Actrix Newsletter July 2003

This newsletter has been produced to help you get the most out of the Internet,
and to keep you, as an Actrix customer, informed of developments and services within the company.
Past newsletters may be viewed at http://editor.actrix.co.nz/
Newsletters are now archived by article at http://editor.actrix.co.nz/byarticle/
Questions and comments about the newsletter can be e-mailed to editor@actrix.co.nz
Other inquiries should be e-mailed to support@actrix.co.nz

by Rob Zorn

While Microsoft's Internet Explorer certainly has its detractors, and even though it is just one of many browsers available, recent stats from the Actrix homepage confirm that it is the browser used by more than 95% of Internet surfers both here and around the world. If you use Internet Explorer to browse (and the stats indicate you probably do) then it might be worth my spending a little time pointing out a few of the ways in which Internet Explorer can be customised, or tweaked so that it looks and works just the way you like it.

In this article, we'll work our way through a few of the options that can be found under the file menu. I am using Internet Explorer Version 6 as the basis for this article. If you are using an earlier version (and you shouldn't be if you're concerned about your security) most of what you read here should still be relevant.

The Menu Bar is the bit at the top of Internet Explorer (hereafter referred to as IE) that looks like this (left). It can't be tuned off so it should always be there and visible. One good thing about Microsoft products is that they just about all have a similar type of Menu Bar, and similar sorts of things can be found under each option in each program, so most of you will already be at least a little bit familiar with some of the stuff that can be found and tweaked.

The File Menu contains options that have mainly to do with dealing with the page itself. You'll find options for printing and saving the page under the File Menu, for example. There is also an option for opening a new window. This really just means opening another instance of IE. Providing you have sufficient memory, IE is quite happy to run multiple copies of itself at the same time. This is handy for looking at several web pages at once without having to leave one in order to access another. To open a new version of IE, click File/Open, or simply type CTRL N.

One option under the File menu that is less commonly used is the Send feature. If you click File and then Send, another little menu box like the one pictured on the left will pop up. If you click Page by E-mail option, IE will attempt to turn the page into an html-based e-mail that you can send to someone else. It will automatically call up your default e-mail program and create the e-mail so all you need to do is add the e-mail address and click Send.

If you click Link by E-mail IE will generate a fresh e-mail for you that contains a clickable link to the page you're on. You would use this feature if you wanted to e-mail someone else about a page you thought they might like to see. You could add your own details to the e-mail as to why they should visit the page, but this does save you the hassle of having to type pout or copy and paste the link into a fresh e-mail all by yourself.

You would use the Shortcut to Desktop option if you had discovered a web page that you think you might like to return to often. If you click this, a shortcut will automatically be created and placed on your desktop. Next time you go online, just click that shortcut, and IE will automatically load itself and attempt to go the the selected page.

Under the Edit Menu, Find (on This Page) is probably the most useful and under-used feature. It is handy for finding something specific such as a keyword on a large web page. To use it, make sure you're at the top of the page and click the Find (on This Page) option. You can click the appropriate radio button to make IE search through the words on the page in an upwards or downwards direction. CTRL F is a short cut to this function.

Explorer comes with various toolbars, most of which should be turned on. To bring up the little menu pictured on the left, click View and then Toolbars. Unticking Standard Button will remove all the function icons usually found at the top of IE such as the Back and Forward Arrows, the Refresh icon etc. Unticking Address Bar will remove the white box into which you would normally type an address to go to on the web, so removing this rally not advised. The good thing is you can always put toolbars and buttons back (if they go missing) by replacing the ticks next to those options under View/Toolbars.

The Links Toolbar is not usually on by default in IE,but you can add it by placing a tick next to it here. The Links bar is very hand if you have several web pages that you go to often, but don't want links to them scattered all over your desktop. When turned on, it adds an extra bar oif clickable links to the top of your IE display. Back in June 2001 I wrote an article on how to use the Links bar and add your bookmarks to it. Click here if you'd like to read more.

Lock the Toolbars should probably also be ticked. If you untick this option, IE will allow you to drag your toolbars around and re-arrange them. Do this if you like to fiddle around, but be warned that it can often be difficult to get them back to the way they were. However, if you do rearrange them into places and you're happy with your changes, make sure you tick Lock the Toolbars again to keep them in place.

