Escape (EsC): Νέα τεχνολογική εκπομπή της ΕΤ1 που κάνει «log in» στον κόσμο της τεχνολογίας

ARTICLE FROM NET OFF LINE 

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Κάθε μέρα, για 90λεπτά, 17:00-18:45 ζωντανά και σε επανάληψη το ίδιο βράδυ μετά τις 12.00, στην ΕΤ1, η ομάδα του Escape (EsC) θα κάνει «log in» στον κόσμο της τεχνολογίας.

Σε ζωντανή επικοινωνία με το κοινό, με ζωντανή μουσική στο πλατό, με καλεσμένους στο στούντιο, αλλά και μέσω skype, με ρεπορτάζ ακόμη και από smart phones, το Escape θα κάνει like, status updates, tweet και 
κυρίως θα «σερφάρει» με γρήγορες ταχύτητες: Internet, τεχνολογία, gadgets, video games, μουσική, διασκέδαση, περιβάλλον, τέχνες, υγεία, αλλά και καθημερινότητα μέσα από τα ηλεκτρονικά "μάτια" και "αυτιά" της τεχνολογίας! Ευρεσιτεχνίες, ανακαλύψεις, πανεπιστημιακές έρευνες και νέα λογισμικά. Blogs, portals, crash test e-υπηρεσιών και προϊόντων, downloading, e-shopping, e-government, virtual reality και ό,τι νέο προέρχεται από τον ψηφιακό κόσμο!

Η εκπομπή θα είναι ανοιχτή και σε κάθε τηλεθεατή που επιθυμεί να παρουσιάσει το επίτευγμά του.

Πέραν του ενημερωτικού χαρακτήρα, το χιούμορ, η καλή διάθεση (fun), και η αισιοδοξία θα είναι αναπόσπαστο κομμάτι της εκπομπής. 

Δευτέρα με Παρασκευή, 17:00-18:45 και σε επανάληψη το ίδιο βράδυ μετά τις 12.00 στην ΕΤ1.

ΠΑΡΟΥΣΙΑΣΤΕΣ: Ηλίας Παπαχαραλάμπους, Λάουρα, Κώστας Βλαχάκης, Ανδρονίκη Κολοβού

Ο Ηλίας Παπαχαραλάμπους έγινε γνωστός μέσα από την τηλεοπτική εκπομπή «Hackers». Είναι μουσικός, dj και gamer, ενώ οι εξειδικευμένες σπουδές του στη μουσική συνεχίζονται ακόμη και σήμερα.

Η Λάουρα σπούδασε χορό, τώρα σπουδάζει δημοσιογραφία, αλλά είναι "καθηγήτρια" του Facebook και του Twitter. Το like και το follow είναι για τη Λάουρα ότι το "καλημέρα" και το "χαίρω πολύ" για τους περισσότερους ανθρώπους.

Ο Κώστας Βλαχάκης είναι τεχνολογικός αναλυτής, δημοσιογράφος και δημιουργός ενός από τα μεγαλύτερα τεχνολογικά blogs της χώρας (techblog.gr). Είναι ο άνθρωπος που μπορεί να εξηγήσει ο,τιδήποτε λειτουργεί με ηλεκτρικό ρεύμα: Aπό μια καφετιέρα μέχρι τον πυρηνικό αντιδραστήρα της Φουκουσίμα.

Η Ανδρονίκη Κολοβού είναι all-around τηλεοπτικός παίχτης: Δημοσιογράφος, παρουσιάστρια και graphic designer. Είναι ταγμένη οικολόγος, ανακυκλώνει από χαρτί μέχρι τη μητρική κάρτα του υπολογιστή της.

Το 5ο στοιχείο του Escape θα αποτελείται από μια ομάδα ταλαντούχων δημοσιογράφων, blogger και ειδικών της τεχνολογίας, τα μέλη της οποίας θα εναλλάσσονται καθημερινά, όπως θα εναλλάσσεται η θεματολογία τους.

