Domain giveaway marathon - 25 gTLDs at the top of every hour!
[tags]promotion, contest, giveaway[/tags]
Mydomain.com is having a domain name giveaway. 25 domain names (.com, .net, .org) will be given away at the top of every hour, on Tuesday, May 13, at 12pm-7pm EDT.
Mydomain is providing a number of domain services for free, even for domains registered elsewhere. If you like free services, you might find it is worth your while to register a free account with them. We have used their services in the past; however, for a period of about 1-2 years, their service was infected with a malware, serving it with every DNS call. The problem appears to be resolved in the meantime and was reported by Netcraft and Register. If you plan to try your chances, good luck!Sources
MyDomain.com – 20080513 Marathon – Free Domain Name Management tools
Download DivX Pro for free!
We all know that you need DivX (or its free cousin, Xvid) to watch most of the movies available in digital format. There are now even DivX DVD player. For a limited time, DivX will give you a free license for the holidays. This will enable you to author movies in this format easily. Head over to their website for more: http://www.divx.com/dff/index.php
UPDATE
They run such promotions regularly, but for now, this promotion is over. :( Read More to See the Light...HOWTO: Back-up your DVD for free
In response to numerous requests, we are publishing a no non-sense guide to backing up your encrypted or unencrypted DVD with the use of high-quality, ad/spyware-free gratis programs on Windows XP (it might work on Vista as well).
Backing up a DVD you made yourself, such as a mini-DVD from your Handycam, is trivial - we recommend Nero or VOB2MPG if you want to edit or play with it. As you may have discovered, typical pre-recorded, original DVDs you purchase in store cannot be copied with Nero, hence this guide.1) Legality
In most parts of the world, it is illegal to copy a copyrighted DVD that does not belong to you. In some (and increasingly many) parts of the world it is illegal even to make a copy of an encrypted DVD that belongs to you. We cannot provide an opinion on the legality (or lack thereof) of this action. Your best bet is to check with your friendly neighbourhood lawyer for that (this sounds like a joke, but we're serious; if you think that's crazy, start paying attention to Your Rights Online, take action and fight the chilling effects of misguided legislation). Just like SouthPark, this guide could cause, among other things, your screen to explode and your insurance premiums to go up and should not be read or followed by anyone.2) Controversy
When DVDs first came out, they were advertised as "impossible to copy" due to "unbreakable encryption". Then DVD John (1) cracked the code that protected the data, and the maelstrom followed. The movie industry (aka MPAA) has fought vigorously the publishing of this information, but to no avail. For the past several years it's been trivial to copy DVDs. We see a repeat of this controversy with the new High-Definition DVD formats. The encryption protecting HD-DVD format has also been broken: 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0, causing a hysterical reaction from AACS (2). In all fairness, the entities protecting the encryption schemes might be compelled by law to react as such, otherwise they might lose any intellectual property rights.3) Programs needed
As you might expect, you cannot copy DVDs by drawing them in your notebook or by using carbon paper. You need to download the following basic programs (they are all ad-free, spyware free, low memory footprint at least at the time of this writing):The bare minimum
Optional
Highly recommended if you want to play with video formats (as above, everything is free):4) Choices
1. Determine if your DVD backup fits on a regular 4.7GB DVD or not, so start DVD Decrypter, select the DVD drive in the Source, then Mode -> ISO -> Read R and look in the info panel.
2. If in the Source box the Copyright Protection System Type nothing is listed than you can copy the DVD with any program, it's not encrypted. If in the information box it is listed with Number of Layers: 1 and/or the size is less than 5,000,000,000 bytes, or if your DVD burner is DL (dual layer) and you have a blank DL DVD handy you don't need another program and you can continue on with our A. Quick DVD Decrypter guide, using the ISO mode.
3. If it says Number of Layers > 1 and/or the size is more than 5 million bytes and you can't or won't burn DL DVDs you can either B. transcode / reauthor the DVD using DVD Shrink or C. split the DVD into 2 regular, 4.7GB DVDs, preserving the original quality, using DVDfab. You will have to either copy the DVD to the HD using DVD Decrypter File Mode, use the DVDfab hack or use DVD43 for on-the-fly decryption.A. Quick DVD Decrypter guide
4. In DVD Decrypter menu, click on Mode -> ISO -> Read R. This will make a decrypted image of your DVD on your hard drive in an *.iso file.
