This is really worrying…

At the ITWeb Security Summit 2008, in Midrand, Covotsos demonstrated the Telkom ADSL router’s vulnerabilities.

“ADSL in SA comes with wireless as a feature and this leaves them open to exploitation,” he said. “Everyone that leaves their modems with a ‘default’ WPA passkey, which is by default the MAC address, is open to attack.”

“Covotsos showed delegates how easily the Telkom modems could be hacked, and said: “It is so simple, that getting them assessed isn’t even considered.”

Read this for more information…

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I have been getting a lot of mail asking why is Outlook 2007 running on Vista and XP so slow !

There is no real answer to that question but the following it is common for computers to have some corrupt .DAT files that Outlook requires.

 

Let me explain:

 

Outlook has the .DAT files that it uses in order to keep Outlook operating smoothly. If your outlook is slow or doesn’t load or doesn’t respond, then try RENAMING these files.

What you need to do is :

• Close Outlook
• Find these files (listed below with their location)
• RENAME them to <filename>.OLD
• Launch outlook which will now recreate a fresh copy of those files

Outcmd.dat - This file is usually the problem child and responsible for Outlook not opening/loading.

This file is where Outlook stores all the changes that you make to your toolbar. Whilst this doesn’t seem to be a big issue since you don’t THINK you change your toolbar,

this is where the Adware, Spyware and Virus applications normally hit. This file can become corrupted and the result is that your Outlook doesn’t not to load.

It can be found here :

XP - C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Vista - C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook

 

Extend.dat - This file is an internal cache file used by Outlook to store paths to all DLL files used for Outlook extensions

It can be found here :

XP - C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Vista - C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

 

Frmcache.dat - This file is as an index of the individual forms that have been cached on the computer

It can be found here:

XP - C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Vista - C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\FORMS

 

Views.dat - This file may not exist on your computer if you have not created a custom view on your folders.

If you have it can be found here:

XP - C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Vista - C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

 

Give this a bash and see if it improves your Outlook experience !

 

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For more information and to book go to this site

Related: Where are the Starups ?
 

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HTC launched the HTC Diamond and it looks awesome !
HTC is really focusing on the “touch-optimized” route - the Diamond is all about the 3D user interface and has superb touch navigation through web pages and hyperlinks and has a built-in accelerometer which allows screen auto rotation

“HTC has taken a great leap forward in touch screen innovation with the introduction of its new 3D touch interface called TouchFLO 3D.  TouchFLO 3D provides animated access to people, messaging, email, photos, music, weather and more.  In addition, HTC is introducing a new innovative touch-sensitive control for interacting with Touch Diamond.

Some other features:

• HTC Touch Diamond Key Specifications
• Size: 102 x 51 x 11.33mm
• Weight: 110 g
• Connectivity: WCDMA / HSPA: 900/2100MHz. HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA
• Operating system: Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Display: 2.8-inch VGA touch screen
• Camera: 3.2MP, with video calling
• Internal memory: 4 GB Internal Storage, 256 MB flash, 192 MB RAM,
• Bluetooth: 2.0 with EDR
• Wireless: WiFi 802.11b/g
• GPS: GPS/AGPS
• Interface: HTC ExtUSBTM (mini-USB and audio jack in one; USB 2.0 High-Speed)
• Battery: 900 mAh
• Talk time: GSM: up to 4 hours
• Standby time: GSM: up to 300 hours/100 hours with push email
• Chipset: Qualcomm® MSM 7201ATM 528MHz

 

For more info - check out the HTC website !

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Once again - still on my hunt to make Vista behave, here is another tip to increase the Vista Speed ! (Previous tips: Even Faster Vista, Access your Documents Faster in Vista, How to make Vista Load Faster) 

When you use Vista and try to access a website or download a file there is a problem which will cause you to experience very slow browsing on certain websites when using IE7 and Windows Vista, and eventually the website might even drop the data completely.

