It seems that the Reality Distortion Field that has been in place since Steve Jobs first opened his mouth just after birth has started to affrect Steve Jobs himself - he's either starting to believe his own bullshit or he no longer thinks that anything he says has any chance of being seen for the bullshit it truly is.
Have a read of this article to see what I mean!
Just imagine if Microsoft tried pulling this trick and the court cases and EU fines (not to mention the Apple fanboys crying foul) that would result. Why can this slip under the radar of the legal system?
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
Friday, April 30, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Microsoft Silently Releases SQL 2008 R2 To Manufacturing
I don't know why they are embarassed about this, but on 21 April 2010, Microsoft silently released Microsoft SQL 2008 R2 to manufacturing. You can even find SQL 2008 R2 Express with Management Tools on Microsoft Download right now! :)
Thanks to Peter Hale from Naish for bringing this to my attention.
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
Thanks to Peter Hale from Naish for bringing this to my attention.
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7
Well, this nice add-on to Windows 7 was previously only available to large OEMs like Dell, HP, IBM and Toshiba, however it now seems that Microsoft has opened its use up to all of their Windows 7 multitouch users, not just those from these large partners.
You can go here to download this pack.
(Thanks to Dennis Tan, MS PAM in Brisbane for alerting me to this information.)
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
You can go here to download this pack.
(Thanks to Dennis Tan, MS PAM in Brisbane for alerting me to this information.)
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
Melbourne Storm - Fucking WHACK!
Ouch:
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
“Melbourne Storm has today accepted the findings and outcomes of an NRL investigation in to the club’s salary cap accounts,” Melbourne Storm Chairman, Dr Rob Moodie, said...
The National Rugby League today stripped the Melbourne Storm of the 2007 and 2009 Telstra Premierships, the Minor Premierships of 2006-8 and of its 2010 competition points after confirming a series of salary cap breaches amounting to at least $1.7million over five years.
The club will lose all competition points earned to date in 2010 and also the right to accumulate points going forward in 2010 (competition tables will record wins and losses but the club will not be awarded competition points on the basis of any wins). These measures are effective as of today.
The club has furthermore been fined $500,000 and will be forced to return $1.1million in prize-money with the prize-money being distributed evenly among the other fifteen clubs.
Individual awards by players will continue to be recognised but records will be adjusted to show that the Premiership is not recognised even though the result cannot be overturned. Neither Manly nor Parramatta will assume the Premiership titles in their respective years.
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Windows 2000, Server 2003 RTM, XP SP2 and Vista RTM Support Ends Today
As per the Microsoft Product Support Lifecycle, support for the following products ends today:
So, if anyone's still running Windows 2000 systems, then you're SOL when it comes to updates. It IS a 10 year old operating system, so there's no surprises that all support has now ended. As to Windows Server 2003 RTM editions, XP SP2 editions and F^HVista RTM editions, well all you need to do is to update to the latest Service Pack and you remain under Mainstream Support (ie all patches are being made available, not only security patches).
Basically, if you're still running something that has its support retiring today, you need to get that system upgraded - desperately. Running obsolete and/or years old applications and operating systems on computers that are in any way connected to the Internet these days is simply asking for trouble - keeping up to date is a sanity, safety and business viability saving process that needs to be done on a regular basis.
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
| Product | Support Ending 13 Apr 2010 | Comments |
| Windows 2000 Professional | Extended | No future updates |
| Windows 2000 Server Editions | Extended | No future updates |
| Windows Server 2003 RTM Editions | Mainstream | Security Fixes Only. Upgrade to latest Service Pack to remain in mainstream support. |
| Windows XP SP2 Editions | Mainstream | Security Fixes Only. Upgrade to latest Service Pack to remain in mainstream support. |
| Windows Vista RTM Editions | Mainstream | Security Fixes Only. Upgrade to latest Service Pack to remain in mainstream support. |
So, if anyone's still running Windows 2000 systems, then you're SOL when it comes to updates. It IS a 10 year old operating system, so there's no surprises that all support has now ended. As to Windows Server 2003 RTM editions, XP SP2 editions and F^HVista RTM editions, well all you need to do is to update to the latest Service Pack and you remain under Mainstream Support (ie all patches are being made available, not only security patches).
Basically, if you're still running something that has its support retiring today, you need to get that system upgraded - desperately. Running obsolete and/or years old applications and operating systems on computers that are in any way connected to the Internet these days is simply asking for trouble - keeping up to date is a sanity, safety and business viability saving process that needs to be done on a regular basis.
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Can Roman Catholics Get Any Lower?
The Bishop of Tenerife (Spain, not Brisbane), Bernardo Álvarez has now gone on record making the claims that "There are 13 year old adolescents who are under age and who are perfectly in agreement with, and what’s more wanting it, and if you are careless they will even provoke you".
How low can the Catholic church go? Anyone want to place bets? Will they soon say that all children in the Catholic church have the right to be abused by any clergy member and like it?
