Every once in a while a program or application comes to my attention by way of my own search or someone sharing it with me. This week "Open Office" was brought to my attention. I know lotsa people don't have MS Office products for various reasons. This product is the solution. It is free and totally compatible with MS Office. Infact in some ways it's actually better.

With Open Office You get a word processor, spreadsheet application, presentation tool and more. and best of all it is free. And it's totally compatible with MS Office products.

I love open source.....I am always impressed with open source programs and applications and this one is most impressive so far. Pass the word around about "open office.org and it's applications and best of all let others know it's FREE.

OpenOffice.org 2 - Product Description
CD ImageVersion 2 - another first for OpenOffice.org

OpenOffice.org Version 1 was the first product to deliver the benefits of open-source software to mass-market users, delivering essential everyday software tools completely free of charge. Translated into over 30 languages, available on all major computing platforms (Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X X11, GNU/Linux, Solaris), OpenOffice.org Version 1 is now in use by tens of millions of delighted users worldwide.

With Version 2, it gets even better:

* OASIS logothe first office suite to use the new OASIS OpenDocument format, the future-proof international standard for office software
* easier to install, with a whole new look and feel, matched to the type of computer in use
* more intuitive, more easy to use than ever, with a host of new usability features
* introducing a major new component, Base: an easy-to-use database manager with a fully integrated database
* more compatible with other software packages – now understands even obscure and rarely used features in major competitors

OSI logoBut the licence is still the same: you may download OpenOffice.org Version 2 completely free of any licence fees, use it for any purpose– private, educational, government and public administration, commercial – and pass on copies free of charge to family, friends, students, employees, etc.
What’s so great about OpenOffice.org?

As the name suggests, OpenOffice.org is the most open office suite available:

* no commercial licences or software compliance issues to worry about
* no language barriers - if it’s not yet available in your language, the chances are it will be soon
* available on all major computing platforms
* the first office suite to comply with the OASIS OpenDocument format
* the source code for the software is freely available under a full OSI certified licence

OpenOffice.org is synonymous with quality

* the roots of OpenOffice.org go back twenty years, creating a huge wealth of experience
* hundreds of thousands of users have participated in the beta testing of version 2
* with a fully open development process, OpenOffice.org has nothing to hide - the product stands or falls on its reputation

OpenOffice.org is friendly

* the software looks and feels familiar and is instantly usable by anyone who has used a competitive product
* it’s easy to change to OpenOffice.org - the software reads all major competitors’ files
* OpenOffice.org is supported by a global community of friendly volunteers, only too happy to provide assistance to newcomers and advanced users alike

What’s in OpenOffice.org? Download it now or read more below.

WRITER is OpenOffice.org’s word processor: use it for anything from writing a quick letter to producing an entire book with embedded illustrations, cross-references, tables of contents, indexes, bibliographies... Auto-complete, auto-format, and real-time spelling check make light work of the hardest task. Writer is powerful enough to tackle desktop publishing tasks such as creating multi-column newsletters, brochures – the only limit is your imagination.

Use CALC to bring your numbers under control. This powerful spreadsheet has all the tools you need to calculate, analyse, summarise, and present your data in numerical reports or sizzling graphics. A fully-integrated help system makes entering complex formulas a breeze. Sophisticated decision-making tools are just a few mouse clicks away. Pull in external data using the Data Pilot, and sort it, filter it, and produce subtotals and statistical analyses. Use previews to select from thirteen categories of 2-D and 3-D charts including line, area, column, pie, XY, stock and net with dozens of variants.

IMPRESS is the fastest, most powerful way to create effective multimedia presentations. Your presentations will truly stand out with special effects, animation and high-impact drawing tools.

DRAW will produce everything from simple diagrams to dynamic 3D illustrations and special effects.

New to Version 2, BASE enables you to manipulate database data seamlessly within OpenOffice.org. Create and modify tables, forms, queries, and reports, either using your own database or Base’s own built-in HSQL database engine.
Find out more or try it today! Download it now


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Thank You Kasper for this. (mauwhz)


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Sometimes in helping others I have to do various research and most times I find the key answers off of what is known in the industry as "white papers" aka research papers.

Most consumers do not realize the impact that lack of security and how a company handles viruses, affects the consumer UNTIL IT HAPPENS TO THE THEM. Read on for that information that you as a consumer need to know.

Below is the index of a white paper I found to be very simple and straight foward on the way companies handle viruses, which would include trojans and worms. To some consumers this read may be boring but it's something you really need to know. To be in denial is not something that would help consumers. If you use the internet (LOL) then read it. To read off the referance to the index, click on the link at the bottom of this article.

First to clarify between various harmful code threats and to understand what can affect, or infect, various platforms here are some simple definitions:

Virus - A program which, when executed, can add itself to other programs without permission, and in such a way that the infected program, when executed, can add itself to still other programs.

Worm - A program which copies itself into nodes in a network, without
permission.

Trojan Horse - A program which masquerades as a legitimate program, but does something other than what was intended, but does not spread.