 

You can read the seriously techie stuff here  of what it does and how Scaling Factors works etc. etc. …yawn!..boring….

 

Or

 

you can skip to the simple fix and improve your speed by doing the following:

 

1. Click Start, click All Programs, and then click Accessories.

2. Right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.

3. At the prompt type the following, and then press ENTER:  netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=highlyrestricte

(tip: you can highlight this command and press CTRL-C on your keyboard to copy it, then go into the Command Prompt window, right Click and click on Paste)

 

You can also un-do this setting by tpying in this command at the Command Prompt: netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal

 

Note: you will need to reboot your pc when you make these changes !

 

By the way: it seems that this change also has an effect on improving the performance of outlook 2007 and well as with copying files to and from the network.

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As you might have picked up from previous posts, I am clearly not a fan of what’s going on in South Africa with this Power Shedding - where we have no electricity 3 times a week for a period of 2 hours per time and we are considered lucky - in Johannesburg, there is no electricity for 4 hours per time !

Anyways, I have looked and the various options that are out there namely Generator, UPS, Inverter and here is my 5 cents worth on these…

 

1. Generator -

• PROS - fire it up and as long as it has Petrol/ Diesel it will supply electricity, can be plugged into the house/office/ restaurant’s DB board and will kick in to supply power to the “essential” circuits.
• CONS - the price of these Generators has gone insane, the running cost of fuel is a serious concern, with everyone and their Aunty importing Generators from China and who know where else from there is a serious concern about parts/ service/ danger etc., noisy and pollution
• Recommendation - if you need to power up lots of plugs and lots of high-power-usage equipment (ovens, stoves, tools etc.) this is a good choice. Make sure you buy a brand name with the correct backup service.

 

2. UPS (uninterrupted power supply)-

• What is it ? - This device has a built in battery or two which you keep charged during the time that you have electricity. It then allows you to hook up the essentials like a computer, TV, PVR and some lights to it when there is no power
• PROS -neatly packaged, without putting too much load on it it can provide decent clean power so you can continue to operate, quiet so can be placed inside the office/ house
• CONS - limited to what you buy (buy small ups = shorter power supply), bigger UPS are expensive but more importantly very hard to source. Usually stores have a 3 to 4 week waiting period.
• Recommendation - good device if you are not a techie and just want to plug something in something that will allow you to watch CSI and charge your laptop

3. Inverter/ Battery combination -

• What is it ? - This device converts battery power in to power that your “electricity devices” can use. It is hooked up to a deep cycle battery which is what gives you the power to hook up the essentials like a computer, TV, PVR and some lights to it when there is no power
• PROS - without putting too much load on it can provide decent clean power so you can continue to operate, quiet so can be placed inside the office/ house, relatively cheap, can expand the amount of hours you get out of it by simply adding more batteries (or having another battery charged on standby). Finally, the inverter also has the appeal of being portable so it can be plugged into the car’s cigarette lighter and power up your regular devices (like laptop or a TV).
• CONS - a bit technical to set up, doesn’t look great/neat
• Recommendation - good option if you want to continue to operate but don’t want to spend a fortune and allows you to expand and grow as your needs grow

 

What did I go for ?

The generator was an option but after investigating the costs and the hassles and what I want to run of it, it didn’t make sense anymore.

The UPS was an option but after checking that out, it turns out that I don’t have the patience to wait 4 weeks and also the price was over the top.

I also discovered that the UPS contains basically what I am putting together by myself - I went for the Inverter/ Battery combination !

The reason I chose that option is because for what I want to run which is the laptop, TV, PVR, some lights - I can do it all using my little setup.

How did I set it up ?

I basically connected the deep cycle battery to my inverter (connect the RED cable to the RED point on battery and the BLACK cable to the BLACK point on battery). The inverter comes with a built in 2-pin plug and a regular plug socket. I added a small gang of plugs which plugged into my inverter and to that I connect my devices.

I also connected a trickle charger to my battery so that during time where we have power, it keeps the battery charged.

