Piracy, IE7, Cheap Wireless Security
Why the fuss over television and movie downloading, is Microsoft’s interim toolbar upgrade for Internet Explorer worth the trouble, can I really buy some wireless security for $30 or less?
Start your summer computer reading with the answers to these timely questions.
Media downloading
Music downloading may be old hat to many readers of this column. Legal or not? Good fodder for a future column, perhaps after new copyright legislation is passed in Canada, possibly as soon as this fall.
As effective bandwidth speeds have increased so has the temptation to download more demanding media such as television shows and feature-length movies.
In some parts of the world the demand for North American produced media content is at the heart of much of the trafficking in just-broadcast television shows.
Particularly interesting is that Britain, according to Internet monitoring company Envisional, is now the world leader in video piracy, to a point where British broadcasters might even have to begin worrying about possible effects on their advertising revenue.
The top 10 pirated TV shows worldwide are:1. 242. Stargate Atlantis3. The Simpsons4. Enterprise5. Stargate SG-16. The O.C. 7. Smallville8. Desperate Housewives9. Battlestar Galactica10. Lost
It is worth noting that several of these programs are produced in the Vancouver area.
Commercial video downloading might seem to be a “victimless” action, but one presumes that at some point the hit on advertising revenue will reach back to the producers in the form of a demand for lower prices. These in turn will lead to a demand for lower production costs or increased tax benefits, each of which will impact BC residents to some extent.
Tabbed Browsing
Shortly after announcing that tabbed browsing would be made available in its upcoming release of Internet Explorer 7, Microsoft made the feature a part of an upgraded MSN Search Toolbar.
Released without fanfare June 8, the new toolbar may help stem the flow of disaffected users of the almost three year old IE6 to alternatives such as Firefox.
Tabbed browsing gives users the option of having multiple web documents open in a single window, each selectable through use of a small tab above the window.
The approximately 7-meg download file for the browser add-on is available at toolbar.msn.com.
Among the advertised features:
Microsoft’s first attempt at tabbed browsing isn’t entirely problem-free. In this writer’s testing, the desktop search feature simply wouldn’t work and in fact had to be disabled, as it became a drag on computer performance. Furthermore, the online forms completion component was detected by MS AntiSpyware as a “major threat.”
Wireless Security
Running a wireless network at home? If your network is representative of many, it probably has no security settings activated, or, if it does, they are likely at a very minimal level.
Like most, you probably keep that home network running around the clock, right?
How about a very low-tech solution that will at least keep your neighbours or “war drivers” off your network at times you are likely away or asleep?
A $20-30 solution at that. An electronic timer, preferably programmable, that cuts power to your wireless access point, is just what you want.
Very simple, but 100% effective. No hacker will gain access to your network through an unpowered device.
Consider the Daily Digital Timer (Canadian Tire, $20, eight on-off settings), the Garrison Digital Seven Day Timer (Canadian Tire, $25, six on-off settings, plus weekend/weekday settings), Globe Heavy Duty Timer (London Drugs, $30), or the Woods Electronic Timer (Rona, $30, battery backup and manual override).
All of these timers have the capability of handling heavy-draw appliances but you won’t be needing that feature. Your wireless access point is a very low current draw device.
Plug your wireless access point or router into the timer, program the time intervals you want the device powered and presto, you have a low-tech security solution, one that is active for at least a portion of the day.
Peter Vogel is a Physics and Computer Sciences teacher at Notre Dame Regional Secondary School (www.ndrs.org). Suggestions and comments may be sent via email to peterv@portal.ca.
Start your summer computer reading with the answers to these timely questions.
Media downloading
Music downloading may be old hat to many readers of this column. Legal or not? Good fodder for a future column, perhaps after new copyright legislation is passed in Canada, possibly as soon as this fall.
As effective bandwidth speeds have increased so has the temptation to download more demanding media such as television shows and feature-length movies.
In some parts of the world the demand for North American produced media content is at the heart of much of the trafficking in just-broadcast television shows.
Particularly interesting is that Britain, according to Internet monitoring company Envisional, is now the world leader in video piracy, to a point where British broadcasters might even have to begin worrying about possible effects on their advertising revenue.
The top 10 pirated TV shows worldwide are:1. 242. Stargate Atlantis3. The Simpsons4. Enterprise5. Stargate SG-16. The O.C. 7. Smallville8. Desperate Housewives9. Battlestar Galactica10. Lost
It is worth noting that several of these programs are produced in the Vancouver area.
Commercial video downloading might seem to be a “victimless” action, but one presumes that at some point the hit on advertising revenue will reach back to the producers in the form of a demand for lower prices. These in turn will lead to a demand for lower production costs or increased tax benefits, each of which will impact BC residents to some extent.
Tabbed Browsing
Shortly after announcing that tabbed browsing would be made available in its upcoming release of Internet Explorer 7, Microsoft made the feature a part of an upgraded MSN Search Toolbar.
Released without fanfare June 8, the new toolbar may help stem the flow of disaffected users of the almost three year old IE6 to alternatives such as Firefox.
Tabbed browsing gives users the option of having multiple web documents open in a single window, each selectable through use of a small tab above the window.
The approximately 7-meg download file for the browser add-on is available at toolbar.msn.com.
Among the advertised features:
- Browse smarter with tabs - Switch between Web sites within the same Internet Explorer window
- Find anything - Search the Web any time, anywhere, and easily locate documents, e-mail messages, and more on your PC
- Shop faster - Fill out online forms with one click
- Access MSN services - Get one-click access to Hotmail, MSN Messenger, and MSN Spaces
Microsoft’s first attempt at tabbed browsing isn’t entirely problem-free. In this writer’s testing, the desktop search feature simply wouldn’t work and in fact had to be disabled, as it became a drag on computer performance. Furthermore, the online forms completion component was detected by MS AntiSpyware as a “major threat.”
Wireless Security
Running a wireless network at home? If your network is representative of many, it probably has no security settings activated, or, if it does, they are likely at a very minimal level.
Like most, you probably keep that home network running around the clock, right?
How about a very low-tech solution that will at least keep your neighbours or “war drivers” off your network at times you are likely away or asleep?
A $20-30 solution at that. An electronic timer, preferably programmable, that cuts power to your wireless access point, is just what you want.
Very simple, but 100% effective. No hacker will gain access to your network through an unpowered device.
Consider the Daily Digital Timer (Canadian Tire, $20, eight on-off settings), the Garrison Digital Seven Day Timer (Canadian Tire, $25, six on-off settings, plus weekend/weekday settings), Globe Heavy Duty Timer (London Drugs, $30), or the Woods Electronic Timer (Rona, $30, battery backup and manual override).
All of these timers have the capability of handling heavy-draw appliances but you won’t be needing that feature. Your wireless access point is a very low current draw device.
Plug your wireless access point or router into the timer, program the time intervals you want the device powered and presto, you have a low-tech security solution, one that is active for at least a portion of the day.
Peter Vogel is a Physics and Computer Sciences teacher at Notre Dame Regional Secondary School (www.ndrs.org). Suggestions and comments may be sent via email to peterv@portal.ca.
posted by Peter Vogel at 5:43 PM
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