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 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,29 2003 - tech 
Sunday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 01:24 PM CEST - Jun,29 2003 - Post a comment
  • $180 Million for Piracy Conspiracy - According to an AP story printed in the Orlando Sentinel, Steven R. Frazier has been ordered to pay $180 million restitution for attempting to sell a device that would decrypt the satellite signals sent into everyone's homes. In addition to spending the next 5 years in Federal prison, Frazier will have to pay $500 a month for the next 30,000 years, though no one really expects him to live long enough to make all the payments. (thanks Slashdot.org)
  • Video Game Industry to Change Ratings System  - The video game industry has unveiled a revised rating system featuring more prominent rating displays on game boxes and more detailed information on the kinds of violence featured in some titles. The ESRB said that as of Sept. 15, it will require new, more descriptive rating information on the backs of game boxes. Also as of that date, the "Mature" and "Adults Only" will be changed to show the minimum recommended ages for each of those categories. The ESRB said its "cartoon violence" label will apply to games in which violent acts happen to animated characters, while "fantasy violence" will apply in cases in which a scenario clearly distinguishable from reality. The ESRB defines "intense violence" as bloody, gory and realistic-looking depictions of human injury or death, while "sexual violence" covers the depiction of rape.
  • AOL backtracks on Winamp media player  - In a setback to Nullsoft's plans, Winamp3 in March gave way to the earlier Winamp 2.x version, pending a broader overhaul that will incorporate aspects of both in Winamp 5. In the meantime, AOL has discontinued supporting plug-ins developed using Wasabi and will instead fold Winamp3 graphical interface designs, or "skins," into Winamp 2.x. In a setback to Nullsoft's plans, Winamp3 in March gave way to the earlier Winamp 2.x version, pending a broader overhaul that will incorporate aspects of both in Winamp 5. In the meantime, AOL has discontinued supporting plug-ins developed using Wasabi and will instead fold Winamp3 graphical interface designs, or "skins," into Winamp 2.x.
  • Sun squashes over 2400 Java bugs - People "into java" know that previous 1.4.0 and 1.4.1 were full of bugs that caused many, users and developers alike, to pull their hair, including this now bald writer. In fact, according to Sun, over 2400 bugs have been fixed since the original 1.4.0 release.
  • Too Much Booze While Watching Star Trek! editorial - "I get loads of spam mail everyday and my spam filter gets most of them. But for some reason, this one caught my eye before it went into the dustbin. And why not? It was an eye-catching title - "Dimensional Warp Generator Needed". :) Let's check it out!"
  • NetBIOS: Ins & Outs  - NetBIOS stands for Network Basic Input Output System. It was originally developed by IBM and Sytek as an Application Programming Interface (API) for client software to access LAN resources. If you have experience working on a LAN using Microsoft Windows Operating Systems you must have clicked on "Network Neighborhood" to access the computers attached to your network. After clicking on the icon you would have seen the names of the computers on the network.
  • Asus SK8N nForce3 Pro150 Review - Hardware Mania has posted a review of Asus SK8N nForce3 Pro150.
  • MSI GeForce FX5900 Review - Hexus has posted a review of the MSI GeForce FX5900. "So, is it quicker than 9800 Pro? Is it quicker than 9700 Pro? Well, yes to both for the most part. On the tests that I consider to be the most relevant in terms of current game performance, it's about as equal with 9800 Pro as I'd like to call it."
  • K9 1.07  - K9 is an email filtering program that works in conjunction with most popular email applications that use the standard POP3 email protocol. Messages pass through K9 on their way to your email program and as K9 processes them it can learn to identify the difference between Spam and Good emails, marking Spam emails so that your email application can file them away or delete them.
  • FolderIcon XP 1.0 beta 3 - 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. Collection of unique icons included (colored and marked XP-style icons) as well as a customizable set of links to external (system) icons, specially chosen for marking folders.
  • DivX 5.0.5b (Silent Update) - DivX (free ~ adware ~ profi ~ Linux) is a package that includes all the DivX codec, player, utilities, and documentation that you need to play DivX files. This silent update contains an updated DivX Player.
  • Turtle Beach Santa Cruz Drivers v 4193 - A new Turtle Beach Santa Cruz drivers has been released.
  • ATi CATALYST 3.5 Patches - ATi found that the OpenGL acceleration is unavailable when using a Radeon 9100 product with Catalyst 3.5 and also there is Display corruption or flickering around in-game objects in NeverWinter Nights for all RADEONs. (thanks Warp2Search)
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,27 2003 - tech
GeForce FX 5900 Ultra vs. Radeon 9800 Pro - tech
(hx) 10:32 PM CEST - Jun,27 2003 - Post a comment / read (15)
GF FX 5900 Ultra
R9800 Pro
OCAddiction gets a chance to test both the GF FX 5900 Ultra ($499) and the Radeon 9800 Pro ($399) video cards and live to tell which one comes out on top. I It's pretty extensive and useful article with many benchmarks, check it out! Here is a taster:
Better cooling is essential for newer and faster hardware. Even with a .13 and .15 micron process, these cards are getting hot. Which manufacturer is to be commended for a better cooling system? I would have to say the FX 5900 Ultra. These particular cards are manufactured directly by nVidia to keep strict adherence to their standards, then pieced out to the individual manufacturers for resale. Not only does the FX 5900 Ultra have great GPU cooling, the memory chips are cooled with gargantuan sized sinks that are mounted separately from the GPU cooler. Add to this the fact that you can overclock the 5900 at both the 2D and 3D level, you can keep your card cooler while not running in 3D Apps if your the type to keep your card overclocked day in, day out. Memory chips get hot on the R9800 Pro yet this particular model does not have any sinks on the memory. Fortunately, ATi implemented them on their newer R9800 Pro 256MB model which has DDR II that can get very hot.

Conclusion
Let's break down performance of both cards and see which one comes out on top.

UT2k3 - FX 5900 Ultra - While both cards perform well, the FX 5900 comes out on top

AquaMark - R9800 Pro - The R9800 takes home the gold in this real-world benchmark

Comanche 4 - R9800 Pro - The R9800 also wins out by an edge for this nearly obsolete benchmark

Specviewperf 7.0 - R9800 Pro - This one is really close but the #'s lean to the R9800

Code Creatures - FX 5900 Ultra - The 5900 beats up the R9800 pretty good in this intensive benchmark

Splinter Cell - R9800 Pro - Hands down, the R9800 takes it in this awesome game from UBISoft

ShaderMark - R9800 Pro - While the FX 5900 Ultra makes a good showing, the R9800 wins this one

3DMark 01 SE Build 330 - R9800 Pro - The R9800 takes top honors with this tried and true synthetic benchmark

3DMark 03 Build 320 - FX 5900 Ultra - Should we include this? Possibly not, however the FX 5900 wins with WHQL Det Drivers

