0.
EDITORIAL: Is Free Security Software Good Enough Pt4
1.
TOP TECH SITES AND RESOURCES
1.1
HTML Version of this Newsletter
1.2
Helpful New Content at Tech Support Alert Site
1.3
Google Releases Toolbar for Firefox
1.4
Rogue Anti-Spyware Products Proliferate
1.5
Virus Scanners Tested and Rated
1.6
Spyware-Free P2P Clients
1.7
Linux Distros
1.8
Ajax and Ruby Explained
1.9
How to Improve Your Internet Security
1.10
WPA vs. WPA2 (SE Edition)
1.11
Great Set of Programming Resources (SE Edition)
1.12
Top Hardware Site (SE Edition)
1.13
Help with Spyware You Simply Can't (SE Edition)
2.
TOP FREEWARE AND SHAREWARE UTILITIES
2.1
The Best Free File Encryption Utility
2.2
The Best Free Drive Encryption Utility
2.3
Best Free Spell-Checker
2.4
Free Utility Resets Read Only Files
2.5
The Best Free Archiver (Unzipper)
2.6
Free Remote Access Utility (SE Edition)
2.7
Free Time Sync Utility Offers Much More (SE Edition)
2.8
Free MS Tool Protects Shared PCs (SE Edition)
2.9
Free Utility Extracts Data from Unreadable CDs (SE Edition)
3.
SECURITY PATCHES, SERVICE RELEASES AND UPDATES
3.1
Microsoft Security News
3.2
Microsoft Warns of Unpatched Flaw in Internet Explorer
3.3
Chinese Rootkit Revealer Best in Class
3.4
Spyware Invades BitTorrent Files
3.5
New Flaw in Adobe Acrobat Reader
3.6
New Version of MS Antispyware Released
3.7
SpyBot V1.4 Now Available
4.
OTHER USEFUL STUFF
4.1
Seagate Introduces Hardware Encrypted Notebook Drives
4.2
Video Signal Wiring Standards Explained
4.3
Street Cred 2005 Style
4.4
Convert Your Phone Number Into Words
4.5
Put Old Printer Cartridges to a Good Use
4.6
Complete Waste of Time Department
4.7
Free Utility Lets You Save Any Audio to MP3
4.8
Learn Morse Code in One Minute (SE Edition)
4.9
Zip Code Locations Revealed (SE Edition)
4.10
Use a Normal Phone to Dial Via Skype (SE Edition)
5.
TIP OF THE MONTH
5.1
How to Disable the Microsoft Java Virtual Machine (MSJVM)
6.
FREEBIE OF THE MONTH
6.1
Take a Virtual Tour of the Earth with Google
6.2
Best Free Disk De-fragmenter (SE Edition)
7.
MANAGING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION
0.0 EDITORIAL
This editorial is
the fourth part in a series looking at the effectiveness of free security
software.
In previous parts
I showed that by combining the free AVG anti- virus scanner, the free
version of Ewido anti-Trojan scanner and the free Microsoft Antispyware
scanner, it was possible to achieve a 95% detection rate against a
particularly nasty set of 104 assorted malware products that I had
downloaded from P2P networks.
This month I'll
look at a way of increasing the effectiveness from 95% up toward 100% by
adding an additional security layer.
The additional
layer I suggest consists of an intrusion detection program. And there are
some excellent free programs available.
Intrusion
detection programs work differently from anti-virus, anti-spyware and
anti-trojan programs. All those programs depend on recognizing malware
from characteristic fingerprints or signatures as they are called.
Intrusion
detection products detect malware products by their behavior rather than
by looking for a characteristic signature. Kind of like a detective
catching a thief using his modus operandi rather than his fingerprint.
The "behavior"
that intrusion detection products monitor typically includes:
* changes to the
programs that start with Windows * the launching of new programs
* the alteration of existing programs including DLLs * changes to key
areas of the Window Registry
* the launching of new processes
* installation of drivers
* termination of key programs, processes and services * the installation
of Browser Helper Objects
* Browser home page changes
If an intrusion
detection program discovers another program doing any of these things, it
will stop the suspicious program dead in its tracks and flash up a warning
asking whether you want to allow the activity. That's quite a comfort.
