Date: 12/11/05 (Mozilla)    Keywords: software, virus, spyware, google

Hi!

I have encountered something strange here using Google and Firefox 1.5. Whenever I'm trying to search for something which contains the word "forum" I get this message:

We're sorry...

... but we can't process your request right now. A computer virus or spyware application is sending us automated requests, and it appears that your computer or network has been infected.

We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover to make sure that your computer is free of viruses and other spurious software.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we'll see you again on Google.

I have tried it in IE 6 and Opera 7, but I don't get this message using them. What is this? I have scanned my system already for Spyware, but there was nothing major. But I haven't checked for Viruses yet, because it takes long. Well, AntiVir didn't notice anything as I have started (it checks the memory and current processes).

Does anyone else gets this message?

-------------
EDIT:

It seems I'm not the only one who had this problem: Thread in the german Firefox support forum. Now I have cleared the cache and history... and guess what? It works now! :D

But, still, it was somewhat confusing.

Source: http://www.livejournal.com/community/mozilla/342204.html

Date: 12/13/05 (Computer Geeks)    Keywords: software, linux, microsoft, google

Time Warner and software giant Microsoft are understood to have held talks earlier this year on how the two firms could work more closely together.

Analysts believe Microsoft is keen to buy part of AOL and merge it with its own internet business.
Source

My position - if this happens it will mark the beginning of the end of the internet as we know it. AOL is already known for it's restrictive practises, combining this with Microsofts proprietry "standards" and monopolistic practises the net will be reduced to a microsoft only zone with linux/mac users unable to access a lot of content due to DRM restrictions. Microsoft would also use this position to force companies like google out of its way, making their sites incompatible with the AOL/Microsoft internet portal.
Discuss.

Source: http://www.livejournal.com/community/computergeeks/834047.html

Date: 12/12/05 (Application Development)    Keywords: software, microsoft

Software developed jointly with Microsoft will link the Office interface with SAP business systems.

Source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9593_22-5991899.html

Date: 12/13/05 (WebDesign)    Keywords: software, web

Truly it's been an uninspiring December. I received from my recruiter a web design assignment that turned out to be worse than expected.

I arrived onsite to find that they did NOT have any of the software of connections that they told the recruiter they did have. I, like a sap, said that I had all that was needed at my house and could finish the job from home. Big Mistake! I told the person in charge that I could get the work done in 4 to 6 hours. Which I did on a Sunday from my house.

Well, Monday came and with it were several revisions from the company and pdf's showing how they wanted the pages laid out. Along with that I had to wait until Tuesday to actually put the pages online as they had to call 3 people to get the right IP address, username and password.

I get all the work done. (What was supposed to be 3 pages and some edits turns out to be 13 pages and LOTS of edits) And I then submitted my time card to my employers to sign. Sunday + part of Monday + Tuesday =20 hours. Yep, 4 to 6 hours to get the original work done and the rest of the work week to totally obliterate what I made and make it conform to their pdf's.

Now for the cherry, on the sundae. They tell the recruiting agency that they don't understand why they have to pay for the additional time on Monday and Tuesday. So, the recruiter call me and I write out a complete list of everything that I did, including the additional pages and all the time I spent reworking what I'd finished on Sunday.

I'll never volunteer my resourses like that again for the a placement job. If they don't have the stuff I need to complete the work on site, then tough tittie. I'll call the recruiter and get the hell out of there.

That and the fact that I'm unemployed for the holidays makes for the grouchy _stag

Source: http://www.livejournal.com/community/webdesign/1029810.html

Date: 12/13/05 (Web Technology)    Keywords: software

With help of software giant, music TV network readies launch of iTunes rival, two years or more in the making.

Source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-5993125.html

Date: 12/14/05 (Security)    Keywords: software, browser

Publication of exploit code for older flaw underscores the need to keep browser software up to date.

Source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5994026.html

Date: 12/14/05 (Application Development)    Keywords: software

Software maker says server software has new unified messaging abilities and is easier to manage.

Source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9593_22-5993937.html

Date: 12/15/05 (Web Technology)    Keywords: software

Record industry in Australia initiates contempt of court proceedings against the masterminds behind the file-sharing software.

Source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-5995971.html

Date: 12/15/05 (Security)    Keywords: software

Windows OneCare Live has been found to disable Absolute Software's Computrace LoJack software.

Source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5995763.html

Date: 12/15/05 (WebDesign)    Keywords: php, software

I just read through this article about properly managing or preventing bad clients by creating a proper work flow: http://www.creativebehavior.com/index.php?PID=194

An excerpt follows:

"Project management for the freelance designer.

You can ask anyone in the creative services industry, everyone at one time or another has had the client from hell. The difference between the good clients and bad clients isn't actually all that great. Most clients are demanding, and what all the projects done yesterday. In my experience good clients and bad clients will push you to do your best work. It's the approach the client takes that makes them feel like the "monster" client. Some clients can be micro-managers, asking you to change the design until it look's like a pile of horse puke, other clients can give you no direction at all yet hate everything you produce. The only constant factor in this equation is you. After working on multi-million accounts with large advertising agencies all the project problems seem to have a common thread.