5. Make note where the DVD image will be written. Make sure that the destination drive has sufficient free space.
6. Click the DVD->HD image button and wait for the program to do its magic (you can actually minimize the program to the tray bar by choosing "Minimize to System Tray" in the Control menu).
7. The program makes a loud silly sound to alert you that it's done. When that happens, press the E button in the Source box to eject the disk if it wasn't ejected already, and replace the original DVD with the blank DVD you will write the image to. Close the CD tray either from the DVD drive button or by clicking L in the Source box.
8. Wait a bit for the blank DVD to be read, then click Mode -> ISO -> Write R. This mode will write (burn) the image from your hard drive from step 4-6 to your blank DVD. Optionally, you may also adjust other options, such as PUOs (which force you to watch ads by disabling the skip buttons).
9. In the Source box, click the folder icon to choose the source file you made a note of in step 5, then click the HD -> DVD image button. You may choose to have the image automatically erased once the burning is complete and checked if you so wish.
10. The program will alert you with the same sound when done.
Congratulations! You have made a backup copy of your DVD. See (5) for a more detailed guide, complete with screen captures (warning: heavy advertising).B. Quick & Dirty DVD Shrink guide
DVD Shrink is a very powerful program with a simple, intuitive interface. You can use it to replace the FBI warnings in the DVDs you are backing up with your own static images. I suggest you explore its menus first (there isn't all that much) then read a more detailed guide. You might want to make a decrypted DVD copy to your hard drive using DVD Decrypter File Mode first, then open it in DVD Shrink using the Open Files button. Alternatively, you could open it straight from the DVD drive using DVD43. If you want to preserve the DVD menu structure, use the Full Disc mode. In this mode you can recompress various parts of the DVD individually and may even replace certain screens (like the FBI warning) with your own static images. You can also dump certain soundtracks (like foreign languages) that you are not interested in. I suggest you leave all the subtitles as they don't take usually much space. If you don't care about menus, you can Reauthor the DVD. In this mode there are no menus, and everything plays linearly. You can thus remove certain extras and maybe keep others. Remember: for a large DVD you are trying to fit in 4.7GB, the more stuff you take out, the less you have to compress the rest, resulting in better image quality.
See (4) for a more detailed guide, complete with screen captures (warning: heavy advertising).C. Quick & Dirty DVDfab DVD splitting guide.
Download and install DVDfab splitter, then the hack archive and expand it in the program directory. This should save you from first backing up the DVD to your HD using DVD Decrypter, which is actually the safe route. Alternatively, you may also use DVD43. Other than this, this program is very straight forward. Simply click the "Copy complete DVD" button, then choose the DVD you want to split in two. When DVD Fab is done, navigate with your DVD burning software (we recommend CD Burner XP 4 because it's free, but Nero is just as good if not better) to the DVDFab folder and burn each DVD.
See (3) for a more detailed guide, complete with screen captures (warning: heavy advertising).5) Sources:
Corrections
none so far!
Massive, unfixed security flaw at Passport Canada
We just learned about a very serious security flaw in the Passport Canada website accepting online applications. Other people's information can be easily accessed by simply applying for a passport and then altering characters in your browser's address bar. The flaw was discovered by Jamie Laning, an IT worker at Algonquin Automotive, in Huntsville, Ontario. The available data includes SINs, driver's licence numbers, mailing addresses, business and phone numbers, federal ID card numbers and even a firearms licence number. Says Carlisle Adams, professor at U of O:
This is exactly how identity theft happens. If you want to take out a mortgage, for example, this is the type of information the bank is going to ask for to make sure you're really the person you're claiming to be. Then all of a sudden there's a mortgage in someone else's name.Although Mr. Laning alerted Passport Canada of the problem last week and the site was suspended through yesterday, the problem has not been fixed, despite Passport Canada's claim to the contrary. While the security flaw in itself is not the most terrible thing, it is deeply unsettling to learn that Passport Canada was unable to fix it within one week, that it deceptively claimed it fixed it and that Canadian law does not even require disclosure of privacy breaches. This means that there may be many more security breaches that happen but we do not know about them, unless somebody makes a FOF request.