Unfortunately, not
only malware programs engage in this kind of activity; legitimate programs
do as well and it's tough for intrusion detections programs to tell the
difference between the good guys and the bad guys.
To handle this
problem, intrusion detection programs throw the problem back to the user.
They typically pop up a warning message to the user asking what to do.
This is good in that the user becomes aware that something potentially
threatening is happening but it puts a load on the user to work out what
to do. I'll return to this point later.
There are two
outstanding free intrusion detection programs available.
The first is
PrevX. This was my 2004 "Freeware Product of the Year." PrevX monitors
just about every activity on your PC, including all those in the list
above and many more. It's so comprehensive in its coverage that it's hard
to see how any malware program could install itself without PrevX warning
you first.
PrevX, however, is
only available for Windows 2000 and later. The good news is that users of
earlier Windows systems also have an excellent choice in WinPatrol. It's
only slightly less comprehensive than PrevX in its coverage and is easier
to use.
By combining
either of these free products with AVG, Ewido and MS Antispyware, you can
get close to 100% protection for your computer. All for zip.
There's no doubt
about the effectiveness. In my test batch of malware, both PrevX and
WinPatrol caught all the malware products missed by the other security
layers. I achieved my goal of 100% protection.
But there's a
catch.
Intrusion
detection products like PrevX and WinPatrol can only protect you if you
know how to accurately interpret the warning messages thrown up by these
programs. And interpreting these messages is not easy.
Let's say you are
installing a free backup program that you have just downloaded.
When you try to
install it, both PrevX and WinPatrol will throw up several warning
messages asking your permission to proceed. A typical message might read:
"Program temp211
is trying to add an entry backsched.com to the Windows startup program
folder. Approve Y/N?"
But what do you
do? Most folks would say "yes", because they are installing the backup
program of their own free will and expect the program to make changes to
their computer during installation.
The fact is that
you don't really know. You are just hoping that backshed.com is something
to do with your backup program whereas it could actually be malware.
I know this from
direct experience; the example I've just given is not made up, it's real.
As it turned out, backshed.com contained a version of ISTbar, a nasty
homepage and search hijacker. The distributors of the malware have
deliberately named the installation program backshed.com to appear to be a
harmless. It's a common trick.
Does this make
intrusion detection programs useless. Not at all. It just makes them
imperfect, like every other security product.
Are they
worthwhile? You bet, just as long as you are prepared to think about each
warning message before automatically answering "yes."
In the next issue,
I'll show you some simple techniques that you can use to ensure that you
give the right answers to those tricky security warning messages.
Meantime, if you
are not already using either PrevX or WinPatrol, go try them. Both are
excellent products and both are free.
If you are an
experienced user running Windows 2K or later and have a modern PC then I
recommend PrevX. Other users should try WinPatrol.
Once installed,
these products will start issuing quite a few warning messages and these
may confuse and annoy some users. Don't worry, it's a small price to pay
to have your PC better protected. Besides, in the next issue I'll show you
how to make sense of it all.
http://www.prevx.com/prevxhome.asp
http://www.winpatrol.com
See you next
month.
Gizmo
editor@techsupportalert.com
PS This month I'm
giving away five free copies of the the top rated Anti virus NOD32. For
details, read below.
Support Alert
relies on voluntary donations to survive. If you feel that you've
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donating by subscribing to the premium "Supporters' Edition" of this
newsletter.
The Premium SE
Edition contains almost twice the number of great tech sites, free
utilities, tips and other content as the standard edition. It's also
ad-free.
This month I'm
giving away to new subscribers, five free copies of the the top rated Anti
virus NOD32.
NOD32 is a
brilliant program for protecting your PC yet it only consumes a modest
amount of your computing resources. That's why I use it on my key work
computers. At $39 it's good value but it's even better value when you can
get it for free.
The five copies
I'm giving away will be allocated at random but your chances of scoring
one are actually quite good. So if you have been thinking of subscribing,
now's the time.
