It would seem that there are gangs everywhere, even on the web.

I thought this article might interest some people, although I am not really shocked, I do hope this type of trend can be avoided in some way. I also find that I have a greater appreciation for both the security software designers job and for the web site designers / administrators who must take this kind of thing into account.

Not to mention normal users like myself who just want a fun tool to work with.

A silent war is raging - check it out if you dare.

I have seen a few people asking about removing the shortcut arrow from the Vista interface and thought this might be of interest to some. I have tested this method on Vista Home Premium, and it should work fine on all versions.

This method involves downloading a blank '.ico' file in a compressed '.zip' file > extracting the file and placing it in your '\Windows' folder (usually - C:\Windows) > creating a new registry key and string value.

That being said, I must include the following:

Warning: Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall the operating system. Modify the registry at your own risk.

Note - you may need to reboot as indicated in the article, and if anything goes wrong the easiest solution would be to 'delete the new registry key > remove the '.ico' file > reboot' to place yourself back where you started.

Due to the upcoming (this Sunday - March 11, 2007) daylight savings time observance changes, I thought it prudent to post a link to the Microsoft page that has information and an interactive download wizard to help users update their Windows operating systems and calendaring applications.

No sense in being late to a meeting if it could have been avoided.

There is not much else to add.

After wondering about whether Adobe would offer Vista patches to the current Adobe CS2 programs with Adobe CS3 so close to release, some light has been brought to the subject. Unfortunately, the light will be in the form of the new Creative Suite 3 for many of the Adobe point programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere, etc.

You can use the main link to go to the support site, where you will see a link for a '.pdf' file addressing the question of Adobe products and Vista support.

You can access the '.pdf' directly here http://www.adobe.com/support/products/pdfs/adobe_products_and_windows_vista.pdf

Note - you will need Adobe Reader to view the file which you can download and install for free from the Adobe site http://www.adobe.com

For my part, I had assumed this would be the unfortunate case for CS2 users (with the exception of Acrobat 8, which will receive a free patch scheduled for the first half of 2007.

On a positive note; the current available printed information on CS3 (and the Photoshop CS3 beta) would support some measure of excitement for serious graphic designers of both screen and print media.

Please take a look if you are interested.

"For the first time ever, Adobe is delivering a widely available Photoshop CS3 beta to enable customers to more easily transition to the latest hardware platforms, particularly Apple's new Intel based systems. The beta is available as a Universal Binary for the Macintosh platform as well for Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista computers, with the final shipping release of Adobe Photoshop CS3 planned for spring 2007."

"The Photoshop CS3 beta is available in English only but to Photoshop CS2 users worldwide. It is available to licensed users of either the Photoshop CS2 (full, upgrade, and education), Adobe Creative Suite 2 Standard or Premium (full, upgrade, and education), Adobe Production Studio Standard and Premium (full, upgrade, and education), Adobe Video Bundle (full, upgrade, and education) or Adobe Web Bundle (full, upgrade, and education). You will need to provide your Photoshop CS2, Creative Suite, Production Studio or Bundle serial number in order to get a Photoshop CS3 beta serial number, enabling you to activate the Photoshop beta and use it beyond the two-day grace period."

I thought some may be interested in this offer, so here you go.

Note - the quotes are part of the text on the linked page below. Have fun! :)

For those who do not want to be locked into Apple's proprietary hardware, 'Zune' devices have now been released to retail stores.

These look like very nice devices for music, pictures, and video. They are also reported to play nice with both Microsoft and Apple files.

I feel like I may regret purchasing an iPod, now that my freedom has been shown to be limited - but that is a personal issue.

You can read more by clicking the link below.

"Let music fill the air" - Grateful Dead. ;)

"As Windows Vista hits the Release to Manufacturing milestone, Microsoft looks back at what it took to build the most heavily tested, highest quality and most secure operating system in the company’s history."

While we have all heard the hype, I thought it would still be relevant to this community to post the article link.

It looks like the 'pudding' is being prepared for 'proofing'. ;)

OneCare Live now offers a beta version (1.5) for download, install and use.

Following is some of the content of an e-mail that MS has extended forwarding rights to:

Frequently Asked Questions:

 

What is Windows Live OneCare?
An all-in-one PC care service that’s always on, helping provide persistent protection against viruses, hackers, and other threats, and helping keep your PC tuned up and your important documents backed up.

What Windows Live OneCare does for you.
• Runs quietly in the background, providing anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall protection
• Activates Phishing Filter in Internet Explorer 7 to help block or warn against identity theft or online scams

• Updates itself to help you keep ahead of the latest threats
• Runs regular tune-ups to help optimize the performance of your PC
• Provides one-click resolutions for any actions that you may need to take

• Makes backups to a variety of devices a breeze
• Lets you see the status of your system at a glance

In which countries can I use Windows Live OneCare?
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UK, US.

What operating systems are supported?
Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista (build 5500 or greater; recommended build is 5600 aka RC1). OneCare is currently not available for x64 operating systems..

This link will take you to the download https://www.int3.windowsonecare-int.com/install/Install.aspx

The link below will take you to the information page for OneCare Live beta (v 1.5).

Have fun. ;)

Since I have not seen anyone else post the download link, I thought some might be interested.

The link below will take you to the download page for Vista RC2, which is currently available.

I recommend using the Akamai download manager link.

Note - this is for 32-bit version. [Edit - they have added the 64-bit as well] ;)

I thought it might be good to start a thread for brainstorming ideas on features wanted in ObjectDock to give the developers some idea of what users want. Whether it is possible to implement is another story, but this is brainstorming after all.

I would like to see the addition of the following:

1 - Virtual/Dynamic Folder support

2 - Distance adjustment for 'Alignment' on top of the one for 'Position', allowing for adjustments in both the 'X' and 'Y' axis simultaneously.

What would you like to see?