Firefox Security Update and TrueCrypt for Vista

finally out, TrueCrypt 4.3, compatible with Windows Vista, and Firefox 2.003 update, either through the browser's menu or direct download.

Battlefield 2142

This is an exception, as I normally should avoid treating game subjects in this blog. I got another blog for games, well I have to admit that I rarely post there. So, BF 2142: the game is graphically a shame, a real shame, featuring bad textures, ugly vehicles, and under average animations. Not much to add.

Software Piracy

Just read a bit from that page. Although I quite agree on the matter of saying NO TO PIRACY,
I must admit that the last part of the paragraph makes me raise a smile.
Quoted:
"Do not download pirated software or patches from the internet - When you download a crack, you can be almost certain that some bad things will be included. "

and now comes the funny part:

"If you really can't afford the software you are looking for, contact the author and explain your situation. There is a big chance that you get a reduction or that you get the software for free."

the original link here.

Vista: THE WOW!

I have to admit that I'm the author of that stupid joke, feel free to download it from DeskwallMag at the following link.

Windows Live Messenger down!

Although the status shows "All systems up and running", Messenger has been down for a few minutes now, as well as other related Microsoft products, like hotmail. Any attempt to login to Windows Live fails too. What's up?

announcement: DESKWALL MAG!

I'm in the middle of preparing what's gonna be once a week the magazine of this blog. I must still find a place to host that so that anyone reading this blog can download it.

DESKWALL.COM SPAM BLOG?

For a while now I have to go through the word verification process before I can post anything in my own blog. I didn't know why and didn't care really either, thought that could just be Google implementing some kind of extra security. And yesterday for the first time I clicked on that question mark next to the letters, got redirected to a new page telling me that my blog had been detected as a spam blog by Google's robots. I requested an unlock , and I'm still waiting...

Skype 3.1

the pic shows how you'll end up with a search on Vista in the Skype Website. Running Skype in Vista is not always that smooth. Not a word about it.The guys at Skype seem to ignore that a new OS came out one month and a half ago. Anyway here is the link to the download of the latest 3.1 version. Can't tell yet what it brings.

useful links

I found that link yesterday, to a page called "TechSupport Alert - Gizmo's top picks". It's full of links and reviews about the best freeware stuff you can find on the web.

And here's the official Microsoft link to Vista download stuff (Ultimate exclusively). You'll find out which extras are available there, plus a couple of useless and ugly screenshots.

And finally, stay up to date with that page from the Tweak Guides.

Vista: Ultimate or Home Premium?

Main restrictions in Home Premium:
- no bitlocker
-no EFS (encrypting file system)
- no group policy management ( so no admin management for users accounts or local security for instance)
- one way remote desktop (Home Premium can control an Ultimate system remotely, but Ultimate cannot connect to Home Premium, probably to protect average users of Home Premium). Remote assistance still works both ways.
- Downloadable Ultimate Extras (new features you get through Windows Update), well as the name says, only available for Ultimate lol.

Now the worse, don't know if that's just funny or sad, is that for instance the EFS function appears in Home Premium, but grayed. The local security management console is there, but when you click on it you get the message: Sorry, you're running Vista Home Premium, and this feature is not available, Upgrade to Ultimate. As you know all DVDs are the same, you just got to order an upgraded version online to get a new key and unlock features (it's called "Anytime Upgrade"). By the way Ultimate (Retail and Upgrade versions) has 2 DVDs in the package: 64 and 32 bit. Ultimate OEM contains only one version.
So it's up to you to buy the version that matches your needs, and the money you wanna spend. If you think you might wanna use Ultimate advanced features, OK, if not, then Home Premium will be enough. You'll still get AERO (with a suitable graphic card) and UAC for security. Home Premium is to Ultimate exactly what XP home was to XP pro. That also means, obviously (for those of you who might have doubted that), that XP pro has advanced features that Vista Home Premium does not have.
I have to admit that the way Microsoft handles all those different versions of Vista (Ultimate, Home Premium, 64 or 32 bit) does not meet what I could have expected from them. Don't know if that was the same with XP home, cause I never saw it, but showing disabled features to the user, in what is supposed to be a limited, but still a full featured OS is not really fair.
It's kinda promoting more expensive products from the same company,through the use of a restricted OS version, and put the end user under pressure. I call that Adware.

