IObit StartMenu 8: brings back the start menu to Windows 8

View the original article here

How to Start Reading Sheet Music for the Guitar..

Learning guitar by reading music has many advantages: the ability to read music provides a lot of information that you can usually only get when you spend time with a more proficient musician who is willing to show or explain techniques to you. Music takes time; muscle memory and neurological pathways must be developed over thousands of hours of practice. While teachers and professional musicians can be very helpful, learning to read music makes you independently able to study and learn new material yourself. When you have a grasp of the chords and melodies, then your teacher can help you refine your knowledge and show you the right techniques in a targeted way during your lessons.

In the old days, especially with folk music, notation was unnecessary and most musicians learned by copying a master. But in those times the master musician took on a few apprentices and spent thousands of hours with them personally developing their techniques and styles. There simply isn't time for that any more in the modern world, so prejudice against reading music is unfounded! Reading music for the guitar can help you immensely in your own independent study.

Types of guitar notation - tabs vs. note reading

There are many advantages to reading tabs, but learning note reading guitar skills can give you a wealth of information that tabs cant deliver. A composer can use musical notation to transmit pitch, time signatures, alternate notes, volume, picking styles and harmonics, just to name a few. The ability to read music in the bass, treble and even the rarer clefs (soprano, alto, tenor, etc.) can open up a wide variety of new techniques and understanding. Learning to read notes can let you communicate effectively and in an efficient manner with other musicians and will also provide you with a good foundation for reading classical or other styles of music which might require more reading. If you ever want to audition for a band, then you will also need to have your sight reading skills perfected in addition to your techniques, improvisation and so on. Take a look at the tests Dream Theater forces their musicians through when they are auditioning for new members in the documentary "The Spirit Carries On.

Beginner ideas

The first thing you should do is find a book that has progressive exercises in learning guitar notation. Ask your teacher where to get one, check on the Internet or consult with the staff at your local guitar or music shop. You can even get free sight reading guitar books online. Its best to get a couple of books, as you will find that after doing the exercises a few times you may end up memorizing them and playing from heart. If you find yourself doing this, you need to move onto another exercise, because playing from memory wont help you develop your sight reading abilities.Work your way through the exercises starting with the sections on basic sight reading for the guitar. If you run out of exercises in one book, switch to the other one to do new exercises to practice sight reading at the beginner level until you can confidently read them "on the fly."

Beginning sight reading the guitar is best done by learning the notes on the 1st and 2nd string in the first position of the guitar using quarter notes. Make sure you are doing exercises that let you practice these. Songs like "Mary Had a Little Lamb," and "Frere Jacques" are often used in these exercises because they have you practicing only a few notes per scale.

You will usually start off your beginner sight reading exercises by playing songs with quarter notes.

Intermediate guitar notation

As you progress through your sight reading books, you will be slowly adding the other strings on the guitar as well as changing the note duration (half notes, eighth notes, etc.)

Eventually, you will start doing technical exercises such as arpeggios, thirds, scales, rhythms and riffs. These are small blocks of melodies that can be practiced by drilling and adding to your routine. Practicing these over and over once you can sight-read will help you develop your techniques in dexterity, picking, strumming, holding down chords and playing melodies with both your hands (especially with electric guitars, both hands are often used to play complicated solos which would be technically impossible with one hand).

Advanced guitar notation

By this stage, you should have a solid foundation of being able to read any note or note duration by sight. This is when complicated tonalities, pitches, durations, volumes, tapping and rests are added. This type of sight reading will teach you how to pluck the strings to produce staccatos, slurs, legatos and glissandos. You will also learn how to read the Italian used to describe the pace of the song and how to alternate quickly between complicated time signatures.

Tips & tricks to remember

- STOP if you are memorizing the exercise; move onto the next one

- SPEND regular time practicing sight reading; even a few 15 minute sessions per week that you can integrate into your regular practice sessions will be extremely beneficial

- GET RID OF distractions; not everyone can afford a sound-proof room, but you can use one for a small fee usually at your local music school or sound studio or even just lock yourself into a small room; remember to treat your practice time almost with a religious fervor and instruct the rest of your family/roommates not to disturb you when you are practicing; doing this will greatly increase your ability to concentrate on reading instead of worrying about getting your fingers in the right place; and theyll realize you were right when youre playing like anyone on this list!

Learn more about flute music books or flute music books

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author's information and copyright must be included.

View the original article here

Park Cursor Aside Moves The Mouse Cursor When You Start Typing

Have you ever had issues with the mouse cursor being in the way when you started to type on your computer? Since you usually activate the text field with the mouse, for instance on websites, you often end up with the mouse cursor being in the way. With the mouse cursor blocking some characters in your text, you sometimes need to move it around, for instance before you start editing the text that you cannot see because of the cursor.

I reviewed Auto Hide Mouse Cursor back in February here on Ghacks, which automatically hid the mouse cursor after some time of inactivity. While that sounds very handy when watching videos for instance, it also offered a solution when using the keyboard on the computer. The program hid the mouse cursor on mouse inactivity, and let you use the keyboard and other input devices as usual.

Park Cursor Aside is another free program for that purpose. It automatically moves the mouse cursor to a designated position on the screen as soon as you start typing. The default setting moves the mouse cursor to the bottom of the screen after three keystrokes.

The portable program works right after you start it up on your system. A right-click on the program icon in the system tray open a context menu with options to disable the program functionality, and to configure the program’s settings.

