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Gameguru Mania News - Aug,24 2003 - tech

Evening Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 11:03 PM CEST - Aug,24 2003 - Post a comment

University of Kentucky Supercomputer Breaks The $100 Per GFLOPS Barrier - Researchers at the University of Kentucky have constructed and demonstrated an innovative new, scalable, parallel supercomputer that achieves application performance of more than 1 billion floating point operations per second (GFLOPS) for every $100 spent on building the machine. The approach used to design and build this machine makes it cost-effective for solving a wide range of problems, from drug design using computational chemistry to design of quieter printers using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Thus, this breakthrough, that was not reached with Opteron processor but plain old Athlon XP2600+ Barton, is not only a milestone, but also will enable many more scientists and engineers to use computational models.
Red star at night is their delight - Mars holds court in the sky this week as the Red Planet makes its closest approach to Earth since our ancestors lived in caves. "It is amazingly bright," said David Hudgins, a lecturer in astronomy at Rockhurst University. "You cannot possibly miss it." The fourth planet's lopsided orbit around the sun has been bringing our neighbor ever closer to us until early Wednesday, when it will be less than 34.65 million miles away -- barely a ringtoss in celestial terms. According to a computer model, the last time Mars was closer to Earth was 57,617 B.C.
Japan ready to market "robot suit" - Japanese companies are preparing for the commercial launch of a "robot suit" that helps aged or physically disabled people walk, get up the stairs or seat themselves to relax without a chair. Trading house Mitsui and Co. and some 30 other Tokyo firms plan to set up a joint-venture in April or May next year to market the powered suit developed by Yoshiyuki Sankai, professor and engineer at Tsukuba University, officials said Thursday.
LANMash 2: The LAN That Overcame All Odds - While the rest of the THG Lan Party Squad was busy covering Quakecon, THG covered a LAN party in Canada that almost never happened due to the largest power outage in North American history. Gamers will not be denied. The staff running the LANMash 2 event in Toronto put the pedal to the metal and found a way to make this lan party happen despite all of the odds.
VIA KT600 Boards Roundup - VR-Zone has posted a roundup of nine different VIA KT600 boards.
Nero 5.5.10.50 - AHead Software has released an update for the old 5.x serie. (thanks SavagenNews)
VisualBoy Advance 1.6a - Visual Boy Advance (download ~ what's new) is a GBA/GB emulator that runs with Windows systems.
CPUCooL 7.2.7 - CPUCooL (download) is a program that monitors temperature, fan speed, and voltages for many motherboards. This new version adds SIS963 south bridge and a few new motherboards.
Remove Hotfix Backup Files 1.2.0 - Removes Hotfix Backup files and the Add/Remove Programs Registry entries.
Intel Application Accelerator RAID Edition 3.51 - The Intel Application Accelerator RAID Edition software package provides support for high-performance Serial ATA RAID 0 arrays and redundant RAID 1 arrays on select Intel 865 and 875 chipset-based platforms using WinXP or Win2k.
Jet-Audio 5.17 - Jet-Audio (download ~ what's new) features an impressive home audio system interface, including independent A/V components for Digital Signal Processor, Audio CD Player, Digital Audio (MP3, RA, etc.), MIDI (MID, MOD etc.), and Digital Video (AVI, MPG, MOV, etc.), along with a Mixer and a Remote Controller.
Coding Workshop Ringtone Convertor 4.5.1 - The Ringtone Converter (download) is a software program for both Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac systems that allows you to add new ringtones to your mobile phone without the need for cables or expensive premium rate SMS services. The Ringtone Converter supports most makes and models of phone including Audiovox, Alcatel, Ericsson, HTC, Kyocera, Motorola, Nokia, NEC, Panasonic, Philips, Sagem, Samsung, Sony, Sendo, Sharp and Siemens handsets, with more added every month.
Fresh Diagnose 6.20 - 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.

Gameguru Mania News - Aug,23 2003 - tech

Morning Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 01:39 PM CEST - Aug,23 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)

Hackers Steal 13,000 Credit Card Numbers - The Navy has canceled 13,000 credit cards used for government expenses after discovering that hackers had downloaded card numbers and billing records, Defense Department officials said. Citibank, the card issuer, has found no unusual activity in the card accounts since the hacking began in July and no fraud related to the incident had been reported as of Thursday, according to a Defense Department official. Officials and investigative teams from the Navy and Department of Defense are still trying to figure out what vulnerabilities the hackers exploited and how to prevent such attacks in the future.
Feared Attack From Computer Virus Fizzles - A feared Internet attack resulting from a fast-spreading computer virus fizzled Friday. Security experts said they contained the virus by identifying and blocking computers key to coordinating it. Instructions written into the latest version of the "Sobig" virus, which has caused enormous headaches since it began appearing Tuesday, called for infected Windows machines to try to download a program that, until the attack began at 3 p.m. EDT Friday, had an unknown function. Experts feared the program could have deleted files, stolen passwords or created rogue e-mail servers for spreading junk e-mail. But when the appointed time came, all the virus did was visit a pornography site, said Vincent Weafer, security director with Symantec Security Response. "There is nothing malicious, just a standard sex site," he said.
Woman burned by exploding cellphone - A mobile phone has exploded in a woman's face while she was out shopping. The blast caused burns to her face and neck. The freak incident happened in Amsterdam earlier this week. According to local reports, the phone switched itself off when the 33-year-old women dropped the phone. When she switched it back on again, the phone exploded. Paramedics arrived quickly on the scene to treat her for her injuries. According to witnesses, the phone concerned was manufactured by mobile giant Nokia. A spokesman for Nokia confirmed that while the phone was made by Nokia, the battery was not. Nokia intends to carry out an investigation into the incident but has warned that some replacement batteries, while cheaper, lack some essential safety features.
Nanoparticles to pinpoint viruses in body scans - An injection of magnetic nanoparticles into your bloodstream could reveal precisely where harmful viruses are lurking. The particles are coated with antibodies to a particular virus, so they will form clumps that should be visible on conventional body scans if that virus is present. The team working on the technology, from the Harvard Medical School's Center for Molecular Imaging Research in Charlestown, Massachusetts, have already managed to detect viruses in body fluids and tissue samples. They hope to be able to detect viruses in patients' bodies within a couple of years. Much of the technology has already been tested in humans, so the scientists are confident that it will be safe.
Toshiba debuts smallest HDD MP3 player - Toshiba has launched what it claims is the thinnest, lightest and smallest hard drive-based portable music player yet to grace the market. The player, the Gigabeat G20 MEG200J is just 1.27cm thick, a smidge thinner than the 1.55cm iPod. It measures 8.95 x 7.65cm and weighs 138g - the iPod is 10.25 x 6cm and weighs 158.76g. Inside its limited edition dark "sapphire" blue or standard aluminium shell, the Gigabeat packs in a 20GB 1.8in hard drive.
AMD to ship Athlon 64s as Athlon XPs - AMD's upcoming Athlon 64 low-end variants, codenamed 'Paris' and 'Victoria', will not be offered as 64-bit processors but as 32-bit upgrades to the current Athlon XP line. Paris and Victoria emerged earlier this year, when they were revealed to be cut-down versions of the Athlon 64. At the time, it was assumed that was simply a matter of their smaller, 256KB L2 cache. Paris will be fabbed at 130nm, and is due to ship sometime during Q4 2003. Victoria will debut late Q2 or early Q3 2004. However, it now appears that the chips will not operate in 64-bit mode. The Athlon 64 supports three modes of operation: 32-bit 'legacy' mode, dual 32/64-bit 'compatibility' mode and pure 64-bit mode. The last two require a 64-bit OS, and are essentially sub-modes of the chip's 64-bit 'long' mode.
ATI R360 Speed and Performance Revealed - According to X-Bit Labs, ATI's new graphics monster will utilize a new type of VPU cooler, a more efficient one to cool down the powerful 0.15 micron R360 VPU running at astonishing 450MHz.. Other features of ATI graphics cards will remain untouched: the product will come equipped with D-Sub, DVI-I and TV-Out connectors. Both versions of the R360 with either 128 or 256MB of DDR SDRAM memory will be clocked similarly and will score 6750 - 7000+ marks in the 3DMark03 benchmark, suggesting that R360 is something more than an overclocked R350 and we should expect architectural improvements as well.
MSI-8918 Personal Cinema FX5200 Video Card Review - In the ATI All-In-Wonder 9700 PRO review we mentioned that ATI held the lead in the sector of video cards with additional multimedia features. The guys in Santa Clara have apparently realized that and finally counterattacked. The pioneer was expectedly Micro-Star International which seems to be the only manufacturer of video cards on NVIDIA's chips that readily offers additional features such as a remote control with the MSI FX5600-VTDR128 (MS-8912). The only thing left to do is to add a tuner and replace the FX5600 with the FX5200 to get... So, meet the today's hero MSI-8918 Personal Cinema FX5200.
Chaintech FX71 5600 Ultra Video Card Review - The Chaintech FX71 5600 Ultra video card has a functional purpose behind its sexy looks, too. The enclosed design was designed to produce better cooling for today's demanding graphic processors. By using Gas Turbine Technology (GT), it can average around 10-15°C better cooling than other standard methods. The Gas Turbine technology works in the same way, for the most part, as an airplane engine.
Aerocool Golden Crown Review - A cfm rating of 38.41 while only giving off 26dBA of noise is quite impressive. This comes close to the noise levels of some 92mm fans at the same dBA. The higher performance fan provides an equally impressive ratio with 51.5 cfm at only 34 dBA.
Zalman CNPS7000A-CU - HardwarePacers are looking at the Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu Pentium 4 Heatsink which also fits AMD 462 and 754 sockets. The Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu is a Pentium 4 heatsink that is very competitive with a pure copper heatsink and a fan that spins from 1350 - 2400 RPM where it can be controlled with a Zalman fan controller. Estimated Price: 49- 65 USD
P4 Cooler Shoot out - Gamers Depot has posted a shout out between two of the latest P4 coolers from Zalman and Thermaltake.
OCZ EL DDR PC3700 Premier Dual Channel - OCZ Premier Series PC-3700 features OCZ EVPR Extended Voltage Protection, a circuit protection feature designed to allow performance enthusiasts to tweak their systems without the worry of invalidating the warranty. OCZ Premier Series PC-3700 memory has been optimized for use with the Intel i865/i875 chipsets in dual channel configurations.
Gigabyte GA-7VT600L KT600 Motherboard Review - The KT-600 chipset is NOT going be VIA's saviour. It is 5% slower than Nvidia's nF2 Ultra400 on average. In extreme cases, i.e. Q3A demo, the gap is as wide as 14%. In terms of overclocking, KT-600 is no match for Nvidia's nF2 due to the lack of PCI and AGP locking.
3DMark2001SE scores of K8 3100+ - Here is a chart showing the score obtained by a Tyan Radeon 9700Pro running 512M Corsair XMS3500c2.
Soyo P4I875P Dragon 2 Platinum Edition - The price is a bit steep at around $190 USD, and the overclocking options are lacking, but that isn't to say this board is entirely bad. The Dragon 2 PE is packed with storage options. The PATA and SATA RAID ability is extremely nice, but it is certainly overkill for a lot of people. The integrated sound and Gigabit Ethernet are major pluses. The sound quality is just as good, if not better than my Sound Blaster Live! Extras such as the 6-1 card reader with USB and Firewire are a great addition if you use a lot of portable devices that require memory card storage. The software bundle is equally useful with several Norton products.
Lite-On LTR-52327S - The LTR-52327S really has a lot going for it. While it is not a real speed increase in areas like reading or writing, this drive is a killer rewriter. Additionally, the LTR-52327S is smaller and more attractive than its predecessors - not to mention the fact that one can find this drive on pricewatch for a mere 45 dollars.
Lite On LTN-526 52X CD-ROM Review - When it came time for me to build a new PC to augment my main PC and take over duties of DivX encoding I needed a cheaply priced yet reliable optical drive. I chose the 52X Lite On LTN-526 CD-ROM for it's price ($16.99 at NewEgg) and also due to complete customer satisfaction with all of my other Lite On products.
A+GPB HSS168 Virtual 3D Headphone Review - When you go to LAN parties you're usually not allowed to bring your speakers. You are required to bring a pair of headphones. If you are a casual gamer at home or listen to music on your MP3 player are you bored of your basic earphones/headphones? ModSynergy has posted a review of A+GPB HSS168 Virtual 3D Headphone.
IOGEAR GME321R Phaser RF Wireless Mouse W/ Laser Pointer - If you like trackballs, and need to be able to walk around, sit back / relax, while still being able to control your computer, this is the absolute best trackball you can get.
Firewalls and Internet Security Guide - PC Stats has posted a new guide about Firewalls and Internet Security.
Lapping Guide - Ever heard about lapping? Well lapping is a process of making a heatsink flat. We want the metal-to-metal contact between the heatsink and CPU die and/or chip to become one. The more contact both have, the better cooling is achieved. This guide is going to be straight forward, telling you how to lap a heatsink of any kind straight up. So listen.
Hard Drive Data Recovery Guide - PC Stats has posted a new beginners guide about Hard Drive Data Recovery.
System Optimization Guide 2003 - Design Technica has published a System Optimization Guide.
BSPlayer 0.86.501 - BSplayer (download) is a media player that plays back all kinds of media files ( avi / mpg / asf / wmv / wav / mp3...) and specialises in video and divx playback.
36 Winamp Plugins - Techconnect have posted TechConnect has posted a list of 36 Winamp plugins.
Opera Without Java 7.20 Beta 4 - Opera's new looks are complemented with exciting features such as the Personal Bar and Pagebar, hotclick, improved window handling, bookmarks search, redesigned preferences, new shortcuts, extensive drag and drop, and support for Unicode and LiveConnect. You can download a new beta 4 from here.
Eudora for Windows 6.0.0.20 Beta - Eudora provides easy to use email features plus the extra customization for the most advanced user. It gives you the best of both worlds. Version 6.0 has the exact same feeling and features than v5 with the anti-spam added, so I don't plan to upgrade soon. If you already running the previous beta, they've disabled the SPAMeliminator, it's only available in paid mode now.
MotherBoard Monitor 5.3.4.0 - A new version of MotherBoard Monitor, the program that shows the temp of your motherboard and cpu, fans etc.
VMware 4.0.12 Build 5592 - VMware Workstation (Win32 ~ Linux rpm / .tar) is virtual machine software for technical professionals. It lets you run multiple versions of operating systems simultaneously on a single computer. Quit wasting time configuring hardware, installing software, rebooting/reconfiguring systems. Spend more time developing, testing, and deploying applications and delivering support.
CPUInfo 2.1.0 Final - CPUInfo shows detailed informations about the processors on the mainboard. It detects the processor type and manufacturer, the clock ratio, level 1 and level 2 cache and the processor instruction set extensions.
I-Worm.Sobig.F Virus Stopper 1.2 - Now is the peak of Sobig virus epidemic. The worst thing is that you have to download tons of unwanted messages that infected by this virus. This program (download) is intendend to help you to deal with this infected flood.
Lite-On CD-RW Firmware - LiteOn have released some new CD-RW firmware updates for the following drives: Lite-On LDW-401S ( 4X 4X 12X + 40X 24X 40X ) DVD+RW Firmware DR4ES0E.zip (2003/08/05) and Lite-On LTR-52327S ( 52X 32X 52X ) CD-RW Firmware R52QS09.zip (2003/08/25).

Gameguru Mania News - Aug,22 2003 - tech

Friday Tech Mania - tech
(hx) 12:12 PM CEST - Aug,22 2003 - Post a comment / read (1)

Do you speak cyber-slang? - The latest in computer jargon and slang terms have made it into the new edition of the Oxford Dictionary of English. 'Cyberslackers' (workers who spend all day on the web), 'data smog' (the wealth of often-contradictory facts and figures online) and 'egosurfing' (looking for references to yourself online) are all included in the latest dictionary, along with more than 3,000 other words.
Microsoft issues three critical alerts - Maybe I've mentioned some of these patches already, but once again :) Microsoft has released three new patches, all for problems which it rates as 'critical' - the highest level of security alert. The first fixes two serious problems in Internet Explorer 5 and above. Exploiting both flaws, a hacker could build malware onto a web page that would be automatically run on a computer using the unpatched browser. The second addresses an unchecked buffer in Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC), which are part of Window's database handling capabilities. This flaw can be exploited either by a web page containing malware or code received via email. Number three is a re-issue of a critical DirectX patch for versions 5.2 and above. It covers a problem with the DirectShow section of the software.
Officials Look to Unearth Internet Worm Writers - They write menacing software with names like "Blaster," "Welchia" and "Sobig" that worm around the Internet leaving destruction in their path, and on Thursday detectives and computer security firms were hot on their trail. Computer virus writers have unleashed an unprecedented outbreak of computer worms this past week and while finding them will not be easy, experts generally believe they are ego-filled computing geeks out to impress others. "Every major law enforcement agency is looking into this. At the end of the day, we want to prosecute," said a cyber crime investigator at the UK's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit, who asked to remain anonymous.
Net anonymity service back-doored - The popular Java Anonymous Proxy (JAP), used to anonymise one's comings and goings across the Internet, has been back-doored by court order. The service is currently logging access attempts to a particular, and unnamed, Web site and reporting the IP addys of those who attempt to contact it to the German police.
Using Spyware to Report Pirates? - Software has been making surreptitious checks for "piracy" for over a decade, yet these checks are usually limited to the software itself, and not data on the user's machine. Do you feel software publishers should have the right to peer into users data, if their software suspects foul play on the machine, or should it do the easy and intelligent thing and just stop working?
Fuji unveils 0.8in hard disk - Japan's Fuji Electric this month revealed the latest development in the ongoing shrinkage of hard disks: the 2cm (0.8in) platter. The current standard in micro disks is the 2.5cm (1in) platter. Drives based on the platter are already in development, Fuji said, though commercial products are still some way off. Fuji expects them to be used in handheld devices like cellphones and PDAs, which have traditionally been drive-less products. Each platter is fractionally larger than 2cm and just 0.4mm thick. The magnetic medium Fuji is using provides a data density of 80Gb per square inch, allowing the disk to offer an unformatted capacity of 6GB.
Motorola unveils eight handsets and one 'secret weapon' - According to sources, the V690 is made by Chi Mei Communication Systems (CMCS). It features a 128×160 color panel, a hidden antenna, a digital camera with built-in flash-light and support for video streaming. It will be targeted at the Asia-Pacific region initially. Other handsets launched by Motorola include the A835, its second WCDMA 3G handset. It features multi-call function, A-GPS, MMS support, built-in Bluetooth, MPEG-4 support and MP3 functionality. According to the vendor, its maximum download speed is 384 Kbps, with a maximum upload speed at 64 Kbps.
Pricing for Athlon 64 leaks - When AMD introduces its 3200+ (2GHz) Athlon 64 on the 23rd September, it will charge around $399 for the single channel DDR 754 pin model. In October, it will introduce a 3400+ version of the chip. And its Athlon 64 FX, which is a 940 pin dual channel DDR chip, is expected to cost over $650, but will not use AMD's "PR" rating.
The Envy of Mobile Gamers - The ability to take PC gaming on the go is not recent, but it's only recently that such gaming got good. Now VoodooPC is trying to make it near great. As with the vendor's desktop systems, the VoodooPC Envy M460 Gamebook is both cool-looking-eight exotic colors are available-and pricey at $3,299. Despite the flashy colors, this is far more than a vanity box. Inside are two new mobile milestones: The ATI Radeon Mobility 9600 GPU and a desktoplike 7,200-rpm 60GB hard drive. The screen is a bright, crisp, 15-inch SXGA+ unit (1,400-by-1,050). Games and video both look stellar, making this panel a perfect companion for the new Radeon, with its 64MB of 333-MHz DDR SDRAM. MPEG blockiness is nicely controlled by the chip, and 3-D performance is aided by the 12 pixel-shader operations per cycle.
Maximize Performance and Image Quality - The first thing you're going to need is a tool called FRAPS, made by Rod Maher, who lives down under in Australia. FRAPS is essentially a frame rate speedometer. The app counts page-flips, which occur every time a new frame of animation is displayed on-screen. Each of the page-flips comprises one frame per second. FRAPS had been freeware/donateware for a long time, but starting with version 2.0, it's now a commercial app that costs $30 bucks to register....
Take a Walk on the High End 24-bit Audio Side - High-end PC sound cards can deliver 24-bit sound quality at up to frequencies of 192 kHz. Two suppliers dominate the high-end category: Creative and Terratec. THG have tested several of their cards' that are geared for the highend sector: Creative's Audigy 2 Platinum EX and the Audigy Platinum and Terratec's Aureon Sky and Aureon Space. Their tests show how the two vendors' offerings meet the demands of the cream-of-the-crop category.
ATi FireGL X1 Vs. NVIDIA Quadro FX 2000 - HotHardware has a showcase with benchmarks on the ATi FireGL X1 and NVIDIA Quadro FX 2000.
Image Quality Showdown: ATI vs. NVIDIA - NVIDIA and ATI's latest graphics cards are more than capable performers, but how do they compare in the visual quality arena? See who comes out on top in this article.
NVIDIA Detonator FX 45.23 - With its new driver v45.23, NVIDIA attempts to do more than just address issues associated with a few games. NVIDIA says the v45.23 is the first driver based on its own optimization guidelines. THG compared the new driver with its predecessor, the v44.03.
MSN Messenger upgrade blocks Trillian - According to Neowin.net, Microsoft is forcing people to upgrade to newer versions of its instant messenger application and is shutting its doors to third-party IM products such as Trillian.
Nero SIPPS 2.0.42.13b - Key features of SIPPS: Very good sound quality at a low bandwidth Easy accessible functions, also for beginners Free registration at our registrar server Encryption technology, so that there is no danger of calls being overheard Easy-to-use answering machine with remote inquiry feature Telephone conferences with up to two other parties Call recording Compatible with MSN Messenger (in development stage) A variety of user interfaces (skins) Custom ringing tones Continuous product development and regular up.
Media Player Classic 6.4.6.0 - Media Player Classic (Win9X/ME ~ Win2k/XP) is similar to windows media player 6.4 but with features pertained to minimalist advanced users. It also supports DirectX 9 and VFW drivers for capture. It supports viewing through ActiveX controls of Real and QuickTime files.
VideoLAN 0.6.2 - The VideoLAN Client can read the stream from the network and display it. It can also be used to display video read locally on the computer : DVDs, VCDs, MPEG and DivX files and from a satellite card. It is multi-plaform: Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, BeOS, BSD, Solaris, QNX, iPaq... The VideoLAN Client and Server now have a full IPv6 support.
Miranda 0.3.1 Beta - Miranda IM (download) is a multi protocol instant messenger client for Windows. Miranda IM uses very little memory and is extremely fast. It requires no installation and can be fitted on a single floppy disc. Its powerful plugin system makes Miranda IM very flexible. Only the most basic features are built in, but there are currently more than 150 free plugins available for download that allows users to extend the functionality of Miranda IM.
Zoom Player Version 3.20 Beta 2 - Zoom Player (download) is a robust Media and DVD Front-End Player. It was designed to be simple at first glance while being remarkably dynamic and flexible when used to its full potential and works in two modes. A Media mode which can play any file supported by DirectShow (any file which plays in MediaPlayer) and a DVD mode which uses pre-installed DirectShow DVD filters to play DVD content.
Dell ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 Driver 7.91.2 - Dell's FTP has now offers a new ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 driver v7.91.2.
Sony DRU-510A and DRX-510UL DSS v1.0 utility - Sony have released a new utility that allows you to optimize the read/write speed of your DRU-510A and DRX-510UL DVD/CD rewritable drives only. (thanks Warp2Search)

Gameguru Mania News - Aug,21 2003 - tech

Thursday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 01:55 PM CEST - Aug,21 2003 - Post a comment / read (3)

Robot spy can survive battlefield damage - A military reconnaissance robot being developed at a British lab can keep moving even if it gets damaged on the battlefield. When any of the snake-like robot's "muscle" segments are damaged, clever software "evolves" a different way for it to wriggle across any terrain.
CMSC readies launch of new 'Chopin' smartphone, possible secret weapon for Motorola? - Two weeks ago, a Motorola Taiwan executive made a mysterious comment on the company's upcoming handset launch schedule, saying Motorola would roll out two "secret weapons" in the second half of the year, without giving further details.
CD-Recordable discs unreadable in less than two years - The Dutch PC-Active magazine has done an extensive CD-R quality test. For the test the magazine has taken a look at the readability of discs, thirty different CD-R brands, that were recorded twenty months ago. The results were quite shocking as a lot of the discs simply couldn't be read anymore: "The tests showed that a number of CD-Rs had become completely unreadable while others could only be read back partially. Data that was recorded 20 months ago had become unreadable. These included discs of well known and lesser known manufacturers."
Microsoft warns of critical IE flaws - Microsoft alerted PC users to three critical security flaws in Internet Explorer and Windows on Wednesday, as the MSBlast worm and its variants used a previous vulnerability in Windows to spread across the Net for a second week. The software giant released a cumulative patch for Internet Explorer that fixes several vulnerabilities previously disclosed by the company, and it re-released an advisory for Microsoft's SQL Server software, warning that a flaw in that program actually affects most Windows users. Users who don't patch their systems could leave the computers open to attack through a fake Web page or an HTML e-mail that contains the specific exploit code, said Stephen Toulouse, security program manager for Microsoft's security response center.
Microsoft considers making software updates automatic - Microsoft executives, digging out from the aftermath of an unwelcome Internet worm that wriggled into 500,000 of its customers' computers last week, said it's time to consider making software updates automatic for home users of the Windows operating system. The company is "looking very seriously" at requiring future versions of Windows to accept automatic software fixes unless the user specifically refuses to receive them, said Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Microsoft's security business unit. (see download below)
VIA unveils fastest embedded chip - VIA yesterday began shipping its fastest embedded x86 processor, the Eden ESP7000. Clocked at 733MHz, the chip is designed for fanless systems, including set-top boxes, point-of-sale terminals and thin clients. It consumes a maximum of 6W of power, but under typically usage situations just 1W.
Nintendo GameCube follow-up not due until 2006? - A report in a Japanese business magazine has suggested that Nintendo may release its next home console later than expected, although the company still plans to be first to market in the next-generation console race. Speaking to business publication Diamond Loop, a Nintendo executive is quoted as saying that it is "not an absolute" that the next Nintendo console (aka "N5") will arrive in 2005. That date emerged in response to widespread belief that Sony and Microsoft would release their next systems in late 2005, with Nintendo pledging at E3 this year that it would beat both of its rivals to market.
Kodak, Canon Show 4-Megapixel Digicams - Both Canon and Eastman Kodak have unveiled 4-megapixel digital cameras priced just under $500, each with technology the vendors say is new to digicams. Canon's new PowerShot A80 digital camera supports PictBridge, a new multi-vendor standard for direct printing. The camera is headed to retailers in October and carries a list price of $499. The EasyShare DX6490 from Eastman Kodak is also priced at $499 and due to ship in September. The company says this model is the first to unite a professional-quality Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon 10X optical zoom lens (the equivalent of a 38mm to 380mm lens) with a f/2.8 to f/3.7 maximum aperture.
MCE Shows External FireWire Multi Drive - Peripheral maker MCE Technologies has announced the Lucid M2X Portable FireWire DVD-MULTI Drive, an external, bus-powered optical drive that can write to CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM discs. The new Lucid M2X Portable FireWire DVD-MULTI drive is scheduled to ship Thursday at a suggested retail price of $389.
NVIDIA Confirms PCI Express Support - NVIDIA has confirmed that it will support the PCI Express next-generation expansion bus at some point in the future. That's not entirely surprising, and was always on the cards - even if roadmaps listing NVIDIA's PCI Express-enabled chips hadn't leaked out of the company
Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer (Q822925) - This cumulative patch fixes all old and some new vulnerabilities in IE (MSIE6.0 SP1, MSIE6.0 WinXP, non-english downloads)
Windows Server 2003 SP1 Build 1039-2 - This build (123MB) was released yesterday to a few beta testers.
Unchecked Buffer in MDAC Function Could Enable System Compromise - Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) is a collection of components that are used to provide database connectivity on Windows platforms. MDAC is a ubiquitous technology, and it is likely to be present on most Windows systems.
1by1 1.37 - 1by1 (including IRAssistant + mpglib.dll 0.92 + Compressor & Wider 1.1 bonuses) is a very small sized player which is not only small: It plays whole directories without any playlist. Navigating through your tracks has never been so easy.
Windows Media Player 9 Build 3054 - Microsoft has released a new build of Windows Media Player 9 - 9.0.0.3054.
WinDVD Platinum 5.1 (non-free) - WinDVD Platinum 5 (download) is the ultimate DVD software player, providing you with the finest quality video and audio playback.
DVD Region-Free 3.01 (shareware) - DVD Region-Free is an unique, effective and easy-to-use DVD tweaking too that allows you to watch all region DVDs on any DVD drive(especially RPC2) even if it has been locked.
IsoBuster Pro 1.5 Beta5 - IsoBuster (download) is a CD/DVD and (Disk)Image File data recovery tool, that can read and extract files, tracks and sessions from CD-i, VCD, SVCD, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, DVD, DVCD and others. It also supports the following image file formats: *.DAO (Duplicator), *.TAO (Duplicator), *.ISO (Nero, BlindRead, Creator), *.BIN (CDRWin), *.IMG (CloneCD), *.CIF (Creator), *.FCD (Uncompressed), *.NRG (Nero), *.GCD (Prassi), *.P01 (Toast), *.C2D (WinOnCD), *.CUE (CDRWin), *.CIF (DiscJuggler), *.CD (CD-i OptImage) and *.GI (Prassi PrimoDVD). The program uses several retry-mechanisms to aid you in getting the data, even if Windows is not able to do so. Additional features include Mpg (*.dat) Extraction, support for file system properties, CDText support and much more..
WinAmp Plug-In File Writer 1.17c - Version 1.17c of the File Writer Plug-In for Nullsoft's WinAmp is released. Here is a desc: "I created this plugin to make it possible to give files date and time stamps in their filenames, now I have made a file writer plugin with multiple file format support that is quite powerfull and extensible."
VIA Hyperion 4in1 v4.49 - VIA have uploaded another Hyperion 4in1 drivers this time version 4.49vp2 to their drivers page (Dated 20 August 2003). As usually, no word on what's new :) VIA Hyperion drivers are suitable for any VIA chipset and all Microsoft Windows Operating Systems. Hyperion driver sets include INF, AGP, IDE and IRQ related drivers.

