1:54 PM CST     0 comments

ASP Tips: 25+ ASP Tips to Improve Performance and Style

This is a pretty good article given that it's scope is so large. The links at the end make it noteworthy, however.

[thanks to 4 Guys for the link]

9:10 AM CST     0 comments

Surprised? Government study says higher beer taxes reduce sexually transmitted disease

Can you imagine gathering test subjects for this study? It boggles the mind. All these little anemic looking scientific types hanging out at Merl's Drink & Puke.

9:02 AM CST     0 comments

Priceless: Easter Bunny in shopping mall brawl

Ever seen Mallrats? Proof that life imitates art.

9:00 AM CST     0 comments

Report: McDonald's to stop using genetically modified potato products

Uhm... Ok. Just one question, when did they *start* using them? I have this weird mental image of zombie potatoes shuffling around the countryside eating brains or something.

8:38 AM CST     0 comments

Computer Justice: Laptop is cyber judge and jury

This is either a really brilliant idea or a travesty of justice. I can definitely see how it could lead to sloppy judgements if they start trusting the output too much. As long as a bonefide judge verifies the computer's decisions and agrees with the outcome then it will be a big time saver.

Personally, I wouldn't want to trust my freedom to Visual Basic, you know?

[thanks to Ars Technica for the link]

8:31 AM CST     0 comments

CHUD: Cinematic Happenings Under Development

This site delivers the goods on movies that are still under development or are in production. It seems to slant slightly toward the SciFi/Fantasy market which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your personal tastes.

10:48 AM CST     0 comments

Random Comment

If it's true that there is no such thing as bad press, then Microsoft shouldn't have to advertise for at least another decade.

10:34 AM CST     0 comments

Bitchin: A puzzle that's triple trouble

3D crossword puzzles. Cool.

10:27 AM CST     0 comments

Aggressive Sales 101: Cisco, former customers in legal dispute

Death Threats from salesmen? And you though the IBM suits drove a tough bargain!

10:23 AM CST     0 comments

Wake up: Two Washington state cities endorse online taxes

Why is it so hard for these people to grasp that taxing online purchases will not increase their budgets. What it will do is compel the heavy hitters to move their operations to an off-shore site and rob our nation of jobs, revenue, and technological expertise.

10:17 AM CST     0 comments

Caveat Emptor: No Credit for Web Surfing

An important warning for those who research their refinancing options online. This seems almost criminal to me. In the end it's like punishing consumers for comparison shopping.

11:11 AM CST     0 comments

Whatever: Mullet Junky

Just because everyone can have a web site it doesn't mean everyone should. All kidding aside, there are some really scary photos in there. *shudder*

11:08 AM CST     0 comments

Not too bad: LoadTV

Watch TV over the net. It would be even cooler if you didn't have to download their app.

9:55 AM CST     0 comments

Ugh: Judge Flips Over Jury's Verdict by Coin Toss

Such is the state of our justice system.

9:49 AM CST     0 comments

Finally: RealNetworks player uses Mozilla to read Web pages

It's about time someone started using Mozilla (or more to the point Gecko) as it was intended. Mozilla needs to concentrate on their initial goal to produce a truly cross-platform internet application engine. Let Netscape worry about developing a viable browser out of it.

9:36 AM CST     0 comments

Stick with Win98SE: Microsoft to DOS: Drop Dead

According to this article, Microsoft has removed several very important command line tools from Windows Me. Options like booting to a command prompt and making a bootable floppy are a thing of the past. I agree wholeheartedly with the author of this article, whoever made this decision needs a whack upside the head.

[thanks to Ars Technica for the link]

8:52 AM CST     0 comments

Bummer: Red Hat Linux open to backdoor password

I suppose it was inevitable. I wish the other news services headlines read like this one. Most of the other ones read "Linux Security Hole" or something similiar. It makes it sound like every Linux distribution is flawed when in actuality it's just one small component of one distribution.

8:48 AM CST     0 comments

Bravo: New Law Protects Kids Online, but It's No Substitute for Parenting

An excellent article that points out the problems with trying to legislate away parental responsibility. The idea behind COPPA is a noble one, but I'll be interested to see how they enforce any of the guidelines. My guess is that all but the largest sites for kids will just stop collecting information all together rather than risk a law suit.

