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Moonwalk One: Classic Apollo 11 documentary restored to DVD
Great news for space buffs - on 21st June, a fully-restored DVD version of Moonwalk One - The Director's Cut will go on sale at Amazon UK for £19.99. This contemporary documentary about the 1969 Apollo 11 mission was commissioned by NASA and filmed by Theo Kamecke, and is widely regarded as one of the best documentaries about the Apollo moon landings ever made.
This newly restored 2-disc DVD version includes both the original 4:3 version and a widescreen 16:9 version with full 5.1 surround sound and includes several extra bonus features.
The original film won awards at Cannes, but to date the only DVD version available is a warts-and-all copy sold by the US National Archives. This restored version was made from Kamecke's own copy of the original film. The restoration was carried out as part of the celebrations to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the moon landings in July.
It can be pre-ordered by phone on +44 (0)845 053 0323.
Inglese, per favore, YouTube
Sometimes, big web sites do things that seem so odd, you're convinced it must be your fault. I've spent some time looking at all the options on a friend's YouTube account, trying to work out what they've done - and I can't see a setting that would account for the odd behaviour.
If you've ever uploaded video to YouTube, you've probably also received email notifications, telling you when people have subscribed to your videos, or left a comment. And given the predominantly English speaking nature of the net, you probably received those messages in English. In fact, you'd expect to, wouldn't you? After all, if YouTube knows you used that language when you uploaded your videos, and didn't switch to another one, it would seem reasonable to send you notifications that way too.
So, when you suddenly receive messages, that say something like "ItalianUser ha aggiunto un commento su VideoName" or "L'utente di YouTube ItalianUser si è appena iscritto ai tuoi video" you look through the options, and think "have I switched language somehow?"
And, the answer appears to be no.
My friend's also received similar messages in Dutch too; while it's doubtless educational, surely this is a massive oversight in the design of the system? Does everyone on YouTube really receive notifications in the language of the user who caused the triggering event, rather than in their own language? And if so, how on earth did that one slip through the net?
And if it's just my friend, can anyone shed light on how to make the messages arrive in English once more?
Mcafee: How to spot Conficker
What is the Conficker worm?
Conficker first surfaced late last year, taking advantage of a security flaw in Microsoft's Windows operating system to spread itself. Microsoft provided an emergency fix for the vulnerability last October with Security Update MS08-067. However, because many systems were not patched or properly protected with security software, Conficker has slithered onto as many as 12 million Windows computers, according to some estimates.
Some experts believe that one variant of the worm, Conficker.C, may activate on April 1 and start another assault on Windows computers. Computers infected with Conficker become part of an army of compromised computers and could be used to launch attacks on Web sites, distribute spam, host phishing Web sites or other criminal activities. Additionally, once it is on a computer, Conficker digs itself in by attempting to deactivate security software and sabotaging tools to remove it.
How do I know if I'm affected?
"One of the symptoms of this worm is that it blocks access to Web sites of Internet security companies," says Dave Marcus, of McAfee Avert Labs. "A pretty good indication of whether your computer has been infected is to try and visit McAfee's Web site: www.mcafee.com. If the site won't load, you will need to clean your infected computer by searching for McAfee? Avert? Labs Stinger tool on the Internet. You should also install Microsoft's patch to prevent the worm from reinstalling itself."
As Conficker blocks popular security Web sites, including www.mcafee.com, users should search for "stinger virus removal" on the Internet, if they are unable to obtain it from McAfee's Web site. Alternatively, users may transport the Stinger tool via a USB stick from an uninfected computer.
McAfee has released a free tool that will help assess multiple computers for the presence of Conficker. This new tool, termed ConTest, may be downloaded at no charge at http://www.mcafee.com/us/enterprise/confickertest.html
Removing Conficker and preventing re-infection
Anti-malware solutions will clean the infection and use behavioural detections techniques like buffer overflow protection to prevent future infections. This is important because Conficker can propagate via portable media such as an infected USB drive. As the drive is accessed, the system processes autorun.inf and executes the attack. And finally, ensure all computers have Microsoft Security Update MS08-067 installed.
For more information on the Conficker worm and how users can protect themselves, visit http://www.mcafee.com/us/threat_center/conficker.html
My Dutch Wifi hell
Last week's trip to Amsterdam for Panasonic's European convention was interesting - and not just for the products. As well as online services - Viera Cast is built into just about every Panasonic product short of fridges and washing machines - there were demonstrations of full HD 3D television, plus a whole new range of products for Freesat, including some Blu-ray recorders that I hope we'll be able to review in the coming months.