Gameguru Mania News - Aug,20 2003 - tech

Wednesday Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 11:08 AM CEST - Aug,20 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)

File-Sharing Sites Head Back to Court - Three entertainment groups are appealing an April U.S. District Court ruling saying operators of two file-sharing services are not liable for any copyright infringement that may occur on their networks. Late Monday, the Recording Industry Association of America, the Motion Picture Association of America, and the National Music Publishers' Association filed an appeal to a Los Angeles district court judge's decision. The court had ruled on April 25 that the operators of the Grokster and Morpheus peer-to-peer services couldn't know when users were trading copyrighted works.
Navy's New $6.9 billion Intranet crippled ...errmmm disrupted.. by worm outbreak - The Navy confirmed today that its multibillion-dollar Navy/Marine Corps Intranet (N/MCI) has been taken off-line by what could be a combined onslaught of the Blaster worm variant and Sobig.F Internet worms, which are spreading fast. A U.S. Navy spokesman said the details of the network's problems are still coming in and that it is unclear whether one or both worms were responsible for the failure. Another story can be found here.
SoBig spam hits millions of mailboxes - A new variant of the SoBig worm has been filling inboxes worldwide, after it was mass-mailed to millions of email addresses. The worm arrives as a .Pif (Program Information file) attachment in emails with the headers: Re: That movie, Re: Wicked screensaver, Re: Your application, Re: Approved, Re: Re: My details, Re: Details, Your details, Thank you!, The worm is 72,000 bytes. Once activated it copies itself to Windows as 'winppr32.exe' and edits the registry to ensure that it starts whenever the computer boots.
Halo, Vice City Removed From Two W. Va. Wal-Mart Stores - According to this Yahoo story, two Wal-Mart stores in Kanawha County, West Virginia have removed the games Halo and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City from their store shelves. The county is currently dealing with a mysterious sniper that has killed three people in the county last week outside of convenience stores.
Nokia snaps up Sega.com - Nokia on Tuesday extended its bet on mobile video games, agreeing to acquire multiplayer technology from Sega for its upcoming N-Gage game deck. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Finnish cell phone maker said it will acquire Sega.com and use Sega's Network Application Package in its mobile phone and online games products. Nokia has said its N-Gage combination cell phone and game deck will be available in stores Oct. 7, priced at $299.
Microsoft Office debut delayed - Microsoft Corp. said the latest version of its Office family of programs will be widely available on Oct. 21, marking a delayed launch for one of its top money-making products. Microsoft, which had previously said it would launch the newest version of Office this summer, has been testing the software for a more than a year. Office and its related programs accounted for more than $9 billion (U.S.) in revenue in Microsoft's fiscal year ended in June. Microsoft said Office would be pre-installed on some manufacturers' computers by the end of September.
Microsoft Project Linked to Outlook - Microsoft this week will release its Microsoft Office Project 2003 software to manufacturing, the first component of Office 2003 to reach that stage. The project management software will reach customers when the rest of Office 2003 ships, which is expected in October. Integration with Outlook 2003 will allow Project users to update progress on Outlook Calendar entries and report their status to Microsoft Project Server from Outlook, according to Microsoft, of Redmond, Wash.
PCFX Launches Opteron-Based Gaming Computer - PCFX announced the immediate availability of the new Leviathan III, based on AMD's Opteron 64-bit high performance CPU. The Leviathan III will be available with Opteron models 240, 242, 244, and will be paired with nVidia's new nForce3 system platform processor, bringing AGP 8X, dual channel DDR, Serial ATA, and more to the already impressive feature list of the Leviathan III.
IBM crafts Power5 chip with threading - IBM will bring multithreading--a technology that lets one processor act like two or more--to its Power5 server chip, the company said Tuesday, as a revolution in microprocessor design continues. The chip is scheduled to come out commercially in 2004.
HP Photosmart 850 & 935 Review - HardAvenue has posted a review of two multi-purpose digital camera's from HP, the Photosmart 850 and the Photosmart 935. Both have great and less desirable qualities, and both are designed to fulfill your every needs when it comes to digital photography.
GeForce FX 5900 Shoot-Out: Leadtek vs. Abit - HotHardware.Com compared the features and performance of Leadtek's WinFast A350 TDH MyViVo to Abit's Siluro FX 5900 OTES. Both of these cards are powered by NVIDIA's GeForce FX 5900 GPU, coupled with 128MB of fast RAM. We've got benchmarks, screen-shots and even compare the performance of the new v45.23 Detonator FX drivers versus the older WHQL certified v44.67s.
Memory Conflicts among three 875/865 motherboards - MadShrimps.be let us know that Liquid3D has written an extensive editorial on the memory conflicts that keep haunting the Overclockers using motherboards with an I875 or I865 chipset.
ATI RV360 Specifications Unveiled - Mass production of RV360 is scheduled to start in September, while samples of graphics cards and chips are available for AIB partners now. Code-name of RV360 primary reference board is Thunderhead, a little bit more powerful solution is named Thunder Storm and a little bit slower product's code-name is Rainbow. Later there may be some additional reference designs developed in order to address specific needs of certain partners, but initially there will be three types of RV360-based graphics cards only.
The Matrix Revolutions Trailer - Here's a new Matrix Revolutions film trailer (req.QuickTime), where biomechanical machines terrorise Zion.
SecureCRT 4.0.8 - SecureCRT (download) gives you an encrypted SSH session with both SSH1 and SSH2 servers. SSH security goes far beyond the basic secure logon, rerouting data or local applications using TCP/IP ports through an encrypted channel. The VCP utility secures file transfers using SFTP.
Fresh UI 6.30 - Fresh UI (download) is the fresh solution for configuring and optimizing Windows. Loaded with hundreds of useful hidden settings, this software covers the customizing and optimizing technique that you'll be glad to know: Customizing Windows User Interface, Optimizing system settings, Optimizing hardware settings, Customizing Windows application settings, and Control user environment with policies.
SpeedFan 4.09 - SpeedFan (download) is a freeware program that monitors fan speeds, temperatures and voltages in computers with hardware monitoring chips. SpeedFan can even access S.M.A.R.T. info for those hard disks that support this feature (almost all :-)) and show hard disk temperatures too, if supported. SpeedFan can even change the FSB on some motherboards. At the lowest level, SpeedFan is an hardware monitoring software, but its main feature is that it can control the speed of the fans (depending on your sensor chip) according to the temperatures inside your pc, thus reducing noise and power consumption.
Central Brain Identifier - This is an AMD processor identification utility.What's new: AMD-K6 processor identification database has been enhanced with mobile AMD K6-2-P/K6-III-P processors, capability to calculate the Clock Ratio and the Host Clock for old K6 CPUs, capability to determine the Clock Devisor and the Bus Clock frequency for AMD Athlon64, added ECC Checking for L1 Data Cache and L1 Instruction Cache, possibility to change the processor name of AMD Athlon/Opteron processors, possibility to enable/disable L1 ECC Checking.
AC3Filter 0.70b - It's DirectShow filter (download) for AC3 decoding to play .AVI with AC3 audio tracks and MPEG2 (DVD).

Gameguru Mania News - Aug,19 2003 - tech

Morning Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 12:21 PM CEST - Aug,19 2003 - Post a comment / read (1)

Apple Ships Power Mac G5 - The systems incorporate 400-MHz 128-bit DDR SDRAM with throughput of up to 6.4GB per second, one 133-MHz and two 100-MHz 64-bit PCI-X expansion slots, and AGP 8x Pro graphics slots. The processors and their 1-GHz front side bus can handle 16GB per second of bandwidth, according to Apple.

Trojan Horse Attacks GNU Project - Malicious code recently compromised the FTP server for the GNU Project, a developer site for many components in the open-source Linux operating system. The attack originally occurred in March 2003, but went undiscovered until late July, according to a statement from GNU's sponsor, the Free Software Foundation. The compromise was a Trojan horse that was installed on the root system of GNU's servers. The Trojan horse had been on the server system for several months.

New LCD Could Shrink Cell Phones - Samsung Electronics has developed a new flat-panel display unit for clamshell-style cellular telephones that could help manufacturers make thinner and cheaper handsets. In size, the module is about a millimeter thinner than two independent displays would be, according to Samsung. That works out to a reduction in depth of between 3 percent and 5 percent in an average clamshell-type cellular telephone. Cost savings are expected to be around 20 percent over the price of two independent display panels, Park said. The module contains a 1.8-inch TFT color main display, which has a resolution of 128 pixels by 160 pixels; and a 1.2-inch color sub display, with a 96-by-96-pixel resolution.

Blaster Attack Goes Bust - A scheduled denial of service attack against Microsoft's main software update Web site did not materialize Saturday, as computers infected with the W32.Blaster worm failed to find their target. Blaster first appeared on Monday and quickly spread to computers worldwide by exploiting a known security vulnerability in Microsoft's Windows operating system. By Friday, the worm, which targets a Windows component for handling RPC (Remote Procedure Call) protocol traffic called the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) interface, spread to more than 423,000 systems, according to Oliver Friedrichs of Symantec.

DirectX attack expected - patch Windows now - Following last week's MSBlast worm attack, security experts at Microsoft and other firms are worried that a recently discovered vulnerability in DirectX could cause even more problems.

W32.Welchia.Worm removes Blaster - W32.Welchia.Worm is a worm that exploits multiple vulnerabilities: 1) exploits the DCOM RPC vulnerability (described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-026) using TCP port 135. The worm specifically targets Windows XP machines using this exploit. 2) exploits the WebDav vulnerability (described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-007) using TCP port 80. The worm specifically targets machines running Microsoft IIS 5.0 using this exploit. The worm attempts to download the DCOM RPC patch from Microsoft's Windows Update Web site, install it, and then reboot the computer. The worm checks for active machines to infect by sending an ICMP echo, or PING, which will results in increased ICMP traffic. The worm will also attempt to remove W32.Blaster.Worm. Wohoo! Sounds like Worm Wars!

AOL claims speed advantage - AOL 9.0 Optimized is the latest version of the Internet giant's proprietary online service. The service, currently in beta for Windows 98, 2000 and XP users, will come bundled with software that caches information from Web pages on user's hard drive in order to serve Web pages faster. This software is one technique that AOL is employing to boost subscriber loyalty and to attract new users, something EarthLink and United Online have already been doing.

Windows XP SP2 Will Ship Before Q3 2004 -Late last week, Microsoft posted an interesting document outlining its release plans for various Windows version service packs, prompting reports that Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), originally due late this year, was being delayed until late 2004. That's because the page (URL below) lists "Q3 2004" as the XP SP2 release date. A little fact checking goes a long way, however, and after conferring with various Microsoft representatives, I've confirmed that the Q3 2004 date is, indeed a typo. That's the good news. The bad news is that the service pack is still shipping a lot later than originally expected: It won't be out until the first half of 2004.

Russia plans Mars nuclear station - They say that all the necessary technical drawings have now been completed, and - after a few minor niggles have been ironed out - all will be ready for the construction work to begin. Russia hopes to set up a permanent base on Mars. The power plant should be up and running by 2030. But experts are already asking questions about the feasibility of the project. The first extra-terrestrial nuclear power station will serve the permanent research camp which, Russian scientists believe, could be set up on Mars within the next 30 years. Deputy chief engineer of Red Star - a state scientific company closely affiliated with Russia's Nuclear Energy Ministry - says the station will be constructed in the mountainous areas of Mars, possibly in one of the canyons.

Wood to watts - Give him wood chips, coconut husks, corncobs, even chicken litter, and Robb Walt will turn it into electricity and heat. "This stuff is so cool!," said the burly co-founder and chief executive of Community Power Corp., located just north of C-470 and just west of South Kipling Parkway in Jefferson County.

First game-playing DNA computer revealed - The first game-playing DNA computer has been revealed - an enzyme-powered tic-tac-toe machine that cannot be beaten. The human player makes his or her moves by dropping DNA into 3 by 3 square of wells that make up the board. The device then uses a complex mixture of DNA enzymes to determine where it should place its nought or cross, and signals its move with a green glow. The device, dubbed MAYA, was developed by Milan Stojanovic, at Columbia University in New York, and Darko Stefanovic, at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Kobi Benenson, who works on other DNA approaches at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, says the work demonstrates the most complex use of molecules as logic gates to date, and "represents a significant advance in DNA computing."

SiS graphics spin-off to drop Xabre brand - SiS' recently spun off graphics chip operation, XGI, will drop the Xabre brand that gave it its name when it launches its first product next month. The company's first graphics chip was expected to be called the Xabre II, the successor to SiS' Xabre 400 and Xabre 600 parts. XGI hasn't said what it will call the chip, which it has already said will be announced next month.

Intel to cut Pentium M and portability CPU prices in October - Taiwanese notebook makers have confirmed October price cuts on Intel's Pentium M and mobile portability processors that were reported earlier. Intel expects to cut prices for Pentium M processors by 13-33% on October 5, when it will also phase out the 1.3GHz Pentium M CPU, sources said. Prices for Intel's portability processors are also expected to be cut in October, with mobile Pentium 4 processors to fall in price by 14-35% on October 26, sources said.

AMD Athlon 64 Trailer - AMD have released a Athlon 64 movie trailer (WMP9 format).

Windows Server 2003 SP1 Build 1039-2 - Windows Server 2003 Service Pack IDS build 1039-2 is now available for download from here. This build is provided for partner evaluation only. This is NOT a preview of the Beta. Therefore, no feedback will be collected on this build at this time.

XPlite Beta - The beta only adds and removes trivial OS fluff (e.g. wallpapers, sound themes, fonts etc) so as not to put anyone's machine at risk (it is beta after all). The remaining features are ready to drop in pending the response.

phpMyAdmin 2.5.3 RC2 - phpMyAdmin (changelog) can manage a whole MySQL-server (needs a super-user) but also a single database. To accomplish the latter you'll need a properly set up MySQL-user who can read/write only the desired database.

PHP 4.3.3RC4 - PHP 4.3.3RC4 (Linux ~ Win32) has been released for testing. This is should be the last release candidate prior to the final 4.3.3 release. Please test this release as much as possible, so that any remaining issues can be uncovered and resolved.

MyIE2 v0.8.350 - MyIE2 (download) is a multi-tabbed browser based on the IE core (IE5.x or above required). It can open multiple web pages within one browser window, and uses little system resources.

VideoLAN 0.6.2 - VideoLAN plays lots of video formats, even without the proper codecs installed. Good for previewing partially downloaded files.

AntiVir Personal Edition 6.21.08.19 - The private and individual use of the AntiVir Personal Edition (download) is completely free of charge! Even though viruses have now grown very numerous, one thing hasn't changed: our commitment to provide you with all-round protection. The reliability of AntiVir is demonstrated in numerous comparison test and references featured in independent trade journals.

PowerArchiver 2003 v8.60.02 - ConeXware has released an updated version of this excellent archiving utility. With a modern easy-to-use interface, PowerArchiver provides support for most compressed and encoded files, as well as access to many powerful features and tools. Built-in support includes ZIP, CAB, LHA, LZH, TAR, TAR.GZ, TAR.BZ2 and BH archives.

W32.Blaster.Worm Removal Tool 1.0.4 - Removal tool to clean the W32.Blaster.Worm infections. It will terminate the viral process, delete the worm files, dropped files, and delete the registry values that were added.
90 MSI Bios updates - TecConnect has posted a list of 90(!) BIOS updates for MSI motherboards.

Hardware Review Mania - tech
(hx) 02:43 AM CEST - Aug,19 2003 - Post a comment / read (5)

CPU - AMD Opteron 246 1P CPU | Opteron 246 2.0GHz | AMD Opteron 144 1.8GHz | Intel Pentium-M Banias 1.4GHz | Upgradeware XP-TMC Athlon XP Multiplier Kit

Storage - 15k HDD roundup | Samsung SpinPoint SP1604N 160GB HDD | Samsung Spinpoint SP1614C 160GB SATA HDD | Seagate Cheetah 15K.3 HDD | Seagate Momentus HDD(1) | Seagate Momentus 2.5" HDD(2) | HDD 2.5" 4oundup (German) | HightPoint RocketRAID 1542 SATA RAID Adapter || External 10GB USB 2.0 HDD | Kingwin KH-100 Mobile Disk || Sandisk Ultra 512 MB Compact Flash Memory | Linksys WCF12 Wireless CompactFlash Card || Samsung Optical Drives | Plextor PlexWriter 52/24/52A PX-W5224TA CD-RW | Teac CD-W552E CD-RW | Optorite DD0203 Dual DVD+-RW | Teac DV-W50D 4x DVD±RW | Sanyo CRD-BPDV2 DVD±RW | Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 HDD | TDK 48x24x48x CD-RW/DVD Combo | Toshiba SD-R1312 DVD/CDRW

Video - Video Card Roundup | Abit Siluro GeForceFX 5600 Ultra | Abit OTES GeForceFX 5900(1) | Abit OTES GeForceFX 5900(2) | Albatron GeForceFX 5200 Ultra (1) | Albatron FX5200U GeForceFX 5200 Ultra (2) | Albatron GF FX5600EQ GeForceFX 5600(1) | Albatron Gigi FX5600EQ 256Meg(2) | Asus V9950 GeForceFX 5900 | BFG Technologies Asylum GeForceFX 5900 Ultra | Chaintech A-FX71 GeForceFX 5600 Ultra | Creative GeForceFX 5900 Ultra | Explorer Technology GeForceFX 5200 128MB | Gainward GeForceFX 5600 | Gainward GeForceFX 5900 Ultra 256MB | Leadtek GeForceFX 5900 Ultra 256MB | Leadtek WinFast A350 GeForceFX 5900 | MSI GeForceFX 5600(1) | MSI GeForceFX 5600(2) | MSI NBox FX5900U-VTD256 GeForceFX 5900 Ultra (1) | MSI NBox N5900 GeForceFX 5900 Ultra (2) | nVidia GeForceFX 5900 Ultra | Palit GeForceFX 5200 Ultra | GeforceFX 5900 Ultra vs ATi Radeon 9800 Pro || ATi Radeon 9800 roundup | Sapphire Radeon roundup | ATi Mobility Radeon 9600(1) | ATi Mobility Radeon 9600(2) | ATi All-In-Wonder 9800 Pro(1) | ATi All-In-Wonder Radeon 9800 Pro(2) | ATi All-in-Wonder Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB(3) | ATi All-In-Wonder Radeon 9600 Pro | ATi All-In-Wonder Radeon 9600 Pro | ATi Radeon 9800 128MB | Crucial Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB | FIC Radeon 9600 Pro | FIC A98P Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB | Gigacube Radeon 9600 Pro | Gigacube GameBuster Radeon 9800 Pro | Hercules Radeon 9800 Pro | Hercules Radeon 9800 Pro vs Sapphire Radeon 9700 | Manli Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB | Sapphire Atlantis Radeon 9800 Pro(1) | Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro (2) | Sapphire Atlantis UE 9600 Pro | Triplex Redai Radeon 9600 Pro | Tyan G9600 Radeon 9600 Pro(1) | Tyan Tachyon G9600 Pro (2) | Tyan Tachyon G9600 Pro Radeon 9600 (3) | Radeon 9700 Pro vs Radeon 9800 Pro || 3dfx Rampage | Matrox Millennium P750 review | ECS EZ-TV TVP3XP TV Tuner | LiveView FlyTV-Box External TV Tuner | ATi TV Wonder VE Remote Control Edition | CAD/DCC Workstation Video Card roundup | nVidia QuadroFX 3000 in 3ds max 5

Printer - Epson CX5200 3-in-1 Printer

Miscelanous - IOSS BIOS Savior | SilverStone SST-SDP01 6-in-1 Portable Card Reader |

Gameguru Mania News - Aug,17 2003 - tech

Sunday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 11:03 PM CEST - Aug,17 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)

Next-Gen Windows Worms Will Be Smarter - Despite infecting tens of thousands of computers worldwide, the recent W32.Blaster worm is poorly written and inefficient, blunting its impact, according to security experts. However, future versions of the worm could correct Blaster's flaws and spread much more quickly, resulting in service outages on infected networks and causing far greater harm to businesses and individual users on the Internet, experts warn. Blaster, which is also known as the MSBlast, the Lovsan Worm, and the DCOM Worm, surfaced on Monday and quickly spread to computers worldwide by exploiting a known security vulnerability in Microsoft Windows.
New Blaster worm variants on the loose - New variants of the Blaster worm are spreading rapidly because of poorly patched home users.
Blaster B and Blaster C are very simple tweaks on the original blaster code. Virus writers have changed the name of the infection application from MCBlast.exe to Teekids.exe or penis32.exe respectively. The code compression format has also been changed and new messages have been added taunting Microsoft and antivirus companies. The Blaster C worm can also include a Trojan that allows hackers to take control of infected PCs. Antivirus vendors have already identified the Trojan, called Lithium, and a scan should remove it.
GNU servers 'owned' by crackers since March - Crackers owned the primary file servers of the GNU Project from mid-March until two weeks ago, the Free Software Foundation admitted this week. The attack raises concerns about whether malicious code could have been inserted in the software available for download, including some Linux applications
MS fixes WinNT patch RAS knock-out glitch - As if hard pressed Windows sysadmins didn't have enough problems dealing with the effects of the Blaster worm, Microsoft has warned that an unrelated security fix it supplied to NT 4 users last month was faulty. The security patch, issued in July and designed to guard against a potential DoS risk, causes Remote Access Services to fail when a system is rebooted after applying the patch, Microsoft has admitted.
ATI wins bid for next Xbox - Graphics chip underdog ATI Technologies said Thursday it has signed a contract with Microsoft to produce components for future versions of the Xbox game console, beating out market leader Nvidia.
Chinese launch wristphone - The Chinese announcement won't be seen in Europe; it's designed to work on the CDMA standard, found mostly in North America. There are three solutions. There's the Seiko, which uses the wrist module as an alert and as a display, and provides simple control for accepting and terminating calls. A Bluetooth headset deals with the audio, and a belt-mounted personal mobile gateway does the GSM wireless work. The other famous wrist-watch phone is the Japanese model, the Wristomo, was announced by NTT DoCoMo in March this year. To talk on that one, you take it off, opening up the wrist-clip to make it look like a reasonably neat phone. The buttons on the inside of the band are, presumably, a minor discomfort for the tough-guy nerds who wear it.
T-Mobile, RIM Launch Color BlackBerry - The BlackBerry 7230 is a tri-band Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Services (GSM/GPRS) device. It lets users access e-mail along with the Internet and voice networks around the world, and supports 900-MHz, 1800-MHz, and 1900-MHz bands. It was launched in Germany and Austria on June 2 through T-Mobile International, but is now available in the U.S. for $400.
New HP Device Converts VHS to DVD - A device to convert those stacks of cherished but now rarely watched videotapes to DVD is a highlight of the dozens of new Hewlett-Packard products announced this week. The $399 DVD Movie Writer dc3000 is among the 158 new products launched by HP. All of the consumer devices, which include cameras, printers, and scanners, were unveiled in New York on Monday by HP CEO Carly Fiorina.
Sony Unveils 8-Megapixel Digicam - Sony's digital camera line hits new resolution levels with the unveiling of the 8-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-F828, which sports a new four-color CCD, imaging processor, and a high-end Carl Zeiss lens. The new digital camera is aimed at sophisticated hobbyists, not strictly for professionals, according to Sony. Suggested retail price will be $1200 upon its release in early November, according to Sony.
Sony polishes up flash memory card - The Japanese consumer electronics and entertainment company announced on Friday a new version of its Memory Stick Duo card, called the Memory Stick Pro Duo. The new removable flash memory card has a capacity of up to 512MB, up from a maximum of 128MB in the previous version. It will theoretically be able to transfer data at a rate of up to 20 megabytes per second under optimal conditions, according to Sony.
Phantom console unveiled - The Phantom games console comes with a 100GB hard drive, 256MB DDR RAM, the latest iteration of nVidia's video card and runs on the Windows XP kernel! With the Phantom SDK, you can port Xbox and PC games over extremely easy, they provide the SDK at no cost.
Camera Round -up - PCMag has tested 15 cameras, each of them has some sort of lens protector that opens automatically when you turn the camera on, and all have optical zoom lenses, LCD viewfinders, and removable memory cards.
Roundup of 9 GeForce FX based videocards - NordicHardware have compared nine GeForce FX-based videocards. One 5200 Ultra, one 5600, three 5600 Ultras, three 5900's and finally one 5900 Ultra. The three boards we'll use for comparison are Radeon 9600 Pro, 9800 and 9800 Pro. (We won't use Radeon 9200 Pro since the 5200 Ultra reviewed today is even more expensive than a Radeon 9600 Pro and thus would make it a very unfair comparison.) Four manufacturers are represented in the review: ABIT, Creative, Gainward and Inno3D. Nothing new here as these are all well known brands.
Windows XP SP2 Delayed Until Late 2004 - In a surprising turn of events, Microsoft has pushed back the release date for the second Windows XP service pack to the third quarter of 2004. SP2 was long expected to debut before the end of 2003, a year after SP1 made the rounds. The change in plans came to light by way of Microsoft's Product Lifecycle Web site, which details future support timelines for the company's products.
Windows Registry Guide 2003 - The Windows Registry Guide is a Windows help file that reveals all the best tweaks, tricks, and hacks for the Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000 and XP Registries. The Registry is a database used to store settings and options for the 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows.
OpenOffice 1.1 RC3 - There is latest stable build (win32 ~ linux) of Sun's OpenSource office suite called OpenOffice, an open source project through which Sun Microsystems is releasing the technology for the popular StarOffice productivity suite.
Real Alternative 1.04 - Real Alternative will allow you to play RealMedia files. This way you can play RealAudio and RealVideo files without having to install RealPlayer. You do need a player that is capable of playing RealMedia. The included Media Player Classic supports it and works very well. Supported: RealAudio (.ra .rpm), RealMedia (.rm .ram .rmvb .rpx .smi .smil), RealText (.rt), ReadPix (.rp), RealMedia embedded in webpages. .smi and .smil files sometimes only play the first part of a clip. This is a limitation of the current Media Player Classic.
GAIM 0.67 - 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. What's new in this version?
NeroVision Express 2.0.1.2 - NeroVision Express 2 leads you comfortably through the whole process of making video CDs, Super VideoCDs or high-value DVDs.
Fresh UI 6.25 - Fresh UI (download) is the fresh solution for configuring and optimizing Windows. Loaded with hundreds of useful hidden settings, this software covers the customizing and optimizing technique that you'll be glad to know: Customizing Windows User Interface, Optimizing system settings, Optimizing hardware settings, Customizing Windows application settings, and Control user environment with policies.
Fresh Download 6.00 - Fresh Download (download) is an easy-to-use and very fast download manager software that turbo charges downloading files from the Internet, such as your favorite software, mp3 files, video files, picture collections, etc. Unlike any other similar utilities, this software is 100% free, no charges, no banners in the software, no spyware.
Earth Station 5 v1.1.24 - Earthstation 5 (download) breaks new ground by providing fast file sharing with Windows audio and video streaming and P2P downloading with stealth technology to hide your IP address and prevent harassment.
TVTool 8.2 - With version 8.2 the nView features were renewed completely. Now the nView configuration works properly on systems with multiple graphics cards, too. Also the assignment of the primary/secondary monitor is done correctly. The problem with the resolution and refresh rate, which were not restored correctly because of a Detonator driver bug, is solved now. TVTool restores them manually now.
DivXG400 2.83 - DivXG400 (download) was first brought to live to work around incompatibility with DivX ;-), MS MPEG4, WM7, WM8 codecs and Matrox G400/G450 drivers/hardware. If image width of the clips is not exact multiple of 32 (like 720x???), clip may be played back without using video overlay. Without video overlay, clips are looking choppy and DVDMax can not be used.
WinAce 2.50 - WinAce (download) is an archiving utility with an easy-to-use interface for creating, extracting, and viewing archives. It includes built-in compression for ACE, ZIP, LHA, and MS-CAB formats, and built-in decompression for ACE, ZIP, LHA, MS-CAB, RAR, ARJ, ARC, GZIP, TAR, and ZOO formats. This final version adds BZip2 extraction support, fixes a bug that sporadically produced an error when exiting WinAce, adds "extract to directory with the same name" (XFolder) to the context menu, fixes a shell extension problem with filenames > 220 characters and problem with ACE Sfx files on drives with more than 4GB free space.
Cpu-Z 1.19a - CPU-Z (download) is a freeware that provides some information on your CPU, Board, RAM ...
Nvidia Detonator Drivers v45.23 (Official) WHQL - NVIDIA has released new official Detonator WHQL drivers (now called Detonator FX) for Win2k/XP ~ 9x/ME ~ Release Notes
Nvidia Detonator Drivers v45.24 - Nvidia's FTP also offers Detonator (non WHQL) driver version 45.24 - core files are dated: 08/05/2003.
VIA Hyperion 4in1 v4.49p - VIA's FTP server has now offers a new Hyperion 4in1 drivers version 4.49p (mirror1 ~ mirror2). No word yet on what's new. VIA Hyperion drivers are suitable for any VIA chipset and all Microsoft Windows Operating Systems. Hyperion driver sets include INF, AGP, IDE and IRQ related drivers.

