GNOMEREPORT: We Want a Rock

I'm not someone who grabs songs from the Internet on a whim. Some of my favorite bands have placed free tunes online for their followers (and potential fans). When MP3.com changed hands, I sought a suitable replacement. Looks as though SoundClick fits the bill: "We are 100% independent! No big corporation or label has any shares. In business since 1997, privately financed, with all power shared by only 3 brothers, we won't lose focus on your needs." That's nice to know, even though someone else says a new (and "improved") music service is coming from the CNET studios next month: "When music.download.com launches in March of this year, artists will be able to register, create an artist, enter songs and artist data, upload MP3 files, and visit the resulting artist page." I've discovered so many new favorites thanks to open clips and full-length tracks. Just as shareware changed the way we look at software, so has digital music changed the way we listen to the world.

Jason picked up a Sony Ericsson T616 yesterday and returned it this morning due to a battery problem. I played with it for about five minutes, fell in love with the UI, and decided to get one for myself. After all, there's much less buyer's remorse when you spend less than $1,000 on a phone. Its form factor can't be beat, either. I've only had it for a few hours now, but I've already noticed a few things I don't like (go figure). Snapshots are taken in portrait mode, picture resolution is lower than my old Nokia, the screen collects smudges like they're going out of style, the only theme that's usable in the daytime is the default "light" one (when the screen isn't backlit), etc. It always takes some getting used to - especially if you've grown accustomed to the way a certain company designs its products. Well, at least this one seems faster, seems fun, and I'd be willing to hold onto it for at least a year. Now, if only I could get service in my neighborhood! Would that be asking for too much? Honestly.

Digitally yours,
Chris Pirillo

DOWNLOAD: HTMLDOC v1.8.23

[2.5M] Win9x/2k/XP FREE

{Create indexed files} Turn a Web site with lots of articles and content into an indexed PDF book. I found an online book in HTML and added each page into HTMLDOC, adjusted the options, and the output was a PDF file with a table of contents page as well as an index on the left side of Acrobat. The results won't have a Web site's design with colors and all. The output file can be HTML, PS (postscript), or PDF and the options change based on the selections. You can view the HTML and the PDF versions of the output. Not perfect, but a handy program. [Meryl]

DOWNLOAD: SoundCopy v1.1

[777K] Win98/2k/XP Donationware

http://www.measureandconvert.com/prod07.htm

{Audio recorder} Testing 1, 2, 3. This is Meryl of Lockergnome testing SoundCopy so I can write a review. Its small and simple interface takes little effort to learn. Record, speak, stop recording, and save the file. Click on the w m icon to convert the wav file to mp3 format. You can listen to this entry created with SoundCopy. [Meryl]

GNEWBIE GNOOK: What The 'ell's A DLL?

By Brandon Watts

Here's a scenario: you go to run one of your favorite programs, but instead of a flawless execution, Windows says that you're missing a required DLL file and the program fails to run. This is a common problem that most of us have probably encountered at one time or another. Don't set fire to your computer yet - there are Web sites that contain databases of downloadable DLL files. But first, what exactly is a DLL file?

DLL stands for Dynamic Link Library. A DLL file is basically a set of functions or data that can be used by a program. This means that a developer can just write the instructions once and then call the DLL whenever the information is needed. These files are constantly used by your applications without you even knowing it. Windows itself requires a core group of DLL files to run properly. When these files are missing or corrupted, they can cause applications to cease running or even cause serious problems within Windows, rendering your computer as useful as an expensive paperweight. If you receive a DLL error message, visit one of these sites to see if you can find a replacement:

DLL-Files
DLL-Downloads
The Free-Dynamic Link Library
5 Star Support DLL File Downloads

Here's to good system health!

Hey, Gnewbie! Have a question? Drop Brandon a line and maybe he can hook you up with an answer!

SYSTEM: Windows XP Service Pack 2

By Mark Rider

Two of the things that Windows XP Service Pack 2 will address are the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) and Popup Manager. The ICF has been a part of Windows XP since it came out, but it was off until we turned it on. The Popup Manager is new for Microsoft. Both of these changes can adversely affect our computers, so they are worth looking into.