The Customise feature also presents a couple of interesting options. Clicking this will invoke a box with two windows and a set of Add and Remove buttons. Select function icons you want to add to your toolbar (function icons are your Back and Forward Arrows, Refresh button etc) in the left-hand window and click the Add button. You'll see them appear at the top of your IE display as you do so. Click them in the right-hand window and click the Remove button to get rid of them. You can use the Move Up or Move Down buttons to change the order in which they appear in your IE display.

The Customise Toolbar box also has two fields at the bottom. Use the Text Options variables to include or exclude written labels with the icons. Use the Icon Options variables to select between large or small icon sizes.

Status Bar: You should usually make sure this one is ticked. It's the grey bar at the bottom that words appear in further explaining options or features you are mousing over on a web page.

Explorer Bar: This feature allows you to turn on and off extra displays at the left-hand side that show your recent surfing history, favourite links etc. personally I can't stand having the big box on the left taking up so much space, but you may find it useful.

Go To: This feature will provide you with a list of all the sites you've been to in that session. Click any one of them to return.

Text Size: This is an excellent feature if you're finicky about how your browser displays text, or if your eyesight isn't what it used to be. Clicking this item will present you with a list of text sizes ranging from Smallest through to largest. Medium is the normal or default setting, but have a play with your options here if you're inclined You could use it on a one time basis if you came across a web site you really wanted to read where the text displayed was particularly small.

Full Screen: Using this feature (or just pressing F11 on your keyboard) will cause your IE display to switch between full screen and normal. This could be useful for viewing a page that contained large graphics.

The first feature under this menu, Mail and News, exists pretty much as a remnant of the days before Outlook or Outlook express when Microsoft's Internet Mail was used via Internet Explorer. Click it to get a new smaller menu of options. Read Mail will open up your default e-mail program for you. New Message will give you exactly what it says, a blank e-mail to send. The other options there probably go beyond the scope of what we want to achieve here.

Windows Update is a very important feature of IE, especially considering how often security patches need to be added in order to keep it safe from viruses and web attacks. Click here to read an article about the Importance of the Windows Update Page.

More advanced options can be found under the Internet Options feature, but for the sake of brevity we may just have to take these up next time.

Under the Help Menu you'll find a handy Contents and Index section. It's like a readily searchable electronic manual covering IE related topics. You can use the keyword feature to type in your topic and see what is available for you from the IE Help database.

Tip of the Day will display a handy little hint for you, a little shortcut or function feature of IE that you may not have known about already. If you turn this function on, IE will serve up one of these little tips for you each time you open it afresh.

About Internet Explorer will provide you with details of which version you are currently running. Different versions have different problems and features, so if you ever need to check what version of this program you are running, here is how. The Help Desk will often want to know. IN Microsoft programs, you can always find version information under the Help menu like this.

We're excited to announce the availability of CyberFilter Version 2 (CyberFilter 2.0). Thanks to positive customer feedback, we're sure we've made what was a great product even better!

The Actrix Security Suite consisting of our virus protection product (CyberScan) and our spam protection product (CyberFilter) was released in March this year. It has proved to be a successful addition to our services with widespread customer take-up.

CyberFilter is an effective and radical approach to spam control developed right here by the Actrix Networks web technicians. It is extensively used and we're grateful for the way in which so many customers have gotten behind this unique product and sent in suggestions for its improvement.

It's also great to see that the challenge/validation response to Spam (which is the heart of CyberFilter) is finally getting some media attention, internationally at least, even if the New Zealand media seem largely befuddled by the whole matter.

The purpose of this article is two-fold. Firstly we'd like to invite customers to take up our invitation to a free month's trial if they haven't already done so. Secondly, we'd like to summarise some of the improvements you'll now find when you log into your own personal CyberFilter interface.

To read about the Actrix Security Suite (CyberFilter and CyberScan) click Domestic/Security Suite on the Actrix home page (www.actrix.co.nz ) or simply click here: http://www.actrix.co.nz/domestic/security/index.php.

There you can sign up for either or both products and try them free for a month. If you don't want to continue with either product, simply unsubscribe before your free month is up and you will not be billed. If you decide to continue with the products, your trial month will still be free. You can unsubscribe by clicking the Subscription Options link to the left of the Security Suite information pages.

