Apple's patch Wednesday

Apple released several updates yesterday. Most talked about was iOS 6, but there were also upgrades to Mac OS, Xcode, and other Apple software.

I'd heard about iOS 6 but don't have a device that will benefit much from it, so I didn't bother with it.

I use my Mac for school. It's basically a Linux laptop with shiny hardware and an aesthetically pleasing (if space-wasting) window manager. I use homebrew to manage the software I use from the FOSS ecosystem. So when I checked for updates last night it told me that my Xcode command line tools were out of date. This typically means that Xcode itself is out of date. I'd expected to see the update notification from the App Store, as Apple had just forced me to upgrade a few months ago to get a version integrated with the App Store.

It turns out that although the update was available, the App Store hadn't yet notified me. This isn't a huge problem; it just means that I can't trust Apple to notify me as soon as critical security updates are available. And, of course, I love the irony of being notified by a third party application that my Apple software needed to be updated.

I opened the App Store and checked for updates. I told it to upgrade everything (Xcode and iPhoto) and typed in my password to authorize the process. I quickly noticed that the update was over a GB. Having just been released, this patch was in high demand among developers and the download was painfully slow. I was only somewhat surprised that Apple doesn't use something sensible like BitTorrent to distribute its patches; after all, Apple maintains tight control over its products – even after the products have been sold to customers.

Hours later, I checked to see if the download had finished. For some reason, it was still listed and I instructed the App Store to update everything again. I typed my password again. For some reason, the patch was larger. It's possible I missed a detail somewhere, but I'm quite sure that 1.6 GB is larger than 1.3 GB.

The next time I checked, iPhoto had still not been upgraded. I told the App Store to install the update and authenticated a third time. It quickly reported that it wanted to upgrade but that it couldn't until I updated my operating system. Apple, of course, hadn't notified me that an update was available.

So I opened Apple's update tool and installed the upgrade, which forced me to authenticate (I think – at this point, it was late enough that I may have missed something) and then restart.

After restarting, I told the App Store to upgrade a fourth time and authenticated yet again and it happily complied.

When I launched Xcode, it had an update waiting inside of itself that I had to install before doing anything else. Then, finally, I dug my way through the preferences menu to find a way to upgrade the software contained within Xcode, including the command line tools. It listed four updates but said at the top that no updates were available. After ignoring the message at the top, I tried to install one of the tools. After authenticating (twice), I was told that my Apple Developer account doesn't have access to iOS 5. I have no idea why Apple maintains farcical security around its developer tools, as they're certainly available on the Internet without Apple's red tape. And it wasn't immediately obvious how I could convince Apple to give me the software. So I ignored the iOS 5 emulators and moved on to what I really needed.

The other updates didn't hassle me (although I think I had to authenticate again for each one). I was finally done. The experience left me thinking of the years I spent working in technical support for my department as an undergraduate, installing OEM copies of Windows XP on professors' laptops and doing battle to find and install the drivers they needed in order to operate properly. Apple had actually succeeded in creating its own Patch Tuesday (except that it was a day late, as it all came out on Wednesday).

So, Apple, I pose my questions to you: how do you justify such a horrific experience? Are you willing to own up to the fact that your developer tools are clearly an afterthought? Are you even bothered by the fact that third-party tools notify your users about updates (which could be security-critical) before you do, despite the fact that you control the operating system and applications that can deliver these notifications? And we all know that stealing ideas is how the computer industry works, but didn't anyone tell you to steal the good ideas?

A rock feels no pain

I recently experienced a significant disappointment. It didn't come as a surprise but it wasn't really what I wanted, either. Since that experience, I've paid careful attention to my emotions and have been surprised at how gentle they've been. I feel fine. I'm not sure that I ought to feel fine, though, and I've been wondering if there's something wrong with me and my emotions.

I'm sure it will come as no surprise to my friends that I took a while to question what the ideal of emotional experience is, what my current experience with it is, what difference exists between them, and what I can do to close the gap. I had an interesting thought yesterday: what price would I pay to experience more emotion?

