SECURITY...

• Microsoft exploit code hits the web - Security testers at eEye claim to have found two separate examples of working exploit code in the past few hours that could give full control of a target PC. EEye has a free scanning utility for computer users to test whether they are vulnerable.
• Cabir mobile worm gives track fans the run around - Phone-mad Finns are coping with a minor outbreak of the Cabir mobile virus at the Athletic's World Championship in Helsinki this week. Cabir, which infects smartphones running Symbian Series 60 using Bluetooth short-range radio communication technology to spread, is flourishing in the packed stadium area. The version of Cabir spreading drains the power of the infected phones as it tries to propagate but is otherwise relatively harmless.

TECHNOLOGY...

• Pirated Version of Mac OS for PCs Available - Instructions on how to install Apple Computer's Mac OS X operating system on any PC with a chip from Intel or Advanced Micro Devices were posted to the Internet this week, and they could be found on several Web sites today. The process requires a copy of Mac OS X version 4 (Tiger), VMware's virtualization software, the PearPC emulator that can run operating systems written for PowerPC on any architecture, Apple's Darwin 8.0.1 software, an x86 processor that supports SSE2 (Streaming SIMD Extensions 2), and two files created by an independent developer that can be downloaded using the BitTorrent file-sharing system.
• Game players say Blizzard invades privacy - A number of "World of Warcraft" players are up in arms over software being used by the game's publisher to scan users' computers for hacks prohibited under its terms of service.
• Blu-Ray has Updatable DRM (CMS) - The upcoming Blu-Ray disc format allows for updatable copy protection through it's lifecycle. This way, as the copy protection gets cracked (and you know it will), studios can release a new form of the protection on a disc and it would update players.
• Intel to detail next-gen chip design - Due to ship in H2 2006, the architecture will result in "processors that are high-performance, energy-efficient and multi-core", the company said. "New form-factors" for PCs will be enabled, it promised. The beans will officially be spilled on 23 August, when CEO Paul Otellini kicks of Intel's bi-annual Developers' Forum.
• Intel 'preps' Pentium 4 6xx price cuts - The cuts will see each model drop a price grade: the 670 will fall from $851 to $605 (down 28.9 per cent), the 660 from $605 to $401 (33.7 per cent) and the 650 from $401 to $273 (31.9 per cent). The 640 and 630 will fall further, from $273 and $224, respectively, to $218 and $178, the sources allege.

HARDWARE... 

• CPU - AMD FX-57 and AMD X2 4800+ | AMD Athlon 3800+ CPU | AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ | AMD Opteron 275 | VIA C7-M Processor
  
• Motherboard - ULi M1695 Chipset | ABIT AN8 Ultra Passively Cooled Motherboard | Abit Fatal1ty AN8-SLI | Albatron K8SLI | ASRock K8 Combo-Z AMD Athlon 64 Socket 939 & 754 | Gigabyte GA-8I955X Royal Intel 955X | Gigabyte GA-8I945P Pro Intel 945P |
• Complete / SFF Systems: Armari DC945G Server | SFF Roundup, Socket 939 Systems | Shuttle SD31P Small Form Factor XPC
  
• RAM - 6-way Mega DDR2 Round-Up | Centon Advanced GEMiNi PC3200 Memory | GeIL One TCCD PC3200 400MHz DDR | OCZ Gold DDR2/800 Memory | OCZ Gold GX PC 3500 Dual Channel Memory | OCZ EL DDR PC4000 Gold VX Memory
  
• Storage - 3 Huge HDD Shootout  | Maxtor DiamondMax 10 300GB SATA Hard Drive | IOMega 100GB Portable USB HDD | Seagate Momentus 5400.2 PATA Notebook HDD || Plextor PX-740A | ASUS new generation dual-format DRW-1608P2 internal drive
  
• Video - GeForce 7800GT (AnandTech / GameSpot Hardware / GDHardware / Hardware Analysis / Neoseeker / X-Bit Labs) | BFG GeForce 7800 GT OC (GameSpot / TweakTown) | GeForce 7800 GTX | Gigabyte GV-3D1-68GT Dual 6800 GT | Abit's Fatal1ty X800 XL 512MB | Sapphire X800 GT Hybrid 256MB PCIe
• Monitor - Samsung SyncMaster 930MP LCD
  
