Category Archives: Web & Tech

Computer Security: Predicting The (Near) Future
(Get rid of your Windows 95/98/ME … NOW !!!)

“(On) the security theme, look for lots of software companies to abandon support for old products and OS’s. From their perspective, they already have your money, so continuing support is just a cost centre for them.
And if they stop support, you just may replace that old computer or application with something new, generating additional software sales opportunities. This means Microsoft giving up support for old OS variants and hardware, but it also means the same from security companies like Network Associates (McAfee) and Symantec (Norton AntiVirus).
More and more old machines will become vulnerable, and a new kind of web-destroying attack using just antiquated, pre-Pentium IV Windows 9x, personal computers, is entirely likely. — Predictions for 2004, by Robert X. Cringely, writer, broadcaster, computer guy, PBS and InfoWorld columnist

The Jetsons, and the Wave of the Future

Peter Wilson, the Vancouver Sun’s ‘go to’ tech guy has written an intriguing article in today’s edition of the newspaper, portending the very near future. Brought to you, of course, by Microsoft.
Meanwhile, in their Circuits section published today, the New York Times weighs in on the subject of the ‘digital future’ in this article about digital lifestyle, and in Katie Hafner’s piece on the TiVo remote control. Although neither of the Times’ articles are either as engaging or accessible as Wilson’s piece, they’re worth checking out.

A Web Search Engine Tip

From VanRamblings’ esteemed copy editor, David Cubitt, today’s web / tech tip: When in a web document (on any web page, whether in Mozilla, Netscape or Internet Explorer), to conduct a quick, clarifying Google search, simply highlight a word, or phrase, in blue (hold down the left button of your mouse, and drag the cursor across the word or phrase).
Right-click on the word, or phrase, and a small dialogue box will come up. Left click on “Web Search for “…”. Voilà. You have just conducted a Google search for the word, or phrase, on which you sought clarification.