3D Visual Quality - R9800 Pro hands down

And the winner is.........The FIC ATi Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB. We compared these cards in every category we could think of and in the end, we saw better performance overall from the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro. Did the FX 5900 fail to impress us? No, not at all. We believe both cards are worthy of any good system but we do have to tip our hats to the excellent performance that the Radeon 9800 Pro has showed us here today.
Friday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 10:15 PM CEST - Jun,27 2003 - Post a comment / read (1)
  • Latest Sobig variant getting bigger - The latest variant of the Sobig virus continued to spread Thursday, underscoring how mass-mailing computer viruses can still be a nuisance.  In the past 24 hours, the virus, known as Sobig.E, mainly has affected U.S. computer users, according to e-mail service provider MessageLabs. The company, which filters e-mail messages and removes viruses and spam for clients, reported 70 percent of the Sobig.E-infected messages came from the United States. Another 18 percent came from U.K. sources .Sobig-E normally spreads via emails with randomised subject lines (such as Re: Documents and Re: Re: Movie) and . zip attachments containing infectious .scr and .pif files. Like its predecessors, Sobig-E has a built-in expiry date - in this case 14 July. Click on the infectious attachments and you catch the pox.
  • Group claims Linux advance on Xbox  - A group of Xbox security researchers say they have found a way to run Linux on the Xbox game console without a so-called mod chip and will go public with the technique if Microsoft won't talk to them about releasing an official Linux boot loader. The group, which has asked not to be named in this article, approached ZDNet Australia after repeated attempts to contact Microsoft independently failed. The researchers say they want Microsoft to release a "signed" Linux boot loader--software that runs when a computer starts up to load and give control to the operating system--that would allow Xbox users to run the open-source operating system on the console without installing a chip.
  • Expert slams outlandish hacker claims - Security expert Neil Barrett has poured scorn on research released this week claiming that hackers are in control of at least three million servers around the world. Intrusion prevention system vendor Trustcorps said that it had "scientific and anecdotal" research indicating that the average hacker 'owns' between 600 and 800 systems at any time. The company estimated that there are at least 1,000 hacker groups, with an average of five hackers per group each owning at least 600 systems. Each hacker will own a compromised system for six months on average.
  • Solar airplane crashes on test flight - The remotely piloted, one-of-a-kind Helios Prototype crashed off Kauai within the testing area of the Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said in a news release. The $15 million, solar-electric, propeller-driven Helios had a wingspan of 247 feet and looked more like a flying wing than a conventional plane.
  • 'Polypill' could slash heart attacks and strokes - The "Polypill" would contain a cocktail of six existing drugs and should be given to everybody over the age of 55, the researchers argue. It could potentially save 200,000 lives every year in the UK alone, they say. "There's probably no other preventative measure which would have greater impact on public health in the Western world," says Nicholas Wald, research leader and an expert in preventative medicine at the Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine, London. "In people who start taking it at 55, about a third would expect to benefit," he says. "Each of these individuals would gain about 12 years extra life - that is enormous." In some cases the increase in longevity might be as much as 20 years, says the proposal.
  • Microsoft Office System To Launch in October - Microsoft will launch its Office System 2003 suite of products in New York in October, say sources close to the company.The October date is considerably later than the June launch that many expected earlier this year. But when Microsoft announced in April that it was adding an unexpected beta refresh to its Office 2003 lineup, many expected the final rollout date for the desktop suite and the growing family of related products would slip to fall. Microsoft officials have continued to insist that Office 2003 will be a "late summer" deliverable.
  • Dell Readies New PDA, Smartphone - Dell has revealed that the next generation of its Axim handheld will include both Wi-Fi and triband radios, signaling a new wave of mobile productivity. In addition, an executive says Dell plans to develop a device based on Microsoft's Smartphone platform. The next-generation Axim personal digital assistant will allow users to switch between Wi-Fi networks and CDMA or GSM networks. Due out in 2004, the device will likely support 802.11g, which offers backward compatibility with 802.11b and speeds of up to 31Mbps.
  • Toshiba Satellite 5205-S705 Notebook Review - With portable PCs doing so many tasks once reserved for desktops, it was only a matter of time before a notebook computer doubled as a Windows Media Center Edition (MCE) PC. First out is the Toshiba Satellite 5205-S705 ($2,699 direct).
  • Intel PAT Enabled 865PE Boards Roundup - No doubt the boards that we are going to look at today are the best performing 865PE boards around and these are the boards that consumers should be considering seriously. Among the candidates are ABIT IS7-G, ASUS P4P800 Deluxe, AOpen AX4SPE Max, Albatron PX865PE Pro II, EPoX 4PDA2+ and MSI 865PE Neo2. VR-Zone takes a close look at the board features, BIOS features, performance and most importantly their overclockability.
  • Iceberq 4 Pro VGA Cooling Kit Review - The Tech Lounge has posted a review on the Iceberq 4 Pro VGA Cooling Kit.
  • Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 USB Bugfixes - USBMan has published a list of USB Bug Fixes corrected by Windows 2000 Service Pack 4.
  • Shuttle AN35N nForce2 Ultra Review - Bar the odd latency issue, the AN35N is another solid if unexciting board. The trouble for Shuttle is that most of the major players have excellent boards already, so a 'lesser known' manufacturer has to work that much harder to establish themselves amongst the usual suspects. The AN35N is much like an accountant; it's dependable and a little boring.
  • ATI All-In-Wonder 9000 Pro Review - The 3D performance of this card was not bad, but it was not the fastest card tested. In OpenGL it did well, besting its competitor, the MX 440 in Serious Sam SE, but it also lost to the MX 440 in Jedi Knight II testing. The Jedi Knight test proves that nVidia definitely has better drivers for some things, such as Jedi Knight. In Direct X, the AiW 9000 Pro does much better, beating the MX 440 both in Max Payne and UT2003 by a greater margin, over 18% in both games and all the tests with those games.
  • Samsung LTM295W LCD Monitor Review - The looks of the Samsung LTM295W deserve recognition themselves, it's without a doubt a display which is worthy of the many compliments it's received around here as well as from myself. It's only significant drawback is of course the price tag, but, to be fair, you get every cents worth!
  • NOD32 Antivirus version 2 Review - NOD32 is a first-class antivirus program with an unprecented 22 100% awards from Virus Bulletin. The recently released version 2 takes a great program and makes it even better, eliminating a few quirks the previous version had. Anybody who cares about the reliability and detection capabilities of their antivirus software should take a close look at NOD32 before spending money on any other AV software. PC911 has the details.
  • PocoMail 3.0 build 1640 - PocoMail is a refreshingly different award-winning e-mail application, with a specific focus: to allow you to take full potential of e-mail, whether you get one or one hundred messages a day. It will save you time and enable you to do things with e-mail you never thought possible before. Put simply, PocoMail is an e-mail tool like no other.
  • AntiVir Personal Edition 6.20.11.20 - 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. The private and individual use of the AntiVir Personal Edition is completely free of charge.
  • Microsoft SQL Server Accelerator v1.2 - The 1.2 version supports SQL Server 2000 Standard and Enterprise editions, as well as Microsoft Office 2003 and includes the capability to generate a solution from an XML file. Other additions include separation of the application generation and deployment processes so that applications can be put into production faster, and support for the drill-through actions in count measures which enhances the reporting capabilities of the generated application.
  • MBM-Net v1.1 - MBM-Net is a companion program to Motherboard Monitor 5. It allows you to monitor computers on your network and display information such as CPU temperature, system temperature, and fan speeds. That way you can see the status of your machines in one convenient window instead of remote desktop"ing" into each machine and checking! You can monitor any computer on your home network or over the internet using MBM-Net! Up to 255 machines are supported.
  • Server Monitor Lite 3.3 - Server Monitor Lite is an advanced, powerful, and feature rich network server monitor which monitors your servers and notifies you when a problem occurs.
  • SiSoftware Sandra MAX3  - SiSoftware have released their newest installment of their popular synthetic benchmarking program, Sandra MAX3. This new version adds support for AMD Opteron multi-processor architecture (AMD Athlon 64/Opteron CPUs; AMD 8131, SiS 755/760, VIA K8T400/M chipsets; AMD 8111, SiS 963/S/L south bridges; NUMA up to 32/64 nodes; ACPI 2.0; SMBus 2.0), Intel Pentium 4 400MHz architecture (Intel P4 2.4-3.2GHz CPUs; Intel 875P, 865P/PE/G chipsets; ICH5/5R south bridges), Intel Itanium 2 architecture (Intel E8870 chipset; NUMA up to 64 nodes; ACPI 2.0), USB 2.0 HiSpeed USB controllers (enhanced EHCI; USB hubs), and much more!
  • CPU Burn-in 1.01  - CPU Burn-in v1.01 by Michal Mienik is the ultimate stability testing tool for overclockers. The program heats up any x86 CPU to the maximum possible operating temperature that is achievable by using ordinary software. This allows the user to adjust the CPU speed up to the practical maximum while still being sure that stability is achieved even under the most stressful conditions. The program continuously monitors for erroneous calculations and errors ensuring the CPU does not generate errors during calculations performed under overclocking conditions.
  • Software Mod For Turning Your Radeon 9500 Non-Pro Into A 9700 - Software Mod For Turning Your Radeon 9500 Non-Pro Into A 9700 guide has been updated for combination with the Catalyst 3.5 drivers.
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,26 2003 - tech
Thursday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 06:37 PM CEST - Jun,26 2003 - Post a comment / read (1)
  • The new 'Angels': No man needed - It's hard to imagine the new breed of Charlie's Angels, who combine sexiness, cheekiness and enough action-adventure to fill about 90 minutes of big-screen time, having any time left for personal lives, let alone love lives. After all, how do you schedule a pedicure, let alone a sizzling night with the man of the moment, in between mastering disguises, martial arts classes and espionage?
  • Record industry to sue downloaders  - A recording-industry trade group said Wednesday it plans to sue hundreds of individuals who illegally distribute copyrighted songs over the Internet, expanding its anti-piracy fight into millions of homes.
  • 'Hulk' Pirate Guilty of Felony Copyright Infringement  - After learning that a version of its film, "The Hulk," had become available for illegal downloading on the Internet two weeks before its theatrical release, Universal initiated an immediate investigation and then referred the matter to the FBI. The Department of Justice took immediate action on the matter and today, Kerry Gonzalez, the individual who posted "The Hulk" on the Internet, pled guilty to felony copyright infringement; he faces a sentence of up to three years in federal prison.
  • Microsoft Warns of Windows Media Flaws - Vulnerabilities in two Windows Media products could allow an attacker to take over a media server or view a user's media library, Microsoft warned Wednesday.
  • OpenOffice.org 1.0 Launched - OpenOffice.org 1.0 for the Apple Macintosh has reached final release status, joining Windows, Linux, and Solaris versions of the office suite. It supports a wide range of file formats, so users can exchange documents with users of other office-software suites, such as Microsoft Office. The software takes advantage of the popularity of X11 in the open-source world, and incorporates FreeType's font engine for anti-aliased fonts. It runs natively on Linux, PPC Linux, Solaris, Windows, and many other flavors of Unix.
  • Scientists Announce First 3-D Assembly Of Magnetic And Semiconducting Nanoparticles -  Scientists from Columbia University, IBM and the University of New Orleans today announced a new, three-dimensional designer material assembled from two different types of particles only billionths of a meter across. In the June 26 issue of the journal Nature, the team describes the precision chemistry methods developed to tune the particles' sizes in increments of less than one nanometer and to tailor the experimental conditions so the particles would assemble themselves into repeating 3-D patterns.
  • Via Changes Motherboard Plans - In a move that reshapes Via Technologies' motherboard product strategy, the company has stopped selling Pentium 4 motherboards, a company executive confirmed. "It's true that we have stopped making P4 motherboards," said Richard Brown, Via's associate vice president of marketing, in an e-mail. "This is because all our customers are now using our P4 chipsets, so we don't feel that we can add any particular additional value by continuing to make them ourselves."
  • Pioneer Introduces World's First DVD Recorders With TiVo Service - These new recorders offer consumers the control provided by the easy-to-use TiVo service integrated with advanced DVD recording for the option of short-term storage on a hard drive or long-term archival of broadcast programming on DVD-R/RW discs. The Pioneer Elite DVR-57H includes a 120-gigabyte hard disc drive while the Pioneer DVR-810H boasts 80 gigabytes of storage space.
  • Intel launches 2.5, 2.6GHz Celerons - Intel rolled out two new desktop Celeron processors yesterday, clocked at 2.5GHz and 2.6GHz. Derived from the original Pentium 4, the new chips operate on a 400MHz frontside bus and use a Socket 478 interface. The Celerons are fabbed at 0.13 micron, however, and feature only 128KB of on-die L2 cache. In 1000-unit quantities, the desktop Intel Celeron processor at 2.6GHz is priced at $103; the 2.5GHz is priced at $89, both ahead of the 2.4GHz part following the latter's price cut last April.
  • AMD Athlon 64 Performance Rating Formula Revealed - A hardware web-site x86-secret.com has revealed a formula describing performance rating of AMD Athlon 64 processors. If you still do not understand how a 1.60GHz Athlon 64 processor is brand-named as Athlon 64 2800+, then the formula will show you how such things may happen. Apparently, performance rating of AMD 64-bit desktop processors looks as follows: Performance Rating = (CPU Frequency x 3)/2 + 400 e.g. 2800+ = (1600MHz x 3)/2 + 400.
  • Benchmarking: Games  - Since February, more and more allegations of cheating and improper conduct have come to light concerning NVIDIA and the 3DMark 2003 benchmark suite. THG decided it was time to take stock, review what has happened so far, take a look at the goings-on behind the scenes and find out what roles ATI, NVIDIA, Futuremark, and the OEMs play in this little piece of industry drama.
  • Kiss Technology DP-500 Networkable DVD Player review - The new firmware (2.6.6) adds 3.11 support and was worth the wait. I found it quite good and allowed me to play a good few titles on my Home Theatre PC that were in DivX 3.11 format. The addition of a network port as well as the simple server PC-Link application really signifies that this is the excellent choice for those who have a lot of DivX files. The PC-Link software could do with some improvement, adding MPEG1 and MPEG2 support would be nice since the DP-500 can play the files anyway. An addition of a DHCP server would also be nice and would make things a lot simplier for those of us without broadband routers and such. I also found the player to be compatible with several media types including DVD-R/W and DVD+R/W, despite what the specifications say.
  • 17 Inch Monitors with 16 and 20 ms: Part IV - The 20-ms line has now been crossed. And with it, most of the afterglow problem common to flat panels is solved. For our fourth set of comparative tests of the best currently available17-inch monitors, we had two questions to address: can you play games and edit images on them.
  • VIA KT400A Roundup - Hexus.net has published a new VIA KT400A Roundup.
  • GF FX 5900 Roundup - UKGamer has published a 3-way Geforce FX 5900 roundup.
  • VIA KT600 / EPoX 8KRA2 review - The VIA KT600 chipset is a step in the right direction. VIA needed to match NVIDIA on pure specification before they took them on from a performance viewpoint. The 'upgrade' of the Northbridge now sees full XP3200 support and precious little else. The VT8237 Southbridge gets a couple of extra USB2.0 ports and, most notably, provision for on-chip SATA. The SATA feature extends to the ability of effectively adding a coupe of extra ports via an optional SATA physical layer. The memory interface, though, has been left in VIA's preferred single channel mode.
  • BFG Tech 256MB Asylum GeForce FX 5600 Review - Suffice to say that BFG has built the card well, has included a good feature package with the inclusion of 256 MB of memory and VIVO functionality and has an excellent lifetime warranty and free 24/7/365 toll free tech support standing behind the product. That is a GF FX 5600 package that I have seen no match for as yet. For the second part of this conclusion I do have to say that I am more than a little disappointed in the package that NVIDIA has supplied to its manufacturing partners in the 5600. I mean seriously, how in good conscience could I recommend any 5600 when they are so thoroughly trounced by ATI's Radeon 9500? In every single test I ran the 9500 was the hands down winner. The 5600 is not able to even come close to ATI's midrange DX9 offering.
  • Gigacube R9600Pro Lite 128MB VGA Review - The overall picture is not pretty for Gigacube's R9600Pro Lite 128MB. Due to the reduced memory frequency, 400MHz, its performance is roughly on par (or below) with a Leadtek A310 FX5600. At its current price, ~$330NZ, you will better off with a cheap R9500Pro.
  • Albatron GeForce FX 5600 Review - Albatron certainly did not dissapoint us with their GeForce FX 5600. In the two synthetic benchmarks we ran, both the GeForce FX 5200 Ultra and GeForce FX 5600 were neck and neck but when it came to real world games like Serious Sam and Unreal Tournament 2003, the GeForce FX 5600 really showed an increase in frame rate at the lower resolutions like 640x480 and 1024x768. At the higher frame rates the difference between the two cards was a bit more minimal.
  • Prolink FX 5600 Ultimate Golden Limited Videocard Review - PCStats has posted a Prolink FX 5600 Ultimate Golden Limited Videocard review
  • Gainward FX PowerPack Ultra/760 XP Golden Sample review - The Gainward FX PowerPack Ultra/760 XP Golden Sample can give you: 1) a higher speed in AA and/or anisotropy than its competitors (RADEON 9600 or GF4Ti 4200); 2) potentially more technological solution with the DX9 support (such games are right around the corner already); 3) VIVO support. Again, remember that there are two types of the GeForce FX 5600 Ultra cards on the market - with the frequency of 350MHz and 400 MHz. Be careful!
  • Avant Browser 8.01 Build 112 - Avant Browser (download) is an upgrade to Internet Explorer. Avant Browser is a fast, stable, user-friendly, versatile multi-window browser.
  • Internet Download Manager 3.16 - Internet Download Manager (download) is a tool to increase download speeds by up to 500 percent, resume and schedule downloads.
  • VideoLAN 0.6.0 - VideoLAN plays lots of video formats, even without the proper codecs installed. Good for previewing partially downloaded files.
  • BSPlayer 0.86.499 - BSplayer (download) is a Windows player that plays back all kinds of media files ( avi / mpg / asf / wmv / wav / mp3...) and specialises in video and divx playback
  • Windows Media Player 9 Update  - Microsoft has released a new build of Windows Media Player 9 - 9.0.0.3008. This was necessary to fix a security issue. With Windows Media Player 9 Series, a flaw in an ActiveX control might permit a Web page to gain access to your Media Library.
  • Jet 4.0 Service Pack 7 - If you have installed Jet 4.0 SP7 for Access 2000 or another application that uses the Jet 4.0 engine, you do not have to reinstall Jet 4.0 SP7 for Access 2002 ~ download.
  • Windows 2000 SP4 released  - Microsoft has finaly released Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (130MB) for download. There are 669 Public fixes, 6 partner only fixes and 675 fixes in total. (thanks Neowin.net) German version can be found here.
  • Sound Blaster Audigy 1 Drivers - Creative Labs finally released an updated driver set (EU / Asia mirror) for the original Audigy series. The package contains WHQL Driver v5.12.1.383, Audio HQ v1.20.03, PlayCenter3 v3.02.67, Surround Mixer v2.00.26. Features: Audio HQ now features a new "Decoder" tab under Device Controls, for setting software Dolby Digital decoding options. Surround Mixer and Diagnostics work flawlessly. The maximum number of supported hardware channels has increased to 64.
  • Foobar2000 v0.7 Beta 3  - foobar2000 (download ~ changelog) is a nice small media player (consumes 1.9MB RAM only) developed by Peter Pawlowski (ex-WinAmp member). It uses a plain and simple UI - no skins, no fuss.
  • Winamp 3 Build #499  - Winamp (download) supports MP3, CD, Audiosoft, Audio Explosion, MOD, WAV and other audio formats, custom appearances called skins, plus audio visualization and audio effect plug-ins.
  • WinAmp 2.95 + - A new beta of WinAmp v2.95 is available ~ Mirror1 / Mirror2 / Mirro3. Remember, it's an unofficial release, so try only at your own risk.
  • Logitech iTouch Keyboard Patch - This file is an updated version of the Players.ini. If you are having problems with WinAmp 3.x or the latest version of Real One, this update will modify the Players.ini file. The updated Players.ini file has all the supported players and allows the Multimedia keys to function.
  • SiS 740/65x VGA drivers v2.18 -  SiS has released a new 740/65x integrated VGA drivers v2.18 (WinXP/2k ~ Win9x/ME)
  • VIA USB 2.0 Drivers 2.56 - VIA officially released a new v2.56 driver for USB 2.0 support.
  • Cmedia 9738/9739 Audio Drivers - A new CMedia 9738/9739 AC97 OnBoard-Audio drivers were released.
  • Lite-On firmware -  Lite-On IT has released some new firmware versions for the LTR-52327S and LSC-24081MX (external combo) drives.
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,25 2003 - tech
Morning Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 02:21 PM CEST - Jun,25 2003 - Post a comment / read (6)
  • Symantec security product contains flaw  - Security Check is meant to help people lock down their systems and loads an ActiveX script that aids in scanning a person's computer. Ironically, the ActiveX script, which remains on the computer even after scanning, contains a memory flaw that could be used by an attacker to break into the PC. Symantec has replaced the ActiveX component--which uses the name Symantec RuFSI Utility Class or Symantec RuFSI Registry Information Class--uploaded by the site with a new one that overwrites the old software and solves the problem.
  • MS employee arrested for software theft - A former Microsoft employee was arrested on Monday for allegedly ordering more than $17 million of software via an internal purchasing system and then selling it to keep the proceeds for himself.  Richard Gregg, 43, was also indicted on Monday on 62 counts of mail and computer fraud, according to court papers. Gregg allegedly ordered 5,436 pieces of software worth more than $17 million at retail price, which he sold for a profit, according to an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington.
  • Sexual inequality exposed in virtual world - Female virtual characters suffer from sexual inequality in financial matters, just like their real-world counterparts, according to a new study of the online game EverQuest.
  • New game cell phone concept - ATELAB Research Group has unveiled the first details about Chameleon - a new mobile phone for players. The device operates in two positions; vertical as a mobile phone and horizontal as a game console. Chameleon has a traditional numerical keypad with control buttons. Such configuration maintains all the mobile phone features. The key arrangement makes it possible to operate Chameleon in vertical position with one hand only. (thanks Cellular-News)
  • Maxtor 300GB ATA Drives Ships - Maxtor Corporation, a worldwide leader in hard disk drives, today announced it is shipping the world's highest capacity ATA hard disk drive available in the retail market. The Maxtor 300GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive Retail Kit offers the following: 300GB of storage - enough for up to 462 games, 75,000 4-minute MP3 tunes or 300,000 high-resolution digital photos, Maxtor's exclusive Ultra ATA/133 interface - up to 33 percent faster maximum throughput than Ultra ATA/100, Easy installation with step by step instructions, Complete upgrade kit including MaxBlastTM installation software, install guide, Ultra ATA/133 cable and mounting screws,Maxtor Ultra ATA/133 PCI adapter card for Windows included (a $39.95 value). The Maxtor 300GB Hard Drive Kit is available at retailers nationwide (US). The MSRP for the Maxtor 300GB Hard Drive Kit is $399.95.
  • Light-weight LCD monitors announced - NEC-Mitsubishi Electronics Display of America, Inc.announced its first line of light-weight LCD monitors that fold up for easy portability. Attractively designed for home users and gamers on the go, the new monitors provide a protective black bezel acrylic screen with flexible silver cabinet and stand that adjusts to a variety of angles including flat against its base. Priced aggressively low to help drive LCD monitors further into mainstream consumer and gaming markets, the 15-inch NEC LCD1565 is $349 U.S. ESP and the 17-inch NEC LCD1765 is $549 U.S. ESP.
  • NVIDIA QuadroR FX Go700 Introduced - NVIDIA introduced the NVIDIA Quadro FX Go700 mobile workstation graphics solution. The NVIDIA Quadro FX Go700 is available immediately from Dellt in the Dell Precisiont M60 mobile workstation.
  • Sapphire Radeon 9600 Pro review - Almost never seen today using stock cooling we were able to increase our original stock 3D Mark 2001 SE scores by 1500-1800 3dmarks throughout all resolutions tested, a phenomenal amount and one that deserves much attention particularly when the relatively quiet fan of the Sapphire Atlantis Radeon 9600 Pro is used to cool the card.
  • PowerColor ATi R9800 Pro 128MB review - Overclockers New Zealand has posted a review on PowerColor ATi R9800 Pro 128MB VGA. "Well, what can I say? ATi successfully regain the champion title in the high-end graphics market with the release of R9800Pro. Currently, there are no other cards, including Nvidia FX5800Ultra, that can match R9800Pro's performance, especially when FSAA is enabled. The other advantage ATi has over Nvidia is the noise level. ATi R9800Pro is surprising quiet when comparing to Nvidia's flagship, FX5800Ultra."
  • MSI FX5600-VTDR128 Review  - As mentioned before in the specifications, the GPU clock runs at 325 Mhz, and the memory runs at 550 Mhz. I was able to boost the GPU up to 360 Mhz, and the memory to 650Mhz stable, a 35 Mhz overclock on the core, and a 100Mhz effective overclock on the ram (it's actually only a 50 Mhz overclock on the ram, but because the card uses DDR RAM, it is treated as an effective 100 Mhz).
  • ATI Radeon 9600 Pro review - Hexus.net let us know they have posted a review of the ATI Radeon 9600 Pro. It seems they like this card: "This is what the midrange is all about. Good IQ combined with good performance and 9600 Pro (and 9500 Pro before it) certainly brings that to the table."
  • Dual Opteron K8D Master Review - The K8D Master mainboard of course supports the new 64bit cpu from AMDR the Opteron DPt. The cpu comes in now familiar plastic package with the heatsink fan assembly. The cpu is quite large, compare it with a P4 cpu (left of picture). The Opteron DPt cpu introduces a number of new elements to cpu design one of the major one's of course is the integrated memory controller, supporting up to 166 MHz DDR.
  • MSI MegaPC Review - It is clear that MSI have put a great deal of time and effort into producing the MegaPC. The result is a very well built machine that contains some excellent engineering design and some interesting features. Internally we feel that MSI have produced one of the most useable mini pc solutions on the market today. Externally the materials used are excellent with the exception of the front where too much plastic has been used. The colour scheme will undoubtedly put some people off.
  • ATI's Radeon 9100 IGP Reviewed - The problem is that entry-level Pentium 4-based PC makers are hard-pressed to deliver decent 3D performance at a very low price-point. But it's also an opportunity for ATI; and one the company has responded to with its new Radeon 9100 IGP system chipset. ATI's latest integrated solution, which is targeted at both laptop and desktop systems, brings DX8-level technology into a north bridge, and with it respectable entry-level gaming performance. This DX8 level of performance means pixel shader hardware, and the in the case of the R9100 IGP, the ability to do vertex shaders in software.
