Free at last

This is a guide to building a windows desktop that uses only freeware. It's a nice idea, although idealogical purists might prefer to use only Open Source software for that extra minty-fresh freedom taste. Two similar, open-source driven projects can be found here and here.

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Wedding Betting
How long do you give them?
Make your Linux Desktop look like a Mac
Too skint to upgrade to Leopard but want the eye candy? No problem.

Arr, me hearties, etc.

The Pirate Bay are working on a new Peer-to-Peer protocol that they claim will improve the weaknesses and limitations of existing technology like BiTorrent.

Although BitTorrent at least has a thin veneer of legitimate usage (and indeed is used for above-board data transfer, software downloads, etc) the new protocol seems aimed squarely at more ethically grey uses of File Sharing.

Planned features include traffic analysis counter measures (masquerading transmissions as other, legitimate traffic) optimal usage of bandwidth, greater anonymity (and 'plausible deniability' for those who are caught) and the ability to more easily detect 'fake' files planted by copyright holders.

In other file sharing news, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails has come out as an ex-Oink user. Phew! Rock 'n' Roll!

Inside the mind of a nine-year-old file sharer

Torrentfreak interviews a nine-year-old girl about filesharing and P2P.

TF. So you’re sure that it’s ok to copy it? What do you think about copying?

- I suppose it’s not ok to copy but people copied it off her
site so she just copies theirs. It’s like, you’re copying my t-shirt so
i’m copying you on shoes.

TF. Ok, so a bit like copying school work?….Hmm….ok, let’s
talk about copying on the computer again. When you started using
LimeWire, did anyone ever mention that if you did certain things you
might be breaking some laws?

- Why would they put it [music] on the internet and invent mp3 players if it was against the law?

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VirtualBox - actually usable PC virtualization

I've been using VirtualBox to run a virtual Windows XP PC on my Ubuntu Linux system. I have always found virtualization software like Qemu or VMWare to be a bit fiddly to install or (once you get the thing working) slower than a peg-legged tortoise doing Tai-chi.

VirtualBox is free, open source (there is a commercial version with a few extra features) and will let you run a variety of guest operating systems on top of Windows, Linux and Mac OSX. It is also fast. Even on my rubbish home Athlon it still runs fast enough to browse the web, run MS access and play a few (older) games.

Desktop integration is very well handled and you can either run the entire desktop in a window on the host PC or let programs run as if they were native apps in their own windows.

USB memory stick for the clinically paranoid

The IronKey is triple-encrypted, filled with epoxy resin to prevent tampering, shielded from electron microscope snooping and best of all - if you enter the pass code incorrectly ten times it will self destruct.

Ideal for storing Powerpoint presentations and living out a Walter Mitty-esque fantasy life.

Ridiculous video watch for the friendless

This is obviously ridiculous and is the equivalent to hanging a kick me I'm a loser sign around my neck.

And yet.. and yet..