4 the Geeks

You have reached the river but the water has moved!

2006-02-05T03:13:00.000-08:00

Well guys and glas I have changed from Blogger to Wordpress for better service. The whole blog has been transfered to Geek's Bay (http://geeksbay.monzilla.info). If you have bookmarked this site then please make sure that you have your bookmark updated. Waiting for your feedbacks!

IE 7 Beta 2 available for download!

2006-02-03T18:07:00.000-08:00

Microsoft has released Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 (Preview) to the public. Now anyone can go and download it from here !

The latest version works only with Windows XP Service Pack 2 and includes
many of the features Microsoft has been touting for months. Among them are new
security and privacy protection capabilities such as mechanisms designed to
combat phishing attacks, spyware and other threats.

Another new feature lets users clear their browsing history more easily
and thus wipe out passwords, form data and cookies in one click, the company
said.
Other features include RSS Support, more support for AJAX, Tabbed
Browsing, Shrink to fit Feature and some other Printing Enhancements.

Guess which OS google uses?

2006-02-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

We all have been keen to know what Google uses as their OS and their file format. There were many claims that they were using a modified version of the Ubuntu Linux and they named it as Goobuntu (What a funny name ). Well at last Google’s spokeswoman has come down to confirm it. Yeah they are using Ubuntu Linux! Infact only their engine. Here’s a quote:

“We utilize the Ubuntu technology for internal use, but have no plans to
distribute it outside of the company,” the spokeswoman said. She also denied the
company was using the name “Goobunto” internally for the software, saying, “It’s
just an internal system.”

As you can see they have not named it Goobuntu after all. Ubuntu means ‘Humanity to others’. Maybe Google is feeling humane and that’s why they are using Ubuntu while there are many better Linux alternatives. Anyway this is a great encouragement for Ubuntu.

MSN Messenger Live Beta Invites

2006-02-01T07:14:00.000-08:00

I got few more invitations for the MSN Messenger Live. Five to be precise. Reply with your e-mail address in the format username[at]domain[dot]com (to avoid spider logging your address). Reply fast!

Google Toolbar Beta Rock!

2006-01-30T07:41:00.000-08:00

Yeah Google released a new version of the toolbar beta ( I don’t get it. Every single cool service has a Beta tag with its name). Anyway getting to the point I don’t know when this cool thing was released but i grabbed the 600kb file the moment I heard about it and all I could say was WOW. Yeah you should really try it out. It has new buttons, well laid graphics and lots of new features.

All the images has been largely scaled down. Please click the image to see the real image.

Screenshot:

Keyword Suggest:

This is a cool new feature. As you type suggestions popup below it showing a list relevant keywords.

Auto Search bar expand

This is a very useful feature. If you are typing long combinations of keywords the search bar will start growing trying to accommodate the text also. See the screenshot to understand.

Live Bookmarks

Ah a much awaited feature. Now you can add live bookmarks, manage, view and access them from your own Google Toolbar!

Send To

Earlier Google toolbar could only send to your blogger account. Now you can Gmail and SMS your favorite pages also!

Add Buttons:

We can add our own buttons of our own site! and submit it here. After reviewing it Google will either disacard it or will post it on thier main page! Cool
But hey its Google. So large database and so large number of buttons available.

What are you waiting for Sonny? Go download it!

Google Toolbar beta Google Button Page

Geeks Bay

2006-01-29T00:23:00.000-08:00

4 The Geeks

Google introduces Search History

2006-01-29T00:19:00.000-08:00

I was googling when I noticed a yellow bar above the results. They introduced what they call as Search History. If you are signed in while searching Google will store your searches and slowly learn your preferences. That is, the more you search, better and more personalized results will be shown to you. Of course you can turn this feature of easily. Look what they have said in their own description of the new service.

What’s Personalized Search?
Personalized Search is part of Google’s
ongoing effort to make your search experience more relevant to you. Using
Personalized Search, you can:

• Get the results most relevant to you, based on what you’ve searched
for in the past• View and manage your past searches, including the webpages,
images, and news headlines you’ve clicked on
• Create bookmarks you can access from any computer

Personalized Search orders your search results based on your past
searches, as well as the search results and news headlines you’ve clicked on.
You can view all these items in your Search History and remove any items you’d
like.
Early on, you may not notice a huge impact on your search results, but
as you build up your search history, your personalized search results will
continue to improve.
To sign up for this service, just visit http://www.google.com/psearch
To
delete this service at any time, visit https://www.google.com/accounts/DeleteService?service=hist

This new feature is not limited to Google’s web search but is extended on all services such as Google News and other services. Use it and post your opinion here.

