Performance improvements for the Dashboard, Write Post, and Edit Comments pages.
Better performance for those who have many categories
Media Uploader fixes
An upgrade to TinyMCE 3.0.7
Widget Administration fixes
Various usability improvements
Layout fixes for IE
It includes a number of bug fixes, performance enhancements, and one very important security fix. We recommend everyone update immediately, particularly if your blog has open registration. The vulnerability is not public but it will be shortly.
Everyone should upgrade! Especially with one security fix. (Although I don’t allow open registration.) WordPress 2.5 has quite a bit of admin issues. I hope this upgrade would solve them. This blog has been upgraded already, yours should too.
A recent case of Microsoft updating Windows Vista and Windows XP has got quite a heated discussion on the internet. Apparently, Microsoft gives an option for users to choose not to update Windows automatically. However, there are several updates that seem to have some sort of a stealth ability and sneak through those options to update. And that really is a bad idea.
The Windows Update Program Manager has explained that the updates are pertaining to updating the Windows Update software only:
any user who chooses to use Windows Update either expected updates to be installed or to at least be notified that updates were available. Had we failed to update the service automatically, users would not have been able to successfully check for updates and, in turn, users would not have had updates installed automatically or received expected notifications. That result would not only fail to meet customer expectations but even worse, that result would lead users to believe that they were secure even though there was no installation and/or notification of upgrades. To avoid creating such a false impression, the Windows Update client is configured to automatically check for updates anytime a system uses the WU service, independent of the selected settings for handling updates (for example, “check for updates but let me choose whether to download or install themâ€Â). This has been the case since we introduced the automatic update feature in Windows XP. In fact, WU has auto-updated itself many times in the past.
Some users’ computers are set to download for do not install them automatically. However Windows Update went ahead to install it anyway. The files updated are as follows:
wuapi.dll
wuapp.exe
wuauclt.exe
wuaueng.dll
wucltux.dll
wudriver.dll
wups.dll
wups2.dll
wuwebv.dll
This time Microsoft is in trouble with many techies beings rather upset. If you really do not want Windows Update to update itself, make sure you disable the download completely.
The option to download but not install is a good idea. It should have been a lot more clear. And allowing Windows Update to install itself without consent it just double standards and I’m sure no administrator is going to like that at all.
The great people at FileZilla has updated their website, their software, their logo and the facelift is just worth a mention.
I use FileZilla pretty often and it’s always good to see my favorite tools get a facelift. The new client looks pretty good in Windows Vista too. Now they just have to put in a 256 pixel icon to make their icon look prettier on my desktop!
FileZilla is officially released, so go and download it now!
Yay, who doesn’t like new software – Windows Live Messenger 8.5 is released through the Windows Live Suite. Windows Live Suite is Microsoft’s new unified installer. You can select what you want to install through their webpage. Here is a screenshot:
(Windows Live Messenger 8.5 screenshot.)
Windows Live Suite products include:
Mail: Multiple e-mail accounts on your desktop
Messenger: Connect, share, and make every conversation count
Photo Gallery (Beta): Organize and share photos and videos
Writer: Easily publish rich content to your blog
Toolbar: Search from any Web page
OneCare Family Safety: Help protect your kids online
I only installed Windows Live Messenger, Photo Gallery and Writer. I’m just not interested in the others I guess. I kinda got it for the sake of Live Messenger actually, love the sleek new interface.
Make sure that you do not have Live Messenger or Internet Explorer running when you do the installation. Mine fails as Live Messenger is running.
[NOTE: The above link is a public beta. It is not clearly labeled and I misunderstood it. Windows Live Suite Public Beta includes the Windows Live Messenger 8.5 Beta 2 it seems. However, no where in the product seems to suggest that this is a beta.]
Symantec thinks Microsoft‘s security suite is showing signs of monopolistic pricing? Haha, Symantec, you’re so funny, it’s just your anti-virus software being too expensive.
Remember the time when you disappointed me with your ugly yellow interface, your resource hogging tools. You have the most confusing set of products, your Antivirus software is cross-bundled in numerous of your flagship titles. Now you micmic the Windows Live OneCare idea and offer everything in one simple suite you call Norton 360 and you’re calling their price ‘monopolistic’.
Symantec CEO: Microsoft security ware pricing ‘monopolistic’
Symantec Chairman and CEO John Thompson blamed Microsoft on Tuesday for the current pricing competition his company faces in the consumer security market, suggesting Microsoft’s pricing scheme for its first entry into the space is “monopolistic.”
Speaking at the offices of the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York, Thompson said Microsoft’s decision last year to offer Windows Live OneCare, a service that combines firewall, antivirus and backup capabilities, for $49.95 per year for three PCs “clearly recast prior expectations for consumer security technology.”
Take a look at this year’s killer application – MS Paint.
MS Paint by freeloveforum
Well, let’s be a little fair to Microsoft alright. MS Paint is never intended to be a designer tool and is intended as a tool to kill your boredom and a psychotherapy aid. I mean, don’t you remember the time when you actually paint the whole screen in blue and try to paint a red color all over the blue till you don’t even see a bit of another color?
Not A Blind Date did a feature on 94 of the Best Free Software Applications that are Better than Purchased Software which is cool by the way but I can’t help to wonder what comparison are they making with.
They went on to place AVG in their list as the best anti-virus software. It’s probably the best free anti-virus software but it’s just not the best in the field. Best Image Editor is given to GIMP too when Photoshop is clearly superior.
And there is the Best Md5 Checksum Creator/Checker, since when someone is trying to sell a MD5 checker? Best Office Suite goes to OpenOffice, I don’t think the author check out Office 2007.
The list has nothing to do with recommending a free software that’s better than the paid counterpart. But some free software is actually worth noting.
I would recommend some of the free software:
7-zip if you want to open RAR and ZIP file. You can’t create RAR files with it though.
Google’s Picasa excels in photo organizing. I think it’s better than the Windows Vista one.
NotePad++ for HTML editor. It’s quick and easy to use.
µTorrent is quick, simple and not at all resource hogging!
YamiPod is great when you want to add songs into your iPod without iTunes installed.
Audacity does its job well in editing audio files.
Scribus is a free layout and publishing software. Think of it as a free and open source Adobe InDesign, however you can’t get too serious with this tool.
Filezilla does its FTP job well. It doesn’t have the prettiest interface but it just works!
I personally prefer Opera to Firefox or Internet Explorer. All 3 browsers are good though, use what you’re familiar with and don’t bother switching but keep your software to the latest version!
Blender is does an acceptable job in 3D modelling. Of course it can’t compete with the bigger boys but it’s free.
I prefer Foxit Reader for reading PDF over Adobe Reader. I love the quicker loading in my slow computer.
The software list above is what I have used before, perhaps you can take a look and you may just find the right tool for you too. Some are open source, some aren’t but they’re all free.
