Saturday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 02:50 PM CEST - Oct,09 2004
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- The SANS Institute identifies the top 20 Internet vulnerabilities of
the year - IT security and research organization The SANS Institute is
releasing its annual
Top 20 list
of Internet security vulnerabilities (PDF)s this week, with the intention
of offering organizations at least a starting point for addressing critical
issues.
- Next strike against European file-sharers - The IFPI (International
Federation of the Phonographic Industry) is targeting European file-sharers.
After the campaign of the RIAA against file-sharers in the US before, now the
IFPI targets 459 music "pirates" around Europe with civil and criminal
lawsuits. The music industry has
targeted 459
prolific "uploaders" in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and the
UK, who they accuse of illegaly providing their music collections to others on
online file-sharing networks.
- First Suit Filed Against Internet "Spyware" -
The U.S. government has sued a New Hampshire man in its first attempt to
crack down on Internet "spyware" that seizes control of a user's computer
without permission.
- Off-topic: Carbon Nanotubes Harder Than Diamond -
CDAC has
announced the formation of
a new form of
hexagonal packed carbon (PDF) similiar to diamond. Carbon nanotubes are
compressed at 75 GPa and quenched. (thanks
Slashdot.org)
- Off-topic: Millennium receives DoD contract for hydrogen fuel cells -
Millennium Cell Inc. (Eatontown, N.J.) has been awarded
a subcontract to develop hydrogen storage systems for the U.S. Department
of Defense (DoD). Millennium Cell will develop and provide Hydrogen on Demand
(HOD) system design and key components, which will be fabricated and tested at
FCTec. The five (5) kW HOD system will provide hydrogen to refuel mobile
devices and power stationary apparatus, among other military applications.
- Off-topic: Atomic register offers route to quantum computing - The
fundamental
memory component of a quantum computer has been built for the first time
using a string of atoms. This could offer a more reliable way to build a
working quantum computer than other techniques, suggest researchers. Quantum
computers exploit the quantum properties of matter to perform calculations.
While conventional computers use binary digits - or bits of information - in
the form of electrical charge, quantum computers use quantum bits, called
qubits.
- Abit offers RMB$1,000,000 in Great Wall finale - The firm said that
the top
four Doom 3 players in China will attempt to knock out Mr J Wendel to win
the cash, and will compete for the championship.. The competition at the Great
Wall, being held on the 15th of October, will also be the occasion of the
launch of the full line of Fatal1ty products.
- AOL Builds New IE-Based Browser - According to News.com.com.com,
America Online is preparing to release a free AOL-branded browser that is
'based on Microsoft's Internet Explorer technology.' The browser will be
available to users who don't have AOL as their ISP.
- Nintendo unveils DS launch titles -
Up to 12 titles will ship for Nintendo's DS in the 30 days after the
console ships in the US on 21 November, with the total rising to between 20
and 25 by the end of March 2005, the company said yesterday. Nintendo will
itself offer Super Mario 64 DS and Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt.
Activision will ship Spider-Man 2; EA has Madden NFL, Tiger Woods PGA Tour and
The Urbz: Sims on the City; THQ will tout Ping Pals; Namco is preparing Mr.
Driller: Drill Spirits and Ridge Racer DS; Ubisoft will offer Rayman DS and
Asphalt Urban GT; and Sega will ship Feel the Magic: XY-XX.
- Tapwave Zodiac to ship 22 October - Tapwave's Palm OS-based games
console,
Zodiac, will go on sale in the UK on 22 October 2004, the company said
today, following its formal launch this past September. Availability will be
limited to Dixons Stores Group outlets, including Dixons and PC World, with
whom Tapwave has signed an exclusive contract. DSG stores will be retailing
both versions of the console - the 32MB Zodiac 1 and the 128MB Zodiac 2 -
along with at least six L30 game cards. Initial titles include Doom 2, Duke
Nukem Mobile, Spyhunter, Tony Hawks Pro Skater and a pair a multi-game packs
containing Galactic Realms and Legacy, and Paintball, MegaBowling and Kickoo's
Breakout, respectively. The two versions of the hardware will retail for L270
and L330.
