Morpheus to BitTorrents

I recently embarked on a long cherished dream of mine - Peer to Peer Networking. I remember the first time I got introduced to this concept was when I was training with the PCQuest labs. Those were the days of AudioGalaxy and Napster. I revisited the concept, at least the theoritical aspect of it, when I delivered a seminar on it while at college. A casual discussion in the cab back home from work recently, reinstated the fire in me to actually check out the world of P2P in practise.

My first attempt to join the P2P community was Morpheus. Lots of computer magazines had lately been recommending this client as the best in the business. However, as luck would have it, Morpheus refused to work when I switched from Norton Internet Security 2005 to freeware alternatives like Avast! AntiVirus and Zone Alarm. The client seemed to keep crashing on me. Hence, I made the switch to LimeWire.

The more I explored LimeWire, the more I liked it. It is one of those rare P2P clients completely free from Spyware. It is fast and its interface looks really groovy, what with its lemon green color and its similarity to Morpheus in terrms of functionality (making the transition much easier for me). It can not connect to netwoks apart from Gnutella to share files (unlike Morpheus), but, heck! what do I care as long as it can find the file I am looking for and find it fast. And boy! is LimeWire fast or what? I liked LimeWire so much that one of the first applications I installed when I made the final cross over - from Windows to Linux, was LimeWire. More about the pains of that installation (more so cause of my limited knowledge of Linux, then any actual problem with the LimeWire RPM) later...

The latest thing to rock the P2P world is Bit Torrents, and it seemed, but logical, that I would bump across it some day. Like many of the world's greatest discoveries, my initiation to Bit Torrents, was by chance. I happened to be searching for the video of 'Right here, right now' from the movie Bluffmaster. I had already scoured the Gnutella network for it with LimeWire without any luck. And then, I came across this video at www.desitorrents.com while googling for it. That is where I found the torrent file for the same. I downloaded the file and it started the actual video download automatically in the BitTorrent client, thoughtfully bundled with my Linux distribution. And the rest, as they say, is history.

So, what is it about BitTorrents, that excites me so much?
BitTorrent refers to both the protocol and the very first client, used to share large files on the Internet. What is so special about the BitTorrent network is its architecture. Unlike the traditional, server-client architecture where the performance of the server diminshes with increasing client load, the performance of the BitTorrent network actually improves as more and more clients share a file.

How does it work?
Say, I want to share a file with others on BitTorrent, I will first create a .torrent file that will contain meta-data (data about data) like filename, size, address of 'Tracker server' (discussed later) and post it on some web-site like www.desitorrents.com. Users will be required to download this torrent file and open it up in their BitTorrent client. This will start the actual download process on their machines. When a BitTorrent user is downloading a file, he is called a 'Peer'. However, a Peer's BitTorrent software, unlike the traditional P2P clients would not simply be downloading the concerned file, but, would also be making available blocks of it to the other users of the BitTorrent network, simultaneously. So, a BitTorrent client doesn't simply download files from Peers who have the complete file on their machines, but also from Peers, who are still downloading that file. Peers like me, who have the complete file and are yet running BitTorrent clients on their computers, to make the file available to other users, are known as 'Seeds'. Conversely, Peers, who while downloading the file, artificially throttle the uploading, are known as 'Leechs'. The BitTorrent protocol is so designed that it rewards the Seeds with better bandwidth than Leechs . Also, a BitTorrent client always tries to fetch the rarest blocks of a file first. This ensures, that the number of Peers, a BitTorrent client can download a particular block of the file from, keeps growing. All the Peers engaged in downloading (and uploading) a particular torrent are known as a 'Swarm'. Tracker server is the server which manages this Swarm. It keeps a log of which users are downloading a file and where the different blocks of the file reside.

How can I contribute to the BitTorrent network?
As you can make out from the description of the BitTorrent's architecture, the speed of the network depends a lot on the Seeds and on the users who do not throttle the uploads being carried out by their BitTorrent client. It is gnerally considered a good practise to leave one's BitTorrent client running after finishing a particular download. The ratio of the MBs uploaded to the MBs downloaded is known as the 'Share Ratio'. Most BiTorrent clients report this Share Ratio, as well as allow you to adjust the upload speed. A Share Ratio of 1.00 is generally considered ideal (give back as much as you get).

NOTE - In its latest avatar, the BitTorrent protocol has also eliminated the need of centralized Tracker servers to maintain the Swarm.

Reference URLs -

(1) The BitTorrent Wiki -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bit_torrent
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitTorrent_client

(2) http://blog.commonbits.org/2005/05/how_to_start_us.html

(3) About.com article -
http://compnetworking.about.com/od/p2ppeertopeer/g/bldef_torrent.htm

Email Spoofing

Lemme give you a simple example of an email spoof -

1. Open up telnet. Here's how I did that on my Windows 98 SE based machine.
Start > Run > Command
And on command prompt,
telnet
This opened up the Telnet interface.
Click on Connect > Remote System
Type in Hostname as
mail.xyz.com //the mail server name of the target of the spoof.
Port name as 25
Leave the Terminal type as the default vt100

2. The SMTP daemon listening on the port 25 of the mail server will respond as
220... ESMTP
indicating that it is using the ESMTP protocol and is ready to establish a mail connection
You then need to type in
HELO mail.abc.com //the domain name of mail server you want the mail to appear to come from
or
EHLO mail.abc.com
(NOTE - You won't be able to see the commands YOU are typing in the Telnet window. The only lines you will see in the terminal window will be the replies.)
The reply would be
250 OK
If the server is using the ESMTP protocol and you give a EHLO command, you will also get a list of some commands supported by the server.
Now type in
MAIL FROM:john@abc.com //the email address the mail would seem to come from
Reply -
250 OK
and then
RCPT TO:mary@xyz.com //the receipient of the spoofed email
Reply -
250 OK
Then
DATA
Reply -
354 Go ahead
Feed in
FROM: JOHN
TO: MARY
SUBJECT: You are the victim of a prank

Hi, you have been subjected to a prank
.
Reply -
250 OK
Enter
RSET
Reply -
250 OK
Enter
Quit
Reply -
221 Bye

If Mary now checks her mail box - mary@abc.com, she will find a mail from John (john@xyz.com) with the subject line 'You are the victim of a prank' EVEN though John never sent that email. This is how spammers and virus propagators work...

You can read more about this spoof and the different SMTP commands at -
http://helpdesk.islandnet.com/pep/smtp.php
AND
http://www.networksorcery.com/enp/protocol/smtp.htm

Freeware Revolution

This post comes after a substantial gap...