Gameguru Mania News - Aug,01 2003 - tech

Friday Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 05:18 PM CEST - Aug,01 2003 - Post a comment / read (3)

EA Sees Countdown to Next-Generation Game Consoles - In an interview with Reuters, EA CEO Larry Probst also said he expected industry leader Sony Corp to make a decision in the next 30 to 45 days on whether to cut the price of its PlayStation 2 console again this fiscal year.
Hackers turn to Google to find weakest links -Computer hackers have adopted a startling strategy in their attempts to break into websites. By using the popular search engine Google, they do not have to visit a site to plan an attack. Instead, they can get all the information they need from Google's cached versions of web pages, say experts in the US. One way that hackers can break into a website is by hunting for private pages that contain the usernames and passwords required to access secure parts of the site. These pages are usually hidden from the casual browser because there are no hyperlinks to them on the web.
U.S. gives warning about hackers - The U.S. government has issued a stern warning that computer hackers may be preparing to launch a sweeping attack that could potentially compromise millions of computers running Microsoft Corp.'s popular Windows operating systems. The SANS Institute, an Internet security firm based in Bethesda, Md., estimates that about 2,000 computers around the world are at work scanning for vulnerabilities. Johannes Ullrich, SANS chief technology officer, estimates that about 20 per cent of the world's computers have been searched for flaws and thousands of users probably are unaware their systems have been successfully breached.
Europe Battles Insiders-Turned-Hackers - The security adviser for the European Electronic Crimes Task Force in Milan, Italy, warned this week that Europe is dealing with a growing problem that has already had ramifications for governments and businesses around the world: insiders who become hackers for profit.
Network Solutions glitch darkens sites - A software glitch in Network Solutions' hosted Web addressing system knocked what may have been as many as 30,000 Web sites and e-mail addresses offline for several hours Thursday morning. The problem with the company's hosted domain name service, which provides links from sites' domain names to the numbered Internet addresses where data is actually reached, affected only Web sites which had allowed Network Solutions to take over this address-book service for them. The company had recently touted the near-infallibility of its addressing system as a core selling point for new customers.
UK P2P users may face legal action - The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is waiting until the new European Union copyright directive is implemented before it decides whether to take legal action against UK peer-to-peer (P2P) users. The BPI has no current plans to follow the actions of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sue individuals who download music from P2P sites, saying that it prefers to educate people rather than take a heavy handed approach.
Virtual reality conquers sense of taste - Already, virtual reality devices have been built that try to simulate experiences for four of our five senses - vision, hearing, touch and smell. But the complexity of the sense of taste has made it difficult for computers to conquer. Taste combines the feel of food in the mouth with chemical and even auditory cues. Before simulating a foodstuff, the team first measures and records various phenomena associated with chewing it. One such parameter is the force required to bite through a piece of the food. A thin-film force sensor placed in a subject's mouth records these forces. Biological sensors made of lipid and polymer membranes record the major chemical constituents of the food's taste. And a microphone records the audible vibrations produced in the jawbone while chewing.
Intel Celeron price cuts revealed - Intel is expected to cut the prices of its Celeron desktop processors on 24 August, but until now the extent to which those prices will be reduced has not leaked out of the chip giant. The Celeron price cuts will be accompanied by the launch of a 2.7GHz chip at $103.
Broadcom Debuts 10 Gb Ethernet Switch - The Irvine, Calif.-based company said its new Broadcom BCM5673 is a 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) multi-layer switch with a HiGig uplink port that delivers wire-speed Layer 2 through Layer 7 switching and routing capabilities over copper already found in most data centers -- 10GBASE-CX4 specifically.
AOL delivers AOL 9.0 Optimized - America Online Inc. (AOL) is ready to deliver AOL 9.0 Optimized (first look), touting it as its "most compelling upgrade" ever, beginning with broadband users who can get the software starting Friday. The AOL 9.0 Optimized client software offers enhancements in spam filters and parental control as well as new features such as a blogging tool and shared family calendaring, among a host of other updates, AOL said in a statement Thursday.
K8 AXP 3100 processor on Socket 754 photo - OCWorkbench has posted a photo of the K8 AXP 3100 processor on Socket 754.
Xeon vs Opteron: Memories Of The cache battle? - The most often cited aspect of the competition between Intel Xeon and AMD Opteron is the extra 64-bitness of the AMD platform, at a price competitive with the Xeons. Fine, yes, Opteron extends the X86 architecture to true 64-bit level in a reasonably elegant manner, knowing all the quirks of the 20 yeards old platform and its zillion patch-ups over time. And it still keeps full native 32-bit performance along the way. But what about something that is equally important in both 32-bit and 64-bit scenarios? The memory and I/O hierarchy? Is there a genuine threat for Xeon there, and does the launch of 1 MB L3 cache XeonDP surprise us then? If you look within the CPUs, "Prestonia" Xeon has 512K L2 cache coupled with 16 KB L1 data cache plus trace cache, just like its mirror image, the Northwood Pentium 4. Opteron has a larger 1 MB cache, coupled with 2 x 64 KB L1 caches.
AMD Opteron 2.0GHz "Benchmarks" Revealed - AMD confirmed the upcoming Opteron 2.0GHz processor release by publishing the Composite Theoretical Performance (CTP) calculations for AMD Opteron microprocessors, including x40, x42, x44 and x46 chips with 1.40, 1.60, 1.80 and 2.0GHz core-clocks respectively. The CTP calculations are stated in Millions of Theoretical Operations Per Second (MTOPS) and are based upon a formula in the United States Department of Commerce Export Administration Regulations 15 CFR 774 (Advisory Note 4 for Category 4).
Corsair TwinX1024-4000 Troubleshooting - Viper's Lair has posted some useful informations about Corsair TwinX1024-4000 memory.
HW reviews GFX Round-up - 3DLabs Wildcat VP990 | ATi & Nvidia Video Card Roundup | ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128 MB | Explorer Technology GeForce FX5200 | FIC A96P Radeon 9600 Pro 128MB | Leadtek WinFast A350 TDH MyVIVO | MSI FX5900-VTD128 | Solarism Flex-View LM-1730 17in LCD Monitor | Acer AL716 17” LCD Display
HW reviews MB/CPU/RAM Round-up - Intel Pentium M 1.4GHz CPU | Kingmax PC3500 Memor | ASUS & Gigabyte i875P/i865PE | Epox 8K9A9I | FIC Radeon 9600 Pro 128MB | Gigabyte 7VAX1394-A KT400A
HW reviews Storage Round-up - Compact Flash 1 GB RAM Comparison | Lite-On LTR-52327S 52/32/52 CD-RW
HW reviews Case/Cooling Round-up - A+GPB - CA-AP107 Case | AOpen A600 Case | Athenatech A747-SS Case | iCute 0314TL-BS Case | Nexus PHT-3600 P4 Heatsink | Thermaltake Fireball Fan
HW Reviews Sound - M-Audio Revolution 7.1 Sound Card | iRock 730i MP3 Player
HW Reviews Network Round-up - Buffalo Tech WLA2-G54 AirStation 54-Mbps Wireless Compact Repeater Bridge-g | Linksys EG008W Gigabit 8-Port Workgroup Switch | SMC EZ Connect 2642W WiFi Adapter
HW Reviews Misc Round-up - Eumax Transfer Panel | HP iPAQ h2210 | NEC e606 & Three Network | Gateway 200XL Laptop Review
Stereo VU Meter Guide - The LM 3916 is an integrated circuit (IC) that takes analog voltage levels and drives 10 LEDs, LCDs, or vacuum fluorescent displays to represent digital voltage levels just like a VU meter. An LM3916 IC will take one signal source. Thus if you want to display a stereo representation of your audio, you must install 2 LM3916 ICs.
Windows XP Refresh Guide - Tweak3D has posted a Windows XP Refresh Guide on making your aging Windows XP installation run like new. Reinstalling the OS usually takes too much time and effort, so for now we'll just 'refresh' our Windows XP install with a few tricks of the trade.
3DMark 03 Performance Factors - Aces Hardware has posted a nice editorial which will make you see 3DMark 03 in a different light. "While doing some research on an old 350 MHz Pentium II system, Johan came across some interesting results while benchmarking 3DMark03. When equipped with a high-end video card, like a Radeon 9700 Pro, the 350 MHz Pentium II was able to more than keep pace with a 1.4 GHz Pentium III Celeron and even a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 in several of the 3DMark03 game tests. Perhaps this should not come as a suprise, since 3DMark03 is, after all, primarily a video card benchmark. But how much of one? Given the sheer magnitude of difference between the 350 MHz Pentium II and more modern hardware, we decided to investigate further."
Nero 6 Recode introduces "bug" that could wipe hard drive - German online magazine PCwelt.de reports that Nero 6 contains a 'bug' that could delete your entire harddrive. The bug is introduced with the Nero 6 Recode project. Bug might even not be the correct word for it, it seems more that Ahead forgot to limit the feature to empty the destination folder for temporarily files. If this destination directory is set to the root of a disc (e.g C : ) and if the question: "Destination folder is not empty, do you wish to clear it" is answered with yes, all files will be deleted. Description (badly translated with Babelfish): Who clicks now over-hurried on "Yes" and had selected as goal file a root listing, short time experiences later its blue miracle: not only a "Video_ts" file put on in the goal file in former times is deleted, but also all other files and file on the partition concerned are deseamed within seconds by the plate. The user is nevertheless asked still whether he wants to delete the files. A "Design error" is not however nevertheless. Because actually the user should assume "Nero Recode" means the existing "Video_ts" file in under "the target folder" indicated drive assembly and/or listing.
Java Runtime Does Not Initialize the WMP Fix- If you use a version of Netscape Navigator that has an embedded tag for the Windows Media Player 9 Series OCX control, the Java Runtime may not initialize the control. This problem occurs because the Windows Media Player 9 Series OCX control uses methods that are no longer supported by Netscape -> download fix
Windows Memory Diagnostic - The Windows Memory Diagnostic tests the Random Access Memory (RAM) on your computer for errors. The diagnostic includes a comprehensive set of memory tests. If you are experiencing problems while running Windows, you can use the diagnostic to determine whether the problems are caused by failing hardware, such as RAM or the memory system of your motherboard. Windows Memory Diagnostic is designed to be easy and fast. On most configurations, you can download the diagnostic, read the documentation, run the test and complete the first test pass in less than 30 minutes.
Windows Services For UNIX 3.5 beta - Before you continue, it is important to understand that the Beta release of any product will not display the stability of a shipped Microsoft product. You may encounter problems with beta release of Services for UNIX version 3.5 (download), which could possibly result in a loss or destruction of data. This release is not appropriate for production use, and we suggest that you back up your existing data before you install and run this software.
B-Free 0.0.20 - The B-Free project is a collaborative work aimed at creating a BTRON operating system from scratch, with free distribution. It is a preemptive multitasking operating system constructed through micro-kernel technology, which assumes 32-bit or higher CPUs.
PHP 4.3.3RC2 - PHP 4.3.3RC2 has been released for testing. This is the first release candidate and should have a very low number of problems and/or bugs.
phpMyAdmin 2.5.3 RC1 and 2.5.2pl1 - phpMyAdmin (changelog) can manage a whole MySQL-server (needs a super-user) but also a single database.
Diet Kaza (formerly KaZaA Tap) v2.51 - Diet Kazaa is a utility that removes all advertising, speeds up searches, gives more results and takes out useless icons (i.e. Shopping).
VideoLAN 0.6.1 - The VideoLAN Client can read the stream from the network and display it. It can also be used to display video read locally on the computer : DVDs, VCDs, MPEG and DivX files and from a satellite card. It is multi-plaform: Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, BeOS, BSD, Solaris, QNX, iPaq... The VideoLAN Client and Server now have a full IPv6 support.
XMark 7 Final - XMark 7.0 is a highly comprehensive distributed system benchmarking and optimization suite. It supports client-server benchmarking, system information, and optimization, reducing the amount of time required to test or optimize an entire network of systems by using distributed benchmarking.
PlexTools Professional v2.06 - Plextor has released the PlexTools Professional software version 2.06.
Outertech Cacheman 5.50.30 - This build will repair registry tweak settings which have been damaged by other tweak programs (wrong datatypes, values out of range etc).
CPUInfo 2.01 - CPUInfo shows detailed informations about the processors on the mainboard. It detects the processor type and manufacturer, the clock ratio, level 1 and level 2 cache and the processor instruction set extensions.
Asus PCProbe 2.21.02 - Asus PCProbe is a convenient utility to monitor the computer's vital components.
AVM FRITZ!Card DSL Driver v03.07.04 - AVM Germany released a new driver (Win98/ME ~ XP/2k) version for the internal PCI card DSL modemFRITZ!Card DSL (thanks Warp2Search)
Matrox Parhelia, 650 & 750 Drivers - Matrox has released a new drivers for their Parhelia, 650 & 750 line of graphics cards for Windows XP and 2000.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,31 2003 - tech

Morning Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 01:54 PM CEST - Jul,31 2003 - Post a comment / read (5)

Microsoft Fixing Another Faulty Patch - Microsoft acknowledged Tuesday that a recent security patch is causing problems on machines running the Windows NT 4.0 operating system. The patch, released July 23 and described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-029, causes the Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) on NT 4.0 machines to fail, Microsoft said.

Canadian, French and Croatian hackers use Kentucky state computers to store pirated files - Investigators believe French and Canadian hackers have been using Kentucky state government computers to store pirated computer files, including newly released movies and video games. State Auditor Ed Hatchett said he believes the hackers entered the system April 2 and have been using it since. Because the hackers also gained access to the system's administrator and user-password files, they could be able to manipulate any state file on the infected network, Hatchett said. "These unknown person or persons have as much control over the Transportation Cabinet's system as those users of the system who are authorized in the department," Hatchett said.

I'm working for the FBI, claims accused hacker - Self-styled grey hat hacker Jesse Tuttle is fighting charges that he broke into his local council's computer network with a claim that he only did it as part of his work with the FBI.

FTC warns about file trading, spyware - The Federal Trade Commission issued a brief consumer warning Wednesday about potential privacy concerns surrounding file-swapping software and spyware. In the latest of a series of consumer privacy alerts, the agency stopped short of warning consumers not to use free file-trading software, but it said computer users should take care to understand and prevent a range of potentially unpleasant consequences for doing so.

Sony wins Aussie mod- chip sales ban - Australia is now officially under the thumb of the mod-chip banners, after the Court of Appeal, accepted its argument that mod-chips should be made illegal. Another story can be found here.

'Safe' alternative to depleted uranium revealed - Controversial anti-tank shells tipped with depleted uranium may be phased out if an alternative material proves its worth. The US Army is expected to award a contract this week for the manufacture of prototype ammunition incorporating a "liquid metal" alloy. The new rounds could be in service within two years. Amorphous tungsten alloy has many of the properties that make DU such an effective penetrator: it is self-sharpening and it should also be pyrophoric, says Steve Collier, president of Liquidmetal's defence arm.

Print a hologram? Almost, Xerox says - On Thursday, the company is unveiling a new technology it calls "Glossmark," which can use ordinary office printers to superimpose a glossy image on an ordinary printed document in a way that can't be photocopied or otherwise easily reproduced. Taking advantage of eccentricities in laser printing processes, once viewed as flaws, the Xerox scientists think they've found a way to authenticate hard copies of printed documents in much the same way that holographic stickers prove the validity of credit cards and drivers licenses.

Titania nanotubes make supersensitive hydrogen sensors - Titania nanotubes are 1500 times better than the next best material for sensing hydrogen and may be one of the first examples of materials properties changing dramatically when crossing the border between real world sizes and nanoscopic dimensions, according to a Penn State materials scientist. Hydrogen entering an array of titania nanotubes flows around all the surfaces, but it also splits into individually charged atoms and permeates the surface of the nanotubes. These hydrogen ions provide electrons for conductivity. The change in conductance signals that hydrogen, above the background level, is present.

IBM pre- announces AMD Opteron 246 - IBM's Opteron-based eServer 325 will power the Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology's new Linux-based supercomputing cluster - set to be the world's third most powerful supercomputer. The system will comprise 1058 dual-processor 1U rack-mounted eServer 325s. Each server is based on a pair of AMD Opteron 200-series CPUs, including the Opteron 246, IBM said.

Orange to deliver Wearaphone by Christmas - According to Orange's Imagineering website, the company plans offer a shoulder bag that doubles as a handsfree phone interface. Developed by Clothing+ and OrangeImagineering, the Wearaphone is a shoulder bag that can be used as a complete handsfree phone interface. A user will need to simply plug the phone into a pocket on the Wearaphone. Making and receiving calls can then be accomplished by using a speaker and microphone integrated into the bag. Unlike ordinary handsfree accessories, there is no need for external wires or headphones.

Shure In-Ear Earphones Review - According to Shure, these earphones can attenuate external noise by 10-15Db SPL, and a custom-fitted earpiece can get you as much as 20dB of attenuation. There are environments, such as noisy airports, airplanes, trains or buses, where the attenuation brings welcome relief to allow you to enjoy your music in peace. But there are also environments where, because of the attenuation, these headphones are a really bad idea. That would include riding a bike, or driving a car.

HW Reviews Storage Roundup - Portable Device Roundup | Four SATA RAID Controllers Shootout | Highpoint RocketRAID 1520 Card | Samsung SP1614N & SP1614C HDD | Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 160GB SATA HDD

HW Reviews Misc Roundup - Auravision's EluminX Keyboard | QuietPC QuietFeet Vibration Anti Noise Device | Polaroid PhotoMAX PDC 2150 Digital Camera | Samsung yepp YP-35H Digital Audio Player

Quick guide to cleaning your PC - If you have a PC you know how dirty and filthy it gets after couple months of use. It doesn't have that shiny new look when you first bought it. You see dust particles hanging off the motherboard, heatsink, fans etc. Maybe you spilled coffee on the keyboard and now every key on your keyboard is brown. Maybe your mouse has stains on it. The list goes on and on forever. There is no end to dirtiness especially when it comes to computers.

The Windows XP Survival Guide - If you're just getting ready to make the move to Win XP, or if you're anxious to dig beneath the surface and find some cool new tools, or if you've been using Win XP for a while and it's time for some serious maintenance, you'll find what you need to know in this guide.

OpenGL 1.5 Specs - SGI and OpenGL ARB just announced the OpenGL 1.5 specification, introducing support for a new OGL Shading Language.

XMPEG v5.0 RC 3 build 3 (free) - This program decodes MPEG1 (Audio & Video) and MPEG2 streams and offers you the possibillity to re-encode them in the format you want. Actual evolutions makes Xmpeg faster, more stable, and offers more options.

SynthMark XP - SynthMARK is a synthetic benchmarking tool designed to accurately test the performace your apps receive from your system. It performs the following tests: CPU / Memory Benchmark, FPU / Integer Benchmark, IdleWild Operating System Benchmark, 3D Accellerated Graphics Benchmark (requires DirectX8 or higher). Results can be saved and compared to other systems.
DVDxCopy Gold updated to version 3.0.1 (non-free) - Besides an update for DVDxCopy XPRESS has 321 Studios also released an update for DVDxCopy Gold. DVDxCopy Gold is the complete DVD backup solution from 321 Studios and contains both DVDxCopy and DVDxCopy XPRESS.
AntiVir Personal Edition 6.20.19.51 - The private and individual use of the AntiVir Personal Edition is completely free of charge.
InboxShield 2.0.3 - InboxShield (download) filters your incoming mail and separates good mail from Spam mail.
Google Toolbar 2.0.92 Beta - The Google Toolbar (download) increases your ability to find information from anywhere on the web and takes only seconds to install. When the Google Toolbar is installed, it automatically appears along with the Internet Explorer toolbar.
foobar2000 v0.7 Beta 28 - This is ugly but very small audio player made by WinAMP's Peter Pawlowski (changelog ~ download).
PowerStrip 3.43 Build 405 Beta - PowerStrip 3.43 provides advanced, multi-monitor, programable hardware support to a wide range of graphics cards - from the venerable Matrox Millennium I to the latest SiS Xabre and Radeon 9800.
A-Tuner 1.5.35.4490 - A-tuner is a small tool for changing Anti-Aliasing (including all unofficial modes), Anisotropic Filtering, Vsync and MipMap LOD (Level Of Detail) Bias settings on your Nvidia card and should work with Nvidia Detonators 23.11 - 44.90.
Rage3D Tweak 3.9 - Rage3D Tweaker (download) is a Radeon Tweaker program designed to fit right in with the other ATi option tabs in the Advanced Display Properties accessed through the Control Panel. This new verison adds support for 9800 series and other new cards.
CPU-Z 1.19 - Freeware CPU-Z is a program that provides most of the information on your CPU.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,30 2003 - tech

Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 01:05 AM CEST - Jul,30 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)