The security breach follows two significant events concerning personal information. On Nov. 21, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson introduced legislation making it an offence to obtain, possess or traffic in people's identity information for the purposes of committing a crime. Just two days earlier, Britain's tax and customs service announced it had lost disks containing banking and personal data of 25 million people."I think it's very clear that a strong, mandatory security-breach law is long overdue in this country and it's cases like these that highlight it," said Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa.This is not the first negative media report to hit Passport Canada. Only a couple of months ago, Canadian Press issued the following:
Canadian law does not require organizations to disclose when they've suffered security breaches. In the United States the majority of states have enacted legislation requiring organizations to disclose security breaches within a specified period of time.
Passport Canada is reporting continued long delays in processing mailed-in passport applications, despite a streamlined renewal process and hundreds of new employees. And there is concern those delays will only get longer as the busy winter travel season approaches.It now takes a minimum of six weeks to get a passport through the mail; two weeks longer than the agency's benchmark of four weeks.The way our secretive, inept government works, we would not be surprised if Mr. Laning would be charged with terrorism. It is much easier to find a scapegoat than hiring a knowledgeable IT security firm and have the problem fixed.
And that doesn't include the time it takes to get applications and documents through Canada Post.
UPDATE: Brian Masse (NDP) raised this issue in Question Period and Minister Maxime Bernier was told by CEO Gérard Cossette that the website is now "among the most secure".
IT Business published an article citing concerns that the privacy breach will lead to ID theft.
Source: Passport applicant finds massive privacy breach, Globe and Mail Read More to See the Light...
OLPC - charity or 3rd world profiteering?
What if we told you that you can buy a cheap laptop and, for the price you would normally pay for a Windows based one, you can get a laptop running a much more stable operating system AND send a similar laptop to a child in Africa?
What if that laptop would be useless to a thief?
Finally, what if this laptop, called XO, was not only rugged & child-proof, but was actually designed to be used even by a child?
This offer was initially available only until the end of November, and we covered the XO in the past, but it has now been extended until the end of December. Some people have purchased a laptop for a child they know instead for their own child, effectively donating 2 laptops. Although I do not need yet another laptop, I am very tempted to get this one...
You might think there isn't really a need for a laptop where people have nothing to eat, and you are not alone. Although Lybia's rulers have committed to give each child a laptop, India has resisted (even at $100/laptop) and decided to build their own, without releasing details. From the FAQ:
You're expecting this to be a magic bullet for poverty.
False: Not at all. It is simply a tool for education and communication and only helps, in part, in contributing to the entirety of aid programs where these laptops are distributed. Nevertheless it provides access to education, health, technology, economic opportunity, and more, and a few children will be able pull themselves out of poverty with no other assistance.
You're forcing this on poverty stricken areas that need food, water and housing rather than a laptop.
False: Not at all. Like it was said earlier, this is only a tool and should not be seen as more than that. We agree that other more urgent matters must be attended to before you insert high tech into the situation of poverty.
Not everybody agrees with that idea. Some think that access to the Net is the fastest way for poor people to get the political clout to require their governments to provide services to them. Or to get the education for real jobs that take them out of poverty completely. Or access to innovative technologies for providing food, water, clothing, shelter, energy, etc.
But we believe education and communication with the modern world to be important as well. Food, water, clothing and other necessities come first. Nevertheless, a world view and good education can do wonders for a child's mind and continued health. Computers, especially those that are networked, have shown to be development 'multipliers', that is they help to improve the delivery of medical, educational and communication services.
If you are doubting that the XO laptop is needed in the first world, I can assure that a laptop is far better for a child than the TV (the most used and abused babysitter), simply because a laptop is interactive.