Υ.Γ.

Ο ιστότοπος της εκπομπής: http://www.esctv.gr/

Το fan page της εκπομπής στο facebook:http://www.facebook.com/Esctv.gr

Η σελίδα της εκπομπής στο twitter:http://twitter.com/Esctvgr

H σελίδα της εκπομπής στο youtube:http://www.youtube.com/user/esctvgr

Η σελίδα της εκπομπής στο vimeo:http://vimeo.com/23256364

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Rating the best anti-malware solutions

Following its November 2009 retrospective/proactive report, AV-Comparatives has released its December 2009 Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUA) comparative. PUA refers to adware, spyware, rogue, and other fraudulent software circulating on the Internet that are not typical malware (classification in the last category is sometimes not an easy task; under some circumstances, PUAs are accepted in some countries, depending on the cultural background or the legal system, and hence the term "potentially unwanted"). AV-Comparatives typically do not include PUAs in their malware test sets, but since users may want to know how well their antivirus program detects potentially unwanted software, a separate test was created.

The first PUA test contained 750,297 individual samples (only program executables) that cover mainly adware, spyware, and rogue software gathered between January 2009 and October 2009 (sets were frozen on the October 29, 2009). Dialers, potentially dangerous tools, and other greyware were not included, as their classification is debatable. Not all security products include detection for them as this sometimes breaks company policy. Sixteen products were updated on November 6, 2009, set on the highest detection settings (except for Sophos and F-Secure, per their own request), and put to the test.

Here are the results of this particular test:

1. G DATA Antivirus 2010: 99.8 percent
2. Trustport Antivirus 2010: 99.8 percent
3. AVIRA AntiVir Premium 9.0: 98.9 percent
4. McAfee VirusScan Plus 2010: 98.9 percent
5. BitDefender Antivirus 2010: 98.6 percent
6. eScan AntiVirus 10.0: 98.6 percent
7. F-Secure Anti-Virus 2010: 98.6 percent
8. Symantec Norton Antivirus 2010: 98.6 percent
9. Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010: 96.7 percent
10. ESET NOD32 Antivirus 4.0: 96.5 percent
11. avast! Free 5.0: 96.3 percent
12. Sophos Antivirus 9.0.1: 95.4 percent
13. Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0: 94.6 percent
14. AVG Anti-Virus 9.0: 93.9 percent
15. Norman Antivirus & Anti-Spyware 7.30: 88.5 percent
16. Kingsoft AntiVirus 9 Plus: 87.1 percent

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Gmail as a free smtp server

Incoming Mail (POP3) Server - requires SSL:	your.isps.pop3.server.com Use SSL: No Port: 110
Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server - requires TLS:	smtp.gmail.com (use authentication) Use Authentication: Yes Use STARTTLS: Yes (some clients call this SSL) Port: 465 or 587
Account Name:	your Gmail username (including '@gmail.com')
Email Address:	your original isp address (username@isp.c0m)
Password:	your Gmail password

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What is SCSI

In this section, on SCSI ports, I will discuss other technologies like SAS and iSCSI as well.These two technologies goes hand in hand with SCSI and both SAS and iSCSI uses the normal SCSI commands.
As a PC user you will probably not use SCSI ports at all, but I thought a mention of the technology would be a good idea. This will lay the foundation for SAS and iSCSI.
The Basics
So, what is SCSI? SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) is basically a technology that you use to connect multiple disks to your computer.
You can connect up to 16 devices to a single SCSI bus or port. If you look at IDE, for example, then you can only connect 2 devices to a port or bus.
With SCSI you need a controller on the host and then from this controller you connect a cable to the SCSI port and then connect your devices to the cable.
With most PC's you would need to buy a device called a SCSI controller. You plug this controller into one of your PCI slots, and then from the ports on the card, you plug your devices.
You do get motherboards with the SCSI controller built into the motherboard, but these are usually only found in servers.