Even if you don't
win anything you'll still get my special report "Gizmo's Desert Island
Utilities" which outlines the software I consider most useful, including
many free products.
You'll also get
immediate access to the archive of all past issues of the Premium
Supporters' edition of the newsletter where you can catch up on the
hundreds of great utilities you missed in the standard edition.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE PREMIUM SE EDITION
==========================================
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Use the link below
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1.0 TOP TECH SITES AND RESOURCES
1.1 HTML Version of this Newsletter
The HTML edition
of Support Alert will commence in September. Next month in the August
issue, I'll give details how to subscribe. Meanwhile, if you want read
this issue in HTML format you can do so at the following links:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/issues/issue123h.htm
http://www.pcsupportadvisor.com/issue123h.htm <= mirror copy
1.2 Helpful New Content at Tech
Support Alert Site
I've updated just
about every page at the Tech Support Alert site and added a whole lot of
new material including the best items from recent issues of the
newsletter. If you haven't visited the site recently you are in for a very
pleasant surprise; check out the the left side navigation bar and you'll
find links to some really useful free tech information.
http://www.techsupportalert.com
1.3 Google Releases Toolbar for
Firefox
There's been an
unofficial third party version of the Goggle Toolbar for the Firefox
browser for some time. It works well enough but has been just been
eclipsed by the release of Google's own version. It includes all of the
same features of the third party version but adds many additional
capabilities including SpellCheck, a web form spelling checker, AutoLink
that turns street addresses into links to online maps, AutoFill for
filling out online forms and WordTranslator for foreign language word
translation. It looks better and is more compact as well. As a bonus, it
even includes some features not found in Google's Internet Explorer
Toolbar such as the useful ability to open search links in new tabs.
http://toolbar.google.com/firefox/index.html (291KB)
1.4 Rogue Anti-Spyware Products
Proliferate
There are more
than 200 bogus anti-spyware scanners out there trying to cash in on the
current spyware plague. Many of these products generate a long list of
supposed infections on your PC to panic users into buying. Worse still,
some of these "security" products are actually themselves spyware. Almost
all use product names similar to well known, reputable brands in order to
confuse customers. Here's a complete list of products you should avoid
compiled by security researcher Eric Howes. Check this list before buying
any anti-spyware product.
http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm#products
1.5 Virus Scanners Tested and Rated
I'm pretty
suspicious of many of the comparative tests of anti- virus products I
read. Most are based on simple file scanning tests. Few reviewers take the
trouble of running tests of detection-on-execution, detection of existing
infections and removal effectiveness mainly because these tests are so
time consuming. That's why I was delighted to see John Bang's latest
reviews over at SuggestAFix. John "did it right" which is perhaps why I
find myself in the unusual position of largely agreeing with his findings.
Not entirely of course; I think NOD32 is rather better than John infers
and AntiVir impresses me less but otherwise we are pretty well aligned in
our views.
http://www.suggestafix.com/index.php?act=ST&f=16&t=16990&s=407229a133914019ef7531bdc8207d1c
1.6 Spyware-Free P2P Clients
Find out which P2P
programs are clean and which are infected from this table:
http://www.spywareinfo.com/articles/p2p/
1.7 Linux Distros
If you want to
download a Linux ISO, you'll find an excellent list of torrents here [1].
The number of Linux variants continues to grow but Kanotix and Kubuntu are
both getting rave reviews from Linux users for overall quality and their
ease of installation. For newbies, the current hot choice is the Debian-
based Mepis [2]. Like Knoppix, you can run it from a CD to test it out but
you can also install it to your hard drive once you feel comfortable.
