Nightly Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 03:16 AM CET - Feb,13 2003
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- Gates previews Microsoft products - Microsoft Corp. will unveil a
new suite of business applications, new computer server software and new
technology for "smart" wristwatches in the coming year as part of its
vision for the future of technology, co-founder and chairman Bill Gates said
Tuesday. Gates addressed about 700 technology professionals and
hobbyists who were among those named "Most Valuable Professionals" by
Microsoft. Microsoft is hosting the group -- chosen for sharing technical
expertise with others on Microsoft news groups or other forums -- for three
days of technical workshops and discussions.
- Gates on Xbox 2 -
Bill Gates has let slip some more details about Xbox 2 and the assault of
the Microsoft next-gen games console into the living room, in an interview
with Les Echos, the French financial newspaper. The next-generation Xbox
(which many people speculate will be called "Xbox Next", based on recent
domain name registrations by Microsoft) is a much more broadly-focused
multimedia device than the current console, he says. Some of this
functionality could make it into the Xbox before a new console launch -
several sources tell us that Microsoft is considering major upgrades to the
Xbox Dashboard in the near future, including a possible integration of
Internet Explorer and Windows Media into the console. Next-gen features
include "digital media capabilities such as video and photo editing" and
"Internet capabilities without the need for direct connections through Wi-Fi,"
Billg says
- U.S. military expands radio-wave tracking - The U.S. Department
of Defense is expanding its use of
an emerging technology that combines radio waves and computer networks to
track shipments of military supplies, in what some consider the largest
project of its kind. People can place scanning devices in storage facilities
or air bases to monitor the coming and going of tagged supplies and relay the
information to computers that trace the path of each object. Using a personal
computer attached to such a network, a person could determine the location of
their supplies.
- First UK 3G prices announced - The UK branch of 3G operator Three
has just announced
pricing
for three different levels of subscription to its network. It will start
taking pre-orders in late February.
- Infineon chip to read brain-cell signals - Researchers at
Infineon Technologies in Germany have developed
new
semiconductor technology that will allow scientists to read electrical
signals in living nerve cells, the company said Tuesday. Being able to read
and record the signals, with the aid of computers, will help scientists better
understand how the brain works and could eventually lead to treatments for
neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's, said Roland Thewes, senior
director in corporate research at Munich-based Infineon.
- Windows XP's Successor - The next major release of Windows
won't be ready for a couple of years, but it's already taking shape. The
new file system wasn't implemented in the alpha code we looked at. But
Longhorn Build 3683 does contain a few intriguing interface tweaks--mostly
still under construction--that indicate where Microsoft is heading. Most
interesting is a completely new desktop element called Sidebar that lets you
place commonly used items, including the taskbar, recently launched
applications, and a clock, into a vertical, transparent window on either the
right or left side of the screen.
- PowerBook G4: Good Things in a Small Package - Road warriors whose
needs center on images, music, and video should pay close attention to the
$2,098 (list)
Apple PowerBook G4 12-Inch, the smallest PowerBook yet. This PowerBook has
no significant drawbacks despite its small size, and its multimedia
capabilities are just about the best you can expect from a small notebook.
Inside the 1.2-by-10.9-by-8.6-inch (HWD) anodized aluminum case, Apple has
fitted a slot-loading DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive, a full-size keyboard, a
12.1-inch, 1,024-by-768 display, an 867-MHz PowerPC processor, an nVidia
GeForce4 420 Go graphics processor, and a 40GB hard drive. All this comes in a
4.6-pound package (5.1 pounds road weight with transformer).
- More GeForce FX rumors -
Rumors continue to swirl around the GeForce Ultra 5800 part. This ultra
high-end GPU, which should be clocked at 500MHz, may be DOA. There are rumors
on several websites and chatboards stating that nVidia has decided to kill the
part. nVidia has officially stated that the GeForce 5800 Ultra part will be
available in February, but Best Buy is no longer allowing customers to
preorder the card. It is known that nVidia/TSMC is having yield problems, so
nVidia may have decided that it couldn't make enough of these cards for it to
be worthwhile. Even if the card isn't cancelled, nVidia appears to have an
uphill battle ahead.
- A 5 Second Mod for AMD multiplier unlocking - Several mods have
been circulating on the web of how to unlock AMD processors. Most of the mods
are confined to alterations of the CPU in form of shorting or reconnecting
bridges. In most cases, these modifications reguire quasi surgical skills and
yet, they won't work on some processors / systems. An alternative modification
that has become fashionable is to short pins on the CPU. While this is
straight-forward, this method still misses the point in that it is somewhat
risky and difficult to implement. Based on laziness, our agenda has always
been to use our brains instead and we came up with a simple modification that
is absolutely risk-free and
can be
done in about 5 seconds.
- A Comparison of Four Mobile Pentium 4-M Processors - Tom's Hardware
Guide has posted
a comparison of four Mobile Pentium 4-M Processors.
- Pentium4 vs. AthlonXP, Clock for Clock Comparison - OCAddiction has
posted
a comparison review between an Intel Pentium4 processor and an AMD
AthlonXP processor; both clocked identically at 2.4Ghz.
- Open Watcom C/C++ and FORTRAN 1.0 Goes Golden -
SciTech Software,
Inc. today announced that the Open Watcom 1.0 has been released and is now
available for download from the OpenWatcom.org website and for purchase on CD
from SciTech's website.
- WinXP Patch: Windows Hardware Compatibility Audio Test Causes Computer
to Stop Responding - This update addresses the "HCT Audio Test
Causes Computer to Stop Responding" issue in Windows XP.
Download now to allow HCT Audio Tests to complete.
- Catalyst 3.0/3.1 Comparison -
The article is fully in German language -> use
BabelFish to translate...
- jv16 PowerTools 1.3.0.195 Final -
jv16
PowerTools (mirror)
is a full set of tools to keep your computer up and running.
- Trillian patches - Cerulean Studios has released a small patches to
fix security problems with both
Trillian
0.74(a) and
1.0(a) Pro(req member login).
- SofR9700 Patch Scripts For RivaTuner 2.0 RC12.2 -
To excecute the script (direct
link) you'll need the latest
RivaTuner 2.0
RC12.2 You must start it at least once, then simple extract and open
attached file with Windows explorer, RivaTuner will do the rest. This script
works with Catalyst 3.1.
- Audigy 2 DriverPack -
This web update contains enhancements and fixes to improve the performance
of your Creative Sound BlasterR Audigy(TM) 2, Audigy 2 Digital Audio, Audigy 2
Platinum and Audigy 2 Platinum eX.
- 3dfx Voodoo 3/4/5 Drivers v1.09b9 - 3DHQ has updated their
drivers to version 1.09 beta 9. The drivers are for Voodoo3/4/5 based cards.
Download drivers for Voodoo3:
3dhq 1.09 Beta 9
for Wi9x/ME ~
3dhq 1.09
Beta 9 for Win2k/XP and Voodoo4/5:
3dhq 1.09
Beta 9 for Win9x/ME ~
3dhq 1.09
Beta 9 for Win2k/XP.
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Updated:12:40 AM CEST Jun,21
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