Sony Hand-Held PlayStation Offers Wireless Network - Sony said on Tuesday its new hand-held PlayStation console would be equipped with a wireless network system which allows users within a close area to play games together and download game characters. PSP is scheduled to debut in the fourth quarter of 2004.
'Point-and-connect' links for wireless devices - Linking devices via a wireless network could be considerably simplified using a "point-and-connect" technology being developed by Sony. The camera-based system, developed by researchers at Sony's Interaction Laboratory in Tokyo, Japan, lets users instantly transfer data from a laptop or handheld computer to a device in close proximity connected to the same wireless network.
Hackers pounce on latest Microsoft flaw - Hackers have moved quickly to exploit the critical flaw in Microsoft's Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) Remote Procedure Call (RPC) interface. Workable exploit code is now in circulation on hacking mailing lists. Earlier versions were ineffective but the latest code seems to be working. Microsoft released a patch for the critical flaw on 16 July. The vulnerability involves the RPC protocol, which deals with inter-computer communications. Microsoft warned that, under certain circumstances, the RPC might not properly check messages sent to the PC. If you didn't upgrade yet, I strongly recommend you to upgrade your immediately!
RIAA prepares hundreds of lawsuits - The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) will file the first lawsuits against alleged file swappers by the end of August. Rather than press one or two token cases, the RIAA plans to sue hundreds of people unless they settle out of court, it said. Over the past few weeks, the RIAA has sent nearly 1,000 subpoenas to internet service providers and universities to obtain the identities of suspected file traders.
AUO chairman Lee: Global LCD TV market to take off in 2005 - The realization of sixth- or seventh-generation (7G) TFT LCD line production, which will greatly expand large-size panel capacity, will be the major driving force behind the take-off of the global LCD TV market and will most likely take place in 2005, commented AU Optronics (AUO) chairman and CEO Kuen-yao Lee.
AMD drops chip prices - AMD lopped as much as 31 percent off its list prices for Athlon XP-M processors and reduced prices on a handful of Opteron server chips by as much as 35 percent. The Opteron cuts, the first for the chip line, follow recent reductions by Intel on the price of its Xeon server chip. AMD lowered the price of the Opteron 144, its top Opteron chip for single-processor workstations and servers, by 35 percent, cutting it from $669 to $438. AMD trimmed the price of its top Opteron for dual-processor machines, the Opteron 244, by 13 percent, taking it from $794 to $690. The company also lowered prices on its Opteron 142, Opteron 240 and Opteron 242 models by between 10 percent and 34 percent. The chips now sell for $292, $256 and $455, respectively.
Intel to begin 848P chipset shipments in mid-August - Intel will begin shipping its first batch of 848P chipsets to motherboard makers from August 11-22, according to Taiwan-based motherboard makers.
ATI brings Radeon 9800, 9600 to FireGL line - The T2-128 ships with 128MB of DDR and is based on the FGL 9600, aka the Radeon 9600 Pro - ie. its got four parallel rendering pipelines and two parallel geometry pipelines. It too offers dual display support, but through a single DVI-I connector and a VGA port.
Samsung selects Ulead digital media software for its camcorder lineup - Samsung Electronics has selected a software package provided by Taiwan-based Ulead Systems to bundle with Samsung's lineup of camcorders worldwide, according to a press release from Ulead today.
Dell Inspiron 5150 Review - PCMag looked at the Dell Inspiron 5150 ($2,129 direct)-the first notebook they could acquire with a 3.06-GHz Mobile P4. Of the three available new chipsets that Intel introduced with the processor, the Inspiron 5150 uses the one most interesting to power users: the 852PM. This supports a 533-MHz FSB, up to 2GB of 333-MHz DDR SDRAM, and external AGP 4X graphics (paired in our unit with the robust 64MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 solution).
P707 Photo Jetprinter Review - The sticker price on the Lexmark P707 Photo Jetprinter ($100 street) immediately makes you wonder whether you can really get true photo-quality output-or something close to it-from a printer that costs so little. The answer is yes, but you'll have to wait for it. In fact, you can watch almost a full episode of your favorite TV sitcom in the roughly 25 minutes an 8- by 10-inch photo takes to print at best quality. The P707 is dressed in industrial-design tones of dark grays and black, surprisingly compact, and, at 4.5 pounds, light. Four memory-card slots on the right-hand side simplify the transfer of photos to your computer from most memory cards, including Type I and II CompactFlash, IBM Microdrives, MultiMediaCards, Secure Digital, SmartMedia, and Sony Memory Sticks. Note, however, that you cannot print from a memory card without connecting to a computer.
Xoxide 12in Dual Blue CCFL Kit Review - "This particular pair of cathodes it nothing to wet your pants over, but at the same time it's a fine product that generally works as advertised (except for the mysterious blink mode function). Aside from knocking a buck or two off the sticker price and extending the sound box wire for external placement there's not much I'd change. They're bright and they look cool, which is why you'd buy them in the first place. The ability to mix and match colors to your preference is even more food for thought."
Rechargeable Batteries - Yes or No? - Slashdot.org has an interesting thread on "What Batteries are the best".
PuTTY for the Sony Ericsson P800 - Currently this is not a really usable product. This is mainly because you are a bit limited in input on the P800. Things like ctrl and esc doesn't work yet. If you have any smart idea how to implement this (In the UI). Please drop him a mail.
KDE 3.1.3 (Linux) - KDE v3.1.3 is a powerful Open Source graphical desktop environment for Unix workstations. It combines ease of use, contemporary functionality, and outstanding graphical design with the technological superiority of the Unix operating system.
Mozilla Firebird 0.6.1 - Mozilla Firebird is a speedy, full-featured browser for Microsoft Windows that makes browsing more efficient than ever before.
MultiEx Commander DLL - Xentax announced the release of the MultiEx DLL. MultiEx Commander is a tool designed to load and extract data from a wide number of popular game archive formats. The DLL release now allows developers to integrate that functionality into their own programs.
CPU RightMark 2003B (0.3) - The CPU RightMark (CPU RM) benchmark is meant for objective performance measurement of modern and future CPUs in various computational tasks such as computational modeling of physical processes and solving of 3D graphics problems. The emphasis is placed on testing under the load of a CPU-RAM link and FPU/SIMD units.
NVClock 0.7 - NVClock is a small utility that allows users to overclock NVIDIA based video cards running on the Linux platform.
NVIDIA Linux Drivers 1.0-4496 (IA32 => Standard) - The NVIDIA Accelerated Linux Driver Set brings both accelerated 2D functionality and high performance OpenGL support to Linux x86 with the use of NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs).
Official nForce Drivers v2.45 - WHQL certified kit for nForce and nForce2 is now available for download /direct links -> International 24MB ~ English 10MB / The package includes support for nForce2 400 and nForce2 Ultra 400, EAX fixes and compatibility improvements in Operation Flashpoint, Neverwinter Nights, The Matrix Reloaded, Grand Theft Auto: ViceCity, Mafia, Battlefield 1942, Updated audicontrol panel and 3D audiperformance improvements.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,29 2003 - tech

Monday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 12:25 AM CEST - Jul,29 2003 - Post a comment / read (15)

Gates: Dot-com dreams to come true - The Microsoft chairman said Monday that most of the advances promised during the Internet boom will eventually come true. "Virtually everything that was discussed, even the most hyped thing" will happen, Gates told a crowd of researchers gathered at its headquarters here for the company's yearly Microsoft Research Faculty Summit. "It just takes more time."
U.S. shrugs off world's address shortage - As much of the world nears an Internet address crunch, North America stands as an island apart, threatening to fragment plans for the biggest overhaul of the Web in decades. Global momentum is growing for a new address system, known as IPv6, which promises to vastly expand the pool of unique numbers available for connecting PCs and other devices to the Net. The standard is widely seen as a necessary successor to the current IPv4 system, which some fear could run short of addresses in Asia and Europe within the next few years.
Napster 2.0 Ready for Holiday Relaunch - Napster is set to rise like a phoenix from the ashes this Christmas holiday season, but this time with its legal affairs in check, Napster owner Roxio said Monday. The fallen song-swapping service, which was knocked offline last year after a prolonged legal battle with the record industry over copyright infringement allegations, will re-emerge as a legal paid music service Napster 2.0.
So what info does WinXP really send to MS? - Germany's tecChannel has launched an English-language version of its site, and has celebrated with a seriously trainspotter analysis of the interaction between Windows XP's product activation and Redmond central control. Despite (or possibly because of) Microsoft's insistence that the WPA process is completely harmless and doesn't send the company any of your personal data, the system has since its introduction been the subject of much paranoid speculation.
Dell announces fix for handheld glitch - Dell has announced a fix for its underperforming Axim X5 handhelds. The Round Rock, Texas, company said on Monday that it will offer a software update that improves the performance of Axim X5 models installed with Microsoft's Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PC. Dell expects to post the update, a whopping 28MB file that updates the Axim's read-only memory, on its Web site by Wednesday. The company will also contact customers with affected Axim X5 models to inform them of the update, a company representative said.
Hong Kong firm offers 'Chinese' CPU for Linux PCs - Culturecom Holdings Ltd., a publisher of Chinese language "fighting" comics that migrated into information technology in the 1990s, has begun selling its V-Dragon microprocessor for use in Chinese PCs. The V-Dragon CPU incorporates support for Chinese-language characters, according to the company. It was unveiled at an event held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, the company said.
nVidia GeForce FX 5200 vs. ATI Radeon 9200 - OCAddiction have compared these two cards and here is a result:"So does the R9200 ever win? Sure, I think it has better 4X AA quality, but even that is debatable as we all have different preferences. In any case, 4X AA is a joke with these cards, and renders any further AA discussion pointless. I guess if you're a fan of ATI and looking for a cheap video accelerator, the 9200 will certainly give you its money's worth, but for certain, the nVidia GeForce FX 5200 is the final winner. Remember though, these are bottom of the barrel graphics cards, so even though the FX5200 is better than the R9200, it's still not all that impressive. But for around $60, who's complaining? (Besides me?)"
Pen Drive USA Pen Drive 2.0 Review - The Pen Drive 2.0 comes to us in a nicely done package which sports the actual pen Drive, contained within a clear plastic shell in the center of the box. Once we opened the box and pulled out the contents, all of which are enclosed in a plastic container, we had a chance to examine the extras. Below is a full list of the contents.
3DS Max 6 Announced - Discreet today announced the newest version of its acclaimed 3D modelling, animation and rendering solution 3ds max 6 at the SIGGRAPH Exhibition in San Diego, California. 3ds max 6 is expected to be available in Autumn 2003, in English, with pricing at L2695 (VAT not included). German, French, Spanish, Italian versions will be available later in 2003.
Cyberlink PowerDVD 5 Deluxe Review - Warp2Search have finished their review about the brand new PowerDVD 5 Deluxe software.
Linux Kernel 2.6.0 test2 - The second test version of Linux Kernel 2.6 has been released
jv16 PowerTools 1.4.0.238 - This release (download trial version) contains one bug fix - the directory tool froze if you tried to remove certain directories, this issue is now solved.
PC Inspector Smart Recovery v4.0 (freeware) - PC Inspector smart recovery (download) is, at present, the only data recovery program for Flash Card, Smart Media, SONY Memory Stick, IBM Micro Drive, Multimedia Card, Secure Digital Card or any other data carrier for digital cameras.
Bandwidth Monitor Pro 1.20 - Bandwidth Monitor Pro (download) is a utility that displays and logs your network adapters bandwidth usage. It supports logging of all your network adapters at once and has a detailed transfer history.
Lite-On CD-RW Firmware - LiteOn have released a new CD-RW firmware updates for Lite-On LTR-52327S, Lite-On LTC-48161H and

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,28 2003 - tech

Evening Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 12:36 AM CEST - Jul,28 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)

Nikon's D2H Camera Preview - The D2H raises the bar even further, it has a brand new Nikon designed 4.1 million pixel 'JFET sensor' and is capable of capturing eight frames per second for up to 40 frames (five seconds of continuous shooting at 8 fps). The D2H also adds a whole lot more including a new eleven area AF module (Multi-Cam 2000), 38 ms shutter lag and just 80 ms viewfinder blackout, a new ambient external WB sensor, an orientation sensor, RAW + JPEG format, a huge 2.5" 211,000 pixel LCD monitor, a new lightweight Lithium-Ion battery (with detailed in-camera readout) and USB 2.0. The other 'big news' about the D2H system is the new WT-1 802.11b wireless transmission add-on which allows you to FTP images back to a server as you shoot them.
Macromedia Flash MX2/2004 Preview - According to the sources closed to ieXbeta, the next products package of Macromedia will have 2004 or MX2 in the end of each product like Macromedia Flash 2004 rather than Macromedia Flash 7. During the beta testing process, the code name for Dreamweaver is Rockford. Apparently Flash will be cut in two versions: Matador: for the Web designer, interactive media professional, or subject matter expert developing multimedia content. Emphasis is on creation, import, and manipulation of many types of media (audio, video, bitmaps, vectors, text, and data). Toreador: for advanced Web designers and application builders. Toreador includes everything that is in Matador along with several powerful new tools. It provides project management tools for optimizing the workflow between the members of a web team made up of both designers and developers. External scripting, databinding, along with other features, make it particularly useful for large scale, complex projects that will be deployed using Flash Player along with a hybrid of HTML content.
DriverHeaven 9500 mod - The easiest way to hack, or unlock a Radeon 9500 non pro is to install the Omega Drivers... I will be using these today to show you what happens to a 9500 np that is unlocked, and overclocked... as these drivers have both the ability to overclock, and to unlock the Radeon 9500 non pro.
Catalyst 3.6 and Omega 2474 Tests - Check this german article (->BabelFish translator)
OpenOffice 1.1 RC2 - OpenOffice.org (Win32 ~ Linux) is the open source project through which Sun Microsystems is releasing the technology for the popular StarOffice productivity suite. It is an international office suite that will run on all major platforms and provide access to all functionality and data through open-component based APIs and an XML-based file format. The OpenOffice.org project establishes the necessary facilities to make this open source technology available to the developer community. OpenOffice.org 1.1 RC2 provides some minor updates to OpenOffice.org RC.
Microsoft Outlook 2002 Connector - Microsoft Outlook 2002 Connector enables you to use Microsoft Outlook 2002 to access your e-mail messages, calendar, address book, and To Do (task) items on an IBM Lotus Domino Release 5 server.
Neowin UXTheme Multi Patcher v1.01 - The Neowin UXTheme Multi Patcher allows you to use any 3rd party theme on Windows XP/SP1 or Windows Server 2003 (with Themes enabled) by patching the uxtheme.dll (dynamic link library). The process can be reversed but it should be noted that patching the themes service will break Windows File Protection on that single file. If you are prompted to "insert your Windows CD" and you intend to patch Windows to allow 3rd party themes you should click cancel and reboot.
Microsoft 3° Build 1.0.0352.0 -3° is software that connects a small group of family and close friends, people who know and trust one another, so they can do fun things together in a whole new way. 3° is a beta test of an innovative application that lets users connect online, extending real-world social interactions.
DivX Pro Manihi Beta 1 -The beta version (download) of DivX Pro Manihi offers huge quality improvement and lots of exciting new features. Because the Manihi beta release includes DivX Pro level features, this is a time-limited release. It will expire 30 days after installation. If you own DivX Pro (Paid For) it will work indefinitely.
Coding Workshop Ringtone Convertor 4.4.9 - The Ringtone Converter (download) is a software program for both Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac systems that allows you to add new ringtones to your mobile phone without the need for cables or expensive premium rate SMS services.
NetCaptor 7.2.1 Final - The small IE based browser NetCaptor has been updated to version 7.2.1 Final.
MyIE2 v0.8.220 (free) - MyIE2 (combo ~ lite) is a multi-tabbed browser based on the IE core (IE5.x or above required). It can open multiple web pages within one browser window, and uses little system resources. MyIE2 has a greatly integrated & customizable interface which supports Skins, Plug-Ins, IE Extensions, & specific toolbars.
XP AntiSpy v3.72 - XP-AntiSpy (what's new ~ download) is a little utility that let's you disable some built-in update and authentication 'features' in Windows XP.
For example, there's a service running in the background wich is called 'Automatic Updates'. I don't know what this service transfers from my machine to other machines on the internet, especially the MS ones.
ASUS SmartDoctor 2 2.76 - ASUS SmartDoctor2 is designed to satisfy two major goals. One is to monitor graphic chip Status, altering users about abnormal events, such as fan malfunction or chip overheat. The other, as the name SmartDoctor implies, is to cool down the graphic chip smartly when it is not necessary for it to be kept running at full speed. SmartDoctor2 includes AGP Power Level Monitoring, Fan RPM Monitoring, Overheated protection, Smartcooling technology, and Manual Overclocking.
Pioneer DVD+/-R Firmware - Pioneer have released a new firmware for their DVR-A05 / DVR-105 and DVR-A06 / DVR-106 DVD-R/RW drives.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,26 2003 - tech

Saturady Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 01:24 PM CEST - Jul,26 2003 - Post a comment / read (21)

Hacker code could unleash Windows worm - A hacker group released code designed to exploit a widespread Windows flaw, paving the way for a major worm attack as soon as this weekend, security researchers warned. The warning came Friday, after hackers from the Chinese X Focus security group forwarded source code to several public security lists. The code is for a program designed to allow an intruder to enter Windows computers. The X Focus program takes advantage of a hole in the Microsoft operating system that lets attackers break in remotely. The flaw has been characterized by some security experts as the most widespread ever found in Windows. Another story can be found at ZDNet.
SA police arrest man in Absa Net bank fraud case - South African police have arrested a man on suspicion of the fraud involving the illegal transfers of hundreds of thousands of rand from Internet accounts held at Absa, the country's largest bank. The case involves the unauthorised removal of R500,000 (L41,300) from bank accounts run by an estimated ten separate Absa customers in South Africa's Western Cape province.
Credit card hackers swap tricks online - Groups using internet relay chat (IRC) are playing a growing role in online credit card fraud. A report by the Honeynet Project, which monitors criminal activity on the internet, shows that online thieves are becoming increasingly sophisticated. The credit card details are not only used to purchase products but to clone the card owner's identity. In order to monitor and record this activity, the Honeynet researchers set up computer systems, called 'honeynets' or 'honeypots', intended to be easy targets for hackers. The researchers then tracked the hackers to the IRC channels. Dr Bill McCarty and his students at Azusa Pacific University monitored activities on more than a dozen IRC channels relating to credit card fraud after a hacker infiltrated one of their traps.
RIAA declares war on silver surfers - Parents and grandparents are in the firing line as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) ramps up its fight against the downloading of music files from peer-to-peer (P2P) sites. According to Associated Press, one 50 year-old grandfather in California was shocked to learn this week that the RIAA had subpoenaed his ISP to provide his name and address for downloading songs from the internet. But the man was not the downloader - it was a member of his family.
Off-topic: Researcher publishes measurements of 'free-base' nicotine in cigarette smoke - When it comes to nicotine content, all cigarettes are not created equal, according to a new study by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University. In fact, the study finds that some commercial cigarette brands contain 10 to 20 times higher percentages of nicotine in the so-called "free-base" form -- the form thought to be most addictive -- than believed up to now.
Off-topic: Cyborgs among People - I believe that all of you watch those thrilling Hollywood movies about the Matrix, Terminator, and the like, where the technology goes beyond all possible and impossible borders and cyber-people live and act side-by-side with humans. But have you ever thought how close we are to this "reality"?
Codename ORCAS: Visual Studio .NET 2005 - According to Bink.nu, The Whidbey release of Visual Studio and the .NET Framework will represent a significant milestone in the Microsoft developer tools roadmap. Following the SQL Server Yukon and Visual Studio Whidbey wave of products, the next major platform update will be the Windows operating system release codenamed Longhorn. The Whidbey release of Visual Studio and the .NET Framework will run on this landmark operating system release, as will applications built with Visual Studio Whidbey. In addition, the subsequent release to Whidbey, Visual Studio Orcas, will support the managed interfaces, enhanced UI features, and other new capabilities of the Longhorn operating system. These include the Longhorn trustworthy computing and security model, new application model, improved communication and collaboration, integrated data storage, and innovations in presentation and media.
Microsoft Virtual Server details - Bink.nu is reporting that Microsoft purchased Connectix assets, Virtual Server, Virtual PC for Windows, Virtual PC for Mac. Connectix will sell/support VPC until 8/15, the VM development team will be added to the Windows Core OS team. It's old new now, but they have posted Virtual Server architecture: - Up to 32-way, 64GB RAM, with up to 64 VMs per system, - Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003, - Runs as system service, exposes COM APIs, -Remote management via Web console Capabilities, -Isolation: run multiple OSes in isolated VMs on single server, -Compatibility: runs every major x86 operating system. -Portability: configure on laptop, deploy on big Intel Iron, -Extensibility: scripted/programmatic VM automation, -Manageability: integrates with Windows Server 2003 Version 1.0, -Optimized for Windows Server 2003 Enterprise (<32GB).
Windows Will be Different - Longhorn, the next version of Microsoft Windows, will be so different from its predecessors that users may not like it right away, Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates says. "Longhorn is a bit scary. ... We have been willing to change things," Gates said while trying to eat a fruit salad and drink a Diet Coke during lunch at Microsoft's annual financial analyst meeting Thursday at its corporate offices. "It (Longhorn) should drive a whole range of upgrades, but that could be sort of delayed," Gates said. Because of differences with the previous versions of Windows, it could be a year or two after its release before computer users really pick up Longhorn, he said.
China, AMD team on Opteron supercomputer - China plans to create the world's third most powerful supercomputer, which will also be among the first such machines to use the Opteron processor from U.S. chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices. According to China's People's Daily, Chinese supercomputer maker Dawning Information Industry will use 2,000 of these chips to make the Dawning 4000A, with help from AMD. The 4000A will be a cluster comprised of computers that run a Chinese-designed Linux operating system and mainboard chips, the report said, and will aim to hit 10 teraflops in computing power.
Fujifilm announces 1Gb USB 2.0 drive - Fujifilm announced new 1Gb Fujifilm USB Drive 2.0 to arrive to retail in August. Now the model line includes 128, 256, 512 Mb and 1Gb solutions. According to the company, the device provides 4Mb/s read and 3Mb/s write speeds. The model works under Win98SE/Me/2000/XP, Mac OS 8.6, Mac OS 9+. Dimensions are 3.86x0.99x0.72 cm. MRSP is about $500.
Canon's Back to School Salvo - Canon has launched four new multi-purpose printers. In addition to the i550 and i850 that are still featured in the catalog, Canon stands ready to introduce the i250, i350, i450 and i470D - they are less expensive, faster and simply better, all around. Here is a preview of what awaits you once the summer vacation is over, in September, just in time for back to school.
Sony CLIÉ PEG-UX50 - Adrian's Rojak Pot let us know they have posted the New Sony CLIÉ PEG-UX50 - Evolution of the PDA article.
Archos Video AV320 Review - What is the AV320? Imagine an Apple iPod on steroids, one big enough (4.4 by 3.2 by 1.2 inches, HWD) to hold a color LCD, so you can watch video as well as play audio. The silver case contains a 20GB USB 2.0 hard drive (you can get the 40GB AV340 for $30 more), and the device, which uses a Linux operating system, can record, store, and play back MPEG-4 video, MP3 music, spoken audio, and JPEG photos. At 12 ounces and 17 cubic inches, the AV320 ($599.95 direct) is just under twice as heavy as a 30GB iPod and a little more than twice as bulky. The multimedia player is both dazzling for what it does well and maddening for what it does clumsily. Another review can be found at ExtremeTech.
Digitalway MPIO FL100 MP3/FM/Voice Recorder Review - Mikhailtech has posted a review of Digitalway's MPIO FL100, the uber-sleek MP3 player that s also a radio, a storage drive and voice/FM recorder.
DirectX 9 To Go, Part I: Toshiba Satellite 5205-S705 with nVIDIA's GeForce FX Go 5600 - DirectX 9-capable GPUs for notebooks? As early as CeBIT (March 13, 2003), ATi introduced its DirectX 9-capable GPU with Mobility Radeon 9600, as did nVIDIA with its GeForce FX Go 5600. However, plagued by power consumption issues and heat problems, they've been slow in getting to market. In this piece, THG tests the Toshiba Satellite 5205-S705 with nVIDIA's GeForce FX Go 5600.
Connect3D Radeon 9800Pro 256MB - The performance of this card is very high, and consequently so is the price. In a way I wished I had saved some money and gone for the 128MB but maybe this extra memory could prove benificial towards some newer games yet to be released such as Halflife2. But you cannot make decisions based on "maybes" so my recommendation is save some money and go for the 128MB version.
Sapphire Atlantis Radeon 9800 Pro Ultimate Reviews - Sapphire's RADEON 9800 Atlantis Pro Ultimate is unique, it is innovative, it is fast, and most importantly, it is silent. However, it is also very expensive. If silence means a lot to you and you're using a roomy enclosure, such as Coolermaster's ATC-620 (which fits in a home entertainment stereo rack), the Ultimate may be right up your alley. However, if you're running a small form factor system, there's a good chance the card won't fit properly. Or, if you have a standard ATX case, your processor fan is likely louder than your graphics card anyway. Another reviews can be found at Beyond3D, GotApex, HotHardware, Tweak3D and ExtremeOverclocking.
Plextor 52x32x52 "Premium" CDRW Review - Need a reliable workhorse that can make solid copies and backups? Need a drive that can bypass annoying CD security features? Need a drive that you can make CDs with your own security features? Need a drive that allows you to tweak to your hearts content? Need a drive that's going to last a few years? Need a drive made by a company that doesn't make you jump through hoops for support? Then the Plextor Premium is worth every penny you spend on it.
Ten DVD-Burners Roundup - Despite its pretty high price, X-bit Labs would recommend the SONY DW-U12A DVD-burner. It boasts very high performance and can be considered a true universal solution for all needs. While the battle of DVD-formats is still going on, you will feel absolutely independent and will be able to work with any types of discs if you make up your mind on SONY DW-U12A drive.
Samsung SyncMaster 213T Review - PCMag has posted a review of Samsung SyncMaster 213T monitor.
Creating an Unattended Windows XP CD - Have you ever wanted a Windows XP CD that would install Windows XP by automatically putting in your name, product key, timezone and regional settings? Followed by silently installing all your favourite applications along with DirectX 9.0a, .Net Framework 1.1 and then all the Pre-SP2 hotfixes, updated drivers, registry tweaks, and a readily patched UXTheme.dll without any user interaction whatsoever? Then this guide will show you how you can do just that!
Nvidia vs ATI Image Quality Comparison - The guys overt at Korean website DarkCrow have published an image quality comparison (BabelFish translation) of the newly leaked 44.90 Detonators driver.
Keyser Soze's Unofficial XP Security Pack 1.002 - The package (download) is not meant as a replacement for Windows Update, it has been compiled so that you quickly and easily update your system after a reinstall of Windows. A total of 8 hotfixes have been added since the latest version of the Security Pack was released.
GIMP 1.3.17 - GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software suitable for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.
Sonique v2.0 Alpha (July 25) - Sonique is a windows audio player capable of handling Microsoft Windows Media files, MP3 files, audio CDs, and more.
Messenger Helper 2.60 Build 30720 - Messenger Helper (download) is designed to add functionalities to the Instant Chat program from Microsoft called MSN Messenger.
Nero 6 Ultra Officially - Nero 6.0 Ultra Edition (Nero 6.0.0.9 ~ Nero Media Player ~ NeroMix ~ Nero VisionExpress ~ InCD ~ CNET review) is the most comprehensive, versatile CD- and DVD-mastering and packet-writing suite on the market today. In fact, calling it a disc-authoring app is a disservice, because the suite also offers a very capable backup program, a DVD-authoring app that compares favorably with all but its pro-level competitors, and even a VCD/DVD movie playback program that includes support for MPEG-4.
DUP-DVD 2.3.0 - DUP-DVD is a powerful tool to backup DVD movies to VCD/SVCD.
Detonators FX 45.20 (BETA) for Win2k/XP - French website Station Drivers has now offers some new beta Detonator 45.20 drivers for Win2k/XP. These are beta so use them at your own risk. Mirror: Guru3D.
ALI Integrated 2.05 & 1.52 USB2.0 Driver - ALI released the new All-in-One driver Integrated driver package v2.05 containing Chipset , IDE, Audio, LAN, FIR, USB and other drivers, as well as the standalone v1.52 USB2.0 driver. (thanks Warp2Search)

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,25 2003 - tech

Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 03:54 AM CEST - Jul,25 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)

