Daily Cup of Tech

win-get Repository:

win-get is an automated install system and software repository for Microsoft Windows written in pascal (for the command line client) and php for the online repository. The ideas for its creation come from apt-get and other related tools for the *nix platforms. The system works by connecting to a link repository. Finding an application and downloading it from the stored link using wget.exe . Then performing the installation routine (silent or standard). And finnally deleting the install file.

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Turn Off Unnecessary Windows XP Services | JasonN.com:

Turning off unnecessary services in Windows XP can greatly reduce your exploit risk, while improving system performance. It’s a good time to inject that often there are all sorts of “download optimizers” and other cute programs that vendors like to push on users. Most of the time, installing such things slows your computer down at best. It could subject you to potential security risks. The first rule is “If you don’t know you need it, you probably don’t.”

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Windows SteadyState:

Share computers, not headaches

What state is your shared computer in at the end of the day?

• Hard disk filled with downloaded files?

• Strange options configured?

• Programs installed that you don’t want?

• System infected with viruses and spyware?

• Computer bogged down for unknown reasons?

Windows SteadyState, successor to the Shared Computer Toolkit, is designed to make life easier for people who set up and maintain shared computers.

An easy way to manage multiple users

You can manage whole groups of users as single user accounts. The new Windows SteadyState console makes it easier than ever to create and modify user profiles.

A locked-down platform for stable shared computing

Not every computer user should have access to every software capability. Your system can be more stable and consistent when you limit user access to control panel functions, network resources, and other sensitive areas.

Set it and forget it

Once you have everything set up the way you want it, you can share the computer and rest easy. Any changes a user might make to the configuration or hard disk can be undone by simply restarting the machine.

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What happens when you mix sound and fire!

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With all of the fancy e-mail programs out there, it is really easy to forget that e-mail had some pretty humble beginning with a simple text interface. And, it is still possible to send e-mail this way.

Now, I’m not really certain as to why you would want to send e-mail this way other than you have no choice or you just want to do it (GEEK!) but here is the process, step by step.

For this tutorial, we will use an example. In this example, our mail server is called smtp.maildomain.com. My e-mail address is me@maildomain.com and I am sending an e-mail to my friend at geekreader@maildomain.com. I want to send him an e-mail with a subject of Telnet Mail and the message will be I am sending this e-mail with telnet. Whenever you see these in the code portion of this tutorial, please replace it with your appropriate information.

The entire conversation should look something like this:

Now, these are just the absolute basics for sending an e-mail. There are a lot of different options but this will at least get an e-mail out the door!

Now, if you are looking for some more fun with telnet, open up a telnet session to towel.blinkenlights.nl and see what Star Wars looks like in ASCII text!  (Yes, I know this has been around forever but I’ll bet that there is at least one reader who has not seen it!)

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Google Cheat Sheet (Version 1.06):

This two page Google Cheat Sheet lists all Google services and tools as well as background information. The Cheat Sheet offers a great reference to grasp of basic to advance Google query building concepts and ideas.

Trackback link - http://www.DailyCupOfTech.com/2007/07/30/google-quick-reference-sheet/trackback/

YouTube has decided to implement some copyright filtering software this fall. This is all due to the number of legal actions that have been made against YouTube over the past number of months.

In my opinion, all of this comes down to who is responsible for the content that goes on YouTube. Really, there are three different people who could be shouldering the responsibility for the content, the video creator, the video poster, and YouTube.

I know who I think should be held responsible for this content but I want to know your opinion. So, vote on who you feel should be responsible for this content. If you want to say a bit more than just a vote, definitely at more in the comments.

Background Reading

• Copyright Filtering Coming To YouTube This Fall (Wired)
• YouTube Preps Video Fingerprinting (Washington Post)
• YouTube to Implement New Technology Against Copyright Infringement (FOX News)
• Google Plans YouTube Antipiracy Tool for September (PC World)
• For YouTube, a System to Halt Copyright-Infringing Videos (New York Times)
• Google plans YouTube antipiracy tool launch for September (TechSpot)

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Well, the results are in and the people have spoken. I have to say that I am a little surprised with the results because with some of the strong reactions that I got to the changes initially, I thought that I was committing blog suicide. As it turns out, it looks like people, in general, like the idea of the tumblog posts being available in the regular blog stream so I will keep them in. But, it is also apparent that people are looking for options and I think that by providing more than one RSS feed for people to subscribe to, I am providing those options.

So, just for easy access, here are the RSS feed options:

• Full Feed
• Feed without Tumblog
• Tumblog Feed

Thanks to everyone who voted. It is through such polls that I can best determine what people are interested in and how I can change the blog for the better.

Trackback link - http://www.DailyCupOfTech.com/2007/07/30/tumblog-vote-results/trackback/

There used to be a time when people would say, “I can’t make a decision because I do not have enough information!” Now, you are more likely to hear something like, “I can’t make a decision because I have too much information!”

The Internet has allowed us to amass an extremely large amount of data. More than we have ever had access to previously. This has presented us with a unique problem. We have too much information and we need to find ways to filter out the data “noise” so that we can get to the good stuff.

I have discovered a very useful tool called Apatar that allows you to do just that.

Read the rest of the story…

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Laptop Alarm - Boost your laptop security!:

Did you ever hesitate to leave your laptop for a few minutes in a public space like a library? Afraid that someone will take your laptop? Now there is a simple and free solution to this problem! Laptop Alarm will emit a loud alarm whenever someone tries to steal your laptop!

Not the most secure thing in the world but better than leaving it out in the open with nothing!

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