Changes in CyberFilter 2.0

The below is only a summary of the major changes available in CyberFilter 2.0. For a more detailed description of how the new features work, please see these two sections on the Security Suite information pages:

How to Use CyberFilter;
Security Suite Frequently Asked Questions.

We have also included a Summary of Changes page which includes a little more detail than the quick summary below.

The Changes

New Log in
When you log in to CyberFilter 2.0, you are no longer required to use separate log in boxes depending on whether you are logging into a main account or a sub-mailbox of a main account. All Actrix log ins (including CyberFilter, Member's Section, Web Mail etc) are now achieved through the one log in box on the Actrix home page.

Log in Directly to Pending E-mail Section
When you have logged in, you will no longer be taken to the Welcome/Introduction page. This step has been removed, and log ins will now launch you directly to your Pending E-mails section removing a step, and allowing you to make use of CyberFilter more quickly.

Pagination
CyberFilter now paginates your pending e-mails, including 15 per page. This is to allow for quicker loading. Handy boxes at the top tell you how many pages you have waiting in total, and which page you are currently on.

Select All
This new feature allows you to select all the pending e-mails on the current page. This saves you having to go through and select each one individually, even when you are sure you only wish to perform the one action (e.g. delete everything on the page).

Sort by Options
You can now sort the e-mails appearing in your Pending E-mails section simply by clicking the small squares that appear next to the From, Date and Subject headings.

Whitelisting/Blacklisting by Domain
You can now add domains to your White List or you Black List so that any e-mail address from that domain will either bounce or be allowed through. This means you won't have to go through and blacklist so many individual addresses.

Whitelisting/Blacklisting by Keyword
Under the Options section, you now have the ability to turn on the Keywords feature of CyberFilter. This will cause a new box to appear under your White List and Black List section by which you can now filter or permit according to keywords.

Options Section
Under this new section you will find the ability to add the keyword functionality, the ability to temporarily switch CyberFilter off, the Import Address Book feature, and the various options for receiving weekly or daily pending E-mail summaries.

Temporary Disabling of CyberFilter
Selecting this option will cause CyberFilter to stop working within a few minutes. All e-mails, including Spam, will then come through to you automatically. You can also use this feature to turn CyberFilter back on. During the time you temporarily switch CyberFilter off, billing will continue as normal.

Change Subscription Options
With CyberFilter 2.0 you now have the ability to change or cancel your subscription options yourself at any time. Click the Subscription Options link on the left-hand side of your CyberFilter interface or the similar link on the Security Suite information pages (link provided above) to access these options.

To check out what customers have said about CyberFilter, click here.

If you'd like to ask a question or request some help on any Actrix or Internet-related matter. Simply send me an e-mail with the word "forum" in the subject line and check back next month to see the results! By the same token, if you read something here and think you may have something to suggest, please feel more than free.

Sir, I was told that when you send an e-mail it gets broken up and sent via different routes and put together again when it arrives at it destination, true or false?
Bert

Hi Bert, Yes, this can occur. Pretty much anything sent across the Net is broken up into small bits of data called "packets". Each packet gets numbered and then sent to the next computer on the Internet which passes it on to the next and to the next until it reaches the recipient where it is put back together by the receiving e-mail program and displayed as a whole e-mail. Normally, all the packets go the same way, but sometimes, when one computer somewhere along the line stops being able to send packets on, it will report that back to the previous computer which will then start sending them by a different route. In this way, some of the packets can go by different paths to end up at the same place.

The final destination computer knows how many packets it should receive because each is numbered. "Packet loss" occurs when some of the packets don't make it all the way for whatever reason. When the destination computer experiences packet loss, it sends a message back to the originating computer asking for the missing packets. In this way it makes sure it gets them all so that it can put the whole original message back together.

Hello, I would like to know about downloading stuff. When you get the box saying 'Save' or 'Open,' which one is the best to use? What is the difference and which one should I click? Thanks, Jacqui

Hi Jacqui, The difference between the two options is that the one (Save) allows you to save the downloaded file where you want to and run or install it at your leisure. The other (Open) attempts to download and run the file without any further input from you.

