Saying "Yes" or "No" to Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) makes no difference to Microsoft. They'll take your data anyway.

According to tests conducted by London-based heise Security, clicking the Cancel button on the WGA installer's not enough. It still sends off data.

Intercepting the out-bound stream with a packet sniffer revealed it contained "some confusing, apparently encrypted data" along with registry settings, "information about the version of the WGA Notification Tool, Windows, and the language of the operating system. Furthermore, a cookie containing a GUID is also used to contact the server. It may be possible to identify individual computers by these means."

In yet another repeat of a practice that first emerged with Windows 95's Registration Wizard, Microsoft once again insist that saying "No!" really means "Yes". Or in this case they told heise that they "collected [the] data to improve the quality of the WGA for users".

But hang on a minute. It sends back data on users who pressed Cancel. Users who don't want to use WGA. Users who aren't interested in installing WGA, irrespective of its quality.

heise also noted that "Microsoft did not explain why setup does not inform the user that data are being sent, much less get the user's consent."

"Spyware," according to Wikipedia, "is computer software that collects personal information about users without their informed consent."

So is this spyware?

Does Microsoft have the right to collect information without asking your permission?

Even on installations you decline?

Posted by Geoff Palmer at 8:21 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 5 )

The dull looking toolbar at the bottom of any KDE installation is known officially as the Panel and, like most of Linux, has about a gazillion configuration options.


       (Click for a full-sized image)

It's accessed by right-clicking any blank area on it and choosing Configure Panel.


    Configure Panel: Gazillions of options

You can control its position, length, width, size, hiding behaviour, menus, appearance, transparency... the list seems endless. But what isn't immediately apparent is that Panel is actually just the holding bay for a selection of applications and "applets" - mini applications - that you can also tinker with.

Here, for example, is what Panel looks like with all apps and applets removed;


Not very exciting, I grant you. But what it does mean is that absolutely everything on it is under your control.

For the record, I got rid of the following default applets by right-clicking Panel and choosing Remove From Panel, Applet, All...

• Clock
• Desktop Preview and Pager
• K Menu
• System Menu
• System Tray
• Taskbar
• Trash

And I nuked the following applications with Remove From Panel, Applications, All..

• Konqueror
• Konsole
• Kontact

The default applet selections are not the only possibilities. Right-click Panel, choose Add Applet to Panel, and you'll get a list of 30 or so others...


    Applet choices

And choosing Add Application to Panel allows you to add any application too - or even whole menus of 'em...




There's one other thing you need to know about Panel that isn't immediately obvious; how to move stuff about. It's actually very simple...

For applets, move the cursor over the applet and an access arrow will appear either to its left...


or immediately above it...


Right-click the arrow head and you'll get a menu... (For applications, just right-click the icon itself.)


Select Move and your cursor will turn into a hand, enabling you to move your selection to any position on Panel. When you're happy with its location, lock it in place with a left click.

So what does that give us? Here's some Panel variations that incorporate last week's jazzy background image... (Click the images see 'em full size.)


* Arrangement / Size set to Tiny


* Arrangement / Size set to Normal / Length set to 70%


* Appearance / Panel Background / Image set to green_line.png
* Right-click Desktop Pager / Choose Options / Set Background to transparent


* Appearance / Panel Background / Enable transparency.
* Advanced Options / Tint set to minimum


* Everything switched off except K Menu and Trash
* With added application icons!




>> Go to Part III

Posted by Geoff Palmer at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 )

Okay, okay, so I spend too much time on YouTube. But I think you'll enjoy these...

Quick-change artists...


Magic show...


Tony vs Paul...


Base jumper Jeb Corliss..


Classical music with a difference...

Posted by Geoff Palmer at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

The K Desktop Environment (KDE) is brilliant, dynamic, full-featured -- and dull. At least that's the way it's presented in almost every distribution and boot disk on the market. I mean look at this. It's what you get from Kubuntu...


        Kubuntu's default desktop. Bor-ring!

Notice the blandness, the careful way in which any possible interest you might have is sapped by the dreary colours and wishy-washy background. It's about as exciting as a wet week in Taihape. Click on something? Explore? Nah, thanks anyway. I think I'll just curl up and die.

Take that background. There's a gazillion interesting wallpapers on KDE-look (along with themes, screensavers, icons and all sorts of other stuff) but let's just stick with what's available by default. Right-click the boring backdrop, choose Configure Desktop then Background. If you move focus to the Picture drop-down you can move up and down the list with the arrow keys and look at a preview image on the right.


    Configure Desktop: Boredom ends here!

But that's just the beginning. Click Get New Wallpapers and you're transported to KDE-look where you can preview and download new backgrounds with just a couple of clicks. Hell, you can even set up a slide show of your favourite images. That's more like it!

Notice that you can set a different background on each of your virtual desktops. Your current desktop's indicated by the Desktop Preview and Pager applet on the toolbar...

That's this thing

Some distros default to only two desktops but you can have up to 20 by clicking the Multiple Desktops icon on the left in Configure Desktop. (Mouse-click the pager to change desktops or use the keyboard shortcuts. <Ctrl + F1> will take you to desktop 1, <Ctrl + F2> to desktop 2, etc. You can move applications about by dragging and dropping them around the pager itself, or by right-clicking the icon in the top left corner of whatever app you're using and choosing To Desktop.)

What use are all those virtual desktops? Here's a simple example. Once you've chosen a fancy background there's no need to minimise the Configure dialog in order to view it in all its glory. Just hit <Ctrl + F2> to check it out on an uncluttered screen -- then <Ctrl + F1> back to where you were. Easy!


    What a difference an interesting wallpaper makes!

In the next installment we'll sort out that dullsville toolbar...


Continue to Part 2.

Posted by Geoff Palmer at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 )

Recording industry attack lawyers are no doubt being readied after the emergence of a new and apparently legal form of music sharing. Called NetTunes, it's basically a mutual fund for music.

Copyright law has always allowed you to lend CDs to friends. NetTunes simply extends your friendship network to encompass all other registered users.


The concept is deliciously simple. You spend most of your life not playing a particular song - meaning another of your new friends is free to play it. And if there happens to be 20 or 2,000 copies of that particular track on NetTunes, then the chances of any one copy being available to play right now is very high.

The beta service is currently a free registration, so get in quick. It's Windows only for now (though the software works perfectly under Wine on Linux), and a Mac version's on the way.

NetTunes website
NetTunes FAQ

Posted by Geoff Palmer at 7:58 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Microsoft's OneCare didn't fare so well in a recent comparative test of antivirus packages. In fact of the 17 tested, OneCare (don't say it quickly) finished last.

Running the packages against almost half a million viruses, trojans, worms, backdoors and other malware, AV Comparatives gave G Data Security's AntiVirusKit (AVK) a kill rate of 99.5%. That was closely followed by AEC's TrustPort AV WS (99.4%), Avira's AntiVir PE Premium (98.9%), MicroWorld's eScan antivirus (97.9%), F-Secure's antivirus (97.9%), and Kaspersky Labs' AV (97.9%).

For the record, Symantec's Norton antivirus managed to nuke 96.8% of the gremlins while McAfee's VirusScan got 91.6% of 'em. OneCare only scored 82.4%, almost 7% below the second worst package, Dr Web.

Results summary here. The full report is here.

Posted by Geoff Palmer at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 5 )