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Index of HANDLING COMPUTER VIRUS EMERGENCIES

A. Background
(What corporations have been doing about harmful code.)

B. Emergencies with Newer, Undetected Viruses.
(The best laid plans of mice and men...)

C. Emergencies Requiring Recall from Customers and Others
(Delivering more than was asked for.)

1. The new playing field for virus distribution.
(Everybody's doing it.)
2. Ethical considerations.
(Tylenol revisited.)
3. Preparing your organization before you infect others.
(Slalom gates and Chess Moves.)
4. The situation without preparation.
(Who me?)
5. The situation with preparation.
(Just another emergency.)
6. The value of perfect information.
(He who knows, and knows that he knows.)
7. Communicating with your victims, written vs. oral.
(You have the right to remain silent.)
8. Who authors the recall communications?
(Why me?)
9. Tracking results.
(You can lead a horse to water.)
10. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
(Better to have infected and cleaned, than to have never...)
11. Building on each experience.
(Its getting better all the time.)
12. Plowing back preventive measures.
(Enough is enough.)

HANDLING COMPUTER VIRUS EMERGENCIES




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Do you use Zone Alarm Products? I usually recommend ZAP to people who need a firewall and still will but at the moment there is serious vulnerability, which Zone Labs refuses to fix.

As usual they say to buy their products or upgrades if you want to be further protected, which they do have the right to say. Their Firewalls are the best you will buy so buy them but also be aware of news regarding their products. Most times when a vulnerability is discovered the producer of that said product will not be the one to provide that news so I suggest you subscribe to some sort of tech news service such as CNET News.com via email or save that link as a fav and keep a short cut and read as often as you log on the internet.

Read the Story below and also the whole story on the original site.

Malicious code masquerading as a trusted application could trick a ZoneAlarm firewall into letting it connect to the Internet, security experts have warned.

The issue affects the popular free ZoneAlarm firewall and default installations of version 5.5 and earlier of the paid product, maker Zone Labs said in a security advisory on Thursday. Default installations of the Check Point Integrity Client are also affected, but the paid ZoneAlarm 6.0 products, released in July, are not, Zone Labs said.

"If successfully exploited, a malicious program may be able to access the network via a trusted program," Zone Labs, which is part of Check Point Software, said in its advisory. If the malicious program attempted a direct connection to the Internet, it would be blocked by the firewall.

By Joris Evers. Read the whole story here



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Note:[I was bored while in class too early in the morning on a saturday. S`o i was reading tech  news and decided to share].
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Video Game Addiction - Addiction has proved deadly in some cases

Microsoft has revealed plans to release a third service pack for its Windows XP operating system.

"There will be a Service Pack 3 for Windows XP," Bernard Ourghanlian, technical and security director at Microsoft France, confirmed, revealing that Microsoft's OS is set for another major update.

Windows XP's Service Pack 2, which came out last September, deeply modified the operating system by updating its security.

Windows XP SP3 will be available sometime next year--after the launch of Windows Vista, which "is the priority for the development teams," according to Microsoft France.

Microsoft has yet to reveal details about the contents of the service pack. Laurent Delaporte of Microsoft France said: "Historically, certain functions of new versions of Windows are integrated in the service packs of previous versions."

Imagine a face transplant!!

Wow what science has in store for burn patience is awesome enough to put here instead of something internet, technical, comp' related.

An excerpt > Preparing for the world's first face transplants
Surgeons at Cleveland Clinic will soon perform radical operation.

In the next few weeks, five men and seven women will secretly visit the Cleveland Clinic to interview for the chance to have a radical operation that’s never been tried anywhere in the world.

To read more. Enjoy and be surprised by reading the article HERE


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Supreme Court raises liability of companies offering peer-to-peer file sharing software


Thanks to the Supreme Court, file-sharing software like LimeWire and Morpheus may soon be disappearing.

The nation's highest court ruled last month that companies that provide file-sharing software are liable for the actions of those who utilize the service to download copyrighted files.

Read the fulll article here



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Ever wondered about hackers, what makes them tick etc.

Here's a personal story of a Teenage Cyber Criminal

Here's an excerpt:
If one teenager can jeopardise over a hundred Web sites from his parent's house, imagine what groups of seasoned cybergangs can do."

By Tom Spring, PC World.com

In 2004, after months of putting a virtual tail on a hacker who called himself Pherk, FBI agent Timothy Nestor had the guy right where he wanted him.

Though unsure of Pherk's identity, Special Agent Nestor was tracking every digital footstep the hacker took as he wreaked havoc on dozens of businesses by shutting down their online storefronts.

Read the whole story @ Techworld.com



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I have been very busy with work and also now school so I have not been keeping up with the Novice Tech News as much as I'd like to.


I any of you would like to help by posting Novice Tech News, please email me and let me know. Otherwise I'm afraid my postings will be sporatic.


You can use the Tech News Search - Feature to find previous news that still pertains today.



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