The settings menu, which you see in the screenshot above, allows you to change the following preferences:

Change the position the mouse cursor is moved to (1=top, 2=right, 3=bottom, 4=left, 5=center)Change the number of keystrokes that are required before the mouse is moved away (from 1-9)Park the mouse a few pixels away from the screen edge, useful if you have a toolbar there for instance that gets automatically activated when the mouse moves into the regionSlide mouse to parking position. This visualizes the movement to the selected positionPark mouse related to screen (1) or active window position (2)

Park Cursor Aside is not as flexible as Auto Hide Mouse Cursor. Especially the fact that the latter does not move the mouse may be more to the liking of users who would like to hide their mouse cursor when they type. That does not make Park Cursor Aside a bad program. On the contrary, it will definitely attract users who find it useful.

No related posts.

Enjoyed the article?: Then sign-up for our free newsletter or RSS feed to kick off your day with the latest technology news and tips, or share the article with your friends and contacts on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ using the icons below.
About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Monday March 26, 2012 -
Tags:mouse cursor, portable software, windows software

You are here: Home » Software » Park Cursor Aside Moves The Mouse Cursor When You Start Typing

View the original article here

Stardock’s Start8 Brings Back The Windows 8 Start Menu

With Microsoft’s decision to pull the classic start menu from the upcoming Windows 8 operating system, came a rise of third party solutions to bring back the start menu. We already mentioned that ViStart can add the start menu back to the operating system.

The latest company to announce a free start menu program for Windows 8 is Stardock. Start8, which will be available later this week, adds a start menu back to the Windows 8 desktop. The program has just been announced on the official website.

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview is available and has taken the Windows interface to a whole new level. Unfortunately, the preview did not come with a desktop feature that the world makes use of billions times a day, the “Start” menu. Luckily, we have a solution!

Judging from the screenshot, Stardock’s solution copies the Metro search and application launch interface to the desktop. At least the design looks exactly like the Metro Search page layout. According to the product page, the start menu allows you to search for and load applications without switching to Metro first. Stardock in addition has added run and shutdown options to the start menu orb.

Start8 is only compatible with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview right now. Stardock will however update the program to make it compatible with the soon to be released release candidate and final versions of the operating system.

It is too early to tell if this start menu concept will convince Windows 8 users, or if they prefer to install a traditional start menu instead.

Windows 8 users who’d like to be informed when the first version of Start8 gets released can enter their email address on the official website. As I said earlier, it is not necessary considering that the program will be out in the coming days. Just check back on the Stardock website or here on Ghacks, and you can be sure that you won’t miss the release.

Stardock’s implementation looks completely different from the ViStart option. Which option – or none at all – do you prefer and why? (via Caschy)

Update: I just received the download link and have installed the program in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. The start orb gets automatically added in the right spot during installation. When you click on the orb, you get a Metro like interface that displays your apps there and the search. It replicates the Metro search options.

You can start typing right away to find apps, or click on one to open it directly. A right-click opens a context menu with options to run applications or shutdown the computer.

The interface is as responsive as the Metro UI interface when it comes to searching and starting applications. Interested users can download the program from this location.

Enjoyed the article?: Then sign-up for our free newsletter or RSS feed to kick off your day with the latest technology news and tips, or share the article with your friends and contacts on Facebook or Twitter. Windows 8 Start Menu Toggle, Disable, Enable Metro UI
ViStart Restores Start Menu, Disables Metro Ui in Windows 8
Blank Start Menu In Windows 7
The Windows Start Menu
Pin Folders And Files To The Windows 7 Start Menu About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Tuesday March 6, 2012 -
Tags:stardock, windows 8, windows software, windows start menu

You are here: Home » Software » Stardock’s Start8 Brings Back The Windows 8 Start Menu

View the original article here

ViStart Restores Start Menu, Disables Metro Ui in Windows 8

Microsoft has removed the start menu for good in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview version that was released yesterday. If you have tested the Developer Preview version of the operating system, you might have noticed that it was possible to restore the start menu in that release.

With the start menu removed completely in the Consumer Preview release, Windows 8 users who’d like the shiny orb back where it belongs need to look elsewhere.

The first solution to restore the start menu in Windows 8 is provided by ViStart, a program initially designed for bringing Vista’s Start Menu to Windows XP. The program has been updated regularly ever since it was created, and it is working in all recent versions of the Windows operating system, including the Developer Preview version of Windows 8.

Setup is slightly complicated, but it should be doable by users of all experience levels. Download ViStart from the developer website and install the program. Take note that it contains third party offers in the installer that you may not want to install (two on separate pages on the test system).

Once it is installed and running, you will notice that the start menu orb has been placed in its original location. You can click on the icon to bring up the start menu. A side-effect is that ViStart maps the Windows key to the opening of the start menu, so that the operating system won’t switch into Metro anymore when you press that key. Metro UI is however not completely turned off, and you may be able to get back in via Alt-Tab or the Charms menu.

The icon overlaps with the first pinned taskbar icon on the other hand which you may not like. Here is how this is resolved:

Create a new folder on the desktop or another location.Right-click the Windows Taskbar and select Toolbars > New Toolbar from the context menu. Select the newly created folder. You will notice that the new toolbar is placed on the right end of the taskbar.Right-click the taskbar again and select Lock The Taskbar. This unlocks the Windows Taskbar so that you can move the taskbar elements around.Now drag the new toolbar to the very left of the screen so that starts before the original toolbar with the pinned taskbar items.Right-click the taskbar again and uncheck Show Text and Show title in the context menu.Now move the original toolbar with a double-click on the separator near the start menu orb.