  • Lindows 4.0 Review - The price of Lindows has been dropped to $49.95 and additional add-ons such as VirusSafe and SurfSafe are now available as separate purchases ($49.95 and $29.95 respectively). The pricing for the Click-N-Run software library has also been changed to $49.95 a year, or $4.95 a month. When you purchase Lindows, your first year of Click-N-Run is free. ExtremeTech have received the shipping version of Lindows 4.0, and installed it on their Linux test machine, a Compaq Presario 6000 (1.6Ghz AMD with 512MB of RAM).
  • XP Tweakers Compared - TweakHound has posted a comparison of several tweaking programs (X-Setup, NeoTweak, mi-Tweak XP and other).
  • TweakNow PowerPack 2003 Professional v1.6 - TweakNow PowerPack is a suite of utilities that let you fine-tune every aspect of your computer's operating system and Web browser. Whether you're a business person who needs to ensure that your computer is stable and reliable, a serious game player who wants to optimize your computer for the latest games' demands on computer resources, or a home user who wants to personalize the look and feel of Windows and Internet Explorer, TweakNow PowerPack 2003 provides the tools you need to modify your computer safely.
  • Yeti Studios GunMetal Benchmark 1.20s - Yeti Studios have released an updated version (patch only) of the GunMetal DirectX 9 benchmark.
  • BlindWrite Suite 4.5.2 - 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.
  • Avast! Virus Cleaner v1.0.136 - Avast! Virus Cleaner is a free tool that will completely remove selected viruses & worms from your computer.It is able to stop viruses that are active in memory, it will disinfect your files, remove virus registry & startup items, and even delete the virus working files.
  • AntiVir Personal Edition 6.20.09.16 - 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.
  • KaZaA P2P 2.5 Final - 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. You can also organize and play/view your media files through an integrated media jukebox, publish your own work, reach an audience, and communicate with other KaZaa users. KaZaa supports audio, video, software, games, images, and documents.
  • Tiny Personal Firewall 5.0 Beta  - Tiny Personal Firewall (download) represents smart, easy-to-use personal security technology that fully protects personal computers against hackers. It is built on the proven WinRoute Pro, ICSA certified security technology. Tiny Personal Firewall is also an integral part in Tiny Software's new Centrally Managed Desktop Security (CMDS) system awarded a contract by the US Air Force to encompass about 500,000 desktop computers.
  • Serv-U 4.1.0.8 Beta - Serv-U (download) is a powerful, easy-to-use, award-winning FTP server created by Rob Beckers. An FTP server uses the FTP protocol to share files across the Internet.
  • AIM v5.2.3277 Beta - America Online Instant Messanger has been updated to version 5.2.3277 Beta. This new beta allows you to send and receive encrypted IMs.
  • Miranda 0.3 - The goal of this project is not to duplicate the functionality of AOL's ICQ Client, but to design a client that has the basic features that is designed for mouse-less operation with a small memory requirement.
  • Jet-Audio 5.16 - 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
  • Elby CloneDVD 1.1.7.1 - Elby released again a new version of their DVD-tool CloneDVD
  • PowerStrip beta 3.42 build 399 - PowerStrip provides advanced, multi-monitor, programmable hardware support to a wide range of graphics cards. It supports multiple graphics cards from multiple chipset vendors, simultaneously, under every Windows operating system.
  • USB 2.0 Update For Windows XP - Problems occur when a program tries to access a USB 2.0 DVD drive or CD-RW drive. These problems may occur if the host controller issues a USB bus reset command after it receives several USB STALL packets from the DVD device or the CD-RW device. These STALL packets are typically issued by the device in response to a command that the host controller cannot run successfully. If you want you can download the new USB 2.0 update from Warp2Search.
  • VIA Hyperion (4-in-1) drivers v4.48 *unofficial* - It looks like Gigabyte has released a new version of the VIA Hyperion drivers. Hyperion driver sets include INF, AGP, IDE and IRQ related drivers.
  • Ks.sys Patch for Hyper Threading Crashes - ipKonfig.com has posted a ks.sys patch file for those running Windows XP on Intel Pentium 4 Hyper Threading systems. Ks.sys may crash if you repeatedly start and stop a Hauppauge playback graph on a computer with an Intel CPU that uses Hyper-Threading technology.
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,24 2003 - tech
Nightly Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 01:31 AM CEST - Jun,24 2003 - Post a comment / read (5)
  • Best Buy Warns of E-Mail Scam - Best Buy last week warned consumers about an unauthorized and deceptive e-mail message asking them for personal information, including their Social Security and credit card numbers. In a statement, the Minneapolis-based retailer said the e-mail message, with the words "Fraud Alert" in the subject line, claims to be from the BestBuy.com fraud department but is not. The company stressed that its Web site is secure and that the people trying to steal consumers' personal information didn't get away with any customer data.
  • Lik-Sang founder speaks out on Nintendo court case -  Following last week's triumphant announcement by Nintendo that it had won a victory over Hong Kong based mail order retailer Lik-Sang, one of the company's founders, Alex Kampl, has spoken publicly about the ruling
  • EU backs biometric passports - European Union governments last week agreed to embed computer chips containing biometric data in passports.
    The plans to create passports carrying information on a person's fingerprint or retinal scans are presented as a way to reduce counterfeiting and fraud. Biometric chips would also be implanted in visas issued to foreign nationals travelling to Europe.  The idea, backed by €140m in EU funding for a feasibility study, was put forward as part of a raft of measures designed to "co-ordinate the European Union's immigration policy" at a summit in Greece last week.
  • Incas Used Binary? - An article in the Independent reports that a leading scholar believes the Incas may have used a form of binary code 500 years before computers were invented. (thanks SlashDot)
  • Antivirus Apps Add New Tools - Two new programs are expanding the usual role of antivirus software, adding features that tackle spam and spyware, as well as ways to detect brand-new viruses. The new programs have been announced by Global Hauri and Norman Data Defense Systems.  Hauri's ViRobot Expert 4.5 adds a spam filter and a beefed-up spyware scanner. Norman Virus Control 5.6 promises the ability to identify new viruses, even before signatures are issued, by running the code in a virtual computer environment and observing its actions.
  • Apple Unveils 64-Bit G5 Systems, and Panther OS  - Apple Computer opened up its Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco on Monday morning with a string of marquee-level product announcements. CEO Steve Jobs was on hand to show several of over 100 new features in a new version 10.3 of the Mac OS X operating system, dubbed Panther. Jobs also confirmed news which had been leaked to the Web last week (at Apple's own Web site), concerning the arrival of three new systems based on Apple's latest G5 microprocessor. Another story can be found at Reuters.
  • ATI to ship new Radeon 9100 IGP integrated chipset in August - ATI Technologies on June 23 introduced a new desktop-use Radeon 9100 IGP (PR) integrated chipset, supporting Intel's new 800MHz FSB (front-side bus)-based Pentium 4 processors.
  • IBM-made Nvidia NV40 will hit the market by year-end - Nvidia and ATI Technologies hope to release their next wave of graphics chips by year-end, sources said. Nvidia's new graphics chips will be based on the NV40 core, while ATI will release its RV360, R360, and R420 lines of cards. According to various sources, the NV40 is currently being targeted for the following: 550MHz-600MHz Core, 700MHz-800MHz Memory (Raw).
  • AMD Athlon 64 4300+ to ship Q3 2004 - AMD's Athlon 64 will hit a performance point of 3700+ during the first quarter of next year before rising to 4300+ by the end of 2004, according to allegedly internal company roadmaps published by French web site x86 Secrets. The roadmaps show that the Athlon 64 3100+, which will operate at 1.8GHz, is sampling now, and the 2GHz 3400+ will sample in August, as per recent reports.
  • Pocket PC OS Gets a New Name and a Major Overhaul  - Microsoft has refreshed its PDA operating system to deliver better multimedia handling, increased messaging support, plus more powerful (and more easily configurable) wireless connectivity. Not a mere point upgrade, the new OS has even been christened with a new name: Windows Mobile Software 2003 for Pocket PC (thankfully, Windows Mobile for short).
  • Pentium 4 3.2GHz Review Round-up - Reviews of Intel's latest Pentium 4 processor, which is clocked at 3.2GHz and marks the end of the Northwood core - Extreme Overclocking | Extreme Tech | Firing Squad | Hexus.net | HotHardware | TweakTown | MBReview | HardAvenue | PCWorld | Sudhian Media | TechReport | Tom's Hardware Guide |  VR-Zone | X-bit labs => "In the final stage of development, Intel launches the 3.2-GHz version of the P4, which competes with the AMD Athlon XP 3200+ in its product name only. In our benchmark tests, however, the P4 is always in the lead. "
  • 5-Socket-A-Heatsinks-In-One-Bonanza - The Volcano 11 proved to be best in the performing arena and it's rheostats are a very nice touch. Its all copper design looks great, but however it weighs quite a darn bit. Not only that, but it does prove to be pretty loud.
  • DDR-400 DC Memory Roundup (part #1) - Crucial have placed together this excellent module that was capable of not only pulling ahead at stock speeds but again when it came to overclocked results. Considering the memory was rated at CAS 3 DDR-400, it was interesting to find how high it was able to go with the more aggressive timings used throughout all our benchmarks. Overall: Thanks to the fantastic speeds and great pricing Crucial have earned our TweakTown Editors Choice award and a rating of 9.5 out of 10.
  • Some HW reviews - UK Gamer - 4 card roundup (GeForceFX) | BFG GeForce FX 5900 Ultra | MSI FX5600-VTDR128 || ATI Radeon 9100 IGP Chipset | Abit NF7-M | DFI KT400A Lan Party | MSI KT6 Delta (VIA KT600) || OCZ EL DDR PC3700 Gold Dual Channel memory(1) | OCZ EL DDR PC3700 Gold Dual Channel memory (2) || Six different DVD burners || 17 Different 15-Inch LCD display shootout || Chieftec Maxtrix ATX  | CompuCase Tower Cases | Exotic Wood Crafts Wooden PC case || Danger Den Water Cooling kit || Enermax EN-006-TM1 Transfer Panel || Logitech Cordless Desktop Comfort Duo || Samsung Yepp YP-35H MP3 Player.
  • VMWare Workstation 4.0 Review - OSNews has posted a new review of VMWare Workstation 4.0.
  • Windows XP Patch Q812793 Fixes Network Bug - Warp2Search now offers a network fix, that fixes a problem with the network drive mapping, that is shown wrong by Windows XP. In this package the shell32.dll will be updated to version 6.0.2800.1161.
  • CPUCooL 7.2.5 - CPUCooL (download) has been updated. What is CPUCool? CPUCooL is a program that monitors temperature, fan speed, and voltages for many motherboards.
  • BeFaster v3.3 - BeFaster (download) is a multi-featured connection optimization tool which supports all 32bit Windows.It supports multi-language interface (over 26 languages) It supports AOL, Symantec PcAnyWhere, IE, Opera, Dial-up modem, Lan, Cable Modem, xDSL, ISDN, T1, DirectPc and Cable/DSL running PPPoE.
  • SpeedTest 1.2 - SpeedTest (download) measures the transfer speeds between two networked computers.
  • GSpot v2.21 Build 030622 - GSpot (download) determine what codec a video/audio file uses and what codec your system will use to play it. Identifies MPEG (.mpg), QuickTime (.mov), RealMedia (.rm), Windows Media (.wma / .asf), Flash (.swf) and others; will attempt a DirectShow render those (and any other) file, and report either the error or detailed results.
  • TVTool 7.2.5 - This is the program that enables your video card TV-Output and seems to be the best external one. The main purpose of the 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.
  • DU Meter 3.05 Build 148 - DU Meter (download) is an award winning utility from Hagel Technologies which provides an accurate account of the data which is flowing through your computer's network connection at any given moment.
  • ATi RADEON CATALYST 3.5 Drivers - This unified driver (WinXP/2k ~ Win9x/ME ~ control panel) has been further enhanced to provide the highest level of power, performance, and reliability. The ATI Catalyst software suite is the ultimate in performance and stability. This maintenance release focuses on resolving known issues with the Catalyst software suite.
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,22 2003 - tech
Sunday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 01:31 PM CEST - Jun,22 2003 - Post a comment / read (5)
  • Aussie Company Releases Xbox Mod-Chip Designs - AussieChip website has freely published its sophisticated Xbox mod-chip designs.
  • Orrin Hatch: Software Pirate?  - Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) suggested Tuesday that people who download copyright materials from the Internet should have their computers automatically destroyed. But Hatch himself is using unlicensed software on his official website, which presumably would qualify his computer to be smoked by the system he proposes. The senator's site makes extensive use of a JavaScript menu system developed by Milonic Solutions, a software company based in the United Kingdom. The copyright-protected code has not been licensed for use on Hatch's website. "It's an unlicensed copy," said Andy Woolley, who runs Milonic. "It's very unfortunate for him because of those comments he made."
  • New bill injects FBI into P2P battle - HR-2517, the Piracy Deterrence and Education Act of 2003, instructs the FBI to develop a program to deter online traffic of copyrighted material. The bureau would also develop a warning, with the FBI seal, that copyright holders could issue to suspected violators. And the bureau would encourage sharing of information on suspected copyright violations among law enforcement, copyright owners and ISPs (Internet service providers).
  • Prices for CD-R discs to jump by 10% in 3Q - Thanks to strong demand, prices for CD-R discs will jump by 10% from about US$0.20 per disc currently to US$0.22 in the third quarter, according to Ritek and CMC Magnetics, the two largest optical storage disc makers in Taiwan.
  • DVD Copying Software Gets Update - 321 Studios has released an upgrade to its DVD-copying software despite still being embroiled in a court case over the software's legality. The company announced Friday that DVD X Copy Gold, an improved version of the software that includes all of the features of two previous products, DVD X Copy and DVD X Copy XPRESS, is now available. New features in DVD X Copy Gold let users copy most DVDs within an hour, and can record all features of an original CD or compress a DVD-9 to a DVD-5, fitting each backup copy onto a single DVD disk, 321 Studios said in a statement.
  • Flight Simulator 2002 With 13 Monitors And 9 PCs - Yeah, that's no joke, just 9 PC's & 13 monitors -  Server PC is a 2.0ghz AMD and has 1 Asus 4800se G4 AGP and when Motor flying 4 PCI graphic cards for the instrument panels.. All 8 Clients have AGP cards and are AMD 800 to 1.5ghz... My Ask21 Glider with 3 Asus 4800se G4 cards on the front 6 monitors, giving great downward landing view. When you sit in front, all screens line up reasonably well ... Windows XP on the 3 front PC's and 98se on the rest. (thanks Slashdot.org)
  • High-Tech Tools for Your Wrist - The watch runs Palm OS 4.1, and has a 33-MHz Dragonball processor and 2MB of memory. One interesting feature is its miniature stylus, which is hidden inside the watchband and pops out so you can tap the tiny screen. The Wrist PDA comes in three designs: a silver metallic model, one with a brown leather band, and a sport model. Prices range from $275 to $295.
  • Xybernaut Atigo-M review  - With the processor of a PDA but the appearance of a tablet PC, the Xybernaut Atigo-M ($1,895 direct and up, depending on configuration) is a bit of both. This unique portable Web tablet is designed for mobility in the field but is also useful as a thin-client wireless device or as a smart terminal.
  • Asus MyPal a620, PocketPC 2003  - The Asus MyPal a620 is a very versatile PocketPC, although we'd have liked it if Asus had included Bluetooth support as a standard feature. Nevertheless it is a no frills PocketPC at an affordable price that has an excellent price/performance ratio. Whether you'd opt for a no-frills PocketPC depends on your individual needs, most people don't need lots of extras that only cost more and often go unused.
  • Counter-Strike Headsets for Voice Communication - Valve, creators of Counter-Strike and Half-Life, and Plantronics unveiled a custom Counter-Strike headset. Based on the Plantronics' popular DSP-500, this plug-and-play USB headset features DSP technology and Counter-Strike's distinctive branding.
  • RAID 15 With IDE: Added Value Or Eyewash? - Finally, the benefits for home use are interesting, but are they strong enough to justify creating a RAID array based on HighPoint/ DFI's RAID 1.5? Overall performance is only slightly improved, while data security actually increases by redundant storage onto two hard drives. The main reason for having "secure" RAID is, after all, optimized failure safety and/ or data security - and this is where RAID 1 is equally good and supported by a larger variety of controllers. Power users are best served, as before, with RAID 0, while genuine security coupled with higher performance is still associated with higher costs and, consequently, with RAID 10 or RAID 5.
  • Samsung SW-252B 52/24/52 CD-R/W Drive Review - The Samsung 252B comes with a pretty much standard retail package compared to other drives. It is nice to see they included the very popular Ahead Nero 5.0 burning software. Included in the box is a setup guide, Nero 5.0, User's Guide CD, analog audio cable, IDE cable and 4 screws. Unfortunately Samsung did not include any recording recording medium. A blank CD-R or CD-R/W disk would have been nice to see and is usually included in the competitors retail package.
  • Thermaltake G4-VGA Review - The GeForce4 Ti series, however, has not been entirely dropped, and the default heatsinks usually leave much to be desired in terms of safe operating temperature and overclocking overhead. Xoxide has provided us with an all-copper VGA cooler from Thermaltake that looks to pack a punch. Of course it will outperform the default heatsink; but will the price to performance ratio hold strong?
  • Game Accelerator BIOS review  - As we've seen, the Game Accelerator BIOS made a huge difference, for the better, in our benchmarks. I would imagine any quality sticks of ram can easily handle the Street Racer option, and for F1, you'll need something really good. Even if you don't own performance ram, the system ran fine at Turbo, using a pair of Crucial PC2700 sticks (though I was not able to run them at 400MHz). At Turbo settings, the performance was still better than Auto, so consider this a free performance boost.
  • ATI Responds To v6.14.10.6351 Driver Leak - They guys at Warp2Search have spoken to Terry Makedon, Senior Software Manager at ATI, about their findings and the impact the canadian company feels driver leaks have. By this official statement ATI reconfirms that the leak is an interim build. The official Catalyst 3.5 drivers will have the packaging number 7.90 and will be released on Monday, June 23rd, 2003.
  • hTune 3.0a - hTune (download) is a friendly program that helps you optimize Web sites for faster loading. Clear wizard-style interface enables you to optimize multiple files in a few simple steps by removing redundant elements.
  • VisualRoute 7.2a Build 2031 - VisualRoute (download) delivers the functionality of key Internet "ping," "whois," and "traceroute" tools, in a high-speed visually integrated package. VisualRoute automatically analyzes Internet connectivity and performance problems, displaying the results in an easy to understand table and on a world map.
  • FolderIcon XP 1.0 beta 1 - FolderIcon XP 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
  • XPlayer 2.2.1 - XPlayer (download) uses much less memory and CPU Resources than Microsoft Media Player. If you are finding movies are playing slowly on your computer or have trouble staying sychronized with audio, this might be your solution. XPlayer supports Subtitles, VMR9 and various skins.
  • Mp3tag 2.11 - Mp3tag (download) is a powerful and yet easy-to-use tool to edit ID3-tags and OGG Comments of MP3- and Ogg Vorbis files. Mp3tag can rename files based on the tag information, replace characters or words from tags and filenames, import/export tag information, create playlists, and more.
  • GSpot v2.2 Build 030518 - GSpot (download) determine what codec a video/audio file uses and what codec your system will use to play it. Identifies MPEG (.mpg), QuickTime (.mov), RealMedia (.rm), Windows Media (.wma / .asf), Flash (.swf) and others; will attempt a DirectShow render those (and any other) file, and report either the error or detailed results.
  • MyIE2 v0.7.1355 post-Final - MyIE2 (lite ~ pro) 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 updated version fixes: 1)Could not open .htm files under some special version of Windows. 2) Zoom page feature, could be used with Ctrl+'+', Ctrl+'-' and Ctrl+'*' shortcut.
  • Coding Workshop Ringtone Convertor 4.4.0 - 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.
  • aTuner 1.5.25.4465 - A-tuner is a small tool for changing the following 4 settings on your Nvidia card: Anti-Aliasing (including all unofficial modes); Anisotropic Filtering; Vsync MipMap LOD (Level Of Detail) Bias, and should work with Nvidia Detonators 23.11 - 44.65.
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,20 2003 - tech
Friday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 04:04 PM CEST - Jun,20 2003 - Post a comment / read (4)
  • Ballmer sets date for next Xbox  - Microsoft will deliver the next version of its Xbox game console in 2006, CEO Steve Ballmer said.
    According to reports by Japanese newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Ballmer made the remark during a press conference in Japan. Many had expected the new Xbox to arrive a year earlier. Microsoft representatives refused to confirm the 2006 date. "No date has been announced for future Xbox products or services," the company said in a statement. " Another story can be found here.
  • Wearable Videocam Records Your Life - Shown by DejaView, the product is a thimble-size video camera that mounts on your glasses or baseball cap. It videotapes everything in your view.  If you see something worth saving, just press a button on a corresponding device attached to your belt, and bingo--you've recorded the last 30 seconds of your life for playback on your PC. Obtaining a photographic memory with the help of DejaView Camwear 100 comes with a price tag of $350 and will become available in mid-September, according to company representatives. Although DejaView did not show its wares on the CeBIT show floor, the company pitched its product at an affiliated offsite event, ShowStoppers.
  • Fortnight F worm has porn payload - Worm variant uses three-year-old security hole to add 'Nude Nurses' to browser Reports are coming in of a new variant on the Fortnight worm spreading via Outlook email. An alert for Fortnight F has been released by Sophos and firms are starting to come across infections, even though Microsoft released a security patch three years ago to fix the hole that the worm uses. The new variant uses JavaScript and Java applets to spread via Outlook emails that are set to carry and read HTML.
  • Tiny computers will bend to browse  -  Sony envisages a future where people will carry flexible credit-card-sized devices, far smaller than today's PDAs, in their pocket or handbag. "I think we have proved its feasibility with the creation of a working prototype," says Sony researcher Ivan Poupyrev. The simple prototype is nicknamed Gummi, which means "rubber" in the native German of its inventor Carsten Schwesig. Gummi has all the important features, albeit in crude versions, that future devices will need, says Poupyrev, who worked with Schwesig and designer Eijiro Mori to construct it. It has no stylus, buttons, switches or mouse: information has to be literally twisted out of it. (You can view a movie of Gummi in action here (8Mb Quicktime file).
  • Mini-ITX PC in an Atari 800 - Musician and geek Andy Hutson slipped a Mini-ITX motherboard into an Atari 800 case... and used an old cartridge as the mouse! Too bad the original keyboard's not functional." (thanks Slashdot.org)
  • AMD to ship Athlon 64 3400+ in August - AMD will ship the Athlon 64 in August, well ahead of its September launch, Taiwanese motherboard-maker sources claim. Of course, these pre-launch chips often go on sale early in Japan and the Far East in any case, and it will be interesting to see when Athlon 64s appear in Tokyo shop windows. According to DigiTimes, the chips AMD is shipping ahead of time are the 3100+ and 3400+ Athlon 64s.
  • VIA ships KT600 chipset for Athlon XP 3200+ - VIA has begun shipping its Apollo KT600 chipset for 400MHz frontside bus (PR)Athlon XP processors, and has signed 20-odd mobo makers to use the product. The KT600 north bridge chip provides AGP 4x/8x, 266-400MHz FSB support and incorporates VIA's FastStream64 400MHz DDR SDRAM controller which, according to VIA, "uses an expanded array of prefetch buffers to reduce latency in the memory controller, extending performance at a lower transistor cost than dual channel implementations". The chip can cope with up to 4GB of DDR memory.
  • ATI R420: Two Times Faster Than The RADEON 9800 PRO - Sources with knowledge of the matter revealed that the graphics chip known under the code-name R420 and developed under project-name Loki will be two times faster than the original RADEON 9800 PRO. As X-bit Labs revealed earlier, it will incorporate 110 to 150 million of transistors and will support Pixel and Vertex Shaders 3.0.
  • ATI All-In-Wonder 9800 PRO 128MB Review - Whether you are looking something for a multimedia hub / PC powered home entertainment centre, or just looking for the most complete all in one graphics product currently available, the All-In-Wonder 9800 PRO is the best offering currently available.
  • Geil 512MB PC3200 Dual Channel DDR Kit Review  - BigBruin.Com has posted a new review of the Geil 512MB PC3200 Dual Channel DDR Kit.
  • MSI Hermes 845GV Barebones Review - Hexus.net let us know they have done a review of the MSI Hermes 845GV Barebones.
  • Hyperthreading Hotfix Q815227 Performance - The Tech-Report has taken a closer look at the Windows XP kernel update from June 15th. "The benchmarks were run through first with a standard Windows XP Service Pack 1 installation. Then, the Microsoft's Q815227 hot fix was applied to the system and the benchmarks were run again. To be thorough, I rounded up a total of five different Winstone tests dating back to the 2001 Winstones and ran all tests with Hyper-Threading enabled and disabled."
  • DFI LAN PARTY KT400A Review - This motherboard is based on the VIA KT400A chipset comprised of the VIAR KT400A and VT8235. However, DFI is using the VIAR KT400A and VT8235CD. As you can see the only difference between the VT8235 and VT8237 is the addition of support for Serial ATA and two more USB 2.0 ports. DFI's version of the southbridge doesn't quite meet the specs of the VT8237 because it only has one Serial ATA port on the motherboard.
  • Maxtor Atlas 10K IV 147GB Ultra 320 SCSI Review  - The Atlas 10k IV leaves our Maxtor D740X (ATA133) and Maxtor Diamond Plus 9 (ATA150) drives behind in the ZD WinBench 99 Version 2 benchmarks. In general, this makes the Atlas 10K IV ideally suited for all types of data retrieval or storage which require high minimal transfer rates. It also means that you can work on your computer with no delays resulting from today's high performance operating systems, like the Windows XP Professional.
  • 3-Way i875P "Canterwood" Shoot-Out -  In this article HotHardware take look at three full-featured "Canterwood" boards, the 875P Neo-FIS2R from MSI, the LANPARTY Pro875 from DFI and Chaintech's 9CJS. All three of these products offer some intriguing, relatively unique features.
  • Jasc Paintshop Pro 8.01 Update - The update (direct link) includes a number of changes to the program to improve overall performance and addresses known issues reported by customers.
  • HyperSnap-DX 5.11.02 - HyperSnap-DX 5 (download) is a screen capture and image editing tool for MS Windows. It captures screens from standard desktop programs and even those hard-to-grab DirectX, Direct3D, 3Dfx Voodoo and Glide mode games. HyperSnap-DX 5 can capture frames from many software DVD players and other video playing software.
  • MyIE2 v0.7.1350 Beta - MyIE2 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 (example: GOOGLE Toolbar). The beta is also available from local mirror at SavageNews.
  • CloneDVD by Elby Software - CloneDVD extracts, transcodes and writes any orginal DVD title you like, to a single recordable DVD. Be impressed by the program speed and the amazing image quality of the movie copy.
  • PlexTools Pro 2.04 -  Plextor Europe have released a new updated version of PlexTools. They also offer a new firmware for PX-40TS V1.14.

