TECH... 

• Microsoft Bypasses HOSTS File - Dave Korn announced on the Full Disclosure and Bugtraq security lists that Microsoft is bypassing local lookups for some hosts, meaning that you can't locally block some sites through your HOSTS file.
• Censored Wikipedia Articles Appear On WikiTruth - A group of disenchanted Wikipedia administrators has been going through back channels on Wikipedia and retrieving articles deleted by Jimbo Wales or other higher-ups. Now they're putting them back up on a website for everyone to see.
• Online Spell Checker - It can spell check from any computer with internet access in 28 languages. Pretty spanky little tool, just cut and paste your text into it and click a button.
• AM2 DDR2 vs. 939 DDR Performance - The latest AM2 pre-release samples are showing significant improvements over Socket 939 DDR in both memory bandwidth and latency. Unfortunately, the current AMD architecture running current applications and games doesn't appear to need the additional bandwidth or reduced latency.
• AMD working on reverse Hyper-Threading? - Reportedly, AMD has a hardware threading implementation in the works, which would work as a "reverse Hyper-Threading" of sorts.
• Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player goes topless - Here's your first chance to get a glimpse inside Toshiba's new HD-A1 HD-DVD player and check out the magic circuitry delivering all that 1080p goodness.
• 4GB Apple iPod nano - Yeah, yeah, it's been out for a while, but it's far from the end of its lifecycle, so why not read another opinion about this top-selling digital audio player (DAP)? In related news, CoolTechZone.com posted a review on the Apple iPod Hi-Fi Speakers
• Vivitar ViviCam 8300s Digital Camera - This tiny point-and-shoot camera is designed to compete with products like Canon's PowerShot (specifically models like the SD600 and SD550) as well as Nikon's CoolPix cameras.
• Save $200 in 2 minutes and have the worlds best writing pen - Transform a $3 pen into a $200 pen in just seconds
• George Bush has Illegal music on his iPod - Bush likes to listen to the Beatles on his iPod. However, there's no way Bush can have a legal copy on his Ipod according to the RIAA.
• Real Men Cook With Liquid Oxygen (video) - check it out
• Katee Sackhoff Talks Galactica Plans - If you're a Battlestar Galactica fan, then you know Katee Sackhoff as Starbuck, the kick ass rebellious pilot who is always precise and devious, in and out of the cockpit. ComingSoon.net was on set with the vivacious actress for her new film White Noise 2: The Light , co-starring Nathan Fillion of Firefly, and she spilled some secrets on what to expect from Starbuck in the new season.

GAMING... 

• Gothic 3: Copy Protection Interview - World of Gothic has an interview with Gothic 3 Producer Stefan Berger and Community Manager Johann "Ivan Ertlov" Ertl from JoWooD on the subject of copy protection.
• Danger from the Deep Game (free game) - Danger from the deep (aka dangerdeep) is a Free / Open Source World War II german submarine simulation. It is currently available for Linux/i386 and Windows, but since it uses SDL/OpenGL it should be portable to other operating systems or platforms.
• Battlefield 2 Force10 Map Pack 1 - This is custom Map pack, for Battlefield 2 (147MB).
• GTA: Liberty City Stories Delayed - The PS2 version of the latest GTA has indeed been delayed. Rockstar is stating it will be at least the end of May before we see anything. Speaking to Eurogamer, a spokesperson said "it's looking like it'll be released after Table Tennis", Rockstar's first Xbox 360 title, which is due out on May 26th.
• F.E.A.R. on Xbox 360 - Next month's OXM magazine (that's Official Xbox Magazine for all you outsiders) will have the first screenshots of FEAR...There has been speculation about F.E.A.R. coming to the Xbox 360 for a while, but now it's official. Next month's OXM magazine will have the first screenshots of F.E.A.R..
• Microsoft to Sponsor World Cyber Games' Global Events Through 2008 - Microsoft's sponsorship will encompass all WCG events including three pan-regional championships, the Korean Championship, the USA Championship and the Grand Finals in Monza, Italy (October 18-22). International Cyber Marketing, Inc. (ICM) has designated Microsoft as the premier sponsor of the WCG.
• Televised Pro Gaming - Professional Video Gaming Set for TV Debut has word that the USA Network is set to air several one hour television shows focused on online gaming.