- RemoteTV Offers Slick Media Streaming -
RemoteTV--which Belkin says will begin shipping in early November--lets
you take content from a cable box, satellite receiver, digital video recorder,
or DVD player and transmit it to a second TV. The setup uses a proprietary
40-megabits-per-second, 5-GHz wireless technology the company says works at up
to 350 feet. The package includes a transmitter and receiver (each with
component video, S-Video, composite video, and analog audio jacks). You use
your existing television and stereo remotes to control the system.
- Dell to Recall 990,000 Laptop Power Adapters -
Dell Inc. will recall about 990,000 power adapters for some of its laptop
computer models because of a risk of overheating, which could lead to a fire
or electrical shock. The recall covers adapters used with some Dell Latitude,
Precision and Inspiron notebook computers and have the words "DELL" and "P/N
9364U," P/N 7832D" or "P/N 4983D" written on the back, the CPSC said.
- Nvidia NV41 coming in November - This chip is nothing more than
a lower
cost version of the NV40 core that will be adjusted for the performance
mainstream market. This is the market where cards cost from $200 to $300. NV41
may well be called Geforce 6700. It will be clocked to 400MHz core and 1000MHz
memory. Cards will, rather surprisingly, use a 256 bit memory interface and
will come in two variants, 128MB and 256MB.
- OCZ Gold PC3700 V3 and EL PC3200 Platinum Rev2 review - While I was
somewhat disappointed in
the OCZ 3200EL Rev2 needing such lax timings to complete benching at 265mhz,
I had to take a step back and consider that a ram that can hold BH-5 like
timings at 200-215mhz is very rare nowadays and the fact that it can offer the
user the option of going anywhere near and even above 250mhz is really
something I've never experienced. Certainly nothing our venerable BH-5 never
offered the common user at reasonable voltages.
- Corsair XMS2 DDR2 PC2-5400 Memory video-review - 3DGame Man has
posted
a video-review of Corsair XMS2 DDR2 PC2-5400 Memory.
- Abit IC7-MAX3 Motherboard review -
The IC7-MAX3 comes with a hefty price tag but considering the amount of
features and functions you get, it's worth the price. The OTES cooling system
not only looked great, but it serves a good purpose in keeping the MOSFETs
cool. The Softmenu functions in the BIOS makes overclocking a breeze thus
giving unlimited access to the user to various voltage, speed and ratio
settings on their system.
- PowerColor A350A-VF (ATI) motherboard review - Bjorn3D take a look
at a
motherboard from PowerColor that uses the ATI RADEON 9100 PRO IGP( RS350)
+ IXP 300 chipsets.
- TweakMonster RamSink Brackets review - BurnOutPc.com has posted
a review on the TweakMonster Ramsink Brackets for the 9800XT videocard.
- Asetek WaterChill CPU Cooler Antarctica (Socket T) review - With
Intel's new socket T platform, Asetek had to redesign their waterblock's cover
for compatibility. In this look,
Overclockers Online compare the performance of this new cover to that of
the stock cooler Intel provides.
- Albatron nVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT - Build to the exacting standards
of the NVIDIA reference design, this
6800GT differs in that it doesn't have dual DVI but keeps the single power
connector, same style of GPU Cooler and offers an Albatron-branded decal
on the heatsink. The DDR chips are covered by the heatsink which helps them
keep cool under heavy loads and overclocking.
- Sapphire Radeon X800XT review - Rage3D has published
a review of Sapphire's Radeon X800XT videocard.
- Asus AX800XT review -
ASUS really deserve major credit for including the DVO - TMDS convertor
chip with their card and along with their own ASUS branded software package,
fan/temperature control and configuration software this really is the X800XT
card to own if you have moved to the PCI express platform.
- 512MB SanDisk Memory Stick PRO review - Adrian's Rojak Pot has
posted
a
review on the 512MB SanDisk Memory Stick PRO.