It was a long time back that I read about the freeware revolution. At that time, it hardly seemed plausible that one day I would be able to replace almost all the properietary software on my computer with freeware and yet derive the same level of functionality. Today, I see it happening right before my eyes on my home computer...

Some freeware applications I am willing to swear by -

Office suite - OpenOffice.org suite
Anti virus - Avast! Home Edition
Anti Spyware - Spybot Search and Destroy
Firewall - Zone Alarm
Browser - Firefox
Instant Messenger client - Trillian
RSS Reader - Sage (the extension for Firefox)
RSS Builder - IceRocket.com
Music Player - Winamp
P2P client - Limewire

May God bless all these freeware vendors for the kind of effort they are putting in to make the computing experience both secure and enjoyable for everybody!

Codecs Revisited...

I had promised that I will revisit codecs soon... Here's a mish-mash of what I learnt about codecs (and other related concepts), this weekend.

CODECS
Compresser - Decompressor.
An application can use the codec installed in the OS (visible under the Control Panel > Multimedia > Devices section), the codec built as a default plugin into the application OR the codec available for download as a separate plugin.

Quality Ranking of some popular Audio codecs -
1. MP3 (LOSSY, NOT SO GOOD)
Tools used:
Use LAME mp3 encoder to create MP3.
Can also use Windows Media Player Version (WMP) 10 (the version 9, did not support encoding to MP3).
2. AAC, OGG (LOSSY, BETTER)
Tools used:
Use OggdropXPdv to create OGG vorbis.
Use iTunes to create AAC.
3. WMA (LOSSLESS, MUCH BETTER)
Tools used:
Use WMP.
4. WAV (BEST)
The 'Swiss Army Knife' of conversion software -
dbpowerAMP.


CONTAINER FORMATS
File formats used to store the video stream and audio stream created by a video codec and an audio codec respectively (might also be used to store only the audio stream along with the meta data). It also contains data to synchronize video and audio playback. That is how it differs from simple file archiving formats like zip files.
e.g. -
Containers exclusive to Audio -
WAV

Video and Audio supporting containers -
AVI - The popular container format used by Microsoft. Supported by Windows Media Player. Is the format used with DivX movies (at least the ones based on the DivX codecs upto 5.2)
MOV - Container format for files playable by QuickTime.
OGG
DivX

Ref URL -
http://www.matroska.org/technical/guides/faq/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Container_format



LAME
Stands for 'Lame Ain't an Mp3 Encoder'. The reason it was named as such was cause it was not designed to be a MP3 encoder initially. There are two versions of it -
(a) A command line utility - LAME Mp3 encoder. Might have a GUI front end to it e.g. - LameFE or RazorLAME. Also used with an output plugin for Winamp, named, out_lame.
(b) LAME ACM codec - The ACM codec version of the LAME encoder. Is installed as an audio codec in Windows and can be used, for example, with programs like FlaskMPEG to create DivX video based AVIs.

Using LAME -
Command line utility -
Can use some wonderful presets to forget learning all the different switches available in the command line utility.
ArsTechnia recommends -
--alt-preset standard. Is a VBR preset that uses an approximate bit rate of 190 Kbps AND bit rate fluctuation between 180-220 Kbps.
Using RazorLAME -
http://arstechnica.com/guides/tweaks/encoding.ars/5
Using Out_lame plugin -
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/out_lame.htm

Some other MP3 encoders -
Radium MP3 encoder, Fraunhofer encoder.

Ref URL -
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/Lame_Encoder.htm]
http://www.snipurl.com/ianq



DivX
A video codec. Esp. used to encode DVD MPEG2 files to MPEG4. Primary objective - compression.

Can download the latest version of the codec -
For Windows 2K and XP - Version 6.0
DivX Play bundle:
A codec + player version - Just to play DivX movies available on the Internet
DivX create bundle:
Codec + Encoder + Player (has a TRIAL version which canNOT convert DVD MPEG2 files without installing a PAID plugin)

For Windows 98, ME - Version 5.2
http://www.divx-digest.com/software/divxcodec5.html
Download the DivX Pro, Windows 98 and ME trial version from this page.

DivX Players:
Windows Media Player can also play DivX AVI files, if the proper codec is installed.

Configuring the DivX 5.2 codec for best results -
http://www.divx-digest.com/articles/divx52_setup.html
http://www.magicdvdripper.com/improve-divx-quality.htm

Other video codecs available -
xVid, Windows Media Video



How to uninstall a codec in Windows?
Do it from Control Panel > Multimedia > Devices > Audio / Video codec
Double click on the app codec and click on Remove. That is how I uninstalled LAME ACM codec after it began crashing my FlaskMPEG program.



How to uninstall a Winamp Plugin?
http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?threadid=26610



How to convert DVDs to DivX?
Use FlaskMPEG -
http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/articles/dvdtodivx.html
Use MagicDVDripper -
http://www.magicdvdripper.com/

The common steps in the DVD to DivX conversion process (irrespective of the tools used) -
(a) Ripping the DVD (transfer the contents of the DVD - the video_ts folder) to the HDD, while removing the CSS encryption built into the DVD. The CSS encryption prevents the DVD's video_ts folder from being copied directly to the HDD. Can use tools like - MagicDVDRipper OR DVD Decrypter to rip.
Ref URL -
http://www.riphelp.com/articles/dvdripping_2.html

(b) Setting the conversion player options (e.g. - FlaskMPEG)

(c) Selecting the video codec and configuring it for optimum settings.

(d) Selecting the audio codec and setting its optimals.

(e) Actual conversion (One Pass or MultiPass, the latter results in a better quality file). Takes almost 8-10 hrs.

(f) Post conversion tweaks.



About CBR, VBR and ABR
CBR - Bit Rate stays constant once selected.
VBR - Bit Rate keeps changing depending on the amount of data to be encoded. Results in a smaller and a better sounding file.
ABR - VBR but the bit rate fluctuates around an average value.
Quality ranking -
VBR > ABR > CBR.
Ref URL -
http://arstechnica.com/guides/tweaks/encoding.ars/1

Digital Audio Extraction (DAE)

(a) DAE means accessing the data on an Audio CD in a digital format, transferring it through the IDE channel and then using the CPU to route it to the Sound Card for Digital-to-Audio conversion.

(b) In computers of yester years, we had a molex cable, called the 'Audio cable' that was used to transfer pre-processed analog data from the CDROM to the sound card. In case the sound card was integrated into the motherboard, this cable linked the CDROM to the MB. In such kind of a setup, one could listen to music by plugging in a pair of headphones into the headphone jack of the CDROM drive. Further, you also had the facility of controlling Audio CD playback using the Volume controls built into the CDROM drive's front panel OR using the CD Player option in the Windows Volume Controls.