In almost all cases, you'd want to choose the Save or Save to Disk button. This will mean that you can choose the location at which the file will be saved to your hard drive for use at a later time. You can, if you want to, rename the file as well. Once you finish downloading the file, you can find and open it at your leisure because you know exactly where you have put it. Most people download and save to their desk tops.

When you choose Open, the file still downloads, but it gets saved to a "temp file" with a temporary name in the Internet Temporary History Files folder. When it has finished downloading, the file opens right away. One disadvantage is that the file is a lot harder to find if you want to access it later. Sometimes you'll get halfway through an install of the new program, and realise that you have to abort the installation for whatever reason. In cases like that it's good to know where the file is so you can easily run it later when you are ready.

Your article on "Along Came a Spyware" is very relevant to me. I got Gator auto installed sometime earlier this year and didn't know I had it until I recently installed a firewall. You mentioned software to remove it, but can it be removed without software? I've gone into my directories and searched for all the Gator files. Most you can delete, but a couple you can't. Do I have to load software to remove? Regards, Kieran

Hi Kieran, Unfortunately, no, just deleting from your directories won't usually do the job. In fact this is very much not a recommended approach to uninstalling anything. Spyware programs like Gator update your registry, and may link themselves to shared files etc, and, unless you're a real computer guru, there is no way you'd be able to get rid of it safely yourself. I certainly wouldn't try it.

You should always uninstall software by using the Add/Remove programs feature in your Control Panel. This will usually use the programs' own uninstall elements which will cause the programs to be removed safely and more fully. Unfortunately, Spyware programs usually resist this sort of uninstall. They get onto your computer by sneaky means, so why should we expect them to co-operate when we try to remove them legitimately? This is why specialised software for removing Spyware is recommended.

by Jim Breen

Actrix has many customers who are using Macintosh systems and some information and tips on how these customers can get the most out of their internet experience and be able identify and rectify common problems should be useful.

Last month Jim Breen finished up Part 2 of two sections on Practical and System Tips. This month we feature Macintosh Connection Settings - Ed.

Macintosh Connection Settings

Dialup Settings

To check your settings or set up a new Actrix connection you need to access three items in Control Panels. Go to Apple Menu/Control Panels and look for -
Remote Access (called PPP in OS 8.1)
TCP/IP
Modem

Open remote Access (PPP) and type in the appropriate user name, password and phone number (086722874). Click the close box in the top left corner and save settings.

Open TCP/IP
Connect Via: PPP
Configure: Using PPP Server
Name server addr: 203.96.16.35 and 203.96.16 .36
Additional Search domains: actrix.co.nz
Click the close box in the top left corner and save settings.

Open Modem
Connect Via: Internal Modem. Modem: Select the modem being used, usually Apple Internal 56K Modem (v.90) or. if using an external modem, select the correct script for that modem.
Sound: On
Dialing: Tone
Click the close box in the top left corner and save settings.

To connect, open Remote Access and click on the Connect button.

Setting up multiple dialup connections

If you have more than one ISP connection or two people use the same computer and have their own accounts, it is possible to set up a new configuration so the user name, phone number etc does not have to be re-entered each time.

With Remote Access open go to File menu and select Configuration

Type a name for your new configuration and click OK. You will now see the two configurations showing. Select the one you want to use and click on Make Active.
Type in the username, phone number and password for this connection.

To select which one you want to use each time just go to File/Configurations and select the configuration you want to make active.

Macintosh OS X Dialup Connection

Check OS X Connection settings

Please note: Actrix supplies links to these sites for your interest and possible use. We cannot endorse or take any responsibility for their contents. Got a site you think would be neat to share with other readers? Let me know and receive a free Norrie the Nerd chocolate bar courtesy of Actrix!

The Amazing Blograffiti Wall
www.blograffiti.com/ - Okay, this is a reasonably novel and interesting idea for a web site. Using the sketchboard provided you can quickly draw or write a message (in varying colours etc) as if you were a tagger or graffiti artist. Click Save and your piece will be added to the wall. Each contribution is saved, but will probably only be directly visible for a limited time as other additions will bump you down the order. Click individual squares to see what others have contributed. Remember, though, we're talking virtual graffiti here....

