*HOT* Tech News And Downloads, I Would Read This Thread And Post Any Good Info

Google Presentation - Google's PowerPoint app goes live

Posted Sep 18th 2007 12:14AM by Jason Clarke
Filed under: Business, Design, News, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Office, Productivity, Web services, Google, Microsoft, Freeware, Social Software, Beta
Google Presentation
Google's long-rumored and eagerly anticipated PowerPoint clone has finally shipped. Although we've only had a chance to have a first look, here are some impressions:

What it does have or do

* Importing PowerPoint files
* Exporting HTML file
* 15 built-in themes
* Text formatting
* Basic image manipulation functionality (adding, resizing)
* Versioning
* Collaboration
* Online presentation sharing


What it doesn't have or do

* Animations of any kind
* Advanced image manipulation
* Advanced text formatting
* Sound
* Video
* Exporting PowerPoint files


Google has done a very good job of making this new Presentation application (based on code from Zenter) fit in with Docs and Spreadsheets. It looks right at home, and the functionality is about what you would expect from another Google App. File versioning and collaboration functions work exactly like they do for Docs and Spreadsheets, which is to say just fine.

Probably the most surprising and yet most obvious feature is the ability to share your presentations online. Simply click "Start presentation", then email the link provided to your audience. A chat box opens to the right of your maximized presentation view, and you can walk through the slides. Although the chat box bears a strong resemblance to Google Chat, no voice functionality appears to be present currently, though it does seem like an obvious direction for them to go.

Presentation File Menu Creating a new presentation is dead simple, and although a lot of the advanced features of PowerPoint are missing, rarely do those features actually contribute to a better presentation. Google has provided everything that you need to get your point across in a matter-of-fact way, and nobody is going to argue with the price.

If there's one feature that's glaringly missing, it's the ability to export your presentation as a .PPT file. While you can import them (with varying levels of accuracy depending on the complexity of the PowerPoint file), the only export option available is to export as a zip file containing HTML pages for your presentation. This is clearly not preferable, but works in a pinch if you need to give someone a copy of your presentation offline.

Interestingly, although it has been reported that Google Apps for Your Domain is a fork of the code for the regular Google Apps that you get with a typical Google account, Presentation is already available in both versions.

Tags: Docs-and-Spreadsheets, Google-Apps, Google-Docs, Google-PowerPoint, Google-Presentation, PowerPoint, Presentation

download
http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/09/18/google-presentation-googles-powerpoint-app-goes-live/

 

download
Office 2003 Service Pack 3 (SP3)
Brief Description
Office 2003 Service Pack 3 provides the latest updates to Microsoft Office 2003
.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...49-3E13-433B-B9D2-5E3C1132F206&displaylang=en


Office 2003 Service Pack 3 (SP3) Download
Sep 18, 2007 - 12:11 PM - by Digital Dave
Now available!

Microsoft® Office 2003 Service Pack 3 (SP3) represents a major evolution in security for Office 2003. It further hardens the Office suite against potential attacks and other security threats. This service pack also includes fixes that have been previously released as separate updates for Office 2003.

Download - Microsoft.com
Description of Office 2003 Service Pack 3

Description of Office 2003 Service Pack 3

On This Page
SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
MORE INFORMATION
Service pack details
Downloadable list of issues that the service pack fixes
List of issues that the service pack fixes
Security bulletins that are associated with the service pack
Previously released updates that the service pack includes
New and updated features
Known issues
Known issues after you install the service pack
Installation details
How to obtain and install Office 2003 Service Pack 3
Office 2003 Service Pack 3 for Multilingual User Interface Pack
Removal information
How to determine whether the service pack is installed
Information for administrators about .msp files
Features for reinstalling specific components for administrators
SUMMARY
Microsoft has released a service pack for Microsoft Office 2003. This article contains information about how to obtain the service pack and about how to obtain a list of issues that are fixed by the service pack. Additionally, this article contains information about the issues that you may experience when you install the service pack and about how to determine whether the service pack is installed.

Back to the top
INTRODUCTION
Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3 (SP3) contains security enhancements and stability improvements. Some fixes that are included with Office 2003 SP3 were previously released in separate updates. Office 2003 SP3 combines the previously released fixes into one update.

Back to the top
MORE INFORMATION
Service pack details
Downloadable list of issues that the service pack fixes
A Microsoft Excel workbook is available that contains a list of the Office 2003 post-Service Pack 2 issues that are fixed by Office 2003 SP3.

Note The workbook is in the English language. The workbook will not be translated into any other languages.

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

DownloadDownload the Office2003System_SP3Changes.exe package now. (http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/7/c/27cca56a-4181-46e7-a4ae-b656001af4fb/office2003_sp3changes.exe)

Release Date: September 18, 2007

For more information about how to download Microsoft support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
119591 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/119591/) How to obtain Microsoft support files from online services
Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.
List of issues that the service pack fixes
Office 2003 SP3 fixes the issues that are described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:
938790 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938790/) Issues that are fixed in Excel 2003 by Office 2003 Service Pack 3
938792 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938792/) Issues that are fixed in Office 2003 by Office 2003 Service Pack 3
938802 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938802/) Issues that are fixed in Outlook 2003 by Office 2003 Service Pack 3
938801 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938801/) Issues that are fixed in PowerPoint 2003 by Office 2003 Service Pack 3
938799 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938799/) Issues that are fixed in Word 2003 by Office 2003 Service Pack 3
Security bulletins that are associated with the service pack
Office 2003 SP3 addresses the issues that are described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:
922581 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922581/) MS06-062: Vulnerabilities in Office could allow remote code execution
924191 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924191/) MS06-061: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft XML Core Services could allow remote code execution
922968 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922968/) MS06-048: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office could allow remote code execution
917284 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917284/) MS06-038: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office could allow remote code execution
915384 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/915384/) MS06-039: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office filters could allow remote code execution
901190 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/901190/) MS06-009: Vulnerability in the Korean Input Method Editor (IME) could allow elevation of privilege
917285 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917285/) MS06-037: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Excel could allow remote code execution
905413 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905413/) MS06-012: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office could allow remote code execution
902412 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902412/) MS06-003: Vulnerability in TNEF decoding in Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange could allow remote code execution
916768 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916768/) MS06-028: Vulnerability in Microsoft PowerPoint could allow remote code execution
910729 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910729/) MS06-054: Vulnerability in Microsoft Publisher could allow remote code execution
917336 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917336/) MS06-027: Vulnerability in Microsoft Word could allow remote code execution
940965 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940965/) MS07-044: Vulnerability in Microsoft Excel could allow remote code execution
936227 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936227/) MS07-042: Vulnerability in Microsoft XML Core Services could allow remote code execution
Previously released updates that the service pack includes
Office 2003 SP3 includes the following previously released updates:

842532 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/842532/) Description of Office 2003 Service Pack 1
887616 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/887616/) Description of Office 2003 Service Pack 2
907417 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907417/) Description of the update for Office 2003: November 8, 2005
892843 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/892843/) Description of the security update for Outlook 2003: January 10, 2006
913807 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913807/) Description of the update for Outlook 2003: March 14, 2006
924424 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924424/) Description of the security update for Office 2003: October 10, 2006
914455 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914455/) Description of the security update for Office 2003, for Project 2003, and for OneNote 2003: July 11, 2006
923097 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923097/) Description of the update for Office 2003: October 10, 2006
923272 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923272/) Description of the security update for Office 2003: October 10, 2006
919029 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919029/) Description of the update for Office 2003: November 14, 2006
894542 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894542/) Description of the security update for Publisher 2003: September 12, 2006
921566 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921566/) Description of the security update for Office 2003: August 8, 2006
905756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905756/) Description of the security update for Excel 2003: March 14, 2006
917334 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917334/) Description of the security update for Microsoft Office Word 2003: June 13, 2006
917151 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917151/) Description of the security update for Office 2003: July 11, 2006
918419 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918419/) Description of the security update for Microsoft Office Excel 2003: July 11, 2006
916518 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916518/) Description of the security update for Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003: June 13, 2006
913571 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/913571/) Description of the updates for Office 2003: March 14, 2006
924886 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924886/) Description of the update for Office 2003: December 12, 2006
905645 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905645/) Description of the security update for Office 2003: February 14, 2006
920103 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/920103/) Description of the update for InfoPath 2003: August 8, 2006
925251 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925251/) Description of the update for Office 2003: February 13, 2007
936048 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936048/) Description of the security update for Office 2003: August 14, 2007
940602 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/940602/) Description of the security update for Excel 2003: August 14, 2007