There's also a book available called "Point & Click Linux!" by Robin
Miller that deals specifically with installing and using Mepis. Well worth
trying if you want to dabble in the Linux world without abandoning
Windows. Speaking of Knoppix, V3.98 has just been released [3]. It
includes V2.6.11 of the kernel, the beta of OpenOffice
2.0 and KDE
3.4. [1]
http://www.linuxisotorrent.com/
[2]
http://www.mepis.org
[3]
http://torrent.unix-ag.uni-kl.de/stats.html?info_hash=2f7f138103e7f0a1627601dcdd826c8c31e1a6d0
1.8 Ajax and Ruby Explained
Ajax and Ruby on
Rails are transforming web application development. If you've been
ignoring the subject then bring yourself up-to-speed quickly by reading
this informative article.
http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2005/06/09/rails_ajax.html
1.9 How to Improve Your Internet
Security
This site offers
some excellent security advice for experienced users. I particularly liked
the suggested settings for enhancing the security of Internet Explorer.
http://surfthenetsafely.com
** Additional
Items in the Premium SE Edition **
1.10 WPA vs. WPA2 - Wi-Fi Security
Standards Explained
1.11 Great Set of Programming
Resources
1.12 Top Hardware Site
1.13 Help with Spyware You Simply
Can't Get Rid Of
Got some top sites
to suggest? Send them to
mailto:editor@techsupportalert.com
2.0 TOP FREEWARE AND SHAREWARE
UTILITIES
2.1 The Best Free File Encryption
Utility
AxCrypt might not
have the bells and whistles of other encryption programs, but encryption
couldn't be faster or easier - just right-click files or entire folders to
encrypt them. AxCrypt provides secure AES-128 encryption using passwords
or keyfiles, which AxCrypt can generate. Double-clicking on files
encrypted with AxCrypt lets you edit or view them with the program of your
choice and closing these files automatically re- encrypts them. The
author's website is also worth a visit as it provides a clear and reliable
introduction to encryption and encryption software. Highly recommended.
Freeware, Windows 95 and later, 1.02MB
http://axcrypt.sourceforge.net/
2.2 The Best Free Drive Encryption
Utility
TrueCrypt is an
open-source utility which enables you to create encrypted "virtual drives"
of almost unlimited size, where you can securely store files and keep them
away from prying eyes. TrueCrypt offers a wide range of encryption
algorithms, including the option to encrypt with multiple algorithms, as
well as "plausible deniability" for the benefit of the truly paranoid. The
program is very stable (although backups are obviously recommended).
Newbies might find the program a bit daunting at first, though more
experienced users who want serious virtual drive encryption would be
hard-put to find a better program. Highly recommended. Freeware, Open
source, Windows XP and later, 641KB.
http://www.truecrypt.org/
Thanks to Leib
Moscovitz for the previous two reviews. Leib is a regular contributor and
one of my few "trusted" sources.
2.3 Best Free Spell-Checker
Last issue I
mentioned a couple of spell-check add-ins for Firefox and Internet
Explorer. This prompted subscriber Mel Harris to write in about tinySpell,
a free spell-checker that works in any Windows program, not just a
browser. TinySpell is an impressive little utility that checks individual
words on a correct-as-you-type basis from clipboard contents or from a
query box. The provided dictionary is not enormous but more than adequate
for normal usage and you can also add words to the dictionary as needed.
Resource usage seems modest and the product can be easily enabled/disabled
from the taskbar icon. It has one odd feature: the dictionary has both
American and English spelling so words like "color" and "colour" both show
as correct. Overall, it's quite a solid product and an excellent companion
to WordWeb, the free dictionary/thesaurus program I mentioned last issue.
Freeware, Win98 and later, 547KB.
http://tinyspell.m6.net/
2.4 Free Utility Resets Read Only
Files
It's a familiar
problem; you copy your report to a CD-ROM at work but when you take it
home and transfer the file to your hard drive you find you cannot edit the
file. The problem is that CD-ROM is a read-only medium so Windows flags
any files as "Read Only." When you copy any files to your hard drive, the
"Read Only" attribute gets copied too. Resetting the file attribute to
"Read-Write" is not all that hard from Windows but it's much easier to use
a specialist utility, particularly when a lot of files are involved.