Now, even though god doesn't exist, a priest is supposed to be representing this non-existent being - and this god is supposed to be a god of love. Should this love extend to sexually assaulting children and then claiming that the children asked for it, therefore the priests - who took an oath of chastity - get away scot free?
No sane person would agree with that. So how can any sane person condone what's been going on in the Roman Catholic church? How can any Roman Catholic be proud of what they belong to? How can any Roman Catholic priest claim to be representing some supernatural being of love when they are being so vile and so damaging towards the children they are supposed to be protecting?
And WHY are the other religious denominations not outraged at what's been going on? That is another cause of concern if you think about it.
Filthy, disgusting criminals. That's what they are. They aren't worthy of anything other than what society doles out to child molesters.
I wonder why those who have a clear mind and can use this to look at religion and see it for what it truly is - a false belief in a non-existent being and apparently a "boys club" where child molesters can be protected from normal society - are turning away from it in droves? Religion is a crock. God does not exist. And if he did - what would he think of his church?
Enough said (for now).
Disgusted,
The Outspoken Wookie
How low can the Catholic church go? Anyone want to place bets? Will they soon say that all children in the Catholic church have the right to be abused by any clergy member and like it?
Now, even though god doesn't exist, a priest is supposed to be representing this non-existent being - and this god is supposed to be a god of love. Should this love extend to sexually assaulting children and then claiming that the children asked for it, therefore the priests - who took an oath of chastity - get away scot free?
No sane person would agree with that. So how can any sane person condone what's been going on in the Roman Catholic church? How can any Roman Catholic be proud of what they belong to? How can any Roman Catholic priest claim to be representing some supernatural being of love when they are being so vile and so damaging towards the children they are supposed to be protecting?
And WHY are the other religious denominations not outraged at what's been going on? That is another cause of concern if you think about it.
Filthy, disgusting criminals. That's what they are. They aren't worthy of anything other than what society doles out to child molesters.
I wonder why those who have a clear mind and can use this to look at religion and see it for what it truly is - a false belief in a non-existent being and apparently a "boys club" where child molesters can be protected from normal society - are turning away from it in droves? Religion is a crock. God does not exist. And if he did - what would he think of his church?
Enough said (for now).
Disgusted,
The Outspoken Wookie
Monday, April 05, 2010
What Cost The Cloud?
First, let me start by saying that we have some clients using cloud services, some clients not interested in cloud services, some using cloud services without realising it and some who are not interested in cloud computing in any way. And although I can see that percentage changing a bit, I can't see it going all one way or another. And it hasn't been all one way for quite some time now!
There are certain services that lend themselves well to being cloud based (or what used to be known as "hosted") and these include mail filtering, eCommerce and general web sites as well as mail hosting. Services such as email can be hosted (like they have for years, even decades, such as when you use an ISP for your email account, or if you're using a mail hosting facility) or onsite and depending on your needs, both - or a mix - can work well. The same goes for websites - sometimes it makes sense to have these on-premise, but more often than not they are hosted at a location with a faster Internet pipe than you can afford in your office.
Some services may work well in the cloud in a number of cases, but may work out a lot more expensive in many others - such as hosting your Windows Domain Controllers, Terminal Servers and/or SBS in the cloud.
Now, there's Internet connectivity to throw into the mix. In your office, if you have your email/groupware and data all on-premise, then if the Internet connection goes down for a few minutes here and there (or more often, as is the case often here in Australia, especially for SMBs who tend to shy away from the multiple thousand dollar/month Internet connection options) then it is really no big deal - the email will sit for a few minutes and then be sent/received. But if your data is up in the cloud, well, when your Internet connection goes down, so does access to your data. This can be helped by redundant Internet connections, but this will cost more money/month than the old ADSL2+ connection you used to have.
And when your IT provider goes bust (or you no longer wish to work with them), you call another one in. How does that work when the data's on someone else's servers in some data center somewhere?
In good times, companies generally buy hardware and software that will last them 3 to 5 years or so. Even a subscription model, renewed annually, can be changed easily in many cases. So, say you spend $30k on an SBS network when times are good, then you go through a slump. You can often talk to your IT consultant and ask whet can be done to reduce costs (at the expense of regular upkeep) during this lean period and more often than not you can work through it with only a bit of labour as an expense. If you're hosting your network services in the cloud, you'll have a minimum monthly fee that must be paid before upkeep/maintenance is even considered - and this monthly fee can be significant at times. You will need to take this monthly hosting fee into consideration when comparing the cost of a hosted solution to that of an in-house solution. Will your cashflow outlay that's budgeted in good times be able to be sustainable when times are lean? Remember, this is for services such as email and line of business applications that you cannot often survive without.
