This week, I was deeply saddened to learn that one of our volunteer forum moderators, Donna Buenaventura, had passed. Over the many years that she dedicated her personal time here in our security forums, she always had a great outlook on life, and always posted in a respectful and caring manner while doing her best to help folks out. She will be greatly missed.
This week's topic comes from Don in Alabama, who has concerns over the browser cookies stored on his machine. He is curious as to what purpose they serve, if they are a security threat, and if there are any good methods to not only identify them, but to also manage them appropriately.
A few members replied to Don's questions, providing a good starting point to get a better understanding of browser cookies and what they are all about. Member btljooz's answer does a great job of giving the rundown of what cookies are and how to manage them; many members recommended CCleaner by Piriform for identifying cookies and removing them, if needed.
If you are an expert on cookies (not the chocolate chip kind) and would like to share additional advice with all of us in regards to this topic, please step on in and let us know. The more that is shared, the more we can all learn. Thanks for all those contributions. Have a great weekend!
The Mad Hatter
Cool Green IT Products from DNS-DIRECT
Save money & energy Green IT
Saturday, 18 February 2012
Does it make sense to buy CDs?
Do CD's still have a place in your world?
They do in mind but i read this article that made me think a bit more about it.
Tell me what you think
The Mad Hatter
Yesterday, I learned that music-on-demand service Spotify now streams at 320Kbps via its iOS app. That's CD-quality, which got me thinking: do we really need CDs anymore?
For a long time, CDs offered certain advantages that digital-music solutions couldn't match. They sounded better. They were easier to play in the car and around the house. They didn't saddle you with DRM hassles. And you could rip them to whatever bit rate and format you wanted--including lossless formats like FLAC, which many audio purists prefer.
Many of these advantages are still true today. But the music landscape is so different now than it was five years ago. DRM is gone. Smartphones and tablets have the storage capacity to house massive music libraries--and play them through car stereos, speaker docks, and the like.
Meanwhile, streaming services like Pandora, Spotify, and Slacker offer incredible on-demand selection, obviating the need to buy music at all. A few weeks back I created an Adele station on Pandora, and it's just plain incredible. I listen to it just about everywhere thanks to devices like my iPhone and Roku box. Price: free.
Because I'm in my '40s, I, of course, have a CD collection--around 150 discs, at last count, all of them gathering dust in a box. Most of them were ripped and stored long ago, and I don't think I've touched a jewel case in about five years. The only CDs I've purchased during that time were a handful of "Glee" soundtracks for Mrs. Cheapskate. (Indeed, when it comes to gifts, the vagaries of an iTunes gift card can't hold a candle to a specific, physical CD.)
Even audiobook CDs have given way to digital downloads from the likes of Audible and Simply Audiobooks, which offer considerable savings over retail CD prices.
On the flipside, I've heard from many people who won't touch music from Amazon or iTunes because the bit rates are too low. (Amazon's MP3s are encoded at a variable bit rate that averages around 256Kbps, while Apple's AACs are encoded at 256Kbps.) Because I rarely listen through headphones, and because my ears don't notice any difference between, say, 256Kbps and 320Kbps, I have no problem with it. For me, as long as the music sounds good, that's good enough.
Do you feel differently? Are you sticking it out with CDs, or are you fully embracing this all-digital, all-downloads, all-streaming age? Maybe it's both; this doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing equation, after all. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
Vince Bailey (The Mad Hatter)
They do in mind but i read this article that made me think a bit more about it.
Tell me what you think
The Mad Hatter
Yesterday, I learned that music-on-demand service Spotify now streams at 320Kbps via its iOS app. That's CD-quality, which got me thinking: do we really need CDs anymore?
For a long time, CDs offered certain advantages that digital-music solutions couldn't match. They sounded better. They were easier to play in the car and around the house. They didn't saddle you with DRM hassles. And you could rip them to whatever bit rate and format you wanted--including lossless formats like FLAC, which many audio purists prefer.
Many of these advantages are still true today. But the music landscape is so different now than it was five years ago. DRM is gone. Smartphones and tablets have the storage capacity to house massive music libraries--and play them through car stereos, speaker docks, and the like.
