More details about today's new worm.
An e-mail worm that looks like a normal error message but actually contains a malicious program continued to snarl computers around the world on Tuesday.
MessageLabs Inc., which scans e-mail for viruses, said 1 in every 12 messages contained the worm, called "Mydoom" or "Novarg." Security experts described it as the largest virus-like outbreak in months, one made more problematic by its timing.
[ Yahoo! News ]
I received 10 or 15 of these last night, mostly to an email address that is only listed inside of HTML comments on a website that I built years ago. I've now had to step up my email management techniques to auto-junk all emails with attachments of certain types (based on their extensions), specifically .exe, .vbs, .com, .scr, and .shs. I certainly hope that some of the new email verification efforts led by Yahoo! or AOL (like SPF or Domain Keys) produce something that will stem the tide of unwanted emails, both spam and viruses.
Here's a simple 3 part process, outlined by Bram Moolenaar of gvim fame, that has the potential to stop all virus written emails (hyper links are mine):
VIRUS FLOOD
There is a very busy virus/worm active now. Although my system won't be affected, the number of messages I receive is so big that I can hardly manage to keep up with downloading them from my mail server. A few messages might get lost in the masses (I already got more than 10000).
- If you have an MS-Windows system, you MUST have a virus scanner and update it daily. There are too many ways to catch a virus or worm now. Don't think it won't harm you.
- If you maintain a mail server, please install a virus filter. And set it up so that it won't bounce a message back (the From address is mostly fake, it will just generate more traffic and tell innocent people that their system is infected).
- If you wrote that virus, please report to the nearest police station and go to jail.
[ vim-announceATvimDOTorg ]
Is this a fashion statement, or truly embarrassing?
Just in case someone at Sony reads my website on a regular basis, let me have my opinion heard. I read in March 2004 EGM under the Rumor Mill section that Sony might be working on a PStwo, a smaller and cheaper PS2, possibly with scaled back functionality.
My opinion, you ask?
PStwo should be smaller, not require a multi-tap, not include DVD playback, not include net access, not include any games or game deals and retail for $99. I would buy one the day it came out.
And if Sony is not reading this, then please start working this into your daily routine, Sony, so you can keep abreast of my opinions.
"Orkut is an online trusted community Web site designed for friends. The main goal of our service is to make the social life of yourself and your friends more active and stimulating," according to the Web site, which states that the service is "in affiliation with Google."
...
Orkut is a "trusted" social network, meaning that you must be invited to join. The service sent out thousands of invitations Thursday to welcome individuals, according to Google.
[ CNET News.com ]
So if you know someone, who knows someone, who's on Orkut, get them to invite the chain on through, so you can invite me. I think Friendster is a neat idea (already copied by Naseeb for a Muslim-friendster type deal), but they didn't execute it quite right, and it's still rather slow.
This is the 3rd UbiSoft game I've purchase in a row, and this is the 3rd near perfect game I've played in a row. Now that it's $20, there is no reason to not have Beyond Good & Evil in your library.
The vast, peaceful planet of Hyllis has fallen under siege by a relentless alien race. After a devastating battle, a Hyllian named Jade is relieved to find that the planet's defense forces, the Alpha Sections, have saved the populace from certain destruction, as they have always done in this ages-long conflict.
[ Amazon.com: Beyond Good & Evil ]
I've seen quite a bit of comparison with BG&E and Zelda: Wind Waker. Now that I've played a bit I can see why. The designers of BG&E have clearly played Z:WW and borrowed much of what they liked, however they've also given us less of a cartoony interface, a more babe-a-licious protagonist, sweeter fighting moves, better music, and some good surprises. Don't get me wrong I love Zelda, and will (most likely) buy any Zelda game that Nintendo cares to publish, but in the Zelda universe there are only so many surprises when you've played (and beat) them all. And, sure, Prince whats-his-name of Persia has some sexy ninja moves, but Jade doesn't take any crap off anyone.
If you have a single bone in your body that likes Zelda-like Adventure RPGs, then you do yourself a disservice if you don't get this game. Available on PC, PS2, XBox and GameCube.