8:38 AM CST     0 comments

PS2 vs PC: A System Level Comparison of Two 3D Platforms

By now everyone has heard the prediction that devices such as Sony's PlayStation2 are going to revolutionize web usage and send the venerable PC the way of the steam engine. Personally, I don't buy it, but setting my personal beliefs aside for the moment, this article helps to explains some of the key differences in the system architectures.

8:26 AM CST     0 comments

Only in America: Car crashes into couple's bed

I'm betting they're glad they decided to go with the dresser instead of the night stands.

10:14 AM CST     0 comments

Uh-oh: Windows 2000 exposes account list

More FrontPage problems for Microsoft. It's somewhat hard to believe that they never tested what might happen when an ISP ran multiple FrontPage accounts on a single Win2k box.

Microsoft claims that Win2k was tested more fully than any other Microsoft product in history. That seems like bad news for users of earlier Windows products, eh?

10:01 AM CST     0 comments

Unbelievable: PKZip Creator Dies from Chronic Alcoholism

It's sad that someone who made such an impact on the computing world had to die like this.

9:55 AM CST     0 comments

Yawn: Cisco, Copper Mountain up the ante for DSL

It's beyond me how these guys can take a reasonably exciting technology, like DSL, and make it amazingly boring.

9:46 AM CST     0 comments

Whatever: Microsoft puts on good face for hardware faithful

WinHec, huh? Sounds more like WinH-

...nah, too easy.

11:15 AM CST     0 comments

Humor: eNormicom

I loved the bit about the NameTron 3000. Classic.

[thanks to Cool Tool for the link]

10:12 AM CST     0 comments

Cool Science: Amusement Park Physics

Learn how amusement park attractions are designed and built from a physics perspective. The narrative gets a bit stilted now and then, but it's still quite interesting for the scientifically minded.

10:09 AM CST     0 comments

Whoa: Dawson's Desktop

Anybody else think this is a little creepy or is it just me?

10:06 AM CST     0 comments

You know you want it: The Amazing Cow Cam

There didn't seem to be any cows around when I looked, but maybe you'll get lucky!

9:42 AM CST     0 comments

Wicked cool: Brown students create massive Tetris game on building

This is possibly the most inspiring use of electrical control systems ever. And to think I was impressed when hotels spell out messages. heh.

9:34 AM CST     0 comments

Learn something: Hungry Minds

Sort of like Learn2.com, but with an added twist.

9:02 AM CST     0 comments

Bad news: Judge to rule against Bidder's Edge

I'm not sure which side of this argument I fall on just yet. On the one hand, I can see why eBay would want to limit this sort of thing, but on the other it seems reasonable to allow people to comparison shop as well.

8:47 AM CST     0 comments

Not quite DVD: VCDs: What’s the big deal?

I wondered how long it would take before someone would notice VCDs. I saw a demo of some damned impressive (at the time) VCD equipment at a NeXTworld conference back in the early nineties. They even had a little portable unit much like the handheld DVD Panasonic and Sony are selling today.
Realistically, after seeing DVD, VCD really doesn't seem like a very good technology. If it could have broken out back in '92 then it would have had a chance, but not today.

8:34 AM CST     0 comments

Microsoft caves: Microsoft to include networking technology in Windows Me

Supposedly, after announcing (very quietly) they were dropping support for the Novell Netware and Banyan Vines clients in Windows Me, Microsoft received so many complaints they reconsidered. My hunch is that even if users sallied forth and swarmed around the castle walls in Redmond like villagers in a Frankenstein movie, Microsoft wouldn't change a decision like this. My guess is that there are market forces at work here that we may never find out about until the "findings of fact" in the next Microsoft vs DOJ case.

But that's just me.

8:21 AM CST     0 comments

Think small: Pocket EPC System

At first this just seemed silly, but after I considered it for a moment it's really not a bad concept. Basically it's a portable pc the size of a zip drive. It has all the bells and whistles of a full size PC (other than extra card slots) and can be docked for cd/dvd access. You could, for example, keep a full size monitor at home and another at work and have access to all of your applications and data.

