RSS - again

If you want to keep up with what's happening on the Internet you absolutely positively have to use a RSS reader.

I use NewsGator Outlook Edition to automatically have various Internet articles downloaded to an appropriate folder in my Outlook email program. It is exactly like receiving email only it is a post to a blog that I am following, a web page that has been updated, an entry in Wikipedia that has changed - whatever. If it is changed and I have subscribed to it via NewsGator, I get an 'email' in Outlook - automatically without me having to visit the web page. Very, very convenient and easy. Saves me a LOT of time. $19.95 and up
http://www.newsgator.com/home.aspx

FeedDemon is another program to automatically download RRS feeds into your POP3 email program. $29.95
http://www.feeddemon.com/

Don't want to have RSS feeds as email? Use Bloglines or NewsGator online to concentrate all of your RRS feeds into one web page. Free
http://www.bloglines.com/
http://www.newsgator.com/home.aspx

Brian Livingston has a good overview RSS readers at:
http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/columns/executive_tech/article.php/3521206

More info at Wikipedia:
RSS - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_aggregator
Blogs - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog


You NEED to setup an RSS reader..............

11-30-2005: Yahoo email supports RSS feeds.
An excellent introduction to RSS can be found at http://www.wizard-creek.com/rss/tutorial/

Yahoo mail

Yahoo is releasing a major upgrade of it's email including the capability to have RSS feeds (like this blog) appear automatically in email folders. It is supposed to 'live' but I did not see any of the new features when I checked my Yahoo email account just now. Forgot I even had one.

Firefox 1.5 released

The Firefox Internet browser ver. 1.5 has been released. Mozilla has revised their site and put up an official download link.
http://www.mozilla.com/

Paint.NET

11-27-2005 update: Paint.Net v2.5 is available for download.
http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net/

I recommended this free paint program from Washington State University sometime ago but here it is again. A nice paint program with a significant update promised by the end of the year (maybe sooner).
http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/paint.net/download.html#license

Wireless router security

This is my current understanding of how to secure your wireless router.

The routers built-in NAT firewall is very good at blocking incoming probes. It only allows outbound traffic. You might consider adding a software firewall to your wirelessly connected computers to block unauthorized outbound traffic. I recommend the free version of Zone Alarm. Kerio and Tiny Firewall have good reputations also.
http://www.zonealarm.com/
http://www.kerio.com/kerio.html
http://www.tinysoftware.com/home/tiny2?la=EN

Do you need to secure your wireless router? The typical wireless router will only broadcast about a maximum of 300 feet and that’s before it tries to broadcast thru walls. Don’t have any neighbors or streets closer than that? Then I would not be too concerned.

For everyone else: ( Warning – geek stuff.)
Change the routers default user name and password. I write the new names on a piece of paper and tape it to the bottom of the router.

Encrypt the wireless transmissions. If you are using Windows XP Service Pack 2, then use the WPA encryption with a long (up to 63 characters) Pass Phrase made up of RANDOM letters, numbers and special characters. Do not even think of using something that you can memorize. Save this Pass Phrase in a Word or Notepad document and copy/paste it into the router and each wireless adapter. Password protect the document if you are really paranoid.
See this web page for an unique Pass Phrase.
https://www.grc.com/passwords

Not using Windows XP SP2? You can use WEP security but it can be broken by hackers.

I do not recommend hiding the routers SSID or using MAC addresses for security. SSID hiding does not really accomplish much in the way of security and using MAC addresses is a pain to setup and maintain.

Extra points:
Turn off the routers Universal Plug and Play setting. Note that this may break some Internet applications like instant messaging, game playing and possibly music sharing.

After changing and saving the routers settings turn it off and back on to really force the new settings.

Make sure WAN management is off.

Check for updated router firmware every 3 to 6 months.

And as always – make sure you have the latest Windows critical updates installed.


See the following forum for wireless router security. I cribbed most of the above from talks by Steve. Many other forums/web pages on the net also. Google for wireless router security.
http://www.grc.com/x/news.exe?cmd=xover&group=grc.security.wireless


The current ‘hot’ wireless router is the Linksys WP54G. Various models available.

