COMPUTER CURRENTS
Beware of the promise of 'free download' - the most misused words on the Web
JAMES HEIN
Apple's new iPhone. |
'Free Download" are probably the most misused words you will find on web sites these days. When you think about it, any download you can do is a "free" one. It is what happens when you get the file onto your computer that matters.
These days any time you see this phrase it really means "you have to pay to get full functionality." So you download the file and if it is say an anti-virus product you will see a list of problems but cannot fix them. This kind of software is a bad version of shareware or a crippleware product, where you can only try some of the functionality before you buy. In other words, you have to take someone's word that it will actually work as advertised when you pay for it.
There is a variant of this which I can understand, but still strongly object to the "free download" label. These are products where you can try all the functionality but not save the results. Examples of this are digital audio workstations where you can only save 30 second samples and not the fill mix. It is getting so bad these days that when I see the term "free download" I automatically avoid that site or product.
I was reading that President Bush has never sent an email and it is likely that future presidents will never send one either. I'm not sure about the second part but Mr Bush will not use email because he doesn't want people grabbing them and using them against him at some later date.
If I could contact him I'd recommend that he download PGP, create some keys and give them to his trusted friends. Then he could send secure email to his friends that not even the NSA could spy on.
Yes, email is an open and easily intercepted method of communication that needs to become more secure to be used in a business or official environment where confidentiality is a requirement. Do you think that international banks operate over unsecured networks?
Networks can be secured, email can be encrypted and communications can be made safe. All it takes is a little bit of work by implementing 2,048-bit encryption that is provided by an independent provider, and hope that quantum computers take a while to come online.
Industry news
I had this whole section written on the new iPhone and its new low pricing. At first all I saw was the new low price of $200 or better in all locations where it is to be released. To start with it is a 3G phone, that also supports GSM. Talk time is five hours for the former and 10 for the latter. It will be thinner, have better web connectivity and gives you the ability to use your own headphones because they have changed the jack.
At first I thought that this would be a market killer, a $200 phone that has a touch screen and does most of what the others can do at three or four times the price. Then I looked a little deeper.
The price of 6,500 baht for the phone is for those signing up to the local plan, for one, or more likely two years. Originally I thought that Apple would instantly clean up the market, reversing my predictions on this matter but after some research I stand by my original claim the iPhone will not have that much of an impact.
The activation methodology may change now however. With Apple and the carriers subsidising the cost of the phone they do not want people to be able to buy one and unlock it themselves. That being said, I'm sure the hackers will come to the rescue so that you can use your new phone outside your local network so that you don't need to pay horrendous roaming fees.
So where does this leave iPhone users in Thailand? Given that the biggest networks do not have contracts I suspect that it will not be officially released here. Instead you will be able to buy them at a similar price to now at, say MBK, where they will unlock it, add local software, a few games and send you on your way.
So I'm going to agree with the Info-Tech Research Group when it says that this is not a market changer. Instead, for people in places where there are plans like the UK, the US, Australia and so on, it will be just another model to choose from their provider's list. There will be no compelling reason to choose it from the others (except that it does look cool). I have heard that cut and paste does not work for SMS usage which would be somewhat annoying for me as I use a Thai dictionary for some of my Thai emails so that I get the spelling right.
So seven hours video playback time, 24 hours of continuous music playback with a better sound processor, faster download speeds on some networks and HSDPA-capable. With a GPS on board it should help to tidy up things like Google Maps when you take that photo and post it. The headphone socket is a normal one so you will be able to plug in decent headphones. No more docking cradle and a smaller AC adaptor. If I can avoid iTunes, this time round I may even be picking up one myself.
Vista, it's all good, and Microsoft has the presentation to prove it. Visit its web site and look for "windows vista experience" in the small business section. There you will find success stories from those using Vista SP1. It is a choppy marketing style presentation that will soon have you believing that all is well with Vista.
Some have said that there are no real drivers for the adoption of Vista. With adoption barrier issues like hardware requirements, driver and application compatibility, and the good old pricing and performance issues Vista has taken quite a beating as far as general adoption within the corporate world. If you watch the videos however they paint a different story, or it could just be very clever production, you decide.
Don't forget to pick up this month's security fixes. There are a few critical ones in there for both MS and Apple users, from the respective companies of course.
If you have some spare computer time you may want to contact Kapersky Labs. There is a new virus that uses 1,024-bit encryption. The virus, known as Gpcode, gets in via unpatched browsers, a good reason to apply the updates. It then encodes your data files including your .doc, .txt, .pdf, .xls and other files. This done you are asked to give the writer money to get your files back. All Database readers will of course be backing up their data files but for those casual readers who are not, this is a good reason to do so.
The virus appears to be an upgrade to an older 660-bit key version that has since been cracked by Kaspersky and other security vendors. The problem with a 1,024-bit key, according to Kaspersky, is that it will take about 15 million modern computers, running for about a year to crack it. So if you can, pitch in and help the "Stop Gpcode" effort. Meanwhile I hope that someone is trying to find out who this individual is so that they will not be coming out with a third version in the future.
Email: jclhein@gmail.com.
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