My next step is to find a plastic box that I can put all of this into so it doesn’t look messy and my kids won’t play with it…

 

Simple solution to a serious problem !

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I got to thinking when I was sitting in the dark starring at my watch wondering when the heck this electricity will be switched on again…”are we not being fed the same BULL like we were during the Dot Com days ?”

Here is what I mean:
Dot Com Days – “companies”, and I used that word lightly, were being sold for millions, teenagers were driving around in cars most of us can only dream of, “businesses” were being sold on the basis of number of clicks, number of registrations, number of hits, number of icons, number of potential people who could possibly one day think about clicking. Sounds like bull to me….

Power Shedding Days – “companies”, and I mean monopoly/government, are selling electricity worth millions to our neighbours, their directors are driving around in cars most of us can only dream of, “customers” are being sold a story that if we cut our consumption by “removing the cell phone charger from the wall” we will miraculously save the country’s power grid. Sounds like bull to me…

So what happened ?
Dot Com Days – When the whole thing was proven to be a shame - investors lost millions, teenagers gave back their toys and went back to varsity, the industry as a whole re-adjusted to the post bubble burst and the world was a happier place.

Power Shedding Days – When the whole power issue was proven to be a mismanagement and basically clueless leadership – the directors got a raise, their toys got more expensive, the price we are paying for electricity will be increasing by 60% and South Africa is looking like it’s going to be a “not-so-nice-place” to be until 2012 when this business is suppose to be fixed.

Now something is wrong with this picture !!!

So what do we do ? are we outraged ? are we withholding our rate payment as a sign of protest ? are we marching in the streets with candles to show the government we will not accepts this ?

NO

We do what South Africans always do - we use the “ag shame”

• So what if petrol is going beyond R10 per little – “ag shame” they have to dig deeper to get it
• So what if half the government has some sort of pending trial/ investigation – “ag shame” they are trying their best
• So what if the law has become so difficult that citizens can not own a firearm – “ag shame” we will use our kitchen butter knife to defend ourselves.
• So what is the criminals are killing us – “ag shame” they are previously disadvantaged so it is our fault
• So what if we don’t have power for the next hundreds of years – “ag shame” we will spend our own money on generators/ inverters/ batteries/solar devices

Sounds like BULL to me !!!

To quote the comedian Michael Naicker from one of his parody songs about electricity:

“Hello Mandela what’s it like in Jo’burg City ?
Power Shedding was crap today our future is looking shity”

Some thought to consider:

• Since this Power shedding has come into play - we stopped bitchin about the 2010 world cup and the over spending
• Since this Power shedding has come into play - we stopped worrying about government officials and the way they spend our tax money to go overseas on holiday..eh..i mean official busienss that you need to take your whole family with you (???)
• Since this Power shedding has come into play - has AIDS all of a sudden been cured since we dont hear about it anymore ?
• Since this Power shedding has come into play - we stopped discussing the ever escalating serious crime. We also no longer wonder why the only governmnet body that does something right (the scorpion unit) is being dibandoned.

Finally, when you take a frog and drop him into boiling water, the frog jumps out to save his life.
However when you put a frog in cold water and slowly boil it, the frog just stays there and dies.

The water is boiling all around us…

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Those of us who live in South Africa and are currently experiencing Blackouts ..ehh…I mean “Previously-lit areas” to be politically correct.

 

This means that our power supply gets purposefully cut every week (in my city three times a week for 2 hours each time - nice..).

 

No matter how good your UPS is, this is still a nightmare on servers and computers.

 

Now, I don’t wan to sound over paranoid here, but the risk of losing my Exchange store because my dear government decided to cut the power slightly earlier then “scheduled” is just a risk that I am not willing to take !

 

So what do you do ? (besides of course running back to the office each time to manually shutting down the servers each time)

 

What I have done, is simply informed my server to shutdown properly 30 minutes before the due time.

 

How ?