Endless List of Really Bad Country Song Titles
www.downstream.sk.ca/country.htm - Well, the title pretty much says it all. My favourite is I Would Kiss You Through the Screendoor but It'd Strain Our Love, or maybe I Fell In A Pile Of You And Got Love All Over Me? No, how about I've Been Roped And Throwed By Jesus In The Holy Ghost Corral? So many to choose from....

The Phrase Finder
http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/meanings/index.html - This site features a neat and reasonably extensive collection of English language phrases. There are sections that include Proverbs, Quotes from Shakespeare that have become part of our common language, misheard song lyrics, biblical phrases and a whole lot more. Who said it first and where did the saying come from? Absorbing reading for anyone interested in language, etymology and vocabulary.

The True History of the Internet
www.thelemon.net/issues/timeline.php - Here you'll find a satirical and very humorous timeline that traces the history of the Internet from "the time Al Gore invented it," right through to today where we use it to share thoughts and ideas, read advertisements we don't want, while calling each other "asshats."

Third Age
www.thirdage.com/ - This magazine style site is specifically designed for those who have reached the third age stage of their lives, "the most exciting time of your life!" according to the site description. There are articles written that address issues associated with the third age and organised under headings such as Love, Health and Money. Among the many other features are puzzles, games and daily jokes

Mona Lip-Synch
www.cite-sciences.fr/english/ala_cite/expo/explora/image/mona.html# - Have you ever wondered what the Mona Lisa would have looked like if painted with an expression other than that intriguing smile? Here you can see her with varying expressions as you mouse over the options. Leonardo might turn in his grave if he found out, but I guess what he doesn't know won't hurt him. These are funny and well done, but you can't beat that original expression!

Mail Order Husbands
www.mailorderhusbands.net/order/ - Ladies, have you been clickin' for love in all the wrong places? Then this is the site for you. Husbands to order, straight from the discount bin! Clyde seeks Bonnie to be partners in crime... an especially exciting guy because he takes stupid risks. Then there's always the Romanian who is looking for someone who can hold his attention, and who knows how to dress a wound. Daryl is cute too. He's sure that by the time you get to know him he will be of legal age.

The daVinci Code Web Quest
www.randomhouse.com/doubleday/davinci/ - While it should be remembered that the main point of this exercise is publicity for Robert Langdon's new book, it has to be admitted that following the trail and cracking the codes is a lot of fun. The web site poses you questions and sets you challenges that take you on an intriguing trail through six levels or gates. It isn't easy, but it is not as hard as it first appears. A few people here at Actrix have made it through - during their lunchbreaks, of course. Fun and interesting use of the web.

Online Miniature Golf
www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~pyang/flash/miniputt.swf - With lovely, smooth graphics and being reasonably quick to load, this online, flash-based miniputt game is good for a quick burst of fun. The course is reasonably challenging and required skill levels do increase through the levels. Remember, too, with Flash, once the game has fully loaded, you can go offline and continue to play.

Walking with Cavemen
www.bbc.co.uk/science/cavemen/challenge/index.html - Find your pace on this BBC produced Caveman-o-meter by completing the seven evolutionary challenges. Each one asks you questions about what are believed to be our early ancestors, and then provides answers for your benefit where you got it wrong. You progress along the scale from ape to human depending on how well you do. Good for learning about current evolutionary thought, but who really knows for sure?

Bibliomania
www.bibliomania.com/ - More than 800 texts of classic literature, drama, and poetry together with detailed literature study guides, a large reference book and non-fiction section, copies of Shakespeare's plays and much much more. A good resource for teachers and students alike and you don't have to purchase anything!

Bozo Criminals
http://www.kooi.com/bozo/ - "The stor[ies] you are about to hear [are] true. The names may have been changed to protect the stupid..." If you're a fan of the Darwin Awards where stupid people are congratulated for removing themselves from the gene pool by dying in the middle of their stupidity, then you may enjoy Bozo Criminals. This is the Internet so keep those grains of salt handy, but the stories are fun nevertheless. It seems there is no shortage of idiot felons out there. The site is updated every single day.

Latest get-rich-quick scam based on Iraq: It is like old crime repackaged in new bottles. That is how police are describing the latest e-mail scam to do the rounds in New Zealand. At least three different e-mails signed by people claiming to be Iraqis - including one claiming to be the financial adviser to Saddam Hussein's son Uday - are in circulation. Click here for more.

