010 - some windows xp tweakers

some windows xp tweakers (most here don't require installation)
These allow you to tweak the operating system, or certain registry settings, or some security vulnerabilities.

Startup Control Panel 2.8 by Mike Lin: very very nice.

seconfig XP 1.1 - easy: (2007) secures some common threats to a windows xp machine & some ports too. very user friendly.

safe XP 1.57 - medium: a tweaker with a medium friendly interface; still, .. it is quite easy to use. This version is a little dated (July 2005) but I still recommend it. On its status bar, beside the pics of the international flags, is the area which holds the description of the tweaks if you hover your pointer over the item.


tweak ui 2.1 for XP - easy: This app is from Power Toys. It is elegant & excellent. most items are explained.


xp antispy 3.97 - medium: good explanations; colors of checkboxes can be confusing though. I think the green means profile choices, the check mark means what will be applied when you click the button; I think red means it does not match the profile. (other colors exist too.)


xpconfig 1.1 - medium: (May2008) This may appeal to some people. There is lack of description or help files/documentation, although the ui looks promising. (I haven't used it.)


xpy 0.10.9 - easy: This one is elegant too! On first run it saves an undo point. The colored check boxes indicate whether the parameter is already activated. the explanations are ok. i think green means the tweak WILL be added and red means the tweak is already in place. A white checkbox is neutral.

009 - small review of portable antivirus

small review of portable antivirus

http://grandstreamdreams.blogspot.com/2008/11/portable-anti-virusmalware-security.html

I reviewed some of the portable antivirus apps at the above site.

Trend Micro's Sysclean: easy to use & straight forward ui

Panda Command Line Scanner UI: not reviewed. requires WindowsXP &/or Microsoft .NET installed first. (it looks promising though)

Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool: not reviewed. requires WindowsXP &/or Microsoft .NET installed first. (It sounds like Kaspersky is popular amongst users.)

McAfee Command-Line Virus Scanner: This is a fast program. It works very well.

a-squared Emergency USB Stick: Pros: nice ui. simple/intuitive. works on older Windows 98 PC's with adequate RAM. looks for some spyware too. Cons: It sets itself up as a service & this can cause Windows XP to "hang" on shutdown. (to disable this go to RUN-> MSCONFIG or
RUN-> SERVICES.MSC and uncheck the appropriate box).

Clam-Win Portable: simple to use. slower than the McAfee scanner though.

Malbytes Rogue Remover Free: not reviewed. requires WindowsXP &/or Microsoft .NET installed first.

Ikarus T3 CLI scanner: works ok. It seems thorough. no gui though.

Multi Virus Cleaner 2008: for certain viruses only. This works on Windows 98 and has a nice user interface.

008 - gasoline update 2009-01-24

gasoline update 2009-01-24

↑ 12 cents since last blogpost |. My local safeway station since about the last 10 days (approx. 2009-01-14) have increased the price per litre to $0.839

[↑ 6 cents. At the other safeway station, safeway(mj) (see sep.12.2008), the price of gas went from $0.839/L to $0.899 on Saturday 2009-01-17,
↓ 6 cents. and then back to $0.839/L on Sunday 2009-01-18 (to be competitive?),
↑ 6 cents. and then back up to $0.899/L on Monday 2009-01-19. Once again, it appears this station is a leader in raising gas prices. ]

007-does-AssaultCube-have-a-virus?

Does AssaultCube have a virus?

AssaultCube is a single/multiplayer firstperson shooter. It is welldone and plays very well.
Here is what happened to me recently.

AssaultCube_v1.0.2.exe with an MD5 checksum of: fde659fb405a35dc0c08686a6d2e06bc

40.2 MB (42,192,549 bytes)
was downloaded on this date, Sunday, January 04, 2009, 12:59:32 PM

from this URL http://assault.cubers.net/media/

=======================================================

After playing this on my Windows XP computer,
it appears the computer received a virus, or it behaves
like it has a virus.

Symptoms:
---------
On startup of the computer, the cursor is missing from
the windows login password screen. You can still login though.
The monitor appears to be de-interlaced in appearance and not
very clear.
The computer responds a little bit slower.
The Desktop Wallpaper is replaced with the Windows Login screen.
The computer hangs when you try to restart or shutdown.
Rebooting the computer does not fix the problem.

