Best Practices for Software Development Projects. 10 simple tips to get projects in on time and within budget. [Computerworld News]

How to Un-DRM your Un-DRM'd iTunes 4.6 Songs.

God damn it, Apple. So I don't buy a lot of albums from iTunes Music Store, because I'm cheap and Denton had to get another set of gold fronts, but I've got a couple here and there, which I have unlocked with Playfair/Hymn. Now part of the whole shtick with Hymn is that even though it strips the iTunes DRM, it leaves your email address and other unique purchasing information in the protected AAC file, ostensibly to symbolically signify that Hymn users aren't trying to spread their fairly-purchased music files to the whole world, but instead to whatever devices they want. I unlocked mine so that I could be sure to play them after I had reformatted my machine. I'm pretty sure Apple has a method of reauthorizing your computer, but that's a hassle. But now the new version of iTunes has recognized that the DRM-stripped M4P files were purchased from iTMS and is telling me my (reformatted, reinstalled) machine isn't authorized to play them. So gee, thanks for that, Apple.

Get the fix after the jump.

[Gizmodo]

GNEWBIE GNOOK: Can I Turn Off Some Services?.

By Brandon Watts

Q: When I do the Ctrl-Alt-Del key combination, I see a whole bunch of things called services that are running. I really have no idea what some of these do, and I'm wondering if I can end them. Which ones are safe to turn off? By the way, I'm running Windows XP.

A: I've previously talked about disabling unwanted programs from starting up. One of the things that I didn't cover was the plethora of services that are no doubt running on your machine at this very second. Eliminating some of these services from starting up can help your computer to run smoother. But how do you know which ones to turn off and which ones to keep? For all of the important details, visit this valuable page on the Black Viper site.

The chart on the page gives you all of the information that you could ever want. You'll get explanations on what the service does, what its dependencies are, and suggestions on whether you can turn it off or not. The beginning of the page will tell you how to disable these services, and give you other beneficial links and tips. This is required viewing for any XP user. For your information, there's also a guide to Windows 2000 services.

The next time you perform the three-finger-salute (Ctrl-Alt-Del), you'll know exactly what the services do, and if it's safe to turn them off.

Have a question or subject that you would like to see covered? Drop Brandon a line and maybe he can include it in a future edition of the Gnewbie Gnook! Also, don't forget our forums (or, if you're a Latin freak, "fora") where Gnomies from all around the world congregate to help, be helped, and discuss issues that may or may not have anything to do with technology!

[Lockergnome's Windows Fanatics]