Update: If you have a PC, you can check out a demo first.
Update 2: Koosh Moose has pointed out that I didn't list the other 2 games. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time for GameCube and for GameBoy Advance, which are both exceptional and both quite different, would round out the list.
The National Islamic Shura Council and the Fiqh Council of North America decided for Eid ul Adha 1423 (February 2003) to follow the announcement in Makkah about the beginning of the month of Dhul Hijjah and the day of Eid ul Adha...
Therefore, according to Ummul-Qura calendar, Hajj date i.e. the Day of Arafat (9th Dhul-Hijjah) is expected to be January 31, 2004, and Eid-al-Adha (the day after the Day of Arafat) would be February 1, 2004, insha'Allah.
[ ISNA ]
The article on ISNA's site goes on to further explain some of the issues with determining these dates based on Islamic jurisprudence and such.
The committee in charge of Eid prayers and activities for the greater DC area (for the most part) has agreed:
Eid will be on Sunday February 1, 2004, inshaAllah
This is determined to be 10th of Dhul-Hijja. Based on decision of Shura Council of North America in conjunction with the Fiqh Council of North America
[ DC Eid ]
Muslims are converging on Mecca for the hajj, Islam's annual pilgrimage that has been plagued by fires, stampedes and occasional riots. The risks are even greater this year, with Saudi authorities also worried about diseases and terrorism.
[Yahoo! News - Most Viewed ]
God willing it will go off without a hitch. I can attest to the amazing planning ability of the Saudi branch of the government that is in charge of Hajj and Umrah (the 2 types of pilgrimages). When I was in Saudi (just for the lesser pilgrimage, Umrah) I couldn't believe how many people were involved, yet how smoothly all operations went. The populations of Medina and Mecca aren't very large (891,000 and 1,335,000 for metro areas respectively according to libraryspot) but are able to host populations 5-10 times that size during Ramadan and Hajj.
Koosh Moose found the name of a new virus rather confusing.
Since emerging on Sunday, "Bagle" has been something of a mystery. Computer security experts first called it "Beagle" after pulling the reference from a line of code found in the malicious program.
Later, it was given the name "Bagle," a misspelled version of the doughnut-shaped roll. To the virus-weary public, warnings about a malicious bagel drew more questions than normal.
[ Yahoo! News ]
And the story never ends up explaining why McAfee or Sophos called it Bagle. Makes me glad that I use Symantec aka Norton, since they still call it Beagle.
Two screens are better than one? If you ask me, this is a really odd product and I totally expect it to fail
[ Koosh Moose ]
Iwata said in previous interviews that Nintendo wasn't afraid of competing with Sony in portables. He said he was grateful that Sony gave such advance notice about its PSP plans so that Nintendo could develop a competing product.
[ Yahoo ]
Nintendo DS will be marketed separately from the company's existing Nintendo Game Boy Advance portable system and Nintendo GameCube home console.
[ GameSpy ]
"This new game hardware is unlike any others. It is totally new. If you compare it with GameCube, PlayStation or X-Box, it is like comparing a washing machine with a refrigerator," said Yasuhiro Minagawa, a spokesman for Nintendo.
[ Yahoo ]
As the consummate Nintendo Fan Boy that I am, I will reserve my full criticism until it is actually in front of me and I'm playing something on it, but I will say that I'm none too impressed with this announcement. I expect that this new device had best trump the GBA SP on most accounts, or it will have a hard time giving the PSP a run for it's money. It had better also be no more than $150, and had better play GBA games.
First they stuff crap in your mailbox, so that your regular mail won't fit. Then they stuff crap in your email inbox, so that you have to waste time sorting through it. Now they stuff crap in your website logs, hoping that you will use their products or services, or at least promote them for free.
In my humble opinion Referrer Advertising is just plain wrong.
When you click a hyperlink on one web site, your browser passes to the next site the address of the page where you clicked the link. This is logged by the server hosting the next web site.
[ SpywareInfo ]
Owners of the conversational websites known as weblogs have recently noticed that their referral logs have become the newest target for spam.