  • Zoom Player 3.10 RC3 - Zoom Player 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. This release contains important VMR9 fixes, noticably the VMR9 Windowed DVD Mode (under Customized Playback) and the VMR9 Fix (under Filter Control). Between these two fixes, VMR9 should give you the best possible image quality.

  • BootXP 2.50 Final  - BootXP is an easy to use startup logo changer designed for Windows 2000 and XP that uses bitmap files or kernel files as sources.

  • AVG Free Edition 6.0 Build 491 -  AVG is a reliable tool for your computer protection against computer viruses. A free registration is required to run AVG. You will be emailed a registration code and can not install it without it.

  • SecureCRT 4.0.7 - SecureCRT (download) gives you an encrypted SSH session with both SSH1 and SSH2t servers. SSH security goes far beyond the basic secure logon, rerouting data or local applications using TCP/IP ports through an encrypted channel.

  • Matrox Parhelia Drivers 1.04.02.007 - Matrox has released a new driver set (Win2k/XP) for their Parhelia series including budget P650 and P750 cards.

  • ATI Radeon Drivers v6.14.10.6351 Leaked - If you feel you don't want to mess with these beta leaks and want to wait until the official then by all means do so. Otherwise the folks who want to mess with their hardware. The choice is yours. You can download the drivers from 3DChipset (6.14.10.6351 WinXP & Win2k Driver  || 6.14.10.5011 Control Panel).
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,19 2003 - tech
Evening Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 02:19 AM CEST - Jun,19 2003 - Post a comment / read (9)
  • The return of shareware - Shareware didn't start in 1993, but it made a huge splash that year. That's when id Software unleashed "Doom" on the world. Millions of people downloaded and enjoyed the free, abbreviated version of the game. Of those, roughly 160,000 called id to order the full version of the game, paying $40 plus shipping and handling. By the time Doom II rolled around the next year, though, retail distribution had taken over - and the game sold more than 2 million copies.
  • CeBIT Comes to America - The first CeBIT show in America may be all work and little play, but plenty of business-savvy gadgets abound at this confab hosted by the German conventioneer. CeBIT America takes over the Javits Center here this week as a broad selection of vendors, including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and PalmSource, turn up the buzz on business tech wares amid a tech slump. Between chatter over total cost of ownership and other enterprise issues, attendees will also be able to peruse pedestrian products like a sub-$1000 Tablet PC, a souped-up Handspring smartphone, and a selection of ever-faster wireless 802.11g products. An estimated 20,000 CeBIT attendees are expected at the conference, about half the number originally forecast for the event last year. Attendees will be able to prowl 360 companies' exhibits. CeBIT America pales by comparison with the eight-day CeBIT supershow held each spring in Hanover, Germany.
  • Nero All-in-One Authoring Updated - Ahead Software is unveiling Nero 6.0 Ultra Edition, a suite of updated CD and DVD recording tools that includes such features as a video editor, a full backup program, and a software DVD player. The package, announced at CeBIT America here this week, is scheduled for release July 18.
  • Decoded male chromosome reveals surprises  - The genetic sequence of the human Y chromosome has been published, unveiling surprises that will advance research on infertility, rekindle debates on the evolution of the sexes and challenge the controversial idea that the Y chromosome is a genetic junkyard destined for extinction. The male-determining Y has long been considered a vestigial chromosome, a dilapidated repository of genetic material with an ever-dwindling, tiny collection of about 40 genes. The reason for the genetic attrition, scientists thought, was the Y's inability to pair and swap genetic material with any other chromosome. That takes place during a special process called crossing-over, which is key to repairing genetic mutations and preserving genes. Another nice story can be found at Wired.
  • 20 Ways the World Could End  - We've had a good run of it. In the 500,000 years Homo sapiens has roamed the land we've built cities, created complex languages, and sent robotic scouts to other planets. It's difficult to imagine it all coming to an end.
  • US Senator would destroy MP3 traders' PCs - The Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Orrin Hatch (Republican, Utah), thinks it would be a fabulous idea if copyright owners could remotely destroy computers that contain pirated material, the Associated Press reports. "I'm all for destroying their machines," Hatch said during a Committee hearing Tuesday. "'If you have a few hundred thousand of those, I think people would realize' the seriousness of their actions," the wire service quotes him as saying.
  • Infighting killed Sony's first games handheld - PlayStation Portable (PSP) is not the first time that Sony has developed a handheld gaming system, it has emerged, with a Japanese business publication revealing details of the company's one-time plans to release a portable platform in 2000. According to the report, which appeared on the Nikkei BP news service, a project called "ET Project" was undertaken at Sony headquarters (as opposed to Sony Computer Entertainment) in late 1998, aimed at creating a portable console for release in 2000.
  • HP Readies Athlon64 3100+ PC - Introducing the Athlon64 at a model number rating of 3100+ appears to indicate that the chip does not perform as well as AMD's current 32-bit Athlon XP 3200+ processor, released in May. The Athlon64 3100+ will have a clock speed of 1.8 GHz and 1 MB of level 2 cache, according to the HP document. The Athlon XP 3200+ runs at 2.2 GHz and comes with 640 KB of level 2 cache. Representatives from HP and AMD did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Another story can be found here.
  • GeForce FX5600 Ultra rev2 review  - Hexus.net has done a review of the GeForce FX5600 Ultra rev2 card. "The reference card sports a heatsink and fan assembly that is surely the shiniest in the industry. My absymal digital camera skills don't pick it out very well, but the front face on the heatsink is mirror like. In the right light you can double your PCI slots. We've got the usual 4 pin Molex style connector on the top right, and the board arrived with a Y-splitter just incase I couldn't find a spare connector from the quarter billion my Enermax PSU provides. Expect a nifty splitter in the retail box."
  • Wireless LAN Superguide - PCMag tests the full range of corporate access points: 6 802.11g draft-compliant devices, 9 802.11b units, and 3 802.11a/b boxes.
  • MemTest 2.0 - MemTest is a RAM reliability tester. It evaluates the ability of your computer's memory to store and retrieve data. A correctly functioning computer should be able to do both these tasks with 100% accuracy day in and day out. By running MemTest, you can ensure that your computer's RAM is correctly functioning. You can assign a number of megabytes to test. This version supports more than 1Gb of RAM.
  • DU Meter 3.05 Build 146 - DU Meter (download) is an award winning utility from Hagel Technologies which provides an accurate account of the data which is flowing through your computer's network connection at any given moment.
  • MSN Messenger 6 Beta (build268) Public Preview oficially - homepage ~ download: WinXP / WinNT4 / Win9x/ME / AdRemover
  • PHP 4.3.3RC1 - PHP 4.3.3RC1 (Win32) has been released for testing. This is the first release candidate and should have a very low number of problems and/or bugs.
  • BlindWrite Suite 4.5.1 - 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.
  • BSPlayer 0.86.498 - - BSplayer (download) is a Windows R player that plays back all kinds of media files ( avi / mpg / asf / wmv / wav / mp3.)
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,18 2003 - tech
Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 04:09 AM CEST - Jun,18 2003 - Post a comment
  • Microsoft takes spam fight to court - Microsoft said it filed 13 civil suits against U.S. defendants, accusing them of spamming Microsoft customers with deceptive e-mail. It also filed two suits in the U.K.
  • Robots without a cause - You don't need a key to get into the new Audi 2004 A8. You just wave your hand in front of a tiny sensor consisting of 65,000 electrodes that scan your fingerprints and the doors open. But they will do so only if you're the owner of this L60,000 luxury automobile with its 12-speaker spatial sound system. Otherwise it will sit there, locked against the world in smug perfection.
  • Self-destruct files to secure DVDs, CDs - Sun Microsystems said this week it plans to roll out new software to protect copyrighted content stored on mobile phones and smart cards. Meanwhile, Warner Music, a division of CNN's parent company AOL Time Warner, released the new Steely Dan album "Everything Must Go" on CD and DVD Audio, the latter being an encrypted, "rip-proof" format.
  • Nanotube chip could hold 10 gigabits  - A computer memory chip based on carbon nanotubes has passed a manufacturing milestone, according to the US company developing the technology. The prototype chip would store information using hundreds of billions of nanotubes with a theoretical capacity of 10 gigabits of data, says Nantero, based in Boston, Massachusetts. Once fully developed, the company says nanoscale random access memory (NRAM) could hold more data that existing types of RAM and would also be non-volatile, meaning data would not be lost when the power is been turned off.
  • AMD extends Athlon XP-M mobile line to 2800+ - AMD introduced three new mobile Athlon XP-M chips today, taking the line to 2800+ performance and beefing up the chip?s low-voltage product family with 1900+ and 2000+ models. The 0.13 micron chips contain 512KB of on-die L2 cache and support frontside bus speeds of up to 266MHz. The XP-M 2800+ costs $230, while the low-voltage 1900+ and 2000+ cost $123 and $134, respectively.
  • Iomega Unveils Multiformat DVD Burner - Iomega is taking multiformat DVD burning a step further, unveiling this week the Super DVD Drive, which combines all three rewritable DVD formats into one drive. The internal drive can write to DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD-RAM and is slated for release in August. An external USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 model is scheduled to ship in September. Pricing will be announced upon release, but Iomega plans to offer the drive at a price that's competitive with the dual-format drives (which support DVD-RW and DVD+RW) currently flooding the market.
  • Palm OS Wristwatch - Amazon are taking orders for a new Palm OS Wrist Watch. It has an infra-red port, touch screen, back-light, stylus and 2MB of RAM. Price is $US 295.00. (thanks SlashDot.org)
  • Polaroid PhotoMAX PDC 3350 Digital Camera - SubZeroTech has posted a review on the Polaroid PhotoMAX PDC 3350 Digital Camera.
  • Twinmos 1024MB Dual Channel PC3200 Kit  - It's fair to say Twinmos have not produced a kit capable of challenging Corsair or OCZ in the realms of overclockability. However, if you are looking for some excellent value DDR400 memory, and have a board capable of voltage adjustments you could do a lot worse than this Twinmos kit.
  • Samsung SyncMaster 191N LCD Review - In the physical appearances, the SyncMaster 191N certainly stands out from the crowd of competitive 19 inch LCD monitors. One amazing feature which the 191N offers is the pivot feature which is still not very common in the market of LCD monitors. The pivoting arm which is part of the base allows the 191N to be displayed with the view of portrait or landscape.
  • Sapphire Atlantis Radeon 9600 Pro  - Extreme Overclocking has posted a review on the Sapphire Atlantis Radeon 9600 Pro Video Card.
  • APK System Tools for Windows 2002 + + SR-4 FINAL BUILD -  Alexander Peter Kowalski send words that APK System Tools for Windows 2002 + + SR-4 FINAL BUILD update is now available.
  • The WinFS File System For Windows Longhorn: Faster & Smarter - Microsoft is breaking new ground with Longhorn, successor to XP. The upcoming WinFS file system will be the first to be context-dependent, and promises to make long search times and wasted memory a thing of the past. Today, THG compares it to FAT and NTFS.
  • MP3Gain 1.2 beta - MP3Gain analyzes and adjusts mp3 files so that they have the same volume.
  • BSPlayer 0.86.497 - BSplayer (download) is a Windows R player that plays back all kinds of media files ( avi / mpg / asf / wmv / wav / mp3.)
  • Fresh UI 6.10 - Fresh UI (download) is a fresh solution for configuring and optimizing Windows. Loaded with hundreds of useful hidden settings this software covers the customizing and optimizing techniques that you'll be glad to know.
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,17 2003 - tech
Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 02:22 AM CEST - Jun,17 2003 - Post a comment
  • 181 Italians charged in €100m software raids - Italian police have charged 181 people, following raids on one of Europe's biggest bootleg software rings. They seized _118m worth of illegal software, music and films and estimate that the counterfeiting operation had an annual turnover of _100m. Another 10,300 people are under investigation. That's not a ring, that's a town.
  • MS Bugs and Fixes Update - After our July issue went to press, Microsoft admitted that the patch information it provided was incorrect. Microsoft pointed readers to two different fixes for Service Pack 1 performance lags--Q811493 and Q815411--but neither patch took care of the problem. Worse, Microsoft now says that it doesn't plan to fix the situation at all. If you installed either one of these patches, your PC will not be affected, says Microsoft. If you are looking for information about the Q811493 patch, Microsoft says that this patch does not take care of general Service Pack 1 performance problems, and that it is actually a revised security patch. Check out Microsoft's bulletin and click the Technical Details tab for the company's explanation.
  • Europe's largest Wi-Fi hotspot goes live  - The largest wireless computer hotspot in Europe has gone live at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, allowing cable-free internet access to staff and students anywhere on campus. The 140-hectare campus is peppered with 650 individual wireless network access points, with each point having a range of about 100 metres.
  • Nokia launches mass market smartphone - Nokia describes the new 6600, launched in Helsinki today, as its most important smartphone to date - a device that unlike its predecessors, is priced to appeal to the mid-market. It's a Series 60 device that's slightly smaller, and at 122g, a little lighter, than last year's 7650. Both screen and camera have been significantly improved, and the sprawling software bundle has been tidied up too.
  • Sony Brings Video Clie to U.S. - Sony plans to bring its newest Clie handhelds, a combination personal video player and personal digital assistant, to the United States in July. The NX80V will cost $599 when it goes on sale, and the NX73V will cost $499. The devices have already been released in Japan.
  • Samsung ML-1710/1750 Digital Monochrome Laser Printers Review - TweakNews has posted a Samsung ML-1710/1750 Digital Monochrome Laser Printers review.
  • Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 200 GB Hard Drive Review - The Tech Lounge has posted a review of Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 200 GB Hard Drive.
  • Samsung HT-DB600TH Review - Although computer speakers from companies such as Logitech or Klipsch are very good, for the same amount of money or a bit more, you can get a full home-theater system package that gives you a real receiver which can decode DTS, AC-3, and Dolby Pro Logic II, as well as combining decent bookcase speakers and a large LFE cabinet. The advantage - your computer can be at the center of a pro-grade home-theater setup and your games will sound just fantastic. Today, EnvyNews looks at a Samsung HT package which combines stellar features for a very attractive price.
  • Ratpadz GS Mousepad Review  - OcPrices.com has reviewed one of the finest mouse mats known to man - the Ratpadz Gaming Surface (GS).
  • 2Mb and 8Mb cache size on HDs tested in RAID - How does a 2mb cache harddisk compare to its bigger 8mb cache brother? MadShrimps.be test them in different RAID setups, using real word benchmarks to show you the actual difference! Software RAID 0 / Hardware RAID 1 / 0 with Stripe sizes: 1 - 4 - 16 - 64 - 512.
  • The i865PE and the i875P, the STALEMATE (or Performance Technology Acceleration )  secrets - check it out!
  • Winnow Cleaner 3.2 - Winnow Cleaner (download) is a multiple award-winning complete internet eraser (internet cleaner, history eraser, track eraser) utility to do a complete internet cleanup (delete internet cookies, delete temporary internet files, ...).
  • CPU's OC Databases Updated - VR-Zone has updated their Northwood and T'Bred and Barton overclocking databases (P4 Northwood ~ T'Bred ~ Barton)
  • Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator 1.3.4022 - The Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator (MSKLC) (download) extends the international functionality of Win2k/XP/2003 Server systems by allowing users to Create new keyboard layouts from scratch; Base a new layout on an existing one; Modify an existing keyboard layout and build a new layout from it Multilingual input locales within edit control fields; Package the resulting keyboard layouts for subsequent delivery and installation.
  • QuickTime Alternative 1.11 - QuickTime Alternative will allow you to play QuickTime files (.mov, .qt and other extensions) without having to install the official QuickTime Player. As a bonus, Internet Explorer will play all QuickTime movies that are embedded in a webpage. You do need a media player that is capable of playing QuickTime files.
  • Download Express v1.4 Build 193 - MetaProducts Download Express (DE) (download ~ what's new) is a Windows 9x/NT/2000/ME/XP program that allows you to download individual files from the Web and FTP sites at the maximum possible speed. Multiple channels technology significantly reduces download time. Download Express is a small (less than 400 Kb) Browser plugin application.
  • XP Visual Tools Anniversary Edition - XP VISUAL TOOLS is loaded with all you need to tweak your Windows XP Desktop. You can make xp taskbar and Start Menu transparent, change Windows XP Logon Screen or Windows XP Wallpapers and applying Windows XP Skins (XP Themes) to old programs.
  • Winamp Full 3.0  - Winamp 3 (download) plays MPEG Layer 2 (MP2) and Layer 3 (MP3) audio streams and Windows Media Audio (WMA), and combines extensive functionality with an intuitive interface. Winamp 3 revamps the entire idea of a skinning system by allowing developers to add entirely brand-new functionality within their own skins.
  • DVD Shrink 2.30 - DVD Shrink is software to backup DVD disks. You can use this software in conjunction with DVD burning software of your choice, to make a backup copy of any DVD video disk.
  • Media Player Classic 6.4.5.5 - Media Player Classic 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.
  • ASF-AVI-RM-WMV Repair v1.30 - Do you bother with your movie files download from internet that can't be played or seeked? ASF-AVI-RM-WMV Repair is easy solution. with AVI-ASF-RM-WMV Repair, you can repair/fix video files that can't be played or seeked, it supports fix AVI, divx, xvid, rm, rmvb, asf, wmv, wma files. it is easy and fast.
  • Graphical Interface to RegSvr32 1.0  - This program allows to register/unregister DLLs using RegSvr32 tool which is included with Windows.
  • jv16 PowerTools 1.4 RC2 - jv16 PowerTools (download) is the next generation of RegCleaner. A full set of tools to keep your computer and your LAN up and running. jv16 PowerTools is basicly the Tool to control your computer.
  • NVIDIA BIOS Editor v1.0 RC3 Rev500 - NVIDIA BIOS Editor enables you to do virtually anything with your graphic card BIOS (as long as it is NVIDIAs).  It enables you to change the sign-on message text & color, GPU & memory clocks, hidden features like SBA (Side Band Addressing) and much more. This new revision fixes problem with GeForce4 Ti 4xxx and Control Block version 5.25 and lower and brings the first partial support for GeForce FX 5200.
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,15 2003 - tech
Sunday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 12:24 PM CEST - Jun,15 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)
  • Fast forward into trouble  - Four years ago, Bhutan, the fabled Himalayan Shangri-la, became the last nation on earth to introduce television. Suddenly a culture, barely changed in centuries, was bombarded by 46 cable channels. And all too soon came Bhutan's first crime wave - murder, fraud, drug offences.
  • Pentagon to Move to Next-Generation Internet  - The Defense Department said on Friday it planned to link its high-tech weaponry, battlefield sensors and other communications systems to an upgraded Internet operating system within five years. The new standard, known as Internet Protocol Version 6, or IPv6, being developed by an independent standard-setting body, will help glue together the key components of the Defense Department's so-called Global Information Grid -- its sensors, weapons, aircraft, information systems and digitally linked forces.
  • Unleash the beast inside your cell phone - The megabyte or four of memory and the couple of multi-megahertz CPUs that are standard on today's Web-enabled mobiles dwarf what you could find on almost any machine available to the developers of Unix, e-mail or the Internet. Yet most of the time, all that computing power just sits unused.
  • Has Google run out?  - A rumour is spreading like the plague over the infinite paths of the Internet: Google has reached overbooking. The most popular creature in the virtual universe has space problems, or, more precisely, it could have them in the future. In fact, is seems that the most popular search engine in the world is about to reach the limit of its capacity of listed pages: 4,294,967,296. A numeric problem that is mainly due to a calculation error.
  • Microsoft kicks IE for Mac out the door -Microsoft will not create a new version of Internet Explorer for Macs in a move that leaves Apple users in an uncomfortable spot. Jimmy Grewal, the Microsoft Mac IE lead, is fleeing Redmond and heading to Dubai due to the browser's termination. Microsoft is saying it will provide some updates to IE 5 for Macs but does not plan to release an IE 6. It reckons users are in good hands with Apple's own Safari browser, and so the trouble begins.
  • ATI's new secret weapon is the R420 - According to The Inquirer, the R420 is being developed under the project name Loki, named after the Norse deity, son of Farbauti, held responsible for fire and magic, and able to take numerous different shapes. Loki was also held directly responsible for the death of the god of light, Baldur. The R420 will be a PCI Express chip and at this time we can only wonder how many transistors it will have, but we have every reason to assume more than 110 million and probably less than 150 million. Production and market availability of the cards is scheduled for Q1 2004.
  • ABIT Engineers Crack the 865PE Code ABIT's IS7 / IC7 Series now with Game Accelerator  - In a spectacular feat of engineering prowess, the ABIT Engineers have created a BIOS for the IS7 Series that unlocks the performance of the 865PE chipset, making the ABIT IS7 series boards the fastest 865PE motherboards ever made! Even at stock speeds, the IS7 series is 17% faster than all other Springdale boards. The IC7 Series also takes advantage of ABIT's Game Accelerator making the ABIT IS7 / IC7 series the gamer's choice for more frags, better gameplay and mind-bending graphic performance. Within ABIT Softmenut, Game Accelerator allows users the following options: Auto, Turbo, Street Racer, F1.
  • Albatron GeForce FX 5200 Ultra Review - For those who currently want to upgrade from their GeForce 4 Ti4200 or Radeon 9000 will probably want to look elsewhere as there wouldn't be much of an improvement. Sure there is DX9 compatibility but you will probably want something with more pixel pushing power. It was interesting to see that the GeForce FX 5200 Ultra was able to compete quite competitevely with the GeForce FX 5600 in many of the benchmarks. Currently Albatron's GeForce FX 5200 Ultra goes for around $145 but Im sure you can find slightly lower prices if you shop around. For $15 more you can get a GeForce FX 5600 and in my opinion be more happier than you would be with a 5200 Ultra in the long run when playing games with AA & AF enabled.
  • Inno3D's Tornado GeForce FX 5200 Ultra Review - Inno3D's Tornado GeForce FX 5200 Ultra isn't yet available online, but GeForce FX 5200 Ultra cards from other manufacturers are going for as low as $132 on Pricewatch-a good $11 cheaper than the least expensive GeForce FX 5600 and $30 cheaper than ATI's Radeon 9600 Pro. If Inno3D is to be competitive among other GeForce FX 5200 Ultra manufacturers, its card will have to come in at around $130.  
  • Athlon XP Chipset Shootout - VIA KT400 vs. VIA KT400A vs. nVidia nForce 2  - Epox's nForce2 is defiantly the quickest motherboard thanks to its Dual Channel. The KT400 held its ground and MSI have been able to put together a very nice product. The DFI is defiantly the coolest looking board in the roundup (and possibly ever) and comes with a host of features but it seems to be let down by a poorly designed chipset. Considering the KT400 doesn't have support for Dual Channel, it performed very well in a large amount of tests, it will be interesting to see when VIA brings Dual Channel chipsets to the party, if they even do.
  • 865PE/875P Motherboard Roundup June 2003 - Part 1: 20-way Shootout - After many hours of testing the guys at AnandTech have decided that the best value Pentium 4 motherboard is ABIT's IS7 based on the 865PE chipset. The IS7's assortment of onboard features such as IEEE 1394 FireWire, Serial ATA RAID, 10/100 LAN, and AC'97 alone make it a great buy at just over $105. However what separates the ABIT IS7 from other motherboard's is its excellent overclocking ability and superb performance that rival the most expensive motherboards on the market, including those based on Intel's 875P chipset.
  • Albatron KM18G Pro V2.0 nForce2 IGP Motherboard Review - With a retail price of $170 CDN ($105 US) the Albatron KM18G Pro v2.0 is a little on the pricey side, but then again smaller sized components have always costed more. The KM18G Pro v2.0 supports current 200/266/333 MHz FSB based AthlonXP processors and can be used with a maximum of 3GB of PC1600/2100/2700/3200 DDR RAM. Because of the relative small size, the only "frills" of the motherboard are its 10/100 LAN, integrated video & TV-out, and 5.1 audio.
  • Samsung HT-DB600TH Home Theater System Review - Although contained within a small package, this compact home theater system performs. Bringing a 500 watts of audio power and 5 disc DVD/CD capability to a livingroom for around US$260 is nothing less than a bargain. When compared to what it replaces, an equivalent separate component system would cost two to three times more. It's a great system that you can have up and running in 15 minutes which at the same time will leave a considerable amount of cash in your pocket.
  • Linux Kernel 2.4.21 released (patches) - The latest stable version of the Linux kernel is 2.4.21 (changelog).  The release, version 2.4.21, adds support in the open-source operating system for a host of new devices and corrects software flaws. It also incorporates support for Advanced Micro Devices' 64-bit Opteron processor.
  • Umaniacs XviD Build 11.6.2003 1420 - An updated Umaniacs XviD build 11.6.2003 1420 codec has been released.
  • GeForce FX 5900 videos - Nvidia has now offers some new WMP9 videos for the GeForce FX 5900 - Vulcan - Dusk - Last Chance Gas (thanks Warp2Search).
  • TMPGEnc v2.513.53.162 - TMPEGenc (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.
  • WinAmp 2.92 - Nullsoft Winamp (full ~ standard ~ lite) is a fast, flexible, high-fidelity music player for Windows. Winamp supports MP3, CD, Audiosoft, Audio Explosion, MOD, WAV and other audio formats, custom appearances called skins, plus audio visualization and audio effect plug-ins. This new version fixed startup with hung winamp process in background,  shuffle, added CD ripping support in media library (with OGG Vorbis encoding support), preliminary AAC playback support (in_mp3.dll) and more.