If you buy the XO for Canada, shipping is $35 and the $200 used to send the 2nd laptop to an African child might be tax deductible against your US income:
A Canadian donor may claim charitable tax credits for a gift to a recognized US charity, provided that the charity would have qualified in Canada if it had been a Canadian charitable organization. The charitable credit is limited to the donor's US-source income, and subject to the normal donation ceiling. Any excess credits can be carried forward and used in subsequent taxation years. (Article XXI(6) Canada-US Income Tax Convention)
This disruptive product has been in design since 2005 and it was a cause championed by Negroponte, who stated:
"From my point of view, if the world were to have 30 million" laptops made by competitors "in the hands of children at the end of next year, that to me would be a great success," he said in a recent interview. "My goal is not selling laptops. OLPC is not in the laptop business. It's in the education business."Strangely enough, a Nigerian company is suing OLPC for infringement of some copyright on its keyboard. As the old saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished. Writes alsee in the ensuing /. debate:
Lawsuit states that keyboards were purchased and illegally reverse engineered.Most commentators seem to believe that this is either a lawsuit backed by the Wintel Hydra who is upset that the project uses Linux and AMD chips, whereas others think that this is simply an attempt by a dishonest corporation to scam some money out of anything they can. In response, Intel has designed a laptop called "Classmate" which sells for more than double the price of XO, which its marketing team claims it is far superiour. For its part, Microsoft has claimed that the cost of software is not an important issue in the developing world. The Wall Street Journal writes that the XO was seriously derailed by the marketing push of the two big tech giants, while BBC places the blame on "politics". Anyway, if you are enraged by Microsoft and Intel's products, your best course of action would be to vote with your wallet and boycott their products. Luckily, their competition is good to excellent.
The only way that could be true is if Nigeria has a seriously defective legal system (quite possible), but even then the "truth value" of that statement would only exist within Nigeria.
Like someone who illegally wears a t-shirt that says "Vote".
The phrase "illegally reverse engineered" only weighs in favor of a case of this company being a "patent troll", it is not an argument to refute that label.
A further note is that all uses of the word "invention" appear to false. According to the article this is a design patent. At least in US law, design patents are not for new useful inventions, design patents are not for functional aspects, design patents are for aesthetic and ornamental aspects. Design patents are about "our product looks cool and distinctive". Design patents are trivial to work around, you just change the shape or arrangement of your product to any of a zillion other equally reasonable equally functional looks.
...ok a little Googling and yes Nigerian RD#### patent are "Registered Design" patents. This is not an invention patent, this is an ornamental design patent. It also turns out that there is no official website to look up Nigerian patents, not only is there no website for it but the Nigerian Patent Office official contact point is a Yahoo email address.
This company is suing a charitable high-tech project to aid 3rd world children, and doing it based on an ornamental patent registered with a government operating from a Yahoo email address. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Perhaps the funniest outcome of this silly lawsuit would be a new class of Nigerian/419 scams, as shown in Mateo LeFou's comment:
Dear Honest IndividualI am Stella McBride, aged 21years old the daughter of Late Darl Makoba a politician,gold and software merchant from Angola. I and my mother now residing in Senegal dakar west africa.
As a result of the on-going problem in our country, we must relocate US$500 million of intellectual property to an overseas account...
A secondary outcome is that the price of all laptops will come down and in fact it has already.
Echoes
Ecoble
wsj Read More to See the Light...
Typing, dictation or handwriting?
Speedtest - how fast are you?: I clocked 2 short of 60 WPM, which is not bad on a laptop keyboard :)
Although typing is becoming obsolete slowly (definitely not as fast as predicted a few years ago by Gates), we think it's appropriate to discuss a few alternatives. Gates as well as other computer enthusiasts predicted decades ago that by now computers would not only interface via voice or handwriting, but they would even be self-healing. Obviously, none of those predictions materialised. Voice recognition has made amazing progress. Out of the box, accuracy is usually well above 95%, and with training it can be brought up to 98-99%, which is adequate for most applications. Handwriting recognition however has left much to be desired. I am typing this article on a Toshiba Tablet, which has both speech & handwriting recognition, but I prefer typing because I don't like headsets, and furthermore, I am already a pretty good typist. I had a friend a computer-adverse friend use it for a while, and he could not figure out voice recognition, preferring to type rather than write or speak. This leads me to believe that most people will prefer typing even when they are not fast typists to other methods, even when these capabilities exist (and the usually are not pre-installed). It makes sense therefore to look at typing tutors.
