February 2005 - Posts

Did you receive and read the first issue of Microsoft TechNet magazine?
28 February 05 06:36 PM | rodtrent | with no comments
If you did, send me a note and let me know your thoughts on the new magazine (rtrent@cinci.rr.com).  Microsoft seems to be comfortable with the production of the magazine series.  I've heard from others in this community that the content was seriously lacking. What's the truth here?  Let me know.
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Sheraton Four Points - Canton, Ohio
28 February 05 05:56 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

If you're ever in Canton, Ohio and you're looking for a good hotel to stay at, DO NOT pick the Sheraton Four Points.

Hearing the name "Sheraton" you immediatly expect a good hotel.  Maybe that was something to think in the past, but if you're in Canton, Ohio (home of the Football Hall of Fame), drive past and look for something else.

The hallway and room carpets are dirty.  The elevator sounds like it's ready to give way and drop you to the bottom floor.  There were tooooo many things wrong with this hotel that I can't even mention in a short post (like the shower not working, or the bathtub flaking paint), but stay away if you can.

Amazon.com loves me...
28 February 05 03:59 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

Yeah -- that's right.  I've been an avid Amazon.com shopper for the last 6 or 7 years.  Amazon.com has found a way to do it right for online shopping.  I go there before I go anywhere else (including local brick-and-mortar digs).

Here's what I'll have in my hands in the next couple days:

Wonder Woman - The Complete Second Season (1977)

The Wonder Woman second season was when they tried pushing the heroine's personna into the next century, i.e., they left the Nazi realm from the first season and put her in a more modern day setting.

 

--and--

 

The Brady Bunch - The Complete First Season (1969) 

The Brady Bunch first season was a classic.  This was way before Greg strung hippy beads in his attic "apartment" and "stole the goat" and a long time before Marsha was socked in the nose with a football. Bobby and Cindy were still little kids who needed a good spanking and Alice was yet to find a psuedo-mate in good-natured Sam.  If you miss this one, you'll kick yourself!

If you missed either of these series as a kid, you're simply tooooooo young!  These two series really take me back when I watch them -- and it's almost like I'm back, reliving my kidhood.

Something in my possession...
28 February 05 03:47 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

Amazon.com sent me the following while I was out doing wedding stuff over the weekend.  Can't wait to take time to watch it:

Greatest American Hero

I remember watching this whole-heartedly as a kid.  Anything that was on TV that had a SuperHero in it, I was gladly willing to watch.  I just hope my memories of this show hold up to the real standards of today.

SOAP Security Update
28 February 05 03:23 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

This is a security patch for the SOAP Toolkit 3.0. The details of the patch are documented in http://support.microsoft.com/?id=827257

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=23d18fd1-34be-4123-ba56-9be2d4be1b23&displaylang=en

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XM Radio wants you to pay more
28 February 05 01:49 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

For what?  For something touted as having no-commercials, I've heard more commercials than I am willing to accept.

XM hikes monthly fees

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eBay has a backdoor
28 February 05 01:48 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

Phishers are exploiting a redirection script on eBay's site to make fraudulent emails look more convincing. Three Register readers noticed the trick in scam emails they received. Alerted by The Register Email security firm MessageLabs confirmed that it has detected and blocked the same trick a number of times in the last two weeks.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/28/ebay_phishing_backdoor/

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Something useful
28 February 05 01:37 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

WinZip Companion for Outlook 1.0

Download: WinZip Companion for Outlook 1.0
Homepage: WinZip

WinZip Companion for Outlook makes it easy for users of Microsoft Outlook to zip and encrypt attachments when sending messages.

Zipping attachments saves transmission time, conserves space in Outlook mailboxes, and saves disk space for both the sender and recipient of the e-mail. The Companion can be configured to automatically zip your attachments, ask whether or not you want them zipped, or let you zip and attach files manually with just a few mouse clicks. Toolbar and menu items allow you to control the Companion's functionality on a message-by-message basis. In addition, sensitive attachments can be easily protected with the same built-in advanced AES encryption found in WinZip 9.0.

WinZip Companion for Outlook works with Outlook 2000, Outlook 2002, and Outlook 2003 only. The Companion does not work with Outlook Express. Please see WinZip Companion for Outlook Support Information and Requirements for additional important information.

