What You Should Know About Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-039 (824146)

a.k.a. Son Of Blaster comming soon to a PC near you....

IE patent endgame detailed | CNET News.com

This could make Thin Client (Web Apps) fun... :(

I know of a number of apps that use ActiveX/OCX's "in which the Web page called up data located elsewhere."... Who doesn't?

Makes MS's .Net No-Touch deployment look much better.

This Patent crap is getting out of hand.

..."If you're currently using a plug-in, you will have to change your pages quite significantly,' said one person familiar with Microsoft's post-verdict plans. 'There might be tools to help you do so, but currently they don't exist.' "

...""There are technologies that are already used today (that aren't covered by the verdict) and all we are saying is, given the choice, use the technologies that are already available to you."

Those techniques involve using scripting languages and the set of technologies marketed as dynamic HTML (DHTML) to launch external applications--a commonly available and familiar method that Microsoft does not believe infringes on the patent."

..."According to these sources, Microsoft said at the meeting that it believed a simple dialog box inserted between the selection and the launch of a Java applet or an ActiveX control would maneuver IE out of the patent's definition of an "automated interactive experience.""

..."Microsoft's view, attendees said, the patent only covers a situation in which the Web page called up data located elsewhere. "

..."This is not an issue just for IE," said Wallent. "This is a potential issue for Netscape Navigator, for Opera and for other browser vendors. This is an industry issue.""

..."the implementation of the workarounds would require a huge amount of work on the part of Web authors."

Career Calculus()

An interesting post...

"In basic calculus we learned that the first derivative of a function is the "rate of change" of the value of that function with respect to another variable. In the case of your career, the other variable is time. The basic equation for a developer career looks like this:

C = G + LT

C is Cluefulness. It is defined as an overall measure of your capabilities, expertise, wisdom and knowledge in the field of software development. It is the measure of how valuable you are to an employer. It is the measure of how successful your career is. When you graph your career, C is on the vertical axis.

G is Gifting. It is defined as the amount of natural cluefulness you were given "at the factory". For each individual, G is a constant, but it definitely varies from person to person.

L is Learning. It is defined as the rate at which you gain (or lose) cluefulness over time.

T is Time. It is on the horizontal axis of your career graph."

Neowin.net - Where unprofessional journalism looks better - 12 year old sued by the RIAA for downloading music!

RIAA is making some friends now... sigh. They need to get real.

UPDATE (9/10/2003): I heard this morning that they have settled this... for $2,000....

Update (9/11/2003): P2P group: We'll pay girl's RIAA bill
" peer-to-peer group says it will cover costs for a 12-year-old New York girl who agreed to pay record labels $2,000 to settle a file-swapping lawsuit.

P2P United, a peer-to-peer industry trade group that includes Grokster, StreamCast Networks, Limewire and other file-trading software companies, said Wednesday it had offered to reimburse Brianna Lahara and her mother's payment to the Recording Industry Association of America. Lahara's mother agreed Tuesday to settle copyright infringement charges on behalf of her daughter.

"We do not condone copyright infringement, but someone has to draw the line to call attention to a system that permits multinational corporations with phenomenal financial and political resources to strong-arm 12-year-olds and their families in public housing the way this sorry episode dramatizes," said Adam Eisgrau, the executive director of P2P United. "

Robert Hurlbut's .Net Blog - .Net Design Patterns

Why do we reinvent the wheel so often? These design patterns can help with that... Why not take a known working pattern.

The above post contains a number of links to using design patterns with .Net.

So you have a Win2k3 server and it's locked in a room somewhere. You had logged into locally and started a process. You're now far away and need to check that process... Call a buddy and ask them to check it? But wait, as a good IT Security citizen you locked the console... So give your buddy your password? Bad... So does that mean you have to travel all the way back just to check that process?

NOPE Windows Server 2003's Terminal Server has a great new feature that allows a remote administrator to TS into the local console.

The trick is that you need to start the Remote Desktop Connection app with the "/console" command line parameter.

Once you do that and connect to the machine you'll be connected to the local console! Very cool...

To connect to the console session of a server

Mstsc Creates connections to terminal servers or other remote computers...

DAEMON Tools Homepage :: Download

This is a utility that allows you to mount ISO images. Once mounted you they act just like a CD-ROM.

Looks like they wrote it to help with gaming (I know I hate having to hunt down a CD-ROM just to start a game...) but will work just as well for the ISO images Microsoft now uses on MSDN...

I'm still playing with it... I'll post if I can get it to work...

Update (9/10/2003): This works great... The trick is that you need to make a 1:1 copy of any copy protected CD-ROMS you want to host. So for example I no longer have to hunt down my Battlefield 1942 CD-ROM because I've 1:1 ISO'ed it to my local HD and have the ISO mounted with Daemon tools. Now my son and I don't have to play the "Swap the CD" game... :)
The Help file is critical to understanding how to best use this tool.

redemption in a blog: Google's new built-in calculator

Google's calculator is pretty cool...

Very convenient if you have the Google toolbar installed. Just type in your calc and hit enter...

Startup Programs and Executables Listing (DIRECT links)

Nice list of commonly found background processes...

Ever wondered what all those processes are in Task Manager? Well this list just might help...

CodeNotes® - Download Free .NET eBook

Looks like a good (and free) eBook.

"CodeNotes®, a joint venture with Random House Books (www.atrandom.com) and Infusion Development Corporation (www.infusiondev.com), is a new concept in computer-book publishing. This series was designed for the software developer who needs to come up to speed quickly on a new language or technology.

Most programming books give equal weight to all areas of a given technology, forcing a developer to spend time sorting out the critical aspects. Code-Notes® takes a different approach, drilling down to the core aspects of a technology and focusing on the key elements needed to implement it immediately, thus presenting highly technical material in a format and style that is efficient and instantly useful. CodeNotes® is a unique resource for developers, bridging the gap between comprehensive manuals and pocket references.

In every edition of CodeNotes® you'll find:
• The closest thing to an instructor-led class on essential technologies
• Real-world examples and training-style lab exercises
• A section that warns developers of potential pitfalls, and offers alternative workarounds to common problems
• Free access to www.codenotes.com, which provides additional background and examples, bulletin and message boards, and a constantly expanding Code Gallery that developers can cut and paste"