1. Typing Tutors
I learned typing by taking a course. I never had the self-discipline to learn from the computer. Furthermore, I always found competition to be a highly motivating factor especially for activities that don't involve the brain too deeply. But not everybody has the time to take such a course. So what is somebody who feels limited by their slow typing speed to do?
Whether you take a course, such as BBC's Typing Course or learn from a computer program, you still need to apply your will power. You have to begin by forcing yourself to use all your fingers and start from the home position (by feeling the bumps on "F" and "G" with the tip of your index fingers). You may cheat in the beginning by looking at your fingers, but eventually, you have to force yourself to look at the screen (and paper) only. No program (or teacher) can do this for you, you have to make each of these leaps yourself. There will obviously be a decrease in speed at first, but eventually you will get it.
If this is something you want to do, there is one program I would recommend. Sure, your friends might recommend "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing". This must be one of the most pirated programs in the world. When I got my first computer, it was at version 5. About 10 years ago was at version 11 (without any major improvement), which leads me to believe that by now it should be at version 56. But why pir8 and expose yourself and your computer to viruses, trojans or spyware when you can get most of it legally for free?
A quick search on Sourceforge (a collaborative site for open source software developers) turns out two major programs: TypeFaster Typing Tutor and Klavaro Typing Tutor. Klavaro is the underdog, obviously. If I was learning to type, I'd start with TypeFaster and move to Klavaro only if not satisfied.
There is of course more available if you run Linux or BSD. There is even a program called Makin' Bakon Typing Tutor, but if you're looking for a 3rd way, N-Type (also available for Windows) is probably a better bet - it will teach you typing with BBC's latest articles, which it downloads before the lesson.
If you want more eyecandy, Stamina has a more polished interface, though it's not open source. A more exhaustive discussion of the existing typing tutors can be found on the All Touch Typing Tutors list, hosted by the makers of Stamina (so it obviously lists Stamina as the best).
2. Voice dictation
You might be glad to know that you don't have so many choices in terms of voice dictations as with typing tutors. You will be less happy to learn that they are quite expensive and generally require a good microphone and as an absolute minimum a headset, to reduce annoying feedback or echo effects and increase accuracy.
A few years ago, your only choices were Dragon and IBM Via Voice. Dragon was better but more demanding in terms of hardware. In the meantime, Microsoft has managed to buy (and bankrupt?) a lesser known package from another contender. As a result, they came up with their own voice dictation software, which was first included in Windows XP for Tablets and now is part of Vista. Via Voice continues to be the least demanding in terms of hardware, while Dragon is still the best. Microsft voice recognition is not as good as Dragon, but it's included in Vista, which means that both Dragon and Via Voice will die a slow, painful death. For the Mac, iListen is your only choice, period.
Even with Dragon, the quality leader, dictating a letter is not a walk in the park. The program does not like pauses - it works best if you think ahead of talking, and that's not easy. Here is a good review of what to expect when dictating with Dragon.
If you are a business, your best bet is to deal with a reputable vendor and let them figure out what's best for you. A list of such vendors is available.
3. Handwriting recognition
If you tried this on a PDA or other underpowered device you are bound to have been disappointed. PC-based handwriting recognition is far better, as this Microsoft article indicates.. This software usually comes included with your OS, or if you purchase a writing tablet separately it might come with it, especially f it's a Wacom (the market leader) or similar. Otherwise, you might have to purchase a program like StartWrite. Again, a Tablet PC is your best bet, but if you prefer to just add such a writing tablet to an existing PC, a Wacom costs at least $80, with the better ones going for about $300. A Chinese made tablet about the size of a small mousepad can be had for less than $20, but don't expect quality - they are made to draw one Asian character at a time.
Conclusion
Stick with typing! The alternatives are expensive and will frustrate/waste your time far more than a keyboard.
Google (Mail) Hacks
Googling Google posts about a hidden Gmail operator that lets you restrict your messages to a certain language. It is hidden for a good reason - the automatic detection is not perfect, so not all messages are labeled correctly.
How does it work? If I search for lang:ru or lang:Russian or language:Russian, I'll find some of the messages that contain Russian text, which in my case, are all spam. This lang operator can of course be combined with other operators.
How would you use it? My main desire would be the ability to block Russian and Chinese spam, which seems to get through only too often. Gmail could provide an option to automatically translate messages written in a language you don't know and add many other useful features from web search (spelling suggestions, query expansion, search refinements).