(c) The Audio cable was replaced in the new age systems with DAE. DAE, does not require a cable to connect the CDROM to the Sound Card. Also, since the data processing is no longer being carried out in the drive, the headphone jack and the volume controls on the drive would no longer function. Nor will the CD Player controls built into Windows, control the Audio CD volume.

(d) NOTES:
- In case BOTH an audio cable and DAE is being used, DAE takes precedence over the former.
- Since the CDROM works like any other CD Player available in the market, with DAE disabled; you can use the headphone jack of the CDROM to listen to Audio CDs, even without the Audio cable plugged in.
Ref URL - http://www.epanorama.net/documents/pc/cdrom_audio_wire.html

(e) DAE can be enabled at 2 levels - at the OS level OR the Application level. By that logic, it also means that if you want to disable DAE, you HAVE to do it at both the levels. NOTE: At the OS level DAE is right now only supported by Windows XP (among that Microsoft OSs, that is).

You can turn it ON in Windows XP by -
1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
3. Locate the CD-ROM, and then click the plus sign (+) in front of the device.
4. Right-click the CD-ROM drive, and then click Properties.
5. Click the Properties tab.
6. Click to check "Enable digital CD-ROM audio for this CD-ROM device" option, and then click OK.

To turn it ON in Windows Media Player version 7 (and above) follow the instructions given at -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;296615

To turn it ON in Winamp 2.x series, install the input plugin available at -
http://www.url.ru/~copah/CDReader.htm

I haven't tried it in Winamp 3.x and above, but I think this should work -
1. Go to Preferences (Ctrl+P) > Plugins > Input > in_cdda.dll > Config.
2. Check "Use Digital Audio Extraction"
3. Close Preferences.
4. Close Winamp.

Keeping your system secure

I recently switched over to Broadband. With Broadband comes an increased threat of virus and spyware infections. True to my fears, my system started behaving erratically within days of going 'always-on'. Cornered, I decide to embark on this expedition to secure my system against all the dreadful stuff doing the rounds on the Internet. Here are my recommendations -

(a) A good Firewall: From what I have heard, Zone Alarm is a b'ful free firewall program. I opted for the 90 days Trial version of Norton Internet Security 2005, though. It comes with a time-tested personal firewall solution.

(b) An Anti-virus: Now, where have we heard this before. ;) Trend Micro has a decent free AV for offering. I personally recommend, Norton AV, if u have the money to shell out, that is.

(c) An Anti-spyware program: Get two of these in fact. While two AVs behave like two wives in one house, two anti-spyware programs work like comrades-in-arms in protecting your system. I would recommend Spybot S and D and Microsoft Anti-Spyware Beta. I am running Spybot S and D alone at present. Why? Cause I use Windows 98 SE and MAS Beta, unfortunately, only supports Windows 2K and XP platforms.

(d) An Anti-spam solution: Haven't configured any mail client on my system as yet. But, most web-based mail services do seem to have good spam filters in place. On a different note, NIS 2005, comes bundled with a Anti-spam software.

So, right now the burden of protecting my system rests on the tried and tested shoulders of - NIS 2005 and Spybot S and D. And trust me, I 'zealously' update these two software with the latest definitions every week.

P.S -

I had some doubts about the anti-spyware defintions update capability of MAS Beta 1. The following articles made a believer out of me, though -

http://malektips.com/microsoft_antispyware_0011.html

http://snipurl.com/fqur

Printing to a USB printer from a MS DOS application

(A) Windows 2000 and XP -

MS DOS applications are by default designed to print to the LPT port.. To make them work with USB printers, here's what u need to do -

1. Find out if the computer connects to a network or is a stand-alone machine. If it connects to the network, find out the IP ADDRESS of the machine using the ipconfig command and move to step 2. If it is a stand-alone machine, you need to do the following -
- Go to 'Add New Hardware' wizard from the Control Panel.
- After it is done detecting any plug n play devices connected to the computer, choose the option - 'Yes, I have already connected the hardware'. Click Next.
- Choose 'Add New hardware' in the list of devices and click Next.
- Choose the option 'Install the hardware I manually select from the list'.
- Choose 'Network Adapters' in the list that comes up.
- In the next window, choose 'Microsoft' as the manufacturer AND select the 'Microsoft Loopback Adapter' from the list of adapters listed.
- The wizard will copy the requisite files and install the Microsoft Loopback Adapter. Click Finish to end the wizard.
- The IP ADDRESS for the machine would now be - 127.0.0.1

2. Assign the USB connected printer a network name. To do that -
2.1 Note down the Computer Name from System Properties > Computer Name tab
2.2 Go into the Printer Properties from the 'Printers and Faxes' folder and assign a Share Name to the printer from the Sharing tab.
2.3 The printer's network name would be - file://Computer_Name/Share_Name. You can also use file://IP_ADDRESS/Share_Name as the network name. Here, the IP ADDRESS would be the one noted down in the Step 1.
2.4 To verify that the printer's network name has been correctly assigned, open up command prompt and type the command -
C:>net view Computer Name
OR
C:>net view IP ADDRESS
If it shows the printer in the share name, proceed to step 2.

3. Map the printer network name to the LPT1 port. To do so -
3.1 Open up the command prompt and type in the command -
C:>net use lpt1 \\Computer_Name\Share_Name /persistent:YES
OR
C:>net use lpt1 \\127.0.0.1\Share_Name /persistent:YES
3.2 To verify whether the mapping has been done successfully, again use the command
C:>net view Computer_Name
OR
C:>net view IP ADDRESS
If it shows the printer mapped to the LPT1 port, proceed to Step 3.

4. Set the spool settings of the printer (from Printer Properties > Advanced tab) to "Print directly to the printer".

5. Now try to print from the MS DOS application...
Reference URLs -
http://www.decompile.com/dataflex/tips/usb_printer.htm
http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/winprint.html

NOTE: Since, the Windows drivers for the printer will be used in the background, you don't need to have any MS DOS drivers for the Printer installed on your computer.




