3DCOOL BLOGS

Monday, April 30, 2007

Ubuntu a desktop replacement to Windows?
I personal took the challenge and haven't looked back. :)

Many are resisting upgrading to Windows Vista. Reasons range from performance issues to the general perception of few, if any, value added features. Unfortunately, many Windows users are being forced into Vista by large OEMs such as Dell. By the end of December, XP will no longer be an option when purchasing a new PC.

But what if you had a choice? Would you stay with a Microsoft operating system if you knew that a free alternative exists that provided better stability and comparable features?

People have long avoided Linux desktop distros because of driver support, interoperability issues and limited software packages. While that may have been the truth in years past, the days of Linux obscurity are just about over.

Several Linux desktop operating systems have been rapidly gaining in popularity worldwide. One such operating system is Ubuntu.

Ubuntu has just released version 7 of their desktop and server operating system. After a close look at the ease of use and feature sets, one quickly realizes that the need for Vista or any other Microsoft desktop operating system is waning.

Installation is very simple. Download the ISO disk image and burn it to CD. You not only have a live CD version to take on the road, but you also can install the OS right to your hard drive by double-clicking the “INSTALL” icon that appears on the desktop after booting the CD.

Proof is in the features

As if ease of installation and stability weren’t enough, the available feature sets are excellent. Let’s go over a few of the “must haves”.

Automatix is a GUI based tool used to automate the installation of common applications that people use. After patching up your Ubuntu installation, the very next thing to do is setup Automatix.

Visit http://www.getautomatix.com/wiki/index.php?title=Installation from your Ubuntu host and simply allow the GDebi Package Installer run by clicking OK. Once the install is complete, browse to Applications > System Tools > Automatix. Once you arrive, you'll be faced with a wealth of useful applications to choose from.

Several worthwhile apps to check out are the Firestarter firewall and ClamAV combo. Firestarter offers a very intuitive interface and filters inbound and outbound connections. ClamAV is, of course, the long standing open source antivirus scanner, which is also extremely simple to use.

For those with NTFS hard drives, Ubuntu offers an auto-mount tool that easily provides access to all of your files that reside on NTFS drives.

Ubuntu makes adding the Java JRE browser plugin much less painful than most other Linux distros. No more symbolic links or the like. For proof, have a look at the many browser plugins that can be added to Firefox with a simple mouse click.


Read all about it here, courtesy of itmanagement.earthweb.com

Eric

Friday, April 27, 2007

***CONSUMER ALERT***
Acer Inc. recalls 27,000 laptop batteries made by Sony
The battery woes keep coming for Sony...

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Acer Inc., one of the largest computer makers in the world, launched a recall Wednesday of about 27,000 laptop batteries, becoming the latest company to warn of faulty Sony-made lithium-ion batteries that could overheat and cause a fire.

More than 10 million notebook batteries have been recalled worldwide since the problem was traced to Sony Corp. last year. Other major computer makers, including Dell Inc., Lenovo Inc., and Apple Inc. have also issued similar recalls.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has logged dozens of reports of lithium-ion batteries overheating. Taiwan-based Acer said none of the known incidents involved its laptop models but the company still worked with the consumer agency to conduct the voluntary recall.

The affected Acer models were sold in the U.S. and Canada from May 2004 through November 2006 for between $500 and $1,500.

The laptops possibly containing the recalled batteries were the TravelMate series with 4-digit model numbers beginning with 242, 320, 321, 330, 422, 467, 561, C20, and the Aspire series beginning with model numbers 556, 560, 567, 930, 941, 980.

Acer, whose U.S. division is based in San Jose, says consumers should immediately stop using the recalled batteries and contact the company for a free battery replacement. The laptops could still be safely used if powered by the AC adapter, the company said.


Read all about it here, courtesy of chron.com

Eric

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Thermaltake ToughPower 1200w PSU...in an OVEN?!?!
I don't know what is crazier a 1200w PSU or that fact it was tested in an oven...

Thermaltake Technology Company is the most recent addition to our Power Supply testing program today with their Toughpower CableManagement 1200w (W0133RU). As a company Thermaltake has a rather short history being founded in 1999. Thermaltake's primary focus has been on thermal solutions, but for some time now Thermaltake has maintained a group of product lines dedicated to power supplies. These early power supplies were often manufactured by Sirtec, but with the launch of the Toughpower line Thermaltake has taken their power supply business in a new direction. To make this shift Thermaltake has today partnered themselves with Channel Well Technology on the Toughpower 1200w and it looks to be a great decision.