Microsoft Office 2003 Multilingual User Interface Pack

Office 2003 SP3 also includes updates for the Microsoft Office 2003 Multilingual User Interface Pack. For more information about the earlier updates for the Microsoft Office 2003 Multilingual User Interface Pack that are included in Office 2003 SP3, visit the following Microsoft Web sites:
Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 1 for Multilingual User Interface Pack
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=f682ab1c-5be8-476d-b439-196412223cda (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=f682ab1c-5be8-476d-b439-196412223cda)
Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2 for Multilingual User Interface Pack
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...66-2C4D-486B-A0DE-099E96AE21A5&displaylang=en (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5EFD0266-2C4D-486B-A0DE-099E96AE21A5&displaylang=en)

Back to the top
New and updated features
After you install Office 2003 SP3, you can use a registry key to enable or to disable the instantiation point of a specific COM category in an Office 2003 program. For more information about this feature, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
938815 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938815/) How to enable or disable the instantiation point of a specific COM category in an Office 2003 Service Pack 3 application
After you install Office 2003 SP3, you can use a registry key to change the number of embedded MIME messages that are processed before a MIME message appears in the message body in Outlook 2003. For more information about this feature, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
938817 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938817/) How to change the number of embedded MIME messages that Outlook 2003 processes before the MIME is dumped to the message body

After you install Office 2003 SP3, you can install add-ins in Microsoft Office Access 2003 on a Windows Vista-based computer. For more information about this feature, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
938809 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938809/) Error message when you try to install an Access 2003 add-in for all users by using the Add-In Manager on a Windows Vista-based computer: "There was an error adding to the registry"

Back to the top
Known issues
Known issues after you install the service pack
After you install a Microsoft Office service pack, you are prompted unexpectedly to restart the computer. For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
905726 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905726/) You are unexpectedly prompted to restart the computer after you install an Office service pack or an Office update

After you install Office 2003 SP3, an add-in, ActiveX control, or COM add-in may not work as expected in an Office 2003 program. For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
938814 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938814/) The functionality of an add-in, an ActiveX control, or a COM add-in is reduced, or the functionality is blocked after you install Office 2003 Service Pack 3

After you install Office 2003 SP3, you may receive an error message when you try to create a new MAPI form in Outlook 2003. For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
938816 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938816/) Error message when you try to create a new MAPI form in Outlook 2003: "contact the administrator"

After you install Office 2003 SP3, attachments that contain the .gadget extension cannot be opened in Outlook 2003. For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
938811 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938811/) Attachments that contain the .gadget extension cannot be opened in Outlook 2003 after you install Office 2003 Service Pack 3

After you install Office 2003 SP3, the Fast Saves feature does not work as expected in Word 2003. For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
938808 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938808/) The Fast Saves feature in Word 2003 no longer functions after you install Office 2003 Service Pack 3

After you install Office 2003 SP3, the Microsoft Office Document Imaging program may not work as expected. For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
938813 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938813/) You may experience issues when you run the Microsoft Office Document Imaging program after you install Office 2003 Service Pack 3

After you install Office 2003 SP3, you may receive an error message when you try to open or to save a file. For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
941636 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941636/) You receive an error message when you try to open a file or to save a file after you install Office 2003 Service Pack 3

After you install Office 2003 SP3, you cannot open some Microsoft Excel workbooks that contain Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros. For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
938806 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938806/) You cannot open Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook files that contain Visual Basic for Applications macros in Excel 2003 after you install Office 2003 Service Pack 3

After you install Office 2003 SP3, the version number of Office is no longer saved in the properties of the document as expected. For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
938807 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938807/) Office files that are saved in certain formats no longer contain the version number of Office after you install Office 2003 Service Pack 3

Back to the top
Installation details
How to obtain and install Office 2003 Service Pack 3
Office 2003 Service Pack 3, together with installation instructions and deployment strategies, is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center. To download this service pack from the Microsoft Download Center, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=E25B7049-3E13-433B-B9D2-5E3C1132F206 (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=E25B7049-3E13-433B-B9D2-5E3C1132F206)
Office 2003 Service Pack 3 for Multilingual User Interface Pack
For complete Office 2003 functionality, install Office 2003 Service Pack 3 for Multilingual User Interface Pack if you use the Microsoft Office 2003 Multilingual User Interface Pack. To download Office 2003 Service Pack 3 for Multilingual User Interface Pack, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=E6386D0D-954B-44A2-B8A1-E0F2E717D387 (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=E6386D0D-954B-44A2-B8A1-E0F2E717D387)
Removal information
There is no option to remove this download by using the Add or Remove Programs item in Control Panel. To remove Office 2003 SP3 from the computer, you must remove Office 2003. Then, reinstall Office 2003 from the original Office 2003 CD.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
873125 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/873125/) You cannot remove service packs for Office 2003 products
How to determine whether the service pack is installed
The service pack contains files that have the versions that are listed in the following table.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923618

 

Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.7
Author: The Mozilla Organization
Date: 2007-09-18
Size: 5.73 Mb
License: Freeware
Requires: Win All

Mozilla Firefox project (formerly Firebird, which was formerly Phoenix) is a redesign of Mozilla's browser component, written using the XUL user interface language and designed to be cross-platform.

Mozilla Firefox is a small, fast and very easy to use browser that offers many advantages over other web browsers, such as the ability to block pop-up windows and the tabbed browsing.

FireTune for Mozilla Firefox was developed for an easy and fast optimization of your browsing experience with Firefox.

download
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Mozilla_Firefox_d2248.html

 

Saw this and thought about you guys

Small tool which disables the default threats of a Windows XP installation. Besides disabling Windows and some of its components to communicate with Microsoft servers, xpy improves privacy settings and your system?s security.

Features:
? Disable Windows ?calling home?
? Disable questionable services
? Disarm Internet Explorer
? Disarm Windows Media Player
? Remove Windows Messenger
? Improve privacy and security
? Improve performance

Though xpy is smaller than 60 kilobytes, it can close serious threats (i.e. DCOM) on long distance, where large service-packs can only protect you until a new security hole has been found.

Check here

 

Acronis True Image 10.0 Build 8027
Author: Acronis
http://www.acronis.com/

Date: 2007-09-18
Size: 102 Mb
License: Shareware $49.99
Requires: Win All

Acronis True Image is complete PC backup and restore software for home and home office users that can protect family pictures, videos, music, and important documents stored on your home PC.

Acronis True Image 10.0 provides you two backup options in one solution:

1) The original disk imaging backup option which enables you to create an image of your entire hard disk drive, including the operating system, applications, user settings, and all data. Use the image to restore your PC to a known working state without any reinstallation.

2) A new file-based backup option which enables you to backup and restore individual files and folders, like your My Documents folder or a specific file, like your latest tax return. A wizard walks you through all of the steps.