ViStart restores the Windows Start Menu in Windows 8 and re-maps the Windows hotkey to open the start menu instead of the Metro UI start page. (via Tweaking with Vishal)

Enjoyed the article?: Then sign-up for our free newsletter or RSS feed to kick off your day with the latest technology news and tips, or share the article with your friends and contacts on Facebook or Twitter. Windows 8 Start Menu Toggle, Disable, Enable Metro UI
Pin Folders And Files To The Windows 7 Start Menu
Blank Start Menu In Windows 7
Creating Access to Virtual Box from the Windows 7 Start Menu
Enable Internet Search In Windows Start Menu Search Box About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Friday March 2, 2012 -
Tags:vistart, windows 8, windows tips

You are here: Home » Software » ViStart Restores Start Menu, Disables Metro Ui in Windows 8

View the original article here

Is it Time to Dump the Internet and Start Again?

Is it Time to Dump the Internet and Start Again? .download-info .download-button {background-image: url(http://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/page-addon/downloadbutton.gif);}.download-info .more-button {background-image: url(http://www.ghacks.net/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/page-addon/morebutton.gif);} HomeWindowsLinuxSoftwareInternet ExplorerFirefoxChromeOperaEmailContactAdvertiseIs it Time to Dump the Internet and Start Again?

This week, Google was found out to have been bypassing privacy settings in both Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Apple’s Safari web browsers, as Martin reported here.  In a statement on their blog, the Corporate Vice-President of IE blogged “IE blocks third-party cookies unless the site presents a P3P Compact Policy Statement indicating how the site will use the cookie and that the site’s use does not include tracking the user. Google’s P3P policy causes Internet Explorer to accept Google’s cookies even though the policy does not state Google’s intent.”

Microsoft are now also looking into reports that Facebook does the same and there are apparently many websites guilt of doing this.  It does raise some interesting questions though, the biggest of which is should be dump the Internet as currently exists and start again from scratch?

This has been the subject of some considerable debate with Internet professionals in the last year with many arguing that, with malware and fraud as prevalent as they are, we simply cannot control crime and unprofessional behaviour and protect the privacy and rights of netizens without a radical change.  They’re not wrong either as online crimes such as identity theft and credit card fraud are at an all-time-high, the use of the Internet as a weapon, both against governments but also companies and even individuals as a means of blackmail is rampant, and we also have privacy concerns from the likes of Facebook and Google (which when set next to the other problems seem trivial).

So could we actually do it?  One of the biggest reasons for not abandoning the current infrastructure and, crucially, the methods used to communicate and distribute data over the Internet is the sheer scale of the problem.  The Internet is everywhere and a wholesale upgrade would require millions of web and email servers needing new software, none of which currently exists or has been properly field tested.  The cost to the world’s economy would run well into billions of dollars and the roll-out would take many years.  For an example of this just look at how long it has taken to get IPv6 off the ground!

Then companies have to be convinced to update their websites and email services to the new standards.  This would be even harder as companies worldwide are notoriously bad at putting their hands in their pockets to replace IT systems that currently “work”, and compounded by the fact that it would take to very long to upgrade the worldwide software and hardware infrastructure, that both old and new Internet’s would have to coincide for years, maybe even two decades.

On the plus side, software is software and the underlying hardware wouldn’t change.  It would therefore no doubt be possible to engineer web browsers to allow both systems to run side by side so as far as end users know there would be no change or difference, and existing web languages could no doubt be ported to any new system.

The advantages of a new Internet are that security would be much tighter.  All traffic would be identifiable which would make it extremely difficult for criminals and malware writers to operate, as the authorities would be able to find them much more easily.  On the down side, not only would this have privacy campaigners up in arms, but all those people who live in, shall we say, less democratic countries where Internet freedoms are curtailed, would be equally traceable if they even looked at any material that stood against the state.  This at its most extreme could endanger lives, and nobody wants that.

So here we have a problem.  We either have to make do with the Internet that we have, and probably stop complaining and grumbling about it, or accept years of painful and difficult change at the end of which we will forego much, if not all, of our anonymity.  At the end of the process there too would not be any guarantee that criminals and malware writers wouldn’t find ways to circumvent the traffic logging systems anyway and the billions would have effectively been spent for nothing.

What do you think about the future of the Internet?  Do we need a new system or is it simply too late for that?  How do you compare protecting your anonymity to tracking and deterring criminals?  Why not let us know in the comments below.

Enjoyed the article?: Then sign-up for our free newsletter or RSS feed to kick off your day with the latest technology news and tips, or share the articlewith your friends and contacts on Facebook or Twitter.

No related posts.

About the Author:Mike Halsey is a Microsoft MVP for "Windows Expert". He is also the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out from Microsoft Press and the Windows 7 Power Users Guide, a how-to guide for non-technical Windows users on how to get the best out of Microsoft's new operating system, with step-by-step and quick guides.You can follow Mike on Facebook, Twitter or on his own website The Long ClimbAuthor: Mike Halsey MVP, Wednesday February 22, 2012 -
Tags:internet, privacy, Security

You are here: Home » Security » Is it Time to Dump the Internet and Start Again?Previous Post: Get Android Notifications Pushed To Your Desktop
Next Post: Scroogle Founder Pulls The Plug, Closes Website
Click on the following link(s) to read more about Security
Responses so far:Olly says: February 22, 2012 at 10:20 am

I don’t think the problem is the infrastructure. It’s ignorance.

If you answer the phone and willingly let scamers control your PC because they say it has a virus, then go on to hand over credit card details with no proof of who your giving them to, well… Need I say more.

This kind of thing does happen.

If someone cannot tell the difference between a malicious web page that says you have to scan your pc (as opposed to your real anti-virus app informing you a piece of ad-ware was stopped in it’s tracks) and then willing install software from an unknown source, well….

The solution is in awareness and education. Simple-as.

Don’t just give grandma new first laptop and a 3g Internet dongle for Christmas and assume all will be well…

Replyjazzyjeph says: February 22, 2012 at 10:33 am

I couldn’t find the bit where you explain that Microsoft’s own products act in the same way.

