SECURITY...

• Cell Phone Viruses: Real Risk or Heavy on Hype? - Last June, when anti-virus researchers reported the discovery of the first proof-of-concept cell phone virus, analysts and experts immediately predicted a coming wave of malware targeting high-end mobile devices. Since then, the warnings have been coming fast and furious. According to the experts, the original proof-of-concept code quickly evolved into Cabir, a worm capable of bluejacking nearby cell phones running the Bluetooth-enabled Symbian Series 60 operating system...read more.
• Symantec's Hosted Mail Security Offers Off-Site Protection - Symantec Corp. on Wednesday announced its new Symantec Hosted Mail Security to provide enterprises with off-site protection against spam, viruses and other malicious traffic.
• New Federal Rules Dictate Bank ID Theft Notifications - The U.S. Federal Reserve Board today issued new rules requiring banks and other financial institutions to notify consumers "as soon as possible" when their personal data has been stolen.
• First Swede prosecuted for sharing files on net - A man in Västeras has become the first Swede to be charged with illegally sharing files via the Internet. But prosecutors say that unless the case results in a prison sentence, other cases of web piracy might never get to court. The 27-year old at the centre of the case is accused of having the film Hipp Hipp Hora on his computer, which he allowed others to download. If convicted, he could face up to two years. imprisonment.
• Computer Hacker Gets Prison Sentence - Daniel Baas, 26, was sentenced to nearly four years behind bars. More than a year ago, the Milford man hacked his way into one of the world's largest consumer database companies. You can read more here.

OFFTOPIC...

• New space prizes target space elevators - The "Beam Power Challenge" will focus on how to transmit power wirelessly by beaming radiation from a source to a receiver. In 2005, the teams will have to build a power receiver that can convert this radiation to electricity with photoelectric cells and lift a climbing robot carrying at least 25 kilograms up a 50-metre cable. Each team will get three attempts and the $50,000 will go to the team that can lift the most weight in three minutes. In 2006, the challenge will include building the source of power, as well, and the top three teams will again receive $100,000, $40,000 and $10,000, respectively. NASA is set to announce more centennial challenges in the coming weeks.

TECHNOLOGY...

• US PSP Launch Coverage - ShackNews / GameSpot / ByteSector / WarCry / NVMax / PCWorld
• Control your computer with your brain? - Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems, a company based in Foxborough, MA, has developed software to enable quadriplegics to use computers as well as any enable-bodied person. The hardware, called BrainGate, requires a silicon chip to be placed on the motor functions of the brain that control arms and legs, and a hole to be drilled in to the skull to allow a plug to interface with the chip and computer. Available on normal desktop computers, this hardware will allow quadriplegics to surf the 'Net, write e-mails, and even play video games as well as the next person, and all by simply thinking the action.

HARDWARE... 