Acronis True Image 10.0 makes restoring your system even faster with the exclusive new Acronis Snap Restore feature. It also provides several additional enhancements.
Exclusive Acronis Snap Restore — Lightning-speed restore of your PC from an image. You can start working in seconds while your system is still being restored.

Exclude files — Save space when creating backups by only backing up the types of files you want to keep.

Differential backup — Decrease the number of backups you manage. Differential backups capture the changes made since your last full backup.

Expanded Acronis Drive Snapshot technology — We've expanded the no reboot feature to include backing up specific files and folders. We can even backup system files and open files with no issues. No matter which option you select, you can continue to use your PC during backup.

Windows System Restore management wizard — If you run Acronis True Image 10.0 regularly this feature in your operating system is redundant. Free up to 10% of your hard disk drive by disabling this default feature in your operating system using Acronis True Image 10.0.

Limitations: Cannot create and restore a disk image when launched from the bootable rescue media. 15-day trial.

link
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download2236.html

 

Floppy Office 3.9
Author: xtort.net
http://www.xtort.net/office-and-productivity/floppy-office/

Date: 2007-09-18
Size: 1.87 Mb
License: Freeware
Requires: Win All

Floppy Office is a collection of small, self contained no-install free office software applications which enable the end use access to every tool, utility and program imaginable for home, business, and student users alike. All of the self-contained, standalone applications require no installation, whatsoever, and for this reason make the perfect companion software package for your USB stick. All one needs to do is to extract all the zip files containing each application to their USB, configure them to their liking, and they are all set.

The applications included in this bundle are: an encryption program, a zip utility, an FTP client, a multiple document interface Rich Text editor, a notepad-style editor, secure file shredder, full POP email client, web server for hosting files via http, a mini tree-style outliner, vector graphics editor, a spreadsheet program compatible with Microsoft Excel, file renaming utility, and a PDF creator. Since these applications are so small, you may be wondering if these are all console applications. The answer is no — they all have a conventional, intuitive, graphic user interface.

Given the fact that Floppy Office is so small in size, this is definitely a software bundle worth having on your USB, or keeping around for a rainy day. It is the perfect portable office solution for anyone who is on the road a lot, or who finds themselves working on different PCs.

download
Floppy Office 3.9
http://www.xtort.net/office-and-productivity/floppy-office/

link
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download5645.html

 

DVDFab 3.1.9.2 Beta
Dear all,

DVDFab products 3.1.9.2 Beta is out (Sep 18, 2007):

DVDFab Platinum 3.1.9.2 Beta:
http://www.dvdfab.com/DVDFabPlatinum3192Beta.exe

DVDFab Gold 3.1.9.2 Beta:
http://www.dvdfab.com/DVDFabGold3192Beta.exe

DVDFab HD Decrypter 3.1.9.2 Beta:
http://www.dvdfab.com/DVDFabHDDecrypter3192Beta.exe

What's New:

3.1.9.2 Beta (Sep 18, 2007):
- New: Improved "PathPlayer" to handle DVD with BOV (button over video).
- New: Removed unreferenced VTS and PGC for clean DVD structure and better compression.
- New: Program is signed now for security.
- Fix: Endless opening time in certain cases when "PathPlayer" works.
- Fix: Some DVD content may be removed when "PathPlayer" works.
- Fix: "Encoding FPS" info is wrong for "DVD to Mobile".
- Fix: AAC encoding bitrate is wrong for "DVD to Mobile".
- Fix: Audio data is removed in "VOB passthrough" when selecting LPCM stream for "DVD to Mobile".

3.1.9.0 Beta (Sep 14, 2007):
- New: Brand new "PathPlayer" technology which gives DVDFab the ability to copy DVD content only allowed to be played on a real DVD player. In this way, DVDFab will ignore unplayed content which may contain copy protection.
- New: Added support for a new copy protection as found on "Bridge to Terabithia", (R2, German).
- New: Added support for a new copy protection as found on "Curse of the Golden Flower", (R2, UK).
- New: Brand new "DVD to Mobile" framework which gives DVDFab the ability to take the power of dual core (or more cores) CPU. Our test shows the H.264 encoding on dual core system speeds up to 200%.
- New: "DVD to Mobile" feature uses a lot of of open source libraries, like FFmpeg, x264, xvid, liba52, faac, lame, etc. DVDFab is compatible with open source GPL/LGPL license, and thanks for the help of open source community.

How "PathPlayer" works?
"PathPlayer" works like a real DVD player, it follows every play path of a DVD, visits every thing that you can access on DVD player with a remote controller. When "PathPlayer" finishes, we can know all the DVD content that a real DVD player will read. The copy protection exists in the unplayed DVD content, DVDFab will not read it when copying.

Note: "PathPlayer" is a very powerful technology. We have done test with all our discs which means it's very stable now. But it's completely new so if you encounter problem that some DVD content is not copied, please tell us, thanks!

Best Regards,
Fengtao
__________________
DVDFab - The ultimate DVD copying/converting/burning software! Copy any DVD to DVDR/PSP/iPod/etc.
DVD Region+CSS Free - Watch and copy any region code CSS-encrypted DVD on any DVD drive!
http://www.dvdidle.com/

 

AvancePaint 2.1
Author: RGS-Avance Software
http://users.belgacom.net/rgs/
Date: 2007-09-17
Size: 1.89 Mb
License: Freeware
Requires: Win All

A complete paint program designed with a intuitive user interface that makes AvancePaint easy to learn and use.
It’s powerful enough to suit the advanced user and yet simple enough to please the beginner.

Open unlimited number photo's or pictures and unleash your artistic talents as you will discover the advanced and powerful but easy to use graphical options!
A complete set of 20 photo-realistic filters and more then 40 textures are included.

Some of the features:

Easy to use yet powerful
All functions of MS-Paint
Zoom
Powerful color settings
Size
Masks
Draw arrows in one click
Open JPG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, WMF, EMF, DIB, ICO files
Open as many photo's as your memory allows!
Cut/copy/paste between photo's
Darken, lighten, sharpen, soften, blur, replace colors, blend, transparent gif etc...
WYSWYG fonts
Multiple undo's
Borders
Print preview
User definable rounded square corners
Rotate
Many symbols included
Uses only 2Mb diskspace

link
http://www.majorgeeks.com/AvancePaint_d5604.html

 

FreeRIP 3.03
Author: MGShareware
http://www.mgshareware.com/
Date: 2007-09-18
Size: 1.68 Mb
License: Adware
Requires: Win All

FreeRIP is a Windows application that can convert your audio CDs to a number of audio file formats. It also is an audio file converter that can convert from a format to another. Now totally renewed version 3 is available for download. With FreeRIP converting your audio CD collection to digital encoded audio files is a matter of minutes. And the best is that it's FREE!

FreeRIP is a CD ripper, this means that it can record digital audio tracks directly from audio CD to files on your hard drive (this process is known as "ripping"). You can save tracks as CD quality WAV files or encode them to a lossy (MP3, Ogg Vorbis, WMA) or lossless (FLAC) audio format.

Limitations: My Search Browser Toolbar is included. You can uncheck that at installation.

link
http://www.majorgeeks.com/FreeRIP_d5653.html

 

USB 3.0 to Bring 10x Speed Increase in 2008

Intel discusses its plans for USB 3.0 technology

During Patrick Gelsinger's keynote at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) today, Intel made a small announcement regarding a group of companies who are now working together to create a "superspeed personal USB interconnect” with 10 times the speed of the current generation technology of USB 2.0. The USB 3.0 Promoter Group -- which consists of Intel, Hewlett-Packard, NEC Corporation, NXP Semiconductors, Microsoft and Texas Instruments -- looks to make several other major changes.