Replyilev says: February 22, 2012 at 10:35 am

There is no need to dump the Internet, but there is a need to dump the users. No one should use a computer/smartphone/tablet.. without a license, which means, users have to pass a test in fundamental usage, basics of security,…..

ReplyRoman ShaRP says: February 22, 2012 at 12:12 pm

They say that they want identify users for some years , but people clearly don’t want it.

Let’s face it: in the Pirate Bay, Megaupload and other similar cases much more netizens sided with *pirates*, than with corporations and law enforcement, looking to stop filesharing *crime*.

Mandatory identifying can be imposed on users only top-down way, there will be protests, because world with mandatory identifying is some sort of dystopia, total control world. And many people will start to design measures to circumvent that identifying.

Openness, copying, filesharing and pirating were the things allowed and helped Internet to spread and go. And people want to do what they want – not just obey the rules and help to stop everything that corporations and authorities consider a crime.

So, I think that people pushing mandatory identifying won’t get much support.

ReplyRoman ShaRP says: February 22, 2012 at 12:20 pm

ilev,
if you are talking about something like ‘driving license’ – would you like to forbid drunk people using the computer too? :) Should we have police searching homes and randomly testing Internet users for alcohol and drugs? :)

I think that your proposal is not real, because it’s invasion in personal space (should I check my family’s license before letting them online?). And more to it, people don’t have to pass license exams for hygiene and human virus control – when the danger of dying from human virus is far higher than from a computer virus.

Replyilev says: February 22, 2012 at 8:15 pm

According to Microsoft the danger of computer viruses is the same as from health viruses. Microsoft wants to disconnect from the Internet any device with a virus and quarantine whole countries too when epidemic computer viruses break.

Yes, you need a license fro using a computer/phone… just like a driving license or a gun license.

ReplyRoman ShaRP says: February 22, 2012 at 9:33 pm

Recently I read a good article by Tim O’Reilly. It was called “Before Solving a Problem, Make Sure You’ve Got the Right Problem”.

Hey, guys, remember 2008? What was the cause of the biggest financial burst since Great Depression, lasting and lasting? Was it lack of identity? I would say – no. Millions lost money, jobs, homes… Were guilty found? Were the guilty prosecuted?

Next season. Sovereign debt crisis. And again – millions losing money, jobs, homes… All are identified. Nobody is to blame, nobody found guilty, nobody prosecuted.

Did you hear about UBS rogue trader case? One guy, identified guy, made loss of over 2 billion dollars.

Did you hear about Olympus board fraud? They gave false numbers for many years. All identified, and they even had audits by famous auditors, identified too.

Read another fine article, “The Global Economy’s Corporate Crime Wave”
by Jeffrey D. Sachs

“Hardly a day passes without a new story of malfeasance. Every Wall Street firm has paid significant fines during the past decade for phony accounting, insider trading, securities fraud, Ponzi schemes, or outright embezzlement by CEOs. A massive insider-trading ring is currently on trial in New York, and has implicated some leading financial-industry figures. And it follows a series of fines paid by America’s biggest investment banks to settle charges of various securities violations.”

Didn’t they have identities? They did.

And what are the largest identity thefts? Those by officials losing their devices (or selling the databases in corrupt contries), those by corporations, failing to protect their databases.

And what are the biggest treats of botnets? Those from millions of PCs with insecure Microsoft OSes.

And after all that those funny gentlemen says that the inability to strictly identify us is so serious problem that we should throw bloody money on rebuilding of the Internet?

Let’s have a good laugh.

And then let’s make them a proposal: first please they fix the losses and crimes in financial and corporate spheres, where they have all the identities they wish, and only after that, when nobody will suffer for corporate greed and recklessness, we may want to hear their talks about how identification helped them waste less money.

Yoav says: February 22, 2012 at 12:47 pm

There is no easy cure for stupidity, gullibility, or criminal behavior. This is the world, whether online or offline, so not much new here.

Perhaps the only thing that is really new is that the potential for freedom is much larger than before, and that is a good thing. We should cherish this, and nurture this, not regulate it out of the system in the name of copyright, dictatorship, or “protecting” the population.

I think we’ll manage just fine without “protection”, thank you very much…

Replypd says: February 22, 2012 at 2:27 pm

Give people a meaningful reason to change and they will, eventually. This is demonstrated by the eventual retirement of old web browsers. It’s not likely possible to stop the internet and start again, it is an entity in itself and whilst strictly speaking it could be shut down country by country, region by region, for upgrades to change it’s infrastructure en masse, it’s just not practical. The last time we tried to do something on this enormous scale in IT it did actually work though: Y2K. Then morons cried that all the worrying – which was required before people would do anything – was a waste because nothing mega-dramatic actually happened! That’s human societies for ya: exponentially more dysfunctional for every person added!

So we solved Y2K but not through a complete shutdown of all IT systems and besides, Y2K was as much an issue for non-connected machines as for networked machines. The internet is all about networking so the task would require a lot of cooperation between various dysfunctional human societies.

On the whole though, are we really that screwed? Has the internet really created new issues for society or just exploded the scale of all existing faults in the world? Can we actually build anything better if essentially the reasons the internet is broken are not mechanical or technical but reflections of the ills that pervade society? Why was the internet so hopelessly insecure in the first place? It was built initially by the military FFS! It should have been secure from day one.

The only way that humans have removed ourselves somewhat from ultimate chaos and anarchy is through constructs never before built on the scale of the internet. Most nation states are broken into manageable sizes and despite the UN and various trading blocs, we still can’t tackle global issues like climate change effectively.