• NVIDIA’s Add-in-Card Partners Gear Up for 512MB Graphics Cards Launch - BFG Technologies, a leading supplier of graphics cards in the USA, said Thursday it would release graphics cards with 512MB memory and increased clock-speeds in about a month time. The BFG GeForce 6800 Ultra OC 512MB PCI Express graphics card will feature higher graphics processing unit speed compared to reference design, 425MHz versus 400MHz, and will have advantage over 256MB graphics cards in ultra high resolutions with antialiasing and anisotropic filtering enabled.
• XFX Shatters the 3DMark World Record - To accomplish this great benchmarking achievement, XFX and a pair of dedicated Finnish overclockers utilized two of XFX's multi-award-winning GeForce 6800 GT cards featuring 256MB of 256-bit GDDR3 memory, PCI Express Bus Architecture and NVIDIA's SLI Technology.  Together with the aforementioned cooling system, they were able to increase the power supply to the memory modules and achieve a core clock of 575 MHz with a memory speed of 1300 MHz to produce a screaming 3DMark Score of 12,483.
• MSI Mega Book S260 (preview) - The Mega Book S260 is the first notebook that MSI has produced based on the Sonoma Centrino platform. In fact the machine sitting in front of me right now is a pre-production prototype, as the full production models aren't quite ready yet. With this in mind I wasn't able to benchmark the S260, but I was keen to get an idea of the look, feel and features of MSI's new baby.
• AMD Opteron 252 vs. Intel Xeon 3.6GHz - Intel's updates to the Xeon line are less dramatic compared to AMD's, but they are appreciated nonetheless. The new Xeon processor line with 2 MB of cache does show performance gains over the previous generation 1MB cache models, to the tune of roughly 5% in most applications.
• Intel's Pentium M Desktop Part II: ASUS' Pentium M to Pentium 4 Socket Adapter - With the CT-479, ASUS has effectively demolished all other desktop Pentium M solutions. There's no reason to even consider a 855GME motherboard from AOpen or DFI; the ASUS solution is cheaper, better performing and is even a much more stable overclocker. Kudos to ASUS for a job extremely well done with the CT-479. It's the only option that we'd recommend for those interested in a desktop Pentium M system.
• Corsair Xpert TWINXP1024-3200XL DDR Memory - This Corsair Xpert memory was not so great for overclocking headroom though, pulling off a very average increase on the AMD test system (albeit while maintaining strict 2-2-2-5 settings for best performance) and topping off at an unremarkable 470MHz DDR on the Intel box with CAS settings of 2.5-3-3-6.
• Gigabyte 8IPE775-G "Springdale" Motherboard - Gigabyte has tried to create a motherboard that takes the forward-thinking approach of Socket-T and marries it with established Springdale technology. The end result is a hybrid board, unimaginatively named 8IPE775-G, that will last as long as Socket-T is around. It's also priced at a wallet-friendly £60 and makes use of regular DDR1 RAM and AGP-powered graphics cards, thus making the jump to LGA775 a palatable one for most.
• RADEON X800 XL Roundup - If you're planning on building a silent, or near-silent PC, Gigabyte's GV-RX80L256V SilentPipe is clearly the best RADEON X800 XL card on the market for you. Thanks to Gigabyte's unique heat pipe cooling, they're the only manufacturer that can boast 100% silent operation.
• PowerColor RADEON X800 XL AGP 256MB - The video card has 256 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM allocated in eight chips on the front and back sides of the PCB. Samsung (GDDR3) memory chips. 2.0ns memory access time, which corresponds to 500 (1000) MHz.
• Leadtek WinFast PX6800 Ultra TDH PCI-E - It's still the highest end GPU from nVidia with no less than 16 graphics pipelines, and six vertex shader engines. The GPU is clocked at 400MHz and the memory at 550MHz. Interestingly, Leadtek's AGP version of its card has the GPU clocked at 425MHz, but Leadtek has gone for standard settings for its PCI Express version. There's 256MB of DDR3 RAM, which communicates over a 256-bit memory bus, giving plenty of bandwidth for memory hogging features such as FSAA and AF.
• Leadtek WinFast TV USB II Deluxe - Leadtek brings to the table the WinFast TV USB II Deluxe external solution that will give you the joys of cable TV, VCR, and an FM radio right on your desktop. How do you fit so much into just a tiny little USB 2.0 box? Turn off that TV and pay attention; we are just about to find out.
• Power Supply Roundup: 6600GT SLI Stress Test - Antec, HEC, OCZ, and Ultra supplies are up to our challenge in wattages ranging from 385 to 600.