WYMIWYG: 3D Desktop! TouchScreen and XGL on Linux!

as mentioned on this article from WYSIWYG, watch this absolutely amazing video showing a Linux desktop as you might have never seen one before.
I just found this other one, nice but may be not as spectacular.

numbers...Microsoft versus Google...

not much to add here...just watch the picture, and these links:
here, here, and there.



(this picture comes from "Le Monde.fr: Economie")

Microsoft launches attacks on Google

as read in several articles today, Microsoft might attack Google about copyright protection violations on books (Google Books). and movies (YouTube). You might wanna check this article in Fox News, as well as that one for French readers in Le Monde.

Windows Vienna: to soon to tell...

recent speculations about Microsoft next operating system led to the following answer from the software company: see thumbnail. Watch also here and there.

Firefox 2.0.0.3

quote:from here


"Firefox 2.0.0.3 and 2.0.0.4

In order to fix a small number of serious regressions, we are looking to do a very quick 2.0.0.3/1.5.0.11 release to pick up some fixes for recent regressions. 2.0.0.4/1.5.0.12 will be the next regular security/stability releases.
2.0.0.3 blockers
We are going to be looking at nominations over the next few days, based on the following criteria:

* Significant regression since Firefox 2 with a well-tested and well-understood patch
* Major public security bugs (if any appear) (sg:high and sg:critical)

This is a very high bar, we are hoping to freeze Tuesday evening at 6 PM PST (all confirmed blockers already have patches) and have builds available for testing starting on Wednesday. If you have a bug that meets this criteria please get that nominated as soon as possible. Drivers will be meeting daily at 10 AM PST to address nominations and approvals."

OK I must admit that the only issue that I've had with 2.0.0.1 and 2.0.0.2 was a complete system freezing when browsing ssl secured https web sites.I had to force a shutdown of my PC may be 20 times because of that. I have not read that the issue occurred on other systems than mine, though. Don't know if that comes from Vista, UAC, or just 2.0.0.2...let's wait and see.

updating: there was apparently a misunderstanding on the release date of Firefox 2.0.0.3. as the date I gave you earlier seems only to concern some kind of internal testing in the Mozilla dev team.

Firefox not starting: tip!

OK say you launch Firefox and nothing happens. You try again, and again, and still get no result. First thing to try is launching the task manager, either in XP or Vista. If you see firefox.exe is running, just end the process, and try again. If it still does not work, go to your profile folder and see if a file named "parent.lock" still appears. This file is supposed to be naturally erased everytime Firefox is closed normally. It's there when Firefox is in use to tell the system that your profile is in use. Well now, after a crash from Firefox, this file might still reside in your profile, and block a Firefox restart. Then just delete parent.lock, and restart Firefox. That should work.
More on that here

Blogarithm

you might want to check this blog tracker. I just found that deskwall.com was made available for subscribers there. Enjoy!

TrueCrypt for Vista...not yet.

could you give us a release date please? (lol)

SCAM! SCAM! SCAM!

I got a bloody scam in my gmail inbox today for the first time, thanks Google in the spam section. I thought it would be a good idea to publish that shit here, and warn the readers of this blog. This mail was sent to me by criminals, the sender address that appears on it is the address of a criminal.

You can visit this link for more info on scams of this type.

update: according to sources, the scamer mailed me from Valencia, Spain.

FIREFOX 2.0.0.2

MAJOR SECURITY UPDATE FOR FIREFOX! upgrade now from 2.0.0.1 to 2..0.0.2. You can do it directly from the Firefox window, or download the new updated version here. And here is a link to the release notes. The new version seems to include security updates and more compatibility with Vista.