Thanks to Robert Conley for letting me know about CROA, a tiny free
utility whose name tells it all; Clear Read Only Attributes. It's easy to
use, will clear individual files, folders or whole drives and works at
lightning speed. A nice little addition to your toolkit. Freeware, Windows
98 and later, 285KB
http://davidcrowell.com/Croa.aspx
2.5 The Best Free Archiver (Unzipper)
When I last looked
at archiving utilities I checked out six utilities: QuickZip, ICEOWS,
IZArc, TUGZip, ZipGenius and 7-Zip. The product that impressed me the most
was the Open Source program 7-Zip. It was the only product in the group
that could unpack a multi-part RAR volume embedded in a ZIP archive and
the only product to give a meaningful error message when an attempt was
made to unpack a 256bit encrypted WinZip archive. However, I was unable to
recommend 7-Zip due to the lack of drop-and drag. With the release of
version V4.23 on the 29th of July that's been corrected. Also new is the
ability to copy directly from one archive to another. 7-Zip still handles
fewer archive types than IZArc, my previous top recommendation. It only
supports 7z, ZIP, CAB, RAR, ARJ, GZIP, BZIP2, Z, TAR, CPIO, RPM and DEB
while IZArc can read nearly 50 archive types including media formats like
ISO, BIN and IMG and can write (and convert) to 12. You can't go wrong
with either product. 7-Zip is a little more robust while IZArc is a little
more flexible. If you already use WinZip you'll find both 7-Zip and IZArc
make excellent companion products for WinZip. They can read just about all
the major archive formats WinZip can't, including the widely used RAR.
http://www.izsoft.org/izarc.htm Windows 9x and later, 3.1MB
http://www.7-zip.org/
Windows 9x and later, 1.05MB
** Additional
Items in the Premium SE Edition **
2.6 Good Free Remote Access Utility
2.7 Free Time Sync Utility Offers
Many Other Functions
2.8 Free MS Tool Protects Shared
PCs
2.9 Free Utility Extracts Data from
Unreadable CDs
Got some top
utilities to suggest? Send them to
mailto:editor@techsupportalert.com
3.0 SECURITY PATCHES, SERVICE
RELEASES AND UPDATES
3.1 Microsoft Security News
On Tuesday the
13th of July, MS released a batch of three security updates [1] all of
which were rated as "critical." One particular update, MS05-035,
represents a real and immediate threat so users should update ASAP. This
fixes a problem in Microsoft Word 2000, 2002 (XP) and MS Works where
simply opening a specially crafted Word file could allow your PC to be
compromised. Note that this patch is only available from the MS Office
site [2] and won't be automatic downloaded from the Windows Update site.
That means you will have to manually visit the Office site [2] and click
"Check for Updates." Users with the Windows Update service set to
automatic will receive the other updates over the next couple of days. All
other users should visit the Windows Update site [3] immediately and
update manually.
[1]
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=49236
[2]
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdate/default.aspx
[3]
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
3.2 Microsoft Warns of Unpatched
Flaw in Internet Explorer
In a recent
advisory, MS has warned of a serious flaw in Internet Explore 6 running
under Windows 2000 with Service Pack 1, 3 and 4, and on Windows XP with
Service Pack 1 and 2. The flaw could allow an attacker to run any program
they wanted on a targeted PC, effectively allowing them to control the
machine. The flaw could be exploited simply by a user visiting a hostile
web site or clicking on a link to such a web site from an email. No patch
is available but MS offers a number of workarounds from disabling
Javaprxy.dll in Internet Explorer through to disabling the MS Java Virtual
Machine. I recommend the latter; MSJVM is a time-proven security risk.
It's an obsolete product that's not shipped with current Windows products
and has effectively been replaced by Sun Java for running Java
applications. The only folks who need to keep MSJVM are those who run
custom Java applications that make use of proprietary MSJVM features. To
disable MSJVM, see the "Tip of the Month" section below.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/903144.mspx
3.3 Chinese Rootkit Revealer Best
in Class
Last issue I wrote
about BlackLight, a free, easy to use rootkit detector from F-Secure. It
will detect most rootkits missed by AV scanners but can still be fooled by
state of the art rootkits like Hacker Defender. To detect this and a few
other insidious rootkits, you need heavier artillery. Currently the
biggest gun in the rootkit detection war is a free Chinese product called
IceSword. It will reveal absolutely everything running on your PC. Usage,
however, requires considerable skill together with the patience to work
out the program which is currently only documented in Chinese. Freeware,
1.51MB.
