© Walt Handelsman - 05.29.2006

PC World has put out their yearly collection of 100 best products. I have or use #'s 3, 4, 6, 12, 17, 30, 43, 79 & 100.

I thought the 25 worst tech products of all time was rather humorous. I especially like that #1 has gone to AOL, I never did like those guys.

Google Copernicus Center is hiring.

Google is interviewing candidates for engineering positions at Google Copernicus Hosting Environment and Experiment in Search Engineering.

© Tony Auth - 06.08.2006

© Stuart Carson - 06.07.2006

The telecoms got out their big money this week and shot down the amendment to the Communications, Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006 that would have kept the net neutral. The House of Representatives voted to reject the amendment that would have kept interenet providers from creating a two tiered system.

This is something that the GOP is slipping by the American public, who I feel will not understand the consequences until it is to late. I urge you to read up on this subject and then contact your representatives in the Senate and have them fight for net neutrality.

Articles to read:
Fight hard for 'net neutrality'
Net Neutrality Bill Rejected, Users Fear Consequences
House rejects Net neutrality rules
Defeat for net neutrality backers

© Tom Toles - 06.05.2006

Something I have been wondering about is, if the telecoms get control of the internet and are able to control which web sites get good or bad access and with the NSA getting access to the telecoms, will the NSA have a say in which sites to get good or bad access?

As Wednesday morning dawned, northern Norway was hit with an impact comparable to the atomic bomb used on Hiroshima.

More

NSA Train Wreck - An effort to get NSA surveillance under control is morphing into a license to spy.

The Internet's Future - Congress should stay out of cyberspace.

From Brian Livingstons Windows Secrets Newsletter:

Genuine Advantage is Microsoft spyware
Windows Genuine Advantage — the controversial program Microsoft auto-installed as a "critical security update" on many PCs starting on Apr. 25 — not only causes problems for many users but has now been proven to send personally identifiable information back to Redmond every 24 hours.

NASA to Launch Discovery on July 1 for 13-Day Mission - NYTimes - After what they called a "spirited discussion," NASA officials decided Saturday to launch the space shuttle Discovery as planned on July 1. It will be only the second flight since the Columbia tragedy.

Safety fears as Shuttle date set - BBC News - Nasa is to launch the space shuttle Discovery on 1 July, despite warnings from senior safety officials and engineers that it is not safe to fly.

The latest attempt by SaveTheInternet.com to bring people into the net neutrality debate is a downloadable mp3 tune by songwriters Jill Sobule, Kay Hanley, and Michelle Lewis called "God Save The Internet". It is set to the tune of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man".

Media Matters for America has an ongoing series on the defining issue of our time - the media.

The defining issue of our time is not the Iraq war. It is not the "global war on terror." It is not our inability (or unwillingness) to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable health care. Nor is it immigration, outsourcing, or growing income inequity. It is not education, it is not global warming, and it is not Social Security.

The defining issue of our time is the media.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |

I have found it to be an interesing read so far and recommend it.

After waiting a few days for problems with the June 2006 Windows patches I went ahead and installed the patches. Until today I have had problems everyday and it took me quite a while to find out what the issue was. I have a NetGear SC101 running on my network and the software for it was causing all my problems. Once I uninstalled that software all my problems went away. Now I just have to wait for NetGear to update the software.

Some of the problems I was having once the SC101 software loaded:
- USB ports stopped functioning
- Windows would not shutdown
- Programs constantly froze and I would have to do a power off shutdown of the computer

NetGears forum is being rebuilt, so there is no way to post there right now.