Friday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 10:42 PM CEST - Oct,03 2003
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- Hackers rediscover war dialling -
Hackers are again
using war dialling to break into corporate networks, security experts have
warned. NTA Monitor said that companies are not taking sufficient precautions
against war dialling, which involves scanning telephone lines to find
unsecured modems and create backdoors into corporate networks.
- Messaging worms could infect at lightning speed -
A computer worm transmitted via instant messaging programs could, in
theory, infect half a million computers within 30 seconds, simulations have
shown. Instant messaging (IM) applications let users to type messages directly
onto each others' computer screens via the internet. This has become a popular
alternative to email among home users and office workers.
- Sony to unveil all-in-one PSX game device next week -
Sony Corp said on Friday it would unveil its all-in-one PSX game device to
the public next week. The PSX, which packs a TV tuner, DVD recorder, hard-disk
drive, and the Playstation 2 game player into a single white box, will be
unveiled at the CEATEC Japan 2003 industry show in Makuhari, near Tokyo, on
Tuesday, Sony said in a statement. Sony plans to launch the machine in Japan
before the end of this year, and in Europe and the United States early next
year, but a spokesman for Sony said on Friday the exact launch timetable and
pricing were yet to be decided.
- Nintendo halves UK, European GameCube prices - Nintendo today said
it will cut the price of the GameCube console in Europe, slashing the cost
of the console by up to 50 per cent to L80 ($132) in the UK and _99 ($115) on
the Continent. It also cut the console's price in Japan, by 29 per cent
to Y13,999 ($126). The Japanese and European price shifts follow a similar
move last week to drop the US price to $99.
- DivX is ready for its sequel. Is Hollywood? - Digital media upstart
DivXNetworks may yet see a Hollywood ending for its controversial video
format. The San Diego-based company is perhaps best known among file swappers,
who for years have used its highly regarded DivX compression technology to
speed video downloads--with or without the permission of copyright holders.
Now DivXNetworks is hoping for a sequel as the technology partner of choice
for film studios and consumer-electronics makers working to bridge the
Internet and television.
- Toshiba Shows Off Blue Lasers -
Toshiba will show a prototype laser diode for optical disc systems that
are expected to hit the market around 2006. The company will use the Ceatec
exhibition, which begins next week just outside of Tokyo, to demonstrate a
recently-developed blue-laser diode that is several times more powerful than
current commercial models and has what Toshiba claims is the lowest noise
figure of any such laser diode yet developed.
- Toshiba delays fuel cell - Toshiba is showing off the latest
version of its fuel cell for portable devices, but problems with
the
new technology mean it will not be commercially available until 2005. The
company's announcement at its demonstration Friday in Japan postpones the
release of its fuel cells by a year. Fuel cells offer the promise of a
powerful, long-lasting and very cheap power source in a tiny package. A number
of companies have created fuel-cell designs, but none has made it to the
production phase. Toshiba claims its latest attempt at the technology has
created a product that is capable of providing an output of 1 watt per hour
for approximately 20 hours of operation, using a 25 cubic centimeter fuel
cartridge containing high-concentration methanol.
- Matsushita Cooks Up 'Kebab' - Matsushita Electric Industrial,
better known by its Panasonic brand name, has developed a networking protocol
that it says will make it easier to control future networked home electronics
devices via the Internet.
The protocol, called "Kebab," was designed to get past the problem caused
by changing IP addresses of domestic broadband connections, the Osaka-based
company said in a statement. Such high-speed network connections don't usually
have fixed addresses but rather are assigned a unique IP address each time
they are connected to the Internet or are forced to renew an address after a
certain period of time.
- Great Gadgets for Kids of All Ages - In the past, U.S. companies
created gadgets that ended up on the must-buy lists of adult consumers, such
as the Palm PDA and the TiVo digital TV recorder. But companies may find it
trickier to envisage high-tech gadgets for children. Many children's toys
claim to be high-tech. Take Hasbro's Super Soaker EES Tempest, for example.
This electronic water gun is powered by "Air Pressure Technology" that can
operate in "Stealth mode." Pulling the trigger halfway not only squirts water
but also activates "cool" sound effects and blinking lights to intimidate an
opponent.
- Sound Blaster Goes Wireless - Creative
today announced Sound Blaster Wireless Music, an easy to use wireless
music system consisting of a RF remote control with built-in LCD screen and a
digital receiver designed to play entire MP3 and WMA music collections stored
on the PC anywhere in the home. The innovative remote control allows users to
access and select their music on the built-in LCD without having to use a TV
for music navigation. The digital receiver works seamlessly with existing
802.11b or 802.11g wireless networks and connects to any powered speaker or
home stereo system. The Sound Blaster Wireless Music is slated for
availability in October 2003 with an estimated street price of US$249.99.
- Intel Pentium 4 3.2GHz Extreme Edition review - The enthusiast with
ultra-deep pockets will have a choice between two monster CPUs that go about
their respective work in differing ways but tend to achieve similar results.
The 3.2GHz Extreme Edition puts Intel back in the very high-end
performance game. For that alone, it's a decent CPU. A niche product for a
niche market, and it's sure to tempt all those who had their minds fixated on
the Athlon FX-51. Competition is always a good thing for the consumer. It's
positively rife here. We just hope that Intel decide to leave the Extreme
Edition CPUs multiplier unlock. £650+ of your money deserves that treat.
- Triplex REDai Millennium Silver R9600 Pro 128MB review -
Overclockers New Zealand has posted
a review of Triplex REDai Millennium Silver R9600 Pro 128MB video card.
- ATI 9600 Pro vs Nvidia 5600 Comparison Review - Techware Labs has
posted an
ATI 9600 Pro vs Nvidia 5600 comparison review.
- Uninstall Hidden Windows XP and 2000 Programs - We all want to
uninstall everything Windows doesn't completely need to run optimally. Problem
is, some programs you don't want taking up space hide away. They're next to
impossible to find, much less remove.
This old Windows tweak will help you immediately.
- Internet Explorer 6 SP1 Update - When you use Internet Explorer 6.0
Service Pack 1 (SP1) to view a MIME type file attachment that is handled by a
custom ActiveX control, it may take a long time to view the file, particularly
if the file is very large. A supported
fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct
the problem that is described
in this article.
- DirectX 9.0b Control Panel - 3Dcenter.org have posted the
DirectX 9.0b control panel.
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Updated:03:22 PM CEST Jun,21
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