Arguably the way to fix the internet is better regulation and better technology. So far the regulation of the internet has been almost completely separate from any regulation enforced by laws. Thus the W3C can drag it’s arse searching for consensus whilst browser developers are not held responsible for security leaks in their software. Nor are they required to take reasonable measures to ensure user privacy is not abused. Thankfully they do these things anyway but they do them poorly. If they were under the threat of regulation, would this produce tighter code? It’s worth a try.

DNSsec
SPDY
IPv6

All of those will help but until regulation requires that all mail servers reject unauthenticated mail, will we ever see an end to spam? Probably not.

ReplyHoward Pearce says: February 22, 2012 at 3:42 pm

For me the question comes down to how.

The internet has developed amazingly well with basically a spontaneous order. My fear is that those wanting the a design change will turn to the state/government to mandate the change and set up the regulations supposedly needed.

This would be a very big mistake and would no doubt end the internet as we now know it.

ReplyJim says: February 22, 2012 at 4:00 pm

Here’s a truism to consider: You can’t fix “stupid”. I don’t care how advanced and sophisticated your system is, it can be defeated by a loose screw on the keyboard. If we spent all that time and money to implement a new Internet I suspect we would be right back here a few years later discussing another set of similar problems. And besides, we really don’t need the Internet enabling the all the world’s governments to become police states. That’s not a world I want my kids growing up in.

Replykalmly says: February 22, 2012 at 5:10 pm

Hmmmm. So – tell me again, please. Why does everybody want to switch to cloud computing and move all their files to the (dangerous) web?

We are being conditioned to accept lack of privacy – and eventually, government control. You are helping.

ReplyMatias says: February 22, 2012 at 5:56 pm

I also think that what must change is the user, not the internet. An educated used will be much less prone to fall into scams techniques, and that´s not valid just for the virtual world: If there is people who willingly give out personal information to whatever person calls on the telephone, there is no technology in the world that will secure us from that. As Mike said, there will always be ways to bypass any security system, sooner or later, so why don´t we just improve what we have, instead of burning billions of dollars on a new Y2K hype?

ReplyTomF says: February 22, 2012 at 6:10 pm

If you want a secure network than anyone can set up a net within the internet using the current protocols. The internet is just the pipeline. You don’t have to access the Web of the Wild West. You can just check email and whatever else.

ReplyDAtkins says: February 22, 2012 at 6:42 pm

In my opinion we need a method of positively identifying a person on the internet through some government agency (like a drivers licence works now). For most internet usage you don’t need it – but when you need to log into your bank (or when we eventually add internet based voting) you can whip our your internet ID and are good to go.

Then each person can decide how they want to interact with people anonymously. Just like in real life, when selling a pack of gum no one cares who you are, but when you’re renting an apartment suddenly they care very much.

There was an article in the Economist recently (http://www.economist.com/node/21542763) about India’s recent decision to create a biometric database of it’s people to reduce fraud and increase access to financial services. Basically it says that when you cannot prove who you are, you are severely limited in the services you can receive. Who wants to loan money to a guy when you don’t know who he is? With the new database you can prove you are who you say you are, whenever you need to, and these basic services suddenly become available.

The same needs to occur for the internet. When you can tie a login to a verified person, you increase the level of services that are accessible and increase security. Then the only real question becomes, does this site REALLY need to know who I am? Most don’t need to know that – but for those that do there would be a real benefit.

Perhaps more pertinent to this discussion, this should work the other way around. Firefox doesn’t need to know who I am, but if I can validate that X download came from Mozilla with the same method, then security improves dramatically.

I only suggest a government agency because they 1) ave a legitimate need to identify you, 2) can pass laws requiring the acceptance of said validation. Not because they have any experience or a good track record …

ReplyAnon says: February 22, 2012 at 6:52 pm

I’d rather fix it than allowing a new and properly “regulated” internet. Emphasis on “regulated”. At least the current one comes from a time where 1984 was a mere fiction novel.

ReplyMorely the IT Guy says: February 22, 2012 at 7:28 pm

“IE blocks third-party cookies unless the site presents a P3P Compact Policy Statement indicating how the site will use the cookie and that the site’s use does not include tracking the user. Google’s P3P policy causes Internet Explorer to accept Google’s cookies even though the policy does not state Google’s intent.”

So Microsoft failed to implement the most basic if security measures for P3P policy enforcement (i.e., checking to see if the P3P policy actually meets the expressed requirements), and this is somehow Google’s fault?

Mr. Pot, meet Mr. Kettle.

Microsoft has historically failed to grasp the concept of “test your software to make sure it does what you claim it will do before you release it.” This incident merely confirms what everyone has know for decades: Microsoft does not do security, nor privacy. If you want those, use a different OS, or at least a non-Microsoft browser. May I suggest Google Chrome? 8^)

ReplyMorely the IT Guy says: February 22, 2012 at 8:12 pm

@DAtkins “In my opinion we need a method of positively identifying a person on the internet through some government agency (like a drivers licence works now).”

Then, of course, the next step is to make the undesirables wear a yellow Star of David on their clothing.

You were born too late. Try Germany, ca. 1939-1945, you’d fit right in there.

ReplyZero says: February 22, 2012 at 9:04 pm

Chrome sucks! Google will indefinitely track you all over the place. I say shut down google they’re the biggest evil corporation that’s out there!

DOWN WITH GOOGLE!!!!!

CHROME SUCKS!!! It’s practically spyware!

ReplyRobert Palmar says: February 22, 2012 at 9:24 pm

The stated purpose of surrendering privacy and
allowing surveillance for helping law enforcement
is just the latest approach of Hollywood in their zeal
to fight piracy inducing a new bill by the author of SOPA:

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/301371/20120220/hr-1981-sopa-lamar-smith-internet-surveillance.htm

ReplyRobert Palmar says: February 22, 2012 at 9:25 pm

“including” not “inducing”

ReplyAlastair Breingan says: February 22, 2012 at 11:39 pm

The simple answer is that we want both privacy and traceability; If each person could set their own privacy and traceability settings for each sort of transaction (both high for internet banking – high and none for messages to wiki leaks) then we have a system that works. It does rely on clever and independent browsers and operating systems (so Firefox not Chrome) and for the businesses to carefully differentiate their services. So a privacy standard that would allow experts to publish recommended settings and users to adopt and amend them as they wish.