Meanwhile, streaming services like Pandora, Spotify, and Slacker offer incredible on-demand selection, obviating the need to buy music at all. A few weeks back I created an Adele station on Pandora, and it's just plain incredible. I listen to it just about everywhere thanks to devices like my iPhone and Roku box. Price: free.
Because I'm in my '40s, I, of course, have a CD collection--around 150 discs, at last count, all of them gathering dust in a box. Most of them were ripped and stored long ago, and I don't think I've touched a jewel case in about five years. The only CDs I've purchased during that time were a handful of "Glee" soundtracks for Mrs. Cheapskate. (Indeed, when it comes to gifts, the vagaries of an iTunes gift card can't hold a candle to a specific, physical CD.)
Even audiobook CDs have given way to digital downloads from the likes of Audible and Simply Audiobooks, which offer considerable savings over retail CD prices.
On the flipside, I've heard from many people who won't touch music from Amazon or iTunes because the bit rates are too low. (Amazon's MP3s are encoded at a variable bit rate that averages around 256Kbps, while Apple's AACs are encoded at 256Kbps.) Because I rarely listen through headphones, and because my ears don't notice any difference between, say, 256Kbps and 320Kbps, I have no problem with it. For me, as long as the music sounds good, that's good enough.
Do you feel differently? Are you sticking it out with CDs, or are you fully embracing this all-digital, all-downloads, all-streaming age? Maybe it's both; this doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing equation, after all. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
Vince Bailey (The Mad Hatter)
Apple wins suspension of Motorola ban on iPad and iPhone sales
Apple has been granted a temporary suspension of a sales ban imposed on some iPhones and iPads in Germany.
Enforcing a December patent infringement ruling, Motorola on Friday 3 February forced Apple to remove several iPad and iPhone models from its online store.
Apple's iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 were affected, but not the iPhone 4S. All 3G models of the iPad were involved, but not their Wi-Fi-only counterparts.
An appeals court later lifted the ban after Apple made a new licence payment offer, but patent lawyers believe the suspension may last only a few days or weeks, according to the BBC.
Apple said in a statement that it had appealed against the ban "because Motorola repeatedly refuses to license this patent to Apple on reasonable terms, despite having declared it an industry standard patent seven years ago".
However, Motorola indicated that it would try to restore the ban. "Although the enforcement of the injunction has been temporarily suspended, Motorola Mobility will continue to pursue its claims against Apple,” the company said in a statement.
Communications patent dispute
In a separate case, Motorola has won a ruling that Apple’s iCloud and MobileMe services infringe a patent relating to a two-way communications.
If Motorola enforces the ruling, some iPhone users in Germany will lose the ability to automatically receive e-mails as soon as they have been sent.
This patent is not considered to be critical to an industry standard, so Motorola does not have to license the technology to Apple, even if the iPhone-maker offers to pay.
Apple said that it believed the patent involved was invalid and that it would appeal against the ruling.
Although the two cases only apply to Germany, they may have implications for other European lawsuits, because courts must explain why they have reached a different conclusion to a court in another EU member state.
Enforcing a December patent infringement ruling, Motorola on Friday 3 February forced Apple to remove several iPad and iPhone models from its online store.
Apple's iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 were affected, but not the iPhone 4S. All 3G models of the iPad were involved, but not their Wi-Fi-only counterparts.
An appeals court later lifted the ban after Apple made a new licence payment offer, but patent lawyers believe the suspension may last only a few days or weeks, according to the BBC.
Apple said in a statement that it had appealed against the ban "because Motorola repeatedly refuses to license this patent to Apple on reasonable terms, despite having declared it an industry standard patent seven years ago".
However, Motorola indicated that it would try to restore the ban. "Although the enforcement of the injunction has been temporarily suspended, Motorola Mobility will continue to pursue its claims against Apple,” the company said in a statement.
Communications patent dispute
In a separate case, Motorola has won a ruling that Apple’s iCloud and MobileMe services infringe a patent relating to a two-way communications.
If Motorola enforces the ruling, some iPhone users in Germany will lose the ability to automatically receive e-mails as soon as they have been sent.