  • Intel Processor Frequency ID Utility 5.6 - This version of the Intel Processor Frequency ID Utility has been updated to support the new Intel Xeon Processor, Pentium 4 processors, Mobile Intel Pentium 4 processors, Pentium III processors, Mobile Pentium III processors with Intel SpeedStep technology, Pentium III Xeon processors and Intel Celeron processors with 66, 100, 133, 400, 533 , and 800 MHz system memory bus products, as well as adding new processor identification functionality (CPUID).
  • nForce Linux Drivers (v1.0-0261) - NVIDIA has released a new version of their nForce Linux drivers (v1.0-0261). Added kernel patch to support nForce GART; Added "spdif_status" module parameter to audio driver to enable/disable S/PDIF support for compatability; Fixed bug in audio driver that was causing MSI nForce board to only use 2 channels; Fixed mmap bug in audio driver causing Quake III to hang; Fixed Red Hat Linux 9 build issue with remap_page_range(); Fixed problem with rebuilding SRPM on Red Hat Linux 9; Added Red Hat Linux 9 and Mandrake Linux 9.1 binary RPMs. (thanks SavegeNews)
  • nForce2 Drivers 2.78 - These v2.78 drivers are from MSI and should work for most boards.
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,13 2003 - tech
Friday Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 02:03 PM CEST - Jun,13 2003 - Post a comment / read (4)
  • N-Gage boss slams GBA, reveals business model details - Nokia's head of entertainment and media, Ilkka Raiskinen, has attacked Nintendo's GBA in today's Dow Jones, accusing the system of failing to appeal to adult demographics, and has revealed some details of the development business model for N-Gage.
  • IM's bursting--say goodbye to e-mail - The number of people using instant messaging (IM) software at work is set soar over the next few years, as part of a wider boom that will see more than a trillion IMs sent worldwide each day by 2006, according to the latest research. The survey, carried out by The Radicati Group, predicts that IM is on the verge of becoming a ubiquitous communication medium, much as e-mail is today.
  • Al-Jazeera Hacker Pleads Guilty - 24-year-old California man has pleaded guilty to charges that he hijacked the Internet domain of Arabic news service Al-Jazeera in March. The U.S. Attorney's office filed the deal with John William Racine II, a Web designer in Norco, California, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles on Thursday morning.  In exchange for his guilty plea, the government is recommending Racine be sentenced to three years probation and 1000 hours of community service, and pay a $1500 fine.
  • Thai hackers ordered to work for victim  - University students who broke into a Thai government Web site are to work on the same site as punishment. Thai university students arrested for hacking have been ordered to pay for their crime by serving at the very Web site they defaced. According to the daily newspaper The Bangkok Post, the ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) ministry's portal was breached recently. The hackers had last month planted a bogus news flash on the ministry's site, detailing plans to set up a new club to promote prostitution and pornography. The message was removed after a few hours and the intrusion traced to a local university.
  • The Enemy Within: Firewalls and Backdoors - SecurityFocus has posted an article called "Firewalls and Backdoors".  They provide info on firewall types, backdoor classifications, some examples of real backdoors and tips on mitigating their use on your network.
  • New ZoneAlarm Toughens Firewall - Version 4 continues the expansion by Zone Labs into areas beyond the scope of a classic firewall, to take on tasks such as combating viruses and worms. After the outbreak of the mass-mailing VBS worm Love Letter in May 2000, Zone Labs added a feature called MailSafe to its firewall. MailSafe quarantines incoming e-mail messages that contain VBS attachments. Zone Labs has expanded the feature on its paid Pro and Plus products over the years, and now monitors for 47 file types out of the box.
  • AMD on target for September Athlon 64 launch - The Athlon 64 processor AMD is readying is on target for a September launch, representatives of the firm confirmed earlier this week. But so far there's not that many samples of the Athlon64 out there in the wild, as AMD struggles to improve both its clock speed and its thermal profile, insiders tell the INQUIRER.
  • Intel warns vendors not to overclock 865 chipsets - INTEL warned that system manufacturers and users that attempt to overclock 865 chipsets using PAT (performance acceleration technology) may end up with systems that are not under warranty. The stern warning sends out a clear challenge from Intel to motherboard makers including Asus, Epox, Abit and others that introducing a BIOS to enable elements of 875 technology in 865 chipsets is meeting strong disapproval from the chip giant.
  • PCI Express: Interconnect of the future - The PCI Express Base 1.0a Specification and Card Electromechanical 1.0a Specification have already been released, although we won't see any PCI Express products until 2004, probably the first being video cards from nVidia and ATi, along with motherboards based on the Grantsdale chipset from Intel. At the server end of the market, Intel is looking to introduce PCI Express with the Lindenhurst and Twin Castle chipsets. With new form factors and promising great performance, the future looks good.
  • Interview with Developers - Multiple Pixel Shader Precision modes - check it out.
  • Philips Unveils Mirror TV - Philips has announced its Mirror TV technology, and plans a small-scale roll-out to hotels late this year. The company hopes to get Mirror TVs into people's homes eventually, too, but that will take longer. A Mirror TV is basically a two-way mirror with an LCD screen behind it. When the LCD is activated, you see the display. When it's turned off, you see your reflection. A special lamination developed by Philips makes all of this possible. The LCDs will be wide-screen, with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a high 1280 by 768 resolution. Philips plans to offer the mirror/monitors in 17-, 23-, and 30-inch sizes.
  • Pixel Shader 2.0 precision - Digit-Life has posted an article on Pixel Shaders in DirectX9.
    Kanguru Media X-change review -     The 20GB Kanguru Media X-change 2.0 ($249.95 direct), a versatile mobile problem solver, provides portable hard drive storage and offers reading and writing compatibility with the six most common forms of portable storage media used with devices such as digital cameras and PDAs.
  • Samsung ML-2150 Laser Printer review  - The features such as 21ppm, and the onboard 16MB of ram, is quite commendable. For any environment, that should prove to be more than enough. Also, should you feel compelled to do so, you can expand the memory all the way up to 144MB, which in my opinion is much more than any printer will probably need. Being compatible with every version of Microsoft Windows to date, along with various Linux OS, Mac OS (8.6 and greater), SUN Solaris, HP-UX, and SCO, is also a very promising asset.
  • Albatron KM18G Pro M-ATX nForce2 review - The KM18G runs off of the nForce 2 IGP Northbridge and the MCP Southbridge. Although we ve checked out the nForce 2 SPP (System Platform Processor), this is our first experience with the IGP version which sports integrated graphics with allocation of up to 128MB of system memory. The integrated graphics comes to us via the Geforce 4 MX (NV17) core which runs at 250 MHz. Although this won't be a selling point for those of us using ATI radeon 9000+ cards or Ti / FX based cards, it will appeal to someone looking for a system with solid integrated graphics for an office system or even to play the most recent games only with toned down settings.
  • AMD Athlon XP 3200+ review  - Yep definitely recommended. There are two things I do not like about this product, the price tag, our own pricewatch database reports this product in it's cheapest form for 444 USD which is a lot of money for a processor.
  • Leadtek A310TD 128MB FX5600 review - Overclockers New Zealand has posted a review on Leadtek A310TD 128MB FX5600. By looking at the scores above, I find it hard to convince the consumers that FX5600 would give them a better gaming experience than a good old GF4 Ti. Generally speaking, Leadtek A310 (FX5600) is around 10~35% slower than a standard GF4 Ti-4800SE. The FX5600 may come out on top if FSAA is used but that is about it.
  • Barracuda ATA V (120GB) review - Seagate's Barracuda ATA V ST3120023A disc drive delivers 7,200-RPM performance for desktops and entry-level ATA servers, with a capacity of 120 Gbytes. The product features a FDB motor for the quietest acoustics in the industry, superior reliability and the Ultra ATA/100 interface. The drive includes Seagate's exclusive 3D Defense System and a one-year limited warranty.
  • TEAC CD-W552PUK USB 2.0 review - Is it worth buying this drive? If you need a portable drive to move between machines, I would recommend it wholeheartedly, not only is this drive a real looker and very well built, its a great performer for everyday use, with some of the best audio quality ive had the pleasure to listen to.
  • Chip-Con Prometeia Mach II review - Prometeia Mach II is probably the most advanced cooling solution to date. It has the capability of removing up to 200W of heat dissipation which allow you to overclock your Pentium 4 to reach 4Ghz or Athlon XP to 3Ghz comfortably.  Prometeia Mach II will make a fine machine for hobbyists into 3DMark benching and distributed computing, as a extremely powerful gaming rig and as a workstation machine for rendering, video and CAD applications which are CPU intensive. Whether it going to worth your money will depend on your usage model.
  • MAME v0.70 - MAME (win32 ~ win32 Pentium Pro optimized) stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, and currently runs 1800+ classic (and even some not so classic) arcade games.
  • Serv-U 4.1.0.7 Beta - Serv-U (download) is a powerful, easy-to-use, award-winning FTP server created by Rob Beckers. An FTP server uses the FTP protocol to share files across the Internet.
  • Nero InfoTool 2.00 - Nero InfoTool is very usefull for getting a quick overview about your system configuration. It will display important Information for the purpose of discovering errorsources.
  • MBM-Net v1.0 - MBM-Net is a companion program to Motherboard Monitor 5. It allows you to monitor computers on your network and display information such as CPU temperature, system temperature, and fan speeds. That way you can see the status of your machines in one convenient window instead of remote desktop"ing" into each machine and checking! You can monitor any computer on your home network or over the internet using MBM-Net! Up to 255 machines are supported.
  • AtomTime Synchronizer 3.2.1.0 - 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.
  • WinDVD Platinum 4.5.28.108 - WinDVD Platinum (download) is the latest version of WinDVD which is a simple-to-use DVD player that combines all the features of a standard consumer DVD player and offers much more. It is the ultimate DVD player with advanced audio and video functions, not found anywhere else.
  • CopyToDVD 2.2 - 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.
  • Dr. DivX 1.0.1 -  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. It lets you create an awesome DivX video from almost any source right on your computer in just three easy steps.
  • Tray Helper v3.5 - 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).
  • ICQ Lite Build #1211 - ICQ Lite Build #1211 (download) has been released.
  • BlindWrite Suite 4.5 - 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.
  • GoldenHawk CDRWIN 3.9D - GoldenHawk has finally released a new version of CDRWin.
  • ASUS SmartDoctor 2 2.70  - 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.
  • S3/VIA Driver updates - There are new driver updates from S3 Graphics: Logo'd: ProSavageDDR WinXP/2k v13.94.12 w/Util ~Logo'd: ProSavageDDR WinXP/2k v13.94.12 Rotation ~  Logo'd: ProSavageDDR WinXP/2k v13.94.12 TVLargeFont.(thanks SavageNews)
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,12 2003 - tech
Morning Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 11:45 AM CEST - Jun,12 2003 - Post a comment / read (10)
  • The Matrix Reloaded banned in Egypt - Global blockbuster The Matrix Reloaded has been banned in Egypt because of its "violent" content and because it tackles "religious themes". The country's censorship board said the film's storyline, about the search for the creator and control of the human race, may cause "crises". Violent scenes also had the potential to "harm social peace", a statement said.
  • Chances for 'Fat Tax' Approval Look Slim - A proposal to tax junk food, video games and television commercials to pay for an obesity prevention program faces stiff opposition from lawmakers and business groups. Chances of the proposal passing before lawmakers go home for the summer on June 19 looked slim after a spokesman for Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said he would not support the tax.  The 1 percent tax hike proposed by Assemblyman Felix Ortiz would apply to junk food, video games and television commercials, which Ortiz blames on New York's growing obesity problem. Ortiz, a Democrat, did not rule out proposing tax increases on other things that he believes contribute to obesity.
  • Newest Bugbear Virus Targets Banks - The worm's code contains a list of more than 1000 domain names of banks from around the world, according to Symantec. Suzanne Gorman, chairman of the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, an industry security group in Reston, Virginia, said that the organization responded immediately to the first reports of Bugbear attacks on banks by warning member institutions to make sure that their security systems are fully in place. A conference call was held with security experts and members to review the problem and discuss strategy, she said. No member banks so far have been infiltrated by the Bugbear virus, she said, because of firewalls, antivirus protection, and other multilayer IT security systems.
  • Toshiba, SanDisk shrinking memory cells - Toshiba and SanDisk announced that they have managed to shrink the cell size, the region that "holds" data, on flash-memory chips, a development that will lead to 2-gigabit and 4-gigabit flash chips by next year. The new memory cell has a physical area of only 0.041 square microns, smaller than existing cells, and can be manufactured on the 90-nanometer manufacturing process, a manufacturing standard coming to market toward the end of the year.
  • AMD overhauling transistors, chips -  The Sunnyvale, Calif-.based chipmaker is examining how to incorporate a wide variety of cutting-edge concepts--strained silicon, multi-gate transistors, replacing silicon with metal in key transistor components--to boost the performance of chips that will hit the market in the second half of the decade.
  • Intel takes notebook chips past 3GHz - Dell began offering its new Inspiron 5150 notebook with the 3.06GHz mobile Pentium 4 on Wednesday. The machine starts at about $1,550, a price that includes the new chip with a 15-inch high-resolution display, 256MB of RAM, a 30GB hard drive, a DVD-ROM and a graphics board from ATI Technologies.
  • Epson Stylus Photo 900 review - The sticker on the Epson Stylus Photo 900 ($200 street) says, "The Complete Printing Solution for Your Digital Lifestyle." We doubt any printer can live up to that claim, but the quality of the 900's output 900 varies from good to excellent, and as a bonus, you can print directly onto CDs.
  • FIC A98P Radeon 9800 Pro review - VR-Zone today has take a look at the FIC A98P Radeon 9800 Pro card which sports a hip box design with a rendered bull on the cover. FIC continues to hammer away their OEM only image by putting out quality graphic cards and motherboards geared at the enthusiast markets. The A98P is no exception, from slick new retail packaging design to great overclockability (472/370Mhz), the A98P is one of the few cards that holds its own in the ever so turbulent and cut-throat high end graphic card market.
  • QuickTime Alternative 1.10 - QuickTime Alternative will allow you to play QuickTime files (.mov, .qt and other extensions) without having to install the official QuickTime Player. As a bonus, Internet Explorer will play all QuickTime movies that are embedded in a webpage. You do need a media player that is capable of playing QuickTime files.
  • Media Player Classic 6.4.5.4 - Media Player Classic (download) is similar to windows media player 6.4 but with features pertained to minimalist advanced users.
  • VIA Audio drivers v3.50c - VIA Tech has released new drivers for the internal AC97 sound in their chipsets i.e. south bridges VT686A, VT686B, VT8231, VT8233, VT8233A, VT8233C and VT8235.
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,11 2003 - tech
Morning Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 11:46 AM CEST - Jun,11 2003 - Post a comment / read (1)
  • Robot Rover Heads to Mars to Search for Water  -NASA launched the first of two robotic rovers to Mars on Tuesday in an international quest to determine if life ever existed on the red planet. After two days of weather delays, the Mars Exploration Rover, nicknamed "Spirit," lifted off from Cape Canaveral as part of a global fleet of probes sent to Mars. If the rover Spirit and its twin, Opportunity, which is scheduled to be launched later this month, succeed, scientists will know if ancient, now-vanished, water sources on Mars were there long enough for life to emerge. Mars is a perilous destination for spacecraft. Of 30 missions launched by various nations over the years, only 12 have succeeded. Landing on the surface is even harder, with just three of nine attempts ending in success.
  • Hints for Planning a Network Gaming Marathon? - According to Slashdot.org, some guys tentatively planning a public Network Gaming Marathon (LAN Party, except for an entire weekend) later this year, starting on a Friday night and ending the following Sunday afternoon.
  • Email monitoring code finally arrives - After three years in the making, the Information Commission has finally produced its guidelines on how firms can legally monitor staff emails. As anticipated, employers will have the right to monitor staff emails, provided that employees have been warned that monitoring is taking place, and that the reasons for monitoring have been explained.
  • Microsoft to buy antivirus expertise - Microsoft has announced its intention to acquire GeCad Software (RAV Antivirus), a Romanian antivirus technology developer, in order to improve the security in its Windows platform. The deal, the financial terms of which were not disclosed, would add a team of antivirus experts to Microsoft's stable of developers and give the company the ability to offer antivirus systems across all its products, a representative said. Security experts from the 100-employee company will also work to make the Windows operating system work better with products from third-party antivirus vendors, Microsoft said.
  • Microsoft Previews FrontPage 2003 - Microsoft is enhancing the XML capabilities of its FrontPage Web design program with true WYSIWYG editing and easier interaction with other applications in the Office 2003 family. FrontPage 2003 is scheduled to ship at the same time as the other Office 2003 applications in development, by the third quarter. Microsoft has not announced Office 2003 pricing.
  • Intel puts Tri-Gate transistor on fast track  - Intel says that its Tri-Gate transistor, a futuristic transistor that will let electricity flow more freely inside chips, is moving closer to reality. The Tri-Gate transistor, one of the tools that may let Intel continue to follow Moore's Law in the second half of the decade, has been placed on the "pathfinder" development path at Intel, said Ken David, co-director of components research in the Technology Manufacturing Group at Intel. That means that it is one of a select few design alternatives that will get incorporated into chips by 2007.
  • Intel's x86--25 years later - Intel's first x86-based chip, the 5MHz 8086, was introduced on June 9, 1978. Earlier this year, the company passed the 1 billion mark for units shipped on x86 processors, a feat that might have been enough to prompt other companies to put up a tent and throw a party.  At 3.06GHz, the Pentium 4 is about 600 times faster than the 8086. The increases in performance have made new applications possible
  • Xbox 2 powered by ATi ? - According to Spong.com, Microsoft's next generation Xbox will use an ATi graphics chipset, following Microsoft's apparent inability to work cohesively with former provider nVidia.
  • Prometeia Mach 2: Best Compressor Cooler for x86 CPUs  - Chip-Con now delivers 200 W cooling. 4.1 GHz are now possible with the P4. Step-by-step instructions for installing the Mach 2 system in a high-end PC - with highlights available on video.
  • High Power For Power Users: 13 Power Supplies In The Spotlight  - The latest CPUs and graphics cards require robust power supplies. But watch out: the test candidates rarely delivered on their power claims. Efficiency, voltage and noise levels are a few of the important factors you need to consider before you make a purchase.
  • Abit GeForce FX 5800 review - Abit came with a nice solution to the cooling and nVidia managed to solve the image quality and performance. FX 5800 has improved in my eyes.
  • 512MB Mushkin PC3500 Black Dual Pack DDR Memory Modules review - Adrian's Rojak Pot has posted the definitive review of the 512MB Mushkin PC3500 Black Dual Pack DDR Memory Modules. "Ever seen a PC3500 DDR memory module run at 480MHz? How about TWO?!".
  • Zalman CNPS7000-Cu Cooler review  - Hexus.net has posted a new review of  Zalman CNPS7000-Cu Cooler  They say: "The Zalman CNPS7000-Cu appears to be in a position to fulfill our requirements. Excellent design, aesthetically pleasing, and, above all, a fantastic noise-to-performance ratio make this CPU cooler one of the most enviable."
  • Zalman ZM400A-APF PSU review - Hexus.net has posted a review of Zalman ZM400A-APF PSU. ~ "Ł80 is steep for a 400w PSU. Whether it's worth it or not depends upon how much you value silence. Recommended to those looking for uber-quiet rigs."
  • 865PE & 875P Memory Guide  - It has been many weeks since 865PE and 875P motherboards were released onto the market, and we can say without a doubt that there have been some growing pains. Luckily though motherboard manufacturers have been diligently working on their BIOSes and it shows; memory compatibility and performance is much better today than it was one to two months ago. After countless hours of testing there is no doubt that Corsair LL (Low Latency) PC3200 modules are the fastest and most compatible DDR memory modules to pair with your 865PE or 875P motherboard (regular CAS2.0 Corsair modules are just as good as LL/TwinX modules). Initially we had the most problems with Corsair's modules, but thankfully motherboard manufacturers were able to come through with solid BIOS releases that remedied all of these issues.
  • Build an Xbox "Xshok" Controller - Is the 'rumble' feature on your Xbox controller too wimpy for you? Kevin Rose spices things up with electricity. Remember that old James Bond movie where they battled for world domination by playing a videogame that would shock you? That's what gave me the idea. If I got punched, I wanted to feel the punch. And let me tell you -- 20,000 volts packs quite a punch.  Note: This mod should only be performed by experienced electrical technicians. Do not attempt this at home!
  • Windows XP Pre-SP2 Security Pack - Keyser Soze has released a Windows XP Pre-SP2 Security Pack which includes security hotfixes which are essential to Windows XP.
  • Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator - The Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator extends the international functionality of Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 systems by allowing users to: Create new keyboard layouts from scratch ; Base a new layout on an existing one; Modify an existing keyboard layout (.KLC) file and build a new layout from it; Package the resulting keyboard layouts for subsequent deployment and installation.
  • Avant Browser 8.01 Build 107 - Avant Browser (download) is an upgrade to Internet Explorer. Avant Browser is a fast, stable, user-friendly, versatile multi-window browser.
  • DVD Shrink v2.1 Beta - DVD Shrink is software to backup DVD disks. You can use this software in conjunction with DVD burning software of your choice, to make a backup copy of any DVD video disk.
  • PowerStrip 3.41 Beta Build 396 - 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.
  • TMPGEnc 2.512.52.161 - This program can convert AVI files into (S)VCD (MPEG-1/2). It will only take a few hours to convert a whole movie.
  • DivX Pro Tahanea - DivX is a package that includes all the DivX codec, player, utilities, and documentation that you need to play DivX files. DivX codec is based on the MPEG-4 compression standard. This codec can reduce an MPEG-2 video (DVD format) to ten percent of its original size. Tahanea is intended to test some new refinements in the recently implemented motion estimation algorithm: a rate distortion algorithm can now be used to balance the number of bits used and the actual visual quality.
  • Lite-On CD-RW Firmware - LiteOn have released some new CD-RW firmware updates for the following drives: Lite-On LTR-52246S ( 52X 24X 52X ) CD-RW, Lite-On LTR-48246S ( 48X 24X 48X ) CD-RW, Lite-On LTR-48125S ( 48X 12X 48X ) CD-RW, Lite-On LTC-48161H ( 48X 24X 48X + 16X ) COMBO, Lite-On LTC-48161H ( 48X 24X 48X + 16X ) COMBO and Lite-On LSC-24081MX ( 24X 12X 24X + 8X ) EXTERNAL SLIM COMBO.
  • NVIDIA Detonator Drivers 44.61 BETA - Warp2Search has now offers the newest NVIDIA Detonator Beta Drivers v44.61.Core files are dated: 31st of May 2003
  • ATI WDM Capture Driver 6.14.10.6201v1  - The ATI WDM driver is a series of drivers used to enable the capture and TV tuner features on VIVO boards, and the All-In-Wonder series of cards produced by ATI Technologies Inc.
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,10 2003 - tech
Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 02:34 AM CEST - Jun,10 2003 - Post a comment
  • Game Boy Advance SP Sells 1.1 Million in U.S. - According to this PR, over 1 million Game Boy Advance SP portable consoles have been sold in about 10 weeks in the US. To build upon its success, Nintendo is launching new color casings. On Sept. 8, Onyx (black) and Flame (red) will join the current Platinum (silver) and Cobalt (dark blue) systems.
  • Microsoft cables new TV technology  - Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, speaking at the opening session of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association's annual trade show, outlined his company's new software for bridging cable television and interactive digital technology. Microsoft TV Foundation Edition, for use by cable operators with their existing hardware and network systems, is designed to offer cable TV viewers features like video on demand and advanced parental screening.
  • Nokia GGSN (IP650 Based) DoS - There exists a vulnerability in the TCP stack that allows an attacker to cause the GGSN to kernel panic and shutdown. This potentially allows an attacker to crash all data connectivity within a GPRS based network. This vulnerability is exploited by sending a malformed IP packet with a TCP option of 0xFF over a cellphone to the affected network.
  • Microsoft messes about with logos in ICMP packets - A report suggested that Microsoft is tunnelling its own logo in the form of a JPG file across networks and inside an ICMP echo request. But why would it be doing this? Seth Stein, at his web site here, has set something to sniff away at ICMP traffic to see what it's come up. He discovered a total of 2000 ICMP echo request packets sent from his machine, even though he hadn't even pinged or ponged once. But capturing the ICMP packets revealed one set which oddly contained the Microsoft logo. How peculiar. He asks whether Microsoft programmers were just bored. Well, that could be the answer...
  • Eight security holes found in Debian Linux - DEBIAN issued a note yesterday saying that there were eight security holes associated with the kernel on machines running IA32 (Intel) architecture.
  • FlashFXP - Two Buffer Overflow Vulnerabilities - FlashFXP has following two buffer overflow vulnerabilities: 1. The buffer overflow vulnerability in "PASV" command  ~ 2. The buffer overflow vulnerability in the long host name.  Fix: Upgrade to version 2.1 build 923 or later version.