[thanks to Ars Technica for the link]

8:13 AM CST     0 comments

More news: Microsoft Security Flaw Goes Beyond FrontPage

Just in case you're not tired of reading about the bug that isn't a bug, but might be under certain circumstances, but not really, it's just old code. The most interesting thing in this article is the last sentence... if there is "a Perl script on the net that potentially exploits the security hole" then it seems logical to assume that there actually is a security hole to exploit. Microsoft, of course, disagrees.

11:44 AM CST     0 comments

Priceless: Blue Screen of Death Archive

I just had to share this after zannah blogged it. It's far too priceless to pass up.

9:08 AM CST     0 comments

Useful: Calculators Online

This is perhaps the net's largest depository of calculators. Everything from Drag Racing to Dairy Farming it's all here.

8:56 AM CST     0 comments

I'll pass: Microsoft upgrades perks to retain top talent

Between the market "correction" and Microsoft's waning popularity in general, I think I'd be looking for cold, hard cash. Thankyouverymuch.

8:52 AM CST     0 comments

Bad form: Concerns Over Missing Laptop

Ok, let me get this straight... there are "code words" which are "higher than top secret" and these guys store them on a laptop!?! I'd say that's at least one good reason to keep the government on mainframes.

8:43 AM CST     0 comments

Better get a bucket: E! Online's Top Ten Puke Scenes

Can you imagine the person who thought of this pitching it to their boss? Heh.

8:37 AM CST     0 comments

Interesting: Speed traps for cable modems?

"Nothing ever goes fast enough," he sighs. "That's what it means to be an American."

Amen, brother.

8:31 AM CST     0 comments

Hmm: Japan slaps export controls on PlayStation 2

It looks like Mr. Bill has some friends in high places in the land of the rising sun.

8:24 AM CST     0 comments

Look ma, no java: Magnetic Poetry

Finally, an existential waste of time for those who disdain the use of java. This one is pure DHTML.

3:12 PM CST     0 comments

Kinda creepy: IP3000.com

Apparently these guys are building a new kind of search engine or something. My question is do they really need to index my site two or three times daily? Forgetting for the moment that they are hogging a fair portion of my server's bandwidth, it just feels creepy. Ick.

11:35 AM CST     0 comments

Too bad it's on Tripod: The Mother of All Excuses Place

Ever need an excuse and didn't know where to turn? Well, here you go. Excuses for everything from Work to Dating.

An example: "I cannot come in [to work] today as I have really bad stigmata and I think I may be a likely candidate for the second coming."

11:08 AM CST     0 comments

Security Issue: Microsoft software glitch may allow access to Web sites

The serious security issues here are obviously not to be taken lightly. That being said, it's nice to know that not everybody at Microsoft is a humorless suit. Weenies! heh.

Update: this ZDNet article has a fix for those misguided souls among you who actually use FrontPage.

8:27 AM CST     0 comments

Sweet: TiVo Personal Television Receiver Review

Caesar from Ars Technica has whipped up the end all, be all of TiVo reviews. Most folks say that you have to use a TiVo before you really can understand how revolutionary it truly is. This article is the closest alternative I've seen to actually using one.

4:48 PM CST     0 comments

<pimp>journal update</pimp>

9:36 AM CST     0 comments

This is silly: Post Office Reacts to Rolling Trucks

When I drove trucks for the US Postal Service, it was just part of the routine to set your parking brake before exiting the vehicle. I eventually got to the point where I would do it without even thinking. That is what the they need to teach to these carriers.

I mean, what is the likelyhood of someone who won't take the time to set a parking brake actually using a set of chocks? Get real.

9:25 AM CST     0 comments

Surprise: Government may cut Microsoft's browser rights

"Do you see a forest in this photo, Ms. Reno?"
"Nope... too many damn trees."

9:21 AM CST     0 comments

Neat idea: Island nation cashes in on ".tv" country code

This is the latest in a string of similar deals in the past few months. I'm not sure it's very smart to sell off your countries domain when the internet is still in its infancy, but, hey, what're the odds of someone in Tuvalu needing to setup a server anyway?

9:15 AM CST     0 comments

Want fries with that? New Microsoft system continues bundling tradition

Good news! The next version of "consumer" Windows will include even more annoying features that you can't turn off! Things like MSN directly from the Start Menu.