"Communication is key"

When ever there is a break down in communication the project goes south fast. And the common thread to the communication rests with the designer. It is critical as designers that we communicate effectively with our clients. Part of communicating effectively is using the right tools, and documenting the process. This way as you enter the design phase with a client you can record your communication in a central location so everyone is aware of the process. Many companies use project extranets to post versions of design studies. Regardless if you are a thousand person company or a small interactive company like me a project extranet is critical to communication of the project. By using a project extranet you can post changes to the designs as the client requests them. I typically leave all old versions online so if the client asks for the same change twice I can direct them to previous versions that they didn't like before. (and let me tell you clients often forget what they ask for!)"

He goes on to give eight effective project management steps and a software suggestion. It's a good read.

x-posted to graphicdesign

Source: http://www.livejournal.com/community/webdesign/1030923.html

Date: 12/16/05 (Java Web)    Keywords: software, database

Nicu Sebe from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands tested emotion-recognition software on Monalisa's smile. Why am I unhappy about it? His algorithm examines key facial features such as the curvature of the lips and crinkles around the eyes, then scores each face with respect to six basic emotions. Sebe drew on a database of [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/mona-lisa-was-83-per-cent-happy-and-i-am-2748-per-cent-unhappy/

Date: 12/17/05 (Computer Help)    Keywords: software

i need some one to translate these computer definictions with me coz i cant understand what most of it does O,o
i dont know what the 64bit processors are all about? are they better? but more importantly is that technolagy too advanced for most software/hardware?
i want the price of THE BEST tower i can buy, or the price of the best 3 of each part. brand is unimportant as long as compatable, its also important that the..
Motherboard,
Processor,
Graphics card,
Sound,
HDD,
Ram,
are all the fastest, biggest, compatable parts.

it has to be better than:
Motherborad??? SiS?
Celeron 1.2GHz
Sis onboard graphics & sound
80GB HDD
194mb ram (Shared with on board graphics)


also need some other parts but im not fussed about them being fancy:
Power Supply,
CD-rom,
Floppy,
56k modem,
USB,

im trying to keep it inside $1000au, and i only need the tower,

i dont need:
Monitor,
keyboard,
Mouse,
speakers,
i already have thoses brand new, im lookin for lists of parts in stores but they all give me whats in their magazines, so far i found PLE, and mr gadget

i dont want TV in/out or little things like that if it gunna raise the price of the part, NO EXTRAS, i just want them to do what i want them to do:
so i want:

MotherBoard: something that can handle all the stuff below.
Prcessor: 3GHz (about)
RAM: 1.24GB DDR (which ever one is fastest) or two sticks of 512DDR
Video Card: 512mb or more
Sound card: ??? which ever has a nice quality without being expensive
Case: Standard
HDD: 120gb or more

someone please help no-one else is and i dont wanna get stuck with a peace of junk that cant handle my games & graphic programs.

any help is apreciated ^_^

Source: http://www.livejournal.com/community/computer_help/549224.html

Date: 12/17/05 (Security)    Keywords: software

Network worm now hitting PCs spreads spying software via a recently patched hole in Windows.

Source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5999114.html

Date: 12/19/05 (Java Web)    Keywords: software, security

A critical vulnerability, found in some versions of Apple's popular iTunes software, could enable attackers to remotely take over a user's computer, according to a warning issued by eEye. This flaw existed on the earlier version of iTunes 6 for Windows and was not addressed by the latest security update. eEye is currently testing Mac for [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/critical-vulnerability-in-apples-itunes-for-windows/

Date: 12/19/05 (Computer Geeks)    Keywords: software

I think I may have found the problem with my dvd drive not working like it should (i posted this last week I believe).

It was that damned Sony Copyright protection software that got installed onto my computer. I thought disabling the XCP CD Proxy service would fix the problem, but it did not. I noticed what while I was watching a dvd this morning and having it crash again that the $sys$drmserver process was running via the task manager tool. Every time it ran, the dvd player would start skipping again.

I was very pissed off at this point! If there is a class action lawsuit against Sony, I'm joining it. Not only could I not removed the drmserver files in c:\winnt\system32\$sys$filesystem without getting into save mode, I could not remove the registry entries either.

Just another piece of unwanted, intrusive software that makes me think twice before buying any cds created by Sony Music Group.

Source: http://www.livejournal.com/community/computergeeks/837541.html

Date: 12/20/05 (Security)    Keywords: software

IM.GiftCom.All tries to trick instant-messaging users into clicking on a link that delivers malicious software to PCs.

Source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6002790.html

Date: 12/21/05 (Security)    Keywords: software, security

If new software gets perfected, forget trying to use that severed finger to get past the security gate.

Source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6003440.html

Date: 12/21/05 (Security)    Keywords: software

Bug affects most of company's products, including enterprise and home user software, on Windows and Macintosh platforms.

Source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6004097.html

Date: 12/22/05 (Web Technology)    Keywords: software

The Pioneers of the Inevitable are taking aim at iTunes, with open-source music software called Songbird.

Source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6004737.html

Date: 12/22/05 (Java Web)    Keywords: software, web

The web site of the werken company (creator of drools - business rule engine, werkflow - workflow management software etc.) has apparently decided to venture into "Dental implants and dental"; I am not kidding. Their site lists their products which they have released under open source license like drools etc. Along with that they have listed: beep4j: [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/the-werken-company-goes-dental/