Brief Banter By Ben

Learn more about viruses and how to prevent them from gaining access to your computer.
Virus Tutorial

Hi Ben,

In case you want to become politically active!! We sign a lot of these petitions, but most of them are very US. However, Rupert Murdoch owns Fox and of course has a lot of control over UK satellite media. Thought you might want to check it out.

Rog

MoveOn.org: Unfair and Unbalanced

As Eric Speeves wrote in the climax to his famous trilogy, A Volume Too Far,  ' A man's life is forged like a ring; first the engagement ring, then the wedding ring, and finally the suffering.'

A question that arises from time to time "What is the difference between a virus and Spyware?" is answered here.
Spyware Information Center

hpphoto.com: The Fox Inn Golf Society Photo Shoot
Saturday 24/07/04

JibJab
Try this in the morning, UK time, but you do need a fast connection!

The Program Development Cycle

A little gem again via Fred Langa's list.

Skype
You have just got to check this out although it seems to good to be true!

Fred Langa says this:

9) Free Telephony Via Skype
You probably already know about peer-to-peer (p2p) file sharing programs like Kazaa. Now, the same folks who developed that have gone in another direction with a free tool that shares voices instead of files: It's free p2p internet telephony:

Hello again Fred, as a long time subscriber I am a little (or very :) ) surprised that you or one of the subscribers Never mentioned Skype: http://www.skype.com/

I am in no way related to the skype guys but i call myself an experienced user (more then 4 months intensive use) of this great freeware program- (at least for the time being i suppose ).

It works like advertised, quality of sound is really better then that old phone.

All you need is a cable or ADSL connection and a simple mic and headphone (for no more than 15 or less dollars ) and you are in business or better you are in calling mood ( and of course an audio card with speakers).

The setup works like a breeze. (in little then 15 minutes you are ready to call a friend.

I tried to talk family and friends into this killer application ( it almost costs nothing to use) but it looks like Nobody seems interested in lowering their phone bills :)

Anyway : it lowered my bills significantly and a friend of mine crippled her bill in such a way that here phone company called here to ask if she was dead :) She went from 100% to a low 3% of her monthly bill. (really !)

Have a great weekend. Belgium calling :) Theo Lockefeer

Thanks, Theo. The software itself is free, and you can call other Skype users for free. If you want to reach non-Skype users--- people with ordinary phones--- a low-cost add-on service called SkypeOut lets you connect for about $0.015 (a cent and a half) a minute. (You can get the exact current rates from the site.) That's a very low cost--- much lower than most phone plans.

Skype is ad-free, and--- unlike the early Kazaa--- is apparently free from spyware, adware, and the like. Also unlike Kazaa, Skype has no legal clouds hanging over it: It's totally legit.

Skype has several competitors, and will have more in the future as some huge Telcos move in to "VoIP, or "voice over IP;" but for now the tiny http://www.freeworlddialup.com/ appears to be the closest alternative.

If you'd like more third-party info, there's a seemingly well-balanced independent review posted here (free signup required to access article): http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/national/8357609.htm?1c

www.swing-monsegur.com

Last Thursday Ginia and I returned from a trip to France that encompassed the Monsegur festival.

To see the photos:
hpphoto.com: Swing 2004