Along with the 10x speed difference between USB 3.0 and the current generation, the USB 3.0 Promoter Group is taking power consumption and better protocol efficiency into consideration while designing 3.0. USB 3.0 will be able to use the same architecture of wired USB, though no other specific details are yet available.

To help drive home the importance of USB technology, Gelsinger pointed out the usual USB devices everyday users have in their homes and offices: keyboards, mice, speakers, cameras, etc. He also introduced a number of novelty items that are powered by USB including refrigerators and mittens.

"USB 3.0 is the next logical step for the PC's most popular wired connectivity," said Jeff Ravencraft, Intel technology strategist and USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) president. "The digital era requires high-speed performance and reliable connectivity to move the enormous amounts of digital content now present in everyday life. USB 3.0 will meet this challenge while maintaining the ease-of-use experience that users have come to love and expect from any USB technology."

Specific USB 3.0 specifications should be available sometime in the first half of 2008.
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=8940

 

Reseachers detail vulns affecting Windows, IE and media players
Three new reasons to believe in net insecurity
By Dan Goodin in San Francisco → More by this author
Published Wednesday 19th September 2007 00:14 GMT

Security researchers are warning of a newly discovered vulnerability in Windows operating systems that makes applications susceptible to remote attack if they rely on widely used application programming interfaces. It is one of at least three PC-based security flaws to be published in four days.

The vulnerability resides in two locations in the Microsoft Class Foundation, a sprawling set of code that software developers can call on to make applications do everything from displaying certain types of graphics to performing searches. Two libraries responsible for searches across the file system, MFC42 and MFC71, are susceptible to a buffer overflow attack if an overly long argument is passed to an affected function.

"Any application that uses the API, allowing the user to manipulate its first argument, is vulnerable to this heap overflow," officials from the Goodfellas Security Research team wrote in a blog post.

Secunia rates the vulnerability as "moderately critical," its third highest rating on a five-rung severity scale. Microsoft officials are looking into the report and are unaware of any exploits, a spokesman said.

A second flaw in Apple's QuickTime media player allows attackers to pass malicious code to Internet Explorer. Proof-of-concept code shows how a simple QuickTime file embedded on the Blogger website can shut down the Skype application without any action taken by the user.

Last week, a researcher showed how the same QuickTime bug, which was disclosed more than a year ago, can cause Firefox to install backdoors and other malware on a fully patched system. Mozilla on Tuesday introduced an updated version of Firefox that is designed to protect users until Apple comes out with its own patch, according to this post.

Petko Petkov, the same researcher who published details about last week's QuickTime flaw, on Tuesday disclosed a new vulnerability in Windows Media Player that allows attackers to lure visitors to malicious sites using Internet Explorer. It could be aimed at people who have avoided the Microsoft browser for security concerns, Petkov said here.

While the vulnerability only affects the earlier Version 9 of the media player, Petkov said that is the "default" player for Windows XP SP2, meaning users who rely on the Windows automatic update feature are never prompted to install the upgrade. A Microsoft spokesman said company researchers are investigating the latter two vulnerability reports as well.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/19/new_vulnerability_reports/

 

MPAA Still Trying To Convince ISPs To Act As MPAA Police
Posted by l33tdawg on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - 05:55 AM (Reads: 80)
Source: Tech Dirt


The entertainment industry has been on a bit of a crusade this year trying to convince ISPs that either they should feel responsible for the fact that people use their broadband connections to share unauthorized content. It started with NBC Universal arguing that ISPs somehow bore the responsibility for policing their networks for others' content. It's an odd argument, because most ISPs will admit (in a quiet moment) that unauthorized file sharing had been one of the biggest drivers in convincing people to switch from dialup to broadband. Furthermore, considering that there are some enlightened companies who realize that having your best fans promote and distribute your content can be good for business, it's impossible for ISPs to know whether or not the content being passed around is being done so with or without the approval of the content holder. In fact, that can lead to situations where content that producers are happy having shared gets taken down against their will.

MPAA Still Trying To Convince ISPs To Act As MPAA Police
from the why-should-they-protect-someone-else's-obsolete-business-model? dept

The entertainment industry has been on a bit of a crusade this year trying to convince ISPs that either they should feel responsible for the fact that people use their broadband connections to share unauthorized content. It started with NBC Universal arguing that ISPs somehow bore the responsibility for policing their networks for others' content. It's an odd argument, because most ISPs will admit (in a quiet moment) that unauthorized file sharing had been one of the biggest drivers in convincing people to switch from dialup to broadband. Furthermore, considering that there are some enlightened companies who realize that having your best fans promote and distribute your content can be good for business, it's impossible for ISPs to know whether or not the content being passed around is being done so with or without the approval of the content holder. In fact, that can lead to situations where content that producers are happy having shared gets taken down against their will.

No matter, though, as the entertainment industry has already convinced the government that its outdated business model needs to be protected, now it's trying to convince other industries that they, too, spend their own resources to protect another industry's dying business model. The MPAA's Dan Glickman, who has had trouble understanding basic economics before, is now trying to convince various ISPs that it's their job to protect the entertainment industry's business model. Why? About the only argument he can come up with is that all that unauthorized content is a bandwidth glut: "more and more they're finding their networks crowded with infringed material, bandwidth space being crowded out." That sounds nice, other than the fact that it's not true. So far, not a single prediction that the entertainment industry has made about unauthorized file sharing has come true -- and each step they take seems to make things worse. Why would another, totally separate industry, buy into the argument that it, too, needs to drag itself down to protect someone else's dying business model?
http://techdirt.com/articles/20070918/155108.shtml

 

http://www.p2pnet.net/story/13366
Top open source file sharing apps

p2pnet news | P2P:- The auld grey corporate heads who control the entertainment spindustries figured by closing down, and/or subverting, legitimate companies legitimately marketing P2P file sharing applications, they could stop the clock, turn back the tide and remain locked safely in the 1970s when they ruled artists and consumers alike with an iron hand.

The movie and music moguls continue to live out their dazed existences in a foggy dreamland, believing they have everything under control.

But change, not stasis, rules and the rest of the world moves on around them, innovators coming up with endless streams of open source technologies and applications.

With music, Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG believe they’ve effectively stopped progress in its tracks by killing the competition and suing their own customers, who are showing alarming signs of thinking for themselves instead of following corporate dictates.

But they’re wrong and Datamation is currently running a list of the Top 10 P2P filesharing applications which continue to evolve, cartel efforts to crush them, and anything remotely like them, notwithstanding.

Distributed under the GNU General Public License, they are:

They are:

1 - Ares Galaxy

2 - eMule

3 - Azureus

4 - DC++

5 - Shareaza

6 - Burst!

7 - ABC

8 - Freenet

9 - MLDonkey

10 - Kceasyand
Datamation is also running a list of programs which, while they’re not file sharing apps, are “closely related open source tools that you might need”.

They are:

PeerGuardian

Owl Intranet Knowledgebase

eGroupWare: Enterprise Collaboration

FileZilla
Nice one, Datamation.

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Also See:
Datamation - Top 10 Open Source File Sharing Programs, September 17, 2007

 

Acronis True Image 11 Home Released

Sep 19, 2007 - 7:03 AM - by Digital Dave
One of the best just got better and with the new "try and decide" feature, this one I'm getting.

Try and Decide - Create a temporary, safe place on your hard disk where you can perform changes to your system that otherwise might not be advisable, such as installing new software, downloading files from the Internet, or opening e-mail attachments. If the operations are successful, you can apply those changes to the real system or discard the changes as you wish.

acronis.com

Acronis True Image 11 Home

Features / Backup

Acronis True Image 11 Home provides the maximum flexibility to ensure you are adequately protected and can recover from unforeseen events such as viruses, unstable software downloads, and hard drive failures. Create an exact copy of your PC for a full backup or backup only your important data and application settings — your choice!
New! Try&Decide

Create a temporary, safe place on your hard disk where you can perform changes to your system that otherwise might not be advisable, such as installing new software, downloading files from the Internet, or opening e-mail attachments. If the operations are successful, you can apply those changes to the real system or discard the changes as you wish.