You can connect a whole range of devices like, hard disks, tape devices(for backup), cd drives, DVD drives etc.
You can connect up to 8 devices on a narrow bus and 16 devices on a wide bus.
When you connect the devices to SCSI ports, you need to set a scsi id on the device. This is usually a jumper or pushpin that you set on the device itself. The id's range from 0-7 for narrow and 0-15 for wide SCSI.
Each device must have a unique id. If you don't use a unique id, you'll get a target clash and the whole bus will be inoperable. Believe me, these targets used to give me a lot of headaches.
SCSI also uses the parallel bus or interface. The data is sent over a cable in a parallel fashion. This is where narrow and wide plays a role.
With narrow SCSI, 8 lines are used for data. This means that you can push 8 bits or 1 bytes through a narrow bus.
With wide SCSI, 16 lines are used for data. That gives you 16 bits or 2 bytes per wide bus.
There is a strobe line as well that tells the receiving device when to count a byte of from the bus.
SCSI is mostly used in servers but you do find it on PC's as well. I used it some time ago because my PC only had one IDE controller and I needed to connect 2 disks and a tape drive to my PC.
The only way I could do this was to plug a SCSI controller in one of my ISA slots, and then connect the devices to the SCSI bus, via a cable.
What about the transfer rates?
SCSI transfer rates ranges from 4 Megabytes/second to 320 Megabytes/second.
These transfer rates goes hand in hand with the different SCSI standards that have been developed over the years.
The are basically 3 standards or specifications. They are SCSI-1, SCSI-2 and, you guessed it, SCSI-3.
Each of these standards have sub divisions. For example, you have SCSI-2 wide, which runs at 10 Mb/second. Then you have SCSI-2 fast/wide which runs at 20Mb/second.
They are both SCSI-2 and wide. The difference comes in with the clock speed. SCSI-2 fast/wide runs at 10MHZ, where SCSI-2 wide only runs at 5 MHZ. This give you double the throughput cause the clock counts of bytes at double the speed.
Let me show you how they work it out. Let's look at SCSI-2 wide as an example. You can send 2 bytes or 16 bits over the bus at any one time.
The device counts or clocks those 2 bytes at 5,000,000 times a second. Remember, a megahertz is 1 million.
That equates to 2 X 5,000,000/second = 10,000,000 bytes.
To convert to megabytes, just remove the 6 zeros at the end.
This leaves you with 10 Megabytes per second.
How do I connect devices to SCSI ports?
SCSI uses a target id per device. The priority per device is also part of the id. For instance, on narrow SCSI, targets range from 0-7. Seven has the highest priority and 0 the lowest. That's why your controller will, by default, be target id 7.
For wide SCSI, the priorities is 7-0 then 15-8. So, even on wide SCSI, target 7 still has the highest priority.

SCSI ports and devices on the bus
If you look at the previous picture, you'll notice that each device on the bus has a different target id.
The controller or host bus adapter on the computer has a target id of 7. The controller usually has the highest priority number because the controller initiates the commands. That's why it's also called the initiator.
The other devices then follow with their unique id's. Notice that the DVD drive has a higher priority than the disks. It's not a fault in the drawing.
The reason is that a DVD is quite slow compared to a disk drive and the DVD drive is not always active, like a disk drive. But when the system requests data from the DVD, it needs it to respond quickly.
If the DVD had a lower priority, it would take twice as long, if not longer, to install software because the disks would have the higher priority and the DVD would struggle to get a chance to send some data.
This is only an example. Of course you would be mad to connect a DVD on the same bus as your data disks. Because of SCSI's characteristics, this could be done.
There are different ways to connect devices. There are a lot of connectors, cables and boxes. For example, devices could be connected together via a ribbon cable. The ribbon cable has lots of these ports and the next device is just connect in a "daisy chain" fashion.
Another way to connect devices is to use a device called a "shoe box". You build your SCSI device in the "shoe box" and externally there are connectors and push pins to set the target id's with.
At the end of the SCSI chain, there is a terminator. The terminator terminates the signal so it doesn't bounce back and cause interference of the signal. The most common terminators are active and passive terminators.