XBox Live gets chatty in Japan - Microsoft is seeking to broaden the appeal of its Xbox video game console in Japan by adding chat functions to its online gaming service. The attachment for its Xbox Live service will go on sale later this year for 3,500 yen ($44), with a free two-month trial subscription, Microsoft said. Since the service was launched in January, users have gone head-to-head in car racing and speed skating over broadband connections. But they haven't been able to talk to each other because the required software wasn't ready. The chat service can handle up to 16 players at a time, said Peter Moore, vice president of Microsoft's home entertainment division
Robotic Nation Any Soon? - What if we extrapolate another 20 years after that, to 2040? A typical home machine at that point will be 1,000 times faster than the 2020 machine. Human brains are thought to be able to process at a rate of approximately one quadrillion operations per second. A CPU in the 2040 time frame could have the processing power of a human brain, and it will cost $1,000. It will have a petabyte (one quadrillion bytes) of RAM. It will have one exabyte of storage space. An exabyte is 1,000 quadrillion bytes. That's what Moore's law predicts. .
Flaw in Windows Function Could Allow Denial of Service -A flaw exists in a Windows NT 4.0 Server file management function that can cause a denial of service vulnerability. The flaw results because the affected function can cause memory that it does not own to be freed when a specially crafted request is passed to it. If the application making the request to the function does not carry out any user input validation and allows the specially crafted request to be passed to the function, the function may free memory that it does not own. As a result, the application passing the request could fail.
Wheelchair moves at the speed of thought - Severely disabled people who cannot operate a motorised wheelchair may one day get their independence, thanks to a system that lets them steer a wheelchair using only their thoughts. Unlike previous thought-communication devices, the system does not use surgical implants. Instead a skullcap peppered with electrodes monitors the electrical activity of its wearer's brain. Early trials using a steerable robot indicate that with just two days training it is as easy to control the robot with the human mind as it is manually.
Palm's New PDA Gets Rave Reviews - As part of its Tungsten line of products, Palm just launched a new handheld computer that is already receiving a vote of confidence from business users. The Tungsten T2 is an improvement over Palm's original Tungsten T in that it has a brighter screen, twice as much memory, more multimedia capabilities and -- at $400 -- is $100 cheaper than the original Tungsten T.
X-Micro Bluetooth Modem and Dongles Review - If you need a dongle to connect your PC to your mobile phone, bluetooth enabled PDA or access to other compatable hardware like printers and keyboards, the X-micro USB Bluetooth dongles will be of interest. Also, if you are still stuck on 56k, or want a convenient emergency connection to the internet then their 56k modem will also be right up your street.
Beginners Guides: Installing Windows XP - PC Stats has published a new beginners guide called "Installing Windows XP".
Cumulative Patch for Microsoft SQL Server - This is a cumulative patch that includes the functionality of all previously released patches for SQL Server 7.0, SQL Server 2000, MSDE 1.0, and MSDE 2000. In addition, it eliminates three newly discovered vulnerabilities.
Google Toolbar 2.0.88 Beta - Google toolbar 2.0 is exactly what IE needed. The popup blocker is the missing key.. Screw mozilla, screw opera, screw everything.. The popup blocker and the other new features of this makes IE complete.
Real Alternative 1.01 - Real Alternative will allow you to play RealMedia files. This way you can play RealAudio and RealVideo files without having to install RealPlayer. You do need a player that is capable of playing RealMedia. The included Media Player Classic supports it and works very well. Supported: RealAudio (.ra .rpm), RealMedia (.rm .ram .rmvb .rpx .smi .smil), RealText (.rt), ReadPix (.rp), RealMedia embedded in webpages. .smi and .smil files sometimes only play the first part of a clip. This is a limitation of the current Media Player Classic.
Hmonitor 4.1.3.2 - Hardware Sensors Monitor (download) has been updated to version 4.1.3.2. Hmonitor has much more functions than MotherBoard Monitor, for example, including thermocontrol features and COM/PerfMon API support.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,24 2003 - tech

Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 03:49 AM CEST - Jul,24 2003 - Post a comment / read (8)

Spam clients outed, credit card details published - Anti-spam activists have upped the ante in their fight against junk email by publishing the details - including credit card information - of people who've ordered spamming services online. Activists published details from order forms left on a monumentally insecure spam services Web site (http://202.63.201.239), run by notorious American spammer Robert Soloway, on the newsgroup news.admin.net-abuse.email (NANAE). Names, addresses, phone numbers of seven "would-be spammers" were published on the newsgroup last week. Three of those who ordered a $129 spam run or bulk mailing lists from the site come from the UK, three from the US and one from Germany.
Kinko's spy case: Risks of renting PCs - For more than a year, unbeknownst to people who used Internet terminals at Kinko's stores in New York, Juju Jiang was recording what they typed, paying particular attention to their passwords. Jiang had secretly installed, in at least 14 Kinko's copy shops, software that logs individual keystrokes. He captured more than 450 user names and passwords, and used them to access and open bank accounts online.
US passports to carry digitally signed images - US citizens will be issued with "smart" passports carrying a digitally signed photograph by late 2004. Frank Moss, deputy assistant secretary for Passport Services at the US Department of State, says the first digital passports will be issued in the US by 26 October 2004. Moss announced details of the plans at the Smart Card Alliance Government Conference and Expo in Virginia last Tuesday. The new passports will include an embedded microchip that stores a compressed image of its owner's face. These microchips will be designed to prevent tampering and each digital image will be cryptographically signed to guarantee its authenticity.
Taipei Computex 2003 expected to be largest ever - The Computex 2003 exhibition, which will be held from September 22-26, is expected to be the largest ever, according to organizers Taipei Computer Association (TCA) and China External Trade Development Council (CETRA)
Microsoft Office 2003 Beta Build 5507 - According to Xbetas.com, Office 2003 Professional Edition build 5507 has been sent to specific beta testers. This update contains minor updates to the VBA engine from the B2TR build.
Advanced Networking Pack For Windows XP - The Advanced Networking Pack for Windows XP updates IPv6 and installs the Internet connection firewall for IPv6. By default, no ports are automatically opened in the firewall after the update is installed. Use the Advanced Networking Pack for Windows XP if you have software that requires this functionality or if you want to develop custom programs that use the Windows Peer-to-Peer networking infrastructure.
(!)DirectX 9.0b End-User Runtime - In earlier versions of DirectX, there is a security issue in DirectShow. This vulnerablity (Unchecked Buffer in DirectX Could Enable System Compromise) allows an attacker to execute code on a user's system. Microsoft has fixed that issue in DirectX 9.0b. This is a buffer overrun vulnerability. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could, in the worst case, run code of his or her choice on a user's system. The attacker's code would run with the same privileges as the user: any restrictions on the user's ability to change the system would apply to the attacker's code. There are two ways to obtain that fix, either you download a small download package which fixes the security issue in DirectShow or you can download the whole DirectX 9.0b End-user runtime package (official download link). In both cases, your DirectX version will be updated to 9.0b and build number will be updated to 4.90.00.0902. The only difference is that DirectX 9.0b can not be uninstalled while DirectX 9.0a patch can be uninstalled if you want to restore your previous version of DirectX.
MySQL 4.0.14 - MySQL 4.0.14 (download ~ changelog) has been released.
AIM v5.2.3281 - AOL Instant Messanger has been updated to version 5.2.3281.
VMware 4.0.1 Build 5289 - VMware Workstation (history ~ Win32 ~ Linux.tar ~ Linux.RPM) is virtual machine software for technical professionals. It lets you run multiple versions of operating systems simultaneously on a single computer.
Avant Browser 8.02 Build 007 - Avant Browser (download) is an upgrade to Internet Explorer. Avant Browser is a fast, stable, user-friendly, versatile multi-window browser. Avant Browser is freeware.
TVTool 8.0 - TVTool (download) was developed to replace the poor support video card manufacturers had for TV_OUT. TVTool works with most NVIDIA based cards such as TNT, TNT2, TNT2 Ultra, GeForce cards with BT86x (e.g. Viper 550, Erazor 3, Xentor 32, 3D Prophet, etc.). The main problem is the black borders around the picture on the TV screen. This new version adds support for MV TV encoder (internal encoder from NVIDIA), and GF-FX/GF4-MX 420,440,460/GF4Go, GF-FX Go and more.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,23 2003 - tech

Wednesday Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 12:28 PM CEST - Jul,23 2003 - Post a comment / read (7)

Cracking Windows passwords in seconds - Swiss researchers released a paper on Tuesday outlining a way to speed the cracking of alphanumeric Windows passwords, reducing the time to break such codes to an average of 13.6 seconds from 1 minute 41 seconds. The method involves using large lookup tables to match encoded passwords to the original text entered by a user, thus speeding the calculations required to break the codes. Called a time-memory trade-off, the situation means that an attacker with an abundance of computer memory can reduce the time it takes to break a secret code.
AOL launches teen Visa card - America Online said Tuesday it will team up with Visa to offer cash cards targeting teens and young adults as part of the unveiling of its refurbished online service this summer. The AOL Visa Buxx Cash Card looks like a credit or debit card and can be used to withdraw money from ATMs or buy items where Visa is accepted. The difference is that the cash card is prepaid by a parent or guardian who has control over how much a teen can spend using the card. AOL will offer the card at no extra cost to its members in conjunction with its upcoming release of AOL 9.0 Optimized and AOL for Broadband.
Field Guide Reveals Spammers' Tricks - The new guide was conceived by ActiveState Antispam Research Director John Graham-Cumming to quantify spam techniques. The Field Guide provides a comprehensive listing and explanation of techniques that administrators can use to keep abreast of the ever-changing tricks used by spammers, according to ActiveState. More than 20 different spam techniques are documented. Each is named and rated for popularity and complexity. ActiveState researchers categorized the techniques as either "common" or "rare," and assigned complexity ratings that range from "dumb" to "dastardly."
Lindows unveils HDD-less $169 Linux appliance - Consumer Linux company Lindows.com is getting into the information appliance business, the company said today. It has begun offering the WebStation, a small office/home office-oriented PC, for a mere $169. Of course, that doesn't buy you a top-spec. system. You don't even get a monitor. The WebStation is based on a VIA C3 733MHz processor and comes with 256MB of PC133 memory (which Lindows mistakenly describes as "DDR"), a 24x CD-ROM drive, keyboard, mouse and a pair of speakers. Each unit sports a couple of USB ports.
DDR 400 prices up 14 per cent - Top-end DDR SDRAM prices are on the rise, Taiwanese online DRAM trader DRAMeXchange has reported. Contract prices for 400MHz DDR rose almost 14 per cent last week over the first two weeks of July, the trader's figures reveal. According to DRAMeXchange, contract prices for 256Mb DDR 400 chips are now at between $4.90 and $5.40, while 256Mb DDR 333 chips are going for $4.40-4.80, up 13.95 per cent and 12.31 per cent, respectively.
Iomega inches closer to mini-storage - Iomega has unveiled details of a small, detachable storage drive it is developing for portable electronics gadgets. The 1.5GB device, dubbed Digital Capture Technology, or DCT, uses a combination of hard drive technology created by Iomega and technology licensed from partner Fuji Photo Film, a digital camera maker.
Samsung unveils fastest handheld chip - Korean electronics giant Samsung has beaten Intel to take the crown in handheld processor speed. The company said it has developed the world's fastest mobile CPU, the S3C2440, which runs at a core speed of 533MHz. The S3C2440 uses the ARM920T, a microprocessor based on a chip architecture devised by ARM Holdings of Cambridge, England, which has a low power requirement of only 1.3 volts. The new CPU features integrated flash memory and supports handheld features such as a came
ra interface, memory-card expansion and USB (Universal Serial Bus) connectivity.
Nikon Unveils High-End Digital Camera - The D2H can continuously shoot eight frames per second and buffers up to 40 JPEG images. It incorporates an 11-sensor autofocus system with nine cross-type sensors and Wi-Fi capabilities for 802.11b wireless transmission of images. The camera comes with Nikon Capture 4.0, NikonView 6.1, and three new lenses. The lenses include the extreme wide-angle AF DX Fisheye-Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8G ED lens, the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens, and the super-telephoto AF-S VR 200-400mm f/4G IF-ED lens with Nikon's advanced Vibration Reduction technology.
Hard-disk drive industry braces for technology changes - Most industry executives said the advent of perpendicular recording is still two to five years away. Although working prototypes have been developed, they were at less than desirable recording densities. "Perpendicular recording holds promise for the future," said Chuck Nielson, chief technologist at Fujitsu America Ltd. "The difficulty is that it is an entirely different phenomenon. It requires a whole new approach to head and media designs. This adds to the uncertainty of when it can happen."
Gigabyte to release DVD-Dual drive - Although Gigabyte Technology was the last among first-tier motherboard makers to enter the optical storage arena, it will be the first to release a DVD-Dual drive, supporting 4x burning for both the DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW formats, according to the company.
Quadro FX 3000 Announced - NVIDIA has announced two professional graphics workstation-based products - the Quadro FX 3000 and Quadro FX 3000G.
Creative Expands Award-Winning I-Trigue Speaker Line - Creative Technology Ltd. today announced immediate shipment of the slender, cool-looking Creative I-Trigue(TM) L3500 and the August shipment of the Creative I-Trigue L3450 2.1 speaker systems at an ESP of only US$149.99. With killer looks and an exceptional 100 watts of system power, the Creative I-Trigue L3500 and L3450 incorporate a winning combination of design and technology, building upon the acclaim for their award-winning Creative I-Trigue predecessors. Each new Creative I-Trigue speaker system features bi-amplification for optimum performance in specific frequency ranges and more accurate sound reproduction.
Dual Display capabilities on the ATI All In Wonder Video Cards - 3DGameMan has posted an article about Dual Display capabilities on the ATI All In Wonder Video Cards.
ASUS SK8N + AMD Opteron 144 - AMD Opteron based platforms become more and more popular. X-bit Labs tested a workstation featuring ASUS SK8N mainboard based on NVIDIA nForce3 Pro 150 chipset and one AMD Opteron processor working at 1.8GHz. The whole lot of benchmarks in comparison with AMD Athlon XP and Intel Pentium 4 are included.
AMD Opteron 244 LN2 Cooling - Katsumi from Japan has overclocked his Opteron 244 (1.8Ghz) to over 2.2GHz on LN2 cooling using the ASUS SK8N nForce3 Pro board. Perhaps the 2.2Ghz CPU should be named Opteron 148 like the RedStorm supercomputer built by Cray comprises of 10368 Opteron 148.
Epox 4PCA3+ i875P Motherboard Review - Stock performance of the Epox 4PCA3+ was very good; it outperformed both the AOpen AX4C Max and MSI 875 Neo-FIS2R motherboards in almost all the benchmarks, sometimes by more than 5%! Unfortunately our overclocking adventures didn't go very well. The maximum FSB we could run was 216 MHz FSB. For those of you with more powerful cooling solutions, a 1.6V maximum CPU voltage may limit your overclocks as well. In general the layout of the board was good but there were a few quirks that we didn't like. The Northbridge is very close to the AGP slot, if you're using a larger third party videocard cooler you may have to modify the heatsink to make it fit properly. If you're looking for a new P4 motherboard for non-overclocking environments and require many IDE channels then the Epox 4PCA3+ is more than ideal.
PNY GeForce FX 5900 Ultra - As far as this PNY card goes, it is not very feature rich. It has VIVO and a DVI connector but there is no software or utilities that are provided besides some stuff for your desktop. It is nothing like what we have seen in the past from companies like MSI. For $500 dollars, one would expect to get a few extra features in the bundle but the one with the PNY card is somewhat weak. The card is backed by PNY's limited lifetime warranty. The wording on the warranty is tricky but basically if the card is not being made anymore, you are out of luck.
OCZ 2x256MB PC3200 Dual Channel Platinum Memory Review - Keptech has posted an OCZ 2x256MB PC3200 Dual Channel Platinum Memory review.
OCZ EL DDR PC3700 Gold Memory Sticks Review - The Canterwood and Springdale have radically changed the high end memory market. When the i845PE was king, even PC3500 was mostly overkill, as most boards had the proper 4:5 memory ratio for DDR 333, so even at 160mhz FSB, which is near limit for most P4B processors, memory speed would still be only hitting 400mhz. The new chipsets and the new 800mhz bus Pentium4s have changed all that. PC3500 went from overkill to necessary for serious overclocking, and even faster memory has been introduced. Today well be looking at one of the new PC3700 Gold series from OCZ.
Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 Sound Card Review - The Audiotrak Prodigy 7.1 sound card based on the Envy24HT chip with the Wolfson 8-channel codec is a good solution for music listening and playback of DVD movies, as well as for professional applications for music composing in entry-level home studios. The NSP (Native Sound Processor) can apply VST plugins to the card's inputs and outputs, that makes up for a hardware effect processor. The sound quality in music corresponds to that of professional audio cards of the same category. Although there are not surprises, there are no disappointing angles as well. In gaming applications this card is superior to other identical Envy24HT based cards with the Sensaura 3D sound because of the updated algorithms.
Samsung SM-348 Combo Drive 48x24x48x16 - The SM-348 is currently the fastest combo drive available and at L65 offers amazing value for money. There is also a black version available for the same price for those who don't want to spoil the look of their black case. The fastest CD-ROM stand-alone drives hit 56x, the fastest CD-RW stand-alone drives hit 52x and the fastest DVD-ROM stand-alone drives hit 16x. The SM-348 is only marginally behind with CD performance and is right at the top for DVD performance.
Samsung Spinpoint SP1604N Review - MonkeyReview has posted a review of Samsung Spinpoint SP1604N HDD. "I truly feel that the SP1604N is a great drive for just about any environment. I wish we had found the 8MB buffer but to be fair, it would have come at a higher price. Samsungs attempts to reduce audible noise has really come through for them and it's managed to impress me yet again. I feel the SP1604N is a great recipient for our Editors Choice award and we commend Samsung on a job well done. Check out our site over the next week to see this drive square off against the S-ATA interface".
Maxtor DiamondPlus 9 200GB SATA Review - Serial-ATA is far from the undisputed winner when it comes to performance, but its other advantages such as ease of installation of efficiency make it a worthy interface. If you decide SATA is for you, then you will have quite a few quality drives to chose from, and although the Western Digital Raptor drive offers the best performance, it isn't very practical for someone who requires a whole heap of storage capacity. The Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 200GB SATA, on the other hand, offers great performance with loads of space, making it our favorite all round SATA drive to grace our labs to date.
Aopen HP-590 Headphones Review - AOpen has developed a very unique feature with their HP-590 headphones, dubbed "Vibration Bass." Basically, this pair of headphones features a second 30mm "vibration" driver that is specially designed to translate low frequency sounds into vibrations. This is designed to add to the overall audio sensation by accenting bass with a tactile response.
"nVidia, UT2003, and a mip-map mess..." - EliteBastards' Hanners has posted a little editorial on the nVidia & UT2003 thing. Nearly 100% informational, but gives you some food for thought.
Nvidia confirms PS 2.0 driver problems - Developers at the Meltdown Microsoft DirectX conference heard Nvidia make an interesting comment about its drivers. One of the developers using FX 5900 hardware for an upcoming title tested the new shaders 2.0 and made a comment that he'd had problems with them. Apparently, some shaders 2.0 simply do not work making Nvidia's claim that this card is DirectX 9 hardware puzzling, as Pixel Shader 2.0 is one of the essences of DX 9. Subsequently, Nvidia staff at the conference agreed the shaders are not feeling very well, and that the recent drivers are quite buggy. But hey! They run Quake, UT and 3Dmark just fine.
Mozilla 1.5 Alpha - An alpha version of Mozzila is available for download directly from the official FTP
XP Smoker 3.0 - XP Smoker 3.0 has been released. It's a tweaking utility for Windows XP.
phpMyAdmin 2.5.2 Final - phpMyAdmin (changelog) can manage a whole MySQL-server (needs a super-user) but also a single database.
AtomTime Synchronizer 3.2.2.0 - AtomTime Synchronizer is a useful and handy utility to keep your PC clock accurate. It can periodically check and synchronize your computer time with a NIST atomic time server, synchronize time between computers and act as a time server.
ZoneAlarm Free 3.7.202 - ZoneAlarm makes it easy. Unlike other personal firewalls, ZoneAlarm protects automatically from the moment it's installed - no programming required. ZoneAlarm barricades your PC with immediate and complete port blocking.
Radeon Omega Drivers v3.6 based - Omega has released a new drivers for Radeon cards, based on the cat 3.6 drivers.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,22 2003 - tech

Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 04:01 AM CEST - Jul,22 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)

Feds Settle With Young ID Thief - The Federal Trade Commission has settled a civil action against a 17-year-old California boy who was allegedly tricking Internet users into giving him their credit card numbers and other personal information on a bogus Web site meant to look like America Online's billing center. The settlement, announced Monday, will bar the defendant from sending spam and force him to give up about $3500 in profits from his venture, which ran from July to December 2002, before the FBI confiscated his computer. A federal court in central California must formally approve the settlement.
French police break alleged Internet counterfeiting ring - French police have arrested 110 people and seized tens of thousands of illegally copied movies as part of a probe into an alleged Internet-based counterfeiting ring. The nationwide sweep, carried out over 11 days, came after authorities identified a Web site offering movies copied from DVDs, police Lt. Jean-Luc Sauvage said Saturday.
Messenger 6.0 Buffer Overflow Vulnerability - A certain Bahaa Naamneh reported a bug in MSN Messenger 6.0.0501 and prior builds that makes it possible to crash someone's MSN by sending bad, incomplete pictures. If you send an image file to one of your contacts, MSN shows a thumbnail even before the destination accepts the transfer. Now when u send an incomplete file image the thumbnailer will lose the default size, cause a buffer overflow and crash the client. To fix this problem, Microsoft recommends to upgrade to latest build 6.0. (thanks Neowin.net)
Samsung Shows Feature-Packed PDA - Besides phone, camera, TV, and camcorder capabilities, it also has an MP3 player, and serves as a two-way radio and has wireless infrared links for exchanging data with other devices. The MITs M400 will sell for one million won, or approximately $800, a spokesperson for the company said. The handset has a 3.5 inch TFT-LCD that can be adjusted for portrait or landscape viewing. The 300,000-pixel camera and camcorder can also be swiveled 270 degrees for taking still shots or clips. The device comes with 128MB of memory, expandable to 512 MB and is based around Intel's PXA250 XScale processor running at 300 MHz.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-U60 - Having fun at the beach with a camera is as American as apple pie, but you sure can ruin your day if you accidentally drop your camera in the sand or water. The nifty 2-megapixel Sony Cyber-shot DSC-U60 ($250 list) is cleverly designed for maximum fun and shooting on the beach or under the waves without worrying-and it even takes great pictures. The U60 has only two resolutions, 1,632-by-1,224 and 640-by-480, and one compression level. You can set the camera's fixed focal length, semi-wide-angle lens (which acts as a normal lens underwater) to auto- or manual focus. The four-mode flash illuminated up to 6 feet out of water and about 4 feet under the surface in our tests. The U60 can capture up to 15 seconds of video but doesn't have audio capability or a video-out port.
FX5900 vs Radeon9800Pro Review - While FX5800 in due time was unable to outrun Radeon9700Pro, this time FX5900 in most tests lags behind Radeon9800Pro a little bit. But nVidia has the Ultra option in stock and things may change about it. At least, Gainward's FX5900 whose frequencies (440/900) strongly differ from the canonical (425/800Mhz) already demonstrates some advantages and things are not the way they seem. This is to say that frequencies in the Ultra version will be much higher.
ATI Radeon 9800 All In Wonder Pro Review - Gaming, TV Viewing and Capture, TIVO Features, Remote Control the All In Wonder 9800 Pro certainly lives up to its name. This card isn't for the casual computer user. It's the ultimate enthusiast's card. Retailing at around $449 you will need to break your piggy bank open to afford it but as we all know, quality comes at a cost :) Overall I can highly recommend the Radeon 9800 All In Wonder Pro, the best just got better. If I could give a double Editor's Choice award I would. What will ATI have in store for us next?
ATI Radeon 9800 PRO 256MB - The major plus points of the Radeon 9800, being its all round high performance, relatively high DX9 performance and great FSAA quality, are relatively well known now. The 256MB board takes all these and makes some of them that little more useable and adds a little more future proofing it, but it all comes at a price.
ATI All in Wonder 9800 PRO - The All In Wonder 9800 PRO is the best 9800 PRO on the market, even compared against the limited edition 256MB version. It's versatility, features and performance all add up to make it the most compelling video card we have seen to date.
Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000 (Intel 865PE) - Priced attractively at S$199, the Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000 is indeed a good buy for budget conscious users who just want to have a no-frills ATX board. Backed by Gigabyte's quality seal, you won't go very wrong if you're thinking of using this for your next upgrade.
Epox 4PCA3+ i875P Motherboard Review - Stock performance of the Epox 4PCA3+ was very good; it outperformed both the AOpen AX4C Max and MSI 875 Neo-FIS2R motherboards in almost all the benchmarks, sometimes by more than 5%! Unfortunately our overclocking adventures didn't go very well. The maximum FSB we could run was 216 MHz FSB. For those of you with more powerful cooling solutions, a 1.6V maximum CPU voltage may limit your overclocks as well.
InCoder Slim Metal Combo Drive - INcoder's brand-new portable storage Combo drives (CD-Rewriters/ DVD-Rom) right now are available. Burn your 650Mb/ 74min CDs faster and better with buffer under run Botect technology (Just Link). Easy Plug and play function while you connect these drives to Laptop (Notebook) and desktop PC.
Corsair TWINX1024-3700 Review - The Corsair XMS3700 modules are designed to take advantage of higher front side bus speeds while using a relaxed timing that will allow for stability at these higher frequencies. The XMS3700 series using a timing of 3-4-4-8 to accomplish usage at DDR466 or a front side bus speed of 233 mhz. Something that should be mentioned is that while this ram is designed for usage at a 233 mhz front side bus there aren't any P4 CPU's selling that run on a 233 mhz fsb.
10 mobos with the nForce2 Ultra400 - The graphics specialist nVIDIA still offers the fastest platform for the Athlon XP. With an FSB clock rate of up to 200 MHz, the latest version, which goes by the name of nForce2 Ultra 400, can serve even the fastest Athlon XP 3200+. THG ran a total of ten motherboards through their tests. The Shuttle XPC Mini-PC was also there at the starting.
Ultimate Thermal Paste Round up - So there you have it 3000+ hours of work, 20+ pastes and still no clear winner. The Nanotherm PCM+ leads the pack with a slim margin, and it is great for those that don't want to take the time to make sure that the paste is thin and even. Arctic Silver's Ceramique also put up a great showing, keeping pace with the PCM+ and Shin Etsu pastes. The Ceramique is probably a little easier to find. Seems I see it at every online retail outlet. OCZ Ultra and Radio Shack also deserve a mention. Both pastes are very inexpensive and perform very, very well.
Installing Windows Server 2003 Guide - If you're looking at installing Windows 2003 Server you might want to check out this article over on Informit.com. In this hour, the following topics are covered:Planning Windows Server 2003 installations, Windows Server 2003 hardware requirements, How to check Windows Server 2003 hardware and software compatibility on a serve to be upgraded, Working with server licensing, Installing Windows Server 2003, Upgrading a server to Windows Server 2003. (tnx WinOSCentral)
Red Hat Linux 9.0.93 - A new Red Hat Linux beta (codename Severn) is now available. As shown on the schedule, the beta 1 testing period will last from July 21 to mid-August.
SlimBrowser 3.71 Build 002 - SlimBrowser is a multiple-site browser based on tab-page interface. It incorporates a large collection of wonderful features like recoverable popup killer, skinned window frame, form filler, site group, quick-search, auto login, hidden sites, built-in commands and scripting, online translation, script error suppression, blacklist / whitelist filtering. It brings you convenient and comfortable browsing.
CPUCooL 7.2.6 - CPUCooL (download) has been updated. What is CPUCool? CPUCooL is a program that monitors temperature, fan speed, and voltages for many motherboards.
PHPEdit 0.7.1.131 - PHPEdit (download) is one of the best IDE under Windows to work with PHP. It offer a bunch of tools which allow you to work easier and faster on your eash day work.
Desktop Sidebar v1.03 - The aim of Desktop Sidebar (download) is provide you with instant access to some of your most important daily information. It displays e-mails, appointments, task, notes, Messenger contacts, stock quotes, weather forecasts and constantly updated news from blogs, RSS newsfeeds and web pages. This new version includes a POP3 Mail Checker panel, Longhorn Clock, Network Monitor, support for RSS Auto-discovery and automatic HTML to RSS conversion in Newsroom panel and many more small enhancements and bug fixes.
XMPEG v5.0 RC 3 - This program decodes MPEG1 (Audio & Video) and MPEG2 streams and offers you the possibillity to re-encode them in the format you want. Actual evolutions makes Xmpeg faster, more stable, and offers more options.
Windows XP BootVis.exe 1.3.37 - BootVis.exe is a performance trace visualization tool for use with Microsoft Windows XP systems.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,20 2003 - tech