New! Exclude Files and Folders from Image Backup
Save space when creating backups by ensuring that you are not backing up the information you don’t want to keep.
New! Backup your system state

Registry, boot files, as well as important system files from system crashes.

New! Automatic catalog of all your backups
Easily locate your archives as system automatically remembers their placement.

New! Raw Images support for supported and corrupted/unknown file systems.

Backup your entire PC with our patented disk imaging technology
Protect your entire system, including the operating system, applications, all updates and data.

Backup data in specific categories, such as documents (Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Power Point), financial records (Microsoft Money, Quicken), music (Mp3s, iTunes), photos, and videos
Ensure that your digital memories and important files are protected.
Backup Microsoft Outlook

Preserve your emails, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, signatures, news folders, e-mail rules and user settings with just a few mouse clicks!

Backup application settings for the following applications:
Productivity tools: Microsoft Office 2000/XP/2003/2007, ABBYY FineReader 8 and more;

Email: Microsoft Outlook (including the IMAP folder on the server), Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5, The Bat! 3 Home and more;
Browsers: Internet Explorer 6.0 SP2/7.0, Mozilla Firefox 1.5/2.0, Opera 9 and more;

Security: Norton Internet Security 2007, NOD32, Spyware Doctor 4.0, Zone Alarm 6.5, F-Secure Internet Security 2007, Outpost Firewall 3.5 and more;

Audio and Video Applications: Windows® Media Player 10/11, iTunes 6/7, QuickTime 7, RealPlayer 10.5, Winamp 5.0 and more;
Instant Messaging: Windows Live Messenger 8.0, Yahoo Messenger 8.0, AOL Instant Messenger 1.2, ICQ 5.1/6.0, Skype 2.5/3.0 and more;

Digital Photography: Corel Paint Shop Pro X 10, Adobe Photoshop CS/CS2/CS3, 3D Studio Max 8/9, ACDSee 8.0 and more;

Utilities and Drivers: WinZip 10/11, WinRar 3, Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0/8.0, Alcohol 120% 1.9, Nero 7.0-7.7, FlashGet 1.7/1.8, RegGet Deluxe 4.2 and more;

Developer Tools: Microsoft Visual Studio 2003/2005, Macromedia Dreamweaver 8/CS3 and more.

Protect you application settings and avoid the time consuming process of redoing your custom settings.

Quick backup
Initiate backup of selected files from Windows Explorer directly, without starting the Acronis® True Image application first.
Exclude files

Save space when creating backups by only backing up the types of files you want to keep.

Create incremental and differential backups

Faster backups by only capturing changes since the last backup or the last full backup.

Perform live backups
Keep being productive by using your PC during backups.

Other Features:

Recovery
Management
Privacy Protection
Storage Media
Tools

link
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/features-backup.html#frst

 

Mozilla slaps temp patch on Firefox
Sep 19, 2007 - 6:46 AM - by Digital Dave
I'm sure most of you who use Firefox have noticed Firefox has upgraded itself to 2.0.0.7.

The reason for the upgrade was to try and address the Apple Quicktime vulnerability which seems to affect Firefox.

Mozilla Corp. on Tuesday updated Firefox to block attacks targeting a vulnerability in Apple's QuickTime that a frustrated British security researcher reported more than a year ago.

Last Thursday, Petko Petkov, a U.K.-based Web application penetration tester, posted exploit code for a bug in Apple Inc.'s QuickTime media player. The bug, which Petkov first disclosed in September 2006, lets attackers run script commands on systems equipped with Firefox 2.0.0.6 or earlier and gives them a way to completely compromise machines. Petkov posted attack samples last week after he'd contacted Apple twice in 2006 without receiving a reply.

computerworld.com
http://www.computerworld.com/action...icleBasic&articleId=9037459&source=rss_news50

 

Top 10 Internal Hard Drives
Need more storage? The top-ranked internal hard drives will fill the bill. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.
Edited by Melissa Perenson
Wednesday, September 19, 2007, 11:00 AM PDT
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Test Center About the Test Center
How We Test • What Our Ratings Mean • How the Charts Work
Compare
Use the Check Boxes to see a Side-by-Side Comparison
Rank Name PCW Rating
1
BEST BUY

Western Digital Caviar SE16 750 GB
Western Digital Caviar SE16 750 GB
Drive size (GB): 750
Supported Interface(s): SATA-300
Speed (RPM): 7200
Cost per Gigabyte: $0.31
Price When Reviewed: $230
Bottom Line: Top-flight performer posted some of the fastest write times we've seen.
(Last Rated: September 14, 2007)
Test Report

86.8Very Good
2
Samsung SpinPoint T Series HD501LJ
Samsung SpinPoint T Series HD501LJ
Drive size (GB): 500
Supported Interface(s): SATA-300
Speed (RPM): 7200
Buffer Size (MB): 16
Cost per Gigabyte: $0.34
Price When Reviewed: $170
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: Among the 500GB competitors, Samsung's model performed the best and cost the least.
(Last Rated: May 09, 2007)
Test Report

86.7Very Good
3
Hitachi Deskstar 7K750
Hitachi Deskstar 7K750
Drive size (GB): 750
Supported Interface(s): SATA-300
Speed (RPM): 7200
Buffer Size (MB): 32
Cost per Gigabyte: $0.4
Price When Reviewed: $299
Bottom Line: Plenty of capacity in a single, speedy drive; but, you'll pay more than you would for a couple of smaller capacity drives.
(Last Rated: September 14, 2007)
Test Report

81.5Very Good
About
Computer Hard Drive
Shop Dell Computers & Accessories. Low Prices on Printers, Ink & More.
www.dell.com
Hard Drive
Internal & External, 20GB to 1TB. Super Low Prices- Same Day Shipping.
www.TigerDirect.com
Hard Drive
Many Brands & Sizes! Office Depot Has the Hard Drive for Your Needs.
www.OfficeDepot.com
4
Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000
Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000
Drive size (GB): 1000
Supported Interface(s): SATA-300
Speed (RPM): 7200
Buffer Size (MB): 32
Cost per Gigabyte: $0.4
Price When Reviewed: $400
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: Super-sized model performs well, but you'll pay for having all that storage in one drive.
(Last Rated: May 09, 2007)
Full Review • Test Report

82.8Very Good
5
Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200JB
Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200JB
Drive size (GB): 320
Supported Interface(s): Parallel ATA-100
Speed (RPM): 7200
Buffer Size (MB): 8
Cost per Gigabyte: $0.38
Key Software: Data LifeGuard software
Price When Reviewed: $120
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: Medium capacity drive has solid specs, performance, and design, plus it is inexpensive.
(Last Rated: March 03, 2006)
Test Report

80.1Very Good
6
Western Digital Caviar SE WD2500JD
Western Digital Caviar SE WD2500JD
Drive size (GB): 250
Supported Interface(s): SATA-150
Speed (RPM): 7200
Buffer Size (MB): 8
Cost per Gigabyte: $0.4
Key Software: Data LifeGuard software
Price When Reviewed: $100
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: Reasonably priced model has solid performance and it offers sturdier SATA connectors than most competing drives.
(Last Rated: March 03, 2006)
Test Report

