I keep getting told that Windows supports hardware but I keep finding that Linux supports hardware much better. I am reconfiguring the network at TAFE and I moved the proxy server because I need a Windows WSUS and Symantec Virus management server. I had been using a Dell PowerEdge 1850 server which only has a [...]

Who would be the best people to deploy, support and manage a Windows 7 based global network? Well Microsoft obviously can’t manage their own products because they’ve just contracted Ifosys to manage theirs – Infosys lands deal to manage Microsoft’s internal IT services.
Infosys will provide Microsoft with IT help desk, desk-side services, and infrastructure and [...]

Microsoft has decided that every Windows 7 user must be treated as a software “pirate”. A soon to be released “update”, “Update for Microsoft Windows (KB971033)” under the name of Windows Activation Technologies (WAT), will make any computer running Windows 7 “phone home” to Microsoft’s servers every 90 days to be checked against known “pirated” [...]

It has been an interesting 7 days for the computer “geeks” and early adopters. Windows 7 was released with much fanfare and hype over the built-in security. Canonical released the latest Ubuntu 9.10 on 29 October with a range of upgrades. Of course this has meant a couple of busy days as I copy all [...]

Microsoft’s new Windows 7 has arrived with much fanfare from journalists and Microsoft. Microsoft also revealed some new TV ads which vaunt “Windows 7 is the most secure operating system we’ve produced”. That isn’t much of a boast considering the major problems viruses and malware cause Microsoft Windows users. However, Jeff Putt, the Windows consumer [...]

As a follow up to my last post, an article on TechRepublic titled “Crimeware: How it works” explains how the two most popular Trojans are created and what they are used for.
The Zeus Trojan Kit costs about $US700 and each Trojan created is different, so antivirus software has problems stopping the Trojan. This because each [...]

As reported by ITNews at the NSW Parliamentary Hearing into Cybercrime, Detective Inspector Bruce van der Graaf from the Computer Crime Investigation Unit has told the MPs that you shouldn’t use Microsoft Windows for Internet banking. He recommended using Linux or the Apple iPhone. The politicians were a bit confused when he mentioned Linux so [...]

As reported on smh.com.au and theinquirer.net yesterday, Integral Energy had a major problem with it’s IT control network. A virus (W32.Virut.CF) infected the Windows based computers used by operators controlling the power grid. They were saved when some quick thinking techs replaced the Windows PCs with Linux PCs that were being used for development and [...]

The Catapult Festival is in Bathurst this week and some of my students are working as volunteers shooting video and still photographs. I have been making sure they are enjoying the opportunity to practice the skills they are learning without any pressure to capture “perfect” images. Because of the nature of the Catapult Festival, with [...]

Software Freedom Day was a great success. I was assisted at the Computer Fair by my eldest daughter and her boyfriend and we managed to give away nearly 100 OpenEducationDisc DVDs and 50 Ubuntu 9.04 CDs. We had a PC running Windows 7 Professional and all of the software on the SFD2009 OpenEducationDisc so people [...]