Sunday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 11:16 PM CEST - Jul,20 2003 - Post a comment / read (21)

Latest Xbox figures revealed - Software giant Microsoft has announced its financial results for the quarter and financial year ended June 31, revealing firm figures for the global installed base of Xbox and its targets for the coming year. By the end of the financial year, Microsoft had sold 9.4 million Xbox consoles worldwide - far, far lower than some estimates recently, which had put the figure well north of the 10 million mark, with one piece of research suggesting that it was as high as 13 million.
French Government Bans Term 'E-Mail' - Goodbye "e-mail," the French government says, and hello "courriel" - the term that linguistically sensitive France is now using to refer to electronic mail in official documents. The Culture Ministry has announced a ban on the use of "e-mail" in all government ministries, documents, publications or Web sites, the latest step to stem an incursion of English words into the French lexicon. The ministry's General Commission on Terminology and Neology insists Internet surfers in France are broadly using the term "courrier electronique" (electronic mail) instead of e-mail - a claim some industry experts dispute. "Courriel" is a fusion of the two words.
DVD-R is The Most Compatible DVD Format - CDR-Info, has determined that DVD-R is clearly the most compatible DVD recording format on the market. To assess the compatibility level of DVD Formats we created video content on a DVD writer using DVD-R/RW and +R/RW media. These discs were then played back in other DVD players and DVD-ROM drives -over a 1,000 combinations of drive, media and player were tested. The content created on a DVD-R/RW writer using a write once DVD-R disc played back in virtually all (96.1 percent) of the DVD players and DVD-ROM drives used in the research. DVD+R discs played back in 87.6 percent of the devices tested.
RADEON 9200 SE Specifications Unleashed - Evidently, the RADEON 9200 SE is a RADEON 9200-derivative designed for value-minded customers who can afford a graphics card at very low price-point or simply do not need a powerful solution. RADEON 9200 SE graphics processor is clocked at 200MHz, memory of the product is clocked at 333MHz, but there is no information whether 64-bit or 128-bit memory bus is implemented.
NV36 Specs? - Nvnews.com has posted some possible NV36 specs: "Made on IBM 0.13u, 82M transistors, 500Mhz core clock, 256-bit memory bus, 325Mhz RAW memory (128MB & 256MB versions as the NV31, probably), Just as the NV35, marketing says it's twice a NV31: thus, half the shader pipes of the NV35 (no FX12, as in the NV35), Named GeForceFX 5700, taped-out in May, availability dates unknown."
Crucial GIZMO(tm) 128Meg USB Flash Drive Review - TweakNews has posted a review of Crucial GIZMO 128Meg USB Flash Drive.
Corsair 1GB TwinX-4000 Memory Review - ipKonfig.com has checked a new Corsair TwinX4000 DDR500 memory modules in their latest review.
WinDVD Platinum v5.0.26.33 - WinDVD Platinum 5 is InterVideo's latest version of WinDVD. It features DivX support, Dolby Virtual Speaker and Video Effect, and more.
TMPGEnc v2.520.54.163 - TMPEGenc (download ~ changelog) converts *.AVI file to MPEG1, the format which is used in VideoCD. Using a variety of options in TMPEGenc, you can compress your video file in high quality.
Microsoft DirectX 9.0b Build 4.09.0000.0902 - Neowin.net has now offers Microsoft's DirectX 9.0b Build 4.09.0000.0902 for download. It has been released as part of the SDK update, so it shouldn't be to long until we see it in public too. This release includes the all of the DirectX 9.0b Developer runtime enhancements. Note: this is a new runtime that has not yet been released externally. It includes security and performance updates only.
GAIM 0.66 - 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.
TaskInfo 2003 v.5.0.0.94 - TaskInfo2003 (download) is combination of Task Manager and System Information Utility, It visually monitors different types of System information in Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP. This new version fixes some minor bugs.
NVIDIA-based Graphics Cards Will Have a Bug in Half-Life 2? - According a Valve officials quoted in forums at HalfLife2.net website, there are problems with the way that current hardware implements FSAA. If you enable it, you will see a lot of artifacts on polygon boundaries due to the way that current graphics processors sample texture subjects with FSAA enabled. Valve continued that this is a problem for any application that packs small textures into larger textures. The small textures will bleed into each other if you have multi-sample FSAA enabled. Currently both leading graphics chips designers use multi-sampling or hybrid multi-sampling + super-sampling methods to for FSAA. The developers of the legendary Half-Life game said that drivers are not likely to solve the problem, however, it still can be solved for graphics cards based on VPUs from ATI Technologies, such as RADEON 9500-, 9600-, 9700- and 9800-series. As for NVIDIA GeForce and GeForce FX-series, there are practically no chances to find a workaround, according to Valve.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,19 2003 - tech

Nightly Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 02:43 AM CEST - Jul,19 2003 - Post a comment / read (4)

Off-topic: Hydrogen-fueled Cars Not Best Way To Cut Pollution, Greenhouse Gases And Oil Dependency - In a paper appearing in the July 18 issue of Science magazine, Alex Farrell, assistant professor of energy and resources at UC Berkeley, and David Keith, associate professor of engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, present various short- and long-term strategies that they say would achieve the same results as switching from gasoline-powered vehicles to hydrogen cars. "Hydrogen cars are a poor short-term strategy, and it's not even clear that they are a good idea in the long term," said Farrell. "Because the prospects for hydrogen cars are so uncertain, we need to think carefully before we invest all this money and all this public effort in one area."

Off-topic: Tech Tool Aims to Translate Cat Talk - You and your cat could be on the verge of becoming a lot closer. After the success of a device designed to interpret a dog's moods and feelings, Japan's Takara is planning a similar gadget for cats. The Meowlingual is still under development and few details are available. However, Tokyo-based Takara says the gadget will have some of the same functions as the Bowlingual translator. Among them: the capability to "translate" cat calls into one of around 200 phrases that are displayed on a built-in LCD.

Off-topic: New Sensor Can Detect DNA in One Step - Imagine that your doctor, using a small hand-held sensor, could detect from a drop of your blood if you carry the gene for cystic fibrosis, or whether or not you have HIV. Or on the battlefield, a soldier could wear a small sensor that detects the smallest amount of anthrax in the air. In the food industry the same type of sensor could check for the DNA signature of salmonella.

Cisco IOS DoS exploit released in the wild - As I reported yesterday, The DoS vulnerability arises from a bug in Cisco's core IOS software which means vulnerable devices to stop processing inbound packets on receipt of maliciously constructed IPv4 packets. Normal service would be restored only with a manual reboot. No alarms will be triggered, nor will the router reload to correct itself. Cisco IOS versions 11.x and 12.x prior to 12.3 are affected by the vulnerability. That means almost everybody is affected. Cisco has released a fix but the concern is how much mischief could be wrought before admins get a chance to upgrade router software. The situation was already bad and just got a whole lot worse with the release of exploit code into the wild. (Cisco o Advisory)

IBM to launch 12.1-inch Tablet PC - Computer giant IBM expects to launch its first Tablet PC, featuring a 12.1-inch display and both handwriting and keyboard input, in the fourth quarter of this year, according to sources. According to sources, the Tablet PC will be produced by South Korea-based LG-IBM, with shipments starting in November at the earliest. Although IBM has worked with Microsoft on Tablet PC development, it will use self-developed Tablet PC handwriting software, sources said.

Intel to launch notebook Celeron processors with Banias core in early 2004 - Intel is set to start launching notebook-use Celeron processors featuring the Banias core design in the first quarter of 2004, which should encourage the roll-out of low-priced Centrino notebooks and Tablet PCs, according to sources at notebook makers in Taiwan.

New Sony handheld to use Sony chip - Unsatisfied with existing microprocessors, Sony Corp. announced Friday a new handheld computer that for the first time will use a Sony-made chip. Sony's new CLIE personal digital assistant, due to ship in September, will have a chip optimized for multimedia applications - functions for which Sony's handhelds are known - while draining as little battery power as possible, said Masanobu Yoshida, president of Sony's handheld computing company. Video will run more smoothly at 30 frames per second, he said. Battery life will last 16 hours with continuous playback of music, or five hours of video. An attachable battery accessory more than doubles that performance, he said.

Nokia N-Gage Pre-Orders - According to CnetNews, Nokia will begin taking preorders at GameStop and Electronics Boutique stores and web sites on Saturday for the N-Gage. The $299 game console-phone-PDA-MP3 player and more will begin selling to stores on Oct. 7.

Closer Look at 17" LCD Monitors Features: Pixel Response Time - X-bit Labs have reviewed thirteen 17" LCD displays in order to figure out not only their evident highs and lows, but also their real pixel response time, which definitely affects the image quality. Find out the best 17" LCD now.

Samsung SyncMaster 153B 15 inch Black LCD Monitor - One major questions brought forward by most computer enthusiasts in today's market is "Does it game well?". Testing this monitor with a quick game of Quake 3 proved that you can easily game with this monitor, but you will have to get used to the slight ghosting present. If you want to reduce the ghosting even more, enabling your videocard's vsync will smooth things out considerably.

Albatron Gigi GeForce FX 5900PV 128MB Video Card Review - Let me point it out once again that the FX 5900 and RADEON 9800 PRO cards are approximately equal. It's for you to choose. In future complicated shader-filled games ATI's cards can have more prospects, but when should we expect such games? When the FX 5900 and R9800PRO become the mainstream solutions? At that time the difference will be lacking at all. Besides, the pricecut rates should be also accounted for. If the FX 5900 is cheaper than the RADEON 9800 PRO, the choice won't be so difficult.

ATI RADEON 9800 Review - So where are the differences in performance? Does the card overclock as well as e.g. the Tyan Tachyon 9700 did? We had no problems in 3DMark2001SE to push way beyond the 20,000 points score but what else is new?

PalitDaytona GeForce FX 5200 Ultra 128MB Review - Will the card be able to keep up with the next generation of games coming out in the Fall? I don't see the FX 5200 Ultra being enough to feed the hunger of an avid game player who enjoys the latest and greatest on the store shelves. What I do see is this card providing a great entry-level card with performance that matches the price.

Pioneer DVR-A06 DVD+RW recorder Review - Pioneer DVR-A06 is possibly the most consistent and powerful dual burner currently in the market today. The drive delivered top performance in most of the benchmarks and strengtheners the company's position in the optical storage market. Pioneer continues its tradition of producing quality DVD burners. The retail package is available in the market at an estimated "e-street" price of $240-250.

Three Ultra320 Hard Drives at 10,000 RPM - They are very fast, relatively affordable and form the backbone of untold business systems. Customers can choose between 36, 73 or 147 GB and an LVD or an SCA-2 interface. Every model has 8 MB cache. The main differences between the 10,000 rpm drives are found in the details that make them perfect choices for certain applications.

Warp Pipe Project - GameCube Online - "The Warp Pipe Project", an open source project to bring LAN-based GameCube games online, recently released a specification detailing how GameCubes communicate over a network. The Warp Pipe Project is aggressively seeking out developers who would be interested in this project. (Slashdot.org)

Creative SoundBlaster Cards SoftMods Guide - Three different ways to make your SBLive or Audigy utilize the applications and the new features (if hardware supports them) that Audigy2 offers, or unlock features of your SBLive, Audigy or Audigy2 card that official drivers neither enable nor use!
Apache 1.3.28 - The Apache Group has released Apache 1.3.28.
GFI LANguard Network Security Scanner 3 Build 20030715 - GFI LANguard Network Security Scanner (download) checks your network for all potential methods that a hacker might use to attack your network.
jv16 PowerTools 1.4 Final - Jv16 PowerTools (download ~ this is only trial version, this program is not free anymore) is the next generation of RegCleaner. A full set of tools to keep your computer and your LAN up and running.
WinDVD Platinum 5.0 B26.033 - WinDVD Platinum 5 (download) is the ultimate DVD software player, providing you with the finest quality video and audio playback.
WinOnCD 6.0 Service Pack 2 - WinOnCD 6.02 is a maintenance release of WinOnCD 6 PE and DVD. There have been numerous improvements and fixes. The following list contains a selection of the most important changes that have been made in WinOnCD 6.02.
BootVis.exe Tool Updated - BootVis.exe is a performance trace visualization tool for use with WinXP systems. This new version resolves a compatibility issue when running on Intel Pentium 4 processors with Hyper-Threading Technology enabled (note: In order to correct a problem with Bootvis tracing on systems with Hyper-Threading Technology, a kernel hot fix is required. Refer to Knowledge Base article Q821581 for more details and to obtain the fix) and resolves a compatibility issue when using third-party IDE drivers.
TracePlusR/Ethernet 2.95.000 - This TracePlus product (download) obtains its information directly from the network subsystem of Windows, and can see ALL network traffic generated from your PC as well as all other PCs on your segment of the network. (thanks SavageNews)
PowerStrip 3.43 Beta Build 401 - PowerStrip (download) provides advanced, multi-monitor, programmable hardware support to a wide range of graphics cards - from the venerable Matrox Millennium I to the latest Radeon 9700DV and Matrox Parhelia.
CMedia 9738/9739 Audio Drivers - CMedia officially released a new driver for their 9738/9739 4-/6-channel AC97 audio codecs widely used as OnBoard sound solution on many mainboards.
Drivers: DNA Drivers 1.5.3.6HFSU - These drivers have been optimized for better Image Quality and more/stable frames per second compared to the official Catalyst drivers from ATI, at least this are the claims.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,18 2003 - tech

Evening Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 01:48 AM CEST - Jul,18 2003 - Post a comment / read (11)

US plans to outlaw file-sharing - A bill that will make it a crime to swap files produced without the permission of the copyright owners has been introduced into the US House of Representatives. The move to make it illegal to upload files to peer-to-peer (P2P) sites comes only two weeks after the Recording Industry Association of America threatened to file civil lawsuits against thousands of individual computer users who download the files. Another story can be found here.
Router bug threatens 'internet backbone' - A critical software bug affecting many key internet routers could be used to derail net traffic, computer experts have warned. Routers are the hubs of the internet, directing traffic to its destination. The software flaw affects the most common internet routers, those running the Cisco IOS operating system (Major Flaw Found In Cisco IOS Devices). Repeatedly sending specially crafted data packets to a vulnerable router will cause it to attempt to restart over and over again, making it unavailable to direct legitimate traffic.
SMS Spam blocker - bmd wireless has announced commercial availability of a solution to effectively detect, filter and block SMS spam and unwanted messages from any mobile network. The SMS Spam Filtering (SSF) platform enables mobile operators to define specific rules that are applied to block SMS spam at the network level while allowing customers to easily provision SMS filtering rules for their own subscription service.
Is the End Near for Netscape? - The death knell is sounding for the Netscape browser, industry observers said, following America Online's decision Tuesday to lay off about 50 Netscape software developers and end development work on the Mozilla browser technology. According to industry observers and research managers, Netscape is dead.
Sony unveils new Net-capable, palm-sized PDA - Sony Marketing (Japan) Inc on Thursday took the wraps off a new Internet-savvy, palm-sized personal digital assistant (PDA) whose horizontal color screen and keyboard fold like those of a notebook computer. The "CLIE PEG-UX50" - measuring 10.3 centimeters in width and 8.7 cm in height - will hit store shelves on Aug 9, said Sony Marketing, a sales arm of Sony Corp.
Nikon Ships New Coolpix Models - Nikon is releasing this week three new 3x optical zoom-Nikkor digital cameras--the Nikon Coolpix 2100, Nikon Coolpix 3100 and the Nikon Coolpix SQ; plus a new 5.1-megapixel model, the Coolpix 5400, not previously seen. Now available are the 2-megapixel Coolpix 2100, priced at $249.95; the $349.95, 3.2-megapixel Coolpix 3100; and the 3.1-megapixel Coolpix SQ, which costs $499.95. The Coolpix 5400, also shipping, is priced at $799.95. With a maximum resolution of 1600 by 1200, the Coolpix 2100 can print pictures at sizes of up to 8 by 10 inches. The Coolpix 3100 produces a maximum resolution of 2048x1536 and will make larger prints of up to 11 by 14 inches. The Coolpix 2100 has a zoom range of 36-108mm while the Nikon Coolpix 3100 features a 38-115mm lens (both 35mm equivalents).
Kodak Camera Delivers 14 Megapixels - The 14-megapixel Kodak Professional DCS Pro 14n digital SLR camera ($5,000 street) isn't for everyone. But for professionals who need extremely high-resolution digital images, it's a relative bargain. For the rest of us, the Pro 14n offers a peek into the next generation of digital cameras.
Gateway Launches Flat-Screen TVs - Gateway is growing its line of flat-panel TVs, unveiling its first LCD TVs along with two new plasma models. One of the two new plasma models does support 720p-format HDTV. The 50-inch, 1366-by-788 model becomes available on July 24 priced at $6999. The other new plasma unit is a 46-inch 852-by-480 model that, like Gateway's 42-inch unit, can accept HDTV input but can't deliver a true HDTV image (Gateway calls it an Enhanced-Definition TV, or EDTV). The 46-inch model is due to ship on July 25 priced at $3799.
Ogg Vorbis is ready for a market - FineArch, Inc., Tokyo Japan based semiconductor LSI design company, developed the system IP to decode the next generation digital music compression format, Ogg Vorbis. FineArch successfully completed the Ogg vorbis sytstem IP to run at 12 Mhz. This is about 1/6 of the clock speed required to decode Ogg Vorbis with a single CPU system. This ultra low power IP fits well with the today_fs portable music player market where battery life is critical factor.
P4 3.2ghz vs. 3200+ review - OcPrices.com has posted a shoot out between the P4 3.2C GHz and the AMD Athlon XP 3200+.
GAIM 0.65 - 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.
foobar2000 v0.7 Beta 22 - A new beta version of foobar2000 (changelog ~ direct download link) is out.
Real Alternative 1.00 - Real Alternative will allow you to play RealMedia files. This way you can play RealAudio and RealVideo files without having to install RealPlayer. You do need a player that is capable of playing RealMedia. The included Media Player Classic supports it and works very well. Supported: RealAudio (.ra .rpm), RealMedia (.rm .ram .rmvb .rpx .smi .smil), RealText (.rt), ReadPix (.rp), RealMedia embedded in webpages. .smi and .smil files sometimes only play the first part of a clip. This is a limitation of the current Media Player Classic.
K-Lite Codec Pack 2.04 Final - The K-Lite Codec Pack contains everything you need to be able to playback the most popular audio and video formats. The basic version contains all the codecs that are needed for playing most movies that can be downloaded from the Internet. The full version has some extra codecs which are used less often and includes a media player.
WinOnCD 6.0 Service Pack 2 (6.02) - WinOnCD 6's second Service Pack (changelog) has been released by Roxio (thanks SavageNews).
MyIE2 v0.8.130 Beta - MyIE2 (download) is a multi-tabbed browser based on the IE core (IE5.x or above required). It can open multiple web pages within one browser window, and uses little system resources. This new beta adds Favicon support; ALL current IE encoding support; New script commands for plugin developer; URL aliases; better download manager support, and more.
Radiator 1.8.0.6 - For listening to and recording (download) from popular radiocards: AimsLab RadioTrack, RadioTrack II, Reveal RA300, SoundForte SF16 - FMP2, SoundForte SF16 - FMI, Aztech / Packard Bell, Comp - Express, GemTek RadioCard, SoundForte SF16 - FMR2, SoundForte SF16 - FMD2, Zoltrix RadioPlus 108, serial port adapters GemTek RadioMan, GemTek Wizard Radio, Justy Radion-maru, Unit Rajikoma, AverMedia TV98 series (BT878), GemTek FMRadio 21 USB, MediaForte SF64PCE2_02, MediaForte SF64PCE2_03, MediaForte SF64PCP, MediaForte M56VAP, MediaForte SF256PCS, MediaForte SF256PCR, SoundForte SF16-FMR, SoundForte SF16-FMX. Also works on D-Link USB radio DSB-R100 (see below). Thanks to various plugins it is possible to work with even more tv/radio cards.
Fresh UI 6.20 - Fresh UI (download) is the fresh solution for configuring and optimizing Windows. Loaded with hundreds of useful hidden settings, this software covers the customizing and optimizing technique that you'll be glad to know: Customizing Windows User Interface, Optimizing system settings, Optimizing hardware settings, Customizing Windows application settings, and Control user environment with policies.
Windows XP PowerToys Updated - PowerToys are additional programs that developers work on after a product has been released to manufacturing. They add fun and functionality to the Windows experience.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,17 2003 - tech

Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 02:34 AM CEST - Jul,17 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)

"Webber" - A Trojan Program That Turns Innocent Computers Into Spam Machines - Kaspersky Labs reports the mass mailing of the new trojan program "Webber" (aka"Heloc"). Webber was spread over the Internet via a mass mailing conducted on July 16, 2003. The message containing Webber has the following subject line: "Re: Your credit application", and a file attachment named "web.da.us.citi.heloc.pif". This file name is similar to a Web address and therefore can at times confuse users and lead them to execute the infected file. Once run, Webber clandestinely downloads its additional components from a remote Web-server and installs them on the now infected computer. Collateral damage attributed to this trojan includes the sending of a list of passwords dug out of a victim machine's cach memory to its 'master' (the hacker controlling its actions).
Hackers exploit lax home worker security - Hackers are gaining access to corporate networks by exploiting lax security on over 350,000 home workers' PCs connected to their work IT systems, a recent survey has claimed. According to the study from assurance company NCC Group, one in six PCs tested at testmysecurity.com were completely without protection. With over two million UK employees using their home PC to access work networks, it is possible that 350,000 employee PCs are acting as back doors for hackers to attack business networks.
Microsoft admits critical flaw in nearly all Windows software - Microsoft Corp. acknowledged a critical vulnerability Wednesday in nearly all versions of its flagship Windows (BugTraq ~ Security Advisory) operating system software, the first such design flaw to affect its latest Windows Server 2003 software. Microsoft said the vulnerability could allow hackers to seize control of a victim's Windows computer over the Internet, stealing data, deleting files or eavesdropping on e-mails. The company urged customers to immediately apply a free software repairing patch available from Microsoft's Web site.
Viral marketing spreads nasty message - Antivirus company Sophos has warned that its Australian technical support have been receiving reports from people who receive an e-mail inviting them to visit a Web site--run by Avenue Media NV, based on Curacao in the Caribbean--containing free comic video clips, including on of Bill Gates copping a pie in the face. Users who visit the site and view a video clip begin sending the e-mail invitation to their friends. The site achieves this because the video clip is not downloaded directly, but instead an ActiveX control is launched which not only displays the video, but also downloads and additional software component named "Internet Optimizer" onto the computer, which sends the e-mails.
MSN Messenger 6.0 Launched - The Redmond, Washington, company released a public preview release of Messenger 6.0 (it's final build 6.0.0602) on June 18, and said that it is celebrating the release of the final version with a "Fast Cash Friday" offer that gives randomly selected U.S. entrants $1000. The contest runs each Friday between July 25 and August 15, during which the company will award a $1000 prize each hour for ten hours to one user logged onto the new software.
Color Laser Delivers Banner Output - The new Lexmark C912dn ($5,500 street) is in a class by itself, period. That's because the C912 lineup offers something rare for a laser or LED color printer: banner printing on pages up to 11.7 by 36 inches. With its near-photo-quality output for photos, the results can be spectacular. PCMagazine tested the C912dn version, which includes a duplexer and a network card. The unit also comes with two 550-sheet paper drawers and a 100-sheet multipurpose tray. For more heavy-duty needs, you can configure a C912dn with a 5,300-sheet capacity and an optional finisher with a stapler, a hole punch, and offset stacking.
Apple Shows Speedy G5 Desktop - Joswiak described the G5's specs as follows: a 2-GHz processor, a 1-GHz bus, 400-MHz DDR 128-bit memory, 1.5-Gbps Serial ATA, high-performance I/O, and optical digital audio input and output, priced at $2999 for the high-end system. He said that price is almost $1000 less than a computer from Dell with similar attributes.
Nvidia Adds TV Tuner Cards - Nvidia Corp. said Tuesday that it will produce PCI-based TV tuner cards and special software that takes advantage of Microsoft's new Windows XP Media Center Edition. The products will include a TV tuner card with hardware MPEG-2 encoding, and a Media Center interface that gives users control of display and audio settings from the Windows XP Media Center interface. Nvidia also added a "Nvidia Karaoke" feature, to boot.
DVD Burner round-up: Plextor, Panasonic & Pioneer drives tested - TechSpot has posted a DVD Burner round-up "If I was to elect a sole winner of this contest on DVD read speed alone, the Panasonic takes the cake. The Panasonic drive beat both the Pioneer and Plextor in both Sandra and Nero speed checks. DVD read speed is one thing, DVD record speed is another."
Enermax UC-A07FATR2 Multifunction Panel Review - MikhailTech has posted a review of UC-A07FATR2, Enermax's all-inclusive 5.25 panel.
Promise FastTrak SX4000 Review - For starters, the SX4000 supports up to four Ultra ATA-133 drives (backwards compatible and with everything running on Master). It boasts of a maximum of 266MB/sec bandwidth all thanks to its 32-bit 66MHz PCI interface. It can do RAID 0 striping on up to four drives, RAID 1 mirroring on two drives, RAID 0+1 mirrored stripe on four drives and RAID 5 data and parity striping on at least three drives. For the RAID 5 XOR computations, the controller has a co-processor that requires at least 64MB of SDRAM to run (the controller has a memory slot for it). The co-processor offloads the calculations, making the array run faster and eases the load on the CPU.
MSI FX5900-VTD128 Review - While the performance level stays close to the 9800 Pro at the default speeds, overclocking it elevates it to entirely new heights. There's no reason to look anywhere else if you're seeking an NVIDIA-based solution which does a great job of running today's games with enough horsepower under the hood (spelled overclocking) for the games of tomorrow.
Gigabyte Radeon 9800 Pro 128 MB - Gigabyte made an extremely fast and versatile product for the gamer here. The layout of the PCB is like 99% ATI reference and the R350 core is likely the last of it's kind on the 0.15 Micron fabrication process. With this videocard you'll receive an excellent software package and a graphics card that is ready for the latest and hottest games.
ATi Radeon 9800 Pro Review - ATI is without a doubt fighting to stay on top. The 9800 Pro put out some serious numbers in all of the benchmarks.
Portable USB Battery Extender Guide - Adrian's Rojak Pot has posted a Portable USB Battery Extender Guide.
Microsoft Security Updates - Summary : Flaw in ISA Server Error Pages Could Allow Cross-Site Scripting Attack ~ Unchecked Buffer in Windows Shell Could Enable System Compromise ~ Buffer Overrun In RPC Interface Could Allow Code Execution
Tray Helper 3.6 - Tray Helper it's compact award winning application with many features (f/e: email checker, auto mail responder, anti-spam, popup-killer, event reminder and more).
WindowBlinds 4.1 - WindowBlinds extends Windows XP, Windows 98, ME, NT, and 2000 to have a fully skinnable user interface.
AntiVir Personal Edition 6.20.16.40 - The AntiVir Personal Edition (download) offers the effective protection against computer viruses for the individual and private use on a single PC-workstation. In order to make possible an easy operation, the AntiVir Personal Edition is developed to the essential points.
Logitech MouseWare 9.78.034 - The release is dated 07/15/2003 and works for the complete range of Logitech mouse products. Note that the Advanced Settings Utility works for MouseWare 9.76 and above.
Plextor PX-W4012TS firmware v1.03 - Plextor Japan has released a new firmware version for their PX-W4012TS SCSI CD-recorder (thanks mr.koe)