(B) For all Operating Systems (and the only method for Windows 9x and ME systems) -

1. Download and install 'DOSprn' shareware application from the URL -
http://www.dosprn.com/

2. Restart the system AFTER you have installed the application.

3. Try to print from the MS DOS application… The default DOSprn settings are good enough.
Reference URLs -
http://www.sacpcug.org/archives/0306/prc0603.html

NOTE: This program is a shareware. You can use it to print upto 100 documents while it is unregistered. To keep using it beyond that point, you need to register it. A single user license costs $12.95. You can know more about this at -
http://www.dosprn.com/faq.htm#1

The reason, I would not prefer using DOSprn to print from NT-based systems is because we have a free workaround available in the form of the method listed above.

Manage Add-ons in IE 6 SP2

This is the official Microsoft explanation for the different options available in the BHO manager built into IE 6 SP2 -

"The Add-on Manager allows you to see a list of all the add-ons for Internet Explorer. The list is divided into two categories:

- Add-ons that have been used by Internet Explorer: a complete list of the add-ons that reside on your computer.

- Add-ons currently loaded in Internet Explorer: the add-ons that were needed for the current Web page or a recently viewed Web page."

Ref URL - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/web/sp2_addonmanager.mspx

So, which Add-ons should you focus on???
Make the changes to the 'Add-ons currently loaded in Internet Explorer' list. They will get reflected in the other list automatically...

Mozilla Firefox versus Internet Explorer

"What's this thing about Firefox that is attracting more and more users towards it?" a casual question by bacchi, triggered this search to find which is a better browser - Firefox or Internet Explorer? Here's what I found -

PROS of Firefox relative to IE:

- Less prone to spyware infection. That is not only because IE being the more dominantly used browser is the more preferred target, but also because Firefox is ACTUALLY more secure. Being open source also helps.
Ref URL -
http://www.ad-mkt-review.com/public_html/air/ai200501.html

- Skins \ Themes. Microsoft does not provide any skins for IE. Only 3rd party firms do.
Example of skins for IE:
http://www.davebax.com/ieskinsfantasy.html
NOTE: I was actually scared of installing any skin for IE. You can never say when you might be installing a spyware on your system. Use the skins on this site at your own discretion.

- Built in support for extensions. IE only has 3rd party plugins.

- Has a handy wizard to import IE, Netscape and Mozilla favorites, cookies, history and passwords.

- Popup blocker. Integrated into IE6 SP2 only... which is only available to people running Window XP and that too as a part of Windows XP SP2 patch and NOT as a separate download.

- No IE for Linux. The latest version of IE for Mac was IE 5. Moreover, Microsoft has stopped developing new versions of IE for Mac. And, it will only release updates to IE as a part of its service pack from now onwards.
Ref -
http://news.com.com/2100-1045_3-1017126.html (Cnet link)
In contrast, Firefox is available for all platforms.

- Integrated google / Yahoo... search. You don't need to install any special toolbars.

- Won't run programs known as Active X controls. Similar to Java applets (also run in browsers), these programs have full access to your OS.
An ActiveX control is essentially a Windows program that can be distributed from a web page. These controls can do literally anything a Windows program can do. That means you could write an ActiveX control to erase a hard drive. A control containing a virus or trojan can be written, distributed, and activated from a web page, and the viewer of the control might never know. A control could even scan your drive for tax records or documents the control's author was interested in, and e-mail them off to some other person. All this can be done in a control that pretends to be something interesting, like a video game.
Ref URL -
http://www.halcyon.com/mclain/ActiveX/Exploder/FAQ.htm

- Has integrated RSS Reader in its latest version.
Ref URL - http://forums.scotsnewsletter.com/index.php?showtopic=12867
The integrated RSS reader (or Live Bookmarks) is not as good as a full fledged RSS reader, though. Would recommend using 'Sage' instead. It is easy to use and gives you all the functionality you usually require.

- Firefox has a beautiful Password Manager. e.g.- the moment I tried to login to www.blogger.com to blog this post, the handy firefox password manager asked me whether I wanted to save my password for logging in automatically the next time. Any saved password is VERY easy to manage from the 'Saved Passwords' option in Firefox options. IE is supposed to have a password manager. BUT, it is non-existent, to say the least.
Ref URL -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;217148
for more information on the password manager in IE. The only problem is - it NEVER works.

- Download manager is built into the browser. You can pause and resume downloads whenever you want. Ref the interesting discussion at -
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/Mozilla_Firefox_versus_Internet_Explorer-t47263.html

- The cleaner 'Options' interface. All the related options are grouped together.... Compare this to IE, which seems to hide its options in sooooooo many places.

- Is easy to uninstall if you do not like it. Compare this to IE... Microsoft seems intent on pushing it down our throats, in spite of all the litigations against it.

- Is a smaller download and uses lesser resources.

(Refer URL: http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20041230.html
for some more stuff on FF versus IE...)

CONS:

- No support for BHOs. Browser Helper Objects (BHOs), though a heavily misused feature... can prove quite handy at times to add buttons / toolbars to the browser. IE 6 SP2 works better in this regard, it provides you a handy BHO manager to control 'add-ons'.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/web/sp2_addonmanager.mspx
In the older versions of IE you could disable BHOs by unchecking '3rd party browser extensions'. Ref URL -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;298931)

- No support for ActiveX. Yes, in spite of all the flaws, dropping support for a technology is not the solution. I say, leave the choice to the users (IE6 SP2, I almost hate to say this, does precisely that, through its 'Information bar' feature. For the older versions of IE, check out -
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;154036)

- Has problems with web sites designed specifically with IE in mind.

- No patches to fix bugs. You have to download the latest version of Firefox to fix a bug.
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=22634

- Have to install plugins for everything. The original download hardly comes with any plug-ins. You can download these plugins from -
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/central.html#central-plugins
This site carries links to sites of most commonly used plugins. Whenever, you open up a site that requires the use of a plug-in, you automatically get taken through a wizard to download the required plugin. IE, however, does come with some plugins - flash, for instance.
Ref URL -
http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum104/43.htm
NOTE: I won't rank this as a major disadvantage with Firefox because of the ease with which even a non-techie user is taken through the plug-in download process, purely on a need-to-use basis.

- Earlier versions of Firefox took some time rendering images on web-sites. They seem to have fixed it with the latest versions though (I am using version 1.0.6).

Juicy tid-bits about both the browsers:

The browsing engine used by Firefox, Mozilla AND Netscape is known as 'Gecko'.

You can find links to other language versions of Firefox at -
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/all.html

For more info on Firefox, check out -
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Mozilla-Firefox

Deer park is eventually gonna be Firefox version 1.5. It was earlier supposed to be known as Version 1.1. The current major release is 1.0.6.
Ref URL -
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/firefox/

For more information about IE version 7 (the forthcoming release), check out the URL:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/ie7/default.mspx

Latest security features in IE 6 SP2:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/ieoeoverview.mspx

Will write more about these two browsers soooooooooon... In the meantime, take your pick!