Rocket man makes world headlines: A New Zealand home handyman's bid to construct a cruise missile in his shed has made global headlines, and the British media have dubbed him a threat to world security. It was reported this week that internet developer Bruce Simpson was building a missile from parts ordered over the internet and shipped through Customs. Click here for more.

Hacking bill gets dusted off: Controversial law outlawing computer hacking is being dusted off by the Government and is expected to be enacted this year after more than a decade of delays. The Crimes Amendment Bill (No 6) creates a series of new offences that make it illegal to intercept, access, use or damage data held on computers without proper authorisation. Click here for more.

Computer nasty targets banks: The latest computer virus threat has a hidden agenda aimed at the banking industry and includes most of New Zealand's leading banks on its target list of 1200. Bugbear.B is one of a family of viruses that are hitting New Zealand shores at a rate of tens of thousands a week. Click here for more.

Watch out for 'sickening' email parents told : Parents are being warned to watch out for a "sickening" chain email carrying pictures of mutilated bodies and issuing death threats which is being sent to children. Click here for more.

Proposed law: $500 per unwanted spam: The California State Senate this week approved a bill that would make it illegal to send unsolicited e-mail advertising and allows people to sue so-called spammers for $500 per unwanted message. Click here for more.

Harvard study wrestles with Gator: A Harvard University researcher has completed an investigation of the Gator advertising utility, offering a glimpse into the workings of one of the Web's most controversial pop-up networks. Gator is a utility, sometimes derided as "spyware," that monitors a user's Web browsing activity and displays relevant advertisements. Click here for more.

Net names scramble to match iTunes: Apple’s out-of-the-gate success with its digital music store was a wake-up call to record labels and Internet services that there is a market for legal, commercial downloads. However, a legitimate and unrestricted online music service for mass market consumers is still a long way off, digital music analysts say. Click here for more.

Most downloaded program on the Web?: Sharman Networks said its Kazaa file-sharing software was on track to set a record Friday as it becomes the most-popular free program on the Web with over 230 million downloads. By hitting that total, Shaman said Kazaa would surpass the popular ICQ instant messaging program... Click here for more.

Study: Playing video games not so mindless: All those hours spent playing video games may not be wasted time after all: A new study suggests action-packed video games like Grand Theft Auto III and Counter-Strike may sharpen your mind. Click here for more.

EBay loses patent lawsuit: A federal jury on Tuesday ordered eBay Inc. to pay $35 million for violating patents filed by a Virginia attorney in a ruling that could change how the online auction house operates. Jurors ruled for MercExchange, based in Great Falls, Va., which had claimed that its founder, Thomas G. Woolston, filed three patent applications for programs and procedures to operate an Internet-based auction. Click here for more.

Report: CIA Avoiding Creative IT Use: According to a new report, the CIA's view of high tech tools for intelligence analysis is based on "risk exclusion" instead of "risk management" and the policy has resulted in an implicit message to analysts: technology is a threat, not a benefit. Click here for more.

Most bloggers 'are teenage girls' - survey: Over to Poland, where some hard statistics have emerged to help answer the question "are most bloggers teenage girls, or simply middle-aged men who write like teenage girls?" The answer would appear to be the former. Click here for more.

Don't gag the internet: Europe body: Governments should refrain from censoring information transmitted via the internet, a pan-European grouping of nations says. The Council of Europe also called on countries to promote ease of access for all their citizens to the Internet... Click here for more.

ISPs on notice over piracy: Internet service providers have been put on notice: the recording industry is coming after them and their slice of an estimated $11 billion in illegally trafficked music files. Click here for more.

Speeds 6,000 times faster than broadband?: A research team has unveiled a new system to turbocharge the Internet, claiming to be able to achieve speeds so high an entire movie can be downloaded in mere seconds. Click here for more.

The .zip Standard Splinters: The .zip compression format has known remarkable stability and compatibility for many years, but that may soon change. PKWare and WinZip, makers of competing compression and encryption products, are fighting over the .zip standard--which means that .zip archive files created by one program may not be accessible by the other. Click here for more.