Channel Well Technology was founded and began manufacturing power supplies in 1993. Since 1993 Channel Well Technology products have shown up under various guises including Antec, Xclio, 2theMax, and CWT themselves. While most familiar to our US users under the Antec brand CWT is one of the more complete OEM manufacturers as they have a fairly high level of vertical integration providing transformers all the way up to their well designed independently regulated SMPS.


Read all about it here, courtesy of enthusiast.hardocp.com

Eric

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Reasearchers Break Internet Speed Record
9.08 gigabits per second over a 20, ooo mile path, using standard communications protocols.

A group of researchers led by the University of Tokyo has broken Internet speed records — twice in two days. Operators of the high-speed Internet2 network announced Tuesday that the researchers on Dec. 30 sent data at 7.67 gigabits per second, using standard communications protocols.

The next day, using modified protocols, the team broke the record again by sending data over the same 20,000-mile path at 9.08 Gbps.

That likely represents the current network's final record because rules require a 10 percent improvement for recognition, a percentage that would bring the next record right at the Internet2's current theoretical limit of 10 Gbps.

However, the Internet2 consortium is planning to build a new network with a capacity of 100 Gbps. With the 10-fold increase, a high-quality version of the movie "The Matrix" could be sent in a few seconds rather than half a minute over the current Internet2 and two days over a typical home broadband line.


Read all about it here, courtesy of sfgate.com

Eric

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

21 Mousepad round up / review
I can't believe that I am blogging about mousepads...but here you go!

When I was offered to test a series of mouse pads I was quite sceptical at first, I had been using the smooth surface area of my desk for several years with an optical mouse and didn’t feel the need to go out and buy a mouse pad. However after only having tested one of the mouse pads I came to realize what I had been missing out on, my mouse responded better in games and applications, took less effort to move around and my overall experience was improved. As time passed by and I swapped mouse pads I noticed that not all are created equal and some do better at certain tasks than others. During a period of over 5 weeks I compared 21 mouse pads while I did AutoCad work, Photoshop manipulations, web browsing, Office work and of course gaming.


Read all about it here, courtesy of madshimps.be

Eric

Monday, April 23, 2007

MAC Hacked via Safari
2 guys, 9 hours of work and 1 exploit in Safari = 2 17" Mac Book Pro's and $10,000 (not bad at all)

A zero-day vulnerability in Safari, the default browser for Apple's Macintosh operating system, allowed two MacBooks to crumble before the onslaught of a CanSecWest security conference attendee's hacking, aided as he was by a New York buddy with years of experience hacking Macs.

Shane Macaulay, a developer of binary security analysis tools, is going home with a 17-inch MacBook and sending $10,000 in prize money to his friend, Dino Dai Zovi. Dai Zovi told eWEEK in an interview from his apartment in New York that he was up since 10 p.m. on Thursday, following a phone call from Macaulay asking if he could help him in the CanSecWest Pwn-2-Own contest. By 7 a.m. he had the exploit in hand.

"I was up all night. I haven't slept yet," Dai Zovi said around 5:45 PST. "I sat down at 10 last night and by 7 a.m. I had a working vulnerability."

Dai Zovi said he "had some ideas" of where to attack. "I have my notes about what I've looked at, and what I haven't. I have little notes about something over here looking fishy, so check it out."

As a matter of fact, he investigated and reported to Apple a similar Safari vulnerability some two years ago.

Macaulay pwned the Mac by sending it an e-mail that directed a user to a malicious site. Upon visiting the site, the user—a CanSecWest organizer perched on the machine to protect it from physical assault—was infected with malware, without clicking on anything within the site.

On this, the last day of the security conference, none of the attendees had yet managed to convincingly molest the two laptops as of the morning. At first, the terms of the contest only stipulated that a remote attacker had to gain user access on a 15-inch MacBook or administrative privileges on a 17-inch MacBook.

On Thursday, TippingPoint sweetened the deal by pitching in $10,000 to hackers who manage to pwn the systems, in answer to hackers who shrugged off the idea of swapping a lucrative zero-day Apple vulnerability for a mere MacBook.

The value of such a vulnerability is reportedly around $20,000.


Read all about it here courtesy of securitywatch.eweek.com

Eric

Friday, April 20, 2007

Trojan horse using Virginia Tech tragedy as bait
Another reason why spammers and malicious code writters should be subject to corporal punishment.

