Archive through June 10, 2002
TV ClubHouse: Archive: Music File Sharing sites:
Archive through June 10, 2002
Micknrc | Sunday, March 03, 2002 - 02:55 pm     Stuff is up with Morpheus...no one's giving the straight story...it's a "wait and see" kind of thing. Another good one is Grokster. |
Crazydog | Sunday, March 03, 2002 - 04:09 pm     Thanks Sage and Mick. I had heard kazaa was shut down for a while, and it's nice that it looks pretty much like Morpheus. I don't like change and I liked the way Morpheus worked, so I'll use that until it breaks. I also heard something like bearshare was a good one to use as a backup. |
Micknrc | Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 07:22 am     Okay, everyone listen up. Morpheus is becoming part of the Gnutella consortium, so if you don't like their software--oh well. The reason Kazaa and Grokster are so comfortable to use if you've used Morpheus before is b/c they all (used to) use the same "fast track" software (licensed to the other two by kazaa). Now if you go to Kazaa or Grokster, you will be told that you MUST upgrade to their new software update. ******BEWARE!!!!!!!!!***** There is a component in the new software update which will install itself (without letting you know, I believe) of something called "Scydor" (sp?), a nasty, sneaky little spyware that will enable THEM to track everything you do on your computer right down to the last little keystroke (as well as all kinds of info as to who you are). It is possible to find the "Scydor" files and disable them--if you're computer literate or like me have one computer savvy guy at home--I believe this will entail substituting dummy files for the existing ones--in order to "fool" the program. Apparently it's going to be tough again to swap those files safely until some bright kid comes out with the next software and site. I believe the reason Morpheus moved to Gnutella is that they wouldn't go along with Kazaa's demanded upgrade--thus cancelling out their licensing agreement. Good for them except the Gnutella software (I believe Bearshare uses it too)isn't as easy to use. |
Crazydog | Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 09:09 am     Yikes. So Mick, you're saying that this new Kazaa software I got has this "spy" thing? That's a little uncomfortable for me... not that I care all that much about what some stranger is seeing, but it's just the principle. I like Kazaa because it transferred over all my songs from Morpheus and it works exactly the same way. But I don't like this spy thing. The new Morpheus (well, actually the preview edition) is difficult to use. Maybe I'm just not used to it, but it's not as friendly. If Bearshare uses the same software then I won't like that either (haven't yet tried it). Maybe I'll go back to WinMx. It's decent and has a lot of selection, but I don't like how when it "Times out" it doesn't move over to anyone else. |
Oregonfire | Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 09:35 am     I have a question: I uninstalled the old Morpheus software from my computer, with no intention at this time of getting the new software (too busy to download). However, the Morpheus icon still shows up on my task bar, and a message comes up every time I log on saying that Morpheus needs to be upgraded of something. I tried to remove any extra files that might be in my computer, but I must've missed some. Little stuff like that drives me crazy. Any advice? |
Crazydog | Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 10:28 am     Oregon, yeah, I still see it in my start menu. But the icon for me is no longer there because I think when I installed Kazaa it replaced everything Morpheus. That message also drove me nuts. But I think isn't there an option on Morpheus that says "launch automatically"? I suppose until you figure out how to get rid of it completely you could just unclick that box. |
Micknrc | Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 10:38 am     Crazy- Yeah, probably. You might try doing a search for the "scydor" (i think that's how it's spelled)files. My DH figured out a way to disable it while tricking the software into thinking it's still there (something about plugging in dummy files in its place). I'm no techie--so unfortunately I can't answer a whole lot of these kind of questions. That's what DH is for--LOL! He called me today at work to tell me to warn my friends/coworkers that used to use Morpheus about the spyware w/Kazaa and Grokster "Fast Track" software. At the current Morpheus site there is some more info about the Gnutella P2P software being spyware-free. (but check your start-up and toolbar menus/settings is the first place I'd start re: leftover icons...) |
Labmouse | Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 11:10 am     If you are really worried about "spyware" on your computer then download a small free program by Lavasoft called Ad-aware. It will scan your computer for spyware files and give you the option to disable, remove, or keep certain spyware components. Type Ad-aware into Google for the CNET download... |
Soeur | Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 04:29 pm     Thanks for the tip. I just used ad-aware to sniff out spyware since cydoor [correct spelling] in 11 places! |
Crazydog | Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 04:41 pm     Yes, thanks Labmouse. I also had this "cydoor" thing as well as all those things from that annoying Gator.com. I noticed there was one thing it wouldn't delete but didn't catch what it was.... says I will have to reboot so I will and run it again. |