The Internet Connection Firewall will be turned on after the Service Pack is applied. This can be a good thing for people that have no firewall protection, but it can cause all kinds of problems with computers that already have a firewall. Generally, we don't want a program doing something at the same time another program is doing the same thing - this is inviting trouble. Even though I have both Ad-aware and Spybot on my computer, I don't run them at the same time!

The ICF has some great ideas that can help protect us. When ICF is enabled, the computer will have a firewall from the time it is first turned on. The boot-time security allows the computer to perform basic networking tasks when it is first turned on, but ONLY allows the basic tasks. Once the firewall service is running, it removes the boot-time filters. This prevents possible attacks between the time the computer starts up and the time the firewall program is fully loaded. The bad news is that if we disable the ICF, this boot-time security is not enabled, either. It is an either / or situation, and that seems a bit odd to me. It would be nice to have the boot-time security even if we don't use ICF, but Microsoft doesn't agree.

If you are running a firewall, I recommend going back and changing the ICF settings after you apply the Service Pack. If you don't, there can be all kinds of problems with two firewalls running at the same time. If one firewall allows certain things but the other one doesn't, it can take a lot of time to figure out which one is blocking what you want.

The new Pop-up Manager "blocks most unwanted pop-up windows from appearing. Pop-up windows that are launched when the end user clicks a link will not be blocked." This is a very good choice, since some pop-up blockers don't recognize the difference between a page-generated pop-up and a click that opens a new window as a pop-up.

The pop-up manager will show a notice and play a sound when a pop-up is blocked (you can turn off the sound!) and offer some options at that point: Allow Pop-ups From This Site, Show Blocked Window, and Block Pop-up Windows. The first option adds the site to your Allow list (another new feature in Internet Explorer that will come with Service Pack 2) so that you will not have to keep clicking on Show Blocked Window on that site. The Show Blocked Window option will only show that one pop-up without allowing all pop-ups from the site. This can be helpful if there is a site with a lot of unwanted pop-ups as well as links that open new windows that you WANT to see. The third option turns the pop-up manager on and off.

I am surprised to learn that Microsoft plans to install this and leave it turned off. You have to go in and manually turn it on and set the options after the Service Pack is applied. Additionally, the pop-up manager allows pop-ups that are opened by software that is running on your computer or opened by ActiveX controls that are launched from a Web site. So if you have a spyware program that is launching ads, they will not be blocked. And an ActiveX control can be used to download things to your computer without your knowledge, so there are a couple of holes in the program right from the start. It seems to me that this will provide a false sense of security, which is never good.

That seems like enough for now! Next Monday, I will delve a little into the memory and Internet Explorer security in the Service Pack.

PC World PICKS: Sick Of IE? Scrap It Completely Or Beef It Up!

Here are five of the best, or click here to see the whole collection.

• Netscape v7.1
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• Opera v7.23
  Try out the latest version of this light and fast Web browser, now available for free.
• Copernic Meta v1.5
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• Crazy Browser v1.05
  Check out multiple Web sites at once and spare yourself the pop-up ads.
• Copernic Agent Basic and Professional v6.0
  Save your Internet searches for later use, remove broken links, and e-mail your results.

TIP: Lock Your Internet Explorer Homepage In XP

By Mohammad Yousef

If your IE homepage has been hijacked (changed without your permission), you might want to lock it against being changed again. Here are two ways.

A) For those of you familiar with the registry:

Make sure to back up your system first! If you've fiddled around with the registry before, you probably don't need me to tell you this. Still, I feel better reminding you.

Open the Registry Editor (click the Start button, go to Run, type "regedit" [without quotes] and press Enter).

Go to the following key:

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1078081533-1060284298-839522115-1013\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel

You should find a DWORD value called Homepage. Change its value data from 0 to 1. If the DWORD value doesn't exist, create it.