http://www.f-secure.com/blacklight/cure.shtml (BlackLight)
http://www.Xfocus.net/tools/200505/1032.html (slow Chinese site)
3.4 Spyware Invades BitTorrent
Files
Unlike P2P, most
files available for BitTorrent download have been relatively free of
Spyware. Not any longer; commercial interests are now flooding the
BitTorrent system with media files carrying embedded adware, spyware and
worse. Some of the infected files are huge.
http://www.vitalsecurity.org/2005/06/aurora-install-source-revealed-and-175.html
3.5 New Flaw in Adobe Acrobat
Reader
Adobe has released
details of a security vulnerability in Versions 7.x of its popular Adobe
PFD Reader and Viewer software. Using XML script, the flaw could "under
certain circumstances… discover the existence of local files." The problem
has been fixed in the latest release, V7.02 for Windows. A Patch for Mac
OSx is not yet available. All users should download and install the latest
version. Download links can be found in the advisory.
http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/331710.html
3.6 New Version of MS Antispyware
Released
Microsoft very
quietly released an updated build of its outstanding Antispyware program.
The new 613 build adds improved "detection and removal capabilities,
including improved Winsock LSP removal capabilities and support for long
descriptions of categorized software." Freeware, Windows 2000 SP2 and
later, 6.7MB.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=321CD7A2-6A57-4C57-A8BD-DBF62EDA9671&displaylang=en
3.7 SpyBot V1.4 Now Available
After a prolonged
beta test phase, the maker of the popular SpyBot Search and Destroy
anti-spyware program has finally released version
1.4. It features over 100 enhancements and fixes including faster
scanning, a vastly expanded immunization database, a more professional
looking interface, a slicker installation routine and the ability to scan
inactive registries. The latter is most useful as it means you can scan
multiple versions of Windows when installed on the one PC as well as
scanning a normal, single Windows installation from a diagnostic boot CD.
With this SpyBot version now released, we may hopefully see more regular
signature file updates. Freeware, Windows 95 and later, 4.8MB.
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
----------------- sponsored links -----------------------
The Best Windows
Backup Software At this site sixteen data backup products were reviewed
and rated but only one get "editor's choice."
http://www.backup-software-reviews.com/
The Best SpyWare
Detector
If you use Ad-aware or SpyBot you will be surprised just how more
effectively SpySweeper detects and protects your PC from Adware, Spyware,
Trojans and other malicious products. That's why it won the prized
"Editor's Choice" award in PC Magazine's massive January 2005 survey of
anti-Spyware products. Try the free evaluation copy of the new Version 4
and see for yourself.
http://www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php?rc=1132
The Best Remote
Access Software
Our reviewer had given this product category away as "too slow, tool
clumsy and too unreliable" but after reviewing this product he's changed
his mind; "at long last a remote access solution that actually works!
Quite frankly we agree with him, it's an impressive product. Read the full
review here:
http://www.pcsupportadvisor.com/best_remote_access_software.htm
The Best
Anti-trojan Scanner
Most users are not aware that their anti-virus scanner can only provide a
moderate level of protection against trojan programs that try and take
control of your PC. To really protect your computer, you need a dedicated
anti-trojan program. Our editor's have reviewed every major product on the
market and have concluded that two scanners stand head and shoulders above
the other contenders.
http://www.anti-trojan-software-reviews.com
------------- end
of sponsored links --------------------------
4. OTHER USEFUL STUFF
4.1 Seagate Introduces Hardware
Encrypted Notebook Drives
Losing your
notebook computer or having it stolen is bad enough but inconsequential
compared to the loss of confidential or personal data that might be stored
on the machine. BIOS and Windows logon security provides little protection
as it can be broken easily. The Seagate Momentus 5400 family of 2.5"
drives overcomes the security risk by providing hardware encryption of all
disk data. The encryption is transparent to the user; once they enter a
boot time password they won't even notice the encryption exists. The
latest drives in the series use Seagate's perpendicular recording
technology and come in sizes up 160MB. There's a lot to like about this
system and it's one I'll definitely bear in mind when I do my next
notebook disk upgrade.
