Thursday, January 29, 2004

Fun with ASCII Text:
- Create your own ASCII-graphics with Characterizer.
- Convert any picture into ASCII
- Converts JPG images to ASCII images

Very Useless Sites:
- Creates a Cyborg name for you from your first name.
- Virtual bubblewrap (stress reliever)
- Morphases face editor
- Huge URL - makes small URL bigger

For example: this site converts this 'http://ubergeek316.blogger.com/',
into this mess:

http://www.hugeurl.com/?Nzc2MzlkMjYyY2U5MjExM2EyMzRjOTViOGY2YzAwNzYmMTIm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Thursday, January 15, 2004

Video Games for Excel

Play two classic video games (Pac-Man & Space Invaders) within Microsoft Excel (97 and 2000). These games look and sound like the real games.

The web site that hosts the links is written half in Japanese and other half in English, so the site's contents is little criptic.

To download the game directory, use the links below:
- PACELMAN (Pac-Man)
- CELLVADER (Space Invaders)

Sunday, January 11, 2004

When Political Correctness Goes Too Far

I first need state that I agree with general principals of the Political Correctness (PC) movement. I believe that we should respect other people's ethnic, cultural, religious, etc.. (aka differences). Although, the real question is should we embrace other people's differences? The answer is no; should we respect them, but within the limits society, cultural, and the law.

The problem with anything PC is that there are extremist in these groups that take it way too far. For example the following article on CNN entitled: "'Master' and 'slave' computer labels unacceptable, officials say". I respect that these labels can be offensive to certain groups if taken out of context, but I think that this is getting just too anal retentive.

You might as well write Merriam-Webster, and request that they remove these terms from the English dictionary. Maybe we should also stop referring to plugs and connectors in the context of male and female, because it might make teenagers want to have more sex!

There are a lot bigger problems in this world that need to be solved first, like: starving, suffering people who need our help. Let's fix these issues first, then let's worry about other much smaller issues.

Friday, January 09, 2004

Security With Scissors
This is a funny security poster.


Microsoft Internet Explorer Domain URL Spoofing

A relatively new vulnerability which was originally reported as far back as December 9, 2003, allows a malicious person to create web sites that look exactly like the real one with a 'spoofed' web addresses to match. When a user visits one of these spoofed sites, the URL in the address bar of IE it will look as if they're at real site.

Unfortunately, Microsoft still has not released a patch for this exploit. So, to avoid being taken by this scam, below are two tricks that can help you:

Trick 1: If you go to a web site or page, and you want to verify its real URL address of it just, add the following shortcut to your browser's favorites. Right-click the following link, and select 'Add to Favorites'.

All you have to do is click the shortcut in the browser after visiting a web page, and it will show you the real address of the web site.

Trick 2: Below are two non-Microsoft patches that can be installed to prevent this problem:
- I.E. Security Patch
- DomainSpoofFilter