Glimpse of Nish's world

These days my computer has infected with one (or more) bad ware and seemingly corrupted some system files (Specially SQL Server log files, WINS files and some other system files) causing error messages quite often.

I usually follow some guidelines before going in to non-reputed sites (Porn sites- some porn sites have very advanced designing layouts and javascripts effects, Hacking Sites, Crack sites etc) because they are the major contributers of badware. Some of my precautions include

Some Precautions

1. Disabling all the features of the browser (Eg: for IE Tools->Internet Options -> Security) except Submit Non encrypted form data.
2. Not Responding for any Dilaogs (I just close the dialog with close (x) button instead of selecting 'Yes' 'No' or any other option.
3. If the site insists that it needs to enable Javascript or ActiveX (IE detect Flash also as an ActiveX), Just exit from the site.
4. Never open an email attachment unless it came from a known source (And lot of malware comes even from known sources - because many attacks address book and sends emails with attachment to all the entries). Hence If I have a doubt, just ignore it and if I think it is hard to ignore, atleast veryfy it)

Detecting Badware

1. If your computer is becomming strangly slow ,
2. Or gives frequent un-expected errors
3. Or if the processor is bussy even though the computer is at idling

Your computer might probably infected with badware. While some variants of bad ware re easy to detect, but some are very hard to detect even with latest version of badware detection software. Detection can be done in many ways.

• Using Badware detecting sofware : Of course this is the easiest method. Some of the badware removal softwares can be found from Here , Here , Here or Here
• Using 'Netstat' command, type netstat in the command prompt, it will display all the active connections. If it displays too many connection, that is probably because of badware.
• Using Taskmanager - press ctrl+alt+del and then click Task Manager. you can see the active processes running at the moment. If you can see any abnormal process just search google with the process name. Eg: Gator is notorious for adware (a form of badware). If you can see gator.exe in your active process list, you can search for 'gator.exe' with google, and you will get this result with more information about the project.
• Or you can search for the file 'gator.exe' with computer file search and find the location of the file and delete the file (If you get 'File in use' like message, just end the process with taskmanager first).

happy blogging!!!

1. The "save" icon on Microsoft Word shows a floppy disk, with the shutter on backwards.
2. A byte, in computer terms, means 8 bits. A nibble is half that: 4 bits. (Two nibbles make a byte!)
3. Ethernet is a registered trademark of Xerox, Unix is a registered trademark of AT&T.
4. The first hard drive available for the Apple had a capacity of 5 megabytes.
5. Back in the mid to late 80's, an IBM compatible computer wasn't considered a hundred percent compatible unless it could run Microsoft's Flight Simulator.
6. Turning off your monitor when you are not using the computer saves over 80% of the total power consumed.
7. People who are computer science majors, or who really love to delve deep into computers, tend to usually play an instrument. It has something to do with the pattern recognition and processing area in the brain.
8. Ever wonder why typewriter or computer keyboards are arranged in the so-called "QWERTY" pattern? It was because, in the early days of mechanical typewriters, proficient typists could type so fast that the keys frequently jammed against each other. In an effort to space often-used keys apart to prevent jamming, the familiar but illogical QWERTY pattern was developed.

And some facts about English Language;

1. No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, and purple.
2. Of all the words in the English language, the word "set" has the most definitions.
3. "Ough" can be pronounced in eight different ways. The following sentence contains them all: "A rough-coated, dough-faced ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough, coughing and hiccoughing thoughtfully.
4. "Rhythms" is the longest English word without the normal vowels, a, e, i, o, or u.
5. The ZIP in Zip-code stands for "Zoning Improvement Plan."

Last night I started doing some modification to already developed textpattern CMS site. After completing all the modifications, when I restore the files, I have copied the file to a wrong folder and overwritten wrong index.php (the home page!!!!)..So I have to spend all the night restoring the site and just completed it.
I quite often have complaints about my typos. My good friend Gil Ray offered me with proof reading if I want it. Thanks Gil.

