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Editorial

Welcome to 2008. A recently-release roadmap for the next major Window release – Windows 7 – indicates that Microsoft is planning to release the new operating system in the second half of 2009, rather than the anticipated release date of some time in 2010. apc article below, how much confidence do you have in Microsoft? Are we all being taken for a ride?

I have not installed Vista yet, not sure when I will...

Bruce Beresford, Manager & Editor

In this Issue:

• Featured Site - Sutherland Shire Sport Flying Association
• Confusing .au.com domain threatens Aussie users
• Rudd's 2020 vision looks past technology
• Plastic bags to patch Telstra lines
• Vista successor, Windows 7 to be released next year?
• Microsoft responds to Save XP petitition
• Quotes of the day

Featured Site  

Sutherland Shire Sport Flying Association

We all love flying, and usually you will find the majority of us at Garawarra on the weekends. However, you can also find us during the week at Heathcote Oval... So, if you you are interested in model aviation as a hobby (and have come to visit) or, if you are a club member and checking for club informationand updates, its all here. This page will be updated on a regular basis with the latest information about the club and it's members.

SSSFA consists of nearly 150 members. We have a large range of model aircraft from Trainers to Giant Scale planes.

Why not come down to visit us at either Garawarra or Heathcote and see what we do. Model aviation isn't just about flying, nor is it for everyone. It requires a great deal of and skill and technique. At SSSFA you will be sure to meet great people who share your interests. So, if you want to learn how to fly, please fill out an expression of interest form for (Q.V. "How to Join our Club" ) and send it to the specified address.

Visit the Sutherland Shire Sport Flying Association website...

Confusing .au.com domain threatens Aussie users  

A US-based anti-spyware company has registered the ".com.au.com" domain name, which experts fear could be used by cybercriminals to create more convincing phishing attacks.

The download page resembles an Internet Explorer error, and claims "Your computer system may have been compromised by dangerous spyware and/or adware infections.

For example, typing www.google.com.au.com or www.commbank.com.au.com, will redirect to an anti-spyware download page -- as will all other URLs that finish ".com.au.com" or ".org.au.com".

Users who accidentally add .com at the end of an Australian domain will also be redirected to the fake anti-spyware site.

Bradley Anstis, vice president of security firm Marshal, was concerned about the development.

"This one is pretty worrying really; I think it sends a very strong message to domain registrars, how they can allow a top level domain to be registered as a secondary level domain is clearly beyond me."

Currently, it seems the owner of the domain is redirecting all traffic to the fake spyware page but Anstis claims that more specific attacks are possible.

"If you're getting people to fall for this, and I suspect people will, the world is your oyster really," Anstis said.

ZDNetAustralia Jan 2008. more >>>

Rudd's 2020 vision looks past technology  

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced the Labor government's plans to bring the country's "best and brightest" together by convening the Australia 2020 summit in April -- but concerns have been raised over its use of technology.

"The reason we are doing this is because we believe the nation faces serious long term challenges which go well beyond the normal electoral cycle," Rudd said at a press conference yesterday. "We want to make sure that in rising to those challenges that we bring forth and summon forth the best ideas available across our country."

The government has scheduled the summit be held on the third weekend of April and intends to invite 1,000 people to Parliament House with expertise in any number of the 10 designated areas of interest the meeting hopes to tackle.

The digital economy and innovation are specific items on the agenda, which also aims to plot future directions for infrastructure, productivity, population sustainability, climate change, indigenous Australia, governance and the arts.

Rudd said that the 10 areas will be examined by one hundred delegates each and chosen at the discretion of the 10 individuals selected to chair the various working groups. He also noted that all participants are expected to pay their own way. ZDNetAustralia Feb 2008. more >>>

Plastic bags to patch Telstra lines  

THOUSANDS of people are having their phones cut off every time it rains because cost-cutting by Telstra means the lines are no longer waterproof and sometimes protected only by children's lunch bags.

The Daily Telegraph has learned the number of faults skyrocketed to more than 5000 problems during the rains last week, compared to an average of 1000 in normal conditions.

The problem is so severe that parts of NSW are referred to as "Baghdad" because the plastic bag patch-up technique is so prevalent.

