The Need For Speed: Alienware Releases a P4 4GHz

Want the hottest computer on the block? Have a ramped up Pentium IV 3.6 GHz, but it just ain’t good enough? Well, games system specialist Alienware has hot-rodded one of its desktop PCs with a homegrown version of Intel’s Pentium 4 processor that runs at 4GHz. Because overclocking a processor can cause it to overheat, the desktop also includes a special liquid-cooling system devised by Alienware.
The launch lets fans get a jump on getting a machine with a 4GHz chip. Intel recently pushed back introduction of a 4GHz Pentium 4 to the first quarter of 2005, having earlier announced plans to introduce it this year. The fastest current Pentium 4 runs at 3.6GHz.
In addition to the 4GHz Pentium 4 and a liquid-cooling system, the most basic Area-51 ALX desktop comes with 1GB of RAM, a CD-burner, ATI Technology’s Radeon X800 graphics card, a 74GB Western Digital Raptor 10,000 rpm hard drive and a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS High Definition sound card.
Pumping up the machine with 4GB of RAM, nvidia’s GeForce 6800 Ultra graphics card, twin 74GB Raptor hard drives and a DVD-burner increases the price to about $5,700 U.S.
Microsoft Faces The Music

In one fell swoop last week, Microsoft announced a new service, new software, and new hardware — a trio that aims to change the way you buy, manage, and transport music. MSN Music is a direct competitor to online music services such as Apple’s iTunes Music Store. Windows Media Player 10, a major update, is the jukebox for MSN Music and other audio and video services. It also syncs with more than 75 portable devices, including the new Zen Portable Music Player (pictured).
Question of the Week

How can I totally remove Norton SystemWorks? I have tried most of the recommended methods, but when I try to reinstall it, the PC says that it is already installed and takes the process a bit further, but none of the tools work. It is worse than a virus!? — Submitted by: Mike Ricci, Burnaby, B.C.

Unfortunately, Symantec Norton products have various hooks in the Windows system registry and elsewhere that are not removed even if the Windows Add / Remove feature is used. Instead, you’ll need to download special removal tools from Symantec in order to completely remove Norton SystemWorks from your PC.

Another brief Tech Tuesday column from VanRamblings this week. As we recently traded in our old Nokia phone for a somewhat fancier, higher fidelity LG 5450, our interest in cell phones has been somewhat piqued.
According to The Economist, the phones pictured above are what cell phone users have to look forward to in the coming months, while C|NET offers images and video of the Top 10 cell currently available on the market.
ZDNet has reviews of all of the LG phones available, as well as reviews of the top Samsung, NEC, Motorola, Siemens, Nokia and Sony Ericsson cells. There’s even insight into the popular cell phones in the Asian market.

Note: VanRamblings has been down for much of the past 24 hours due to ongoing technical difficulties being experienced by Telus, VanRamblings’ Internet Service Provider. We’re back now, though, so read on …
Internet meltdown predicted for Thursday
A few news services are reporting that a Russian computer expert, Aleksandr Gostev from Kaspersky Labs, is predicting that a large chunk of the Internet will be shut down August 26 (Thursday) by cyber terrorists.
The executive director of Dr. Web antivirus lab, Mikhail Bychinsky, quoted by Lenta.ru web agency said he had not heard of such an attack. “I do not believe in mass internet attacks because the main servers are defended, and Kaspersky Labs has been foretelling doomsday for a long time.”
Who’s In Charge Here — You or Your Mouse?

Rafe Needleman, writing for C|Net, wonders why it is that most computer users fail to avail themselves of the myriad keyboard shortcuts that are available to make computer tasks that much more seamless.

Plus, the fewer buttons you press and the less time you spend moving between keyboard and mouse, the less strain you’re putting on your hands and wrists and the less likely you are to get repetitive stress injury.

Mr. Needleman reminds computer users of Alt+Tab to switch between applications, and Windows+D to minimize all windows. In Word, there’s Ctrl+A to select all text, Ctrl+C to copy, and Ctrl+V to paste, not to mention Home and End to move to the beginning and end of a line, and Ctrl+Home and Ctrl+End to move to the beginning and end of a document.
A Canadian Wi-Fi Horror Story

Greg Gazin, who writes for Canada Online’s Tech News department, suggests that, perhaps, we techie folk in Canada have not yet quite reached that much hoped for Wi-Fi nirvana.

“Yes, Mr. Gazin, our hotel does have Wi-Fi (wireless) High-Speed Internet.” I’m beginning to firmly believe that this statement should rank right up there with: “Your cheque is in the mail.” If your existence depends on getting a decent high-speed connection at some of our finer accommodation providers, you better have a backup Plan B. And if they tell you it’s free I’d be concerned all that much more.

Although Mr. Gazin, like many, has succumbed to wireless addiction (“my laptop, wireless and all, became like Linus and his trusty blanket,” he writes) taking his ‘wireless blanket’ on the road proved to be a whole other story.
From Hogtown to Cowtown and back, Gazin’s Wi-Fi adventures yielded one Seinfeld episode after another. The solution? Tap into Wi-Fi 411, a compendium of Wi-Fi hotspots across the globe, plus listings of Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP — now there’s a new acronym for you), Wi-Fi HotSpot Service Plans, and more.
Question of the Week

I am considering a hard drive MP3 player such as the Rio Carbon or iPod. I currently use RealPlayer 10 to listen to music on my computer. Do I need to determine where I will be getting my music from prior to purchasing an MP3 player? Do any of these work with RealPlayer? — Submitted by: Don Cubitt, Langley, British Columbia

The player you choose will dictate what music services you can use. Generally, the iPod works with iTunes and the iTunes Music Store, though RealNetworks is challenging that with its Harmony technology. For more, on players and music stores, have a look at the compatibility chart posted at the C|Net Music Centre.

