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July 01, 2003

A Wi-Fi view of Austin.

Many people don’t realize it, but public wireless access in Austin is available and doesn’t necessarily cost an arm and a leg. The key is knowing where to look and what to look for. Public 802.11b wireless Internet access points are called “hotspots” (I don’t make this stuff up, I just tell you about it). Austin has around 30 to 40 free or low-cost Wi-Fi hotspots. This means you can go to any of these locations with your notebook and Wi-Fi network card and surf the Internet.

Austin also has hotspots provided by several commercial providers including Wayport, Boingo, WiFi-Texas and Verizon. There are more than 100 public places where you can surf the web legally. The primary locations of hotspots are coffee shops and hotels. If you are interested in Austin hotspots, we have a list of links on our website to help you get connected while you're sipping your latte. 

Tech News Highlights

Cashing-in on IE?

Microsoft Internet Explorer project manager Brian Countryman said during a technical talk that IE 6 Service Pack 1 will be the last stand-alone version of the browser. Going further he also stated that "Further improvements to IE will require enhancements to the underlying OS."

According to their website, Microsoft will continue to provide updates for the browser through Q1 of 2004 on NT, 98, and ME, and through 2005 on 2k.

You may remember that in the late nineties Microsoft squashed all meaningful competition in the browser market by giving away IE for free. It is now well positioned to become a rainmaker for Microsoft, and drive businesses to invest in upgrades to hardware and software to maintain adequate security. Although Microsoft has not officially announced this, it is likely that from now on, if you want to upgrade your Internet Explorer browser, you will need to upgrade your operating system as well.

RIAA to Target Individuals in Wave of Lawsuits

The Recording Industry Association of America has announced that thousands of lawsuits will be filed in the upcoming months against individuals found to be sharing copyrighted music.

"This activity is illegal, you are not anonymous when you do it, and engaging in it can have real consequences." said RIAA president Cary Sherman. The lawsuits can carry very substantial penalties. If your business does not have a P2P policy yet, you should make one.

Ask Randy

Q: What is the best way to get rid of a program I don't want anymore?

A: The safest way is to use the Control Panel.

1. Click Start and click Control Panel.

2. Double click the Add or Remove Programs icon.

3. Select the program you want to remove.

4. Click the Change/Remove button.

5. Follow the directions in the dialog boxes. The precise steps to remove different programs vary.

Tip of the Month

In Windows XP you can create a floppy disk that will allow you to reset your administrator password on a computer if you forget it. 

1. Open User Accounts in Control Panel.

2. Click the administrator's account name.

3. Insert a blank formatted floppy in the floppy drive.

4. Under Related Tasks located on the left side of the window, click Prevent a forgotten password. The Forgotten Password Wizard will start.

5. Click Next.

6. Enter your password in the "Current user account password" box. Click Next Wait until the Progress bar reaches 100%.

7. Click Next then Finish

8. Remove the disk. Label it with the name of the computer and "password reset disk" and store it in a safe place.

Places on the Web

The Boobah Zone

Explore Mars

World Wide Words