Virtual PC Guy is a member of the Microsoft Virtual PC team, who spends his time installing weird and wonderful operating systems. His blog, complete with installation guides and screenshots, makes for an interesting read for anyone who longs for the “good old days”.
Disable automatic restart after Windows Update
One of the changes that came in with Windows XP SP2 is the emphasis on the fact that you should keep Automatic Updates enabled, and the incessant reminders to reboot.
Unfortunately I don’t know of a way to stop the reminders, but this blog post explains how you can prevent XP restarting your machine automatically, which it does if you don’t tell it not to within 5 minutes. This could be inconvenient at best, and could even lead to loss of work.
This particular method only works on the Professional Edition of XP, so if you have Home Edition you’re on your own, I’m afraid.
(via digg)
View the world with NASA
NASA’s free World Wind software lets you zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth. Data from various satellites lets you experience Earth terrain in visually rich 3D, just as if you were really there. You can visit any place in the world, from your home town to the Grand Canyon, via the Alps and the African Sahara.
The software weighs in at a hefty 180MB (and more, it downloads a lot of its image data on the fly) and is available via HTTP and BitTorrent – possibly the US Government’s first use of the controversial technology.
Offline NT Password & Registry Editor
This Linux-based tool, available as a bootable floppy or CD image, can recover user and administrator passwords on Windows NT, 2000, XP and Server 2003 machines. It might look scary, but it greets you with a Douglas Adams-esque “DON’T PANIC” and explains that the default options are OK in most cases (i.e. just keep hitting Enter).
I’ve just tried this and it works remarkably well. It might just save you from reinstalling Windows one day. Of course, it has less legitimate uses, but if you lack good physical security, you have a lot more to worry about (people stealing your machine, for example).
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ITConversations: New ideas through your headphones
ITConversations hosts audio programmes with respected figures in the IT industry, such as security expert Bruce Schneier, Moore’s Law founder Dr Gordon Moore, Apple Computer’s Steve Wozniak and PHP developer Rasmus Lerdorf.
Visitors can contribute questions, and the shows can be streamed or downloaded in Windows Media or MP3 format. There is also podcast support, and transcripts are available for all interviews.
This is a great site for anyone studying an IT or Computing-related degree, or anyone with an interest in the field.
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Afrotech: Ghetto Hardware Fun
This site is a humorous take on all those PC modding websites out there.
There are a few practical tips but most of the articles are there just to make you laugh.
My personal favourite is the hard disk speaker system – I’ve tried it and it works!
If you’ve got an hour or so to spare, I recommend making a visit.
Manna
I’m halfway through reading Manna, a sci-fi book (freely readable online) about robots and their impact on society. It’s a fantastic read and I thoroughly recommend it.
Update: Just finished! I reckon this would make a good movie, although maybe the geekiness would need to be toned down a little.