Nintendo DS becomes an ebook reader
We've long believed that the dual colour screens of the Nintendo DS make it the perfect format - if not the perfect size - to be an ebook reader. It's certainly a whole lot cheaper than any other dedicated reader, and at least you can play Mario Kart DS when you want a break.
Until now, such functionality hasn't been offered officially, but on 26th December that will change with the launch of the 100 Classic Book Collection, published by Harper Collins.
What's on offer for your £19.99 (or £17.99 if you pre-order from Amazon) is 100 public domain titles that will be familiar to anyone aware of Project Gutenberg. But there's a glimmer of hope in that there's a small user area of memory on the game card to allow up to 10 extra books to be downloaded via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection that's built-in to the DS.
As the DS doesn't have a memory expansion slot, it's unlikely that we''ll ever see full-colour illustrated books available. But on the SD Card-equipped DSi, due out in the UK next year, who knows?
Oled, ebooks, smart surfaces, and an ancient Egyptian PC
BERLIN, August 29, Pictured here is the 31in AMOled screen unveiled by Samsung today, surrounded by 14in models. The screens look very impressive, with vivid colours, but closer inspection of the large one showed what look like a few missing pixels dotted about.
Smaller Oled screens are becoming commonplace, but if one shows up with a defect you have not wasted a large panel. But the pictures on the screens look great, so if companies get the manufacture sorted out we might se them on laptops soon.
There were two interesting examples of smart surfaces at the show. The one on the right is being developed by by the Japanese Institute of Information and Communications techology.
It is covered with a metalling matrix that communicates with the machines using a feeble electrical field that induces a tint current in the base of the machines, which can be in any orientation.
In theory the system can be used to transmit power to devices too, but that is niot being done in this demonstration. Regular PCW users may remember that we reported a similar system developed in Cambridge a while back. Few details about those tiny PCs, I am araid, except that they are available in Japaen and are Atom-powered.
In a much more playful vein is the system on the left, an electronic Scrabble board. Each scrabble tile and each position, on the board has an RFID module, so that the state of the board can be relayed to the PC - or to web if you are playing online.
Judging by all the fuss about Scrabulous, and the dispute with the company Hasbro that owns the right to Scrabble, the system could find a big market if it could be made at the right price. It's being developed at the Fraunhofer Institute in Berlin
Pictured on the right
is a picture of Panasonic's Wireless HD modules. I'll be posting another story about the technology tomorrow so I won;t write much about it here.
Walking the halls today reinfocred by first impressions yesterday that screens are getting thinner, more efficient, and bigger, They are also pushing up frame rates. Both Sony and Samsung showed 200Hz screens, refreshing four times faster than the picture they are screening.
The in-between frames are filled in by clever interpolation. Samsung had a demonstration of a 100Hz screen next to a standard model and there was an appreciable difference, though I am not sure you would miss the extra quality if it wasn't there.
Sony is showing the latest version of its ebook reader here but also on show is one called the BeBook from a Dutch company of the same name. It looks rather more elegant that the Iliad, which I reviewed recently, and has a slightly smaller screen that is not touch senstive. It costs £229, which is a little more expensive than the Sony.
Most major vendors are now offering mini-notebooks. One comes from a name from the past, Commodore, the company that produced the much loved Commodore Pet. Or rather from the company that bought the brand Commodore.
As you can see from the picture it looks like a dozen other makes doing the rounds. It has a 10in display and uses a Via C7-M processor, and weighs 1.4Kg.
I have to confess that I have never quite 'got' the craze for modding PCs, though some of the designs can be amusing. The one one the left was entered into a competiton at IFA. The only way yo can tell what it is by peering at the back, where USB ports and drive bays are hidden among the hieroglyphics.
More on the Quicktime hijack and the Atlantic divide
Some respondents to my blog about Apple's Quicktime seem to have missed the point: Windows without QT opens .tifs and allows you to save them; it will not save them with QT loaded, unless you pay extra as prompted or (if you know how) you have unchecked the file association.
Retrying this exercise today I discovered that if you change the file association within the QT control panel, the software simply switches it back again. Only by changing the association from within Windows (My Computer> Tools> Options> File Types) could I persuade the machine not to open .tifs using QT.
I do not suggest deliberate fraud in this attempt to get you to pay for functionality QT has itself disabled, and it may even be a bug - the software appears to be under the impression that a .tif is a movie.