SCSI ports and push pin
How can I identify SCSI ports?
SCSI use different logos for different standards. Some of the standards are, SE or Single ended, HVD or High Voltage differential and LVD or Low Voltage Differential.
Below is a table of the different logos and cable lengths.

SCSI Types
Do not connect a SE SCSI device to a HVD port. The voltages are different. The SE SCSI devices operate at 3.3 volts and the HVD at 5.0 Volts. This could cause damage to your device.
Where does SAS come in?
SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) has replaced the traditional SCSI interface.
SAS uses a serial bus or interface instead of the parallel interface of traditional SCSI.
There are a lot of advantages using serial rather than parallel.
The cabling is easier. Because SAS uses serial communications, the data line is only one pin or cable. In traditional SCSI, the cables are big and bulky and difficult to make.
You can also address more than 16 devices because SAS uses a concept similar to fiber channel to assign address to devices. You can use up to 127 devices.
You don't need to set the individual target id's on devices. Each device has it's own built in address.
SAS runs at 300 MB/s and 600 MB/s is already in development.
SATA disks can also be connected to a SAS channel with converters that can be added to a SATA disk.
What is iSCSI?
iSCSI is SCSI over normal TCP/IP networks. The SCSI commands are embedded in the Ethernet frame when communicating with a device.
iSCSI doesn't use traditional SCSI ports. You access your devices via a network interface.
This technology is really taking of, cause it's cheap to implement. You don't need to invest in expensive FC switches or infrastructure.
This makes iSCSI a very attractive option. 

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10 best Linux distros for 2011

1. The best distro for beginners: Ubuntu 11.04

We must admit that despite Ubuntu's ubiquity, it has only just managed to hold on to the top-spot as the best distro for beginners. This is because the latest release will feel unfamiliar to anyone from a Windows, Gnome 2 or KDE background, although Mac users might feel more at home than most.

This is due to the Ubuntu team replacing the old desktop with something it calls Unity - a slick and accelerated full-screen interface that allows you to switch quickly between applications and find your files. Except that this first release has some stability issues and if your graphics hardware isn't up to the job, the fall-back to an older desktop creates unnecessary confusion.

But there are two reasons why Ubuntu is still a fantastic choice for beginners - hardware compatibility and ease of installation. Stick the disc in the drive, answer a few easy questions, and you'll find yourself at the desktop in no time at all.

And as long as it works, Ubuntu developers still know how to make a desktop look good. Unity is a new way of using a desktop, but it's also a brave move to try and do something different, whether that's the drag and drop files onto applications feature or the way applications can be installed from the global search pane.

Ubuntu still offers one of the best looking default desktops, an unparalleled software repository, easy installation of proprietary software like Flash and Nvidia drivers, and incorporates one of the largest and most accessible communities on the internet. It's still a winner. But we can't say for how long.

Summary: Easy installation, a massive package repository and a dedicated user community help keep Ubuntu a great choice for newcomers. But Unity is going to cause problems.

Also consider: Mageia 1.0

2. The best distro for experts: Fedora 15

The Fedora distribution takes a trail-blazing, no compromise, approach to free software. It offers many of the same advantages of Ubuntu like excellent hardware support, a refined desktop and great package choice, with some of the core-philosophy ideals that have helped make Linux such as a success.

The best example of this is the latest release. Fedora 15 is the first major distribution to ship with the new Gnome environment - Gnome Shell. Like Ubuntu's Unity, Shell is an attempt to change people's expectations of what a Linux desktop should look and feel like. It does this using a similar approach to Unity, complete with animated transitions, launch bar and application launcher, but it's a shame that the two projects couldn't work together, as they both suffer from poor stability.

As a result, it's not an ideal distribution if you're looking for proprietary and closed software. MP3 codecs, Adobe Flash and Nvidia drivers are not easy to install, and get even less easier with each new release. Instead, you'll want to stick with the open source alternatives provided by Fedora.