How Much Is a Dollar's Worth of Bits?: Call me old-fashioned, but a byte used to be worth eight whole bits, and every one of those bits represented a choice: yes or no, present or absent. OK, maybe not actually a matter of good or evil, but nonetheless a value proposition. And the eight bits in a byte, combining to represent 256 distinctly different possibilities? One could build a universe from such wealth... Click here for more.

IM's bursting--say goodbye to e-mail: The number of people using instant messaging (IM) software at work is set soar over the next few years, as part of a wider boom that will see more than a trillion IMs sent worldwide each day by 2006, according to the latest research. The survey, carried out by The Radicati Group, predicts that IM is on the verge of becoming a ubiquitous communication medium, much as e-mail is today. Click here for more.

Bill Gates, Entertainment God: The front door on this house has no keyhole. Which is not to say it's vulnerable. Security couldn't be more important at 16100 NE 159th Avenue. There's the future to protect. Instead of traditional locks, there's an electronic kiosk with a touchscreen, a biometric scanner, and a smartcard reader. Go ahead and make eye contact... Click here for more.

Spam: Current Costs and Volume: The Radicati Group projects that spam will cost corporations around the world $198 billion by 2007 if measures are not taken to stop the unsolicited messages. Click here for more.

ISP software tracks down spammers: Until May of this year, Carl Shivers was in the habit of getting up in the middle of the night just to make sure spam hadn't brought down his company's e-mail servers. Click here for more.

Iran Internet Use at Risk from Conservatives: The diary of a former prostitute is one of the hottest Web sites in Iran, a strict Islamic society where the Internet is coveted for the access it gives users to a forbidden world. The anonymous author, who presents herself as a 24-year-old former sex worker, says she does not want just to titillate readers in the conservative country which bans sex and romance outside marriage. Click here for more.

Senator OK with zapping pirates' PCs: Sen. Orrin Hatch on Wednesday backpedaled slightly from his suggestion a day earlier that copyright holders should be allowed to remotely destroy the computers of music pirates. Click here for more.

Vatican unveils virtual tour: Art lovers can now look at Michelangelo's famous ceiling in the Sistine Chapel via their computers. The ceiling, painted by the Renaissance artist between 1508 and 1512, is included in a new virtual tour of the Vatican's museums on the Holy See's website. Click here for more.

Microsoft creates new group to clean its coding act: Microsoft is expanding its security business unit with a group that will establish new software development processes and create tools for its programmers so that future Microsoft products will have fewer security flaws, a Microsoft executive said. Click here for more.

Taking a pass on Microsoft: The Bush administration won't weigh in on the appeal by two states seeking tougher restrictions on Microsoft Corp. than the software giant negotiated to settle the government's landmark antitrust case. Click here for more.

Microsoft rethinks its Office plans: Microsoft's decision to cut retail prices for some versions of its Office software is more a reaction to internal pressures than outside competition, analysts said on Wednesday. Click here for more.

Microsoft to drop standalone IE: Microsoft is phasing out standalone versions of its Internet Explorer Web browser, according to statements attributed to IE program manager Brian Countryman in an interview posted on the software giant's Web site. Click here for more.

Microsoft Leader Tells Workers of I.B.M.-Linux Threat: In a long e-mail message to Microsoft employees yesterday, Steven A. Ballmer, the chief executive, singled out International Business Machines as the company's chief corporate rival and the rise of free software like Linux as a threat to Microsoft's lucrative portfolio of products. Click here for more.

Rivals Say Microsoft Flouts Deal: Microsoft Corp. is trying to license key pieces of its technology at inflated rates and under onerous conditions, according to competitors who charge that the software giant is thwarting its antitrust settlement with the federal government. Click here for more.

Novell may challenge SCO Linux claims: Novell, the second in the chain of four companies to own rights to the Unix operating system, is challenging the copyright infringement claims that the current owner of those rights, SCO Group, is making against Linux. Click here for more.

Does Linux Have a Dark Secret?: Open-sourcers will gain when a lawsuit questioning the origin of Linux's code is settled. Until then, issues of legal liability are a big worry. In his sci-fi western tale The Dark Tower, Stephen King's gloomy hero Roland the Gunslinger utters the sage observation, "Only enemies speak the truth. Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty." Click here for more.

