LiewCF Tech Blog

Something wrong with the zebra? Look carefully…
Of course, you cannot read it using barcode reader.

[ Thanks Lilian ]

Sometimes… they do look alike.

[ thanks Lilian for the pic ]

Peer-to-peer program Kazaa is the No. 1 spyware threat on the Internet, according to Computer Associates International.

Through its PestPatrol research, CA found that Kazaa posed a greater threat than other programs in its top five spyware list because of its widespread popularity. Kazaa claims that its software has been downloaded 214 million times.

CA gave Kazaa a high “clot factor,” its measure of how much a program slows a machine by adding unnecessary registry entries and directories. However, classifying a popular application like Kazaa as spyware is a delicate matter, and CA admits this creates difficulties in attaching labels.

“Kazaa does something useful,” said Simon Perry, vice president of security strategy for CA. “I’m not going to say that it doesn’t. But turn that around–you’re allowing millions of strangers onto your machine. (Kazaa) is No. 1 because of the amount if copies it’s got out there.”

[ Read News.com ]

Thought:
Recently, Kazaa latest version binded with Skype to offer free Internet calls. But I never install Kazaa. Its advertisement software list really shocked me.

Guess what, Microsoft will give you original copy of Windows XP for FREE if your PC is using illegal copy!

Microsoft has announced what it hopes will be a new attack on piracy. The company has decided to give away software to those who bought machines with fake copies pre-installed.

Microsoft will be offering anyone who’s “unsure” about whether they’ve got dodgy software the chance to have it checked out by Microsoft, with the promise that if it does turn out to be counterfeit, they’ll replace it.

The deal only covers Windows XP, and only five copies per person can be swapped. It’s all free, besides the initial postage and packing. The offer only applies to pre-installed home or professional Windows XP bought before Nov. 1.

[ Read News.com ]

Thought:
It may seems stupid to give user free copies to replace the illegal one, plus user do not need to take any responsibility. But it may helps Microsoft to trace down the source of the illegal copies. A wise move, actually.

Due to the nature weakness of Internet Explorer, it does not display PNG image with transparent background correctly. You may not see transparent background and the colors changed(e.g. red becomes blue). It is because Internet Explorer does not support PNG Alpha transparency layer.

Vist PNG in Windows IE to see the PNG test in Internet Explorer.

Click Here to Continue Reading »