Happy World IPv6 Day!

If you know what that means, congratulations, for the other 98% of you, today was one big test drive.  The Internet as we use it now is based on IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4).  This is essentially the rules that govern how Internet communications works across the world.  The problem with IPv4 is that we are literally running out of unique internet addresses available for everyone to use.  Every Internet capable device is automatically assigned a unique address on the Internet, along with every website.  After all, how would the yahoo mail be able to communicate with your smartphone if it did not have a way to find it (ie. an IP address).  We are running out of those addresses.  Introducing IPv6, a new communication protocol that will provide an additional 4 billion or more unique addresses for all of us Internet consuming humans to use.  For one day (today), many of the major Internet players, Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and Yahoo along with many others switched over to IPv6 for today only for a test drive.  So far, so good, the Internet didn't explode....yet

The Browsers wars rage on....

Google leads the industry in the ability to update it's browser, Google Chrome.  This past week Google patched 27 vulnerabilities and paid out almost $17,000 in bounties, yes bounties.  Google actually pays researchers and developers to try to hack their browser.  If you can do it, a nice reward for you.  It's a creative way to secure your browser, hack it before the hackers do.  In other Chrome news, Google is introducing a feature that will alert you when you download a file from a dangerous website.  The hope being that you will take their advice and not open that file before it's too late.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 has continued to make big gains in the browser wars, although Microsoft's hold as a whole is down to 54.3% (It wasn't that long ago that Internet Explorer was over 95% of the market).  Although IE9's share shot up 1.8 percentage points to 4.2%, that wasn't enough to offset the declines posted by other versions. IE8, the browser bundled with Windows 7, lost 1.8 points on its own -- the third month in a row the venerable browser, and the last that will run on Windows XP, lost ground -- while the older IE7 and the ancient IE6 dropped three-tenths and five-tenths of a point, respectively.

Firefox has held steady at around 21.7%, the same number it has held since 2008. 

The war rages on...

My Laserjet 6P 1998-2011, R.I.P.

Well, it's almost dead I assume, it still prints, but it is obviously on it's last legs.  I typically tell people that the best printer to buy are laser printers.  They have better quality, are cheaper over the long haul and more importantly, good ones last seemingly forever.  My poster child for this claim is dying on me.  I love this printer so much it pains me to take it out.  Anyway, get yourself a good laser printer and you will be so happy.  Just beware of the government....

Are you aware that all color laser printers print a secret code in the background when you print anything that is not text?  The code is a series of yellow dots in the background.  This was never really a complete secret, but has made the mainstream press now.  The secret code is courtesy of the federal government and the secret service desire to track down those who counterfeit money.  New printers have stunning capabilities, a trait not lost on counterfeiters or the government.  As a result, printer manufacturers have put in the secret code that allows the government to track down the printer down to the owner.   For more information check out the article from PCWorld.

Good Parental Control for your Kids, help the Red Cross at the same time

One of the better parental control programs is available for $1 for a limited time only.  AVG's Family Safety is a full feature parental control suite for up to 3 PC's.  You can have individual settings for each of your children with the ability to monitor their online activities.  It will tell you all of the terms that they have searched, programs used, logs of chat and IM sessions and much more.  Normally there is a $20 annual subscription fee, but there is currently a charity promotion.  The program is .99 for a limited time only and that fee goes directly to the American Red Cross. 

Of note, another great parental control program is K9 Web Protection.  It's free, yes free

Do you want your Office 2003 menu bar back?

If you use Office 2007 or 2010, you may miss the old menu bar from Office 2003 and earlier.  Well, they haven't disappeared.  Microsoft would like to make them disappear, but they still exist thanks to several third party application authors.  The simplest is from Ubit Software.  Install the add-on and your Office programs will have a new ribbon tab.  This tab will consist of all the old menus from Office 2003.  Enjoy the new Office with the old interface, the best of both worlds.  Get it here.

$50 price cut for the iPhone....until June 30th and only at Wal-mart

Walmart has announced a price cut for the iPhone 4, black and white versions, from $197 to $147 until June 30th.  Of course, you will have to sign a new two year contract, but if you were thinking of making the jump or switch, now is the time.  The offer is not good online, you will have to go to a store to get it.