Spammers and hackers are using the slayings at Virginia Tech as a gory lure to infect computers with malicious software, security experts noted Thursday.

While the video made by gunman Cho Seung-hui prior to the killing of 33 people on Monday was widely posted on news Web sites and YouTube.com, spam e-mails were intercepted Wednesday night purporting to link to the footage on a Brazilian Web site, said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant, at security vendor Sophos PLC.

If clicked, the link caused a computer to automatically download a malicious screensaver, called TERROR_EM_VIRGINIA.scr by Sophos, which installs a Trojan horse program that collects banking details, Cluley said.

It's unclear yet what banks the Trojan is engineered to exploit, Cluley said. Sophos has posted a screenshot of the spam.

The e-mails are unlikely to mean much to English speakers since they're written in Portuguese, Cluley said. But hackers have repeatedly used breaking news events to try to trick users into opening malicious programs.

"We might see other hackers jump on the coattails of this," Cluley said.


Read all about it here, courtesy of pcworld.com

Eric

Thursday, April 19, 2007

NY Gov targets violent nideo games
It's never a good thing when the government tells you what you can and can not do. Especially, when they tax you on top of it.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer will take a shot at violent videos and video games as part his remaining 2007 legislative agenda that includes campaign finance reform, streamlining the courts, and energy development.

Spitzer said he will soon provide a bill that would target the ratings of video movies and video games "'that are often violent and degrading"' and can hurt children who repeatedly use and view them.

Spitzer said he wants to restrict access to these videos and games by children, similar to motion picture regulations which prohibit youths under 17 from being admitted to R-rated movies without a parent or adult guardian.

Under Spitzer's proposal, retailers who sell violent or degrading videos or video games to children contrary to the rating would be sanctioned.

The Democrat said his approach would be similar to greater enforcement in recent years to stop the sale of cigarettes to minors.


Read all about it here, courtesy of ibtimes.com

Eric

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Apple seriously considering iPhone rebate
If there is a rebate, show me where to sign up and AT&T will have a new customer.

Several recent developments on Apple's iPhone strategy have compelled one analyst to raise his estimates and price target on shares of the company, such as word that the iPod maker is seriously considering a move to subsidize the cost of the handset through rebates or other means.

Rebates or subsidies

In an in-depth research note released to clients on Tuesday, American Technology analyst Shaw Wu cited sources who indicate that a mail-in rebate or carrier subsidy for iPhone of $50-150 is under serious consideration by the Cupertino-based electronics firm.

"We are hearing rebates of $50-150 that will be offered by AT&T to lower the price points for iPhone (currently $499 for 4 GB and $599 for 8 GB) and to entice customers to sign longer term voice and data contracts," the analyst wrote. "From AT&T's perspective, a rebate is a great marketing tool and small sacrifice to make to entice a customer to sign up for 2-year voice and data cell phone plans that cost about $75-100 per month (before taxes and fees), meaning $1800-2400 in 'guaranteed' bi-annual revenue."

Read all about it here, courtesy of appleinsider.com

Eric

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Ubuntu 7.04 to arrive April 19th
Another alternative to Microsoft Windows Vista, and it is a darn good one too.

For Linux business users, the most important Linux release of 2007 so far is Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5. But for most other Linux fans, the upcoming release of Ubuntu Version 7.04 on April 19 demands more attention.

This new v7.04 release encompasses five versions: Ubuntu Server, Ubuntu Desktop, Edubuntu, Kubuntu and Xubuntu. Along with the self-explanatory server and desktop versions, Edubuntu is meant for educational uses; Kubuntu is a desktop platform that uses KDE 3.5.6 for its desktop environment instead of Ubuntu's GNOME 2.18; and Xubuntu is a desktop for lower-end PCs and uses the lightweight Xfce 4.4 desktop manager.

The family is built around the new Linux 2.6.20 kernel. As a cutting-edge distribution, Ubuntu's developers try to bring together the latest and best of open-source software every six months. Users interested in a more settled, stable distribution with full support can turn to Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Long Term Support).


Read all about it here, courtesy of eWeek.com

Eric

Monday, April 16, 2007

Are you ready for Windows Vista?
A comparison guide of low, mid and top end pcs using XP vs Vista.