Go Slow With Windows XP’s Service Pack 2

As per the advice given by many cyber-pundits (including Fred Langa, in his latest column), when Microsoft’s Windows Update service offers you XP Service Pack 2, do nothing; wait a bit.
If you visit the Windows Update site, you’ll see that the look, and architecture of the site, has changed, as per information supplied earlier by VanRamblings. Be careful, though: Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols suggests that implementing Windows XP SP2 is almost as much work as installing a new operating system, and that Microsoft needs to get the word out — the sooner the better.
Thor Larholm, a senior security researcher with PivX Solutions, downloaded SP2 last Friday and continues to analyze it. The true test for the update will likely come in the next few months, he says, once those researchers’ efforts bear fruit.

“Give it a few weeks, or a few months, and you will see the first vulnerability announcements regarding Service Pack 2,” Larholm says. “Give it a month or two and we will also see worms that affect SP2.”

Meanwhile, IBM has told its employees not to download Windows XP SP2, which they feel could render existing applications inoperable.
Earlier today, Microsoft issued a list of nearly 150 software applications and games that may encounter problems with the Windows XP SP2 update, including Norton AntiVirus, and Macromedia Flash and Shockwave. e-Bay has announced XP SP2 conflicts with eBay toolbar & picture services.
Microsoft offers specific advice on the deployment, download and installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2. Of paramount importance: make a backup copy of all of your personal files, including documents, music, bookmarks, favourites, e-mail, and all other important data before installing SP2.
Here’s the C|NET editor’s initial review of Microsoft Windows XP SP2 …

“Like the Titanic’s passengers, Windows XP users often find themselves in choppy, dangerous waters — instead of hypothermia, think Web viruses; instead of circling sharks, quickly crawling worms.”

“Unfortunately, Microsoft’s lifeboats have been, until now, just dinky security patches that saved us from only a few attacks at a time.

“Last Friday, burlier rescue boats arrived in the form of Microsoft’s long-delayed Service Pack 2 (SP2), which will help all of us keep our heads above water. SP2 tightens your PC’s security with a new Windows Firewall, an improved Automatic Updates feature, and a pop-up ad blocker for Internet Explorer. Plus, the newly minted Security Centre gives you one easy-to-use interface for keeping tabs on your PC’s security apps. We suggest you pause before jumping ship, however.”

“We downloaded and installed SP2 and weren’t surprised to find a handful of conflicts with existing apps and wireless network settings on some of our test machines. Wait until SP2 is made available to your PC via Microsoft’s Automatic Updates service, expected later this month for most users. By then, Microsoft should have had enough time to work out the kinks.”

C|NET provides installation advice, and insight into new SP2 features. Well worth reading before considering the download of Windows XP SP2.
Here’s what commentators at the Seattle P-I blog have to say about SP2.
For more Windows XP Service Pack 2 installation experiences, click here.
If your using dial up and wish to install Windows XP SP2 but don’t want to wait around for hours to download it, you can always order it on a CD. In order to successfully install Windows XP SP2, you must order the CD in the same language as the version of Windows XP that is currently running on your computer. For Windows XP SP2 English the date available to order will be August 25th, so check back at the site link above on that date.
Toolkit to Temporarily Block Delivery of Windows XP SP2
Having read all of the above, if VanRamblings has scared the pants off you in regards of the deployment of SP2, in all good conscience we should let you know that Microsoft has provided a downloadable tool that will temporarily block delivery of Windows XP SP2 to a PC through its automatic Windows Update feature. Download the SP2 blocker, extract the file to a temporary folder, and click on the supplied XPSP2Blocker.exe file (or, alternately, in IE, simply click Open, and the patch will install automatically).
The mechanism to temporarily disable delivery of Windows XP SP2 will be available for a period of 120 days (4 months) from August 16. At the end of this period, Windows XP SP2 will be delivered to all Windows XP and Windows XP Service Pack 1 systems regardless. Blocking the download of SP2 will not affect the download of other Windows XP critical updates.
Newest Ad-Aware Personal SE Exposes PC Users To Grief

Just days after Lavasoft launched new versions of its popular Ad-Aware security programme, PC World tests revealed a significant security issue that may leave consumers vulnerable.
Lavasoft posted Ad-Aware SE Plus and SE Pro 1.0, as well as its free version, Ad-Aware SE on August 9. The company revised the release on August 10, renumbering it to v1.02, and addressed the reported hole in its Ad-Watch component with the release of v1.03 on August 13.
Critical information: users who are running versions of Ad-Aware SE Plus or SE Pro earlier than the current v1.03, which is available now for download (see below), should re-download Ad-Aware, upgrading to the latest version of the application. This is Ad-Aware’s third update in a week’s time, but the most urgent. Simply running the software’s Web Update feature — which downloads the latest definition files — will not correct the problem.
Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.03 is located here, ready for download.