मनोज अग्रवाल: Computers and Internet

Why Skype is Bad

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 17:07:07 GMT

An eye opener about how Skype exploits your computer and internet bandwidth (Credits Allister_Frost). I am uninstalling it from all my machines.

I've used Skype. And I like it. It has a really simple user interface and does what it promises very well. The call quality is generally great, but I've now uninstalled it from all my PCs preferring instead to use the new Windows Live Messenger client. Why? Because Skype, for all its merits, can start behaving as a bandwidth hungry super-node. What does that mean? It means that with Skype installed and running my internet bandwidth was potentially being used by other Skype users without my knowing about it. Which could mean that my PCs consume more electricity and I suffer a slower internet connection. Not exactly the reasons I signed up in the first place.
Ja.net carried out an interesting study recently to assess the impact that installing and running the Skype client can have on bandwidth usage. The findings were eye-opening to say the least. They installed Skype on a PC connected to a 1Gbit/sec internet connection. They didn't use Skype to make or receive any calls and no other applications were used on the PC. They then monitored the PC's internet activity over a 2 week period.
What they discovered is that their Skype client appeared to start behaving as a super-node, an intermediary client acting on behalf of other Skype users. In essence, what happened is that their PC became a mini communication hub for Skype.
If you want to get the best performance out of your Internet connection I recommend you read through the report at http://www.ja.net/development/voip/skype&janet.pdf and decide if Skype is right for you. This is particularly important if you have a capped ADSL connection or pay for your internet usage as you go. With the Skype client running in the background on your PC (the default behaviour after it is installed) you could find it generates significant network traffic by acting as a proxy for other Skype traffic. Of course, you can still continue to use Skype if you wish to make calls using their service. But you may find it preferable to only run the Skype client when you need it instead of leaving it active all the time. The downside of this approach is that you will not be able to receive incoming Skype calls without prior arrangement. The upside is that you won't be loaning your expensive internet connection to people you don't even know.

Pen-sized PC

Tue, 13 Dec 2005 01:31:26 GMT

All I can say is WOW!?

look closely n' guess what they could be...

PENS WITH HIDDEN CAMS?????

any wild guesses now?

no clue?...

ladies and gentlemen... congratulations!
You have just now looked into the future...

yep that's right! no booing now...

you have seen something that would replace your PC in the near future....

In the revolution of miniature computers, the scientists are ahead with Bluetooth technology...

See the forthcoming computers within our pockets

This pen sort of instrument produces both the monitor as well as the keyboard on flat surfaces from where you can just carry out the normal operations you do on your desktop.

At the 2003 ITU Telecom World exhibition held in Geneva, the Tokyo-based NEC corporation displayed a conceptual $30,000 prototype of what they dubbed a "Pen-style Personal Networking Gadget Package," or P-ISM. As NEC described the P-ISM:

P-ISM is a gadget package including five functions: a pen-style cellular phone with a handwriting data input function, virtual keyboard, a very small projector, camera scanner, and personal ID key with cashless pass function. P-ISMs are connected with one another through short-range wireless technology. The whole set is also connected to the Internet through the cellular phone function. This personal gadget in a minimalistic pen style enables the ultimate ubiquitous computing.

The P-ISM system was based on "low-cost electronic perception technology" produced by the San Jose, California, firm of Canesta, Inc., developers of technologies such as the "virtual keyboard"

Absolutely Free Software

Wed, 05 Oct 2005 22:03:30 GMT

This page lists lots of Windows freeware.

Yahoo Tracking You With Web Beacon

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 22:13:38 GMT

Yahoo is now using something called "Web Beacons" to track Yahoo Group users around the net and see what you're doing and where you are going similar to cookies. Yahoo is recording every website and every group you visit. Take a look at their updated privacy statement:

1. http://privacy.yahoo.com/privacy

2. About half-way down the page, in the section on cookies, you will see a link that says web beacons. Click on the phrase web beacons.

3. That will bring you to a paragraph entitled "Outside the Yahoo Network." In this section you'll see a little "click here to opt out" link that will let you "opt-out" of their new method of snooping.

4. Once you have clicked that link, you are exempted.

Notice the "Success" message on the top of the next page. Be careful because on that page there is a "Cancel Opt-out" button that, if clicked, will *undo* the opt-out.

Internet Explorer - Increase the number of concurrent downloads

Sun, 21 Aug 2005 03:49:02 GMT

By default Internet Explorer limits the number of concurrent downloads to two. This limitation make sense with a modem connection but not so much if you have a broadband connection. If you want to increase the number of concurrent downloads this can easily be achieved through a Registry hack.

Start the Registry Editor (go to Start, Run and type Regedt32). Find the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings. Create a new REG_DWORD value of MaxConnectionsPerServer then create yet another REG_DWORD value of MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server. Set both values to the number of concurrent downloads you want to be able to do. A number higher than 8 is not recommended.
Restart your system for this change to take effect.

Improve Adobe Acrobat load time

Thu, 26 May 2005 01:09:02 GMT

If you want to improve your Acrobat (PDF) load time, do the following:

Go to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 6.0\Reader
Move all files from the “plug_ins” folder to the “Optional” folder.

What this does is cause all the plugins to load only when they're needed (and none of them are, for most PDFs). Now, Acrobat boots almost immediately with no long wait or load screen