Love Google! Give them your eyeballs! :)
NSA Backdoor - oxymoron?!?
I was recently reading on /. about a new NSA faux pas (Slashdot New NSA-Approved Encryption Standard May Contain Backdoor). I can only wonder why is anyone surprised?! This is the kind of stuff that fulfills their mission.
Not too long ago, another big scandal took a life of its own when a security researcher revealed the existence of an NSA backdoor in Windows NT security stack. The proof was not conclusive, but it was as conclusive one can find without seeing the actual source code.
I think it's safe to assume NSA is everywhere and act as if you have no privacy. What alternative is there?
UPDATE:
We learn from /. that, according to Schneier, Microsoft has added this new random number generator to Vista SP1.
Transform your PC into a Mac
As the Mac buzz increases, more and more people are considering switching to the Mac, but they usually don't have the guts, the knowledge, or both. We try to alleviate that problem here.
PCs sometimes get bloated. They start suffering from software rot. The tons of DLLs or crap in the registry or even spyware eventually bring your PC to its knees. It is enough for one application to misbehave through either a memory leak or data corruption and the party is over. Soon enough, your uber-expensive computer is acting like a tired 386 with 16 Megs of Family Guy. Reinstalling XP is probably what most of us end up doing, only to find we have to do that regularly if we are to keep our PC in top shape. But isn't there a better way? What if you could somehow get your PC feel more like a Mac and enjoy that legendary simplicity and efficiency? Wouldn't that be better?
Sure there is a better way. You can try, of course, Linux. But that's like saying drink alcohol, you'll feel better. Alcohol comes in many flavours - you can have Jamaican Rum or a Kahlua Mudslide, they are all based on alcohol and just thinking about all your options makes your head spin (ah, well, mission acomplished :). And most of us know very well what kind of alcohol we prefer, but when it comes to linux, we're like G.W. Bush at a press conference. Well, let me be the Karl Rove to whisper in your ear and make it all manageable.
There are essentially 3 ways to enjoy a MAC look & feel on your Intel based run-of-the-mill PC without actually paying all that money. The first (native install) may be illegal even if you purchased the operating system, but the other 2 are most likely legal.Update
20080204 - Found an interesting YouTube discussion which led us to make a collection of clips (navigate between clips by pressing the right or left arrows).
Wildwobby has a quick tutorial on building a Mac for less than $350, but it is based on downloading the OS, which is most likely illegal.Sources
Until I find the time to write a full article, here are the links that should help you:OSX direct install
Load OSX 10.5 Leopard on the eeePC.
http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
http://www.boingboing.net/2005/09/08/howto-install-mac-os.html
http://www.osx86.theplaceforitall.com/howto/
http://paulstamatiou.com/2006/01/17/os-x-x86-install-os-x-on-your-pc/
http://uneasysilence.com/os-x-proven-hacked-and-running-on-an-ordinary-pc/XP 2 OSX
http://www.engadget.com/2004/06/09/turn-your-pc-into-a-mac/4
http://www.ehow.com/how_2091336_transform-windows-pc-mac.html
http://techmanifesto.com/archives/2005/07/23/7-ways-to-turn-your-pc-into-a-mac/
Emulation Forums & Wiki - aquasoft.orgLinux 2 OSX
www.howtoforge.com/mac4lin_make_linux_look_like_a_mac
http://www.taimila.com/?q=node/11
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=412086
Hope this helps :)Corrections
none so far!
Annoy telemarketers automagically!
This is a freeware program that will answer the phone and check a text file full of phone numbers deemed "annoying" by the user and checks caller ID when the phone rings. If the caller is on the list the Telecrapper jumps into action, playing WAV files and waiting for the person on the other end to pause before playing the next WAV. After a while Telecrapper resorts to a subset of WAV files and plays them randomly until the caller hangs up. Watch it in action.
Not all telemarketers have a great time:
Juicy news about the $100 (One)Laptop(perChild)
High Security for $100 Laptop
This sounds so good, I wonder if any will make it to the 3rd world. It will be gobbled up by local geeks before reaching its destination :)
Almost everybody loves laptops!