http://www.seagate.com/cda/newsinfo/newsroom/releases/article/0,1121,2732,00.html
4.2 Video Signal Wiring Standards
Explained
What the
difference between S-Video and RGB? What kind of plug and cable do you
need for DVI or HDMI. Find the answer to these and many other of your
video wiring questions at this site.
http://www.destinynetworks.com/Downloads/WebHelp3-1-0/06_Wires_for_Video.htm
4.3 Street Cred 2005 Style
TiVos are just so
2004. This year's hot media technology is not time-shifting but
space-shifting. The idea is simple; you pay for an expensive cable or
satellite feed at home, why shouldn't you be able to watch that feed from
any location anywhere? Well, with the SlingBox you can. Just connect it to
your home TV or media setup and you can use a PC at another location to
watch anything playing at home by streaming it over broadband internet.
You can not only watch but also control channel selection and other
functions from the remote location. Around $250 but heavily backordered
due to demand.
http://www.slingmedia.com
4.4 Convert Your Phone Number Into
Words
Enter you phone
number and this site will try to convert it to a meaningful mnemonic.
http://www.phonespell.org/
4.5 Put Old Printer Cartridges to a
Good Use
I recently
received an email from Richard Hoehn who offers a free recycling service
for old printer cartridges. Half of any funds generated go to a charity of
your choice and the other half helps Richard through college. I admire his
initiative. If you do, too, send him those old cartridges that you've got
hanging around.
http://www.cartridgecharity.org
4.6 Complete Waste of Time
Department
Renju is an
interesting game of strategy that I used to play at college using a pencil
on graph paper. It was then called CZOCDUR which was reputed to be a
French acronym for something like "Cinque Zots Ou Croix Dans Un Row" which
in turn was reputed to mean something like "five dots or crosses in a
row." In other words, it's like a scaled up tic-tac-toe but on a large
board. Although simple to learn, it's a surprisingly challenging game
involving some significant strategic elements. You can play it online at
this site or download it for local play if you wish. I only tried the
online version and it must be ActiveX based as it worked fine in Internet
Explorer but not FireFox. Warning: highly addictive.
http://www.steffengerlach.de/freeware/
** Additional
Items in the Premium SE Edition **
4.7 Free Utility Lets You Save Any
Audio to MP3
4.8 Learn Morse Code in One Minute
4.9 Zip Code Locations Revealed
4.10 Use a Normal Phone to Dial Via
Skype
5.0 TIP OF THE MONTH
5.1 How to Disable the Microsoft
Java Virtual Machine (MSJVM)
The MSJVM is a
dead product; it's no longer shipped with Windows yet it can be found on
many PCs, maybe even yours. That's because it was included in every
version of Windows from 95 through to XP SP1a.
I recommend that
you disable MSJVM because it's a known security risk. The latest Internet
Explorer vulnerability I mentioned in the security section above is just
another in a long line of MS JVM problems. More will surely follow.
MSJVM is used to
run Java programs (applets). Such programs are quite common, both as stand
alone programs like the popular BitTorrent client Azureus. Java is also
commonly used to support advanced web site features.
Note that Java has
nothing to do with JavaScript, the popular scripting language used on
almost all web sites. Despite the similarity in name, the products are not
related. To run JavaScript all you need is a modern browser. To run a Java
program you need a Java engine installed on your PC.
But you don't need
the Microsoft Java engine to run Java, you can use the Sun Java engine
instead. Well, almost. A small number of Java applications utilize
non-standard features in Microsoft's version of Java and may require the
MS product to run. Such applications are rare outside corporate
environments; I've not encountered a single example in the last 12 months.
Sun Java not only
replaces MSJVM, it's a safer, better product and unlike the MSJVM is being
actively developed and enhanced. That why I recommend you use it to
replace the MSJVM.
The MSJVM can be
removed or disabled. Disabling is the preferred option; it's less problem
prone, is simple and quite effective. Here's how you do it:
Step 1: Find Out
Whether You Have the MSJVM ===========================================
Click the Start
button and select "Run"
Type "command"
into the run box (with no quotes) and hit Enter.