Ugh.

9:26 AM CST     0 comments

Good news for gamers: Judge Dismisses Video Game Violence Suit

It's just a shame these cases keep clogging our court system. I am sympathetic to the parents who have lost children in these cases, but making entertainment companies liable for the actions of third-parties is simply not good justice.

9:00 AM CST     0 comments

Warning: Gates discusses Microsoft's past, future in TV ad

The goal of this commercial (or possibly series of commercials) is to assure the public that Microsoft will continue to innovate regardless of entanglements with the DOJ. The big problem with that, in my opinion, is that Microsoft has never really been an innovator. Microsoft is, however, tremendously adept at capitalizing on the innovations of others.

Some examples perhaps? IE is based on code purchased from Spyglass. Defrag and Scandisk were licensed from Symantec. IBM designed the netbios protocol for LanManager. Doublespace was "borrowed" from Stac. Time after time Microsoft uses their "embrace and extend" philosophy to absorb the innovations of others and then, eventually, claim them as their own.

I don't mean to get on a soapbox here, mainly because I, like many other Microsoft critics, use Microsoft products every day. I just wish Microsoft would quit playing silly wickets and admit where their real strength lies.

8:44 AM CST     0 comments

Sound familiar? Cambridge Technology sues founder

I seem to remember a strikingly similar turn of events when Steve Jobs left Apple. I understand the motivation for the suit, but if this industry doesn't start paying attention to it's own history we are damned to repeat our mistakes through infinity.

9:12 AM CST     0 comments

Bummer: I-Opener no longer a $99 Linux PC

I didn't figure it would take them long to put the hammer down on this one. The whole reason they are able to sell the I-Opener at that price point is because you are tied to their network. Take away the monthly payments for network access and Netpliance goes belly up. That being said, I also wouldn't be surprised to see another "work-around" posted after some of the new units hit the streets.

9:00 AM CST     0 comments

Quake anyone? Intel's home networking kits don't play well with others

Maybe I'm just too much of a geek, but with small 100-Mbit ethernet cards going for less than $20 these days I really don't understand why anyone would settle for 2-Mbit in the home. Admittedly wireless technology is sexy, but it's also quite susceptible to connection problems and transmission errors. Just pull some CAT5 and get it over with.

8:44 AM CST     0 comments

Debriefing: FAQ: The basics of the Microsoft trial

For those who haven't been following the Microsoft case, CNet has posted a brief FAQ describing the basic issues and some possible outcomes. Not much new there, but it's rather interesting to see it summarized so well. It certainly beats reading the judge's several hundred page findings.

9:38 AM CST     0 comments

Silly, but fun: The Urban Legend Generator

Pick your own seed values or let the system pick for you.

9:17 AM CST     0 comments

Strange: Do we really need all of this bandwidth?

Just one question... what planet is this guy from?

9:15 AM CST     0 comments

Pokemon beats George Lucas: Time's Digital 50

At least they "make no claims of scientific objectivity". This list seems way too random to me. The big problem lies in the fact that Time's readership wouldn't recognize the names of most of the people who were truly influential in the digital world. Taken as entertainment it's worth a few moments anyway.

[sorry about the spate of spelling errors in the first attempt of this post]

9:03 AM CST     0 comments

I'll still name him Cloud: Final Fantasy IX Preview

According to Square, this is the last Final Fantasy for the PSX. Here's hoping FF9 is better than FF8. Personally, I'll be happy if it can hold a candle to FF7.

8:55 AM CST     0 comments

Free Dreamcast: Sega unveils online gaming, free console strategy

I remain somewhat skeptical about these "free" deals. Granted, it's not really free because you agree to pay for two-years of their online gaming service. I suppose if you were going to get into online gaming anyway this is a pretty cool way to do it. Otherwise, you are tying yourself to what will soon become an also-ran technology.

8:49 AM CST     0 comments

Attention ASP Programmers: Users can read your code

Once again Microsoft has underestimated the deviousness of researchers and overlooked a rather large loophole in their Index Server for both Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000. The link above will take you to the related security bulletin. From there you can grab a download to patch your system.