Microsoft is understandably touting its new Windows Vista operating system with as many superlatives as they can fit in a sentence but the response from consumers seems to be rather muted so far. Half a billion in marketing dollars can certainly make a flashy entrance but for all the publicity generated in the weeks leading to its 30th January release date, there hasn't exactly been the kind of maniacal rush that we had witnessed when tech gadgets like the new Sony PlayStation 3 were initially released. There wasn't even a decent queue of any sort when CompUSA organized a midnight launch in the US , a somewhat disappointing turnout compared to the success of previous versions of Windows. Similarly in Singapore, there was no hint of a queue when we turned up for the official launch , in stark contrast with the Windows XP launch here in 2001, which saw shoppers queuing for up to six hours to get their hands on it. It seems that despite the massive publicity promoting Vista's new features, the public is not biting yet.

Read all about it here, courtesy of hardwarezone.com

Eric

Friday, April 13, 2007

Microsoft pulling OEM Windows XP next January
Get XP pre-installed now, otherwise it's Vista for you...muhahahahah (ok, that was uncalled for) :)

Like it or not, if you buy a Windows PC in 2008, it's almost certain to be running Windows Vista. Next January is Microsoft's contractual deadline with PC builders for selling the OEM version of Windows XP, meaning computer manufacturers will be forced to stick customers with a copy of Windows Vista, despite the continued driver problems and beefy system requirements. Hopefully Microsoft is able to prep a service pack or two before that time comes, but it's hard to imagine all the kinks being ironed out before then. We're sure you'll be able to nab a retail copy of XP through standard or slightly-shady channels, so it's not like you'll never see that frumpy "Luna" theme ever again, but we still won't be surprised at an '08 backlash if Microsoft makes good on its promises.

Read all about it here, courtesy of engadget.com

Eric

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Survey: Google draws 64% of internet search queries
I really don't know why this is newsworthy, is anyone surprised?

Web search leader Google's market share inched up to 64 percent of all queries among U.S. Internet searchers in March, gaining further ground against Yahoo and Microsoft, a survey released on Wednesday by Hitwise found.

The number of search queries on Google rose to 64.1 percent in March, compared with 63.9 percent in February and 58.3 percent a year ago, according to Hitwise, which bases its report on the surfing habits of 10 million U.S. Web users.

A more conservative survey by online measurement firm comScore Networks from February also showed how Google's U.S. market share grew to 48.1 percent in February from a 47.5 percent share in January. On a global basis, comScore estimates Google held a 65.7 percent share of the Web search market.


Read all about it here, courtesy of Cnet news.com

Eric

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Expect a price increase on flat panel monitors in May
If you been wanting that 24" or 30" monster, get them now before they cost you more...


Monitor vendors are feeling the pressure from rising panel prices, with market watchers predicting that monitor prices may go up as early as May.
Monitor vendors have admitted that rising panel prices – which have gone up US$2-5 since the beginning of April – are heaping pressure on them, but they remain conservative about adjusting their monitor prices upwards at present.
Acer said it is unlikely to up its monitor prices now. But if panel prices continue to rise it will be inevitable to raise its monitor prices, it said.
Sources with Samsung Electronics said the Korean vendor has yet to decide whether it will increase its monitor prices. But it will not rule out doing so if panel prices continue rising, the sources said.
BenQ said it will take 1-1.5 months for the prices on the terminal market to reflect the rising panel costs in April. BenQ said its currently available monitors have been on the market for quite some time, and therefore it has no plans to raise the prices in the near term.
Viewsonic said it has yet to decide whether it will adjust its monitor prices, which will depend on costs, market situations, and competitors' reactions. Viewsonic raised its monitor prices ahead of competitors to reflect rising panel costs in the third quarter of 2006. But when competitors did not promptly follow suit, the higher prices created heavy pressure on sales.
Market observers pointed out that although margins for monitors are low, its prices are so sensitive an issue that vendors are conservative about raising them. But the observers predict that if panel prices continue rising, monitor prices will go up in early May.
Monitor panel prices have been going up due to decreased supply for the 17-inch segment, and strong demand for 19-inch and 19-inch widescreen segments, the observers said.

Read all about it here, courtesy of digitimes.com

Eric

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

New York Auto Show: Roadster gets 600 HP from lithium

Ok, so this is not technically "technical" in nature...but it's so darn cool.