 

• Simply open up Task Scheduler (that comes with Windows of all flavours)
• Create a New Scheduled Task
• At the point of being asked which application to run, click on the Browse button and go to the c:\Windows\system32\Shutdown.exe file and click on OK.
• Set the task to active at any time you wish (you can at this point enter multiple Times and different days)
• Call it something exciting like Power shedding
• Click on Finish to complete
• Important: Right click on the Task and choose Properties
• You will see a line that says: RUN: c:\WINDOWS\system32\shutdown.exe
• You need to put in there after the .exe /s
• So the line will now read: c:\WINDOWS\system32\shutdown.exe /s
• Click on OK and you are done.

To Test it, Right-Click on the Task and click on RUN which will now shutdown the server.

 

Bonus Tip – how to automatically switch it back on now that it is shut down ?

Go into the server’s BIOS and under the Power setting enable the option that says Boot up on Power.

Seen as there are many BIOS you will need to have a play and find the option that suits your computer.

 

Good luck and may we all survive this nightmare !

 

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What am I talking about ? – Well, can answer YES to any of these ?

• have you ever wanted to get feedback from a bunch of people in order to coordinate a function or an event ?
• Have you ever needed people to RSVP if they are attending ?
• Have you ever ordered food for a meeting and wanted to know what everyone prefers ?
• Basically, do you ever need to know some information from a bunch of people that can be answered with a quick Yes/ No/ Maybe ?

Well – Outlook 2007 has a built in facility to handle all of this for you !

Lets take an example:
You are in charge of catering and need to know who will be attending the launch at your company’s boardroom.
So how do you know who is coming ? Well, you begin to phone and email and keep a list of people. This is the OLD way and complete waste of your valuable time !

The New way:

• Click on New Email in Outlook 2007
• Address the email to all recipients as per normal (Bonus Tip: put all the email address in the BCC so that confidentiality is kept and no spammer/ competition can get a hold of you mailing list)
• Enter a Subject
• Enter the Body of the email
• Before sending the email, click on Options and from that ribbon select Use Voting Buttons. This places the buttons in the email so that the recipient can click on the appropriate one.

 

• When you click on the button, it gives you some standard options such as Approve/ Reject; Yes/ No; Yes/ No/ Maybe and you can customise this too !

• Click on Custom and you can then enter any option you wish such as Will be attending alone; Will be attending with Partner; Will be attending with Partner and Children (separate with semi-colon)

• Once you have done that, send the email as per normal.

What the recipient sees is your normal body of the email and subject along with the Buttons you have added ! All the recipients then needs to do is click on the button to indicate his/ her choice.

Finally – there is no need to monitor individual emails as they come in with the person’s choice, but simply go to the Sent Items, find the original email that you have sent, click on the Tracking button and there you will see all the replies !

Note: in order for the tracking to work, DO NOT move the email out of the Sent Item. If you do it, it will loose the tracking facility !

Just another Tip to make your Microsoft Life easier !

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So you have a folder that you keep all your sales inquiries. Now from out of the no where you are instructed to send each person an email with your company’s new catalogue.
The thought of having to manually go through each email and copy and paste the email address is nauseating and you wonder how many sick days you have left this year…

Before you reach for the phone to call HR, I have a solution for you !

Here is what you do:

• In Outlook 2007, click on File, Import and Export and the Wizard opens up.
• Select the option to Export to a File and click on Next
• Select Microsoft Excel 97-2003 (or a CSV file) and click on Next
• Select the folder that your sales inquiries reside in and click on Next
• Click on Browse to select a location and then type the file name that you want to export the information to and then click on Next
• Here is the important bit - click on Map Custom Fields. This will bring up a list of all the available fields that are available in that folder.
  Since we are only interested in Email address, click on Clear Map and then from the Left side click on From: (address) and drag that to the Right list
• Click on OK
• Click on Finish

Now watch the magic happen - all the Email address will be exported neatly into an Excel spreadsheet that you can now manipulate and use as you wish !

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