Actions Taken:
--------------
Scanning the file AssaultCube_v1.0.2.exe & its resultant files &
the computer itself showed no virus files (McAfee)
Restored my system. The computer appears fixed.
Played another game of AssaultCube.
Rebooted. ... The viral symptoms reappeared.
Restored the system again.

I think it has a computer virus but I can't prove it.


==============================

non-related topic: Last Week gasoline prices went up 6 cents per Litre. ($0.779/L)

↑ 6 cents| The last week saw gas go up by 6 cents/Litre. That is, from $0.719 to: $0.779/L. (Gas station = safeway or coop)

006 - timefiller

↓ 2 cents| Gasoline update: 2009-01-04 gas price at the last Safeway location is $ 0.719 / L. It has been at this price for a while now. (ie a drop from $ 0.739/L to $ 0.719/L)

//This is the instruction sheet for a inexpensive digital LCD watch sold in North America under the brand of Optimax.


//Today is Sunday. Thus, not as much traffic on the roads as a weekday. Today's transit driver was just depressed or angry. Early into the journey, he motions sarcastically at a car. Someone must have cut him off. Or so I thought. At a stoplight, he keeps pumping the brakes microscopically to give the bus a sensation of a hydraulic bouncing "low-rider". Then he lets out a moan as another car infront chooses to go straight instead of making a right turn at a controlled intersection. I'm starting to think this guy is depressed or crazy. A Sunday drive is really "nothing". The roads are in good shape. The weather and visibility is good. Passing pedestrians nearing a bus-stop, he leans over and stares at them to ensure they are not potential passengers. So far so good. That is quite admirable actually; Some drivers don't give a damn about their passengers. Next we miss a green light. Now comes another moan, like it is the end of the world. We wait at the intersection for the light to change. At the end of the trip, I get off, & thank the driver. He says "you are welcome" and we both go on our way. Summary of trip:
On time; Safe; Courteous. I shouldn't complain.

005 - gas price blurb

ok, i'm adding this blurb about gas prices Dec.14,2008; The gas price posted at a local Safeway (a different Safeway location than the previous post, Safeway(mj) $1.34/Litre-Sep.18,2008), is $ 0.739

shift gears// do you remember in the summer/fall, the so-called financial "experts" predicted that the price of a barrel of oil will shortly reach $150 and beyond? well, they were partially right. i remember a barrel went for about $140 US, but what they were wrong about was that one of the main causes of the fast rise in price was not so-much supply & demand, but more speculation and greed. Last week i remember the price was about $43 a barrel.
right now the website: http://www.bloomberg.com/energy/ says the NYMEX crude future is $47.14

shift gears// how much of the financial woes of the big three auto manufacturers are due to their management paths & marketing models instead of the tough times of the current economical times? Please change or attempt to change your product to non-combustible propulsion transportation. There must be a way to do this with a feasible/sustainable market plan. If you pursue combustion, at least, let it be hydrogen fuel. It's cleaner than carbon fuels. (no carbon in ... no carbon out; what comes out the exhaust is H2O.) Is it as efficient?... probably not; but that isn't the main issue.

004 - people don't know how to pass.

why don't people who "pass" maintain their speed??

i'm driving on the #1 highway. westbound this time.
there's a car from novascotia with 2 ladies. one is on a cellphone.
they pass me. ok. in front of them is the semi-truck. & instead of passing the truck they slow down!! they return to the rt.lane. then they don't pass the truck. ...???
the truck velocity is slower.
i am faster than they are now. this goes on for another 30sec. now i decide to pass both vehicles. after i pass the truck they pass me again. so i give them my usual dirty/digusted look but this time they accelerate. too bad they make nova-scotians look bad.

2nd instance. same day.
a couple in a red aveo?/suzuki? (AlbertaPlates) pass me; then they slow down and force me to pass them. i stare at them.... Later on (5 minutes later,) they pass again but this time they don't slow down.

So here's the point if you are driving faster than someone, pass them and keep going.
don't pass them and then slow down to a speed less than the person you are passing.
not only is it aggravating. it is dangerous.