This question probably deserves some background. As I've discussed previously, I decided long ago that anger would not be a part of my life. Since then, I've chosen to avoid acting on feelings of anger and have learned to process those feelings. I've learned to give others the benefit of the doubt and to be patient. Years later, I sometimes experience frustration and occasionally indignation but anger really isn't a part of my life. When I do experience a feeling like anger, I'm able to arrest its development, remove myself from the situation, and deal with it on my own without expressing it at anyone else. I've cultivated this control carefully over the years. I've considered it to be a part of the ideal that I call emotional maturity for some time. My conception of this ideal, in summary, has been that a person ought to use reason and emotion together to make decisions without allowing either one to dominate the other. Anger should be avoided because it's specifically condemned in the Sermon on the Mount and because it is so strong that it overrides reason.

Yesterday, I questioned that ideal. Specifically, I asked myself if I would be willing to sacrifice the control I've cultivated for more than half of my life if it meant deeper emotional experience.

I thought about it and discussed it with some close, trusted friends. I concluded two things: if there were something wrong with me emotionally because I've been controlling myself too tightly and if it were possible to remedy the situation by letting go, I ought to do so. My experience has been that when I've gravitated to one extreme, I have to release the fear of the other extreme in order to progress towards a proper balance between them. I also decided that I don't think there's anything wrong with my emotional state. I'm not hiding from my emotions and I'm not suppressing them; I just don't happen to have a strong emotional response to some things and that has surprised me but simply is the way it is.

This morning, I was flipping through Preach My Gospel as part of my daily scriptural study. I came across the section about hope in chapter 6. As I read, a strong feeling of peace came over me. I realized that I have learned hope. I live it. I believe that good things are coming. I believe that, no matter what happens, my life can be happy – and that other lives can be happy, too. I realized that when, as the saying goes, the Lord shuts a door, I don't stand there and look at it as darkness closes around me; I simply locate the best open door I can find and move towards it. I was grateful to be reminded that I can, in fact, feel emotion and more grateful for the divine approbation that this communication implied.

Now, dear readers, please excuse me. I have worlds to conquer.

All is not as it seems

Philip Guo recently published a memoir of his experience as a PhD student in computer science. His is a story of self-discovery and triumph. Getting a PhD is hard, especially for someone who hasn't already discovered a burning passion for a subfield, which Guo had not done when he started his PhD.

Having completed two years of PhD school in computer science myself and not having identified a subfield for which I have a consuming passion, I strongly sympathized with Guo as I read his memoir. Accordingly, I read closely and imagined myself in his situation. I came away hopeful that my experience would be similarly serendipitous. I also came away more acutely aware of the problems with the academic peer review system. Of particular note is the fact that Guo submitted papers that were rejected because his writing didn't meet the arbitrary expectations of current experts in the field, not because his research was unoriginal or uninformative. I believe in good writing and recognize that good writing necessarily reflects familiarity with an audience. I'm not taking issue with the need for good writing, but I believe that some of the requirements for publication are detrimental to the academic community as a whole.

Allow me to explain.

Early in his graduate career, Guo submitted a paper to a conference and was rejected. His research was, as the memoir tells, of a similar caliber to other research that was published. Guo's failure was in convincing the entrenched researchers in that community that his work was original and useful. That is, it wasn't the quality of work that mattered for publication. What mattered was the apparent quality of his work. Guo's paper went unpublished because the system evaluates whether or not research seems to be good, not whether or not the research is good.

To be fair, this is a scientific community and it strives to be objective. There isn't a way to determine if research is good objectively, so the community makes do with the best solution that it has found to date.

The problem with peer review is compounded by the fact that the quality of a scientist is estimated by his or her publication record (see, for example, h-index). This leads to problems such as this, where a scientist manages to falsify peer review in order to seem like an effective scientist.

Unfortunately, problems of this kind are found everywhere. We get a job not by being the best candidate for a job but by seeming to be the best candidate. Dating works along the same lines. Sports revolve around what the officials perceive, so they have precisely the same issue. Political discourse clearly emphasizes seeming over being.