• LG GSA-5163D Triple format DVD-Writer - The drive is one of the few multiformat drives in the world, also supporting DVD-RAM. And you can't forget the fact that it's currently the worlds fastest DVD-Writer with recording times below 5 minutes and 20 seconds for a full single layer disc. There is only one noticeable negative point, and that is the media support, out of the discs we tested a total of 7 discs were not written at certified speed (or higher).
• LiteOn SOHW 1673S Optical Drive - LiteOn's new SOHW 1673S is a great drive for the price and is very versitile. The 1673S writes quickly and stable with fine quality as to be expected from LiteOn.Read times are as advertised and error free.
• TTGI 4Fan Plug-N 550W Modular PSU - With 4 fans running in this power supply noise may be a concern for a lot of people, but it is not the case with this unit. The fans are very quiet while set in either automatic or silent mode. It is only when turbo mode is activate that the fans become noticeable, but there is no need to have the fans spin this fast under normal operating conditions.
• Sansun LED Keyboard - Ninjalane has posted a short review covering the LED keyboard from Sansun. This keyboard has a GSM detection feature that will react whenever your GSM phone is active on the network.
• Saitek X52 HOTAS Controller - I had to adjust the stick profile in IL-2, taking a bit off the back end of the Y axis of the joystick. At 100% it made every aircraft depart into a spin. I brought the right hand column number thingy in the Pitch controls of IL-2 / AEP / PF to 86 and no worries. But it was weird to have to adjust it. And it glows blue. Blue-blue-blue. In the setup you can make it really, really bright... or off. I wish they had a slider for that setting rather than just one of three presets, as I wanted a faint glow. The wife spotted it from the hallway - the other end of the hallway from the computer room - as it threw colored light from the dark (monitor and lights off)! So much for casual, unannounced upgrades!
• D-Link DGL-4300 Wireless 108G Gaming Router - What makes it all happen in the DGL-4300 is something termed "GameFuel" by D-Link; it is their built in engine to place priority on predefined games within the unit itself. It does allow you to build your own, obviously not as easily as selecting one that is already configured. Add to this a 4 port 10/100/1000Base-Tx switch (yes that's Gigabit) and you have a high performance internal network to boot.
• BenQ FP71G+ 8ms LCD panel - Arguably, the key selling point for the FP71G+ is the 8ms response time and it seems to hold up to the scrutiny pretty well. Noticeable blurring is something that is very subjective. Blurring is very subtle, lacking a better analogy, to me personally it is like being in an alcohol induced stupor where things are not quite in focus.
• Samsung SyncMaster 920T LCD - The SyncMaster 920T sports a very unique design for any desktop. It's 1280x1224 resolution is great for office work or gamers, and Samsung also provides a 3 year warranty on all its monitors. The 920T also comes equipped with built in speakers at the base of the monitor for those interested, but as we've mentioned earlier these speakers are not your high-end setup.
• HP LaserJet 2420-DN Network Laser Printer - The Hewlett-Packard Laserjet 2420dn model is a networked monochrome laser printer with a 1200x1200 maximum resolution, 64MB of onboard memory (expandable to 320MB), 350 sheet paper capacity, a built-in HP JetDirect Ethernet print server, automatic duplex printing and a price tag of about CAN$1049 (US$899).
• Logitech Premium USB Headset - The USB based Logitech Premium USB Headset 350 bypasses your sound card entirely and uses its onboard DAC to convert your digital files into the music that you hear. The onboard DAC supports 24-bit output, 16-bit input and 48 KHz sampling. On the plus side, setup is remarkably easy--all you do is plug it in. For sound quality, the Premium USB Headset 350 will outperform most onboard solutions, but it won't sound better than dedicated audio solutions like the Audigy 2 ZS.
• Niro 600 Home Theater System - The NIRO 600 ($749/system) is in the middle of the line of the recently introduced product series. Immediately you will notice the size difference. Overall, the NIRO 600 is smaller than past NIRO products. Not only is the main controller smaller, but so is the one-enclosure speaker, and it sports a new configuration. The NIRO 600, however, still carries the classic NIRO appearance, which is the silver and gray combined finish.
• The Cigarette Lighter MP3 Player: MP3onChannel - The playback quality on the MP3onChannel is more suited to playing voice recordings, such as audio books, or self-help or language learning programs. For song playback, the player cannot compete with audio CDs in quality. Song navigation is acceptable only if you don't have many songs on the USB flash drive. This is a decent player in certain situations. If you are looking to get rid of the wires on your long commutes and willing to put up with average audio quality then the MP3onChannel may work for you.