Beware of Kama Sutra!

2006-01-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

No I am not talking about that age old book but about the new worm thats lurking around. According to Information week the worm fool Windows by spoofing digital signatures. The worm which is also known by the name Nyxem.e, MyWife.d, Grew.a, and Blackmal.e create 18 entries in Windows registry and easily slips into the OS. Once the worm resides in a computer the computer becomes an easy target for an attack. The worm has already infected over 630,000 computers.

The worm is considered particularly dangerous because it contains code that triggers an overwrite of all .doc, .xls, .mdb, .mde, .ppt, .pps, .zip, .rar, .pdf, .psd, and .dmp files on the third of each month.
Information week 4 The Geek 4 The Geeks

Google News out of Beta!

2006-01-24T17:21:00.000-08:00

Google seems to have dropped the Beta tag from its Google News! Sources say that they have added many new features also. You should check it out, really.

Google News was introduced in September 2002 and their goal was to enable readers to get a broader perspective. To do this, they developed a service that delivered news by presenting it in "clusters" that displayed related articles in a single group. Google News has now grown to 22 regional editions in 10
languages.

In addition to taking Google News out of beta, Google is also introducing personalized news headlines. By further integrating Personalized Search into Google News, users can now receive recommended news stories based on their past news searches and articles they've read, giving them suggestions for stories to explore that they may not have discovered otherwise.

Users who want to receive personalized news headlines can simply sign-up for Personalized Search. Then, whenever they're signed-in to their Google Account, they'll see recommended headlines based on what they've read in the past. These results appear along the left hand column, but users can also get a full page of recommended stories by clicking on the section. All of this is done automatically using algorithms.

Source: Tech Tree 4 The Geeks 4 The Geek

First ever TV Channel for Mobiles!

2006-01-24T06:59:00.000-08:00

Reliance Infocomm, an India based CDMA mobile connection provider, released what they claim as the world's first TV Channel on mobile phones. Now Reliance is providing a channel called 'Times Now' a Times Group and Reuters 24 hour News channel (Times Now has not been released for Television viewers yet).

Reliance India Mobile (RIM) said that this service is currently available only to users of Nokia 6255 and 6235 and requires them to connect to R-World to see the streaming channels. Other mobile users will be able to see the web clips on demand.

Movies and channels on mobiles are still on heated debate because watching movies in a small screen is inconvenient and causes heavy battery drain. Even before people came to conclusion for this debate Reliance launched this cool service. Personally I think watching 24 hour news in the small screen of mobiles would be better than watching films in mobile phones. Anyway its cool to know that India is trying to get a global position in technology :D.

Go India Go! 4 The Geeks 4 The Geek

Windows "Vienna" to follow Vista.

2006-01-21T18:10:00.000-08:00

There has been many rumors about the next Windows OS. The latest one is Windows Vienna (formerly known as Blackcomb.) According to Wikipedia, Blackcomb was supposed to follow Windows XP but was delayed due to some unknown reasons. If you head to Wikipedia by clicking the link below you will understand why Blackcomb was supposed to follow Windows XP. Anyway as you all may know the only major difference in XP and Vista is the UI (User Interface). As sources say Vienna (Blackcomb) will completely change from XP right from the Start button to the explorer.

Read more: Wikipedia 4 The Geeks, 4 The Geek

Faithful Google!

2006-01-19T18:17:00.000-08:00

Google is faithful to us (users)! Yeah it really obeys what it said in its privacy statments. We can trust google with anything. The big bully Uncle Sam is trying to get search information and user details from Google but hurray Google is refusing!

Internet search giant Google has been quietly battling the Bush administration since last year after it refused to turn over details about its customers’ search activity, according to court records.

According to papers filed on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Department of Justice lawyers said that Google refused to comply with a subpoena for a wide range of search information. Published reports indicate that information
included a request for 1 million random web addresses and records of all Google searches from any one-week period.

With mountains of sensitive search and email information in its archives, concerns have been raised in the past by privacy and civil liberties organizations over Google’s stewardship of that information.

The government is hoping to gain information to help resuscitate the 1998 Child Online Protection Act, which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court two years ago. The court held that the law violated free speech guarantees.
Source: Red Herring
Three chears for Google! 4 The Geek, 4 The Geeks

A clothy keyboard!

2006-01-19T04:54:00.000-08:00

Look at this cutie. Yeah that keyboard. Its made up cloth! Its a “smart fabric” portable keyboard developed by Brit company Eleksen Ltd., it’s a 2.4-ounce Bluetooth keyboard made out of a special touch-sensitive cloth material that’s water repellent. You can use it with you Laptop, PDA, mobile phone or any other Bluetooth devices!