Being something allows us to act. Other people's behavior towards us, however, depends on what we seem to be. It isn't possible (or desirable) to avoid seeming to be something. Instead, we should all try to seem to be what we are and to avoid seeming to be what we are not. If you find yourself trying to seem in a certain way, check to make sure that it's actually true. Are you really confident or do you seem that way? Are you actually good at what you do or do you just have a killer resume? Keep in mind that self-deception is not just possible but commonplace.

This is not to say that we should not aspire for greatness beyond what we have yet attained. And reaching for greatness requires emulation. We should try to improve by emulating the best that we see in other people. The purpose of this emulation must be for us to acquire positive characteristics, not to seem better than we are. And when others try to improve, we should encourage them instead of calling them hypocrites.

Since we interact with others, the question of our own characteristics is insufficient; we must also question our perceptions of others. Do you and I assume that the things we perceive are reality? When someone seems to be self-absorbed or quiet or happy, do we assume that this is generally the case? Do we disregard others' ideas when they aren't presented as we are used to hearing ideas or when they come from unusual or unproven sources? Do we assume that people remain the same or do we believe that people can change for the better?

The most important thing that we can do is personal: each of us can work at becoming better. We can concern ourselves less with how we seem and more with how we are. And we can give others the benefit of the doubt. We must also encourage societal change to value actuality over mere appearance. We must consciously choose to value genuineness over the appearance of virtues. We can expect people to be good but not extraordinary, freeing them from the pressure to seem to be good enough for our unrealistic expectations. Relatedly, we must put less pressure on people to be something that they are not; introverts and extroverts and everyone in between are good people. The same goes for scientists and liberal arts majors. In other words, we should encourage people to grow but not to be untrue to themselves. We also need to encourage virtues, such as honesty, industry, and kindness – but never assume that we see them clearly in others. Hardest of all, we must strive as a society and especially as individuals to acquire these virtues.

What is Virus Protection Programe

 

A virus normally requires action to successfully infect a victim.

These programs are small in size. The word virus is often used as a common term for all malicious   programmes, but technically a virus is a program or code that attaches itself to a legitimate, executable piece    of software, and then reproduces itself when that program is run.

HP provides a virus-scanning software program to help protect your PC (select

models only).

A PC virus can destroy information on the hard disk drive. You can get a virus

from infected files that you open from:

• An e-mail message or attachment.

• A file downloaded from the Internet.

• A diskette (floppy disk).

• A CD or DVD disc.

Some viruses affect your PC immediately, while others may activate only if you

open a certain file or do not delete the file before a certain date. New types of

viruses are invented all the time.

The virus-scanning software program on your PC has pre-set options that make

your PC safe. After you enable the virus-scanning program, it checks your PC files

for viruses.

The virus-scanning program manufacturer provides free virus definition updates

through your Internet connection for an initial period after your PC purchase. You

can purchase a subscription service for updates after the initial free period

expires.

You should take the following precautions to protect your PC:

• Do not open unsolicited e-mail from unknown sources.

• Download files only from sources you feel are safe.

• Always scan documents for viruses before opening them.

• Make sure you have the latest version of your virus-scanning software.

Maintenance Best computer Software for Windows XP Vista 7

Computer maintenance software is great for easily maintaining your Windows based software. Tune Up Utilities 2012 is the best computer maintenance software because it bundles all the tools you need to maintain your Windows XP, Vista, and 7 computer in one package.

Tune Up Utilities 2012 comes with a disk defrag, disk cleanup, registry cleaner, registry defrag, program uninstaller, program deactivator, startup program manager, and many other tools for maintaining your Windows Based PC.

The best part of TuneUp Utilities 2012 is a lot of the tasks like disk defrag, disk cleanup, disk scan, registry clean up, registry defrag are done automatically when your computer is idle after you install Tune Up Utilities 2012  in Windows. If you know how to install a internet browser like Firefox, or Google Chrome, or any other software which did not come with Windows, you’ll know how to install TuneUp 2012.

Tune Up Utilities can also find and fix problems you have in Windows.