I would however point out that more than one TV company in Britain has recently got into trouble for phone-in competitions for which people were allowed to enter after the result had been decided, at some small cost to themselves and considerable profit to the companies involved.
Again there was no suggestion of deliberate fraud; but the courts took the view that mistakes providing profit to the perpetrators should not have happened, and stemmed from institutional laxity resulting in a breach of public trust.
The overaggressive marketing of QT Pro is similar in principle if not in scale, constituting a breach of trust that happens to be potentially profitable to Apple. At the very least the QT installation and screen prompts should have made clear that changing file associations might disable some functionality and that, as an alternative to buying QT Pro, users could try giving .tifs back to Windows which will happily save them for free.
To answer another of my flamers: my comments were not anti-American; they were my perception of cultural differences. Pretending there are none is not going to bring nations together. You would, for instance, have to recognise that most French people speak French before you could even speak to them.
Western Europeans tend to be more suspicious of big business than Americans, partly because there is a stronger left-wing tradition here, and perhaps also because so many big companies are American and we fear being swamped. To take another glaring difference: there would probably be riots in the US if strict gun controls were imposed; in London there would probably be riots (well, noisy demonstrations) if they were lifted.
Looking at the figures for gun deaths in the US, I think the attitudes of many of its good citizens towards gun control are crazy; but it's their funeral (literally, in many cases) and I don't hold it against them so long as they don't point the wretched things at me.
Historic ICT 1301 on show
Computer history enthusiasts will be heading on July 13 to a car rally at a Kent farm where the only working ICT 1301 mainframe computer from 1962 will be on display. The machine, nicknamed Flossie, has the serial number 6 and was the first machine out of the factory of the company which later merged with English Electric to become ICL. Its designed, Dr Raymond Bird, is pictured above visiting the restored machine in 2004 when he was aged 81. It is a second-generation UK computer design, clocking 1MHz, with 4000 printed circuit boards using discrete germanium transistors, a decade before integrated circuits began to make their mark. It boasts 2000 words of 48 bit magnetic core store, several drum stores, and an optical card reader and punch. It was originally used to process London University GCE results and is set up to do pounds, shillings and pence as well as new-fangled decimal currency. Later it was sold as scrap to students who used it to process large club membership lists in the 1970s. Now a group of enthusiasts is trying to recover software contained in half inch 10 track magnetic tapes. It is now at Buss Farm, in Kent, venue for The Darling Buds Classic Car Show on July 13.
RSI rates soar 30 per cent, but is it just ambulance chasing?
The number of reported RSI incidents shot up 30 per cent last year, according to a 1003-person study commissioned by Microsoft.
Eight per cent of office workers now struggle with the painful digits and sharp pains shooting through their bodies associated with RSI (repetitive strain injury), while 68 per cent of office workers suffer from some sort of pain (like back ache and sore eyes)
John Allen, managing consultant at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said "there have been some high profile court cases that have attracted very large damages awards recently and as such more people are becoming more aware of it and reporting RSI." He also expects RSI injuries to increase in the future as technology use increases.
Bronwyn Clifford, a chartered physiotherapist, advises that "keystrokes, rather than using the mouse, help against RSI". Voice activated commands, taking breaks (like a proper lunch break) and, in some cases, using a more sensitive and even a bigger mouse can also help, she said.
At PCW, we use vertical mice and tablet pens to easy the pains of using a computer. Little, however, can help our eyes from the strain of staring at a screen for 10+ hours a day.
The browner side of Cebit
Despite the headlines, the Green Village only accounts for about 1/50th of Cebit this year, perhaps not even that.
One of its biggest contributors, Fujitsu Siemens, is trumpeting its energy-saving credentials inside, while fuelling a dozen quad bikes outside.
Climate Savers Computing also sits in the Green Village and is recommending 80+ per cent efficient power supplies for PCs and the proper use of Windows’ power management settings.
Big companies like Microsoft, Intel and HP donate cash to Climate Savers and in return its website advises you to buy Microsoft’s, Intel’s and HP’s products. They have to meet various Energy Star targets, but heaps systems not on the list do in some way.
Barbara Grimes from Climate Savers said it would be too costly for manufacturers to calculate their carbon footprint per unit sold, forcing the price up for end users and forcing smaller companies out of the market due to the resources required. Greenpeace, on the other hand, announced yesterday it thinks carbon dioxide is a relevant issue.
If quad biking is too dirty for you then there are game booths, where you can play a bit of Counter-strike or Call of Duty 4, in every other building. Intel has the best one though, with five racing car simulators side-by-side so you can see who is best.