Permanently erasing data and recovering 'deleted' files

The technology behind the products -

Let us check it out w.r.t the FAT32 file system. The FAT file system is so called because of a 'File Allocation Table', 2 copies of which are stored on the HDD immediately after the MBR and the Boot Record. Theoritically speaking, files are stored as clusters on a HDD (where a cluster is, a group of sectors). The different clusters of a file need not neccessarily be contiguous. The FAT table contains 32 bit entries, each entry corresponding to a cluster on the HDD. NOTE - Of the 32 bits in a FAT32 table entry, only 28 are used at present. This entry size of 28 also acts as a limiter for the maximum no. of clusters possible on a HDD (which will be 2 to the power 28). When a command to read a file is given, the OS locates its first cluster from the file's directory entry. It then checks the FAT table entry corresponding to that cluster. That entry carries the number of the next cluster of the file...so on and so forth. Some entries in the FAT table, might carry special code to indicate that -
(1) The cluster is free.
(2) The cluster contains one or more sectors which are bad and hence, the cluster should not be used.
(3) The cluster is the final cluster of the file.

So, what actually happens when you 'delete' a file?
The entries in the FAT table are replaced with special blank entries to indicate that the particular cluster is free for use. The actual clusters which contained the file data would still be there, until they get over-written by the clusters of another file.

What happens when you 'format' a drive?
The FAT table is written afresh on the HDD. NOTE - Once again, formatting a drive does NOT over-write the actual clusters that carried the file data.

This is the idea exploited by the file recovery programs. If they can locate the actual clusters of a file BEFORE they get over-written by another file's data... the old file can be recovered. This can be done in several ways, for example, by restoring the FAT table from its backup copy. NOTE - You will remarkably increase ur chances of recovering a deleted file, if u refrain from any disk activity after the file was mistakenly deleted (like disk defragmentation, new file creation, moving files around). In fact, most of the file recovery programs, work from CDs / floppy disks so as to prevent the possibility of their setup files over-writing the files that u deleted from the hard drive.
The PERMANENTLY erasing programs, on the contrary, work by over-writing the concerned file's clusters with a random sequence of 0s and 1s to permanetly erase the prev. file's clusters. They might also carry out several passes of this process to ensure that the files are indeed deleted permanently.

The FAT table is known as 'Master File Table' (MFT) in case of NTFS file system.

A freeware to PERMANENTLY erase data -
Sure Delete - http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,22393,00.asp

A freeware to recover deleted data -
PC Inspector File Recovery -
http://www.pcinspector.de/download.asp?language=1#file_recovery
Restoration - http://www.geocities.jp/br_kato/

Reference URLs -
http://aumha.org/a/recover.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Allocation_Table

SnipURL

SnipURL (www.snipurl.com) -

Is primarily an easy way to shorten long URLs. This makes it easier to share web addresses with family and friends.

Some of its features :
1. Can be added to the Links bar in the browser to easily shorten the URL for the page you currently are at.
2. Once you register on this website, you can access ALL your 'snipped' URLs together, edit them and create more meaningful URLs. You can also keep a track of the no. of times a particular URLs has been accessed.
3. A snipping once created is PERMANENT. So, you can keep on sharing it again and again.

NOTE - Unlike as claimed by the SnipURL team, the system I worked on, did NOT allow me to create a SNIP IT button on my IE Links bar, by simply dragging the 'Snip this' option on their home page to the Links bar. As a workaround, here's what I had to do -
(a) Open ANY web page in the browser.
(b) Add that web page to the Links bar in my browser.
(c) Edit the targetted URL for that Links bar button to point it to the javascipt code pointed at by the 'snip this' option on the snipURL home page.
Evidently, the SnipURL team IS aware of this problem, they too have some suggestions at -
http://snipurl.com/faq to deal with it.

For more information about SnipURL check out their features page at -
http://snipurl.com/features

Another service of the same kind would be TinyURL (www.tinyurl.com).

Daisy chaining in USB

Never really paid that much thought to it... until today, at least.

What is daisy chaining w.r.t the USB bus standard?

Daisy chaining can be depicted as -

USB port on computer --- USB device --- USB device --- .... ---- Terminator

It has also been very aptly defined in the 'daisy chaining' wiki @
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_chain

USB standard says that you can have upto 127 devices attached per USB port in a daisychain. But then, it also puts a limit on the maximum number of hops permitted. This limit is FAR lesser than the 127 devices that can be connected per USB port. So, the question is how do we explain this contradiction? Simple, we daisy chain POWERED USB hubs and each of these powered hubs is allowed to carry multiple USB devices. This has been better depicted in the image on the left.

NOTE - If tomorrow, you choose to attach two USB hubs to a single USB hub, in turn connected to a single USB port on the computer, the resultant network will be said to have a 'Star topology'. It WON'T be a daisychain.

This concept will be equally valid for the Firewire standard. The only difference is that it allows upto 16 hops and 63 devices per Firewire port.

Password in Microsoft Outlook mailbox

How to stop prying Toms from accessing ur Exchange server based Microsoft Outlook mailbox, if u r gonna leave ur workstations unattended for some time?

(Technical subject : How to make Microsoft Outlook (w.r.t Outlook 2002, in this case) prompt u for a password and NOT logon automatically using the NT login information?)

Click on Tools > Email Accounts.
Choose the option "View OR change existing email accounts".
Doubleclick the Exchange Server account in the E-mail accounts window.
In the Exchange Server settings window, click on the More Settings button.
Click on the Advanced tab.
In the Logon Network Security drop box, choose None.
Click on Apply and navigate through the rest of the panes (You might be promoted to enter the NT Login information once... enter it.)
The next time u open up the Outlook mailbox, it will display your NT login name AND the DOMAIN name and will prompt u to put in the NT password to proceed further.

IE Links bar

This one might seem an easy one for some. For others, it will be another thing to add to their already burgeoning knowledge-base -

The Links bar in IE :
It is an easy way to remember some site URLs and have them display as easily accessible buttons in the IE window.
To display the Links bar, go to View > Toolbars and check the Links option.
To add websites to the Links bar, choose Favorites > Add to favorites and ADD to the Links folder in there.
To remove the Links folder from view in the IE Favorites menu, right click on Links, choose Properties and SET the 'Hidden' attribute. If u try to delete this folder, it will be created again and again (you have to use a registy setting to remove it permanently.)
To export the URLs in the Links folder to a file (so that they can be imported onto another machine), just EXPORT the favorites. Links URLs are also a part of Favorites, remember.