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,16 2003 - tech

Nightly Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 03:52 AM CEST - Jul,16 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)

Tomb Raider developer chief quits Eidos board - Games publisher Eidos today announced the immediate departure of Jeremy Heath-Smith from the company's board. Heath-Smith has also stepped down from Core Design's board.
'Reloaded' Video Arrives with 3rd 'Matrix' - In an industry first, Warner Home Video is releasing "The Matrix Reloaded" on home video three weeks before the theatrical release of the third film in the "Matrix" trilogy, "The Matrix Revolutions." "Reloaded," starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss, is slated for release Oct. 14 on DVD and VHS at a retail price of about $22, Warners executives said.
Superfast, supercheap DSL for the masses - Softbank has spent close to $2 billion building out a gigabit Ethernet network and leasing copper wire from Japanese telecom giant Nippon Telegraph and Telephone. The result is a service, offered under the Yahoo! BB brand, that provides Internet access to Japanese homes at 12 megabits per second - eight times faster than what Americans are used to - for about $21 a month. Every day, as many as 7,000 new subscribers fire up their plug-and-play DSL modems, making Yahoo! BB the world's fastest-growing broadband service.
New Soyo SY-KT600 specifications and photo - New Soyo SY-KT600's specifications and photo are now posted at AMDboard. This KT600 baby is intended to compete with the latest nVidia champ nForce2 Ultra 400. With the VT8237, the motherboard deals with a front side bus (FSB) ranging from 200 to 400MHz and accept all AMD socket A processors a.k.a. Athlon, Athlon XP and Duron.
Leadtek A350TDH MyViVO Edition 128MB GeForce FX5900 VGA Review - There is nothing special about Leadtek A350TDH, standard PCB and heatsink are used; it is just a standard Nvidia FX5900 graphics card. At its current price (~$800NZ), Leadtek A350TDH is one of the cheapest FX5900 around and should compete quite well with ATi's R9800Pro 128MB.
Xabre 200 graphics card Review - Is the Xabre AG200 (AT64 X-200) worth parting with your hard-earned cash for, or best avoided? Read the review to find out.
Albatron Gigi Geforce FX5600EQ review - As you can see from the benchmark results, the Albatron Gigi FX5600EQ didn't really have the steam to deliver the kind of marks we had half expected to see.
Plextor Premium 52X CD-RW Review - HotHardware has posted a review of the Plextor Premium 52X CD-RW.
Koss KSC-35 headphone review - DesignTechnica has posted a Koss KSC-35 headphone review " For use in games, Quake 3, Tribes 2, and Jedi Knight 2 were used. The overpowering bass was great for games. We could feel every rocket in out molars it was so deep. Localization of sound was acceptable. Cloaked player in Tribes 2 were easily identified, players in adjoining rooms could be anticipated with decent accuracy, and deflected blaster shots in JKII came across clean. Using Force Push and Pull in JKII was even more fun, since the sound could be felt. Unfortunately, after 45 minutes the discomfort took over, and testing halted."
Jazz J9938 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System (video-review) - The Jazz J9938 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System is an ideal setup for most people's audio needs offering 5.1 Channel Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Surround Pro Logic II & AAC. It also has 45 watts of total power and is magnetically shielded. The overall sound quality is good and it's well priced. Watch the Video to find out more...
Minolta-QMS ships Magicolor 7300 EN color laser printer - Minolta-QMS has introduced the Magicolor 7300 EN, a large-format color laser printer that supports up to 11-by-17-inch paper. The new Magicolor 7300 EN carries a suggested street price of $3199. It's compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux systems, and is PostScript 3-compatible. The printer can produce up to 20 pages of letter-size output per minute in either black-and-white or color, according to Minolta-QMS. It incorporates 10/100BaseTX Ethernet and USB and parallel interfaces, and it features multibit 600-by-600-dpi resolution
VGA Card Buyer's Guide 07/2003 - Choosing a new graphics card is not an easy decision. THG have put together the THG VGA Buyer's Guide to help you with that decision.
Mini VGA Guide - The purpose of this article is not to be a comprehensive guide to video cards; it is a succinct summary of performance and value for a few of the best selling video cards available today.
OpenOffice 1.1 RC Available - OpenOffice 1.1 RC (Win32 / Linux) replaces the legacy build 1.0.3.1, which lacks the new features making OpenOffice 1.1 the best office suite for free. OpenOffice 1.1 RC not only includes those features introduced in 1.1 beta, such as export to PDF, SWF, DocBook, PDA Office file formats, improved on-line Help, and more.
phpMyAdmin 2.5.2 RC2 - phpMyAdmin (changelog) can manage a whole MySQL-server (needs a super-user) but also a single database.
Another Internet Explorer 6 SP1 Update - An error message may be displayed that IE cannot download a file when the content disposition header for the file stream is greater than approximately 150 bytes and the Latin character set is equal to 150 characters. This behavior may occur if the content disposition header is formatted with a non-Latin character set, such as Japanese or Russian. The hotfix updates the file wininet.dll to build 6.0.2800.1193.
Intel Chipset Identification Utility 2.84 - The Intel Chipset Identification Utility (download) provides an easy way to identify the specific Intel chipset that is located on your motherboard.
WINner Tweak - The simplest reason to use it is to optimize performance and keep your utilities in order. (Disk Cleaner and Startup Manager are two features.)
XMark 7.0 Beta 2 - XMark 7.0 provides a huge variety of system performance tests and optimizations, using the latest technologies such as DirectX 9. It is designed from the ground up to be a program that accurately measures how fast real-life tasks are performed on personal computer systems, and business workstations and servers.
KaZaA P2P 2.5.1 - The KaZaa Media Desktop (download) is a second-generation peer-to-peer file-sharing service with which you can search and download media files from other KaZaa users.
ASUS SmartDoctor 2 2.75 - ASUS SmartDoctor2 is designed to satisfy two major goals. One is to monitor graphic chip Status, altering users about abnormal events, such as fan malfunction or chip overheat. The other, as the name SmartDoctor implies, is to cool down the graphic chip smartly when it is not necessary for it to be kept running at full speed. SmartDoctor2 includes AGP Power Level Monitoring, Fan RPM Monitoring, Overheated protection, Smartcooling technology, and Manual Overclocking.
VIA Onboard Sound Drivers 3.70b - This driver (relnotes) supports all VIA southbridges with integrated sound, including VT8231 / VT82C686A / VT82C686B, VT8233 / VT8233A / VT8233C / VT8235 and VT8237.

ATI Catalyst Drivers v3.6 - tech
(hx) 03:14 AM CEST - Jul,16 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)
The Catalyst software suite 3.6 contains Radeon display driver 7.91, Multimedia Center 8.5, HydraVision 3.21, Remote Wonder 1.5 The new release resolves some issues, including problems with the games Second Life, UT2003, and NWN:

Switching to the program Second Life using the ALT-Tab command no longer results in the system not responding or looping indefinitely.

Running the demo game Lord of the Realms 3 under Windows XP with a RADEON 9000 series card installed no longer results in the system not responding when a 3 stage effect is used.

The game Unreal Tournament 2003 no longer hangs when loading the CTF-December level.

The geometry flashing throughout the background of Second Life is now resolved.

Flickering and display corruption in the game Neverwinter Nights is now resolved.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,15 2003 - tech

Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 01:11 AM CEST - Jul,15 2003 - Post a comment / read (1)

Russia-Linked Porn Hackers Target PCs - Russian hackers are believed to be peddling porn through hijacked personal computers using a sophisticated "trojan" program that could make you the unsuspecting purveyor of naked kiddy pics. In late June, spam-fighters noticed that a certain hacker was able to move his web sites around at will, "minute-by-minute," according to Joe Stewart, an Internet security expert at Chicago-based company LURHQ. This made it impossible to track down the true location of the hacker's web site. Stewart said a thousand systems appeared to be infected by a web server trojan making it possible for the hacker to change his domain name every 10 minutes as he rotated through a catalogue of domains he "owned." Stewart has dubbed the trojan Migmaf, or Migrating Mafia.
Meet the DoJ's 'Anti-Piracy' Lawyers - This week's Slashdot interview guests are the 'point people' for Federal criminal actions against online file-traders and software misapproprators. They know some Slashdot readers may have little sympathy for what they do all day. Be that as it may, this is a great chance to understand what it's like on the enforcement side of the intellectual property coin. They have a special set of 'ground rules' for this interview supplied by the Department of Justice that we must ask you to read before submitting questions.
Gladiator-style 'wars' select out weak programs - Computer scientists have found the ultimate way to debug their programs - let them compete against other programs in a gladiator-style tournament. Dubbed Grid Wars II, the contest held at the ClusterWorld conference in San Jose, California, last month was like a software version of television's Robot Wars and Battle Bots. In each battle, programs fought to gain control of processing power in a huge parallel computer. The contest began with 236 different programs, submitted by universities, government research departments and software companies from around the world. The objective of each entrant was to fight for control of 2500 computer processors.
AOL 9 to include Web log tools - America Online will integrate Web log software into the next version of its service this summer, giving its 34 million subscribers a way into the increasingly popular medium. The online personal journals known as Web logs, or "blogs," have taken off in popularity over the past few months. AOL's software will take advantage of recent developments in the technology to allow people to "audioblog" over the telephone. Subscribers will also be able to update their blogs, which typically include references and links to other Web sites and blogs, via AOL Instant Messenger.
Commodore 64 Makes a Comeback - Tulip Computers, which owns the Commodore brand name, plans to relaunch the brand to take advantage in an upsurge of interest in the obsolete Commodore 64 (C64) computer and its 1980s-era games, the company said in a statement Friday. Tulip estimates that there are still 6 million Commodore users, who can choose from a range of 6,000 games which were developed for the system. Tulip is working with Ironstone Partners, which will handle all sales of Commodore 64-related products worldwide and take over the main C64 Web portal. Enthusiasts have made over 10 million game downloads, the site owners have said.
AMD, Fujitsu unveil their flash memory company - Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Fujitsu took the wraps off their flash memory joint venture, which will sell flash memory chips under the Spansion brand, the companies said on Monday.
Denon and Dolby announce 1st audio product with Dolby Virtual Speaker Surround Sound - Denon Electronics and Dolby Laboratories, two industry leaders in home entertainment technology, have announced the U.S. debut of Denon's D-M71DVXP, a DVD receiver system that is the world's first audio/video product to incorporate Dolby Virtual Speaker surround sound technology. Dolby Virtual Speaker ensures the integrity of the virtual 5.1 sound field by reproducing the entire sonic signature, and its multiple reflection tails, which can often vary significantly in level and spectral balance from the direct sound. The further addition of crosstalk cancellation maintains the integrity of each processed signal, thereby insuring a highly realistic and natural sounding 360-degree sonic environment.
Samsung's 0.10-micron 1Gbit DDR in volume production - Samsung Electronics today announced volume production of its 1Gbit DDR component, the first Intel-validated DDR SDRAM. The high-density 1Gbit DDR SDRAM devices are produced on 12-inch wafers utilizing 0.10-micron process technology. Samsung's 1Gbit DDR SDRAM component supports bank configurations of x4/8/16 in a single design and are available in DDR266 and DDR333 speeds.
Intel launches new Xeon with expanded cache - The 3.06GHz Xeon DP processor now comes with 1MB of Level 3 cache. The rest of Intel's Xeon DP processors, including another 3.06GHz chip, have 512KB of cache. The new Xeon keeps the 533MHz front-side bus found on the other Xeon processors.
Lite-On IT debuts 4x DVD+RW drive - Taiwan-based Lite-On IT recently debuted its first half-height 4x DVD+RW drive, the LDW-401S. The drive enables 4x writing speed with DVD+R and DVD+RW discs, taking about 15 minutes to back up 4.7GB of data, and 12x reading speed with DVD-ROM discs, according to Lite-On IT. In addition, the drive allows writing speeds of 40x for CD-R and 24x for CD-RW and a reading speed of 40x for CD-ROM discs, the company said.
LaCie Unveils Dual-Format DVD drive - Storage peripheral maker LaCie Group has announced a new DVD+/-RW drive that is compatible with both Macs and PCs. The drives come in two configurations: one drive supports USB 2.0 and FireWire, while the other drive is equipped with only a FireWire interface. The LaCie Dual DVD+/-RW Drive is available this month through authorized resellers, specialty stores, and mail order companies with prices beginning at $299. Drives ship with a USB 2.0 or FireWire cable, a power adapter, and DVD utilities CD-ROM. It also comes with Sonic MyDVD Video Suite, Arcsoft Showbiz, Roxio EasyCDCreator, Intervideo WinDVD, Roxio Toast Lite, and LaCie's CaptyDVD.
HP iPaq H1910 review -The HP iPAQ h190 is even overclockable. Yes it is possible to overclock a Pocket PC. This can be done with programs like Clear Speed or Pocket Hackmaster. So how far can you push the 200MHz processor? How does an extra 100MHz sound? Suddenly the h190 is starting to look really good against the more expensive 300MHz and 400Mhz Pocket PCs on the market.
OCZ EL DDR PC-3700 Gold Dual Channel Memory review - Hexus.net has posted a review of OCZ EL DDR PC-3700 Gold Dual Channel Memory. "This review's primary objective was to investigate whether OCZ's impressive claims held true. It's nice when products work just as they were intended to. OCZ's EL DDR PC-3700 Gold memory is about as good as we've seen if high RAM MHz is your thing. The next real performance step, we feel, is to have PC3700 speeds with 2-6-2-2 timings. Is any memory manufacturer brave enough to oblige us ?????."
KingMAX PC3200 256MB Color Modules - Although these modules are not the absolute fastest performing modules around, they are damn close to it. They actually performed well above my expectations suprisingly close to the Corsair PC3200LL despite the loose memory timings, which goes to show that at high FSB these settings amount to only a little improvement. The system itself remained extremely stable at all speeds up to 225MHz.
Leadtek K7NCR18D Pro II Deluxe Limited review - Hexus.net also let us know they have done a review of the Leadtek K7NCR18D Pro II Deluxe Limited.
NETWORKING 102: NAT & PAT Guide - As you can see using NAT & PAT is really pretty easy once you understand the basics on how it works. Also by using a combination of NAT & PAT you can help conserve IP address, save money and still have many computers access the internet and run servers on the internet with out the need for all of the IP address you would other wise use. Just remember when doing more than basic NATing you need to sit down and draw out how you want the network to look and work. By just doing that simple step you can quickly and easily set up your network regardless of which router your using.
OMEGA drivers Interview - OCAddiction has conducted an interview with OMEGA of OmegaCorner.com. OMEGADRIVERS have been developing great drivers for both NVIDIA and ATi based cards, but recently nVidia lawyers contacted OMEGADRIVERS to request they take down their logo's and the drivers from the OmegaCorner website.
Ahead Nero InCD version 4.0 and Ahead Nero 6 Manuals - Ahead Software has released Nero 6 Ultra Edition manuals. Linux Kernel 2.6.0-test1 Released - Linus Torvalds released on late Sunday the first test (-pre) kernel of the upcoming Linux Kernel 2.6. Download or get more information here and make sure you report any bugs you might find on the way.
Throttle 5.7.13.2003 - Throttle is a tool for all that allows you to modify your modem settings to increase internet performance up to 200% or higher Throttle on the other hand has been tried and tested and proven to work. Whether you use a 14.4/28.8/33.6/56k modem, cable modem, or DSL modem, Throttle will boost your internet connection speed.
KlipFolio 2.1.1 - Serencet KlipFolio (download) is a free information delivery and notification application that lets you view and manage Klipt information services right on your desktop.
Ad-aware Standard 6.00 build 181 - Ad-aware Standard 6.00 build 181 is now available for download. This new version brings better speed, it should be up to 400% faster than any previous 6x release.
Driver Cleaner + Cab Cleaner - Driver Cleaner is a program which helps you to remove parts of drivers that are left after uninstalling the old drivers. The program is for ATI and nVidia drivers. First you need to uninstall the drivers from the control panel than reboot and after that run the program.
DNA Drivers (based on the Catalyst 3.5 ATI) - This release comes with an nice installer/uninstaller and lot's of other cool stuff check it out yourself :)

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,13 2003 - tech

Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 01:53 AM CEST - Jul,13 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)

Trojan Hijacks PCs to Peddle Porn - Spammers based in Russia are using stealth and a sophisticated new Trojan horse program to turn home workstations into unwitting hosts in a pornography and spam distribution ring, say security experts. The deceptive and potentially illegal practice came to the attention of experts in late June and has been a topic of conversation among spam fighters on Internet discussion groups since then, says Joe Stewart, senior intrusion analyst with LURHQ, a Chicago-based managed security services company.
Technical Analysis of 007: Agent Under Fire save game hack - There is an excellent article at the XBox Linux Project that describes exactly how the XBox savegame hack works. (thanks Slashdot.org)
"Phantom" game console is really a copyright protection device - Over the last few months computer and gaming-related publications) have gotten stacks of press releases from a company called Infinium Labs touting its upcoming Phantom game console. "Let's start by saying the console is real, not vaporware. I've seen a working prototype in action. Inside the spacy-looking case it's just a PC running Windows XP that has no CD or floppy drive, and uses a proprietary encryption scheme for data stored on its hard drive."
PluggedIn: for PC Power Gamers, Money Is No Object - For the dedicated PC gamer who spends more time playing games than sleeping and working combined, nothing is more important than having a computer souped up with the latest and greatest technology. No surprise, then, that there are a number of companies across the country willing help those gamers part with significant chunks of cash. For example, Alienware's "Custom" system starts at $2,679 in a base configuration, but a few quick upgrades add $1,000 to the price, while fully tricked-out Voodoo systems can easily top $8,000.
Olympus D-390 review - Overall, the new Olympus D-390 camera ($150 street) is just about right for novice users. Judged strictly by the numbers, however, this camera could be a little more impressive. With only 2 megapixels and no zoom lens, it isn't as sophisticated as cameras like the Samsung Digimax V4, and it doesn't have the zoom-in-on-a-gnat's-eye lens of its cousin, the Olympus C-740UZ. Numbers aren't everything, hough, and at its modest price, the D-390 is a great value.
Gainward FX Powerpack Ultra/760XP 5600 Ultra Review - Techseekers.net has posted a review of the 5600 Ultra card from Gainward.
ASUS V9950 GeForce FX5900 review - Hexus.net has posted a review of the ASUS V9950 GeForce FX5900.
Soltek GeForce FX 5200 review - NVNews.net has posted a review of Soltek GeForce FX 5200.
H3003 Super Mini Optical Mouse review - Mikhailtech have posted a review of the H3003 mini optical mouse.
Samsung 172B 17" LCD review - Although this is an analog only LCD monitor, that does not take away from how it fared.
Anachronox: The Movie Released - Anachronox: The Movie is a tour-de-force (Anachronox: The Movie Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 / Part 13) One of the finest Machinima films produced to date, and probably the most accomplished Machinima feature to date. Fans will also be excited to hear that there are plans underway at Machinima.com to release the entire movie as a high-res DVD Special Edition, complete with unseen footage from the film, artwork from the project, and more. We'll have more information on that as it arrives. (thanks Warp2Search)
ScreenSaverMax Demo - ScreenSaverMax is a plug-in for Discreet's 3ds Max 4 and 5 that allows you to export 3D screen savers for WinAll. ScreensaverMax v1.0 can generate three types of screen saver: Dynamic - a number of 3D models are duplicated and bounced and tumbled around the screen, Movie - the screen saver plays back animation of your model or scene and Logo - a single model travels spinning around the screen.
GSpot v2.21 Build 030711 - GSpot (download) determine what codec a video/audio file uses and what codec your system will use to play it.
Media Player Classic 6.4.5.8 - Media Player Classic (download) is similar to windows media player 6.4 but with features pertained to minimalist advanced users.
Coding Workshop Ringtone Convertor 4.4.6 - The Ringtone Converter (download) is a software program for both Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac systems that allows you to add new ringtones to your mobile phone without the need for cables or expensive premium rate SMS services. The Ringtone Converter supports most makes and models of phone including Audiovox, Alcatel, Ericsson, HTC, Kyocera, Motorola, Nokia, NEC, Panasonic, Philips, Sagem, Samsung, Sony, Sendo, Sharp and Siemens handsets, with more added every month.
Alcohol 120% v1.4.6.711 - Alcohol 120% (download) is a combination of both Alcohol 52% and Alcohol 68%. It enables users to both copy and emulate real or virtual CDs & DVDs. Alcohol 120% can handle the creation of 31 virtual CD & DVD-ROMs, allowing the user to play discs whithout needing the physical disc. It also allows users to make copy CD & DVD to CD-R / CD-RW / DVD-R / DVD-RW / DVD-RAM / DVD+RW.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,11 2003 - tech

Friday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 02:33 PM CEST - Jul,11 2003 - Post a comment / read (4)

IBM, Adobe Tighten Acrobat Security - Adobe Systems has tweaked the cryptography features in its Acrobat 6.0 software to let users take advantage of a security chip included with IBM's newer notebook and desktop computers, the companies say. Documents created with Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) can already make use of public key infrastructure (PKI) technologies that let users add a digital signature to a form, and control who can open it. Adding support for IBM's hardware-based Embedded Security Subsystem is supposed to boost that level of security further.
PDAs pose potential privacy problems - Companies are risking legal action by failing to protect data held on personal digital assistants (PDAs) and smartphones, according to a survey. While there are no official statistics about the number of these devices that have been stolen, as many as a quarter of staff surveyed on PDA usage by mobile security firm Pointsec Mobile Technologies claimed to have either lost or had their PDA stolen.
DVD 'ripper' pre-empts DMCA ruling - Studio 321 is awaiting a ruling over its DVD X Copy software, which includes a facility that allows users to rip backups of movie DVDs. If the ruling goes against Studio 321, the company says this new version of the copying software will ship without the "ripper" module, which decrypts DVDs and allows them to be copied. Other products in the new line-up include a DVD editing and authoring application that allows conversions to and from standard DV video, MPEG-2 and MPEG-1 formats. The company is also creating an add-in that converts Microsoft PowerPoint, as well as a CD/CDRW/DVD utility that enables data to be recovered from damaged or defective discs.
PS2 gaming service browser hacked - PlayStation 2 owner has figured out how to access non-Sony web pages using the browser software provided with the console's online gaming service. The PS2 typically points to a Sony server, and displays pages minus the web navigation tools computer owners are accustomed to using to surf the Net. Brook's self-confessed "hack" involves modifying the IP address the PS2 connects to when seeking out web pages, according to a BBC report. The PS2 typically points to a Sony server, and displays pages minus the web navigation tools computer owners are accustomed to using to surf the Net. Brook's self-confessed "hack" involves modifying the IP address the PS2 connects to when seeking out web pages, according to a BBC report.
Lindows offers easier-to-install Linux - Lindows.com, which tries to make the Linux operating system more consumer-friendly, has introduced a version of the OS that runs directly from a CD-ROM. The San Diego-based company said Thursday that its new product, LindowsCD, is targeted at people who want to try Linux without altering or removing other operating systems running on their computers. The Linux OS CD is free for those who purchase or already own LindowsOS 4.0, the full-featured version of the company's software. The CD can also be purchased separately for $29.95.
Corporate e-mail to call on cell phones - Japanese cell phone carrier NTT DoCoMo next week will launch a new corporate e-mail service that could pose a threat to manufacturers of handhelds for mobile professionals. Starting July 17, NTT DoCoMo will give ordinary cell phones access to Microsoft and Lotus e-mail, contacts and calendar items. Most carriers already sell similar services but require customers to purchase specially made handhelds from Research In Motion, Good Technology, NEC and other manufacturers. Such devices can cost more than $200 each, whereas cell phones are often free when customers sign up with a carrier.
Lowering CD prices won't work according to US official - In an effort to combat piracy, the Malaysian goverment had introduced the idea of lowering prices of original discs. The country is suffering from a high piracy rate and most inhabitants are not able to purchase original discs because of their price. The Malaysian goverment wanted to cut the prices of the originals to have them compete with the much cheaper pirated versions, but according to the US assistant secretary of commerce for market access and compliance is this not a good idea.
Pirated CDs now 1/3 of global market - Production of pirated recordings of music increased by 14 percent last year and now account for a third of all CDs sold around the globe, an industry group reported Thursday. The estimated value of pirated recordings last year reached $4.6 billion, and included some 1.1 billion CDs, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, representing 1,500 record companies in 70 countries. IFPI President Jay Berman said the group would focus its enforcement efforts on 10 major producers of pirated recordings: Brazil, China, Mexico, Paraguay, Poland, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and Ukraine.
Sony to replace 18,000 damaged DVD+RW (DPW47L1) discs - Customers of the Sony DRU-500AX and/or DRX-500ULX DVD recorders might have received damaged DVD+RW discs with their recorder. The discs included in the packages of these drives contain a memory layer that may oxidize after some time. The discs become unreadable and/or unwriteable due to this malfunction.
PATA Hard Drive Roundup - This will likely be the last PATA roundup you see anywhere, as the PATA interface will certainly become a dying breed, being replaced with the more future-friendly SATA interface. However, currently there is not much reason to warrant purchase of a SATA drive, especially if your current platform doesn't support it. Today, we'll look at the newest, fastest, biggest hard drives from most of the big HDD manufacturers. Let's find out who comes out on top!
Enermax CS-528 X-Point Review - LittleWhiteDog has published a new review of the Enermax CS-528 X-Point case. This case offers many sought after base-line features, such as an included 300-Watt power supply, a removeable motherboard tray, pre-installed case window with a 4 LED fan, front mounted media ports, and room for pleny of cooling fans. It does however lack a few "luxury" features, such as thumbscrews, modular drive bays, intake fan filters, and the inclusion of more than one cooling fan.
GigaByte GA-8S648FX Motherboard Review - NextGen Electronics now checks in once again with GigaByte to see their newest motherboard, the GA-8S648FX, which supports the SIS 648FX and the SIS 963 AGPset chipset. Boasting 8X AGP, DDR 400+, Hyper-Threading Technology, and AC97 6-channel audio onboard, this is one motherboard that packs a punch - especially at under $100.
Norton Anti-Virus 2004 Beta 4 - A new beta is available - many improvements - sign-up for key ~ beta4
BlindWrite Suite 4.5.3 - Blindwrite Suite (download) is the best set of tools to reproduce or clone any CD, even protected ones. Blindwrite Suite is the most powerfull tool to create a perfect copy from your original CD for personal private copy.
NuSphere phpED 3.2 - NuSphere phpED is an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) that integrates a comprehensive set of editing, debugging and deployment tools that can speed development time by up to 75 percent and significantly reduce time-to-market. And when you're done, you can take advantage of multiple platform deployment options including Windows, Linux, and UNIX.
Alcoholer 4.0b - Alcoholer (download) combines ClonyXXL with Alcohol 120%. It will set right settings for each protection.
SecureFX 2.1.6 - The SecureFX (download) client application lets you choose between SFTP or FTP over an encrypted SSH2 connection for secure transfers, or standard FTP for non-secure transfers. It has a simple Explorer-like interface, so it's easy to learn and use.
Kazaa Lite K++ 2.4.0 - Kazaa K++ is an enhanced Kazaa (KMD) with a lot of new features only available with K++.
ReactOS 0.1.2 - ReactOS is an Open Source effort to develop a quality operating system that is compatible with Windows NT applications and drivers. Relationship with the WINE project ReactOS has always planned to work with the WINE project to share as much programming effort as possible. This will mainly concern User Mode DLLs and will happen once ReactOS's Kernel Mode areas are more complete, as those areas form the underlying infrastructure. Other areas of cooperation lie in applications and testing suites.
MSN Messenger 6 Build 6.0.0503 - A new version (WinXP ~ Win9x/ME ~NT4) of Microsoft's popular instant messaging client has been released today.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,10 2003 - tech