  • Benchmarking - How and Why? - When you buy a 3D video card, you buy it knowing that you want to play games with it, and not programs that just spit out a number at you. The benchmarks used in video card reviews haven't really changed in the past while, which is saddening. Many people still rely on programs such as Quake III and 3D Mark 2001SE to test video cards. But with Quake III we can see that the video card is no longer really a limiter, even at 1600*1200.
  • NVIDIA NV40 to Come This Year - Since the NV35 is nearly in retail now and we know almost everything about the part, it is time to start reporting unofficial information about NVIDIA's next-generation graphics processor, the code-named NV40 GPU.
  • Samsung LTM295W 29" LCD Monitor/TV review - The contrast ratio of 600:1 is amazing, and takes the cake for being the highest I ve seen to date here with the site. I was pleased to see a more than acceptable brightness level of 450cd/m2. The response time isn t anything to snuff at, standing at 22ms. For viewing angles everyone should be pleased with 170/170 (W&H). The last mention is the pixel pitch which sits at .4935(h) X .4935(w). The optimal resolution while in PC use is 1024 x 768 @ 75Hz although the maximum is 1280 x 768 @ 75Hz.
  • Dell Ultrasharp 1800FP LCD review - ExtremeMhz has reviewed the Dell Ultrasharp 1800FP LCD.
  • All-in-Wonder 9800 Pro review - The new All-in-Wonder card uses the same version of ATI's latest GPU, the Radeon 9800 Pro, used on the 128MB Radeon 9800 Pro graphics card. The processor has a 380-MHz engine clock, a 340-MHz memory clock, eight pixel pipes, four vertex pipes, and support for DirectX 9.0 Pixel Shaders 2.0. In the recent showdown that sister site Extreme Tech had between the 256MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro graphics card (which has a 350-MHz memory clock) and nVidia's new GeForceFX 5900 Ultra, the ATI GPU held its own.
  • Samsung sm352b Combo Drive Review - The 352b is the 'older' brother to our previous 252b review, in addition to the 52X write, 24X re-write, 52X read, the 352b also adds the 16X DVD read option to the mix. For users who are building a cheap and compact system, these combo drives are a god send. The ability to read DVDs and perform all CD-R/RW writing functions is a perfect match.
  • Creative SoundBlaster Cards SoftMods Guide Updated Again - 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 usel
  • Kill Bill Trailer - Nitrox sent me another link for a trailer of the upcoming Tarantino's movie called KILL BILL. Tarantino rocks!
  • Crucial Gizmo! 128MB  - Envy News has published a review of Gizmo! USB Flash drive.
  • FreeBSD 5.1 Released - FreeBSD 5.1-RELEASE supports the i386, pc98, alpha, sparc64, and ia64 architectures and can be installed directly over the net using the boot floppies or copied to a local NFS/FTP server. Distributions for all architectures are available now.
  • Ad-aware reference file R144 08.06.2003  - Included are newly added signatures for StopPop(Vx2) Malware, EPSystems DialerMaker(Generic Dialer), ZyncosMark, WinPup32 Hijacker, PeopeOnPage(POP)-Plugin and PowerStrip Toolbar.  Updated signatures for VirtualBouncer, VitaTrade ltd. (Dialer), Whazit Hijacker, i-Won CoPilot, XupiterOrbitExplorer, WhenuClockSync, WhenuSave!, WhenuWeatherCast, SearchBarCash, E-Group (Dialer), ColoumbDialler (Dialer), FreeScratchCards Malware and Internet-Billing-Solutions (Dialer).
  • AVG Free Edition 6.0 Build 488 - A free registration is required to run AVG. You will be emailed a registration code and can not install it without it.
  • Visual Boy Advance v1.5.1 - 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. SDL stands for Simple DirectMedia Layer. It is a cross platform library for graphics, input, audio, threading, etc... that can be used for games, emulators, etc the SDL version on Windows may be faster than the DirectX version.
  • CuteFTP XP 5.0.2.2 beta - CuteFTP is absolutely the easiest way to transfer files across the Internet. Its built-in Connection Wizard will walk you through connecting to an FTP site in seconds and its user-friendly interface will have you transferring files in no time, even if you are a beginner.
  • NetCaptor 7.2.0 Final - The small IE based browser NetCaptor has been updated to version 7.2.0 Final (changelog).
  • Xplorer2 alpha 0.0.0.31 - 2xExplorer & Xplorer2 are lightweight and powerful, fully shell integrated and extremely usable for increased everyday productivity, the ideal dual-pane replacement for explorer, compatible with all 32-bit windows platforms. 2xExplorer & Xplorer2 are easy to use yet very potent and extremely efficient alternative to the standard Windows Explorer. It combines the user-friendliness of the latter with the increased efficiency and advanced features of good-old dual-pane file managers like Norton Commander. It is a package that will appeal to the power user, yet its similarity with Explorer will ensure that less experienced users will not be driven away either.
  • BSPlayer 0.86.496 - BSplayer (download) is a Windows player that plays back all kinds of media files ( avi / mpg / asf / wmv / wav / mp3...) and shines in video and divx playback.
  • ZoomPlayer 3.10 RC2 - Zoom Player is a robust media and DVD front-end player
  • XMPEG v5.0 RC 1 (free) - This program decodes MPEG1 (Audio & Video) and MPEG2 streams and offers you the possibilty to reencode them in the format you want. Actual evolutions makes Xmpeg faster, more stable, and with more options.
  • PowerStrip 3.41 Beta Build 395 - 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.
  • Motherboard Monitor 5.3.3.0 - Motherboard Monitor (MBM) is a tool that will display information from the sensor chip on your motherboard in your Windows system tray. MBM supports a wide range of Chipsets & Sensor Chip combinations. MBM is compatible with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP and .NET.
  • Alcoholer 3.2 - Alcoholer (download) is one of the best 1:1 burning programs.  Alcoholer v3.2 Changelog: Implemented ASS, fixed some bugs, added some new Profiles and ClonyXXL numbers.
  • CPUInfo 2.00 Beta 4 - 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.
  • Maxtor PowerMax v4.06 - PowerMax utility is designed to perform diagnostic read/write verifications on Maxtor/Quantum hard drives.
  • NEC ND-1100A Firmware -  Firmware Forum have obtained a new firmware update for owners of the NEC ND-1100A DVD+R/RW writer. Version 1.A1 should only be used on drives that have the 1.A0 firmware. (thanks TechSeekers)
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,08 2003 - tech
Sunday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 01:30 PM CEST - Jun,08 2003 - Post a comment / read (3)
  • Hotmail Vulnerability Being Exploited by Spammers - A new--but not well known--Microsoft vulnerability is being exploited by spammers, creating even more junk mail in your inbox. Microsoft has a terrible record of deploying features without thinking through the security implications thereof--and responding slowly when problems are discovered. Well, here we go again. In recent releases, Microsoft implemented tighter integration between the Outlook Express mail client and their Hotmail free email service. The WebDAV (Distributed Authoring and Versioning) protocol is used to submit email to the Hotmail servers.
  • Verizon Turns Over Names in Piracy Case  - Verizon was compelled to give up the names Wednesday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C., which rejected the telecom giant's request for a stay while it appeals a lower court decision won by the Recording Industry Association of America. The RIAA has not decided what action to take against the four Verizon customers, said Matt Oppenheim, the group's senior vice president for business and legal affairs. (thanks kleptonin)
  • Crazy 17" Monitor Case Modding - That has got to be the best monitor/case mod I have ever seen. Not my choice for colors, but I am really impressed with the quality that went into this. (thanks Slashdot.org)
  • DoCoMo to launch fuel cell-run handsets by 2005  - - NTT DoCoMo Inc said on Thursday it expects to launch a mobile phone powered by a fuel-cell battery for extended hours of use as early as 2004, a potential boost for its high-speed third-generation (3G) service. DoCoMo's 3G service, which offers video conferencing and speedy access to the Web, had until recently met a cool reception due mainly to the poor battery life of its handsets.
  • Intel notebook Celerons to have 1MB cache - According to recent roadmaps seen by the INQUIRER, Intel will introduce 1.30GHz notebook Celerons in the first quarter of next year. And these will have 1MB of level two cache as well as 400MHz front side buses.In the second quarter of next year, Intel will up the frequency to 1.40GHz and could use 90 nanometer technology, if that's perfect enough then.
  • ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB review  - Hexus.net has posted a review of ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB.
  • Gigabyte GA-7NNXP, the Ultimate nForce2 Ultra 400 review - This blue beast is one feature packed board, not only does it have Firewire, GigaBit Ethernet, 4 DIMM slots, the board also has support for 10 ATA devices, 4 on nForce ATA133, 4 on the GigaRAID , and 2 S-ATA drives on the Silicon Image controller. It was stable in standard configuration and had no trouble running my XP 2500+ at XP3200+ 400FSB settings. The GA-7NNXP is also an excellent overclocker with stable FSB speeds in excess of 240MHz. The Dual BIOS is a useful feature and can prevent unnecessary RMAs.
  • Pentium 4-2.8C, 2.6C and 2.4C review - The release of the Intel Pentium 4-2.8C, 2.6C and 2.4C GHz processors is significant for many reasons. The most obvious is the upgraded 800 MHz front-side bus, and the ability to run at synchronous dual-channel DDR400 speeds, both of which increase performance quite noticeably. But just as important is Intel moving Hyper-Threading technology down to the mass market level, and really giving the new processors an advantage over non-HT Pentium 4 models, not to mention the entire Athlon XP line.
  • Creative SoundBlaster Cards SoftMods Guide Updated  - 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.
  • Securing Wireless Networks - This article describes a number of these risks to illustrate the importance of securing a wireless network, as well as the easy steps how to do so.
  • BIOS Optimization Guide Rev. 8.0 Coming Up -  Adrian Wong let us know he is urrently working on the BIOS Optimization Guide Revision 8.0. So, he's looking for feedback from the public regarding BIOS options yet to be covered in the BIOS Optimization Guide. If anyone has any BIOS option he/she would like covered in the new revision, please do post them here
  • Windows Server 2003 as a Workstation - OSNews has published a guide about Windows Server 2003 as a Workstation.
  • Matrix goodies - Nitrox sent me a few interesting links : Matrix MTV parody  ~ Matrix Revolution Trailer (movie launch 3rd Oct), more can be found here.
  • Knoppix 3.2 - KNOPPIX is a bootable CD with a collection of GNU/Linux software, automatic hardware detection, and support for many graphics cards, sound cards, SCSI and USB devices and other peripherals. KNOPPIX can be used as a Linux demo, educational CD, rescue system, or adapted and used as a platform for commercial software product demos. It is not necessary to install anything on a hard disk. Due to on-the-fly decompression, the CD can have up to 2 GB of executable software installed on it.
  • AntiVir Personal Edition 6.20.04.04 - 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.
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,07 2003 - tech
Friday Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 01:08 AM CEST - Jun,07 2003 - Post a comment / read (3)
  • A Night in the Hotel of the Future - PC World tests the gadgets and gizmos of a traveling techie's dreams. Among the niceties of this high-tech hotel room are: a wall-mounted, 42-inch flat-screen HDTV Panasonic plasma television connected to a Technics receiver with surround-sound Bose speakers; a Philips DVD/CD player; a second, smaller flat-screen LCD monitor next to the Jacuzzi bathtub; motion-detection lights that activate when guests enter the room; a biometric room safe that uses a thumbprint as the lock and key; free broadband, accessible via laptop or the TV; a Panja touch-panel remote control that manages lighting levels and room climate; opens and closes the drapes; controls the TV, radio, and DVD player; and even repositions the head and foot of the king-size bed; a compressor-less mini-refrigerator that is completely silent; a Panasonic massage chair, a heated toilet seat/bidet, a computerized five-nozzle shower, and a defogging bathroom mirror.
  • Microsoft pledges to cut Xbox costs - Microsoft has "aggressive plans" to reduce the cost of goods sold in its Xbox division as part of a broad cost management exercise, CEO Steve Ballmer says.  As it stands, Microsoft makes a significant loss - thought to be over $150 - on each Xbox console it sells, and the Home and Entertainment Division of the company, which houses the Xbox project, regularly turns in large quarterly losses as a result.
  • The Tanatos Worm Returns - Kaspersky Labs reports the detection of a new version of the 'Tanatos' Internet worm - Tanatos b (aka Bugbear.b). The new version of this malicious program has an array of dangerous functions. Tanatos.b can infect the executable files of many programs as well as cause the leakage of confidential information. Presently, numerous incidences of infection at the hands of Tanatos.b have been registered. The Tanatos.b Internet worm spreads via e-mail as a file attachment. The e-mail message itself can have various subjects, message texts, and file attachment names. Infection occurs when the file attachment harboring the malicious code is activated, once this happens the spreading routine is begun. There are several ways to launch the hazardous file: via the IFRAME breech in the Internet Explorer security system (which starts the worm upon message opening), manually when a user opens the infected file attachment or through local area networks.
  • Notebook flirts with $699 price tag - Notebook maker WinBook will attempt to turn consumer heads next week when it releases a laptop priced at $799 before a $100 rebate. The WinBook J4 730 incorporates a 2GHz Intel Celeron chip, a 14.1-inch display, 256MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive and a DVD-ROM drive.
  • Fossil says Wrist PDA will ship in the US this month after all - Watch maker Fossil has denied that the US release of its Palm OS-based Wrist PDA watch-cum-personal organiser has been delayed until early next year. But it did admit that overseas customers will now have to wait until some time during the first quarter of 2004 to get their hands on the device.
  • HP Unveils Presarios for Gamers - Presario is HP's consumer brand, and the new PCs are designed to bring gamers a high level of performance in a desktop priced below $1000, HP says. The high-end Compaq Presario S4300NX comes with a 2.4-GHz Pentium 4 processor with hyperthreading and the faster frontside bus, 512MB of DDR SDRAM, a 120GB hard drive, a CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive, integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 2, and an open AGP 8X slot. It costs $800 without a display, and is available immediately.
  • 1GB CD-RW Drives: Take a Pass - Plextor's GigaRec technology, found in the company's latest 52X/32X/52X Premium drive, increases the capacity of CD-Rs while also trying to maintain compatibility with other drives that can read CD-R discs. GigaRec audio and data discs played fine in firmware-updated 40X and 48X Plextor CD-RW drives, but worked with only modest levels of success in non-Plextor drives and home CD/DVD players. Unfortunately, GigaRec disables buffer-underrun protection, too, and writes at a painfully slow 4X, or 30 minutes per disc.
  • Mobile Graphics Showdown - EliteBastards let us know they have published some scans of a Mobile Graphics Showdown from a German magazine. The graphics chips compared are the ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 (M10), nVidia GeForceFX 5600 Go (NV31M), ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 (M9) and nVidia GeForceFX 5200 Go (NV34M).
  • DDR Festival at AMDboard - AMDBoard has posted a links collection for everyone looking for the best DDR information.
  • iAudio CW300 Review - The iAudio CW300 is a fine upgrade of the CW200. If you currently have a CW200, I wouldn't recommend upgrading unless the 26hr playback time on a single battery would really benefit you. Overall, the CW300 is a more complete version of the CW200. The CW300 still has the same disadvantage of the CW200 which is it doesn't support WMA or other audio formats. In terms of sound quality, they are pretty much the same. This is the best MP3 player I have ever used. It is small, lightweight, and packed with many features. For users who want to get their first digital MP3 player, this is a great product. You will be very satisfied. This product deserves the Editor's Choice Award!
  • Intel Pentium 4 2.6C Review - OCAddiction has checked out the Intel Pentium 4 2.6C CPU. "Personally, I'm happy with the 2.6GHz part we reviewed today. I've been running this CPU in my main rig for everyday use at 3.25GHz (13x250) using default voltage (1.525v) and a 4/5 memory divider (memory sits at 200Mhz) without a single hitch. With a 2.4GHz you will likely gain slightly better results when going for the gusto in benchmarking, but for everyday use I prefer the slightly higher multiplier allowing me to remain at a sane FSB. (I can NOT believe I just referred to 250MHz as a sane FSB!)."
  • Intels Family of 800 MHz FSB Processors Compared - Techware Labs had the opportunity to spend some time with Intel's new 800 MHz front-side bus (FSB) processor family. They compared from the affordable 2.4C GHz to the top of the line 3.0 GHz. The review includes a overview of the features in this processor family, Intel's new Springdale and Canterwood chipsets, and an analysis of processor scaling within this family. The article also focuses on how the relationship between CPU and video card affect various aspects of performance.
  • ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon 9000 Pro Review - TweakNews has posted an ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon 9000 Pro Review.
  • Tyan Tachyon G9500Pro 128MB VGA Review - Tyan Tachyon G9500Pro is a feature rich graphics card, with a respectable performance and an impressive hardware monitoring function. In addition, the G9500Pro is the only R9500Pro that can be overclocked without flashing custom BIOS. In our attempt, overclocking raise the performance by 2~10%.
  • NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 Ultra (Final) Review - VR-Zone has tested the new GeForce FX 5600 Ultra final edition clocked at 400/400Mhz core/memory, up from the previous 350/350Mhz core/memory clock. GeForce FX 5600 Ultra (NV31) encompasses most of the nice features of the NV30 core architecture and improvement to the core/memory clock from the usage of Flip Chip package and 2.2ns memory chips. The GeForce FX 5600 series are meant to replace the current GeForce 4 Titanium series at a lower price point of US$199-250 for the Ultra version and US$149-200 for the non-Ultra version.
  • NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra Review - Beyond3D has posted a review on the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra reference video card. Unlike NV30, NV31 and NV35, NV35 is still based on TSMC's 150nm process technology, and this is the reason why it has also been the most widely spread so far.
  • 8x Budget Videocards Shootout - Most cards are sub-100 dollar cards in this little roundup! All cards but two are built on nVidias FX 5200 chip, that is 5200 "non-Ultra". The remaining is a Radeon 9200 and a GF4 Ti4200-8x.
  • ABIT IC7-G Canterwood Mainboard Review - OCWorkbench has posted an ABIT IC7-G Canterwood mainboard review. Being one of the top company that does overclocking, ABIT IC7-G not only overclocks but brings the best overall performance to the IC7-G.
  • Thermalright SK-6+ vs SK-7 - Viper's Lair has posted a comparison review between the Thermalright SK-6+ against the SK-7.
  • Xoxide UV LED Case Fans - Unlike other LED fans we have seen much of lately, these actually have UV LED's installed. What does that mean? Well, no additional UV cathode light needed! Just plug in these UV sensitive fans and the three installed LED's will provide the UV lighting. As shown above, you'll notice there is no ugly green PCB strip around the fan to power the LED's. They are installed using very thin wiring and have a strip of clear tape around the fan for protection. Practically unnoticeable.
  • Further NVIDIA optimizations for 3DMark03? - Tech-Report has found out that there are even more tweaks apparently being applied by NVidia to detect 3DMark.
  • NVIDIAs UltraShadow and Doom3 Explored - HotHardware has posted an article on NVIDIAs UltraShadow and Doom3.
  • Running SETI@Home as a Service (NT / 2000 / XP)  - LittleWhiteDog let us know they have published a guide on how to run SETI@Home as a service on a Windows NT / 2000 / XP machine. What makes this guide so special? For starters, it has been written so that even the most novice computer user should be able to have all the required steps completed in about 10 minutes! Furthermore, the steps can easily be applied to just about any distributed computing project including Folding@Home. As an added bonus, the guide also includes a batch file tool you can download that will allow you to install your new "service" remotely to any machine on your network (assuming you have sufficient rights on the remote box). Just behave yourself with this tool.
  • MS keyboard layout creator - Ever wanted to quickly and easily define your own keyboard layout for a language Microsoft doesn't support? Or define your own keyboard layout so you can quickly and easily enter your favorite symbols with a simple keystroke? Well, want no more: the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator is here.
  • Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer v1.1.1 - Microsoft have relaeased a new version of the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer v1.1.1 , which includes a graphical and command line interface that can perform local or remote scans of Windows systems.
  • Tom's Hardware Guide Clock 1.2 - Tom's Hardware Guide Clock is a special developer's tool designed to detect dynamic overclocking in realtime. Unlike other CPU frequency programs this one will give you the actual speed of your CPU in realtime.
  • Klipfolio 2.1d - Klipfolio (download) is a small, efficient and easy to use desktop application that allows you to collect, view and manage live information channels.
  • DVD Shrink 2.00 - DVD Shrink is software to backup DVD disks. You can use this software in conjunction with DVD burning software of your choice, to make a backup copy of any DVD video disk.
  • Avant Browser 8.01 Build 105 - Avant Browser is a custom Web browser application based on Internet Explorer with versatile multi-window support. It allows users to browse multiple Web sites simultaneously and block all unwanted pop-up pages
  • HyperSnap-DX 5.11.01 - HyperSnap-DX (download) is a screen capture and image editing tool for MS Windows. It captures screens from standard desktop programs and even those hard-to-grab DirectX, Direct3D, 3Dfx, 3dfx, Voodoo and Glide mode games. What's new: New windows opened in HyperSnap (File/Open or a new screen capture) now re-use zoom (magnification) level of a currently opened window, instead of always reverting to 100%.
  • Fresh UI 6.05 - Fresh UI (download) is a fresh solution for configuring and optimizing Windows. Loaded with hundreds of useful hidden settings this software covers the customizing and optimizing techniques that you'll be glad to know.
  • PowerStrip 3.41 Beta Build 393 - 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.
  • Y'z Dock 0.83 - Y'z Dock is a program launcher like the dock in MacOS X. This application is currently in beta, so please send all reports to the author. In order to add icons, drag and drop a file (.exe, shortcut, etc.) straight from Explorer to the dock area.
  • Nvidia Omega Drivers 1.4403 - Omegadrive has released his new set of Nvidia drivers based on the 44.03 Detonator FX driver.
  • Western Digital Offers Update For 180GB & 200GB Harddrives  - Apparently Western Digital 180GB & 200GB harddrives tend to drop from an IDE RAID array after several days or weeks of operation. The company is offering a fix (3Ware controler cards ~ non 3DWare cards) for this odd behaviour deeply hidden in their FAQ's. Affected drives are: WD2000BB (WD Caviar 7200 2MB 200 GB), WD2000JB (WD Caviar 7200 Special Edition 8MB 200 GB), WD1800BB (WD Caviar 7200 2MB 180 GB), WD1800JB (WD Caviar 7200 Special Edition 8MB 180 GB). The problem is a result of a feature that reduces idle acoustic noise in desktop drives. This feature can cause a timeout in a IDE RAID environment.  No firmware or hardware changes are required. (thanks Warp2Search).
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,05 2003 - tech
Thursday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 01:02 PM CEST - Jun,05 2003 - Post a comment / read (3)
  • Packet tracking promises ultrafast internet  - Imagine an internet connection so fast it will let you download a whole movie in just five seconds, or access TV-quality video servers in real time. That is the promise from a team at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, who have developed a system called Fast TCP. A key feature of Fast TCP is that it could run on the same internet infrastructure we have today. Steven Low, who led the Caltech team, likens the way the internet works now to driving a car while looking only 10 metres ahead. You slowly increase the car's speed until an obstacle comes into view, but then you have to hit the brakes.
  • Microsoft prepares SPOT service  - As expected, the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant on Thursday announced a wireless service, called MSN Direct, and pricing for its Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) initiative. The service is running and is being tested in eight U.S. cities, with the goal being to have the service available in 100 cities. The first round of devices that will use the service will be watches from manufacturers, such as Fossil and Suunto, which will be available in the fall.
  • "Stealing the Network" Book Review  - Stealing the Network is a refreshing change from more traditional computer books. The authors have created fictional stories based on non-fictional concepts that could really happen to our computer systems today. The realistic fiction approach makes the book much lighter to read and actually entertaining. I also believe this approach makes the true methods behind the fictional stores much more memorable then memorizing thousand page textbooks.
  • New Athlon XP 3200+ gets a faster 400-MHZ bus and is still a good deal - AMD has cooked up the best value for PC buyers all year long--and its newest chip continues to do so. The Athlon XP 3200+ offers only minor design changes over the 3000+. AMD has, however, raised the frontside bus speed slightly, from 333 MHz to 400 MHz.
  • NVidia's FX 5900 Chip: Slim Edge, Steep Price - NVidia promotes its new GeForce FX 5900 Ultra chip as "the fastest GPU in history." That may be, but if so, it isn't by much: In tests with current games, the 5900 Ultra, equipped with 256MB of SDRAM, gave a relatively small performance boost over the NVidia 5800 Ultra and a reference card based on ATI's Radeon 9800 Pro chip (both with 128MB) in the same PC. NVidia is eager to make up for the shortcomings of its last release, the GeForce FX 5800 Ultra, which was late and used a cooling mechanism so loud that some critics called it "the lawnmower." The 5900 Ultra is far quieter, but it still occupies two slots and will cost you: $500 for 256MB models and $400 for 128MB ones (cards should be in stores now).
  • Lexmark X6170 All-In-One Office Center Review - A big brother to the Lexmark X5150 and the X5150's near twin, the Dell A940, the Lexmark X6170 All-In-One Office Center ($250 street) is built around the same core print technology. It also offers similar print and scan performance, but with a higher maximum scan resolution at 2,400-dpi optical by 4,800-dpi mechanical. It also adds an automatic document feeder and built-in fax modem, which help make it a good choice for most small offices.
  • Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer (818529) - A number of security issues have been identified in MSIE that could allow an attacker to compromise your Microsoft Windows-based systems and then take a variety of actions. For example, an attacker could run programs on a computer used to view the attacker's Web site. This vulnerability affects computers that have Microsoft Internet Explorer installed. (You do not have to be using Internet Explorer as your Web browser to be affected by this issue.) You can help protect your computer by installing this update from Microsoft. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer. Although the patch is rated "critical" for all other operating systems, it is only "moderate" for Server 2003, according to Microsoft's system for grading the severity of the vulnerabilities it addresses.
  • TVTool 7.2 - TVTool 7.2 (changelog) completes the multi monitor support and makes it extremely comfortable to start movie playback on the TV without affecting the monitor at all. A dual head card is required for this purpose of course. Other new features, changes and bug fixed have been made.
  • Tweak-XP v2.0.11 - This new version added Centrino to CPU tweaks, updated help files and updated language files.
  • eMule 0.29a - eMule (download) is a new filesharing client which is based on the eDonkey2000 network, but offers more features than the standard eDonkey client, because it's opensource but under the restrictions of the GPL License.
  • PowerStrip 3.41 Beta Build 392 - 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.
  • UXTheme Patch For Microsoft XP SP2 Build 1213 - Vortex has released a new UXTheme patch (download) for Microsoft Windows XP SP2 Build 1213 (untested).
  • Windows Media Player 9 Build 3005 Upgrade Patch - The download (1.8MB) is actually a upgrade patch for people that are using Windows Media Player Version 2980 will upgrade to version 3005.
  • Creative Sound Blaster Live! AC3 Fix - This is a driver update (WinXP) for the Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 that fixes "Correct functionality of SPDIF output when AC3 Pass Through mode is selected"
  • OPN-462 v0.8 - The Socket A AMD Processor Identifier - OPN-462 is an intelligent program designed specifically to translate the three codes found on, or around the core of all Socket-A, AMD CPU's, what you can expect the program to do, can be found in either or the screenshots in the screenshots section. In this new version Athlon XP Thoroughbred 2200+ now displays the correct multiplier.
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,04 2003 - tech
Evening Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 01:08 AM CEST - Jun,04 2003 - Post a comment / read (4)
  • Sony announces UK PS2 online details - The PlayStation 2 will finally go online in the UK on June 11 as the Network Adapter kit arrives at retail, priced at L24.99, with two multiplayer-enabled titles available at launch and several more to come.  The two games available at launch will be SOCOM: US Navy SEALs and Twisted Metal Black Online. SOCOM, a military action title which includes a voice communication headset, has proved massively successful in the USA, with over a million copies sold. It will be sold separately from the Network Adapter kit, priced at L49.99. Twisted Metal Black Online, however, will be launched as a cut-price product - sold as a standalone title for L24.99, or available with the Network Adapter kit for L39.99.
  • The "Sobig" Worm Is Back - The "Sobig" worm spreads itself via e-mail in the form of a file attachment as well as over local area networks. To spread over LANs Sobig copies itself to shared network drives, while via e-mail the worm scans infected computers for files containing e-mail addresses and then clandestinely sends copies of itself to the found addresses. To draw users into launching the file attachment containing the infected code, "Sobig" employs various social engineering techniques, among which is a message disguised as a technical support message sent from Microsoft.
  • Nullsoft founder left his own company  - Gnutella author Justin Frankel is considering quitting Nullsoft, the company he founded and sold to America Online, following repeated clashes with his corporate parent over software projects.  Frankel's comments come less than a week after AOL pulled a program he authored called Waste that enables small groups of people to create secure networks for sharing computer files. Calling coding "a form of self-expression," Frankel said he could no longer put up with AOL's interference. "The company controls the most effective means of self-expression I have," he wrote in a note posted on his personal Web site. "This is unacceptable to me as an individual, therefore I must leav (sic).
  • Atheros Shows New Wireless Tools - Atheros Communications in San Jose will introduce a universal chip set that covers all WLAN standards, including 802.11a, b, and g. WLANs that adhere to the 802.11b/g standards operate in the 2.4-GHz frequency band, with raw data rates of 11 megabits per second and 54 mbps respectively. WLANs that use the 802.11a standard operate in the 5-GHz band and have a raw data rate of 54 mbps.
  • Wear the Web on your wrist -  Microsoft, along with watchmakers Citizen Watch, Fossil and Finland's Suunto, on Thursday is expected to show off the new products. More details on pricing and service providers also are expected to be revealed. The companies will start to release the wristwatches in the fall, sources close to Microsoft said. Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) products are household and personal items--such as refrigerators or portable stereos--that can receive and display information from the Internet beamed over a nationwide FM radio network. With SPOT, for example, your alarm clock could have informed you about Martha Stewart's legal problems after you pushed.
  • Start-up brings hard drive to the masses  - The Longmont, Colo.-based start-up has developed a 1.5GB, 1-inch diameter hard drive for consumer-electronics devices that the company says will be cheaper, smaller and hold more data than some other mini-hard drives or flash-memory cards.
  • GeForce FX Go5600 in Toshiba's notebooks - NVIDIA today announced the NVIDIA GeForcet FX Go5600 graphics processing unit (GPU) with 64MB DDR video memory, has been selected by Toshiba's Computer Systems Group (CSG), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems for the SatelliteR 5205-S705 notebook PC.
  • Western Digital Raptor WD360GD SATA reviews - Both Digit-Life and Tom'sHardware Guide have posted a review of Western Digital Raptor WD360GD SATA HDD.
  • Samsung SyncMaster 172T LCD display review - Dan's Data has posted a review on the Samsung SyncMaster 172T LCD display.
  • Logitech MX300 Optical Mouse review - The MX300 provides improved precision, virtually eliminating skips and lags. This advancement in precision allows for even greater accuracy in gaming, websurfing, and everyday use. I personally bought this mouse myself, and I can tell you that it is definitely worth the price.
  • Olympus Stylus 400 review - The Olympus Stylus 400 ($499 list) is an elegantly styled, beautifully crafted 4-megapixel digital camera designed to be used in any weather. Although it comes with only a basic set of features, its outstanding ergonomics and very good image quality will appeal to users who want a camera that looks as good as the photos it takes.
  • MSI GeForce FX5200 TDR128 review - HotHardware has posted a review on the MSI GeForce FX5200 TDR128 video card .
  • FutureMark: Nvidia didn't cheat - It's official: Nvidia didn't fix its 3DMark 03 figures after all. So says no less a source than 3DMark 03 developer FutureMark, in a jointly issued press release put out this morning. It appears the two companies had "detailed discussions" following FutureMark's announcement last month that its investigation into Nvidia's driver software had revealed that the graphics chip company had tailored its code to generate higher frame-rates in 3DMark 03 tests at the expense of image quality. FutureMark discovered eight instances of cheating, which improved the performance of Nvidia's Detonator FX and WHQL drivers by as much as 24.1 per cent.. The statement can be found at FutureMark website.
  • phpMyAdmin 2.5.1 Final - phpMyAdmin (changelog) can manage a whole MySQL-server (needs a super-user) but also a single database.
  • Ad Muncher 4.5 Build 7000 Final - Ad Muncher (download) is a program for Windows systems which removes adverts, popups and general browsing annoyances from all popular browsers and web-utilizing programs (as well as most banner displaying and popup generating programs like ICQ, Morpheus, Kazaa, Grokster, Opera, iMesh, Bearshare, LimeWire, etc).
  • DiscJuggler 4.10.1084 - DiscJuggler can simultaneously drive multiple CD recorders and replicate virtually any standard CD. It features direct digital-to-digital CD duplication from a CD-ROM drive to multiple CD-R drives, audio CD duplication with support for PQ and R-W subcodes, and on-the-fly audio stream resynchronization, and on-the-fly software regeneration of ECC/EDC and scrambling.
  • NeroMIX 1.3.1.12 - NeroMIX can create data, audio CDs, or on-the-fly 1:1 CD copies for backup. By using the celebrated Nero CD-Recoding engine, the same stability, speed, and power will ensure reliable and effortless recording.
  • Nero EasyWriteReader 4.0.0.10 - This tool was developed to enable you to add CD-MRW support to your system and includes the UDF reader for Windows 95, 98 and ME.
  • Nero CD Speed 1.02g - Nero CD Speed is a CD-ROM benchmark which can test the most important features of a CD-ROM drive. Tests include: Transfer rate, Seek times, CPU usage, Burst rate, DAE quality & Spinup/spindown time. CD Speed also has a function to check the CD media quality.
  • Kazaa Lite Toolbar 1.9.2 -  Kazaa Lite Toolbar is a customizable toolbar and Web address bar integrated to Kazaa Lite interface. It's useful to open favorite web pages, Web e-mail, shared folder or external tools (like Antivirus, Windows Media Player, AVIPreview, Sig2Dat, etc.) directly from Kazaa Lite. Also works with Kazaa Media Desktop. The toolbar also includes a file organizer that classify the downloaded files in separate folders based on the file extension.
  • Y'z Dock 0.8.2 -  A new version v9.8.2 of Y'z Dock is available.
  • TVTool 7.2 Beta -  A new version of TV Tool (download) has been released. This is the program that enables your video card TV-Output and seems to be the best external one.
  • QuickTime 6.3 - Apple's multimedia software suite QuickTime has been updated to version 6.3. Built on MPEG-4 and powered by QuickTime, 3GPP extends the reach of rich multimedia to a new generation of handheld wireless devices. As the first widely distributed, freely available multimedia technology to deliver 3GPP capabilities, QuickTime enables users all over the world to share 3GPP content with others via both computers and mobile devices
  • Windows XP SP2 Beta Build 1213 leaked - TechConnect have got their hands on the latest Windows XP Service Pack 2 build 1213. It's a beta, so try only at your own risk.
 Gameguru Mania News - Jun,03 2003 - tech
Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 02:57 AM CEST - Jun,03 2003 - Post a comment / read (5)
  • Microsoft to drop standalone IE - Microsoft is phasing out standalone versions of its Internet Explorer Web browser, according to statements attributed to IE program manager Brian Countryman in an interview posted on the software giant's Web site.  Microsoft issued a standalone browser with IE 6, following a court ruling that found the company had violated antitrust laws by bundling IE with its Windows operating system. The company has since settled the case with the Justice Department and most of the other parties to the suit, although a handful of holdouts continue to press for additional remedies.
  • Tiscali boots off heavy users - Tiscali UK is to boot off a bunch of heavy users tomorrow after they ignored requests to reduce their online usage to less than 150 hours a month. Today, those "heavy users" received an email telling them that their Tiscali AnyTime accounts will be "terminated on June 3rd 2003 [tomorrow] in accordance with our terms and conditions".
  • VX writers release sequel to infamous Sobig worm - Sobig-C, which spreads by email or (less commonly) network shares, has been intercepted more than 15,000 times since its first appearance on Saturday by message filtering outfit MessageLabs. This virus has now reached 'high level' outbreak status, the company reports. The emergence of Sobig-C comes days after its spammer-friendly predecessor, Sobig-B (AKA Palyh), reached its "expiry date". The worm was designed to spread only until 31 May. Sobig-C can be easily recognised since although the name of the subject line or infectious attachment varies the body of the text is always "Please see the attached file".
  • The Next Ethernet - Where (and how fast) will the 30-year-old technology take us next?  - "Forty-Gigabit will not be economically viable in terms of the effort the industry has to put in to develop a new technology," said Nan Chen, director of product marketing at Atrica, an equipment maker in Santa Clara, California, and a veteran of the Fast Ethernet standards process in the 1990s. That speed could be achieved simply by bringing four 10-Gigabit Ethernet connections together using link aggregation, a much less expensive proposition than developing a new kind of interface. If a whole new standard is to be developed, it should go all the way to 100 gbps, he said. Chen said he would not be surprised to see a formal call for interest in 100-Gigabit Ethernet at the IEEE in 2004, a standards development process of two years or so, and products in 2006.
  • Intel's 3.2GHz Pentium 4 to ship 23 June -The 3.2GHz Pentium 4 will be launched by Intel on 23 June, sources familiar with the chip giant's plans have told Xbit Labs. The part operates across a 200MHz frontside bus, quad-pumped to an effective 800MHz. It's got 512KB of L2 cache and is fabbed at 0.13 micron. It is expected to cost $637.
  • Intel slashes Centrino prices by up to 30% - The new chips are priced at $694, $341 and $319, respectively, in batches of 1000 and bundling the 855 chipset and Pro Wireless 2100 mini-PCI 802.11b card. So says Intel's press release, but its official price list, has the 1.7GHz part down at $725, $372/$367 (depending on whether you choose an 855 with integrated graphics or not) and $350/$345. According to the price list, the processors alone cost $637, $284 and $262.
  • Digidesign Mbox review - Digidesign, a heavy hitter in the professional audio market, powers many digital recording studios with its high-end hardware and Pro Tools software. Recently the company began offering lower-priced products to entice weekend warriors and dabbling musicians-first with its Digi001 audio interface, and now with the USB-based Digidesign Mbox ($450 street), a two-input, two-output audio interface that digitizes analog input and allows you to transfer the digital stream to a PC
  • The Digital Writing Pad: Tablet PCs - Tablet PCs are bringing fresh impetus to mobility: handwriting recognition, digitizer displays and stylus input provide for new possibilities. However, high prices make the tablets uninteresting for the end user.
  • Canon Unveils High-End Digicam, Projector - Due for release in June at a suggested retail price of $899, the PowerShot G5 digital camera features a 5-megapixel CCD sensor that captures 2592-by-1944-pixel images. Its 4X all-glass optical zoom lens provides a 35mm film camera equivalent range of 35mm to 140mm, a maximum aperture of f/2.0-3.0, and macro focusing down to 2 inches. The additional 4X digital zoom extends the camera's telephoto capabilities to provide photographers with 16X zoom functionality.
  • Nvidia nForce 2 Motherboard roundup  - AMDZone tested five different motherboards (Abit's NF7-S, Chaintech 7NJS Zenith, Epox 8RDA+, FIC AU11, Leadtek K7NCR18D-Pro) based on the Nvidia nForce 2 chipset.
  • Radeon 9800 Pro Roundup  - NordicHardware recommendation is to get HIS or Sapphires board and if you really want the ultimate performance go for the PowerColor.
  • Interactive Pin-Mod guide for AMD Athlon XP, T-Bred and Barton CPUs - OCinside.de has published its brand new Interactive Pin-Mod Guide For AMD Athlon XP - T-Bred & Barton CPU's. Check it out!
  • PCAnywhere Turns 11 - Monday, Symantec plans to announce PCAnywhere 11, an upgraded release of its remote-access software that features performance improvements and a revised user interface for IT help desk administrators. The new version can transfer needed files in the background while IT administrators continue with other work.
  • phpMyAdmin 2.5.1 RC1 - phpMyAdmin (changelog) can manage a whole MySQL-server (needs a super-user) but also a single database.
  • GAIM 0.64  - 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.
  • Tom's Hardware Guide Clock 1.2 - This is a special developer's tool designed to detect dynamic overclocking in realtime. Unlike other CPU frequency programs this one will give you the actual speed of your CPU in realtime.
  • WinDVD Platinum 4.5.28.104  - WinDVD Platinum (download) is InterVideo's latest version of WinDVD which is a simple-to-use DVD player that combines all the features of a standard consumer DVD player and offers much more.
  • DUP-DVD v2.2.0a - DUP-DVD is a powerful tool to convert a DVD movie to SVCD/VCD - easily, quickly, effortlessly. With DUP-DVD you can make a DVD backup to SVCD with just a click.
  • CPUCooL 7.2.4 - CPUCooL (download) is a program that monitors temperature, fan speed, and voltages for many motherboards.
  • DirectX Eradicator 1.09 - This utility is designed to safely remove the DirectX runtime core component from Windows 9X, Millennium and Windows 2000 operating systems... DXE gives you the ability to install and uninstall any version of DirectX as you wish.
  • PowerStrip 3.41 Beta Build 391 - 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.
  • 3D Blaster Drivers 44.04 - Creative Labs has released a new 3D Blaster drivers v44.04 - Win9x/ME ~ Win2k/XP ~ WinNT4 . This is first Creative release based on the NVIDIA DetonatorFX driver build.
  • kX Project Drivers 5.00.3533b - The kX Audio Driver (download) is an independent WDM (Windows Driver Model) driver for all EMU10K1 and EMU10K2-based soundcards manufactured by Creative Technology Ltd. and/or E-mu Sytems Inc., including the SoundBlaster Live! series, the E-mu Audio Production Studio (APS) card, and the Audigy series of cards.
  • SiS Drivers - SiS officially released Chipset drivers AGP 1.16a, SiS 740/65x Onboard VGA drivers 2.16a (win9x) and SiS 7012 Sound drivers 1.10. (thanks Warp2Search)
  • Roxio Easy CD & DVD Creator 6 Update - Roxio has released an update v6.0.3.4. (download). The update fixes problems with Sony CDRW and NEC DVD-ROM.
  • PlexTools Professional v2.03 - Plextor Europe has released an update for its PlexTools software.
  • AVM FRITZ!Card DSL Driver v3.11.02 - AVM Germany released a new driver version for the internal PCI card DSL modemFRITZ!Card DSL and the external FRITZ!Card DSL USB.
  • Turtle Beach Santa Cruz BETA Driver v5.12.4187 - Voyetra has released a BETA driver for the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz card v5.12.4187 for WinAll. Please report any issues (with the driver version and Windows OS) only to: [email protected].
 Gameguru Mania News - May,31 2003 - tech
Saturday Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 03:01 PM CEST - May,31 2003 - Post a comment / read (1)
  • Nokia N-Gage games phone now available in UK - Nokia's N-Gage cellphone-cum-handheld games console isn't due to ship until early next October, but if you've L600 to spare and happen to be in London's Tottenham Court Road, you can pick up one up.  Nokia announced the machine, which is based on the Symbian 7 operating system, some months ago, and said it will ship "to consumers in volumes across five continents in early October 2003". The games will ship on Multimedia Card (MMC), and around 20 titles will be available when the N-Gage ships. Titles include Tomb Raider, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon, Rayman 3, Tony Hawks Pro Skater, Pathway to Glory, and Mercel Desailly Pro Soccer.
  • Intel Squashes Centrino Bug - Intel said yesterday that it has turned off software in its family of mobile processors that could cause some Centrino-powered notebooks to crash when used with a virtual private network under the Windows or Windows XP operating system.  Intel spokesman Daniel Francisco said the chip maker had determined that the problem occurs when VPNs are used with the adaptive-switching utility in its Centrino PROSet software. That utility allows users to maintain a connection when they switch from a wired network connection to a wireless LAN connection.
  • Qtek 7070 goes to Hong Kong, Sweden - Mobile network operator TeliaSonera and Hong Kong-based Synergy have both launched the HTC Tanager-based Qtek 7070, running on Microsoft's Smartphone 2002 platform. Following introductions of two other HTC Tanager-based smartphones in Asia, the reference design has now found its way to both Sweden and Hong Kong, where the Qtek 7070 is being launched by mobile network operator TeliaSonera and Synergy, respectively. The version launched by Synergy will be the first Smartphone 2002 device with Chinese language support, and both slated for availability in June.
  • Biofeedback Gaming - A new kind of game was debuted at the E3 expo. It is called Journey to Wild Divine. The game features a biofeedback USB interface designed to allow a player (or players) to navigate through the game using their mind power, breath, and heart rate. (thanks SlashDot.org)
  • Sony sets movies to self-destruct  - According to Japanese newspaper Nikkei Business Daily, the company's So-net Internet service provider will soon trial the service in Japan. Many digital content providers currently use encrypted streaming to prevent people from saving and copying movie files. The downside is that the quality of the video suffers, as it is reduced in size for Web transmission. In addition, people must stay online to view the feed.
  • Stem cell 'immortality' gene found - The gene found in mouse ESCs and some human equivalents appears to be the "master gene", co-ordinating other genes to allow stem cells to multiply limitlessly while still retaining their ability to differentiate. It has been christened Nanog after the land in Celtic myth called Tir nan Og, whose inhabitants remain forever young.
  • A Digital Facelift for Your Analog Movies  - With the right know-how, you can copy VHS and Super-8 movies to your PC. This workshop will also show you how to give your old movies a new, digital lease on life.
  • Windows Server 2003 : Sharing, In A Whole New Perspective - This editorial will reveal some exciting new features in Windows Server 2003 as well as the upcoming Microsoft Office 2003.
  • Windows Online Security & Privacy Guide - TechSpot has published a Windows Online Security & Privacy Guide. This guide has been prepared to be aimed at Windows 2000/XP users, though a lot of the stuff contained also applies to earlier versions of the OS, in addition to Internet Explorer & Outlook Express.
  • Nokia 5100 Phone review  - The Nokia 5100 is probably one of the oddest phones we have seen. The design is definitely over the top and the inclusion of programs such as a calorie burner and sound meter have us wondering if the cell phone market has become so competitive to the point that every little add-on function is necessary to stay one step ahead of the competition. The power button on the 5100 is ridiculously hard to push and for every extra ability the 5100 has, there still is no Bluetooth capability.
  • Belkin's 54G wi-fi card review - What about the price? Bear in mind that Belkin says this card will support the 802.11g standard, which gives much higher speeds than 802.11b. If you're contemplating installing an 802.11g network but still would like to smurf the Interweb as you move away from your office or home, this could be a suitable compromise. Most networks out there at the coffee bars and, where you can find them, in the airports, support 802.11b right now. Belkin also does an 802.11b only card which costs $75 - the extra $25 may well be worth the investment.
  • Sonicwall SOHO TZW Wireless Internet Security Appliance Review - Sonicwall is well known for their premium-priced, but easy to use wired IPsec-based Internet security products. With the SOHO TZW they now enter the world of wireless LAN security, a place known to bring even strong LAN administrators to their knees, heads hurting from the ever-increasing barrage of new acronyms and security methodology. Did Sonicwall really succeed in making wireless security a setup-and-go story?
  • ABIT IC7-G Canterwood P4 Motherboard review - The IC7-G is a feature packed P4 board, that packs Gigabit LAN, dual SATA RAID through the ICH5R and Silicon Image 3122A SATA controller, Surround sound , Optical Digital Audio In/Out, Firewire as well as the other features that are included in the i875P such as 8XAGP, USB2.0 and 800MHz FSB support.
  • eVGA e-G4 MX440-8X 64MB NVIDIA Personal Cinema  - The Personal Cinema offers an enormous amount of features and does it all in a single product. While this is not a hardcore gamer's card it performs well in most games on the market. The strong point about this card is its A/V capabilities, dual display and TV tuner functionality. Bang for the buck, it rocks. Watch the Video to find out more...
  • nVidia GeForce FX5200 (NV34) review - GeForce FX 5200 left dual impression. On the one hand, the performance about the same as that for GeForce4 MX, sometimes much lower than shown by the competition and the predecessor.  On the other hand, its low price ~90$ (anyway, the price is worth cutting down since cards based on this graphics chip are able competing only with GeForce4 MX ? RADEON 9000), good DirectX 9 optimization and excellent pixel handling, albeit not without flaws: test results in the Advanced Pixel Shaders scene point to that, but these are more likely to be driver problems and soon they will be fixed.
  • Triplex Eye Bomb R9500 Pro 128MB VGA review - The Triplex R9500Pro is around 5~10% faster than your average Ti-4800SE(Ti-4400 8X). The lead could go up to around 40% when FSAA is enabled. This shows that the R9500Pro has a more efficient FSAA than the one-year-old GF4 Ti. If you were not too concerned with the image quality, then you may want to look for an ultra cheap GF4 Ti-4200 to save some cash.
  • ATI's Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB review - Those who want the absolute top of the line card for their new box and want their systems to have the longest life spans can go for the 256MB Radeon 9800 Pro. Also, there are those out there such as game developers and 3D / 2D artists, who need the extra memory capacity often seen on high-end professional cards, but still need great OpenGL/Direct3D performance, the 256MB Radeon 9800 Pro may be a good fit here. In comparison with the high-end professional-level cards on the market with 256MB of memory, the Radeon 9800 Pro may be a good deal.
  • Globalwin 300W & 400W Silent PSU Info - 3D Game Man has posted some information on the Globalwin 300W & 400W Silent PSU with 4 AC outlets.>
  • OCZ Ultra II vs Arctic Silver III shoot out - OcPrices.com has posted a shoot out between the OCZ Ultra II and the Arctic Silver III thermalpastes.
  • Zalman ZM-MFC1 Fan Controller Review  - OCModShop has posted a Zalman ZM-MFC1 Fan Controller review.
  • Jazz Speakers Wireless J9940W 5.1 Speakers Review - MonkeyReview has posted a new review on the Wireless J9940W 5.1 Speakers system from Jazz Speaker. "Sound, for some it ll be an aspect in which hundreds if not thousands of dollars are spent, for others, a mere 30$ 2.1 sound system will be suffice. But, what about those of us that fit somewhere in between? Not wanting to spend our savings on a high end sound system but also realizing the quality that s available from of a mid priced 5.1 system. With that said, today we re going to be checking out the Jazz J9940W 5.1 Sound system from Jazz Speakers."
  • Scythe Ergo Diver keyboard review - The Ergo Diver is designed for people who want to have their right hand on the mouse while their left hovers over the keyboard, probably because they're playing a game (image). Various important keys, including the cursor keys, have been relocated to the left side of the Diver. The keyboard isn't missing anything except for the numeric keypad, though, so you could, in theory, use it all the time. Especially if you need a really compact keyboard.