Fast searching of Wikipedia

This site displays suggested Wikipedia entries as you type your search request.
You must have scripting enabled in Internet Explorer.
http://wiki.lumrix.net/en/

Back support

Saw a recommendation for these products on the Cool Tools blog. I am seriously thinking about purchasing one or more of them. http://www.nadachair.com/index.html

Cool Tools: http://www.kk.org/cooltools/

Internet Explorer security flaw 11-22-2005

A critcal flaw in the Internet Explorer program has been disclosed. To protect yourself against this threat until MS releases a fix see this web site:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=133&part=rss&tag=feed&subj=zdblog

Microsoft ActiveSync 4.1

Microsoft has released ActiveSync 4.1. This is for people with Pocket PC's or Smart Phones using Windows Mobil, Pocket PC, Windows CE or SmartPhone.
http://www.dozleng.com/updates/calendar.html&code=showevent&eventid=19688

Run programs on your USB drive

Running programs from an USB drive is a coming trend. This means you can take your computer programs and data with you on a small USB 'thumb' drive. That should read SOME computer programs. I doubt that Microsoft will ever allow this to any meaningful degree and it will probably require the new USB U3 drives to work but it is clearly a 'big thing'.

Iomega sponsers this site. I am not clear if these programs will run on any USB drive or only Iomega's Active Disk models.
http://www.iomega-activedisk.com/landing.jsp

11-16-2005: This site offers a LOT of programs that will run off your USB drive.
http://www.theinfobox.com/index.php/Portable_USB_Apps

Google Base

Google Base has launched. This is a service that lets you upload (for free) just about anything you can think of. It is like an eBay, Craigslist, photo sharing service, recipe collection, job listings, etc combined. What ever you post becomes seachable by anyone using Google. Google drives another stake into the hearts of Yahoo and Microsoft.
http://base.google.com/base/default?gsessionid=19ZZGydbRg0

Second Copy backup program - new version

Second Copy 7 has been released. This is the backup program I use and recommend for backing up your data. It looks like you have to purchase version 7 even if you have Second Copy 2000. $29.95 I did not see any compelling enhancements in version 7. I plan to keep using SC 2000.
http://www.secondcopy.com/

Automatically connect to WiFi hotspots

This sounds interesting. Just click on the icon and it will search for free hotspots and if found, automatically connect you.
http://www.makayama.com/easywifiradar.html

Remote file access between computers

Several programs are available to let you share/syncronize files between computers. As in keeping the files between your office and home computers syncronized. Or copy/download files from your home computer while traveling. Or ???

One of the early leaders in this is Groove at:
http://www.groove.net/home/index.cfm

Microsoft recently purchased a small startup called FolderShare and is offering as a free service. It will probably be incorporated into their SaaS/Web 2.0 site - Live.com.
https://www.foldershare.com/info/howItWorks.php?
http://www.live.com/

SaaS

A lot of buzz this last week about SaaS - Software as a Service. This means that you run a program over the Internet instead of on your computer. Google is the driving force behind this. Yahoo and MSN both announced versions last week. There is going to be a BIG push behind this. A lot of it will be free and supported by advertising like Google's but some will be fee based.

We live in interesting times.

11-9-2005: Bill Gates has announced that Microsoft WILL change to embrace the SaaS model. This is BIG news. SaaS is also known as Web 2.0 and various other acronyms.

Kayak.com - airfares via Google map

Well this is different. You input your starting point and it shows you via Google maps, airfares others have found via searching. Doesn't mean you will get the same price but gives you a good idea of what 'deals' are available.
http://www.kayak.com/h/buzz/

Microsoft Antispware to be renamed

Microsoft Corp.'s Windows AntiSpyware technology has been renamed "Windows Defender" and has been expanded to detect and remove rootkits, keystroke loggers and other forms of malware.

Sounds like MS is starting to get serious about security. Windows Defender will also be a part of Windows Vista, the next version of Windows due out next year.

Google Desktop 2.0

Google has released their free Desktop 2.0 application. Pretty slick. I might keep it after discovering the 'autohide' function. Download from: http://desktop.google.com/?promo=mp-gds-v1-1