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1029usr078198
Forum Admin
USA
333 Posts |
 Posted - June 23 2010 : 07:39:54
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Listen now. or Download the archive.
Question: Geraley asks, "All of a sudden, Windows has started saying it's not genuine. Why does it do that?"
Answer: Good question Geraley. First of all, let me reassure you that this particular message is not a fake. That message in and of itself is not spyware. There are three reasons that I have seen why Windows would say it's not genuine. The first reason, and one you should always check first, is malware. See, the message is not malware but I've found that malicious software will often do things that break Windows Genuine Advantage, so I never trust this message until I check for and get rid of malware. One thing this means is that you won't be able to use Microsoft Security Essentials to get rid of the malware, as it requires you pass genuine-ness checks. Check out our AntiMalware Toolkit, and use one of the online scanners to check it out first. The second is if it's true. To be properly licensed, your computer needs to have three things: 1) An installation disc, 2) a Certificate of Authenticity which should be stuck to your computer's case somewhere, 3) A copy of the Manual; in many cases little more than a brochure. If you have all that, and you know you don't have any malware, then the third reason is if you have a pre-release edition of Windows 7. Those just recently timed out and are considered non-genuine.
Cool Site: Apologetics.org: This week's website is apologetics.org. Regular listeners will notice that we've been concentrating on this kind of site for the past month now. This is partly because I've been looking for information lately on Intelligent Design, just exactly what it is, and what it isn't. Apologetics.org is the official website of the C.S. Lewis society. There's a blog, a list of resources, a listing of events, a small online store, and feedback and donate links. The site is almost entirely dedicated to debunking Darwinism, but what I read takes more of a logical and philosophical rather than scientific tone. The site appears to have recently undergone a redesign and all the menu links don't work quite right, but hey, it's the C.S. Lewis society. That's just cool all by itself.
Cool Gadget: Microsoft Kinect: Microsoft goes through phases with their product names. The first phase was using version numbers just like everyone else. The next phase was using year numbers. That basically went away with Windows XP. There was the “Active” phase, where everything was called "Active"X, "Active"sync, "Active" something. Now, with the release of their phone, the Kin, they've started a new phase. This past week they unveiled something they call Kinect. It's like Wii for the Xbox 360, but it doesn't require controllers. Pricing details won't be available until its release in November, just in time for the Christmas rush, but there are already several games available that can take advantage of it. Just check out the show notes for links to all the details.
It's All "Geek" To Me: Rootkit: This week's term refers to a type of malware. This week's term is rootkit. A rootkit is a type of malicious software that is designed to give an unauthorized individual full access to your computer. Rootkits are also designed to be hard to detect. It's a type of malware that is very akin to the old-school viruses we used to see because they started up before DOS did and they hid from us. The term is a compound word "root" meaning administrator; "kit" meaning the software that makes up the malware.
Links
Antimalware Toolkit:
http://www.daconsult.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=76
Apologetics.Org:
http://www.apologetics.org/
Google Search Results for "Kinect":
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=kinect&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=CPpg_5BsaTNbDAofAzQS3rZWfAwAAAKoEBU_QClmL&fp=793ccc8bd068d8a9
Kinect on Xbox.com:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/kinect
Kinect coverage from Gearlog/PCMag:
http://www.gearlog.com/2010/06/microsoft_rechristens_project.php
(Note: Check the YouTube related videos for some cool stuff from the show)
Rootkit on TechTerms:
http://www.techterms.com/definition/rootkit |
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6/18/2010-Genuine?,Apologetics.org,Kinect,Rootkit