Spygirl | Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 07:29 pm     If I have Symantec Internet Security Software, which includes a personal firewall, do I need to download Ad-aware, too? It notifies me whenever any program accesses the Net and whenever anyone tries to contact my computer. |
Crazydog | Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 09:08 pm     Not sure about the firewall, but I would think these spyware things are loaded onto your harddrive, they aren't something coming through your connection so I am not sure if the firewall will delete it. It seems these things are pretty hardy, like a cockroach. I have used the ad-aware to clean up the files, but there is this one thing that is "c:\windows\system32\cd_clint.dll" that it does not erase, and I cannot erase it manually. I have no idea what this is or what it does but it annoys me. I wonder if I delete Kazaa if I can delete it. |
Labmouse | Tuesday, March 05, 2002 - 09:55 pm     If you can't delete the file after a reboot, then the problem lies in the fact that Windows won't allow you to delete a system file that Windows is using. The only way to delete the file is to boot the computer in DOS mode and delete it from there. |
Gadzooks | Wednesday, March 06, 2002 - 12:12 am     OK....so I downloaded the Spyware eliminator and erased the cydoor spyware. However, then I tried to go back into Kazaa and it wouldn't let me back in and said I needed to reinstall their program in order to restore the missing component. Is there a way to use Kazaa without having their spyware. Also, I'm wondering when I'm doing my on-line banking if the spyware can pick-up my password and id numbers. That is really worrying me. By the way, you folks in this thread are really informative. Thanks for all the research. |
Micknrc | Wednesday, March 06, 2002 - 05:36 am     Yes, there are enterprising young men out there on the I-net who create replacement dll files to trick the software into thinking it's still there. I don't know who or where precisely myself, but when I talk to DH later I'll ask him and get back to you guys. |
Crazydog | Saturday, March 09, 2002 - 08:53 pm     I think I posted this before and was wondering if anyone might have more insight... bought a great CD that I want to convert to mp3 files so I can listen to them while I'm working on the computer (and let others share). Put the CD into the drive, my computer opened up MusicMatch Jukebox. On the file menu I tried to "convert" the files from WAV to mp3. But none of the tracks showed up in the file list. Is there a way I'm supposed to put these songs on my computer (I think someone said this was called "ripping")? Or does this particular CD have some kind of anti-ripping protection, if there is such a thing? |
Labmouse | Sunday, March 10, 2002 - 11:58 am     Crazydog, just in case you never completed your mission...here's how. 1. Open MusicMatch...click Options...click Settings at the bottom...click the tab titled Recorder...pick "Mp3 160" for high quality ripping. 2. Put CD in drive. Click the Red Button (Record)in the center of the cirle that has the Previous, Next, Pause, and Stop functions. 3. All the tracks on the CD will automatically appear in a window as "Untitled" 1, 2, 3 etc. If you are connected to the Internet at the time, MusicMatch will do a CDDB lookup for the track titles on the Internet and will automatically retitle the songs before recording. MusicMatch will also perform an initial CD Player system test. Then it will begin "ripping" the songs on the CDs into Mp3s. It takes a few seconds per song. 4. You need to know where your "ripped" Mp3s are being saved. You can set this preference yourself, but the default folder is "My Documents" subfolder..."My Music"...they'll be in there if you don't change MusicMatch's preferences. |
Labmouse | Sunday, March 10, 2002 - 12:07 pm     There is a 99.999999999999999 percent chance that the CD does not have any copyright protection in place. Record companies have only recently (last few weeks) issued a very limited number of test CDs with protection. These did not play back correctly on all CD players, and the record companies were bombarded with complaints from consumers and CD distributors. A copyright protected CD has errors deliberately embedded into the CD to prevent copying. At the moment this process is not foolproof. Companies using this method of protecting a CD must state it on the CD label. Amazon is going to list these CDs with a marker on there website. |
Crazydog | Monday, March 11, 2002 - 08:55 am     Thanks Labmouse! I will try that tonight. Gadzooks, yeah I would think Kazaa wouldn't work without their spyware... it would kind of defeat their purpose. You'd probably need a dummy file like what Mick suggested. I am still not sure exactly what they are collecting. Do they collect information on what I have downloaded from Kazaa? Or does it extend to looking at what webpages I look at, etc. I'm not sure if it really matters all that much to me, as long as I don't start receiving unsolicited snail mail or they can't get into my bank accounts. |