B) Using Spybot- Search & Destroy

If your homepage is hijacked, it might be due to spyware/adware, so perform a scan. Hijacking is used so that a Web site can get many people to visit it and as the number of hits increases, its webmasters can demand more money for ads. As recommended by many Gnomies, Spybot - Search & Destroy is one of the best free defenses against such intrusions into your personal computing space. Here's an easy way to use Spybot to protect your homepage:

Go to "Immunize."

At the bottom (you might need to scroll), you'll find an option that says: "Lock IE start page setting against user changes." Check it, and you're done.

LONGHORN: LATEST Look at Longhorn On The Way

By Jeff Partridge

This is an item that would almost seem to be a throwaway, worth perhaps one line:

Silicon.com - USA
Microsoft said it will unveil the hardware requirements needed to run Longhorn - the next version of Windows - at a May developer conference. ...

The conference referenced is WINHEC, the premier hotspot for software developers every year. The point here is that Longhorn is actually coming closer. Last year, when it first became an almost daily item in the tech news, it was announced as shipping in 2005. Then it quickly became 2006. It began to look like forever to all of us who start drooling whenever we see an ad for the hottest new software and hardware.

But now, it's 2004. Suddenly, Longhorn isn't 3 years away, it's only 2. And trust me, that 2 will one day become 1. Time passes much more quickly than we expect it to.

So, what is my point? The point is that we'll have an excellent opportunity coming up in May. The chance to get a confirmed list of the hardware that Microsoft believes will form the practical minimum configuration for installing and running Longhorn. Not THE minimum. The minimum PRACTICAL limit. For instance, I've actually installed Windows XP Pro on Old Boat Anchor, the IBM Thinkpad 760XL that gives me a small measure of mobility. It certainly wasn't ever meant to run something as space and resource intensive as Win XP, but it worked. It worked with the Pentium I-166 and 64 megs of RAM. S-l-o-w-w-w RAM. And a 2.1 gig hard drive. It ran like the famous tortoise in his contest with the hare, but it did actually run. Just in case you're still sitting there shaking your head, NO, it's not still in place. It was replaced with Windows 98SE, which is a lot better fit for that environment.

Now, to move on, you who form the 'Early Adopter' crew (and you know who you are!) will get the chance to see what Microsoft wants to have as the minimum config and get your system up to the mark before Longhorn shows up in your hot little hands. I know that I'll be watching for the first release of that list. I fear that I may have some real updating to do. I've heard a rumor that I'll need a fairly fast video card with a minimum of 128 megs of RAM on board to handle the 'Aero' 3D user interface. That seems reasonable, given that it's said to provide seamless integration of full-motion video [i.e. 30 fps or better]. But, the bottom line is that after WINHEC in May, we won't have to wonder any more. At that point I can start saving pennies and actually planning how and when to upgrade my main system.

That can make our wait a little easier to take.

FAVORITE: Calendar Magic v14.0

[848K] Win9x/2k/XP FREE

{Calendars of every kind} Enter your birth date in This Is Your Life to find out what day of the week it was on that day, how many days you've lived, what Chinese year it was, Zodiac sign, and your birth date on other calendars including Afghan, Armenian, Baha'i, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Hebrew, you get the idea. The calendar is quite the magician as it knows my birthday falls right on the Capricorn / Aquarius line. Some say one and some say the other. That's new to me - I was born in the Chinese year of the fowl. Another resource indicated it was the dog. Finally found clarification. It seems that those whose birthdays fall before February 6 are in the year of the fowl while the rest of the year is the dog. This is a smart calendar as it offers reminders, unit converters, days apart, calendar comparison, and lots more. [Meryl]

NEWS: As Reported By ActiveWin.com

Steve Ballmer Interview Questions Request
Microsoft's Presence Server Marches Toward A Mid-March Launch
Microsoft Bids For eBay Developers
IBM Heeds Message To Integrate IM, E-Mail
10 Questions For Bill Gates
Software Licenses Should Be Sold Like Big Macs, Says Microsoft
Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 - Preview
Caller ID For E-Mail Technical Specification: The Next Step To Deterring Spam
Active Accessibility v2.0 SDK Tools
Mobile Net Switch Version v2.3

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