So, not only is the initial outlay needing to be considered when comparing in-house and cloud based solutions, Internet connectivity, increased monthly minimum outgoings and the reliability of the cloud provider all need to be taken into consideration. Just because you're moving a CapEx into an OpEx doesn't mean that all's going to be rosy when you find yourself in a spot of financial bother!
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
There are certain services that lend themselves well to being cloud based (or what used to be known as "hosted") and these include mail filtering, eCommerce and general web sites as well as mail hosting. Services such as email can be hosted (like they have for years, even decades, such as when you use an ISP for your email account, or if you're using a mail hosting facility) or onsite and depending on your needs, both - or a mix - can work well. The same goes for websites - sometimes it makes sense to have these on-premise, but more often than not they are hosted at a location with a faster Internet pipe than you can afford in your office.
Some services may work well in the cloud in a number of cases, but may work out a lot more expensive in many others - such as hosting your Windows Domain Controllers, Terminal Servers and/or SBS in the cloud.
Now, there's Internet connectivity to throw into the mix. In your office, if you have your email/groupware and data all on-premise, then if the Internet connection goes down for a few minutes here and there (or more often, as is the case often here in Australia, especially for SMBs who tend to shy away from the multiple thousand dollar/month Internet connection options) then it is really no big deal - the email will sit for a few minutes and then be sent/received. But if your data is up in the cloud, well, when your Internet connection goes down, so does access to your data. This can be helped by redundant Internet connections, but this will cost more money/month than the old ADSL2+ connection you used to have.
And when your IT provider goes bust (or you no longer wish to work with them), you call another one in. How does that work when the data's on someone else's servers in some data center somewhere?
In good times, companies generally buy hardware and software that will last them 3 to 5 years or so. Even a subscription model, renewed annually, can be changed easily in many cases. So, say you spend $30k on an SBS network when times are good, then you go through a slump. You can often talk to your IT consultant and ask whet can be done to reduce costs (at the expense of regular upkeep) during this lean period and more often than not you can work through it with only a bit of labour as an expense. If you're hosting your network services in the cloud, you'll have a minimum monthly fee that must be paid before upkeep/maintenance is even considered - and this monthly fee can be significant at times. You will need to take this monthly hosting fee into consideration when comparing the cost of a hosted solution to that of an in-house solution. Will your cashflow outlay that's budgeted in good times be able to be sustainable when times are lean? Remember, this is for services such as email and line of business applications that you cannot often survive without.
So, not only is the initial outlay needing to be considered when comparing in-house and cloud based solutions, Internet connectivity, increased monthly minimum outgoings and the reliability of the cloud provider all need to be taken into consideration. Just because you're moving a CapEx into an OpEx doesn't mean that all's going to be rosy when you find yourself in a spot of financial bother!
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Catholics Liken Sexual Abuse Outrage To Jewish Persecution
Considering it is Magic Bunny Day today, I felt I had to post this. The NY Times reports that the Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa, whilst addressing a Vatican congregation including Pope Benedict - the current Pope, who is being criticized for his lack of action against child abusers in the Roman Catholic church - made comparisons between the outrage that is being expressed against the Roman Catholic church and its lack of action against child molesters in the church (actually, in the priesthood) with the persecution that the Jews have experienced.
This would be laughable if a) it wasn't so serious a crime that the Catholic church is covering up and trying to run away from and b) if this wanker (and a large portion of the wanker's congregation at that mass - including the Pope himself) didn't actually believe it.
Aside from the fairy tales that the Catholic church (and other religions) are trying to have people believe, which *should* be a crime, the actual criminals that they are housing in the priesthood and continually trying to shield from real-world justice should be starting to show what this organisation is truly like. They are a despicable people if they wish to shield their child molesting brethren from the Law. They are something that society in general abhors, yet for some reason, they see themselves as being persecuted, not being brought to fair justice.
I'm sure their fictitious leader would come down from his fluffy cloud and cut off their junk if he were actually real and not just a myth. So that leaves the justice up to us - and as a society, we find child molestation to be an abhorrent crime that should result in those who performed these crimes *and* those who are hiding those criminals from justice being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law.
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
This would be laughable if a) it wasn't so serious a crime that the Catholic church is covering up and trying to run away from and b) if this wanker (and a large portion of the wanker's congregation at that mass - including the Pope himself) didn't actually believe it.
Aside from the fairy tales that the Catholic church (and other religions) are trying to have people believe, which *should* be a crime, the actual criminals that they are housing in the priesthood and continually trying to shield from real-world justice should be starting to show what this organisation is truly like. They are a despicable people if they wish to shield their child molesting brethren from the Law. They are something that society in general abhors, yet for some reason, they see themselves as being persecuted, not being brought to fair justice.
I'm sure their fictitious leader would come down from his fluffy cloud and cut off their junk if he were actually real and not just a myth. So that leaves the justice up to us - and as a society, we find child molestation to be an abhorrent crime that should result in those who performed these crimes *and* those who are hiding those criminals from justice being prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law.
Regards,
The Outspoken Wookie
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