[ Wired ]
Couresy of Naresh:
The blame, say critics, lies with the hackneyed, highly predictable plots. Film after film often features near-identical storylines, masked by little more than a fresh cast and new song-and-dance routines.
[ BBC NEWS ]
I rather think this is all obvious. As long as these new plots star the likes of Urmilla Matondkar and Kajol I'm all for it, a bit more Shah Rukh Khan wouldn't hurt either.
And on the cool check in
Center stage on the mic
And we're puttin' it on wax
It's the new style
[ Beastie Boys ]
It happens. You say one phrase in passing: “It's the new style”, and next thing you know it all Beastie, all morning. Also about time I bought a copy of Hello Nasty...
I've been a victim of limited selection:
But fans who venture onto any of the pay music sites will not find the most popular band ever, the Beatles. They will not find other top-selling acts, such as the Dave Mathews Band, Garth Brooks, the Grateful Dead, AC/DC and the Cars.
They will find that top-selling acts Madonna (news - web sites) and Red Hot Chili Peppers sell their songs by the album, but not as singles. They will find some musicians on one service, but not on others.
They will find puzzling choices: Led Zeppelin fans can buy a 47-minute spoken-word biography of the band online, but no Zeppelin songs because the band has not licensed them for sale on the Internet.
[ Yahoo! News ]
I like an all Zeppelin day every once in a while, Napster only seems to have 3 tracks, only one appears to be available for streaming. I also wanted a good dose of the Grateful Dead the other day, Napster has none. While I can appreciate that people want to protect their property rights and their copyrights, they'd better face the music soon, and get their music out on the Internet, or else. (How's that for an empty threat?)
Tonight I watched this cute special program on the Food Network. If you're quick enough you can catch a glimpse of what your kitchen is likely to look like in the future. This show includes Microsoft's vision, as well as Disney's past future and clever gizmos being worked on now for use in your kitchen tomorrow.
An hour of fast paced fun where we'll share visions of future kitchens from the past, from the Jetsons and the Worlds' Fair in 1938, and unveil the latest concepts for the next generation of kitchen wizardry.
[ Food Network: Food Network Specials ]
In case you thought it possible, the GameBoy Advance version of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (PoP:SoT) is not the same as the PC/Console version, but the story attempts to remain close. If you are excited about the story aspect of games, you might want to skip PoP:SoT on the GBA. The only way I really know what the story is from the GameCube version that I've already completed.
However, if you like 2D platform games that are seriously challenging, then PoP:SoT for GBA might be the game for you. Rumors of a gryffon being in the 3D version are further confirmed by the existence of said gryffon in the 2D version. On the GBA you play as the Prince and Farah, and can switch back and forth when standing in various places around the palace. As expected in a 2D platform/adventure game, you have to find power-ups to get additional skills to get to more and more places in the palace.
There is a map, and inventory screen, scrolls (which give you info or powers), monsters defeated tally, basic stats, and a menu if you need to quit or sleep. The graphics are outstanding in comparison to the old PoP games, and rather good in comparison to other GBA titles. The music isn't as amazing as the music in the 3D version, but it evokes a middle eastern atmosphere.
As I've come to expect from GBA games, it is wicked hard. PoP:SoT for GameCube was almost too easy, rather like a somewhat interactive movie experience. I've read that games are getting easier and easier as they attempt to appeal to a larger and larger market. However, no one has informed the GBA developers, who are turning out challenging game after challenging game.
The only complaint that I have so far is some of the controls. My hands aren't so small, and some of the button combinations that I have to do on my GBA SP aren't that easy. Once I get access to my GameCube (currently occupied with a game of Mario Party 5) I hope to see how well this plays on the GameBoy Player.
Embody a legendary hero with gravity-defying acrobatics, fercious[sic] fighting combos, and the ability to bend time to fulfill his bidding. Wield the power of the Sands of Time - a force allowing the Prince to erase the past, behold the future, and freeze the present. Uncover the mysteries of a world never before explored in action-adventure gaming. Ancient Persia, mythical and deadly, holds a staggering array of landscapes and kingdoms to explore and conquer.
[ Amazon.com: Computer & Video Games ]
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