REF URL - http://www.i-t-w.com/pages/articles/IE_links.html

Codecs and the associated parameters

What are codecs?
A codec is a computer program that compresses/decompresses digital data according to a given file format or streaming format.
Ref URL - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codec

The relationship between a codec and a container :
Codec is the program used to code / decode OR compress / decompress raw data (called 'essence'). Container is the format that allows the compressed / coded data to be encapsulated and stored in a single place along with the meta data (meta data is the data used for things like synchronization of audio and video in case of formats that contain both kinds of data). So, effectively a container might contain different types of codecs (only some containers are codec specific). e.g. - In case of the Ogg Vorbis audio format, Ogg is the container and Vorbis is the codec. Ogg can contain several other codecs like FLAC and Speex. The combination of a container and a codec creates the entity known as a file format (compression format).
NOTE - In real life, codec and file format, are terms which ppl tend to use interchangeably.

Are codecs software specific?
Codecs are NOT software specific. They basically refer to a standard that can be implement in different ways by different multimedia applications (something on the lines of the TCP / IP protocal being a standard that is implemented in different ways by different OSs). Normally, the codec implementation will NOT be an integral part of the application... rather it will be a separate configurable plug-in. This gives a person (as well as the application developer) more control over what codecs he wants to add or remove support for.

Codec comparision shoot out :
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1560783,00.asp

Parameters associated with codecs :
To understand the parameters that define a particular file format, we need to understand how analog signal is converted into digital. This is done by taking samples from the analog signal at certain regular time intervals. These intervals are expressed in terms of a parameter known as the 'sampling frequency'.
Sampling freq (in Hz) = No. of samples taken per sec

Another critical factor when talking about A to D conversion is the amount of data that can be captured per sample. This is expressed in terms of the 'bit depth'.
Bit depth = The no. of bits used to express the magnitude of a particular data sample.
e.g. - a bit depth of 8 bits means that a particular data sample can assume one amongst 2 to the power 8 values (thus implying that greater data has been captured).

The 'data rate / bit rate' for the conversion is another key parameter. It is actually dependent on the sampling freq and the bit depth
Bit rate (in bits per sec) = Sampling freq (Hz) * Bit depth (bits)

If we were just talking about uncompressed audio, then mentioning ANY two of these three parameters - Sampling freq, Bit depth and Bit rate, would have sufficed (normally, we tend to define the first two parameters)... but, in case of compressed audio, things change a little bit...

For compressed audio (assuming that the compression algorithm is 'lossy' one), the actual bit rate is FAR lesser than the ideal bit rate (as calculated using the formula given above).
So, Bit rate (for compressed audio format) = Actual bit rate - X (loss factor)

Hence, when talking about compressed audio, mentioning all the three parameters - sampling freq, bit depth and bit rate, becomes essential. In fact, the bit rate parameter overshadows the other two.

So, e.g. - when we talk about MP3 encoding, we can list the parameters as -
Sampling freq = 44.1 KHz
Bit rate = 128 Kbps
and so on...

NOTE - In this post I haven't yet discussed the concept of Variable Bit Rate (VBR), more about that later on...

Ogg Vorbis audio format

Played my first Ogg Vorbis (.ogg) encoded file today. It was the song "Somewhere I belong" by Linkin Park. Ogg Vorbis is also a lossy compression audio format like MP3, but then it has the following pros and cons compared to that format.

Pros :
(a) It is a free, open source and unpatented format. In case of the mp3 format, the musician distributing the song in the mp3 format has to pay a certain fee to Fraunhofer, cause their format is a patented one.
(b) Produces files of smaller size and of better quality than their mp3 counterpart (at least the makers of this format claim so... still have to verify their claim myself).

Cons :
(a) It is not that well supported by different portable music players and software. For example, the Windows Media Player still does not support it natively (not without installing a codec specifically for that purpose).
(b) .WAV to .OGG conversion normally takes more time than a .MP3 to .OGG conversion (all the other factors staying the same).

More stuff about Ogg Vorbis :
(1) Some Windows software that support Ogg Vorbis files - Winamp, Sonic, JetAudio... Another cool music player would be the 'Coolplayer'. It is a verrrrrrrry light-weight player and an extremely small download (318 KB only). You can download coolpayer from - http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/coolplayer/CoolPlayer215_Bin.zip?download

(2) To play Ogg Vorbis files in Windows Media Player, you need to download extra codecs. You can know more about Windows Media Player support for Ogg Vorbis at the URL - http://windowsxp.mvps.org/ogg.htm

NOTE - I tried installing both the codecs listed on this web-site, unfortunately, I did not have any success with either of them (but then, I was trying them on a system that had loads of account restrictions... hope you have better luck with them than I did).

(3) Some conversion software that you can use with the Ogg Vorbis format are -
Ogg Converter (.wav to .ogg and vice versa, .ogg to .mp3 and vice versa) : a trial software.
URL - http://www.ogg-converter.com/

For more info about Ogg Vorbis check out -
http://www.vorbis.com/faq.psp
http://www.pcquest.com/content/search/showarticle.asp?artid=45401

For general information on audio formats check out - http://207.182.248.164/docs/digital_audio_formats.htm

Bro's tips :
More on Ogg Vorbis...I wrote and compared various formats in 2001: http://www.pcquest.com/content/search/showarticle.asp?artid=25477

I've been testing MP3, OGG and AAC on my Nokia 3650 lately and OGG is superior to them all. Also the file size is small. I can fit around 100 songs in under 100 MB of space on my MMC card! AAC (its a MP4 container) is promising but I'm yet to finalize the correct encoding parameters for it. There is a fantastic convertor for WAV to OGG called OggDropXPd. I've been using it since an year now. Its great and I think its downloadable from the Ogg site somewhere. Its only a 240 kB download. Another universal and simple encoder/ convertor is dBPowerAmp. Its simply amazing.

Me, Bacchi and Trillian

Hi, this is how I look at present. Notice, the dishevelled hair... bacchi says that I always have my hair that way. And I love her for noticing that about me...:)

Btw , 'bacchi' is my wife. ;)

Checked out Trillian 3.1 finally today. It is beautiful! Guys, dump all ur different IM clients and jump for this Jabber client...

RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

RSS, known by a variety of names like 'Really Simple Syndication' or 'Rich Site Summary'... is a way of getting information to get to ur desktop, rather than u going to the web-sites carrying that information. This way, you can conveniently sit at ur desktop and view snippets of news from multiple web-sites simultaneously, without having to open multiple browser windows. In case, some particular news item particulary interests u, just click on it and u will be directed to the web-site carrying the complete article.

