Category: Computers, Science & Technology

A cry-baby group of Microsoft users are whimpering about the State of Massachusetts asking for an ODF (OpenDocument Format) plug-in for Microsoft Office. They claim that the State of Massachusetts has “an Open Source bias!” No! Horrors! Perhaps they should be shot! No? Drawn and quartered! No? Well, then, get over it!

Microsoft Trade Group Cries Over ODF Plug-in Request

“A trade association has blasted the Massachusetts Information and Technology Division (IDT) for requesting a plug-in for Microsoft’s Office Suite, seizing on the issue as evidence that the state’s policy of mandating the OpenDocument Format (ODF) is ‘a biased, open source-only preference policy.'”

Truly, I am shocked… shocked, I say!

Microsoft was working with the OpenDocument folks to try and get their format made the OpenDocument standard. When the OpenDocument folks didn’t give in to the Evil Empire, M$ took it’s ball and bat and went home… they said that they wouldn’t support OpenDocument standards in Microsoft Office. Well, OpenDocument has released a plug-in for Office that will make Office deal with the open standard. This is cool!

OpenDocuments in Microsoft Office

Of course, the best thing to do, is to just use OpenOffice, which already supports OpenDocument standards. But, you gotta love this! The State of Massachusetts asked for the plugin:

“The request asked for information on a plug-in that would ‘allow Microsoft Office to easily open, render, and save to ODF files, and also allow translation of documents between Microsoft’s binary (.doc, .xls, .ppt) or XML formats and ODF.’ According to the OpenDocument Foundation, the plug-in would work for any version of Office from Office 97. Testing of the plugin has been completed by the group and no issues have arisen.”

I have a DVR, in fact, I have two… one in the bedroom, one in the living room. I skip commercials. Commercials are stupid! BUT… am I costing advertisers money? Better question… do I care?

8 Billion (with a “B”) Cost to Advertisers?

They claim only 53% of DVR owners skip commercials… so, is that because they don’t know how to use them? Sheeesh! I skip, and I don’t care! (Sounds like a song, huh?) OK, maybe I should care… because all the media entertainment I am getting, I get because the advertisers pay my way. Will I still skip commercials… well, yeah! But, maybe I will feel the least bit guilty!

Two dewds in Ohio have a business at their service station converting cars and trucks to burn biofuels… like vegetable oil. I love it!

Full Circle Fuels

I get the feeling that these “good ol’ boys” are doing more to convert us off foreign oil than our esteemed gub’ment!

Microsoft has a campaign in which they assert that 35% of all business offices are using illegal copies of software like Microsoft Office. That may be. However, the answer is to GET LEGAL and use OpenOffice! Click on the “Get Legal” logo for for info!

OK… for those of you that want to be free of Big Oil and Foreign Oil Magnates NOW… here’s how you can do it!

Dogwood Energy in TN

Also, you can modify your car to run ethanol as well… here’s a link to the Brazilian company that has a kit:

Flextune

Send me an e-mail if you do it! I want to hear from those that take the plunge!

This is YET ANOTHER report on a new, bad IE problem, but what got me was the admission at the very bottom of the article… on FULLY PATCHED Windows systems… Internet Explorer still has 25% of the known exploits un-patched… because there are, as yet, no patches for it! WHAT!!!!????

IE Problems Multiply

“Based on 85 advisories published by Secunia between 2003 and 2005, about 25 percent of IE bugs remain unpatched. More than 40 percent of those advisories are serious enough to be used in system compromise attacks.” (Emphasis mine.)

This is ridiculous!

What if you could be identified by your brain waves to “unlock” your computer, or a door? Too close to “mind reading?” Maybe!

Think Your Password?

“What if you could one day unlock your door or access your bank account by simply ‘thinking’ your password? Too far out? Perhaps not. Researchers at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, are exploring the possibility of a biometric security device that will use a person’s thoughts to authenticate her or his identity. Their idea of utilizing brain-wave signatures as ‘pass-thoughts’ is based on the premise that brain waves are unique to each individual. Even when thinking of the same thing, the brain’s measurable electrical impulses vary slightly from person to person. Some researchers believe the difference might just be enough to create a system that allows you to log in with your thoughts.”

Weeelll, I have MY opinion, and I bet you can guess what it is!

“Help the Web is Broken!”

“Sometimes, from the view of the help desk, the end of civilization seems near. Very near, indeed. This is one explanation for interactions such as the following:

‘My computer is running real slow. The process ‘System Idle Process’ takes like 90-100 percent of the CPU! And I can’t shut it off! I’ve tried everything!’ (Dr. Bill: the “System Idle Process,” of course, indicates how much IDLE time the CPU has, or, in other words, 98% “System Idle Time” means the system is only running 2% active… duh!)

‘Hi, I just scanned my computer and there were 75 instances of spyware found. Should I delete them?’ (Dr. Bill: Oh NO! You really WANT that Spyware, don’t you?!? It just makes you feel all “warm and fuzzy” doesn’t it!)

‘But are you sure the Internet is safe to use?’ (Dr. Bill: Not for you!)

IT workers toil all day, all over the world, to help bridge the formidable gap between human beings and technology in business. So why doesn’t everyone just get along? Is it that clients continually do ‘dumb’ things or is it the way we geeks approach them?

According to experts, the problems in communication are complex on both sides of the screen. The culprits include ‘TechnoStress,’ the dysfunctional psychology of IT; the sometimes lackluster communication skill sets of technical staff; the generation gap; and the unrealistic expectations of service by clients.”

Are user’s dumb? Actually, no… but they ARE lazy! I have said from way back that what user’s need to do is put the time in to LEARN how to use their computers! We learn to drive, people learn to play instruments. The analogy that computers should be like “toasters or phones” is dead wrong! Computers are sophisticated technological tools that can greatly enhance your life and lifestyle… in order to use them well, you have to learn HOW!

Microsoft just released TONS of patches for IE due to it’s being a dog browser and full of security holes… but no sooner did they release all these patches… another HUGE problem has turned up!

HUGE IE Issue!

“Barely two weeks after shipping an Internet Explorer security makeover to cover a wave of drive-by malware downloads, Microsoft is scrambling to address the public disclosure of a new zero-day vulnerability that could be used in code execution attacks. Michal Zalewski, the researcher who discovered the flaw and published the advisory without notifying Microsoft, said the issue was confirmed on fully patched versions of IE 6.0 and Microsoft Windows XP SP2 (Service Pack 2).”