GUIDES... 

• USB Evolution in the Past 10 Years - Everything USB posted an article detailing the development of USB technology in the past 10 years. It spans over 4 different pages covering different aspects: original promoter group formation in 1995, first USB peripheral revolution in 1998, USB 2.0 breakthrough in 2001, and Wireless USB.
• Used Lens Buying Guide Part 2 - In this guide, Andrian's Rojak Pot takes a look at the pros and cons of buying second-hand lenses and then what you should be aware of when you buy second-hand lenses.
• Running Samsung TCCD at DDR600+ on DFI nForce4 - Getting your brand new A64 S939 to overclock to high DDR600 speeds is not an easy feat. Even with high quality memory you still need a lot of tweaks to get everything running stable. In this guide Madshrimps show how to reach stability at DDR600 speeds on the nForce4 board from DFI
• Speed Tweaks for the Masses - Speed... we crave it, we want it, we need it especially when it comes to our high-speed connections. But the question remains and one that I wanted to answer here is: Why does one high speed seem to perform better than another? Why does my 108 wireless connection seem slower than my 10MB LAN connection? How do I keep my speed when jumping from one high speed to another? Well folks that's what this tweak article is going to try and accomplish.
• PopUp Blocking Comparison Test - Using PopupTest.com and a couple of sites with Flash related PopUps I performed a basic comparison to see which browser would block the most types of PopUps without interfering with Good PopUps.

SOFTWARE...

• AutoPatcher XP March 2005 - AutoPatcher (download full version / lite version) is a comprehensive collection of patches, addons and registry tweaks that give you peace of mind in the knowledge that your Windows system is up to date, even before you connect it to the Internet. It's designed to quickly patch a system with the most current updates and tweaks available, and requires no user interaction once you have selected what to install.
• Real Alternative 1.33 - Real Alternative will allow you to play RealMedia files without having to install the official RealPlayer.
• CCleaner 1.18.099 - CCleaner (Crap Cleaner) is a freeware system optimisation tool. That removes unused and temporary files from your system - allowing it to run faster, more efficiently and giving you more hard disk space. The best part is that it's fast! (normally taking less that a second to run) and Free.
• LinkSync BETA 4 v0.9.3 - LinkSync is a major re-write of F2e-Sync. It now support multi syncing from one to many browsers on the fly. Supported browsers are as follows: IE /maxthon detection, Firefox, Mozilla, Netscape 8, K-Meleon, Opera 8.
• Skype 1.2.0.37 - Skype uses P2P (download / changelog) technology to connect you to other users. Not to share files, but to talk with them for free. The technology is extremely advanced, but very simple and easy to use.
• FileZilla Server 0.9.6a - FileZilla (download) is a fast and reliable FTP client and server with lots of useful features and an intuitive interface.
• Maxthon (MyIE2) v1.2.1 - Maxthon (MyIE2) (download combo / standard) is a powerful web browser with a highly customizable interface. It is based on the Internet Explorer engine (your most likely current web browser) which means that what works in IE, works the same in Maxthon but with many additional efficient features..
• Windows x64 Science Benchmark - Sciencemark.org said it has released a version of its scientific benchmark for Windows. But this is a 64-bit client benchmark, to take advantage of 64-bit extensions.
• NVIDIA NvMixer - The Modded NVIDIA NvMixer Utility (download) unlocks hidden features such as Enable/Disable nVidia’s CineSurround,  Enable/Disable output Limiter, Enable/Disable Dolby Surround Encoder, Enable/Disable Analog and Digital ports, Advanced Surround encoding options, Advanced Center/LFE Settings, NvSwap settings, Audio Firewall, Acceleration mode, Application profiles system and more.
• NGO ATI Optimized Driver v2.3 - The NGO ATI Optimized Driver is a tweaked version of the ATI Catalyst driver. The main purpose is to satisfy the users with a better performance and better image quality. The Driver has support for all Radeon cards (both desktop and mobile platforms).
• Forceware 76.41 Win2000/XP BETA - There are new ForceWare drivers (Beta) which are dated at the 17th or March. First reports say that the nasty temp bug is gone.
• Logitech SetPoint 2.30.400 WHQL drivers - Station-Drivers has posted a new set of Logitech SetPoint Drivers version 2.30.400 WHQL (download) for Windows 9X/ME/2000/XP.