ReplyLeave a Reply   Follow Ghacks   Subscribe To Comment Rss Click here to cancel reply.

Name

Mail (will not be published)

Website

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail

Subscribe without commenting
E-Mail:

 Ghacks Technology Newsletter Ghacks Daily NewsletterRecent PostsBrowserID Becomes Mozilla PersonaDataLocker, File Encryption For Windows, Mac, iOSBing Launches Linked PagesFilExile Lets You Delete Files That Refuse To Be RemovedHiJackThis is now Open SourceNo More Flash Updates For Linux, Unless You Use ChromeBlock Animated Gifs With Gif Block For FirefoxFollow This BlogRSS Feeds
Google+ Page; Facebook Fan Page; Twitter




Popular ArticlesData Recovery SoftwareDownload Youtube VideosFree Music PlayerFree Movie SitesHow to watch ABC TVGmail ToolsGoogle BrowserJqs.exeMicrosoft Windows UpdateOpen DocxRapidshare SearchWatch TV with your PCWeb ProxyWindows Backup SoftwareWindows DefenderPopular SearchesOrkut LoginGmail Login PageGoogleupdate.exeFacebook LoginGmail Sign InMicrosoft Download ManagerInternet Explorer 8 DownloadYoutube VideosGmail LoginPlugin-container.exeMicrosoft Security EssentialsOpera Add-onsAtiedxx.exeHotmail loginSkypepm.exePopular TagsBackupEmailFacebookFirefoxGoogleGoogle ChromeInternet ExplorerLinuxLoginMicrosoftOperaSecuritySoftwareWindowsWeb BrowserWindows SoftwareTopicsBrowsingGoogle ChromeIEOperaCompaniesAdobeAmazonAppleFacebookMicrosoftYahooDesktop ManagerEntertainmentCoolFunnyGamesGadgetsGhacksGoogleHardwareiPodKnowledgeMobile ComputingNotebooksMobilesGoogle AndroidiPhoneNokiaMusic And VideoMusic IndustryNetworksServerOnline ServicesOpen SourceOperating SystemsP2PSearch EnginesSecuritySpywareThe WebTroubleshootingTutorialsWeb DevelopmentLinksWindows 7Windows 8Login HelperA Tech Girl's LifeAppnewsAsk VGBrothersoft BlogCypherhacksConnected InternetDonation CoderDottechFreeware GeniusNew Bits On The BlogOne Tip A DayRarstRaymond.ccAbout Ghacks

Ghacks is a technology news blog that was founded in 2005 by Martin Brinkmann. It has since then become one of the most popular latest tech news sites on the Internet with five authors and regular contributions from freelance writers.

ServicesTech SearchArchivesAuthors Martin Brinkmann
Melanie Gross
Mike Halsey
Ryan D. Lang
Jack Wallen

© 2005-2012 Ghacks.net. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - About Us

View the original article here

Chrome Connecting To Random Domains On Start? Here Is Why!

If you are monitoring your network traffic closely you may have noticed that the Google Chrome web browser and its Open Source counterpart Chromium are both trying to connect to three random ten letter words on start up. For most users, it is not clear why the browser is making those connections, and some have even assumed that they were either made to send information privately to Google, for tracking purposes, or even caused by malware running on the system.

Mike West analyzed the part of the browser’s source code that was responsible for making the connections. He discovered that Chrome and Chromium are making those connections to help the browser’s Omnibox figure out user intents correctly.

The issue that Google aims to fix with these connections is easily explained. Some Internet Service Providers have started to intercept requests that do not resolve properly. If you enter ghacks for instance in the address bar and tap on the return key afterwards, Chrome needs to figure out if you want to search for the term ghacks, or if you want to visit the site http://ghacks/. Since it cannot do that, it displays an infobar if the word would resolve to an existing domain name giving the user the chance to open the domain with another click.

When ISPs intercept the lookups to display their own error pages, usually filled with advertisement and search options, then it appears to the browser as if the word would resolve just fine. This in turn would mean that users would see the infobox in the browser even for words that do not resolve.

To prevent this, Google is making these three initial lookups on start up to see if ISPs intercept requests that cannot be resolved. It compares the IP addresses of the pages that are returned, and turns the infobox off if they are identical (as this suggests an ISP is intercepting the look ups).

How can you find out if Chrome or Chromium are making those requests? You can use programs that monitor traffic on the system. One example would be the free tool Fiddler which can show you the connections the browser makes.

The three random connections are highlighted in the screenshot above.

The three connections are nothing that users need to worry about. Thanks Mike for finding that out for us.

Enjoyed the article?: Then sign-up for our free newsletter or RSS feed to kick off your day with the latest technology news and tips, or share the article with your friends and contacts on Facebook or Twitter. Use Google Chrome For Secure Web Browsing
Google Chrome DNS Fetching
Autonito, Automatically Open Domains In Google Chrome’s Incognito Mode
Google Chrome SSL Enforcer
Want To Impress Your Friends? Run Chrome OS About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Saturday February 18, 2012 -
Tags:google chrome tips

You are here: Home » Browsing » Chrome Connecting To Random Domains On Start? Here Is Why!