Micknrc | Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 08:10 am     P2P network hidden in Kazaa downloads By John Borland Special to ZDNet News April 2, 2002, 4:30 AM PT A California company has quietly attached its software to millions of downloads of the popular Kazaa file-trading program and plans to remotely "turn on" people's PCs, welding them into a new network of its own. Brilliant Digital Entertainment, a California-based digital advertising technology company, has been distributing its 3D ad technology along with the Kazaa software since late last fall. But in a federal securities filing Monday, the company revealed it also has been installing more ambitious technology that could turn every computer running Kazaa into a node in a new network controlled by Brilliant Digital. The company plans to wake up the millions of computers that have installed its software in as soon as four weeks. It plans to use the machines--with their owners' permission--to host and distribute other companies' content, such as advertising or music. Alternatively, it might borrow people's unused processing power to help with other companies' complicated computing tasks. Brilliant Digital CEO Kevin Bermeister says computers or Internet connections won't be used without their owners' permission. But the company will nevertheless have access to millions of computers at once, almost as easily as turning on a light switch. "Everybody will get turned on in more or less a simultaneous fashion," Bermeister said. "This will be an opt-in program...We're trying to create a secure network based on end-user relationships." The Brilliant Digital plan is the most ambitious yet from a string of companies that have tried to make money off the millions of people who are downloading and using free file-swapping programs such as Kazaa, MusicCity's Morpheus or LimeWire. Nearly all of the file-swapping programs now routinely come bundled with so-called adware or spyware--programs that automatically pop up advertisements while people surf the Web or that keep track of where someone surfs, information that can then be sold to marketing companies. Despite growing concerns about this bundled software, usage and downloads of the file-swapping programs are at an all-time high. But Brilliant's plan, by tapping into the computer resources of the file-swappers themselves, has fallen into a new realm where start-ups such as Kontiki and Red Swoosh are just starting to gain traction. Those companies are trying to use peer-to-peer technology to distribute content more quickly online, but they face a battle convincing people to install their software and become distribution points. Brilliant, by contrast, already has potentially tens of millions of computers in its network, simply by piggybacking on top of Kazaa. According to CNET Download.com, a popular software aggregation site owned by News.com publisher CNET Networks, the Kazaa software--and by extension the Brilliant software--was downloaded more than 2.6 million times last week alone. Brilliant has been distributing the core technology for its peer-to-peer service along with Kazaa since February, Bermeister said. The Brilliant network is based on a piece of software called "Altnet Secureinstall," which is bundled with the Kazaa software. That technology can connect to other peer-to-peer networks, ad servers or file servers independently of the Kazaa software and can be automatically updated to add new features, according to Brilliant's filing. When the software is "turned on," computers running the Brilliant software will form a new peer-to-peer network separate from but connected to Kazaa, the filing said. A few computers with fast connections will form the early core of the network and be asked to join first. Other ordinary computers and Net connections will be invited later, Bermeister said. Brilliant's software will be able to understand and respond to searches inside Kazaa, since it is based on the same technology. But if it is successful, Brilliant will be able to host content and run "distributed computing" applications over the new network that is entirely separate from Kazaa or other file-swapping networks based on the same technology. Working behind the scenes Brilliant and Bermeister have played a central role in many of the events shaping the file-swapping world in the past few months. Bermeister began distributing his company's 3D advertising software along with the Kazaa software last year. That's how he got to know the founders of Kazaa BV, the Dutch company that created the file-swapping technology originally used by Kazaa, Morpheus and Grokster. When the Kazaa BV founders decided they didn't want to be in the network business, Bermeister introduced them to a former associate in Australia, Nicola Hemming. Her new company, Sharman Networks, bought the Kazaa software and continues to distribute it. Bermeister is now drawing on his association with the Dutch programmers for his new venture. Brilliant has created a new company for the peer-to-peer service, called Altnet. It has licensed the Dutch programmers' technology from their new venture, called Blastoise. According to Brilliant's annual report, filed Monday, the Dutch programmers have taken a 49 percent stake in Altnet. Brilliant has been subpoenaed in the record labels and big movie studios' copyright infringement lawsuit against Kazaa BV. No suit has been filed against Brilliant or Sharman Networks, however. The immediate plans for Altnet, Brilliant and the new peer-to-peer network remain unclear. Bermeister said the company had been testing the technology along with ad giants DoubleClick as a way to serve ordinary Web ads more quickly. Under this plan, an ad that a person sees on a Web site might be hosted by a nearby computer running Brilliant's Altnet instead of on a central ad server, as now typically happens with DoubleClick. Brilliant's CEO was quick to note that people