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August 18, 2004 |
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Windows XP SP2 had you interested but wary (and rightfully so), and spyware worries topped the search results, even more than usual. Meanwhile, is Apple planning a crazy light-up, color-changing, tablet thingamabob? We all want to know.
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Windows XP Service Pack 2
 Well, one thing's for certain. Windows XP Service Pack 2 is no Michelle Vieth. Nevertheless, it managed to pique your interest a little bit last week, showing up in searches across the network. The biggest attention getter? All the software that could stop working if you install the security-oriented update. Then again, it looks like the new XP isn't so supersecure after all, so maybe you did all that searching just to discover that you should forget about SP2 for now.
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Apple
If you're one of those who think all publicity is good publicity, Apple had a fantastic week. The company was certainly all over the news. Sometimes it appeared as the victim: under attack by RealNetworks and one particularly enterprising hacker. But Apple was also intriguing the masses with one patent application for a light-up, color-changing, chameleonic something-or-other and another patent for what appears to be a tablet or handheld Mac. Let's just hope it's unhackable, whatever it is, because that Norwegian kid is probably already flexing his fingers.
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Spyware
Contrary to what Claria-formerly-Gator would like to believe, we still don't like adware. We're never going to. As evidence, I point to this week's search results, where Spybot and Ad-aware dominated even more than they usually do. We urge you, though, to stay vigilant. For one thing, scammers are now using fake spyware removers to, of all things, install spyware or just plain take your money. Meanwhile, the Internet Storm Center says an unpatched Windows PC will last about 20 minutes on the Net before being overrun with malware or viruses. It's a jungle out there, kids.
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Samsung SGH-E316
Fine, fine--on to the gadgets! Although many of our home page's poll respondents expressed disinterest in the Olympics, the Samsung SGH-E316 topped the search results on CNET Reviews. Those two things may seem unrelated, but they're not. The slightly globular-looking E316 was released, in essence, as the signature phone for the Olympics. It'll come with Olympic-themed ring tones and wallpaper images, and AT&T Wireless subscribers will get in-depth coverage of the Athens games (via mMode). The phone costs $199. Personally, I'd just spring for cable TV, but maybe you're on the road.
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Nokia 6620
What can I say, sometimes you just love something. In this case, it's the Nokia 6620, a smart phone with a 1.3-megapixel camera that's finally for sale through AT&T Wireless, as of this week. OK, granted, it has some cool elements. For one thing, it's the first Symbian OS phone in the United States that can take advantage of AT&T Wireless's high-speed data network, called EDGE. It also syncs with Outlook, and you can stream video to it. Plus, it appears that at least some outlets are selling it for just less than $200. If buzz equals bucks, the 6620 will be a winner.
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