LOS ANGELES, CA AND NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 28, 2007 - Hybrid Technologies, Inc. (NASD OTCBB: HYBT - News) www.hybridtechnologies.com, emerging leaders in the development and marketing of lithium battery powered products worldwide, is pleased to announce that it will be conducting interviews and product demonstrations for prospective VIP clients who are interested in obtaining an exclusive license to distribute Hybrid Technologies' full line of products. Qualified media can also request a product demonstration at this years' New York International Auto Show (NYIAS).

To celebrate the launch of the Distributor - Dealer Program, Hybrid will unveil the 2007 L1X-75 aimed at the exotic sports car market. The L1X-75 is a highly advanced carbon fiber, lithium powered sports car with uncompromising power, style and torque.

Hybrid Technologies strategically selected the NYIAS as the stage to announce and implement the long awaited Distributor-Dealer Network Program, due to their media history and public success at one of the world's largest auto shows which provides the opportunity to capture the minds and attention of the millions that pass through the doors of the Jacob Javits Convention Center.

"Our lithium battery propelled products emerged from decades of experience in both our proprietary Battery Technologies and Battery Management Systems (B.M.S). With our manufacturing, testing and development experience combined with engineering excellence, places us in a very unique position to offer this exciting program" states Mr. Frank Ziegler, Director of Sales and Distribution for HYBT. "We are the ONLY Company in the world that can offer this technology and business model to the general public through licensing. Through exclusive technological innovations and proprietary systems, our licensees are able offer this exclusive technology with virtually no competitive market."


Read all about it here, courtesy of autoblog.com

Eric

Monday, April 09, 2007

WEP Gone in Sixty Seconds?
Your wireless WEP is not as safe as you think.

WEP encryption for WLANs cracked in under a minute

Researchers from the Technical University of Darmstadt have achieved another breakthrough in cracking WEP encrypted wireless networks. As Erik Tews, Andrei Pychkine and Ralf-Philipp Weinmann describe in a paper, they were able to reduce the number of captured packets required for a successful attack by a factor of ten. A wireless network secured with 128-bit WEP encryption can, according to the researchers, be cracked in less than a minute using their attack method. An archive can be downloaded from the working group's website, which adds the new method to the Aircrack WEP cracking program.

Until now, the most efficient WEP attacks needed between 500,000 and two million WEP packets to calculate the 104-bit key which is used for 128-bit WEP. These could be generated using repeated injection of an encrypted ARP query - ARP reinjection - in about ten to 40 minutes, even if the wireless network was being used only sporadically.

The Darmstadt researchers were able to improve the attack method developed by Klein against the RC4 algorithm used by WEP, such that the individual bytes of the key could be calculated independently. As a result, just 40,000 WEP packets should suffice to achieve a 50 per cent probability of calculating the key. With 85,000 packets, the probability rises to 95 per cent. According to the researchers, the method should also work with WEPplus, since their attack is not directed against the weak IVs, which WEPplus deliberately avoids using.

The 25/06 issue of c't reported that studies had shown that more than half of WLANs were still secured using WEP in 2006. The only way for users to protect themselves from WEP attacks is by switching to the more secure WPA or WPA2 protocols. In 2006, around 17 percent of WLANs were using these protocols, with 22 percent of the access points tested being completely unencrypted. The first distributors have already started to offer their customers favourable terms for switching to WPA capable hardware.


Read all about it here, courtesy of heise-security.co.uk

Eric

Friday, April 06, 2007

Asus release "XG Station" external graphics card
This was only a matter of time. Next will be the SLi 8800 GTX version, with a cost equivant to a new Hyundai Sonata.

ASUSTeK Computer (below ASUSTeK), for the user which on 2007 March 31st is held at Akihabara “fresh fair of event with ASUS spring”, the developing edition sample “of XG Station” was released.
 If for [gema] which ASUSTeK has one of the brand, to with the product which belongs “ASUS Gaming Series”, it collects XG Station, in one word, it is the external graphic card for note PC. This time with 4Gamer, until after the ending of the event, it is sent back to Taiwan, little time, the opportunity which is touched this sample which assumes that there is only one in the world, was obtained. As expected XG Station it is what whether, and, whether may bring what kind of merit to the people who play the game with note PC one foot searching, quickly, you think as like.

Read all about it here, courtesy of 4gamer.com (translation courtesy of Google Translation)

Eric

Thursday, April 05, 2007

30 Days with Windows Vista
For me, that is 29 days and 23 1/2 hours too long...and that's being generous. :)

When trying to decide whether to upgrade from Windows XP or 2000 to Windows Vista, it is all too tempting for many people - myself included - to come into it with prejudices and presumptions, and the rumor mill is rife with what Vista can and cannot let you do. Many forum posters say that Vista is nothing but trouble - others say that everything works flawlessly. The differences are so stark that it often seems like two different operating systems are being discussed.