- Gigabyte GO-U0128B 128MB USB Hard Drive review -
The whole device measures 45 x 20 x 9mm when the USB jack is retracted
into its protective case. The GO-U0128B flash drive comes encased in an
aluminum and plastic shell, and a small thumb catch allows users to extend the
USB jack out (click to lock it!) when they want to use the device. No cap?
Wonderful!
- Swissbit TwistPro 2GB -
The TwistPro is Swissbit's high-end USB memory key, and it's aimed
directly at people like myself that need to have masses of data in their
pocket all the time. The TwistPro has a huge capacity of 2GB!
- A-DATA i-Drive USB 2.0 Disk + PC Camera review - Combining the
functions of a flash drive and a digital camera,
the i-Drive USB 2.0 Disk from A-DATA Technology may find its user among
people who do need such an alloy of characteristics.
- ASUS SCB-2408-D Combo Drive review - The undisputable advantages of
the ASUS SCB-2408-D drive are its compact size, small weight, support of
two interfaces, ability to work with DVD media of the two competing formats,
and efficiency at processing C2 errors. On the downside, there is the too high
offset value. Even with the highest quality score in the audio extraction
test, the high offset may negatively tell on the quality of the audio copies
you make with this drive. The speed characteristics of the SCB-2408-D
combo-drive are rather low for it to compete with modern full-size external
and internal devices of that class, so it targets specifically users who need
a very compact optical drive.
- BTC 9128CRF Wireless Office Keyboard Kit review -
Hi-Techreviews.com take a look at
the BTC 9128CRF Wireless Office Keyboard Kit.
- BTC 9019URF Wireless Keyboard - When it comes to wireless keyboard,
the 9019URF from BTC is one product specifically built for those looking
for an all-in-one input device to control their computer from their beds or
lazy chairs. In a way, this keyboard gives everyone the opportunity to
flirt around with the idea of a robust multimedia center minus the need to
break the bank while doing so. Add to it the lightweight, decent operating
range and toughness of the rugged plastic housing of the keyboard and you'll
have a full-fledged PC remote control in your hands.
- Ultra X-Connect 500 Watt Modular Power Supply review - 3DXtreme.net
has posted
a review of the Ultra X-Connect 500 Watt Modular Power Supply.
- Creative Debuts PCMCIA Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS review -
The PCMCIA Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Notebook simply plugs into any
notebook computer's PCMCIA slot and provides an enhanced audio experience. It
enables users to listen to PC games on a notebook in 5.1 and 7.1 surround
sound and play back their MP3 music on their notebook with a dramatic
improvement in audio quality.
- Zensonic Z710 Wireless RF Headphones review -
The Zensonic Z710 wireless RF headphones offer good audio quality,
compatibility, freedom of movement and comfort all in the one excellently
priced package. As far as Wireless Headphones go, the Z710's aren't the top of
the line, however for the price range they are unmatched; whilst the controls
and "auto off" feature are not exactly ideal, all in all there is no doubting
that these are a value packed set of headphones.
- Mobile GPU Comparison Guide Rev. 2.2 - Adrian's Rojak Pot has
posted
revision 2.2 of their Mobile GPU Comparison Guide.Currently covering
nearly 30 mobile GPUs, this comprehensive comparison will allow you to easily
compare 14 different specifications for each and every GPU.
- Computer FAQs updated - TechFreaks.org has
updated
their Frequently Asked Questions Guide.
- Advanced Security for Outlook -
Get rid of
the annoying security alerts in Outlook! Advanced Security for Outlook
allows you to determine the violator and specify the permanent action for this
program (and only this!) : allow access, block access or run the default
Outlook handler. In future, the specified action by you will be executed
automatically and Outlook Security will not annoy you with messages about
trying to access e-mail addresses you have stored in Outlook.
- Update for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (KB885894) -
This update helps resolve an issue where Windows Installer running on
Windows XP Service Pack 2 stops responding when you install an update. After
you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.
