desinging new chips while The Foundry Company provides the facilites in which to build them. AMD will have 44.4% ownership of The Foundry Company while Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) will own 55.6%.

My initial thoughts were wondering if Intel would become a client of The Foundry Company to reduce their fab costs and why no American company, companies, millionaires or billionaires took interest in AMD? I suppose at a time when outsourcing has become so popular maybe just another American comapny divesting overseas is of no great concern. I hope I’m wrong.

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slacker-g2

Slacker G2 goes head-to-head with iPod?

Oct 4th

Posted by George in Technology

3 comments

First, let’s show you where I’m coming from when it comes to electronics, computers, software. I like free, I like open source, I like Linux. I put up with Windows. I do not like “cheap stuff”, iPhones, iPods or Apple computers because they are too expensive in my opinion (ok so are decent cell phones when not accompanied by a cellular service commitment, but that’s for another time).

Tonight I read Fans to build own radio as Slacker takes on iPod but I must throw in my opinion that Slacker is losing to iPod right out of the gate if you compare by price and storage size. I’m no expert but here are prices I found tonight for the Slacker G2′s and iPods:

  • iPod Shuffle, 1GB – $49 (ADDED 10/4)
  • iPod nano, 4GB – $160
  • Slacker G2, 4GB – $199
  • iPod touch, 8GB – $209
  • Slacker G2, 8GB – $249
  • iPod Classic, 80GB – $249 (this could really be listed before the Slacker G2, 8GB due to more storage)

Remember I said I like free, open source, and Linux? Well, if I can get an MP3 player for less, I will unless there’s a good reason like low quality, or strings attached. I won’t buy a Zune because I already have enough Microsoft, thanks (that’s strings attached to me). I won’t buy an iPod because I think they are overpriced, and as of tonight Slacker’s G2 falls in that category. But, there is something slacker has that iPod doesn’t and that’s free music on their website. The Slacker website home page is an online radio station that I’ve been listening to while writing this post. Unlike some Internet radio stations I’ve listened to you can skip songs, though that feature is limigted unless you pay and sign up. At any rate, that’s something you won’t find on the iTunes website, I couldn’t play a single song since I don’t have iTunes software. In that measure Slacker wins.

I guess we’ll see how it all pans out in time.

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