It’s also easy to associate Windows Vista with "Microsoft" the company. Microsoft has done more than perhaps any other software company to bring computing to the masses - and yes, that includes Apple. A great part of our culture was advanced - for good - by the development of Windows. It’s a family of operating systems that run on just about any hardware, making computing affordable for almost everyone. A computer in every home - much like Ford putting a model-T in every garage.

And like Ford, there are also some complaints about Microsoft leveraging its monopoly power to stifle innovation, which we’re all familiar with.

This is at best a wash, and the history of Microsoft, while it may impact individual purchasing choices, does not impact whether or not Windows Vista is an operating system of value. In short, Vista needs to be evaluated in a vacuum - or at least as close as we can get to one. The bottom line is, "does it work, and does it work well?" There's so much information and misinformation about Windows Vista - driver support, stability, DRM - which may be scaring people away from the OS. Conversely, there may be some information yet to be disclosed that could cause problems for users who are looking to upgrade. Clearly, it's time for an objective, in-depth look at what Windows Vista does and does not do.

To properly explore this, I once again formatted the hard drive of my home computer, Whakataruna, and Puget System's graciously provided Pugetina, and made the decision to use Windows Vista as my sole home operating system for 30 days.

This evaluation is a bit shorter and less detailed than the evaluation of Ubuntu Linux which we've recently completed, but that is partially because of the readership’s general familiarity with the OS. Linux was a completely different operating system, so going through it for 30 days was the equivalent of being dropped in a foreign country with a guidebook and friendly locals willing to help you get by - but in the end, you’re still having to learn a new language and the learning curve feels like a monolingual American being air-dropped in the middle of Toyko.

Moving from Windows XP to Windows Vista on the other hand, is more like being dropped in... Toronto. Most users are at least passably familiar with the standards of the XP interface, so there's no need to go into what hasn't changed from one version of Windows to the next. What will be more important is what has changed, and is it for the better?


Read all about it here, courtesy of hardocp.com

Eric

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Microsoft sued over Windows Vista marketing
Vista "ready" is not the same as Vista "capable", class action lawsuit now underway.

A lawsuit alleges that Microsoft Corp. engaged in deceptive practices by letting PC makers promote computers as "Windows Vista Capable" even if they couldn't run the new operating system's "signature" features.

The proposed class action, which Microsoft disputes, was filed on behalf of personal-computer buyer Dianne Kelley of Camano Island. It focuses on efforts by Microsoft and computer makers to avoid a lull in PC sales by assuring consumers that the machines they were buying last year could run the delayed operating system upon its January release.

Machines carrying "Windows Vista Capable" stickers included those that only met the requirements for Windows Vista Home Basic -- which lacks the "Aero" on-screen appearance, Media Center PC interface, Flip 3D window-switching and other features available in advanced Windows Vista versions.

"All the 'wow' stuff that Microsoft is selling and marketing is present in (Windows Vista Home) Premium, but it's not present in Basic," said Michael Rosenberger, one of the lawyers representing Kelley in the case.

Microsoft said Monday that the suit wrongly overlooks its efforts to make clear the differences between the different versions.


Read all about it here, courtesy of seattlepi.nwsource.com

Eric

Monday, April 02, 2007

"Sniffer" dogs locate second largest stash of pirated DVD's
How can an animal that is so enamored with other animals feces be so good at this?

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Two Malaysian dogs trained to sniff out DVDs have made their second big discovery of pirated movies, leading investigators to a hidden stash worth more than $430,000, a local newspaper said on Sunday.

Lucky and Flo, two black Labradors, sniffed out at least 150,000 discs in a secret compartment in a shop in the capital on Saturday after anti-piracy officials, acting on a tip-off, raided the place but failed to find anything, the New Sunday Times said.

"They decided to call in the canine brigade," it said. "Within minutes, the two Labrador retrievers sniffed out the hidden discs in a room that could only be accessed by the push of a button hidden under a plug outlet."

Local media say movie pirates have put a bounty on the dogs after the hounds busted a fake DVD ring last month in the southern state of Johor, sniffing out about $3 million worth of movie and game discs in their first major successful operation.


Read all about it here courtesy of reuters.com

Eric