would be asked before their computers were used for this or other purposes. He said the software would show a pop-up box explaining the network's function and giving people a chance to turn it off. People who allow their computers to be used will be compensated somehow, possibly with gift certificates or free videos, the company's filing said. However, people who accept "terms of service" already distributed with Brilliant's and Kazaa's software are already agreeing to let their computers be used without any payment at all. "You hereby grant (Brilliant) the right to access and use the unused computing power and storage space on your computer/s and/or Internet access or bandwidth for the aggregation of content and use in distributed computing," the terms of service read. "The user acknowledges and authorizes this use without the right of compensation." Anybody who declines this provision is not able to install the Kazaa file-swapping software. Brilliant's software can be disabled or removed after installation without affecting Kazaa's performance, however. A representative for Sharman, which distributes the Kazaa software, could not be reached for comment. Privacy-rights advocates contacted for comment expressed some concern about the way the Altnet software has been distributed and about whether the millions of people who already have it installed on their computers will be tech-savvy enough to know what they're agreeing to when and if Brilliant does ask to use their computers. "A lot of the people most likely to use this software are teenagers or college students. There's a lack of sensitivity about privacy in that age group," said Larry Poneman, CEO of Privacy Council, which helps companies manage privacy issues. "Do they really want to be commandeered and have their machines do things that aren't necessarily in their best interest?" |
Twiggyish | Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 12:52 pm     I ran that ad aware and found 18 files. Sheesh. I had lots of spy stuff. They were all over my two main drives. I had comet cursor and thought it was deleted, but the spy program stayed. There was Gator (It remembered passwords, etc..) and some other unknown ones. I don't usually download at free sites and don't use music files, but I do use Real Player and other programs. At one time, I foolishly downloaded Bonzi Buddy. (Don't ever do that one) Soooo I researched and found there are LOTS of these little programs out there. (I didn't have all of these) Here is a list of the various spy programs which attach inside your computer: Comet Cursor -One of the most common causers of pop-up ads. Gator -The first versions of Gator had as its official function the capability to remember its users passwords and such things. One version of the program uses a security leak in ActiveX to install itself from webpages without your knowledge, a behaviour suspiciously similar to the BadTrans virus. Real.com Alexa, zBubbles -Check your "Tools"-menu in Internet Explorer, if you find an option that says "Show related links" or similar then Alexa is watching you. Alexa and zBubbles log searchstrings and addresses for pages you visit. Alexa comes with Internet Explorer if you do not explicitly deselecet it. Aureate Cydoor -Cydoor is quite possibly the creators behind the infamous "Clicktilluwin"-trojan virus which was bundled with LimeWire and other "freeware". Doubleclick -Traces you mainly with cookies, check the Windows/Cookies-folder. DSSAgent EverAd Adware -Note: Not Ad Aware! VX2 Bonzi -Don't fall for cuteness. eZula CuteFTP Download Accelerator (DAP) -does not use popups though. Flashpoint / FlashTrack FileMix Surf+ Spedia FastTrack Expedioware GoHip (Windows Startup) -Messes up Internet Explorer, changes your startuppage and AutoSignature. Attaches spam which you have no control over to all E-mail messages you send. Use Pegasus Mail instead of Outlook and you can stop worrying about E-mail viruses. Flyswat Hotbar KaZaA and TopText -Alters things you see on the Internet, adds yellow links to the text on other people's homepages. BearShare Newdotnet OnFlow Timesink Web3000 -Messes up important system files and covers other's ads. Webhancer LimeWire Netscape 6 -It is not absolutely certain that this browser can be classified as spyware. But its behaviour is very suspect since the program acts as a server and when started tries to send information from your computer to someone on the net. Many of the programs which comes with NS6 are though certainly spyware. This is tragic since Netscape earlier had the position as "The Good Guys" in relation to more commercial interests. Grokster Transponder Blackstone Back Orifice BackDoor-G Wnad FTapp-BHO |
Twiggyish | Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 01:13 pm     I was thinking if they collect info on me, they'll find I like Reality shows..LOL |
Twiggyish | Wednesday, April 03, 2002 - 04:32 pm     Sorry my post was off topic! Back to music files chat. |
Crazydog | Tuesday, May 07, 2002 - 12:12 pm     Hey, this was just posted on CNN.com about Kazaa. I'm not very technical, so maybe someone who understands this stuff could explain it in plain English. Link to Kazaa story What does it mean when it says that the software will be "awakened"? |
Crazydog | Monday, June 10, 2002 - 10:22 am     Does anyone else use Kazaa? Recently it has been telling me I need to upgrade to version 1.7, or something like that. I have not yet done it because I am wondering if this is that awakening software the article above was referring to. |
|