- SQL Server Health and History Tool 2.1 -
SQLH2 collects four main types of information: 1. Feature Usage – What
services/features are installed, running and level of workload on the
service.2. Configuration Settings – Machine, OS and SQL configuration
settings, SQL instance and database metadata. 3. Uptime of the SQL Server
service 4. Performance Counters (optional) – Used to determine performance
trends.
- GMail Drive Shell -
GMail Drive
is a Shell Namespace Extension that creates a virtual filesystem around your
Google GMail account, allowing you to use GMail as a storage medium.
- PropertiesPlus 1.65 -
PropertiesPlus is a free add-on for your Windows Explorer. It adds
additional functionality to your right-click menu under the menu option
PropertiesPlus. Here you'll be able to modify file attributes, file
extensions, and the time stamps of single files, multiple files, or files
contained within the folders.
- FreshView 3.20 -
Fresh View is a
multimedia browser that makes organizing image, audio and video files much
easier. It gives you the ability to watch movies, listen to music, view
graphics in a slide show, converts graphics from one type to another, prints,
and create an HTML album. This software is 100% free, no ads, no spyware.
- [!} CleanAVS (free) - Gary Di Girolamo send us
a
little application that he wrote to be used with Winamp Advanced
Visualisation Studio.
CleanAVS hides all desktop items such as task bar, and desktop icons (not
open windows yet). It was devised to clear the way for the amazing effects
offered by Winamp AVS set
to desktop overlay mode, hence the name. If you use auto Hide XP toolbars (not
the Taskbar) they will still work.
- VideoInspector 1.2.1.71 -
VideoInspector (download)
is a tools designed to provide you with as much information as possible about
your video files. With VideoInspector you'll know why your video files has no
sound or refuses to play correctly. VideoInspector will help you installing
the required CoDecs (coder/decoder software) for an optimal performance.
- BeyondTV 3.5 - SnapStream Media has released
BeyondTV 3.5 (download
trial version). Version 3.5 adds support for multiple tuners and a smarter
scheduler, in addition to other enhancements.
- The SphereXP 0.79.0 -
The SphereXP is a 3D
desktop (download)
replacement for Microsoft Windows XP. Taking the known concept of
three-dimensional desktops to its own level. It offers a new way to organize
objects on the desktop such a icons and applications. Check the videos and
screenshots to get the idea.
- Qwik-Fix Pro (NT/2k/XP) 2.1 -
Qwik-Fix Pro uses Active System Hardening to protect Windows desktops and
servers against new threats by blocking the underlying vulnerabilities
exploited by worms and viruses. Qwik-Fix Pro protects from hundreds of
specific worms and viruses and safeguards PCs from falling victim to the next
worm or virus before vendor security patches become available.
- GPUBench 1.0.1 -
GPUBench is a suite of tools useful in evaluting the compute performance
of programmable graphics hardware. The tests are designed to provide
information valuable to developers utilizing graphics hardware to accelerate
compute intensive applications.
- Half-Life 2 Optimization Guide - IGN Gear have posted their
Half-Life 2 Optimization Guide.
- RightMark 3DSound 1.24 -
RightMark
3DSound is a sound test, which has the following features:
DirectSound-diagnostics: the conclusion is hardware supported functions for
the selected DirectSound-device; check of presence of EAX1, EAX2, EAX3
support; subjective test of DirectSound3D positioning, with vertical plane
support; EAX2, EAX3 reverb, occlusions and obstructions.
- ATI Tray Tools v1.0.1.380 -
ATI
Tray Tools is a small utility that can be found in the windows tray which
then allows instant access to options and settings.
- DNA-drivers 3.1.4.10b -
These are modified/hacked ATI Catalyst drivers, use them at your own risk.
The drivers have been optimized with two things in mind, better Image Quality
and more/stable frames per second when compared to the Beta Catalyst drivers
from ATI.
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Updated:10:44 AM CEST Sep,20
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