Thursday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 05:40 PM CEST - Jul,10 2003 - Post a comment / read (7)

Microsoft Patches 'Critical' Windows Hole - Microsoft is warning of a critical security flaw (patch) that affects all supported versions of its Windows operating system and could enable a remote attacker to run malicious code on unpatched Windows systems. The security hole is due to a buffer overrun vulnerability in the Windows HTML converter. This Windows component enables the operating system to convert files from Rich Text Format to HyperText Markup Language, which is used to display documents on the Web.
FBI investigates cyberscam that lured 'winners' to fake site - Scam artists have spoofed the Web site of the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission in an attempt to steal personal and financial information from lottery players across the country. The fake lottery Web site, www.mass-lottery.org, which was hosted by Clifton, New York-based HostRocket.com, was taken down by Wednesday afternoon. But the site, which was registered on June 13, was nearly identical to the Massachusetts Lottery Commission's official site, www.masslottery.com, according to lottery spokesperson Amy Morris.
Police and FSB Listen In on Mobile Phone Calls - Mobile phone providers switched off their encryption systems for 24 hours on a government order, allowing the Federal Security Service and the police to eavesdrop on all calls. An alert notifying callers that their conversations could be listened in on popped up on cellphones around Moscow at 9 p.m. Tuesday and lasted until 9 p.m. Wednesday on an order by the Communications Ministry. The alert, depending on the model of cellphone, is usually either an exclamation point or an unlocked padlock.
Scientists unlock secrets of largest human chromosome - Scientists have finished unravelling the largest human chromosome to be studied in detail so far. Chromosome 7 has been linked to human diseases including cystic fibrosis, hereditary deafness and cancer. The new data, which is over 99% complete, shows the chromosome contains 153 million genetic code letters - the DNA component chemicals whose sequences dictate what we are. Among these are 1,150 genes, stretches of DNA that provide the instructions for making proteins. Scientists also found 940 pseudo-genes - pieces of DNA that look like genes but appear not to function.
New software allows you to log on by laughing - Computer scientists at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, wanted to make it easier for staff to log onto networked computers. So they came up with SoundHunters, a program that recognises someone's voice or laughter and works out which computer is nearest to them. It could then be used to automatically log them on to the computer. Microphones on each computer pick up a person's voice. The software recognises them and calculates where they are, using flocks of intelligent agents - pieces of discrete computer code that are programmed to move around a network from computer to computer. The agents close in on those computers where the person's voice is loudest, until they pinpoint the nearest one.
Fuji Unveils Mini-Digicam - A credit-card-size, 1.3-megapixel camera offering print-quality images is being released in Japan this month by Fuji Axia, a division of Fuji Photo Film. Fuji's Eyeplate Mega, measuring 8 millimeters in thickness, is based on the Ultra-Pocket reference camera design developed by Smal Camera Technologies. It is priced at $109 and is expected to become commercially available later in the U.S. and Europe, says Romney Williams, executive director of business development with Smal.
AMD to replace Duron with Athlon FX? - The Athlon FX will be based on the Thorton core, essentially a version of the top-end Athlon XP's Barton core with half the cache: 256KB instead of 512KB. Said sources claim AMD is already pumping the chips out, at 2000+ to 2600+ performance ratings. That's interesting, since the recently leaked AMD press schedule, which pinpointed upcoming Athlon 64 and faster Opteron chip launches appear not to have mentioned the FX.
Abit Launches The KV7 KT600 Motherboard - ABIT is announced their latest motherboard for the AMD platform, the KV7. The KV7 is powered by the long-awaited VIA KT600 chipset, which features both support for DDR 400 and a 400 MHz front side bus, making it ready for the latest games and applications. And of course the KV7 comes with serial ATA RAID 0/1 and is loaded with ABIT Engineered features for overclocking fanatics, like Softmenut MAX FID and TweakGuard
Ali chipset targets 800MHz FSB Pentium 4 - ALi has launched a North Bridge part that supports the Pentium 4's 800MHz effective bit rate frontside bus, courtesy of the company's ULi subsidiary. The chip, dubbed the M1683, provides support for up to 400MHz DDR SDRAM - installed on no more than three modules - in a single-channel configuration. It also provides an AGP 8x graphics bus. Aimed at mainstream to high-end systems, the chip will support PC133 SDRAM and Celeron processors with a 400MHz effective bit rate FSB.
Kingston targets gamers with 500MHz DDR - Memory specialist Kingston Technology yesterday began offering memory modules based on 466MHz and 500MHz DDR SDRAM. The latter, built to meet PC4000 specifications, is the first of its kind, Kingston claims. The lower-clocked part is a PC3700 module. DDR is typically clocked to 400MHz for inclusion in PC3200 modules. Kingston already offers 434MHz, PC3500 modules.
OCZ PC3200 EL DDR DUAL Channel Memory - First things first. The modules do exactly what they're specified to. The 2-2-3-6 timings caused no problems when tested in both AMD and Intel dual-channel motherboards. We're still not sure how valid certain manufacturers' claims are regarding optimisations for dual channel. All we can say is that the OCZ PC3200 EL DDR behaved impeccably through arduous testing.
XDR Memory Preview - Gamer PC has a preview of a technology that everyone's favourite company "Rambus" is now touting to the public.
Analysis: x86 Vs PPC - The x86 family of CPUs began life in 1978 as the 8086, an extension to the 8 bit 8080 CPU. It was a 16bit CISC (Complex instruction Set Computing) processor. In the following year the 8088 was introduced which was used in the original IBM PC. It is this computer which lead to todays PCs which are still compatible with the 8086 instruction set from 1978. The PowerPC family began life with the PowerPC 601 in 1993, the result of a collaboration started in 1991 between Apple, IBM and Motorola. The family was designed to be a low cost RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) CPU, it was based on the existing IBM POWER CPU used in the RS/6000 workstations so it would have an existing software base.
ATI Interview - HomeLAN has posted an interview with ATI's Patricia Mikula as she talks about their graphics products and their support of game development.
Falcon Northwest - Mach V Review - The Mach V is Falcon Northwest's flagship model. Each machine is hand-built and tuned, and represents the pinnacle of PC performance. The machine we looked at was absolutely stuffed with high-end gear, and we were very excited at the prospect of putting it through its paces.
The Springdale Showdown Which board should you "spring" for? - This is the kind of article that reviewers live for. Not a simple one-on-one comparison, but a full-blown, knock-em-down, street fight for bragging rights.
Abit IC7-G vs Gigabyte 8KNXP - Abit IC7-G lives up with its claim and this board is built for overclockers. The overclocking result is impressive with extensive BIOS tweaks. The performance is on par with other Canterwood motherboards but not as fast as Gigabyte's 8KNXP. Abit IC7-G somehow lacks of the features that 8KNXP could offer while competing at a similar price range. I think for the die-hard overlcockers, IC7 is probably a better choice than IC7-G which comes with the same Core overclocking power at a much lower price.
Corsair TWINX Platinum Series PC-3200 512MB DDR Memory Review - As you can see the ram when at 200MHz (400MHz DDR) did not reach 3000 MB/s. It did when at 203MHz FSB. It could be because of the motherboard because when I booted at 200MHz FSB the motherboard read it at 199MHz. Although WCPUID read it correctly at 200MHz. Another possible reason why it did not reach 3000 is because maybe it needs more conditioning. I don't really know yet. When I do I will put it in the forums...see below. The memory is fast anyhow and had no problems.
VIA PT800 Motherboards - Although one of VIA's goals for the PT800 chipset is to offer value to the consumer this is by no means a no frills solution. Supporting the new 800MHz front side bus processors and Intel Hyper-Threading technology the PT800 implements VIA's advanced FastStream64 DDR400 Memory Controller. The same memory controller will be found lurking on the KT400A chipset. This optimized memory controller offered excellent single channel performance for the Athlon XP processor. Supporting DDR266/333/400 you can expect the same impressive single channel performance for the Pentium 4 processor.
MSI NBox N5900 ULTRA - With the NBox N5900 ULTRA featuring so many goodies, you would think that you had to pay a premium for an already expensive gaming card. Fortunately, you need only top-up S$50 more than a normal MSI FX5900Ultra-VTD256 to enjoy all that the NBox had to offer. Think about it: the special packaging, three irresistibly good games and an optical mouse all worth a total of S$200 going at only S$50 more is actually a pretty fantastic deal. No doubt the NBox N5900 Ultra's price tag of S$1,059 is an expensive amount to set aside for a gaming card, if you had already set your sights for an NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra graphics card, it is probably the wisest choice around as most others would be priced close to the S$1,000 mark. With even the normal MSI's FX5900Ultra-VTD256 set to retail for S$999, you would be hard pressed to find a better proposition than the tantalizing NBox package.
Fraps 2.0.0 Build 1787 - Fraps is a tool that lets you monitor current framerates in a corner of the screen for programs using DirectX or OpenGL technology.
MusicMatch Jukebox 8.0 Review - PCMag has posted a MusicMatch Jukebox 8.0 review.
Kingston PC3500 HyperX DDR Memory Review - With a retail price of $230 CDN ($160 USD), the Kingston HyperX KHX3500/256 memory kit is decently priced. Two sticks of 256MB Corsair XMS3500 CAS2 would run you around the $260 range, and $255 for the OCZ PC3500EL DC DDR kit.
Beginners Guides: Internet Connection Sharing - PC Stats has posted a beginners guide about Internet Connection Sharing.
Hacking Your Nomad MP3 Player - OK, call us curious. Call us dumb. Call us adventurous. Whatever, we decided to see if we could replace the hard drive in our Zen, and our Nomad Jukebox 3 to add more space for more music. And guess what? It worked. In this story we'll give you the details on what we learned, and pictures and instructions on how to do it yourself. This is not for the squeamish, but it is possible to add a bigger hard drive to your MP3 player.
Apache 2.0.47 - Apache 2.0 (download) offers numerous enhancements, improvements and performance boosts over the 1.3 codebase. The most visible and noteworthy addition is the ability to run Apache in a hybrid thread/process mode on any platform that supports both threads and processes. This has shown to improve the scalability of the Apache HTTP Server significantly in our testing.
AntiVir Personal Edition 6.20.15.33 - The AntiVir Personal Edition (download) offers the effective protection against computer viruses for the individual and private use on a single PC-workstation.
PowerStrip beta 3.43 - PowerStrip provides advanced, multi-monitor, programmable hardware support to a wide range of graphics cards. This new beta fixes Wildact VP gamma correction, revises NV3X clock control, updates multilanguage support, sync'd MGA G-series support with latest drivers, changes Radeon PLL calculator, added desk/pointer hotkeys, revises timing refresh procedure,adds preliminary support for Radeon DVI interlacing, enables SiS6326 gamma correction and adds R350/RV350 support.
Visual Boy Advance v1.6 Beta 2 - Visual Boy Advance is a Game Boy Advance and Game Boy emulator that runs with Windows systems. There are two versions available - DirectX and SDL.
Dr. DivX 1.0.2 - Dr.DivX is the first and only official DivX Encoding application. Just as DivX and DivX Pro have enabled anyone, anywhere to watch and distribute great looking digital video, this now makes the act of creating DivX video as easy as the act of watching it.
AC3Filter 0.69b - AC3Filter (download) is free DirectShow filter for AC3 decoding to play .AVI with AC3 audio tracks and MPEG2 (DVD).
DivX Subtitle Displayer 4.53 - DivX Subtitle Displayer (download) is a program that can display subtitles while playing DivX movies.
VCool 2.0 Alpha 6 - This little utility will cool your Athlon/Duron processor on any VIA KT133 or KX133(A) (VT8363, VT8361, VT82C691/693A/694 or VT8371 +VT82C686x) chipsets during idle. (thanks Warp2Search)
Leaked nVidia Driver Doubles 3DMark03 Score - ExtremeTech ran the GeForceFX 5900 through 3DMark03, first with the current 44.03 driver, and then with this new 44.67 driver. The performance increases seen in 3DMark03 were substantial, almost double on one of the tests. We also tested three of the games we usually use for 3D testing. They found essentially no performance difference between the two builds there.
Detonators 44.71 *unofficial* - Station-drivers has posted Nvidia Detonator 44.71 (modified INF files) for Windows 2000/XP.
Omega Nvidia Drivers Cancelled - "Well, as most of you have heard by now, I will not be releasing any more Omega drivers for nvidia cards. I know this must come as a surprise for many since there are a lot of people who trust my work and know that I'm doing all of this to help people. This is what REALLY happened: I received an E-Mail from nvidia on June 17, it was from one of their attorneys, and he wanted to speak with me personally on the phone. The mail seemed friendly, but since it was coming from the nvidia law offices, I was worried of some kind of lawsuit because of my work."

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,09 2003 - tech

Nightly Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 03:30 AM CEST - Jul,09 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)

Users alerted to fake PayPal site scam - Fraudsters obtain valid SSL certificate to dupe users with fake e-wallet scheme. US internet monitor Internet Storm Centre (ISC) has warned web users of a fake website capitalising on the PayPal e-wallet system. The fake site uses a valid secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate to dupe visitors into believing they are accessing a bona fide secure site.
Julia Roberts sexes down UK PCs - A new variant of the highly destructive MyLife worm has been detected and is deleting data from computers across the UK. The worm arrives in an attachment that purports to offer pictures of Julia Roberts or Colombian pop singer Shakira. But when executed the worm checks the PC clock and, if the number of minutes past the hour is 50 or more, the worm activates. It deletes all of the vital SYS files from the Windows folder, all files from the Windows system folder and all files and folders from drives D, E and F. It also attempts to mail itself to all email addresses in Outlook.
US Security Compromised by Grad Student? - This George Mason University graduate student, Sean Gorman, has mapped every business and industrial sector in the American economy, layering on top the fiber-optic network that connects them. He can click on a bank in Manhattan and see who has communication lines running into it and where. He can drill into a cable trench between Kansas and Colorado and determine how to create the most havoc with a hedge clipper. Using mathematical formulas, he probes for critical links, trying to answer the question: "If I were Osama bin Laden, where would I want to attack?"
Thailand's online gamers face curfew - Thailand is to impose a night curfew on online gaming to curb rising rates of addiction by young players, Information and Communications Technology Minister Surapong Suebwonglee said on Tuesday. Game servers, both local and overseas, will be blocked from 10.00pm to 6.00am daily from July 15 to Sept 30, while Internet cafes will also have their hours curbed to those times, Mr Surapong told reporters.
Via's New Processor Goes Mobile - Called Antaur, the new processor runs at a clock speed of 1GHz (PR) and is based on the low-power architecture of Via's Nehemiah processor core, which is used in the company's flagship C3 processor for desktop computers. The chip consumes as little as 11 watts when running at 1GHz and includes additional power management capabilities that allow it to reduce the power it requires by up to 50 percent, a feature which can extend notebook battery life, the company said. The Antaur chip is coupled with Via's UniChrome CLE266 chipset, which includes an integrated MPEG2 decoder, support for DDR memory, and support for 10/100 Fast Ethernet.
Nanotechnology may create new organs - Scientists have built a minute, functioning vascular system - the branching network of blood vessels which supply nutrients and oxygen to tissues - in a significant step towards building whole organs. Conventional tissue engineering methods have successfully grown structural tissues such as skin and cartilage in the lab. But not being able to create the supporting vascular system has proved a major stumbling block preventing scientists from creating large functioning organs such as liver or kidneys. Now, researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School have used computers to design branching networks of venous and arterial capillaries, which start at three millimetres wide and reach a fineness of just 10 microns.
Windows Voyager smartphone ready for Xmas - The crucial feature of the new phone is bluetooth, meaning that you can connect it to a standard wireless headset, as well as use it as a wireless modem connected to your PC, for data over GPRS.
GlobalStreams Unveils Web-Based Video Phone - PC users can move another step closer to having a Jetsons-style video phone with the release of Vibe Phone, a service that combines instant messaging technology with video over broadband. The service is priced similar to cell phone plans. Vibe Phone borrows its pricing model from cellular phones. The basic $5 option allows 100 minutes of communications. More-extensive plans are available: You can pay $10 for 250 minutes of use, or $20 for 650 minutes. GlobalStreams does not offer unlimited-use plans, and the charges are in addition to Internet access fees.
P2P's little secret - File swappers hoping to share music and other works online without exposing their identity to the prying eyes of copyright enforcers face a tough choice. Hiding on a file-sharing system is hard for a very simple reason: Peer-to-peer networks are designed for efficiency, not anonymity. On a peer-to-peer network, files are directly swapped between computers, each of which has a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address that can be traced back to the Internet service provider, corporation or university to which it belongs. Because computers on a peer-to-peer network transfer files without going through an intermediary, the IP address of one person on the network is generally available to everyone else. Another Kazaa article called "Judge: Kazaa can't pursue lawsuit" can be found at CNN.
VIA Launches New Generation PT800 Chipset for the Intel Pentium 4 - VIA Technologies today announced the new generation VIA PT800 chipset, optimized for the Intel Pentium 4 processor platform. The PT800 is paired with VIA's most advanced South Bridge architecture, the VT8237, and is targeted specifically at professionals and PC enthusiasts requiring the very latest performance features and a full arsenal of connectivity and I/O options in a mainstream configuration.
HeatlaneZen NCU-1000 Fanless CPU Radiator - MonkeyReview has just posted a new review of HeatlaneZen NCU-1000 from one of their forum users.
MSI i865PE Neo2 FIS2R review - Another decent board from the MSI Deluxe stable. Brimming full of usable features and having a BIOS that's a tad scary, it does most things right. This MSI is for those that want every conceivable extra on their boards, and who want to use those extras immediately. If there's one word to sum up the MSI 865PE Neo2 FIS2R (don't you just love long names) it would have to be 'impressive package. Wait .... that's two.
Scoop : Intel Desktop Control Centre - Intel are about to launch a new application which will enable the enthusiast to make changes to their Intel desktop board from within Windows. This of course is not necessarily good news for everyone, but if you have an Intel D875PBZ, or D865PERL mainboard you are in luck.
Detonator 44.67 vs 44.03 Performance Comparison - DarkCrow has done up a performance comparison of the newly released 44.67 Detonators drivers: They tested Detonator 44.67 against the 44.03 running on a GeForce FX 5900 Ultra using 3DMark 03 build 330. (thanks Warp2Search)
FolderIcon XP 1.00 Final - FolderIcon XP (download) allows you to change an icon for any folder. Left-click on a folder and choose its icon, mark it as a "hot" or make it look gray.
Windows Media Video 9 VCM - The Windows Media Audio and Video 9 Series codecs offer the best experience when delivered using the ASF file container. To offer the flexibility MS customers have asked for, new licensing terms allow for these codecs to be used in other file containers as well.
GetRight 5.0.2 Final - GetRight (download) is a Download Manager program to help you download files from the Internet.
Coding Workshop Ringtone Convertor 4.4.3 - The Ringtone Converter (download) is a software program for both Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac systems that allows you to add new ringtones to your mobile phone without the need for cables or expensive premium rate SMS services.
InboxShield 2.0.2 - InboxShield (download) filters your incoming mail and separates good mail from Spam mail.
VIA Audio drivers v3.70a - VIA Tech has released new drivers v3.70a (changelog) for the internal AC97 sound in their chipsets including south bridges VT686A, VT686B, VT8231, VT8233, VT8233A, VT8233C and VT8235.
nForce Drivers 3.44 Beta Win2k/XP - Station-Drivers have posted an _unofficial_ nForce 1/2 ( 220/230/415/420/430) drivers version 3.44 WHQL. This is not a full driver release but includes audio, ethernet, IDE and GART drivers.
eVGA Full Reference Detonator 44.67 - eVGA has released a full reference Nvidia Detonator driver 44.67 (mirror) for Windows 2000 and XP.

Gameguru Mania News - Jul,08 2003 - tech

Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 03:06 AM CEST - Jul,08 2003 - Post a comment / read (6)

Consumers not ready for online gaming - Nintendo - George Harrison, Nintendo of America VP of marketing, has hinted strongly that Nintendo will not be rolling out any online strategy in this generation of hardware, although the company is looking into it for N5. In an interview with the Puget Sound Business Journal, Harrison commented that "we just don't believe consumers are ready for [online gaming]. Right now, no one's paying for subscriptions. The real test comes when you have to start coughing up $15 a month."
Playstation Portable ships in 2004, PS3 doesn't - According to Afterdawn.com, the Playstation Portable, which will challenge old-timer Nintendo GBA and newcomer Nokia N-Gage, will ship to retailers late 2004.
ICQ 2003a Password Bypass - How it works? Simple! You may use EnableWindow API to enable ICQ contact list window. After enabling the window you can set your status to online and the UIN will be connected no matter how high is your security level.
Hacker Challenge Fizzles - A weekend competition to test the skills of malicious hackers fell apart after poor planning by contest organizers and infighting among different hacker groups crippled the Web site responsible for keeping score in the competition.
Samsung to ban camera phones - Samsung is to ban camera phones from its semiconductor, flat-panel and electronics factories because of industrial espionage fears. The ban, due to come into effect from 14 July, will apply to both workers and visitors to the factories.
Fossil delays US Wrist PDA shipment - Fossil's Palm OS-based Wrist PDA watch did not shipped in the US on 30 June as promised and has slipped back until 21 July. Fossil's own web site confirms the delay, but simply notes that the 'dress' watches will ship "in July", and the other two "in early July". Fossil's low-cost brand, Abacus, is also releasing the Wrist PDA with metal and plastic straps. According to Amazon.com, both versions will ship on 31 July. The Wrist PDA contains a 33MHz Motorola Dragonball VZ processor, 2MB of ROM and 2MB of RAM, IrDA port, a synchronisation port, and a 160 x 160 16-greyscale display. The 'dress' and 'casual' versions cost $295, and the 'sport' watch costs $275. The Abacus versions are priced at $200 for the metal strap and $180 for the plastic strap.
Intel Prescott 3.40GHz Pricing Unveiled - The initial pricing of Intel code-named Prescott processor was revealed by an unofficial source here today. The fastest Socket 478 chip from Intel with 800MHz Quad Pumped Bus and 1MB of L2 cache in addition to loads of other improvements will cost you $640 in quantities starting from 1000 units at launch this year.
Realtek GbE chip production to be delayed until 4Q, sources say - Realtek Semiconductor's first Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) MAC/PHY single chip did not complete first-cut sampling due to a technical bug between the chip and motherboards, said first-tier motherboard makers and competing IC design firms.
Sony Ships Business LCDs - Sony has released a new line of flat-panel displays that are aimed at corporate and government customers. The new 15-inch SDM-X53 ($430), 17-inch SDM-X73 ($600), and 19-inch SDM-X93 ($800) models are Mac- and Windows-compatible via an analog input connector.
Motorola puts nanotubes in screens - Motorola is researching a new type of large flat-panel display that the company says has the potential to be cheaper than plasma or liquid-crystal display screens. The new screen technology uses carbon nanotubes, which are long, thin strands of specialized carbon molecules. The material is popular with researchers who are investigating its use in everything from optic cabling to antibacteria coatings. The screen, dubbed a "nano emissive display" or NED, is being developed by Motorola Labs, the research arm of the electronics giant.
Intel to launch 848P and 865GV chipsets - Intel plans to release two new Pentium 4 chipsets supporting single-channel DDR400 and an 800Mhz FSB (front-side bus), Taiwanese motherboard sources said. The 848P, formerly rumored as the 865PL, will be marketed for the value-line end-user market, while the 865GV will target OEM customers.
Thermaltake Introduces Silent Boost Cooler - It is categorized in Thermaltake's high performance Volcano Series line for AMD Athlon XP 3400+ application. Heat sink's design greatly increased the surface area to dissipate more efficiently with following dimension: 82mm x 70mm x 49mm. High-density fins (41 fins) also allow heat to be distributed even across the heat sink.
Iwill Produces World's Smallest P4 SFF Barebone - Iwill's ZPC comes with a slim and light box as a book-sized P4 barebone. The dimension is ultra-compact as 18.4 x 26.3 x 5.4(cm) which perfectly matches even the smallest of spaces in home or office
AMD Athlon FX Processor - Adrian's Rojak Pot has posted a scoop on the new AMD Athlon FX processor. "Has anyone heard of the new AMD Athlon FX? No? That wouldn't be surprising since I have never heard of it until now! Athlon FX is apparently going to be AMD's official name for the new Athlon XP Thorton core!"
Apple G4 Powerbook review - Currently retailing at L2299.00 this beautiful work of engineering at its best does not come cheaply. But I ask my self, has the switch been worth it? Hell yea! I would do it again if I have to, and I seriously plan to follow the Apple way of life for the next couple of years.
Kingston 128mb USB Drive Review - The DataTraveler is about the size of a stick of gum and 3-4 sticks thick. Mac users will be delighted to know that they too can use this in their computer. Which also makes it handy for transferring files between platforms. 10 years of listed data retention means you'll probably lose it before it dies.
Scythe Ergo Diver Keyboard And Mouse Pad Review - OcPrices.com has released a review of Scythe Ergo Diver keyboard and mouse pad.
How-To Fill and Bleed an Inline Water Cooling System - Let me lay out a little scenario for you. You finish installing all your water cooling gear. Your water block is mounted on the mobo, and everything looks fantastic! Only one problem .... there is no water in there!
Upgrading to Peltier Cooling - OCAddiction has posted an interesting article about upgrading to Peltier Cooling.
Wireless home networking Guide - PC Stats has posted a Wireless home networking guide.
Building The Ultimate Gaming PC Guide - If money was not a factor, how would you design the Ultimate Gaming PC?
Unwinder's Detection Script: Catalyst 3.5 On Test - EliteBastards taking a look at a host of frequently used benchmarks, running them on ATi's latest Catalyst 3.5 drivers both with and without Unwinder's script running.
GIMP v1.3.16 - The GIMP (GNU/Image Manipulation Program) is a very nice graphics manipulation application that works on many operating systems, in many languages, on many file formats and is used for a variety of computer imagery purposes.
Klient 2.0.16 - Klient (download) is an IRC application for WinAll. Klient features a fully customizable interface, multiple server support, highly robust scripting, external .dll support, and much more.
AnyDVD 1.3.1.1 - This baby allows you to decrypt CSS encrypted DVDs on the fly and has been developed by Elaborate Bytes (CloneCD/DVD).
foobar2000 v0.7 Beta 12 - foobar2000 (download ~ changelog) is nice&very small audio player made by WinAMP's Peter Pawlowski.
CopyToDVD 2.2.4 - CopyToDVD is the easiest way to backup your files. Integrated to the shell or used as a normal application, CopyToDVD works with all CD & DVD Writers to create the cd type of your choice.
OpenGL 2.0 Enabled Drivers - MAME stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, and currently runs 1800+ classic (and even some not so classic) arcade games!
TVTool 7.2.5 beta - The main purpose of this update is to fix some bugs, especially an incompatibility with Win98/Me and a possible blackscreen after turning off TV mode on some systems. Besides that it has some new features, especially the sound options have been renewed and support SPDIF now.
My Drivers 2.21 - My Drivers enables easy and fast detection, backup and restore of all hardware device drivers currently on your system.
Lite-On CD-RW Firmware - LiteOn have released some new CD-RW firmware updates for the following drives: Lite-On LTR-52327S ( 52X 32X 52X ), Lite-On LTR-48126S ( 48X 12X 48X ), Lite-On LTR-40125S ( 40X 12X 48X ), Lite-On LXR-40243A / B ( 40X 24X 40X ). (thanks Warp2Search)

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