79.8Good
About
Computer Hard Drive
Shop Dell Computers & Accessories. Low Prices on Printers, Ink & More.
www.dell.com
Hard Drive
Internal & External, 20GB to 1TB. Super Low Prices- Same Day Shipping.
www.TigerDirect.com
Hard Drive
Many Brands & Sizes! Office Depot Has the Hard Drive for Your Needs.
www.OfficeDepot.com
7
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Deskstar 7K500
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Deskstar 7K500
Drive size (GB): 500
Supported Interface(s): SATA-300
Speed (RPM): 7200
Buffer Size (MB): 16
Cost per Gigabyte: $0.6
Key Software: Software download only
Price When Reviewed: $300
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: Giant-sized storage capacity and solid performance make this drive appealing.
(Last Rated: November 06, 2006)
Test Report

79.2Good
8
Western Digital Caviar SE WD2500JB
Western Digital Caviar SE WD2500JB
Drive size (GB): 250
Supported Interface(s): Parallel ATA-100
Speed (RPM): 7200
Buffer Size (MB): 8
Cost per Gigabyte: $0.4
Key Software: Data LifeGuard software
Price When Reviewed: $100
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: This well-priced drive was the speediest PATA model on our copy files test.
(Last Rated: March 03, 2006)
Test Report

78.2Good
9
Hitachi Deskstar T7K500
Hitachi Deskstar T7K500
Drive size (GB): 500
Supported Interface(s): SATA-300
Speed (RPM): 7200
Buffer Size (MB): 16
Cost per Gigabyte: $0.36
Price When Reviewed: $180
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: It's difficult to recommend this drive when other 500GB models are cheaper and faster.
(Last Rated: May 09, 2007)
Test Report

74.8Good
10
Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB
Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB
Drive size (GB): 500
Supported Interface(s): SATA-300
Speed (RPM): 7200
Buffer Size (MB): 16
Cost per Gigabyte: $0.34
Price When Reviewed: $170
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: This inexpensive 500GB model is fast and comes loaded with the free Google Desktop software.
(Last Rated: September 14, 2007)
Test Report

go here to read more

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,123680-c,harddrives/article.html

 

P2P sites ridicule MediaDefender takedown notices in wake of e-mail leak

By Ryan Paul | Published: September 19, 2007 - 10:27AM CT

Peer-to-peer (P2P) poisoning company MediaDefender has sent a flurry of takedown notices and legal threats to P2P web sites that are facilitating the propagation of a 700MB archive of internal MediaDefender e-mail that was leaked onto the Internet this week. The e-mails, which were obtained by a group that calls itself MediaDefender-Defenders, reveal that the company attempted to deceive the public after the disclosure of its affiliation with the MiiVi site and was providing information about file-sharing network users to the New York State Attorney General's office.

MediaDefender is now in damage control mode and hopes to slow the spread of the e-mails by intimidating P2P site operators. MediaDefender is represented by Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton (SMR&H), which is recognized one of the top law firms in the United States. The P2P sites are unimpressed with the empty threats.

Although MediaDefender president Randy Saaf was eager to tell us a fabricated cover story after the MiiVi incident, MediaDefender has not responded to our numerous requests for comment this week. Similarly, the New York General Attorney's office has declined to provide a response to our inquiries. MediaDefender has, however, contacted several popular P2P sites, including isoHunt, which provided us with a complete record.

"Despite security precautions by our client, a person or persons illegally accessed MediaDefender's email and other files," says a cease and desist notice sent to isoHunt and seen by Ars. In the notice—which cites various sections of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and the California Computer Data Access and Fraud Act—SMR&H attorney Robert S. Gerber requests that isoHunt "immediately and permanently cease and desist from posting, distributing or otherwise making available MediaDefender's trade secrets and confidential information."

The popular P2P site's formal response to SMR&H is filled with caustic wit and considerable legal expertise. "If Mr. Gerber is truly as experienced in IP law as his bio claims he is," asks the isoHunt administrator in his response, "why is it that he is incapable of composing a DMCA takedown notice as per USC Title 17 Section 512?" The isoHunt administrator explains that Gerber failed to adequately specify the allegedly infringing content as required by law. The administrator also helpfully provides a link to a valid sample complaint so that SMR&H will be less likely to send the improper information in their second attempt. The following is an excerpt of the isoHunt administrator's response:

"This e-mail serves as a counter notification under USC Title 17 Section 512 (c)(3)(A)(iii) that you have failed to properly identifying links to content that allegedly infringes your copyright/trademark/rights (or, in this case, has something to do with really embarrassing trade secrets *and* employee social security numbers) AND you have failed to address your e-mail to the appropriate agent, namely copyright@isohunt.com, so I invite you and your clients to take a long walk off a short pier, since you and/or your clients might actually manage to NOT get something that simple wrong."

In closing, the isoHunt administrator says that the he will comply with the request if it is properly submitted. "Despite us being located in Canada, if you do actually figure out how to compose a valid DMCA notice, we will honor it," he concedes, "just as soon as we're done laughing at you."

Torrent site Meganova received an identical letter from SMR&H, but responded publicly and with a bit less civility. "Dearest little asstunnels, Let me start off by thanking you for your pitiful attempt to have your e-mails removed from the entire internet," Meganova's response says. "In case you haven't noticed, this site is located in Europe (I hope you can point it out on a map) where your stupid copyright claims have no base. But fair is fair you guys did suffer over the past week so here's bit of advice to you guys: F*** you! F*** you again! F*** you again and again and again!" (I'm guessing that an "asstunnel" is what you get when a European whose first language isn't English tries to say "bumhole." It seemed awkward when I first read the response, but the expression has since grown on me.)

The organization behind the leak, MediaDefender-Defenders, has set up a web site with an HTML archive that includes all of the e-mails, largely uncensored, but with minor modifications to protect MediaDefender employees from identity theft. The site also published an e-mail allegedly sent by Saaf himself. "I am the CEO of MediaDefender," the message says. "We have begun our civil and criminal investigations into the stolen e-mails from our company. We are meeting with the FBI on monday. Your IP address has been logged. I hope it was worth the thrill."

The site has been running intermittently since its launch, and the disruptions are thought to be the result of massive traffic coupled with a denial of service attack apparently launched by MediaDefender.

Attempting to stop the spread of the e-mails is an exercise in futility at this point. MediaDefender's entire business model has been based on recognition of the inescapable fact that litigation cannot stop the spread of content on the Internet, so it is ironic that the company has turned to legal threats. In the past, we have seen attempts to stifle the dissemination of information on the Internet backfire and compel activists to promote broader distribution. Given that reality, MediaDefender might want to lay off of the threats for the time being.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...-takedown-notices-in-wake-of-e-mail-leak.html

 

http://www.p2pnet.net/story/13390
Freakonomics of Music

p2pnet news | Music:- It’s safe to say most people believe once they’ve spent $10-$25 on a CD, they’re entitled to do with it what they like, within reason and provided they’re not performing a genuinely criminal act, such as using their purchases as templates for counterfeit products.

It’s called ‘fair use’.

But the music industry claims this is ‘piracy’ - a combination of file sharing and counterfeiting, neither of which has anything to do with the other. And it’s causing terrible distress to industry workers and wreaking havoc with bottom lines, they cry in endless press statements.

People who share music files with each other without paying the music industry are criminals and thieves, say EMI (Britain), Vivendi Universal (France), Sony BMG (Japan and Germany) and Warner Music (US), the Big 4 labels which control the corporate music industry.

The Effect of File Sharing on Record Sales: An Empirical Analysis from Koleman Strumpf, professor of business economics at the University of Kansas Business School and Felix Oberholzer of the Harvard University Business School, effectively dismissed the assertion that file sharing is directly related to massive sales and, consequently, revenue losses.

Moreover, a new study says, “Fair Use exceptions to U.S. copyright laws are responsible for more than $4.5 trillion in annual revenue for the United States” and employs “millions of workers”.