UK councils dump Windows for Linux: Local authorities in Newham and Nottingham are expected to migrate more than 10,000 desktop computers from Windows to Linux. Click here for more.

Microsoft sees threat from IBM and Linux: In a long e-mail message to Microsoft Corp. employees, Steven Ballmer, the chief executive, singled out IBM as the company's chief corporate rival and the rise of free software such as Linux as a threat to Microsoft's lucrative portfolio of products. Click here for more.

Can Apple Break the 5 Percent Barrier?: Apple Computer has accomplished a raft of goals since Steve Jobs returned to its helm in 1997. It has revolutionized the consumer PC with two generations of iMacs; pioneered the so-called digital hub concept, which gives consumers the ability to assemble movies as well as catalog and manipulate digital photographs; introduced the iPod, considered by many Mac and Windows users to be the best digital music player ever developed... Click here for more.

Apple responds to Microsoft dropping Internet Explorer: For the first time since Microsoft Corp. made its decision to stop development of Internet Explorer for the Macintosh (news - web sites), Apple Computer Inc. on Tuesday made a statement regarding the decision. "Safari is the fastest browser on the Mac, and has become the browser of choice for millions of Mac users," said Apple in a statement given to MacCentral. Click here for more.

Hackers learn to turn the bad to good: On a Wednesday evening, in an office suite appointed with Pentium IIs and little else, 10 teenagers were doing Andrew Robinson's bidding. Fortified by pizza and soda, they studied a computer system's weaknesses, looking for ways to break in and steal information. Robinson urged them on, like a modern-day Fagin goading his band of pickpockets. Click here for more.

Worms, Viruses, Ads, Spam and Scams: Sneakier spam, wilier worms, more aggravating ads — no wonder it feels like your PC is under assault. Fight back with these simple steps for keeping the latest pests at bay. Click here for more.

'Big Brother' watching new super diary?: Pentagon project to develop a digital super diary that records heartbeats, travel, Internet chats -- everything a person does -- also could provide private companies with powerful software to analyze behavior. That has privacy experts worried. Click here for more.

Broadband users face greater online security risks: Besides speed, the most coveted feature of a broadband connection is that it is always on. But according to a study that was to be released Wednesday, those two advantages are exposing customers to far greater risk than most realise. Click here for more.

Wired Magazine Story to Detail Slammer Web Attack : Wired magazine is planning to publish the underlying code for the Slammer worm that slowed Internet traffic to a crawl in January, raising questions over whether such articles inspire future hackers or educate potential victims. Click here for more.

Spam virus 'hijacks' computers: Spammers are sending out viruses that take over people's computers and turn them into junk mail machines, say experts. It is a worrying new development in the ongoing war against spam and could see a huge rise in the amount of unsolicited messages in inboxes worldwide. Click here for more.

Instant Messaging's Achilles Heel: Given the pace of business today, instant messaging seems like a natural fit for the global enterprise, enabling far-flung employees and contract workers to communicate in real-time throughout the workday. However, many enterprises are balking for a simple reason: IM and other peer-to-peer applications can pose serious security risks. Click here for more.

Web poker player wins $2.5 million: LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- It was only fitting that an accountant named Moneymaker would put down $40 and ultimately walk away with $2.5 million and the title of champion Saturday in the 34th annual World Series of Poker. Click here for more.

Web site exposes reality TV's embarrassing secrets: Finding embarrassing secrets in the past of reality television stars is about as tough as finding Botox in Hollywood. That doesn't stop The Smoking Gun from looking, or Web surfers from lapping it up. Click here for more.

Colonel Apologises to Web Lovers : Col. Kassem Saleh, stationed at Fort Bragg, is under investigation by the Army over allegations that he simultaneously romanced dozens of women on the Internet and by phone and proposed to them. Click here for more.

Thanks again for reading the Actrix newsletter. Feedback can be sent to me via the e-mail address listed below. Please limit this to comments/suggestions regarding the newsletter. Requests for support should go to the Actrix Help Desk (support@actrix.co.nz) or to the Accounts Department (accounts@actrix.co.nz).

Take care through July,

Rob Zorn
editor@actrix.co.nz
http://editor.actrix.co.nz