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Shel Israel's and Robert Scoble's business blogging book
28 February 05 12:15 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

Robert Scoble and Shel Israel's in production, out in the open book on corporate blogging:

http://redcouch.typepad.com/weblog/2005/02/chapter_1.html

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Microsoft stands behind XP activation policy
28 February 05 12:14 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

Microsoft has cited "numerous" examples of individuals selling Certificates of Authenticity (COA) to back up its decision to disable internet activation of Windows XP on OEM'd machines.

http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=12C80238-0E76-48DA-AA8B-B5DCA333BDE0

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The truth to the story
28 February 05 11:14 AM | rodtrent | with no comments

People like to get free things.  It's as simple as that.  It makes them feel they are getting something for nothing.  Take, for example, the toys that come in McDonald's Happy Meals.  Kids have to have these meals because a toy is included.  They tear through the food just to be able to play with the toy.  But, these free toys are generally cheap and never keep the kids attention for more than 30 minutes.  And, they rarely play with them again.

It looks like something similar is happening with FireFox.  Folks rush to the web, download and install FireFox, play with it for a couple days and either stop playing with it, or removing it altogether.

Telling the industry that 25 million copies of FireFox have been downloaded, tell us nothing -- even though the FireFox folks tend to put all of their hopes behind simply downloading.  Downloading something doesn't mean you'll continue to use it.  I'm in that boat.  I downloaded and installed it, but I may go a couple months without using it.  It's simply not the breakthrough app that industry folks have been saying it is -- particularly with the growing number of security issues.

See what c|net has to say about this:

Growth rate of Firefox usage slips

And, then decide if you should get the kids a healthy meal and just stop by Wal-mart for a real toy.

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Where have I been?
27 February 05 05:26 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

I haven't posted much for a couple days, but I have a good excuse.  Meg's (the wife) baby brother got married this weekend in Northern Ohio.  We traveled there Friday morning and attended the weekend festivities.  I was in the wedding as a groomsman.

I have to say, I'm not much on weddings.  They're all pretty much the same.  And, after attending or being in a huge number of weddings over the years, I think I'd lost my lust for these things.

But, this one was completely different!  This has to be THE best wedding I've ever been part of in my life.

Usually, when we attend these things, I'm ready to head home a couple hours after they start.  But, this is the first wedding I actually enjoyed, and really didn't want to leave.

Unfortunately, our youngest son, Eric, caught some kind of stomach bug while we were there, so we did have to leave relatively early.  Our oldest son, Alex, was babysitting Eric in the hotel room while Meg, Rachel (our daughter) and I attended the reception.  Eric was supposed to be the ring bearer for the wedding, but he was so weak he couldn't even hold the ring pillow correctly.  We had to stow him away in a back room to lay down and sleep.

OK...so that wasn't a great thing -- but, the wedding and reception was still the best I've ever attended.  It was held in an Art museum in Kent, Ohio.  I've never been to a wedding held in an Art museum before, and the everything was planned out was planned to perfection.

I'm just getting back today, but still have fond memories of the whole experience -- even if Eric is tucked away in bed trying to get over the stomach bug.

I'm crossing my fingers no one else in the family gets the bug.

Future of Firefox? Release a new version to fix security instead of a patch?
27 February 05 04:54 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

I'll stick with the old of way of doing things -- thanks.

Firefox 1.0.1 - Seventeen Security Fixes

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Microsoft says sorry for AntiSpyware error
24 February 05 03:14 PM | rodtrent | with no comments

Microsoft has publicly apologized and compensated Web directory Startpagina.nl, one of MSN's main competitors in Holland, after the software giant's anti-spyware product incorrectly flagged the site as malicious.

Microsoft says sorry for AntiSpyware error

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Microsoft Quietly Issues Critical Fix
24 February 05 10:47 AM | rodtrent | with no comments

Although Microsoft has endeavored to keep updates to Windows confined to its monthly "Patch Tuesday," the company has quietly posted a critical fix for Windows XP SP2. The patch resolves a potential "blue screen" caused by a coding error in the Http.sys file and primarily affects users with anti-virus or firewall software.

http://www.betanews.com/article/Microsoft_Quietly_Issues_Critical_Fix/1109258718

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