I thought to write something on this topic because, there are numerous web sites I came across, that are trying to block copying images with Javascript, by detecting 'right click' and displayng some annoying message like "Copying is disabled". As we already know, user 'right click' on a web page due to various reasons... You shuold not use disabling right click because,
1. It will disable the other usefull action too..
2. It is un-professional
3. It is insulting -
And it is always not difficult to determined user to copy any content from your web site. (ie: Image, .swf file or a script file). I sometimes use following techniquest to copy any content from a web site.(Just for learning purposes)

Copy Images:
1. Disable Javascript with the brower
2. Copy the entire web page to the hard drive
3. Just click on the image and drag and drop it in to the address bar of the browser

Copy Script Files:
1. Just save the web page in to the hard drive. all the resource files will be copied to the folder created with the filename of the web page.

Flash contents:
1. Copy from the IE cache .
2. Use some application like "Sothink swf catcher"

Anyway I have found some websites uses nice techniques to overcome this situation in more polite, more professional manners.

Images:
1. Watermarking the images
2. Digital Watermarking
3. Over laying blank image (transparent gif)

Scripts:
1. Encrypting using a software like HTMLGuardian
2. using no-sense naming for variables etc

Flash:
1. Protecting the .swf with the script
2. Setting the the content expiry date of the webpage to a back-date (something like 22/10/1940)
3. displaying a copywrite message

Final Thought : I think there is one very effetctive way to prtect your resources from someone who wants to steal your content. DONT put them on the web...because a determined user can steal anything you have put on a web page..:)

Happy Blogging :)

Though this blog is not even a week old, I somehow manage to get the first overseas visitor. It is from Israel. I dont know how the unknown Israeli freind got to know about my site specially when It is still not listed in any of search engines yet.

Wellcome, to Nish's world!!!

It really shows how competitive the search industry is. MSN is paying (giving, bribing or, I cant find a suitable english word!!!) ..Anyone interested here is the link..
http://www.msnsearchandwin.com/

and I found another google affiliated search site that gives various prizes for the searches through their site.
http://www.blingo.com/

Google recently announced the launch of its latest search product Krugle a code search engine for developers around the world.

Krugle Vision :
Krugle answers the need for a single place to find relevant code and critical technical information. By making it easy for anyone to find, elevate and communicate, Krugle fills a critical gap in todays technology rich environment.

Another useful code search engines are:

1. http://www.koders.com/
2. http://www.codefetch.com/
3. http://www.codase.com/
4. http://www.docjar.com/
5. http://gonzui.sourceforge.net/
6. http://archive.devx.com/sourcebank/
7. http://www.planetsourcecode.com/
8. http://www.codearchive.com/

Happy searching !!

Today I came across this nice picture ...

http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2006/01/pandog.html

We've all seen it happen: you or someone you know has downloaded something from the internet that seemed harmless enough at the time. Next thing you know, the computer has slowed to a crawl. Pop-up advertising starts to appear out of nowhere. Private information gets sent to some company you've never heard of. And the worst part? Trying to uninstall the software might only make the problem worse.

Viruses and worms are no longer the biggest threat to computer users – now it's badware. Badware is a term we use to encompass the broad range of malicious software that is sneaking onto people's computers, including spyware and deceptive adware. It can subvert your computer for the benefit for a third party, frustrate you with unwanted advertising, and even steal your most personal information. Find out more...

What you can do: Tell them your story Submit Technical Reports Get Involved Read More...

Untill today I thought It is not possible to use emots with Google talk. And now know I was wrong. Here is the list of supported emoticons with google talk

https://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=34056

Happy Chatting :) <3

Today I completed online metronome project successfully. The client was impressed with the results. anyone interested can visit the demo at Here. Here I put a screen capture too. I would like to have your comments about the interface.

For Information of any flash developpers:
At first I thought, this is going to be a very simple project, with the hoping to use setInterval , But failed misserabley because setInetrval is not for measuring precision time intervals, which badly needed for this application (afterall this is an application which uses for precise time intervals)...Instead I had to use blank sound file for syncronising and offsetting the sound files with callculated time ammount.). Sound files were needed to prepare for difinite length (in this case I prepare them for 250ms) . And this metronome is supported with many Time Signatures.

1. RoadRunner
2. 2Advanced Studios
3. Vestal Watches
4. Yahoo Maps

List is lengthy..But this is enough for today :)

Today I thought to start my blog and update this as always as possible. I am thinking about posting incidents on my day to day life here and some usefull resources details, some trade secrets of Flash, and anything I think will be usefull to my blog visitors (If there are any)

okay..enough for now..happy blogging Nish