Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 02:43 AM CEST - Oct,17 2003
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- Microsoft plans Windows overhaul to fight hackers - Stung by
criticism over lax software security, Microsoft Corp. disclosed plans Thursday
to
update its flagship Windows operating systems early in 2004 to make
consumers less vulnerable to hackers. Microsoft said the changes, announced by
chief executive Steve Ballmer during a trade conference in New Orleans, will
be offered free in the next "service pack" update to users of Windows XP and
Windows Server 2003 software, the company's latest versions for consumers and
businesses.
- Microsoft Debuts First Windows XP Security Pack -
Microsoft has unveiled the first Windows XP security rollup, a collection
of 22 previously-available patches for that operating system. Update Rollup 1,
which has been in beta testing for the past month, is being positioned by
Microsoft as a more convenient way for users to deploy patches they might have
missed when the original vulnerabilities -- and associated security bulletins
-- were posted on the company's Web site. When discussion of the Rollup first
started, analysts saw it as an attempt by Microsoft to provide an interim pack
of security updates prior to the release of a second Service Pack for Windows
XP, which at that point wasn't expected until the middle of 2004.
- Beefed-up firewall, new version of Update for XP SP2 - The nature
of the mysterious components of the 'security update' to ship with Windows XP
Service Pack 2 is becoming clearer, and SP2 itself could be becoming nearer.
Steve Ballmer told us approximately what the update was supposed to do, but
not how, in his security manifesto last week, but Paul Thurrott has some
specifics,
the most important being that the update to the built-in firewall will
include features from Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server,
including outbound scanning capabilities.
- Prescott set for 90-100W power draw -
Intel - 'Prescott' will never exceed 100W of power dissipation, Intel said
today, in a bid to keep the heated debate over the as-yet-unlaunched Pentium
processor's thermal characteristics from bubbling over. That marks the first
time the company has come clean and put a precise figure - well, a pair of
figures - on the next-generation processor's heat-generating potential.
- SiS launches 800MHz dual channel chipset - the SiS655TX - Silicon
Integrated Systems (SiS) today
announced the release of the SiS655TX for the popular 800MHz FSB
(front-side bus) standard, representing SiS's highest-level dual-channel
product supporting the Intel Pentium 4 platform.
- The Radeon 9600 XT - ATi has revamped
its mid-range 9600 XT graphics card only a few days after ATi introduced
its latest high-end Radeon 9800 XT. What does this card offer that its
predecessor does not? And how does it measure up against its rivals from.
- ZyXEL ZyAIR B-4000 Wireless LAN Hot Spot review - Anyone who wants
to run their own, independent pay-for wireless "hotspot" can now get into the
game.
ZyXEL's B-4000 Wireless Service Gateway bundles everything you need into
one convenient package - even the printer for customer receipts! It's a decent
solution for its intended application, but it has some important limitations.
- Adobe Photoshop CS - After many awards and becoming a raving
succcess,
Adobe have upgraded there desktop digital imaging program Adobe Photoshop.
It is said that there are
hundreds of new features and improvements.
- DVD Plus Identifier v3.0 - Since the packaging of a disc is not a
reliable way of identifying it (e.g. different brands can still have the same
manufacturer and some discs don't even have any labeling whatsoever)
"DVD Plus Identifier" now offers a 100% reliable method to distinguish
between discs.
- WinAmp 5 Beta 1 -
Winamp 5.0
is the latest version of the groundbreaking media player that helped start the
MP3 revolution
- Avant Browser 8.02 Build 106 -
Avant Browser is a custom Web browser application based on Internet
Explorer with versatile multi-window support. It allows users to browse
multiple Web sites simultaneously and block all unwanted pop-up pages.
- Nero SIPPS 2.0.43.11 -
SIPPS offers the comfort of modern ISDN phones and more. The integrated
answering machine with a remote inquiry feature, call forwarding and
conference calls are only a few of the features that make using it a pleasure.
IT lets you freely choose from a number of different user interfaces
('skins'), custom ringing tones, a variety of answering machine messages,
offers MSN Messenger support, and much more.
- Apple QuickTime 6.4 -
QuickTime 6.4 is availble for download. Built on MPEG-4 and powered
by QuickTime, 3GPP extends the reach of rich multimedia to a new generation of
handheld wireless devices. As the first widely distributed, freely available
multimedia technology to deliver 3GPP capabilities, QuickTime enables users
all over the world to share 3GPP content with others via both computers and
mobile devices.
- Fresh Diagnose 6.40 -
Fresh Diagnose (download)
is an utility designed to analyze and benchmark your computer system. It can
analyze and benchmark many kinds of hardware, such as CPU performance, hard
disk performance, video system information, mainboard information and more.
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Updated:03:04 PM CEST Jun,20
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