Read about it 4 The Geeks

Firefox 2.0 Alpha to be released next month!

2006-01-18T08:37:00.000-08:00

Mozilla announced that they will release a beta (yet another) version of Firefox called as Firefox 2.0 Alpha. They say that there will be additional features. Only security enhancements, better history access and in user interface.

Read More: PC Pro 4 The Geeks

Yeah you are in heaven!

2006-01-17T08:27:00.000-08:00

Feeling lazy? Stressed Out? Suffering from Back pains? Have a burning desire to get a massage? Shell out $ 700 and reach heaven everytime you start to have such feelings !

There’s a special on the iJoy ZipConnect Massage Chair with built-in
speakers and subwoofer. Only $700 and it comes with a free ZipConnect module
(with retractable 18-inch cable and mini stereo plug) for playing any iPod, MP3,
portable CD or satellite radio. So, along with listening to music through the
speakers in the headrest and powered subwoofer in the base, you also get a
massage from the Human Touch Technology Robotic Massage, with Rolling, deep
Kneading, tapping Percussion and therapeutic Compression.

Source: Gizmodo 4 The Geeks

Vista 5270 build Screenshots!

2006-01-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

I didn't get Vista 5270 build, but i think a dude who calls himself rajas700 from Digit Forum got it. Anyway he posted these screenshots in there. Click on the images to see it larger.

Installation screen

Vista Desktop

My Computer

Control Panel

Media Player 11

There are more screenshots. You can see it in the Digit Forum. 4 The Geeks

Microsoft India launches Virtual Map!

2006-01-13T18:49:00.000-08:00

In MS's annual research symposium, TechVista 2006, Microsoft Research India
(MRI) demonstrated a multilingual interactive digital map of India. Microsoft
Research India and the Department of Science and Technology began collaboration
on this research project in 2005.

Microsoft collaborated with the Survey
of India, part of the Department of Science and Technology, on development of
this first-of-its-kind prototype, which also includes an online map of Bangalore
in several Indian languages. A special feature enables users to add information
relevant to their own communities tagged to specific locations on the map. This
is the first public demonstration of an ongoing Microsoft Research India project
that explores innovative ways to create and disseminate geo-spatial data.

Read full article 4 The Geeks

Blackberry to support Google Talk

2006-01-13T18:42:00.000-08:00

Research in Motion (RIM) announced on last Thursday that its BlackBerry platform
will support Google Talk instant messaging and Google Local for mobile.
Google also announced Google Mobile Personalized Home Page, while RIM said
it would distribute synch software for Macs.

Read full article 4 The Geeks, Geeks, Geeky

Intel Inside Apple

2006-01-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

Apple computers on Tuesday showed of two brand new computers all powered with Intel Dual Core processors. Apple Chairman Steve Jobs unveiled the new iMac desktop PCs which he claimed will work twice as fast as its current counterparts. He also unveiled Intel powered PowerBook laptops which works four to five time as fast as current Power Books. Looks like its good time for Intel. Intel is really leaping ahead this time.

Read more: Sac Bee Geeks, 4 The Geeks, Geeky

XBox 360 to support Blu-Ray

2006-01-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to crush the fame of PS3 which has not been released yet, MS has announced that XBox 360 will support Blu-Ray Drives. MS is readying themselves to ship Blu-Ray drives. They say if it can support HD-DVD then it can also support Blu-Ray.

The Register AV Info XBox, Blu Ray, HD DVD, Geeks, 4 The Geeks

Norton System Works uses Root kits!

2006-01-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

Symantec has admitted that one of its products uses 'root kits'. They said that Norton System Works uses a root kit to create a folder which is hidden bot from the user and the OS and this folder is not scanned during a manual or scheduled scan. This feature will help virus writers to plant virus into that folder and take control of your computer. Wicked Symantec right?

Read More:Vnu Net

Symantec, Rootkit, Geeks, 4 The Geeks, Norton System Works

MSN Messenger Live Beta Invites give out!

2006-01-12T17:52:00.000-08:00

Hi guyz and gals. I now have 4 MSN Messenger Beta Live Messenger invite (may get more soon). Post you hotmail or msn e-mail address as comments if you want those invites.

E-mail adress should be posted as name [at] domain [dot] com to avoid the prying eyes of bots.

Cheers!

AMD Athlon 64 FX out. The dual core master of AMD!

2006-01-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

Its been some time after this candy (for gamers) was released and all over the internet reviews are being rolled out. Reviewers are happy that Athlon 64 FX -60 Dual Core Processor is giving more than what it claimed. Be sure to check out its reviews.