This patent is not considered to be critical to an industry standard, so Motorola does not have to license the technology to Apple, even if the iPhone-maker offers to pay.
Apple said that it believed the patent involved was invalid and that it would appeal against the ruling.
Although the two cases only apply to Germany, they may have implications for other European lawsuits, because courts must explain why they have reached a different conclusion to a court in another EU member state.
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Getting your business out there
Hi all
It’s “That Man” again (The Mad Hatter) bring you more tips and more tech stuff. I liked to talk you about getting your company out there on the Internet. Now you hear and see lot of adverts telling about all the different ways of marketing your company and they are all good but they can be very expensive. And if you a new start-up and you have not got a lot of cash !!!!! it’s double hard.
They tell you like my company DNS-DIRECT that you need to get a website, email accounts, news letters, twitter, LinkedIn etc.……. and all of that good stuff but were do you go from there?
You’d spent lots of time an energy doing this and you are still not getting the calls and turning all that hard work into customer sales? and most important cash!!!! Am still dreaming about getting my Ferrari F355 or Ferrari 380 GTS. When I get them I will post the photo’s
Well there is not better way of getting customers than word of mouth and recommendations.
So if you are based in the UK I want to tell you about “THE BEST OF” teams in your local area that you should link up to I use “THE BEST OF NOTTINGHAM”
Every business that is featured on the best of Nottingham Site has been visited and checked out by them and recommended by other local people, or company so you can use them with confidence knowing that they truly are one of the best at what they do.
I have been working with my team at “THE BEST OF NOTTINGHAM” for three months and I am see the benefits. http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/nottingham
They provide a great service at a great price, money well spent and the (The Mad Hatter) does not recommend others companies very often. So you see it’s the word of mouth that has done it again.
So contact your local “THE BEST OF” and if you are based in Nottingham contact the Boys at
“THE BEST OF NOTTINGHAM” and get your company name out there and be the best.
Check out the interview with “THE BEST OF NOTTINGHAM” team on our local radio station at BBC radio Nottingham http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00nkxm6 with the great Frances Finn 5 day left to hear the team.
Vince Bailey (The Mad Hatter) "That Man"
http://www.linkedin.com/in/dnsdirect
http://twitter.com/baileyvw
http://twitter.com/dnsdirect
http://www.dns-ltd.blogspot.com/
It’s “That Man” again (The Mad Hatter) bring you more tips and more tech stuff. I liked to talk you about getting your company out there on the Internet. Now you hear and see lot of adverts telling about all the different ways of marketing your company and they are all good but they can be very expensive. And if you a new start-up and you have not got a lot of cash !!!!! it’s double hard.
They tell you like my company DNS-DIRECT that you need to get a website, email accounts, news letters, twitter, LinkedIn etc.……. and all of that good stuff but were do you go from there?
You’d spent lots of time an energy doing this and you are still not getting the calls and turning all that hard work into customer sales? and most important cash!!!! Am still dreaming about getting my Ferrari F355 or Ferrari 380 GTS. When I get them I will post the photo’s
Well there is not better way of getting customers than word of mouth and recommendations.
So if you are based in the UK I want to tell you about “THE BEST OF” teams in your local area that you should link up to I use “THE BEST OF NOTTINGHAM”
Every business that is featured on the best of Nottingham Site has been visited and checked out by them and recommended by other local people, or company so you can use them with confidence knowing that they truly are one of the best at what they do.
I have been working with my team at “THE BEST OF NOTTINGHAM” for three months and I am see the benefits. http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/nottingham
They provide a great service at a great price, money well spent and the (The Mad Hatter) does not recommend others companies very often. So you see it’s the word of mouth that has done it again.
So contact your local “THE BEST OF” and if you are based in Nottingham contact the Boys at
“THE BEST OF NOTTINGHAM” and get your company name out there and be the best.
Check out the interview with “THE BEST OF NOTTINGHAM” team on our local radio station at BBC radio Nottingham http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00nkxm6 with the great Frances Finn 5 day left to hear the team.
Vince Bailey (The Mad Hatter) "That Man"
http://www.linkedin.com/in/dnsdirect
http://twitter.com/baileyvw
http://twitter.com/dnsdirect
http://www.dns-ltd.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)