View the original article here

Blogspot To Start Redirecting To Country Specific Domain Extensions

Users of Google’s blog hosting service Blogger may notice quite a significant change in the coming weeks. Instead of being able to access blogs hosted on Blogger directly, they may now be redirected to a country specific domain. A user visiting a blog from Australia for instance will be redirected to blogspot.com.au automatically whenever a blogspot blog is accessed.

Only custom hosted domains are exempt from the change. Why is Google doing this? According to a recently added help page to “continue promoting free expression and responsible publishing while providing greater flexibility in complying with valid removal requests pursuant to local law”. Google explains the move with greater content removal flexibility as they can now manage those removals on a per country base to limit the “impact to the smallest number of readers” as content removed “due to a specific country’s law will only be removed from the relevant ccTLD”.

The company notes that users who want to visit the original domain name can do so by accessing blogspost.com/ncr for that. It is not clear if this can also be attached to deep links, or if it only works to access the root domain of a particular blog.

It is definitely a confusing move both from a webmaster and site visitor perspective. Especially site regulars may think that something’s not right with the site if they are redirected automatically. Some may even believe that they are redirected by a hacked site or computer virus.

What’s your take on this development? Lets discuss it in the comments. (via Techdows)

It is also not clear if users who are locked out of the country domain can access the ncr version of the site, or if they are blocked from accessing that version as well. It is however likely that Google will first check the country of origin before making the redirect, which would suggest that users would be blocked from accessing ncr versions if the blog is blocked in their country.

Blog owners on the other hand may fear that the change will impact their search engine rankings or visibility. Google will make use of the rel”canonical” tag to prevent search engines from indexing different country versions of the same blog or post. It is however still possible that some webmasters will notice negative effects of the change.

Enjoyed the article?: Then sign-up for our free newsletter or RSS feed to kick off your day with the latest technology news and tips, or share the article with your friends and contacts on Facebook or Twitter. Why is Google.com redirecting me to another Google domain ?
Configure Tor to use a specific country as an exit node
Reveal the domain owner and hoster of a domain
Expect a serious increase in domain name spam
Domain Name Registration Lookup About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Tuesday January 31, 2012 -
Tags:blogger, blogspot, Google

You are here: Home » Google » Blogspot To Start Redirecting To Country Specific Domain Extensions

Click on the following link(s) to read more about Google

View the original article here

Google To Start Tracking Users Across Services

An announcement was posted yesterday on the official Google blog that indicates that changes are being made to Google’s privacy policies and terms of service. What first looks like a reasonable thing to do is in fact something that will keep privacy advocates up at night. Google will merge their privacy policies, of which about 60 are now available, into one main privacy policy. This on first glance is good from a user perspective, as it improves the privacy policy’s accessibility.

Google furthermore has created a main Google Terms of Service file that covers many of their products. This too improves accessibility.

The following paragraphs outlines how Google thinks users will profit from the change

What does this mean in practice? The main change is for users with Google Accounts. Our new Privacy Policy makes clear that, if you’re signed in, we may combine information you’ve provided from one service with information from other services. In short, we’ll treat you as a single user across all our products, which will mean a simpler, more intuitive Google experience.

Our recently launched personal search feature is a good example of the cool things Google can do when we combine information across products. Our search box now gives you great answers not just from the web, but your personal stuff too. So if I search for restaurants in Munich, I might see Google+ posts or photos that people have shared with me, or that are in my albums. Today we can also do things like make it easy for you to read a memo from Google Docs right in your Gmail, or add someone from your Gmail contacts to a meeting in Google Calendar.

But there’s so much more that Google can do to help you by sharing more of your information with … well, you. We can make search better—figuring out what you really mean when you type in Apple, Jaguar or Pink. We can provide more relevant ads too. For example, it’s January, but maybe you’re not a gym person, so fitness ads aren’t that useful to you. We can provide reminders that you’re going to be late for a meeting based on your location, your calendar and an understanding of what the traffic is like that day. Or ensure that our spelling suggestions, even for your friends’ names, are accurate because you’ve typed them before. People still have to do way too much heavy lifting, and we want to do a better job of helping them out.

The first thing that you will notice is that Google will share activity information between services come March 1 when the new policies go live. This has an impact on two areas:

Personalization: Up until now only a handful services shared information with each other, Google+ data was for instance used for a personalized search experience. Now all data may be used for that experience.Advertisement: The more Google knows about you, the higher paying ads they can get to be displayed to you.

We already know that Google is reading your emails to serve ads on Gmail. Gmail users who are using other Google services may now see tailored ads pop up on other services as well, or YouTube videos recommended to them based on the emails they read.

It could also link things they do on their phone to searches they make on a desktop PC, or display ads for a popular coffee chain on their phone if Google has picked up that you like to drink coffee in the morning and notice that you are currently on the go with your phone.

Google could use location based information it collects from the Android phone to display ads to you on all other Google services that share the new privacy policy. You went to a clothing store for big people? Then you may see “lose weight” videos on YouTube, or ads on Google search.

Like to visit sex clubs? How about ads for related items on your desktop?

As Owen Williams points out over at Neowin, this could also have business and job related consequences. If you have an Android business phone that you use with an enterprise account, then other users with access to that account may see what you have been up to lately.

What you view at home, while accidentally being logged into your Enterprise Google Apps account could mean you have an awkward conversation with your boss.

There is no opting-out

No opt-out is offered by Google. Users who want to keep their account data separated only have two options: Create a separate Google account for each service they use, or cancel their Google account and move on to another service provider.

It is unlikely that many users will actually close their account as a consequence. Depending on which Google services are used, it could mean lots of work. And lets not forget that you’d need to research the new service’s privacy policies and terms of service as well.

Mitigation may be possible, if users log out of Google whenever possible. This could reduce the number of personalized ads and recommendations that they will see on Google product pages.