Fortunately, Fedora is still a distribution you can make your own. Creating a development environment is easy, for example, and the locations used by shared libraries, configuration files and kernel headers strictly adhere to long established standards.

This means that with Fedora 15 you get the best of both worlds: the cutting edge world of Gnome Shell, straight from installation CD, and a completely customisable, standard and reliable environment from which you can build your perfect distribution.

Summary: Still the result of a fusion between a noble cause and an uncompromisingly corporate business plan.

Also consider: Slackware

3. The best distro for customisation: Arch

Despite being around for a while, it's only over the last twelve months thatArch's popularity has surged, now making it one of the most popular Linux distributions available. This is perhaps surprising because Arch is definitely not a distribution for the unprepared.

Installation, for instance, is a text-based menu that does little to help you partition your drive, configure a wireless device, install packages or even set up a default user. Even after installation has finished, you'll need to grab and configure your own graphical environment as well as add any applications you're likely to need.

But the end result is worth it. You'll have a Linux installation that's running only what you need, and you'll have learnt a great deal about how it runs in the process. This is mostly thanks to the Arch Wiki, a sprawling and well-written information repository that can be used to enable even a Linux beginner to install the operating system.

Arch's package management is also worth a mention. There's no big distribution upgrade every six months. Instead, packages are updated as and when they're released, always giving you the very latest version of everything you install. And there's a mass of packages to chose from, including a bursting repository of user generated packages that are compiled as you install them.

The end result is a cutting edge distribution that's fast, configurable and built entirely to your own requirements.

Summary: A distribution that brings back some of that old Linux pioneering spirit.

Also consider: Gentoo

4. The best distro for older hardware: Puppy Linux 5.2.5

Linux's great strength is its flexibility. It runs on everything from mobile phones to spaceships.

As a result, it's extremely good at scaling, and makes a good choice for older hardware. Unlike some other operating systems, you won't have to resort to running older versions either. There are plenty of distributions that will take the latest software, the latest kernel and the latest drivers, and build them into a distribution tailored for older bits of kit.

The best we've found is Puppy. It's a diminutive, yet fully functional, operating system that runs from your system's memory for extra speed. Just burn the 128MB ISO to a CD and boot. What's most impressive about Puppy is that while it may only be running from RAM, it still writes your changes back to the spare space on your CD or DVD boot media, getting the most from both possible worlds.

But the best thing about version 5 is that it now uses the same package repository as Ubuntu. This gives you immediate access to thousands of the most popular packages and means that, while your installation may start small, it's likely to grow into the perfect fit for whatever hardware combination you're using.

Summary: Pull out that old machine from the loft, Puppy Linux will turn it into a fully fledged 2011 Linux powerhouse.

Also consider: Slitaz

5. The best distro for your desktop: Linux Mint 11

Things have changed in the Linux distro hierarchy. With Ubuntu's switch to Unity and Fedora to Gnome Shell, there's now room for a first class distribution built around the old familiar Gnome environment.

Which is why Linux Mint 11 is doing so well, despite its continual changes to the default options of the old desktop. Gnome's top-bar is still gone, for instance, leaving the lower status window as the only screen ornamentation. And the launch menu gets the same treatment, replacing Gnome's trio of 'Applications', 'Places' and 'Administration' with the singular Mint Menu.

Version 11 is another solid upgrade, adding a new-look software manager and many other artistic improvements. If you use a lot of applications and come from a Windows background, Mint offers a great version of the Gnome 2 desktop, and unlike Unity or Gnome Shell, won't require any mental re-adjusting.

Alongside Ubuntu's prodigious packages, Mint includes quite a few of its own. And there's still eye candy, thanks to Compiz and the desktop setting panel embedded within a custom Control Center application that's growing with each release. The end result is a distribution that stands on the shoulders of giants to become one of the best contenders for your desktop.

Summary: If you don't like Gnome Shell and Unity, this is one of the the best Gnome 2.x experiences you can have.

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