To get access to RSS feeds (the name given to these news streams), all you need a RSS reader / News aggregator. The one that I used, was Bottomfeeder (available at the URL - http://www.cincomsmalltalk.com/BottomFeeder/). Once, a RSS Reader has been installed on your system, you can go scouting for RSS feeds. The RSS feed options available on any web-site can be viewed by clicking on the 'RSS' or the 'XML' button located on the web-site. Once, you click on this button, you will get a page full of raw XML stuff. It is the job of ur RSS reader to make sense out of that. Just copy the URL of that raw XML page into the "Add New Feed" section of ur RSS reader and u r ready to rock-n-roll. :)

NOTE - You might consider experimenting with the different settings in your RSS reader to change the 'check for updates' frequency, change the way the feeds are displayed in the reader and do a lot of other things... Another good idea would be to get a RSS reader that fits in as a plug-in to ur browser. That will help further reduce desktop clutter.

Will post more about RSS, as I become a more mature RSS user...

An update - A wonderful RSS Reader for Windows is FeedDemon. It is a trialware. You can download it from the URL - http://www.bradsoft.com/download/index.asp

Google Suggest

Cout this -

http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&complete=1

Sent to me by one of my old college mates. It is called "Google Suggest". It does what it says it would - Gives u suggestions in real-time about possible ways u could formulate ur query...

More about Google Suggest @ http://labs.google.com//suggestfaq.html

Some conversion tools

Recently, I had to carry out some file conversions when some documents and photographs scanned by my 'not-so-friendly' cybercafe-wallah, turned out to be in the wrong format (not the formats I wanted them to be in). That is when I stumbled on some pretty nifty, light-weight, free, file conversion utilities. Here are the links to two of them -

(a) PDF to JPEG file conversion :
http://hotoak.com/main.jsp?target=pages/jpegPdf_en.jsp

(b) BMP to JPEG conversion :
NOTE : To be used only if the MSPaint, File > Save As 'JPEG'...file format trick does not work...
raz.customer.netspace.net.au/conv.zip

Hope these make life easier for some ppl out there... :) They will especially be loved by the ones who are not able to install any professional file conversion tool on their system because of user account restrictions.

Bro's tips : For those of u who CAN install a file conversion tool on their system, use IrfanView. It ROCKS!

About Jabber

Just got introduced to Jabber :) Some tid-bits about it, till I get you some more descriptive stuff later on...

Jabber is actually an Open Source XML specification for communication over the Internet. Multiple Jabber clients and server implementations can be used... all as long as they adhere to the basic specification. One of the key Jabber implementation is for Instant Messaging. Also called the "Linux of instant messaging".. it is the open source, ad free alternative to consumer IM services like AIM, ICQ, MSN and Yahoo...
Refer URL - http://www.jabber.org/about/overview.shtml

---------

This is, in fact, a new post.. Am putting it in "About Jabber" for convenience sake -

One of the interesting features in Jabber is the concept of 'Gateways'. Using the Jabber client's Gateway feature, you can register with other IM services such as MSN, Yahoo, and AIM, to communicate with users of those services. You must already have an account established with the service and know your user name and password before you can proceed with the registration. This handy feature, makes the Jabber client a multi-messaging platforms client (though the primary platform supported would still be Jabber). NOTE - One very well known Jabber clients for Windows users would be - Trillian.

How to use Gateways?
You need to first register with the appropriate gateway (Yahoo, MSN, ICQ and AIM being the options available). After that you can add contacts to ur 'roster' (the Jabber term for 'contact list') using the IDs of the different IM service users. And viola! u r ready to chat.
NOTE : One cause of concern could be the fact that "After registering with a particular IM gateway, all of its communication must pass through Jabber Messenger. If you want to go back to using the service separately from Jabber, you must unregister from the gateway." Hence, you might just end up not being able to use the Jabber client AND the Yahoo Messenger on the same machine. However, this is text book stuff. I would let u know more about it, when I get an opportunity to check it out myself.

Bro's tips : "As for Jabber...I did use it for a while earlier and found it to be good. Then the Jabber.com service went paid and I went offline. Free gateway servers are now aplenty. I even tried a Jabber implementation on my cellphone! There are tons of clients out there on all platforms. You might find these links interesting:

http://www.jabber.org/software/clients.shtml (Available Jabber clients)

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/jabber/chapter/ch05.html (Jabber Tech Basics)

http://s23.org/wiki/index.php/Jabber (Jabber Wiki)"

No Video

Am trying to standardize the 'no video' troubleshooting methodology...
(NOTE - Focus is on CRT monitors alone. Flat Panels will involve some additonal troubleshooting steps, not covered below)

1. Eliminate the MB / PROCESSOR / RAM / POWER SUPPLY in the computer tower as the cause of the problem, by checking for a successful POST.
Signs of a successful POST (Power On Self Test):
(a) You hear a short, single beep after turning on the system.
(b) Try to turn ON and turn OFF the kbd LEDs. If they do, the system is POSTing fine.

2. Eliminate the monitor as the source of the problem, by doing a Monitor On Self Test. You might also consider swapping the monitor with a known good one. Swapping the monitor will also help offset the possiblity that the video cable has bent or broken pins in its connector (which for CRTs means that the monitor needs to be replaced, anyhow... if the pin is bent, however, you can try to straighten it). NOTE - One pin is normally missing from the VGA connector, by default.

3. Carry out the remaining troubleshooting based on the color of the monitor LED -

(a) Monitor LED is turned OFF - Indicates that the monitor is not receiving any power.
- Make sure that the monitor is turned ON. :)
- Try a different power outlet. Also eliminate any surge protectors.
- Swap the monitor power cord with that of the tower. They are normally of the same specification.

(b) Monitor LED is GREEN - Indicates that either the monitor is in the Self Test mode OR it is getting a video signal but is not able to display it.
- Check the screen for a Monitor On Self Test message.
- If YES, reseat the video cable.
- If NO,
1. Check OSD settings for brightness and contrast.
2. Do a Monitor On Self Test to check the monitor itself.

(c) Monitor LED is AMBER - Indicates that the monitor is not getting a video signal (but it IS plugged in properly to the video card.)
- Move mouse to check if the system is in standby mode OR if the monitor itself has been turned OFF (by the Windows ACPI) to save power.
- Turn the system ON and OFF to offset the possibility that the system is stuck in the standby mode.
- Monitor LED is also amber if the system is not POSTing.
- Reseat the video card. If that does not fix it, replace the video card.