Type "jview" into
the command window and hit Enter.
If you don't have
MSJVM installed you'll get a message very similar to this:
"'jview' is not
recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch
file."
If that's what you
see then you are finished; you don't have MSJVM on your PC. You are safe.
If you do have
MSJVM you'll get a message like this:
"Microsoft (R)
Command-line Loader for Java Version 5.00.3805 Copyright (C) Microsoft
Corp 1996-2000. All rights reserved."
followed by about
20 lines of usage and options information. If that's what you see, go on
to step 2.
Step 2 Install Sun
Java JRE ============================
Go to this page:
http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp.
Click the second
button (manual installation) and download the file to your PC. This is a
big 22MB download so allow plenty of time if you have a slow connection.
The downloaded
file will be called jre-1_5_0_04-windows-i586- p.exe or something similar.
Locate this file and double click it to install Sun Java on your PC.
Reboot your PC if
requested.
Step 3: Disable
the MSJVM and Ensure Sun Java is Enabled
=======================================================
Open Internet
Explorer.
Select
Tools/Internet Options From the toolbar.
Click the Advanced
Tab.
Scroll down to the
section called "Java (Sun)" and ensure that there are ticks in all check
boxes within this section.
Immediately below
will be a section called "Microsoft VM." Remove all ticks in all check
boxes within this section.
Click "Apply" then
"OK".
You are now
finished; MSJVM has been disabled and replace by Sun Java JRE.
Removing the MSVJM
===================
I don't recommend
removal as disabling provides adequate protection for most users. However,
if you want the absolute highest level of security and you are an
experienced user then you may want to consider removing MSJVM entirely.
Note that this is an irreversible process so it carries a few minor risks.
That's why Microsoft pulled their free MSVJM removal tool from public
download. To get the tool you'll need to write to Microsoft's support
section where will make you jump through a few hoops to get it. Full
details here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/826878#kb4
Thankfully, the
MVPS.org site offers the same MS removal tool for direct download (301KB)
with no hoops:
http://www.mvps.org/marksxp/Downloads/WinXP/Java/unmsjvm.exe
It's also quite
possible to remove the MSJVM manually. You can find full instructions
here:
http://www.urltrim.com/ct/t.php?l=69
If you have some
unanswered question about the MSVJM you can consult this comprehensive
Microsoft FAQ:
http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/java/faq.asp
6.0 FREEBIE OF THE MONTH
6.1 Take a Virtual Tour of the
Earth with Google
Yet another
sensational freebie from Google. Google Earth 3 is the latest release of
the commercial Keyhole program that Google acquired last year. The
difference? It's better and it's now free. Google Earth 3 allows you to
view detailed satellite photos of any location on the planet. Just type in
a place name or address and Google Earth will zoom you in. In some places,
like the major US cities, the image is 3D and the detail just sensational
but it's pretty good even in the most remote locations. A search feature
allow you to find schools, parks restaurants, etc. and if you live in
North America or the UK, you can even get driving directions to a specific
location. To use the program you'll need modern hardware; Google
recommends Windows 2000 or XP, with a minimum CPU speed of 500MHz, 128MB
of memory, a 3D graphics card and an internet broadband connection of at
least 128Kbps. Wondrous, simply wondrous. (10MB)
http://earth.google.com/
** Bonus Freebie
for Supporters **
6.2 Best Free Disk De-fragmenter
I get a lot of
requests from subscribers for a recommendation in this category. I've
looked at every single free defragger on the market and there is only one
that is good enough and reliable enough to recommend. It's faster than the
Windows defrag utility and does a better job with fewer problems. It also
provides automatic warnings when your disk needs defragging and has some
quite useful tools to analyze the state of your disk. It can only handle a
single local disk at a time and cannot be scheduled but most folks can
live with these limitations. The bad news is that it is quickly
disappearing from download sites so grab a copy while you can. Freeware,
Win 98 and later.
... full details
in the Premium SE Edition of this newsletter.
-----------------------------------------------------------
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Gizmo