Nor has Strumpf changed his mind. He’s quoted, in a New York Times OpEd written by Stephen J. Dubner of Freakonomics fame, as stating once again, “there is surprisingly little evidence to support the claim that file sharing has significantly hurt record sales”.

If file sharing hurts record sales, “then albums that are more heavily downloaded should experience lower sales than comparable albums that are less downloaded,” he goes on, but, “after controlling for the role of popularity, we found that downloads had little effect on album sales”.

He concludes:

As for the future, I am dubious about making forecasts. Much will depend on the choices the major labels make on key issues (will they run experiments to determine the optimal pricing of digital downloads?) and the arrival of still-unforeseen technologies (which could allow labels to more cheaply distribute music, or lead to new forms of piracy). At the same time, I reject the argument that recorded music is close to death, simply because the financial incentives to create music have never been particularly high. In 2005, less than one in five albums were released on a major label, and even among those releases, fewer than one in fifteen went gold (the usual measure of record success). With such daunting odds, recording an album may have seemed like a pointless task. But in that year, nearly 44,000 albums were released — enough to provide almost three consecutive years of listening. Regardless of what happens to companies that produce and distribute music, I am sure that recorded music will continue to be made.

But Strumpf isn’t the only person Dubner quotes.

He also has interestingly divergent views from Fredric Dannen, author of Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business; George Drakoulias, music producer, artists & repertoire executive at American Recordings, and veteran of Def Jam Recordings; Peter Rojas, founder of Engadget and co-founder of RCRD LBL, a free, online-only music label launched by Downtown Records; and, Steve Gottlieb, president of TVT Records in his ‘Freakonomics Quorum’ entitled, What’s the Future of the Music Industry?

Head over to the NYT site to read what they have to say. For now, below are their conclusions >>>

Fredric Dannen

In 1999, I wrote an editorial for the New York Times predicting that MP3 was an unstoppable force that would destroy the oligopolistic power of the record industry. This paper did not believe me; the editorial ran instead in the Los Angeles Times.

It was an easy prediction to make. You can always count on the record industry to cling to the past, and to fight innovation. (Apart from resisting the LP, the cassette, and the CD, the industry also fought MTV.) The industry could have adopted and embraced MP3 as the new dominant format, had it understood why it was unstoppable. But the business’ failure to understand has been striking for its persistence. By the time Napster hit the scene, the industry had a Hobson’s choice: accept MP3, or die.

We all know what happened next.

George Drakoulias

A few years ago, I worked on a record called The Last DJ by Tom Petty. The songs on the album addressed the problems we are currently dealing with in the industry. I thought the record would be a wakeup call for consumers; but it’s hard to tell kids, ‘Eat your broccoli, it’s good for you.’ I’ll try to nurture new talent and make records that sound exciting, emotional, and timeless, and to bring some level of craft back into record-making, ensuring that the artists I work with have the ability to play live and move an audience.

One option that doesn’t seem feasible is making everything free and eliminating copyrights. Hopefully, someone smarter than I am will come up with the right formula to get music to consumers in the way that they want it, and to collect fees that are distributed accordingly. I hope that person shows up soon.

Peter Rojas

The Internet, combined with low-cost (or even no-cost) digital tools, has led to an explosion of creativity, with millions of amateurs making music for every conceivable genre, sub-genre, and microgenre, and then sharing their creations online. Andrew Keen might look down on these results, and no doubt 99.9 percent of the music being created today is terrible; but that’s besides the point. Even that one-tenth of one percent means that there is more great music being created than any of us will have time to listen to — and that’s not even taking into account all of the ‘professional’ music that still manages to get made. Many professional artists are discovering that, regardless of how well their music sells, they’re still able to make a healthy living from live appearances, merchandise, and licensing — and the Internet only makes it easier for them to build a fan base. It’s the Britney Spearses of the world that are hit hardest by all of this change. Manufactured pop doesn’t do quite so well when consumers have better options to choose from.

The majors thrived in an era of artificial scarcity when they were able to control the production and distribution of music. Today, we have an infinite number of choices available to us, and when content is infinitely abundant, the only scarce commodities are convenience, taste, and trust. The music companies that are successfully shaping the Internet era are recognizing that the real value is in making it easier to buy music than to steal it, helping consumers find other people who share their music tastes, and serving as a trusted source for discovering new music.

Steve Gottlieb

… if we accept that free music has become the model for consumption, then we have little choice but to invest in advertising-supported free services that will make this type of consumption profitable. This step will require patience, leadership and a long-term view. After formulating a way to recapture the revenue it’s losing, the industry can then address the development of a new, secure file format that offers audio, meta-data, and other digital features superior to those of MP3s. This should be an easy task, and will give the industry access to both ad-supported free ‘iPod quality’ MP3s, and higher-quality digital products that can be sold directly.

Unless the labels actively reinvent themselves and embrace change, they will continue to find themselves in an expanding music marketplace that rewards their efforts less and less.

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Also See:
$4.5 trillion in annual revenue - ‘Fair use’ pulls in $4.5 trillion, September 20, 2007
New York Times - What’s the Future of the Music Industry? A Freakonomics Quorum, September 20, 2007

 

War: Hackers Strike Hard Against RIAA Ally


Protected by FormShield
Copyright infringement monitors are the latest target of a well-organized, motivated hacking group

The group calling itself the MediaDefender-Defenders (MDD) has, as promised, struck again, this time leaking what appears to be the full, uncompiled source code to anti-piracy watchdog MediaDefender’s toolset.

MediaDefender's software is used internally on behalf of clients like the RIAA and Sony BMG to control the illegal distribution of copyright movies, music and other media online. One company e-mail, leaked last Saturday, detailed the performance of the company's attempts to poison the distribution of pirated copies of "Spiderman 3" just days after its theatrical release.

“The [leak] is complete for their operations regarding Kazaa, bittorrent, gnutella etc. This system is … released for the public in order to identify the decoys [MediaDefender] set up,” states the leak’s accompanying NFO file.

The leak is a treasure trove of information for anyone seeking to better understand the anti-piracy operations of MediaDefender and its ilk. Judging by the sheer quantity of different programs written for each network, BitTorrent seems to be MediaDefender’s largest target, with the leak containing 16 different tools target it. In addition to software for creating bogus media files, the leak includes tools for to control the who’s who of filesharing networks: Ares, DirectConnect, eDonkey2000, FastTrack/Kazaa, Gnutella, Kademlia, Overnet, Piolet, SoulSeek and WinMX networks, among others.

Unlike the previous two leaks, MDD claims it received the leaked source code directly from a MediaDefender employee. and the NFO file ends with “a special thanks to the MD employee that gave this to us.”

While DailyTech has been unable to verify the authenticity of any of the leaked materials, MediaDefender has indirectly validated them through a series of cease-and-desist notices sent to various BitTorrent trackers earlier this week; the letters admit that “despite security precautions by our client, a person or persons illegally accessed MediaDefender's email and other files,” and that the sites in question “immediately and permanently cease and desist from posting, distributing or otherwise making available MediaDefender's trade secrets and confidential information.”

Responses have varied, ranging from compliance to outright mockery. In one case, Meganova.com replied publicly in a profanity-laden tirade against MediaDefender’s legal firm.

MediaDefender’s woes began last Saturday, when almost 700MB of the company’s e-mails hit the underground. The following day, MDD released copies of a VOIP conversation between MediaDefender and the New York Attorney General. In a previous NFO file, MDD promised that there was “more to come,” and it looks like the group will continue to make good on its claim.\

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=8990#cmt187258

 

http://www.p2pnet.net/story/13395
New wave of RIAA extortion letters

p2pnet news | RIAA News:- We’ve instructed our RIAA to harass another 403 students in 22 universities nationwide, say Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG proudly, going on that to coincide with the new academic year, they’re also about to cause further serious teaching interruptions through an escalation of their university sue ‘em all campaign.