One of the best features of TuneUp Utilities is it has Turbo mode which can make Windows run a lot faster by disabling unnecessary programs running in the background. New in Tune Up 2012 is Economy mode which can disable un-needed programs, reduces CPU power usage,and optimize Windows and your computer hardware for maximum power savings which would mean increase battery life, and spending less money on your power bill for powering your PC, laptop, and Windows 7 Tablet.

Tune Up also comes with Live Optimization which makes your PC’s power on the task you are doing instead of using your PC’s power on task in the background which you are not using.

You can also use TuneUp to get back more free disk space by deleting junk files, so you can use more of your disk space for something else like photos, videos, documents, music, and more.

Changing the appearance of Windows boot, logon, and other settings is easy with Tune Up 2012.

Top 10 tips For your PC back up and its original speed

The good news is that many common problems can be sorted out with a little expert help, and this collection of 10 software and hardware tips will help you put a spring back into your PC’s step.

HARDWARE

1. Add more memory

Most of our tips cost nothing. However, we will kick off with one cheap upgrade that’s guaranteed to boost performance – adding more memory.

As long as there are no underlying software problems, upgrading a PC’s memory will make Windows more responsive, programs quicker to load and reduce unnecessary hard disk activity.

We recommend 2GB as a minimum amount and with memory modules priced at around £10-£15 per gigabyte, this is an affordable upgrade for many.

Use a reputable website such as Crucial or Kingston to find the right memory.

2. Defragment hard disks

Over time files can become fragmented, leading to slow performance. To fix this, defragment your hard disk regularly.

A built-in tool runs once a week in Windows 7 and Vista, but if you want to change the schedule type defragment in the Start search box.

Alternatively, in XP right-click a drive and click Properties, then choose Tools. Auslogics Disk Defrag and Defraggler are better and free.

Never defragment USB memory keys or solid-state drives (SSDs), though – they don’t need it and the process can damage them.

3. Enable Readyboost
If your PC has 1GB or less of memory, Windows 7 and Vista have a feature called Readyboost that can improve hard disk performance. Readyboost uses a USB memory key (it needs to have at least 512MB of available space to be effective), and it can give a small but welcome boost for disk-intensive tasks in older PCs.

Slot in a memory key, locate it in Windows Explorer, right-click its icon and choose Properties. Click the Readyboost tab and choose the ‘Dedicate this device to Readyboost’ radio button

4. Enable disk caching

To protect files and folders, Windows is conservative with the way it writes data to the hard disk. But there is little risk in enabling disk caching to improve performance (though if the power cuts unexpectedly, some data loss may occur).

To do this, press the Windows key and R, type devmgmt.msc in the box and press Enter. Expand the Disk Drives section, double-click on the hard disk’s entry and click the Policies tab. Ensure all the boxes are ticked on this page (they are labelled differently in each Windows version) and click OK. Don’t do this for USB drives, though.

5. Replace network cables
Broadband users often complain about unreliable or slow connections. For PCs connected directly to the router or modem via an Ethernet cable, there are a few worthwhile checks.

Network cables can be damaged by kinks, the connectors can break or get dirty. New cables are cheap, so it’s worth trying a new one before blaming the PC or internet service provider (ISP).

6. Clean ventilation grilles
Too much heat can make a PC slow down or, in extreme cases, stop altogether. Keeping any ventilation grilles clean and dust-free is the easiest way to ensure that heat inside a PC or notebook can escape.

Take a look around the PC to see if any grilles are dirty. Clean them with a soft brush or a can of compressed air – but don’t poke anything through the grilles. When you use a laptop, ensure no vents are covered up.

SOFTWARE

7. Prevent programs starting with Windows
Programs that launch automatically in Windows slow down a PC and hog memory. Many are unnecessary and can be started later if needed. To remove them, click Start followed by All Programs.

Now navigate to the Startup folder, right-click each unwanted item in turn and choose Delete (this won’t uninstall the programs). To remove any remaining items, press the Windows key and R, type msconfig and press Enter.

This launches the System Configuration utility. Click Selective Startup and remove the tick from the box labelled ‘Load startup items’. Click OK and restart the PC. Changes can be reversed by launching the System Configuration utility once more.