Reviews:

Don't forget to Google it!

AMD, Athlon, 64 FX, Dual Core, 4 The Geeks, Geeks, Geeky

A small disk for you and a giant 500 GB for your computer!

2006-01-09T22:13:00.000-08:00

Quantum Computing, perhaps the buzzword of the year, has always fascinated the minds of many. Many stepped forward into the field but the leading one is Atom Chip. Ok i am not making you sleepy by telling long stories. I will get into the point straight.

See that picture? What do you get from it. Hmm 500 GB of storage in a small chip? Yep and its 'quantum disk' as they say. And the speed? Hold your breath for its 4 Gb per second!!! Cool right? It works with both Linux and Windows (no info about Mac) and this beauty was displayed in CES at Las Vegas. But don't start dreaming about it unless you can shell out $17500! All coolness gone? So that means that this little beauty is not for us atleast for now. Maybe you can choose a 500GB harddisk instead :D :D.

Quantum Disk, 4 the geeks, Geeky, Geeks, Storage, CES

MSN Messenger Live Reviewed!

2006-01-08T01:39:00.000-08:00

My friend (Navojsingh Singh) recently send me an invitation for the MSN Messenger Live-The future of MSN Messenger. I gladly accepted it and downloaded the 11.5 MB file ASAP. After installation I opened it up. I was spell bound and could only say 'cool'. Yeah its the visuals. The Messenger is simply cool to see. Look at the picture below (Since large images may slow down this already slow page i had to reduce the quality of the jpg files. Plz bear with me). Anyway the all new messenger is cool to see.

See the difference between MSN Messenger Live [left] and Messenger 7.x[right]

MSN Messenger is really spicy! Look at that 'forget me' link in the log in window. I am seeing such a thing for the first time. Its damn useful for those who don't know how to clear the temp 'cookies' of MSN messenger. Now we can erase our information with a single click. Its damn useful especially when you are using MSN from somebody else's computer or from a cafe.

As the previous messengers, this time also you will have to bear with the ads shown in the messenger.

The troubleshooting feature of MSN messenger is the best of its kind i have ever seen.

Though the visuals are not completely changeable by default, we can change that orange color on the top by clicking the small bucket icon on the top. There isn't much change in the chatting window from the previous ones except the visuals ^_^ .

Kato, my friend showing of his handwriting. The handwriting feature can be accessed by clicking the pen symbol. You have to write with the mouse! Who cares that when we have keyboard which is better than our handwriting ;-) .

Like Yahoo Messenger (I am comparing with YIM because that's my favorite IM) there are many features in MSN IM like Backgrounds. Backgrounds are IM environment equivalent of YIM. But there are many differences also. In YIM it requires that both of the people must load the theme where as in MSN IM only we need to load the IM and after loading it we can request our friend to load it also. Thats a good side in MSN IM.

There are many difference in Backgrounds and IM Environment of Yahoo!

Unlike YIM there is a wide selection of emoticons and besides that you can create your own! So theoretical there are infinite emoticons in MSN Live Messenger. So you will never be in short of emoticons and will find emoticons for every situation. Besides you can download extra packs from time to time. And there is also My Winks. Unlike Emoticons these and animations decipating something or action. They are really big and span throughout the Messenger window. But the bad thing is that there are only few animations available.

There are always many emoticons for every occasion for you to use!

My Winks are cool but have only few items.

Like YIM MSN Live Messenger (and MSN IM 7.x) also have features like Videos, file transfer, telephone calls, activities and games! Of course I tried Tic Tac Toe with Kato.

Me playing Tic Tac Toe with Kato. I trapped him see!!

So whats new?? There are some new features but most of them needs add-ons. There is one add-on that tell others in your contact list which music you are hearing in Windows Media player. Its an add-on for the Media Player. There there is another add on offering free virus scanning for the messenger only. I suppose its a part of Windows Live Security. Then unlike older versions you can send offline messages to your friends. Theres also a video chat option using your web-cam/digital camera.

So summing up i would like to say that the major difference between MSN IM live and MSN IM 7.x is only visuals. There are some other small differences but any way its always good to upgrade. So if you have enough friends in MSN IM time to get the Live IM. But i didn't find anything here to drool over. So either way it will go.

Thanks for Navajo Singh for the invitation and Kato (Karthik) for helping me to review this IM.

P.S I don't have any invitations left for MSN Live Messenger so don't pester me asking for an invitation. When i get some invitations to spare i will post it here.

MSN, Messenger, Live,4 The Geeks, Geeks, Geeky