The ramped up attacks will feature full-page advertisements made by college students they’ve managed to scam into acting for them.

They’ll be, “published in college papers across the country” to “encourage fans to enjoy online music legally and remind students of the legal, privacy and security risks associated with illegal downloading,” says the Big 4’s RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), which is fronting the assault.

Some considerable time ago, the members of the Big 4 music suborned Penn State University as their first self- and parent-funded scholastic sales and copyright enforcement division, installing Napster II (the corporate version, not the original P2P file sharing application which started started at all) as their download vehicle.

The labels fully expected other universities to immediately follow suit, but the scheme was a complete failure and this year, they tried to correct the situation by specifically targeting senior teaching institution across America, using school staffs as copyright enforcers tasked to deliver RIAA extortion letters to the students they’re supposed to be instructing and protecting.

24 copyright infringement lawsuits

Twenty-two schools have been selected for this latest attack.

They are: Arizona State University (35 pre-litigation settlement letters), Carnegie Mellon University (13), Cornell University (19), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (30), Michigan State University (16), North Dakota State University (17), Purdue University - West Lafayette and Calumet campuses (49), University of California - Santa Barbara (13), University of Connecticut (17), University of Maryland - College Park (23), University of Massachusetts - Amherst and Boston campuses (52), University of Nebraska – Lincoln (13), University of Pennsylvania (31), University of Pittsburgh (14), University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, Madison, Milwaukee, Stevens Point, Stout and Whitewater campuses (62).

“In addition to the new round of pre-litigation letters, the RIAA also today filed 24 copyright infringement lawsuits against previous recipients of letters who have ignored settlement opportunities,” say Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG.

“The lawsuits were filed in federal court against students from University of California – Santa Cruz, Florida International University, University of South Florida, Cornell University, Morehead State University, University of Maryland – College Park, North Carolina State University, North Dakota State University, Syracuse University, Ithaca College, University of Massachusetts – Amherst, Columbia University, Ohio University, Kent State University and Marshall University.”

The American Public Media Marketplace had just finished airing an excellent presentation discussing the corporate music cartel’s attempts to blackmail and extort its own customers into once again becoming compliant ‘consumers’ and industry product.

Meanwhile, in July, p2pnet ran a story which we’re repeating, once again, in full below >>>

RIAA student victimisation campaignThe pleasure of enjoying music has become seriously tainted by the venality of EMI (Britain), Vivendi Universal (France), Sony BMG (Japan and Germany) and Warner Music (US), the members of the Big 4 organised music cartel who together control the corporate music industry. Aided by so-called trade organisations such as their RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), which is currently terrorising music lovers in the US, they’ve succeeded in using their financial clout and elements of the mainstream media to escalate copyright infringement, originally a purely civil matter, to the level of major crime.Until fairly recently, their practice was to have about 750 subpoenas aimed every month not only at adults they were accusing of being massive online distributors of copyrighted music, but also very young children. The Big 4 imply these subpoenas equal successful prosecutions.

However, a subpoena is merely an instruction to, “appear at a certain time and place to give testimony upon a certain matter,” as the Wikipedia sums it up.

It is not a court case.

It is not a lawsuit.

It is not a prosecution, successful or otherwise.

It is not a suggestion that someone has been, or will be, found guilty of something.

This particular aspect of the campaign, Part I, was brought to a halt in February, 2006, after around 20,000 people had been subpoenaed, and this year Part II was implemented, following the same basic pattern.

But this time, American students in universities across America are the targets with school staffs used as corporate copyright enforcement cops.

Pay up. Or else …..

Under the new scheme, the RIAA sends out what it calls ‘pre-litigation’ settlement letters.

Actually, they’re self-incrimination documents and they’re designed to extort preset amounts of around $3,000 from students with the empty promise that by paying up, they’ll remove the threat of being hauled into court on charges of copyright infringement.

In reality, all the students are doing is providing the RIAA with personal and private information which can conceivably be used against them at some point in the future when the Big 4 agency ramps up to a new level of intimidation.

In the sixth wave of blackmail, the RIAA is targetting 23 universities nationwide with 408 ’settlement’ letters. “Since launching its deterrence program in February 2007, the RIAA has sent approximately 2,423 pre-litigation settlement letters to universities nationwide,” it boasts without shame.

“The letters are in addition to the lawsuits that the RIAA continues to file on a rolling basis against those engaging in music theft via commercial Internet accounts.” Singled out for special attention this time around are: State University of New York at Morrisville, Georgia Institute of Technology, Pennsylvania State University, University of Central Arkansas, University of Delaware, Northern Michigan University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, George Washington University, Ohio State University, New Mexico State University, Eckerd College, University of Minnesota, California State University - Monterey Bay, University of Kansas, University of Missouri - Rolla, University of San Francisco, Case Western Reserve University, Northern Arizona University, San Francisco State University, University of Tulsa, Franklin and Marshall College, Western Kentucky University, and Santa Clara University.

Colleges and universities should be ashamed

“Students on campuses throughout the United States, many of whom are experiencing their first year as members of university communities, are facing unprecedented legal intimidation at the hands of the recording industry,” says Ohio lawyer Joe Hazelbaker.

“It appears that many institutions are simply prepared to wash their hands, refusing even to question the tactics of the industry, let alone providing meaningful legal assistance to their students,” he told p2pnet, going on:

In fact, one university has advised its students that they could use the recording industry’s attorney as ‘an information source’ despite the obvious conflicts. This is true despite the fact that the colleges and universities enabled the network on which the alleged activity took place, knew that the alleged activity could take place, failed to educate incoming students regarding the issues, and neglected to use available technology to prevent the alleged activity. Many of the students targeted were required to live in university housing because they were deemed not mature enough to live off-campus (ie, many campuses require first and second year students to live on-campus). Yet, they are now apparently mature enough to be left on their own to defend themselves against the recording industry. These colleges and universities should be ashamed.

The number of students victimised in this way is infinitesimal compared to the millions of people who routinely share music with each other online.

It’s been estimated that approximately sixty one million people in America alone regularly share with each other online. The RIAA says it’s only managed to send out 2,423 threat letters to students, and yet the mainstream media report this as though significant numbers of people whom they accuse of being illegal file sharers have been identified.

That a subpoena has been sent out doesn’t mean the person on the receiving end will act on it and indeed, increasing numbers of academics in the US are protesting as the labels continue to seriously disrupt classes and lessons by firing these documents at students, and by coercing school staffs into passing on the extortionate ’settlement’ letters to those whom they’re supposed to be teaching, not intimidating.

Harvard and other universities to which the RIAA sent pre-litigation notices, “ought to take strong, direct action” and “tell the RIAA to take a hike,” believe Charles Nessor, William F. Weld professor of law, Harvard Law School, and founder and faculty co-director, Berkman Center for Internet & Society; and John Palfrey, clinical professor of law and executive director, the Berkman Center. They go on:

This Spring, 1,200 pre-litigation letters arrived unannounced at universities across the country. The RIAA promises more will follow. These letters tell the university which students the RIAA plans on suing, identifying the students only by their IP addresses, the ‘license plates’ of Internet connections.

Because the RIAA does not know the names behind the IP addresses, the letters ask the universities to deliver the notices to the proper students, rather than relying upon the ordinary legal mechanisms. Universities should have no part in this extraordinary process.

And on IP addresses, “by itself an IP number on a packet has only suggestive value and is not reliable evidence at all,” says University of Chicago professor Mike O’Donnell.

Stay tuned.