8. Stop XP’s indexing
Windows XP’s file search feature isn’t good and the indexing service that drives it can cause the hard disk light to be constantly lit when your PC is idle. This can cause a PC to slow to a crawl.

Turn off indexing by clicking Start followed by Search and click the Change preferences link on the left-hand side. Now click the ‘With Indexing Service (for faster local searches)’ link and select the ‘No, do not enable Indexing Service’ radio button. Now click OK.

9. Speed up search
Windows 7 and Vista both have a useful search feature, but it can be slow if documents are stored in locations that Windows considers non-standard.

Type indexing options in the Start search box, press Enter and click Modify. Ensure the location of your documents folder is selected in the upper pane (the ‘standard’ location is under your name in the Users folder), and remove unwanted locations by clicking the item in the lower pane and removing the tick from its box in the upper pane.

If you never use Windows search bar, remove ticks from all the boxes.

10. Reduce graphics resolution
If your PC struggles to run games smoothly, this could mean the graphics card is being overstretched. Reducing the graphics quality settings (such as screen resolution and colour depth) can often resolve this.

This can improve performance around Windows, too. In games, these settings are usually located within the game’s options – check the help file or manual.

Start with the least-demanding settings and try to find the highest-quality settings that run smoothly. In Windows, right-click the Desktop and choose Properties followed by the Settings tab (Windows XP), or Screen resolution (Windows 7 or Vista).

Best Information of Laptop pc Cleaning

Before cleaning any computer or Laptop, we suggest the computer or Laptop first be turned off and unplugged. Also, because you're going to be cleaning the laptop, we also suggest you removing the laptop battery.

Cleaning laptop case

Cleaning the exterior portion of the laptop case can help keep the laptop looking new. The exterior case of a laptop can be cleaned by using a damp cotton cloth that has been dampened with water. It is not recommended that the exterior case of the laptop be cleaned with household cleaning solutions. However, if there is a substance on the laptop that cannot be cleaned with water, we suggest using rubbing alcohol.

Cleaning case openings

If dust, dirt, hair, or other substances are in the case openings, it can prevent air from getting into or out of the laptop. This can cause the overall heat of the laptop to increase, and in some cases may also cause such issues as random reboots.

Look for laptop openings where the laptop draws in cool air from outside or blows out any hot air from the inside of the laptop. These openings are usually on one of the sides, the back, or the bottom of the laptop. Dust, dirt, hair, or other substances can almost always be removed using a cotton swab or compressed air.

Caution: If you're using compressed air to clean the openings that have fans within them, it's possible that the amount of air blown on the fans can cause them to over spin, damaging or destroying the fan. To help prevent this issue, place something in-between the fan blades, such as a toothpick.

Cleaning laptop keyboard

Like almost everything else on a laptop, a keyboard is also different from the standard computer keyboard. With many laptop keyboards the keys cannot be completely removed. Therefore, we suggest cleaning the keyboard by using the same damp cloth you used to clean the exterior case of the laptop. In addition, compressed air can be used to spray any dust, dirt, or hair from in-between the keys.

If you've spilt something onto the laptop keyboard (like a soda) that's causing the keys to stick and cleaning it does not help we suggest that you have the laptop repaired since the keyboard cannot be replaced.

Cleaning laptop mouse (touchpad)

Cleaning the laptop touchpad can help improve the look of the laptop and also many times will help improve the responsiveness of the touchpad. To clean the touchpad surface, use the same damp cloth used to clean the exterior of the laptop.

Cleaning the LCD

Additional information about cleaning LCD and flat panel displays can be found on our main cleaning page.

Cleaning internal laptop components

Cleaning the inside of a laptop computer can be a difficult task. However, in some situations, it may be necessary because of excessive dust and dirt buildup within the computer, such as on the processor's heatsink.

Unfortunately, however, because of the complexity often involved in disassembling the laptop to reach many of these areas, Computer Hope cannot provide this information online for every laptop ever made. If you believe after cleaning your computer that it is still overheating because of dust and dirt buildup, we suggest taking the laptop to an authorized repair center.

Other cleaning information and help

Additional information and help with cleaning other portions of computers as well as discs and other computer related peripherals can be found on our main cleaning page.