Square Zebra

That Sexy Pauly D....

Before I forget.... Don't you forget to pick up February’s Wired Magazine.  The sexy Pauly D has a sweet little byline.

Read more here.... .."And for fans of Wired's great back-page "Found" feature, stay tuned -- the March edition of the mag (and back page) is all about the Pauly D."

Searching Google:

MOXEE, Washington (AP) -- Google, the Internet search engine, has done something that law enforcement officials and their computer tools could not: Identify a man who died in an apparent hit-and-run accident 11 years ago in this small town outside Yakima. - Article

What is so amazing is that it was Google.... not Yahoo, MSN, or even Ask Jeeves (my used to be favorite search engine.) It makes me wonder if Google has superior searching ability or the word of mouth marketing via blogs and some PR has catapulted it to near star status.

Either way....

Google on baby!

MSN vs 106.1

Part one: Every morning, when I have a morning commute, I change my dial from the high school techno station to 106.1FM (Jackie and Bender in the Mornings.) The only morning show I have ever had any patience to listen to.

Part two: A week or so ago I upgraded to Windows Media 10 and was browsing through the radio stations while testing out visualizations when I came across "Like 106.1" and thought - Cool! Now, when I am not driving in the morning I can still listen to Jackie and Bender.

Apparently not. Why? Because it's "like" 106.1, it isn't the station itself. *pout*

My discovery (although I didn't tell anyone) by some cosmic force CNN, read my mind, and has published a little article about it.

Fans of the Seattle music pop station Kiss 106.1 FM usually have to sit through an array of disc-jockey antics and advertising between listening to favorite artists like Avril Levigne and Ashlee Simpson.

But not anymore. As part of its much-touted new MSN Music offering, Microsoft Corp. is testing a Web-based radio service that mimics nearly 1,000 local radio stations, allowing users to hear a version of their favorite radio station with far fewer interruptions. - Article

What I find very interesting is that as you read towards the bottom of the article you will notice.. "service could prove very attractive to consumers who are sick of DJ jokes and intrusive advertising -- especially if Web sites find ways to transmit wirelessly to cars."

Umm, isn't that already kind of happening? Haven't you heard of XM satellite radio? And you can now wireless send music, mp3's, from your home computer (or any computer) to a hard drive set up in your car which is then hooked into your car stereo. Pioneer's version holds a hefty price tag of $1,700. But a few smaller companies are producing similar products between 400-700. (To say nothing of the iPod which is just a sneeze away from a plethora of options, including I heard through the grapevine, DVD viewing features.)

Right now there are dizzying array of separate products that do limited features but it is only a matter of time before the consumer can reasonably have a device that allows you to: Stream radio/TV/movies, network to your computers (home/work/etc) to download files/manage your data, ... anywhere... anytime.

Virus:

My number one emergency call is "I think I got a virus." Lately there seems to be a mass increase in these calls (seeing how I haven't' slept in a good 10 days.) According to CNN, there has been a 400% raise in viruses in this last year in comparison to 2003.

Nearly 5,000 new Windows viruses and worms were documented in the first half of the year, up from about 1,000 a year earlier, said Symantec, the world's largest computer security company by revenue. - Article

There are a few simple measures you can take to protect yourself. I know you have heard it all before, and as much as I adore the work I would rather be maintaining your network not working at 2am recovering lost data.

1 - Back Up. If you are running a business, do this daily!
2 - Firewall. Windows XP SP2 now has one embedded but if you aren't comfortable have a minimum of Zone Alarm or Norton Firewall Protector running at all times. (Especially when you have your outlook is open.)
3 - Virus checker: Have Norton or Mcafee continually checking for viruses. Be sure that you email is being checked not just a weekly scan of your hard drive. Keep it updated.
4 - Run Ad-Aware every few days or whenever you see a mass of popups on your system. Think of it this way - The more spam you have imbedded on your computer the more susceptible to viruses you are.

Huger said malicious code writers were increasingly going to spammers to sell them access to the computers that they hack, or break into.

Spammers, after forking over money to the hackers for access, then flood those hacked computers with unsolicited messages, or spam, that often advertise products or pressure people to spend money. - Article

Happy Birthday Baby...

When I was in the school choir instead of singing "Happy Birthday to you..." We would sing:

Happy Birthday, Baby
Happy Birthday!
This is your day,
To have a great time..

Bum Bum Bum

Repeat until someone shoots you.

In that vain...

Thirty-five years after computer scientists at UCLA linked two bulky computers using a 15-foot gray cable, testing a new way to exchange data over networks, what would ultimately become the Internet remains a work in progress. - Article

Google hip around the world

Do you dream of going to sleep and then waking up the next morning to see hundreds... nay thousands of people pop onto your website? Then be moronic like me and post something about Gmail Invites.

All invites have been sent out... :) ***Boy those suckers go fast!****

Gmail Invites:

I just realized I had a few Gmail invites still sitting around. Pop me a note if you want one.

XP S2

XP SP2 is now available for IT Networks/Professionals.

FCC vs VoIP:

As a huge fan of VoIP my natural reaction to the FCC barging in again is "booo! rubbish! booo!" Be that as it may, the DEA, FBI, and Justice Department may have a good leg to stand on concerning this latest issue: "The Federal Communications Commission voted for proposed rules that would require Internet service providers to ensure their equipment will allow police wiretaps."- Article

Personally, I could care less if someone listens in on my phone calls. But there this itch in the back of my neck that is saying.... "Just a matter of time before my VoIP starts getting taxed taxed taxed."

Ugh - Taxes! I don't mind paying unto Caesar what Caesar is owed but every blue moon I wonder if he is getting greedy.

Zoom Zoom...

I am so happy right now. It's like my need for speed is finally being addressed.

The record, announced Tuesday at the Spring 2004 Internet2 member meeting in Arlington, Va., was for transmitting data over nearly 11,000 kilometers at an average speed of 6.25 gigabits per second. This is nearly 10,000 times faster than a typical home broadband connection. The network link used to set the record reaches from Los Angeles to Geneva, Switzerland. - article

You might not think you need so much zoom in your broadband. But just remember it wasn't very long ago when B. Gates foolishly stated "You'll never need more then a 486 for your computing needs."

I tell you... time traveling is just around the bend. *grin*