Enjoyed the article?: Then sign-up for our free newsletter or RSS feed to kick off your day with the latest technology news and tips, or share the article with your friends and contacts on Facebook or Twitter. Disable Major Third Party Tracking Services With Disconnect For Chrome
Google Disconnect, Block Google From Tracking You
Configure Windows 7 Services To Start Delayed
Google Services Shortcuts For Firefox
Prevent Google Analytics from tracking your visit About the Author:Martin Brinkmann is a journalist from Germany who founded Ghacks Technology News Back in 2005. He is passionate about all things tech and knows the Internet and computers like the back of his hand. You can follow Martin on Facebook or Twitter.Author: Martin Brinkmann, Wednesday January 25, 2012 -
Tags:Google, privacy policy

You are here: Home » Google » Google To Start Tracking Users Across Services

Click on the following link(s) to read more about Google

View the original article here

Snack Devices For Sale -- Start Generating A 2nd Earnings

Vending Machines For Sale -- Begin Starting a Second Revenue

Adverts regarding vending machines on the market usually are not something you would certainly regularly find in the actual classified ads. However, there are numerous of the possiblility to acquire various kinds of snack devices available on the web. A few of these even have established routes, meaning that you can literally enter a recognised snack device enterprise. The seller will also supply you with the information on how and where to obtain the materials you'll need. Simply by reviewing the monetary information you can see instantly how you can make money whenever there are snack machines on the market.

When you need to purchase snack devices, you should think of the particular used snack machines available. This may cut down considerably on your own initial investment. If you decide on the devices from the particular person retirement in the vending machine business, more than likely you need to supply the amount of money straight up. If you decide on the actual snack devices from an organization, there's a good possibility you could hire the apparatus or help to make monthly obligations. Then you have the amount of money you should purchase the junk food equipment supplies you should create a next earnings.

Many people which get started in the vending equipment business do this to generate a 2nd income. With some junk food equipment, you can create a course so that you visit the machines upon saturdays and sundays regarding even after work. You will have to locate a dealer that can sell the supplies you'll need in large quantities and also at an amount in which you possibly can make a top income. Junk food equipment products are affordable, however you may need to use a section of your property that you use regarding storage space. Utilized vending equipment for sale offer the the easy way get started, but you do must make sure the particular equipment work properly so that you won't need to spend cash within expensive maintenance.

Make contact with a vending equipment provider to determine just what junk food devices he/she has for sale. This can give you a wise decision of methods much cash you will need to buy snack equipment. All of the machines have been in different price ranges. For instance, sweet snack machines for sale are a lot cheaper than snack or perhaps refreshment junk food devices. The particular supplier might or might not be able to sell the snack equipment materials, but he/she will certainly be capable of recommend places to buy your materials.

When you see vending equipment on the market, the ones that suit your needs depends on how you desire to proceed inside the junk food machine business. If you only desire to generate a small revenue on the side, you may simply purchase junk food equipment for meting out chocolate. As you grow utilized to the business enterprise, although, you'll likely expand and purchase numerous greater devices. Usually the firms that market the snack machines furthermore sell the particular junk food equipment supplies or you might be able to work out an arrangement using a dealer in your town. Whichever machines you're going with, there is no doubt that you could generate income when you discover vending equipment on the market.

For More Information Please Visit Pension Or Drop By The Blog Owners Site Private Pension To Get Intouch

View the original article here

You Start With Video Poker Machines

Most newbies get through the gambling establishment slot machines having a great number of uncertainty in mind. Normally the one is the way in which a position ought to be picked. Sure, they all slots vary when it comes to designs, style and also lottery jackpot amounts, this also is why all of them desirable. Therefore, normally, this is just what determines to a newbie which in turn machine to choose. Nevertheless, it is a key error. My spouse and i shall save you coming from producing which oversight at this time!

The very first thought for virtually any position once you begin away is the form of machine you're going to utilize. Understanding the differing types available implies that that you do not help to make virtually any wrong table bets including over priced cash limits, random greatest extent bets and so forth. Realizing your appliance is fifty percent the actual combat gained, the others is about chance. You need to choose the video slot by simply variety 1st. After that take into account the showy bits.

First of all; the actual massive jackpot. This is the video slot which usually changes it's goldmine payout prior to the quantity it is enjoyed. This won't affect in the event the pay out comes about, however will inside the amount that may be gained. The accelerating position supplies the big money. Each and every time a person takes on it your jackpot volume grows. When it is won, this starts over; basic. However, don't be fooled; the actual massive jackpot sum are only able to end up being gained if the participant provides chosen the absolute maximum probable gamble. Normally, you is the winner a set fee along with the progressive jackpot remains.

Up coming; the multi-spin video slot. This program hard core slot people who would like quick action and they are willing to participate in massive! These slot machines get many fly fishing reels which is often held although the residual slots are usually spun. An automobile carry function is often utilised while standard, though the computerised assortment can be removed effortlessly when desired. Remember though that the car perform props up best fly fishing reels for you personally! The particular multi-spin slots convey more pay out permutations, a great idea is your own teeth around them before you begin.

Lastly? Multi-line slot machine games. These are generally composed of, as the brand states, multiple lines which can each and every show an absolute mixture. Nevertheless, only the triggered outlines will pay therefore ensure you wager properly. Sometimes you'll find unique emblems that will not have to be for the activated payline. These kind of will create an additional benefit spherical or free spin, therefore consider these kind of upon video poker machines to acquire less expensive.

Once you have decided the kind of video slot that you will find nearly all fun and the most effective for you to learn, after that have a look at the themes or templates. It's simple to observe the blinking lamps as well as photo icons, and secure knowing that you've made the best possible choice.

Discover more details regarding Betsafe along with Nordicbet when you go to our website

View the original article here