Join us online Friday, Dec. 2 when our topic will be Shopping Online!

We're getting excited about our first interactive, online show! We decided that we'd talk about the pros and cons of online shopping. After all, it IS the Christmas shopping season! Mark your calendar for Friday, Dec. 2 at 9:30am CST. We'll be waiting for you in our virtual Coop! PLEASE add your comments, questions and suggestions about online shopping to this blog and we'll discuss them online. See you Friday!!!!!!

[And the Views continue...]

Views from the Coop - Podcast Episode #3

As long as we're airing our Views....how 'bout that Sony?????? If you haven't been in a cave the last month, you have no doubt heard that media giant,Sony, tripped up and did....the bad thing....all in the name of Digital Rights Management (DRM). Well, Chickitoo & I took our licks at this sneaky deed and have plenty of resources to share with you about who did what and to whom and what they're doing about it now...

What they did:

• Included questionable software called a rootkit (software that changes the way your operating system works and hides files, folders and active processes) on a number of music CDs


• Didn't tell anybody and even left it out of their EULA


• Prompted the CD user to download software that was required to play the music on the CD when it wasn't required


• Didn't include an uninstall function just in case a user MIGHT accidently stumble across the software that they didn't know they had in the first place

All that's bad enough, but the software they hid on their CD was exploited by lowlife trojan, spyware and virus creators to infect computer systems on which it was installed. Since the rootkit was hidden, anti-virus software was unable to detect the viruses that may have infected those systems.

If you want to hear OUR views on the whole sordid affair, listen to the podcast, or tune in to CoolCast Radio. If you want to check out the resources we shared, here they are:

• What is Digital Rights Mangement?


• Mark Russinovich discovers an unknown rootkit while testing an update of RootkitRevealer


• Mike Heaton of Spyware Info reports the discovery


• Sony's part in the Betamax wars...when did they change?


• Sony's list of affected CDs and Exchange Program


• Get the uninstall/update for the XCP software

NOW, listen to the podcast!!!!!!

[And the Views continue...]

Join Views from the Coop online Friday, December 2 at 9:30am CST!

Join the Chicki Chicki and Chickitoo online Friday, December 2 at 9:30am CST for a little interactive Tech Talk. Got a question? Ask us! Got an opinion? We welcome YOUR views! We'll be waiting for you in our Virtual Coop!

[And the Views continue...]

Views from the Coop is now on CoolCast Internet Radio!

Well, we're finally a part of the CoolCast Radio Podcasting family! Official launch of CoolCast is scheduled for December 1 and we're hoping to have several more podcasts ready by then. One of the problems we've been having is audio.

Since Kristi and I live in two different states, we've been using VoIP to talk over our computers during our podcasts. The problem comes in the recording process. The software we're currently using records at such a poor bitrate that when Matt Hartley at CoolCast re-encodes our audio so that dialup listeners can access it, it becomes so degraded that we sound like a couple of hissing snakes in a garbage can...no kidding! We're getting ready to try using GoogleTalk and HotRecorder. According to Matt, those two together will ensure that our audio is crystal clear and can be recorded a much higher bitrate so that when he has do his conversion, we'll still sound clear. If anyone else has a suggestion for us, please let us know. As new podcasters, we have a lot to learn and we happily accept advice from those who have "been there, done that!"

[And the Views continue...]

Views from the Coop - Podcast Episode #2

Kristi, forever the Gadget Gal,just got a new toy! This episode is all about her *NEW* Treo 650 Smartphone...

[And the Views continue...]

Views from the Coop - Podcast Episode #1

Drum Roll Please.....Introducing, the NEW "Views from the Coop" PODCAST!

After looking high and low for a suitable podcasting partner (my mom and business partner in 2 Smart Chix, Gwen, isn't into podcasting), I finally looked right in front of me and joined forces with Kristi "Chickitoo!" Hicks. Kristi has been acting as the online moderator for PC Primer, the radio show on which I was co-host and am no longer affiliated with. Her dad, the now solo host of PC Primer always said he'd come to regret the day he introduced us and as they say, the chickens have at last come home to roost!

Even though our first podcast is a little bit rough (actually, the audio is pretty crappy), the subject (Podcasting) is just a preview of the cool topics to come. Yep, as we faithfully read our W2K and WXP newsletters, scan the CNET and PC World Top-10 downloads, listen to our favorite podcasts and read our favorite blogs, we can't help but hit on today's most talked about tekkie topics. We know you guys have your own views and we'll be inviting you into our virtual podcasting studio soon to share your views on what's new, what's hot and what's not. Subscribe to "Views from the Coop" so you won't miss out...and forgive us for the crappy audio of our first podcast. We'll do better, we promise!

[And the Views continue...]