Cleaning a keyboard...

The least bothersome way -

Use a dilute, non-abrasive, preferrably volatile, cleaning fluid. Most of the ppl recommend using isopropyl alcohol. Dip a soft, lint free cloth in it and wipe around the keys. (NOTE - Avoid spraying the liquid on the keyboard directly... you might end up short-circuiting the keyboard.)

The EXTENSIVE way -

1. Unplug the keyboard from its port.

2. Pry off all the keys from the keyboard.
NOTE - First make sure that you remember the exact location of the different keys.

3. Open the keyboard by unfastening the screws at the back. Take the electronic circuit out. Also take out the rubber membrane.

4. Wash the keys, the main keyboard frame and the rubber membrane. You can use warm soap water to do that.

5. Dry all the components separately. Do that for at least 24 hrs. This is to make sure that you do not leave any water droplets on the electronic circuit, otherwise, once again, you might short-circuit the electronic circuit inside the keyboard.

6. Put together the different keyboard components - the membrane, circuit, keys...

Dude, could it have been more comprehensive??? :)

NOTE -

(a) I would strongly recommend NOT using the EXTENSIVE way to clean the keyboard, if it is a wireless unit.

(b) Some ppl also say that you can directly wash the keyboard in running water / soap solution, without having to open up the unit and take out the electronic circuit present in it. In that case, just be doubly sure that you haven't left ANY water droplets inside the keyboard.

Remote desktop connection (Windows XP)

Step-by-step process to use Remote Desktop Option in Windows XP -

1. Enable Remote Desktop Connection on the machine you want to connect TO.
Right click My Computer > Click on Properties > Click on the Remote tab > Put a check mark in the option.. "Allow users to connect remotely to this machine."

2. Install the remote desktop client on the machine you want to connect FROM (Is only required if you are using a Windows 9x machine as the client... In case of Windows XP, you can anyhow access the pre-installed client from Start > All Programs > Accessories > Communications > Remote Desktop Connection.)
Insert the Windows XP Professional compact disc into your CD-ROM drive. When the Welcome page appears, click "Perform additional tasks", and then click "Set up Remote Desktop Connection". Follow the directions that appear on your screen.

3. Configure the connection -
Open Remote Desktop Connection (Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > Communications > Remote Desktop Connection.)
In Computer, type the name or the IP address of the computer you want to connect to.
NOTE - You can set additional parameters for this connection by clicking on the Options button at the bottom of the screen at this stage.
Click Connect.
The Log On to Windows dialog box appears.
In the Log On to Windows dialog box, type your user name, password, and domain (if required), and then click OK.

REF URL - http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mobility/getstarted/enableremote.mspx
and
http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.org/RemoteDesktop/RemoteDesktopSetupandTroubleshooting.html

Personalized google

A service on the lines of the My MSN service offered at www.msn.com... It allows you to create a www.google.com page that is personalized to suit your tastes.

Check it out @ www.google.com/ig.

Some of the options provided (can be easily personalized) -

(a) Your GMAIL mails.
(b) News from SLASHDOT
(c) Weather update (only valid for the American states so far)
(d) Stock updates...

What da ya say? Interested ??? Nah! Nothing can beat the old google interface...

ipconfig /release versus /renew

For all those, who say that the combination to release and regain an IP address is -

ipconfig /release
followed by
ipconfig /renew

using the
ipconfig /renew
is, in fact, enough (the release part is redundant).

Check out -
http://www.networkclue.com/os/Windows/commands/ipconfig.php

for more information...

Printing to a network printer from MS-DOS

1. Map the network printer to a parallel port - LPT1 or LPT2. To do so -

Net use lptx file:////printservername/printersharename [/persistent:YES]

If you use the 'Peristent' option, the mapping will be saved for the next login.

2. Print from the MS DOS application. To do so -

C:\Print anand.txt

Note : By default, it will print onto the printer mapped at the lpt1 port.

C:\type anand.txt > lpt1

If you have mapped the network printer to the lpt2 port, then -

C:\Print /D:lpt2 anand.txt

OR

C:\type anand.txt > lpt2

----

Viola! It could not be any simpler...

Ref URL -

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=154498

http://blogs.ineta.org/dtotzke/articles/26204.aspx

Note :

1. To delete mappings, use the command -

net use /DELETE lptx

2. To view all the network resources mappings, use the command -

net use

(with no parameters)

Hands-on GMAIL :

Pros :

1. Gmail notifier. A downloadable desktop tool to notify you when you get any new mail in your gmail inbox.

2. It is still a beta release. You still cannot sign up to Gmail. Existing users can send more invitations, though (probably upto 50 invitations). NOTE - Not all Gmail accounts have this capability to send invitations.

3. A wonderful search feature that can help search all the mails carrying a particular word in its default avatar.

4. Over 2 GB of storage capacity. Is being further increased, in real time.

5. Handy downloadable POP3 and SMTP configuration programs for different email clients.

6. You can add a Gmail feed to your RSS aggregator software and get updates about the new mails in your inbox in real-time. (Google calls this feature ATOM).

Cons :

1. Starred and Label - alike features. Star works as a kind of a special label. NOTE : You cannot create folders in gmail. Acc. to Google - "Gmail uses Google search technology to find messages so users don't have to create folders and file their individual emails." Ref URL - http://gmail.google.com/gmail/help/about.html

2. Google Adsense program : Are there ads in Gmail? Yes, but they are small and unobtrusive. They don't fill half your screen and we don't make you read them just to get to your inbox. Ads are never inserted into the body text of either incoming or outgoing Gmail messages and you won't see any pop-ups or untargeted banner ads in Gmail. Gmail users only see relevant text ads, similar to those on Google search results pages . The matching of ads to content is a completely automated process performed by computers. No humans read your email to target the ads, and no email content or other personally identifiable information is ever provided to advertisers. Ads are matched using the same technology that powers the Google AdSense program, which already places targeted ads on thousands of sites across the web by quickly analyzing the content of pages and determining which ads are most relevant to them. Also check out this article from a critic of google policies - http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2003/11/24/as_google_grows_critics_emerge A discussion of the technology behind google ad-sense - http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/article62.html

3. If you forward HTML mails from your Gmail account (mails that carry in-line images), they won't be sent to the recepients. Ref URL - http://stuff.techwhack.com/archives/2004/08/07/gmail-attachment-problems/

4. The maximum Gmail message size is limited to 10 MB. (I expected more from GMAIL)

For assistance with Gmail features... check out - http://gmail.google.com/support