• Cooling - Coolermaster RF-5AD Musketeer 3 Cooler | CoolJag SFO-H Copper A64 Heatsinks | Evercool SHDC-E Lander HD cooler | Evercool PT03-9232CP Cooler | QuietPC AcoustiFan | Scythe Shogun Heatlane Cooler | TTIC NPH K8-2 Cooler
  
• WaterCooling - Asetek WaterChill 12V Pump/Reservoirs with USB | Gigabyte 3D Galaxy Liquid Cooling System | Swiftech MCP655 12 VDC Pump | Zalman Reserator 1 Plus Fanless Water Cooler
  
• Case - Cooler Master Praetorian 731 Tower Case | HEC Group 6C28 ATX Case | Lian-Li PC-767 Classical Silent Case | Silverstone SG01 Mini-PC (German)
  
• PSU/UPS - Amacrox Power bus Modular 460W PSU | Hiper Type R Modular 580 Watt PSU (video-review) / Hiper Type-R 480W & 580W Modular PSU | NorthQ 500W Ultra Silent Power Supply  | Shuttle PC50: Silent X 300w PSU | Thermaltake TWV500W 500W PSU
  
• Sound - Altec Lansing inMotion iM3 iPod Speaker System | Blue Tango Classic | Logitech Z-5500 5.1 Channel Speakers | Steel Series Steel Sound 5H Gaming Headphones
  
• Peripheral - Apple Mighty Mouse | Logitech Announces G-Series Gaming Lineup | Logitech Cordless Desktop MX-3100 | Sunbeamtech Pro Series Illuminated Keyboard
• Printers - Brother MFC-620CN - Multi Function Device | HP Color LaserJet 2550L Laser Printer
  
• Network -  JAHT 108Mbps Wireless Broadband Router
  
• Modding - Logisys Double CCFL Fan Kit
  
• Miscelanous - The DiscHub (temporary storage for your optical media)  / Vaja i-volution Sony PSP Leather Case
  
• Notebook - Acer Aspire 5021WLMi Laptop | Fujitsu Siemens Amilo M4438
• Cameras, MP3 players- Canon PowerShot SD300 Digital Camera | FujiFilm FinePix F10 Digital Camera | Samsung YP-T8 1GB MP3 Player | SanDisk Sansa MP3 Player
• Cell phones -  iPAQ hw6700 | Orange SPV M500 Smartphone | Motorola v360 | Nokia 8800 | Samsung i300 | Samsung D720 | Samsung E750/E760 | Siemens SL65

GUIDES...

• CMP vs. SMP on AMD Platform - check it out
• SCSI Hard Drive Basics - This Tech Tip will take a look at a few basic features of SCSI, mostly as related to hard drives, and how ATA and SATA drives may compare
• Anatomy of an Optical Drive - Ever wondered what is inside an optical drive? In this tutorial you will learn all about the main optical drive components.
• Windows SBS 2003 BV GUIDE - Networking Basics -  Networking Basics for Small Businesses
•  The Definitive BIOS Optimization Guide Revision 8.2 -  Adrian has updated his premier BIOS optimization guide.
• Nvidia Forceware Tweak Guide *Updated* - This guide refers to the latest Official Nvidia Forceware drivers Version 77.77

SOFTWARE...

• FastStone Image Viewer 2.20 - FastStone Image Viewer (download) is an image browser, viewer, converter and editor with an easy to use interface and a nice array of features that include resizing, renaming, cropping, color adjustments and more
• Gaim 1.5.0 -  Gaim (download) is a multi-protocol instant messaging client for Linux, BSD, MacOS X, and Windows. It is compatible with AIM (Oscar and TOC protocols), ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo, IRC, Jabber, Gadu-Gadu, and Zephyr networks.
• AOL Instant Messenger 5.9.3861 - This new version adds Tabbed Browsing, Thumbnail Previews, Spyware Quick Scan and "Who Is" Lookup features.
• AIM Fix - AIM Fix was created to remove all known AIM viruses in one consolidated removal tool.
• Realtek AC'97 Drivers 3.75 WHQL - This driver supports all ALC series audio chipsets from ALC101 up to ALC861.