The situation follows massive job cuts as part of the controversial cost-cutting program embarked on by Telstra CEO Sol Trujillo in 2005.

The telco, which posted a $3.3 billion profit last year, has slashed thousands of technician jobs in the past 18 months, causing a massive backlog of work and leaving phone lines unprotected from the elements.

The situation hit crisis point last week when Telstra bosses were forced to issue a desperate directive asking technicians to work double time to clear the backlog.

One text message obtained by The Daily Telegraph states: "Total volume is 5233 & we are currently in contingency mode. All efforts to complete ALL TOW's (tickets of work - fault reports) will be greatly appreciated."

Workers say Telstra's squeeze on technician numbers over the past 18 months - a cut of 2600 nationwide, including 550 in Sydney - has meant up to 50 lines in each underground footpath box are not properly protected.

In many cases technicians, overloaded with the 500 per cent increase in workload, are forced to do hasty patch-up jobs with tape and plastic bags.

They then put in a request for an outside contractor to complete the job but often this is not done in time, leaving the lines exposed to water.

The Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union said Telstra's cost-cutting was to blame for a massive spike in faults. AustralianIT Jan 2008. more >>>

Vista successor, Windows 7 to be released next year?  

A recently-release roadmap for the next major Window release – Windows 7 – indicates that Microsoft is planning to release the new operating system in the second half of 2009, rather than the anticipated release date of some time in 2010.

There are apparently three “milestone” builds planned for 2008, and the first one – M1 – has already shipped to key partners for code validation. M1 is for the English language build only, but is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

Microsoft has announced that Windows 7 will most likely be the last Windows operating system available in 32-bit, and given the rapid advances Windows Vista is making in the 64-bit computing market, this seems a sensible decision.

is this Windows 7: this screenshot, floating around on online forums, purports to be from an alpha of Windows 7. Probably fake, but interesting nonetheless.

M2 should ship around April/May, and M3 some time in the third quarter of 2008. There’s no available roadmap information about further milestone, beta or release candidate builds, except the updated RTM release date of H2 2009.

If Windows 7 is released in the second half of 2009, this will be three years after Windows Vista which went RTM in November 2006. A three-year major product cycle would take the Windows operating system out of cycle with Windows Server, which is on an approximate four-year cycle.

The big question is who in the market will respond to an early release. The transition to Windows Vista seems to have caused a lot of angst amongst users, but I think has far more to do with moving out of the Windows XP comfort zone, rather than any indication of Vista’s quality or stability. In which case, perhaps a shorter product cycle from here on in will get users and businesses thinking ahead much quicker, not to mention the hardware vendors who were the major contributors to Vista’s shaky start. apc Jan 2008.

Microsoft responds to Save XP petitition  

by Paul Mah, Tech Republic Feb 2008...

TechRepublic blogger Andy Moon reported a few weeks ago about an online petition started by InfoWorld to "save" Windows XP. Andy asked whether such a move is even necessary. Well, it appears that the over 75,000 users who have signed the petition to date think so.

As a result of the InfoWorld petition and support for XP from various quarters, Microsoft spoke to ComputerWorld on this matter.

Excerpt from ComputerWorld:

"A Microsoft spokesperson in the US told Computerworld: We're aware of it, but are listening first and foremost to feedback we hear from partners and customers about what makes sense based on their needs. That's what informed our decision to extend the availability of XP initially, and what will continue to guide us."

Microsoft gave its assurance that Windows will not disappear overnight after the June cutoff. It reiterates that Windows XP will be sold through June 30, 2008, by OEMs. System builders will be able to sell XP through January of 2009.

When I first read about this, I couldn't help but think that Microsoft is merely providing lip service to the matter. After all, the majority of those who signed the petition are Microsoft's customers!

Still, with Vista SP1 coming in mid-March, and evidence that it does provide a much improved experience, perhaps there will be less of a need for XP to be "saved." Regardless, it does appear that many businesses are not yet ready for the transition to Vista.

Quotes of the Day  

Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life. Herbert Henry Asquith (1852 - 1928)

When I was born I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half. Gracie Allen (1906 - 1964)

Insane people are always sure that they are fine. It is only the sane people who are willing to admit that they are crazy. Nora Ephron

The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it. Patrick Young

Brought to you by The Quotations Page

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