  • A Keyless Keyboard Info - Imagine a keyboard with no space bar, no letters, no numbers no keys at all. In fact, forget the entire idea of a keyboard, as you know it, altogether. Just reach down with both hands and grab your knees (assuming you have two knees), and close your eyes. Only subtle differences exist between this sensation, and the experience of first lowering your hands and gripping the OrbiTouch Keyless Keyboard. The OrbiTouch completely removes finger movements from the process of typing, while significantly reducing the amount of wrist motion. Keystrokes are composed of simultaneous movements of both domes in sync. For instance, moving the left dome to the left and moving the right dome to the right will create a letter 'd'. etc..
  • Windows 2000 SP4 Release Dates - In a document entitled "Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Readiness Guide, v1.2 (28th May)" Microsoft outlines key dates for the release of SP4. Release to Manufacturing (RTM) - June 18, 2003, Release to Premier (RTP) - June 16, 2003, Release to Web (RTW) - June 18, 2003, North America CD Fulfillment - CDs ship to end users 4-6 weeks after RTM, Channel Availability (Select) - Standalone and Integrated Code ships in the August kit, Channel Availability (Open) - Available to existing customers via WWF SP4 SKU or by downloading; New customers receive integrated SP4 in their first kit. (thanks Neowin.net)
  • Nero 5.5.10.35 - Nero (mirror1 ~ mirror2 ~ mirror3) is a flexible, reliable, and easy-to-use application designed to write both data and CD audio to CD-R and CD-RW discs. It supports ISO 9660 images as well as ISO mode 1 and XA mode 2, and allows for on-the-fly disc recording in addition to overburning (if supported by hardware). Nero also supports multisession and mixed-mode recording, HFS, ISO/HFS hybrid, UDF, PSX, OFAS (optimal file access speed), track-at-once (TAO) and disc-at-once (DAO) writing, digital audio extraction, and more.
  • Xbox Media Player 2.4  - The XboxMediaPlayer 2.4 point release source code is now available on SourceForge.
  • MPxPlay v1.47.9 (DOS/4GW extender, recommended) - Mpxplay is a DOS based (32-bit) audio player. It supports : Audio MPEG Layer II/III (MP2, MP3), Dolby AC-3 (AC3), Ogg Vorbis (OGG), Musepack/MPEGPlus (MPC), Uncompressed WAV and Audio CD rippnplay (CDW).
  • WinRescue XP v1.08.09 - WinRescue XP includes four utilities in one: Crash Fixer, RegPack, File Backup, and Troubleshooter.
  • AVG 6.0 Build 486 - AVG 6.0 Build 486 has been released -> Free ~ Professional.
  • NeroVision Express 1.0.4.6e - NeroVision Express (mirror1 ~ mirror2 ~ mirror3) guides you through the whole process of creating DVDs, VCDs and SVCDs in an easy and innovative way.
  • Nero InCD 4.0.1.0 - InCD 4 is an integrated packet writing solution that has the most stability, ease of use, and compatibility, across all Windows operating systems. Packet writing is the method of writing data in small increments (by packets) onto a rewritable media.
  • GetRight 5.0.1a Final - GetRight (download ~ changelog) is a Download Manager program to help you download files from the Internet.
  • MyIE2 v0.7.1240 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.
  • Avant Browser 8.0 Build 728 - Avant Browser (download ~ what's new) is a fast, stable, user-friendly, versatile web browser. Avant Browser is a multi-window browser which features with many functions such as Pop-up Stopper, Built-in Google Searching, Safe Recovery, Integrated Cleaner and Advanced Browsing Options.
  • Tweak FX 1.01 - Tweak FX is a configuration tool for Windows XP. It uses plugins- like XTeq X-Setup. Up to now Tweak FX contains more than 25 plugins and you can add more from here.
  • EPoX 8RDA+ / 8RDA3+ Beta BIOSes - OCWorkbench has posted new BIOS updates (BETA) for the EPoX 8RDA+ and 8RDA3+ motherboards.
 Gameguru Mania News - May,30 2003 - tech
Thursday Tech Madness - tech
(hx) 01:03 AM CEST - May,30 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)
  • CIA Behind the Times in IT  - The unclassified report, titled "Failing to Keep Up With the Information Revolution," offers a withering assessment of the CIA's use of IT for intelligence analysis, calling the agency's networking and information-searching capabilities "primitive" and saying that the CIA's emphasis on secrecy fundamentally discourages IT use and adoption by CIA analysts. The study was conducted by a scholar working with the CIA's Sherman Kent Center for Intelligence Analysis, a think tank attached to the analyst training center in the CIA's Directorate of Intelligence. (thanks PCWorld)
  • Computex 2003 set for September 22-26 - The Computex 2003 exhibition will be held from September 22-26, the Taipei Computer Association (TCA) and China External Trade Development Council (CETRA) announced today. It had been postponed from June 2-6 due to the SARS outbreak. The co-sponsors originally said they expected 30,000 visitors from over 150 countries to attend.
  • API expert claims Windows Explorer app breakthrough - Whirling Dervishes Software, the company founded by Windows API expert Henk Devos, claims to have broken Microsoft's monopoly on applications that reside in Windows Explorer. Devos claims that Whirling Dervishes has discovered hidden Windows interfaces that are crucial for the development of such applications, but whose existence is denied by Microsoft.
  • Shadowbane Servers Hacked - According to this post in official Ubisoft forums, there was a major hacking incident last night (2 days ago) on the servers of Shadowbane, a newly released online role playing game by UbiSoft/Wolfpack. The attackers wreaked havoc on at least one game server, with apparent god-like capabilities in-game.
  • EU extends Safer Internet scheme - A European scheme to tackle illegal and harmful digital content is to be extended for another two years. The Safer Internet Action Plan - which supports a network of hotlines in Europe where people can report illegal content - has now been given the go-ahead by the European Parliament to run until the end of 2004.
  • A cell phone wristwatch for sale - The 3.9-ounce Wristomo silver-bodied watch-phone looks like a thick digital watch. The matching thick padded strap unclips from the wrist when two buttons are pressed. Then the gadget can be held to the face and used as a traditional cell phone -- the earphone on one end of the strap and the microphone at the other. The waterproof watch, which sells for $318, proved so popular when it was offered for sale May 7 on the company's Web site, DoCoMo reported that it had sold the first batch of 1,000 in less than 20 minutes.
  • Neuros MP3 Digital Audio Computer review - Linux and Ogg Vorbis users can rejoice as they have in the Neuros a portable that caters to their needs. Though not perfect, it's a good all around player for all.  The groundbreaking features of the Neuros, including its HiSi technology and upcoming Ogg Vorbis support, earned it some consideration for milestone jukebox portable status. Unfortunately, it's held back from gaining that designation by its unfavorable size-to-capacity ratio, a clunky box design, and a transfer application that is still rough (though shows promise). The unit performed like a new generation portable, but felt like it was trapped in the body of a first generation jukebox portable. The flash version of the Neuros sheds the weight and bulk of the 20GB version, but it come at the cost of limiting users to only 128MB of memory.
  • Sony-Ericsson P800 smartphone review - The P800 is a combined mobile phone, electronic organiser, MP3 player and camera in a package that's advertised as the "office in your pocket". As the owner of an aging mobile phone, an ancient Palm, a Rio 600 MP3 player and no digital camera, the P800 had the appeal of combining all these functions in a single unit that could edit documents on the move and maybe even surf the Web in extremis.
  • ABIT NF7-S V2.0 OC review - This article is basically going to cover overclocking the NF7-S with the new Crush18D chipset.
  • Triplex Eye Bomb R9500 Pro 128MB review - Overclockers New Zealand has posted a review on Triplex Eye Bomb R9500 Pro 128MB VGA. The Triplex R9500Pro is around 5~10% faster than your average Ti-4800SE(Ti-4400 8X). The lead could go up to around 40% when FSAA is enabled. This shows that the R9500Pro has a more efficient FSAA than the one-year-old GF4 Ti. If you were not too concerned with the image quality, then you may want to look for an ultra cheap GF4 Ti-4200 to save some cash.
  • Eluminx Illuminated review  - Now that you have your optical mouse with that nice shining light in it, your case gleaming with color, the monitor beaming with color from the images you pull up; it seems like everything is lit up. Wait, what about that keyboard? Sure, you could change some LEDs, but how much light will that emit? Sure, you can throw an EL Strip some how into the keyboard, but is it worth the effort? Why do all that when you can simply purchase one of these nifty boards. The eluminX keyboard has patented technology which actually lights up every key, and is ideal for late night computing. The technology was first developed for the military where they normally would work at night or in very low lit environments. For $100, is it all worth it for just a keyboard?
  • Audigy2 Platinum eX review - Last year Creative Labs introduced a new generation sound card called Audigy2, promising to roll out Audigy2 Platinum eX, a model with an external communication module, in the first quarter of 2003. The new year has come and we have got what we were waiting for. Company claims that this model sounds much better than the standard Audigy2. Let’s check it out. First, let’s browse through the main features of Audigy2 Platinum eX.
  • Gigabyte 7VAXP-A Ultra KT400A Motherboard review - HotHardware has posted s of Gigabyte 7VAXP-A Ultra KT400A Motherboard.
  • Epox 4PCA3+ (Intel 875P Canterwood) Motherboard review - Epox 4PCA3+ is a high-end product offering high performance, powerful expansivity options (2 channels of SerialATA, Gigabit Ethernet, 4-channel RAID, ICH5R). Its price ($166) is comparable to that of some i865PE-based motherboards, so some scarcity of the package bundle is forgivable.  However, with all the benefits the board offers, there is a dark spot in that the board is somehow incompatible to various video cards. We'll try to find this situation out in more detail and then publish the results in a roundup of i875P motherboards. For now I would recommend buying the Epox 4PCA3+ board from shops that give firm guarantees and offer proven money-back service.
  • REVISED: Buffer Overrun in Windows Kernel Message Handling could Lead to Elevated Privileges (811493)  - Microsoft re-issued this bulletin on May 28, 2003 to advise on the availability of an updated Windows XP Service Pack 1 patch. This revised patch corrects the performance issues that some customers experienced with the original Windows XP Service Pack 1 patch.
  • Which video card? - FSAA and AF both burn off graphics card power very effectively. If you can live without either of them, then you can make do with surprisingly cheap video cards, and still get OK 3D frame rates.
  • IIS Cumulative patch - Microsoft has released a cumulative patch for its IIS (Internet Information Services or Internet Information Server) Web server software, a component of Windows NT 4.0, Window 2000, and Windows XP. The patch includes earlier patches for the Web server as well as four new fixes, Microsoft said in Bulletin MS03-018. The bulletin and patch can be found on Microsoft's Web site.
  • Apache 2.0.46 released - The group, which coordinates development and distribution of the open-source software, recommended that system administrators promptly upgrade to version 2.0.46 of Apache HTTP Server, available for download from the Apache Web site.
  • PHP 4.3.2 Final - The PHP developers today announced the immediate availability of PHP 4.3.2. This release contains a huge number of bug fixes and is a strongly recommended update for all users of PHP.
  • Waste v1.0 beta released -  Nullsoft (Winamp makers) released today a secure, distributed mesh-like networking protocal and platform called Waste. This v1.0 beta release uses RSA (key based) and Blowfish (download bin ~ source - thanks JSolo) encryption for security, and features Instant Messanging and group chat, along with file browsing, searching, and transfer.
  • ProxyPal 1.2  - After installing ProxyPal (download), just add it to your IE toolbar and you have one click access to toggle your proxy. This is very useful for corporate latptops that connect to the Internet away from work. Install ProxyPal today to put an end to seven-clicking your proxy on and off.
  • SmartGesture Lite 1.0.1 - SmartGesture Lite (download) is easy and powerful system of gesture detection is made for fulfilling of different commands as file opening, application opening, Web resources opening and key pressing imitation.
  • Fresh Diagnose 5.90 - 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.
  • Jet-Audio 5.14 - Jet-Audio (download ~ changelog) 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.
  • VirtualDub 1.5.4 - VirtualDub (download ~ download P4 version) is a video capture and processing program. It features fast capturing, process files larger than the 2 gigabyte limit, optimized for linear editing, support for Motion-JPEG, MPEG-1 video and layer 3 audio, real-time and near-realtime video processing, video job queues, and much more.
  • KYRO Drivers v2.00.20.0516  - This is definitely good news for all KYRO owners ~ KYRO/KYRO II/SE Win9x/ME Driver 2.00.20.0516
    KYRO/KYRO II/SE Win2k Driver 2.00.20.0516 ~ KYRO/KYRO II/SE WinXP Driver 2.00.20.0516..
 Gameguru Mania News - May,28 2003 - tech
Morning Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 01:26 PM CEST - May,28 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)
  • Sony Plans New Game Machine, Cost Cuts  - Sony Corp, under heavy pressure to cut costs and roll out hot new products after dismal earnings last quarter, unveiled plans on Wednesday for a new game machine for Japan and big savings. The world's largest consumer electronics maker and creator of the hit PlayStation 2 home game console said it would launch the "PSX" in Japan this year with a TV tuner, hard disk drive and DVD recorder to create an integrated entertainment platform for games, music and motion pictures. Earlier this month Sony unveiled the "PSP" hand-held game machine, to be launched by the end of 2004, which spurred a tumble in the shares of GameBoy maker Nintendo Co.
  • Linux-based Playstation grid is no game - US research centre has clustered 70 Sony PlayStation 2 game consoles into a Linux supercomputer that ranks among the 500 most powerful in the world.  According to the New York Times, the National Centre for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois assembled the $50,000 (Ł30,000) machine out of components bought in retail shops. In all, 100 PlayStation 2 consoles were bought but only 70 have been used for this project.
  • Europe's satellite navigation system gets final approval  -  The member nations of the European Space Agency have finally agreed the plan for the development of the Galileo satellite navigation system. Galileo will consist of a constellation of 30 satellites orbiting 23,600 kilometres above the Earth. It will provide a more precise commercial service than GPS, letting users located themselves to within a metre.
  • Not Again ? Microsoft yanks security update after glitch discovered - Microsoft Corp. has pulled an update to security software from its Web site after some users who downloaded the code saw their Internet connections go down. A "handful" of users had problems after installing the update to Microsoft's IPSec (IP Security) software because of the way it interacted with some third-party software, according to a Microsoft statement. The problems caused the update to think it was under attack, so it responded by blocking all traffic. This behavior wasn't a security flaw, according to Microsoft.
  • TheftGuard Protects Notebook Data - A stolen notebook can be a real threat to a business's security, but a new BIOS-level application offers protection and control over the use of a stolen machine. The application, called TheftGuard, is supplied as part of a new chip from Phoenix Technologies, a leading manufacturer of BIOS products. When a TheftGuard-equipped system is stolen, the owner provides instructions through the TheftGuard web site. The next time the lost computer connects to the Internet, TheftGuard is activated and either disables the machine, wipes its hard drive, or transmits information on the physical location where the signal originates.
  • Microsoft trims Office prices - The software giant cuts the store price of Office XP products by 15 percent to 30 percent, a day after it changes licensing terms that raised a storm of protest.
  • Longhorn goes to pieces - In a way, Longhorn, due in 2005, can be thought of as the Mr. Potato Head of operating systems: About 95 percent of the key functions of the operating system will exist in a basic software core. To make a Longhorn PC for export to France, for instance, PC makers will bolt the French language module onto the basic Longhorn core through the Multi-Lingual User Interface (MUI), a new subsystem within the operating system.  Similarly, manufacturers will take the Longhorn core and add select modules to tailor it for a tablet PC, for example, or a media center PC destined for the Philippines. This process will be managed through the Component Management Interface (CMI), a new feature that can be used to upgrade the operating system over its functional life.
  • DVD Recording - Is There a Winner Yet? - Has any format won? I just got back from Fry's and I could get either -R/-RW or +R/+RW and there were even drives that did all of the formats.....check this thread at Slashdot.org.
  • AMD, Intel trim prices on chips - According to AMD's Web site, the company reduced the price of its desktop 3000+ by $60, or 18 percent, to $265 and cut the cost of the 2800+ by $45, or 20 percent, to $180. AMD's Athlon XP 2700+, 2600+, 2500+ and 2400+ were lowered to $137, $103, $89 and $84, respectively, which translates to price drops between $19 and $45. Intel reduced the price of its 2.4GHz Celeron by 18 percent to $84, the largest of the price cuts, according to the company. The chipmaker also lowered the price of its 2.3GHz Celeron by $10, or 11 percent, to $79. The 2.2GHz Celeron and the 2.1GHz Celeron were reduced to $74 each.
  • Major brand hard drive vendors recall defective products produced in China - Three major brand hard drive vendors - Seagate Technology, Maxtor and Hitachi Global Storage Technologies - have started recalling some of their 40GB and 80GB products sold in Taiwan due to similar defects identified in the products, Taiwanese channel distributors said. About 12,000-15,000 defective hard drives are estimated to have entered Taiwan. It is unclear whether the same groups of products, with an estimated defect rate of 10%, have also been marketed in other parts of the world, sources said.
  • Sampo begins shipping 50-inch plasma displays  - Sampo America, a subsidiary of Taiwan-based Sampo, on May 19 announced that it had begun shipping its 50-inch PME-50X6 plasma display at a suggested retail price of US$6,999. Equipped with a MotionDSC digital image processor, the display features 1,366×768 resolution, picture-in-picture and side-by-side picture, 3:2 pull-down for film scan conversion, dual high-definition component video inputs, HDTV signal compatibility and many other functions.
  • Toshiba moves 64-bit processors to 90-nm process -  Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. (TAEC) is moving its TX49 MIPS-based 64-bit RISC processor family to 90-nanometer manufacturing process technology and would be able to sample chips in August 2003, TEAC said Tuesday (May 27, 2003). The 64-bit MPUs, designated TMPR4955CFG-400 and TMPR4956CXBG-400, are based on the TX49/H4 core. Power consumption is only 0.6 watt when operating at their maximum frequency of 400-MHz, the company said.
  • Sony VAIO PCG-Z1A review - At a system weight of 4.6 pounds and a travel weight of 5.4 pounds (with transformer), the dazzling new Sony VAIO PCG-Z1A ($2,299.99 direct) is the lightest two-drive thin-and-light notebook we've tested. But a couple of design quirks-most noticeably a bit of styling excess that messes up the keyboard-keep it from moving into the first rank of mainstream notebooks alongside the IBM ThinkPad T40 and the Dell Latitude D600.
  • SiPix StyleCam Groove review - The inexpensive SiPix StyleCam Groove ($69.95 list) is a small, slim, and exceedingly simple to operate. Although it's a no-frills point-and-shoot model with only a handful of features, the silver-colored Groove is versatile enough to capture video with sound, record audio annotation, and serve as a Webcam. Should the batteries die, however, stored images disappear. You'll also contend with poor image quality, slow and irritating transfer software, and an inaccurate optical viewfinder.
  • Zalman ZM80A-HP Silent VGA Cooler review - Hexus.net has posted a new review of Zalman ZM80A-HP Silent VGA Cooler. "The Zalman ZM80A-HP cooler achieves its aims of cooling even the fastest of current GPUs passively. The clever engineering, large dissipation area, and excellent heatpipe ensures that we can run powerful GPUs fanless. Installation should take you no more than 30 minutes, even if you do go slowly. If you want to quieten your PC, an excellent start would be with the Zalman ZM80A-HP cooler. It does everything it promises and looks impressive doing"
  • NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra Review - The FX 5900 Ultra's expected US$499 price is not too bad considering that the RADEON 9800 Pro 128MB cards are already retailing here for S$800 or above. In comparison, the FX 5900 Ultra is equipped with double the frame buffer for not much more cost. The FX 5900 non-Ultra version is expected to retail at US$399 with 128MB frame buffer and that should be very competitive to the RADEON 9800 Pro (if clock speeds are not going to differ from the Ultra version). Both are expected to be available by mid or end-June. Yet to be properly detailed is a value edition of the FX 5900 with 128MB DDR that should retail for US$299 with probably much lower clock speeds.
  • ATI Radeon 9000 All In Wonder Pro  - So you have 200 bucks in your pocket and you are looking for a great all round graphics card to beef up that aging computer of yours. The ATI Radeon 9000 Pro All In Wonder is your holy grail. Consider the features for the price; TV Tuner, great gaming performance, video capture and editing, wireless remote control (a $50 value in itself), a full three year warranty, regular driver updates, and the list goes on and on. If you are running a Geforce MX and refuse to throw down the $400 that a top of the line card costs, you can't go wrong here.
  • Plextor PlexWriter Premium 52/32/52 CD-RW review - Plextor's new drive also comes with a "premium" price tag. With an suggested retail price of $129, the Premium is one of the more expensive 52x writers currently available. If you shop around, it can be found for considerably less. Currently, the Premium can be found for as low as $106 on Pricegrabber.
  • Corsair PC3500 XMS Memory review - With excellent stability and speeds, I would have to give this memory a big thumbs up (Brian sticks up his thumbs). Since this memory is basically an overclocked stick of PC3200, I'm sure Corsair has pushed it to its most stable limits, but you may be able to squeeze a bit more out of it.
  • Hotflashing Guide - Overclocked Cafe has published a hotflashing guide for beginners.
  • ShaderX 2 Contents - Clues to PowerVR Series 5? - The Table of Contents for the upcoming ShaderX 2 3D techniques and programming book has been published. The book covers many topics from rendering of specific effects to DirectX9 HLSL programming, however of note are the contributions from the PowerVR employees, which are: "Deferred Shading with Multiple Render Targets", "Introduction to the vs_3_0 and ps_3_0 Shader Models", "Cloth Animation with Pixel and Vertex Shader 3.0" and "Rendering Voxel Objects with ps_3_0".
  • Messenger Spell Checker - 316Software has just release an add-on Microsoft's Windows and MSN Messenger clients that allows you to have the same great spell checking features as your Microsoft Office programs.
  • Avant Browser 8.0 Final  - Avant Browser is a fast, stable, user-friendly, versatile web browser. Avant Browser is a multi-window browser which features with many functions such as Pop-up Stopper, Built-in Google Searching, Safe Recovery, Integrated Cleaner and Advanced Browsing Options.
  • MagicTweak 2.40 - MagicTweak (download) is a special program designed to optimize and personalize Microsoft Windows. This new version adds new function to Backup/Restore System Files, new option to Disable Execute Attachments in Outlook Express and new option to Remove Windows Messenger from Outlook Express.
  • XP Smoker 2.0 - XP Smoker is another WinXP tweaker. They claim this program can increase the stability of Windows XP and even
    increase web browsing anywhere from 10% to 100% faster.
  • Registry Watch 2.1.01 - Registry Watch (shareware) takes a snapshot of the Windows Registry and then you can review any changes made in the Registry at a later time.
  • AIDA32 - Personal System Information 3.60 - AIDA32 (download) is a professional system information, diagnostics and benchmarking program running on Win32 platforms.
  • PowerStrip 3.41.390 BETA - PowerStrip 3.41 (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 9800.
  • DirectX Eradicator 1.09 Beta 2  - This utility is designed to safely remove the DirectX runtime core component from Windows 9X, Millennium and Windows 2000 operating systems. DXE gives you the power to install and uninstall any version of DirectX as you wish.
  • Adobe Reader 6.0 - Adobe Reader 6.0 is free software that lets you view and print Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files on a variety of hardware and operating system platforms. Adobe Reader 6.0 is the newest version of the familiar Adobe Acrobat Reader software. It also replaces Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader, software for viewing high-fidelity eBooks on your notebook or desktop computer.
  • Audiotools 4.40 Interim 4 - Audiotools (download ~ changelog) is a direct-to-disk recording tool with the facility to automatically split a recording into tracks.
  • Audigy / Audigy 2 *BETA* Drivers WinXP/2k - Creative has released some beta Audigy drivers (warning - the beta drivers will stop working on August 1st 2003). They claims Sound Blaster Audigy: performance increased by 10%-15% for EAX ADVANCED HD, Number of simultaneous voices has been doubled from 32 to 64; For the Audigy and Audigy 2: Reverb presets setting by game audio engine is now on average 10X faster, EAX Morphing performance enhanced, typically yeilding a 2X improvement in framerates for morphed section. Try only at your own risk.
 Gameguru Mania News - May,27 2003 - tech
Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 03:13 AM CEST - May,27 2003 - Post a comment / read (2)
  • Introducing New Wireless Security - Information technology departments might or might not use a protocol such as 802.1X or RADIUS for additional authentication. To help address this gap in WLANs, the IEEE 802.11 Working Group instituted Task Group is to produce a security upgrade for the 802.11 standard. 802.11i is building the standard around 802.1X port-based authentication for user and device authentication. The 802.11i standard, which isn't expected to be complete until later this year, includes two main developments: Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and Robust Security Network (RSN).
  • PGP Encryption Proves Powerful - If the police and FBI can't crack the code, is the technology too strong? ~ Italian police have seized at least two Psion personal digital assistants from members of the Red Brigades terrorist organization. But the major investigative breakthrough they were hoping for as a result of the information contained on the devices has failed to materialize--thwarted by encryption software used by the left-wing revolutionaries. Failure to crack the code, despite the reported assistance of U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation computer experts, puts a spotlight on the controversy over the wide availability of powerful encryption tools.
  • Microsoft to give support for free - Microsoft Corp. will start giving companies free support and service as it overhauls a licensing plan introduced last year that's been met with slow sales. The company will give customers of its two-year and three-year Software Assurance upgrade plan free training and support, said Rebecca LaBrunerie, a licensing product manager. It comes after the switch to the new plan, which gave customers free upgrades over several years, angered licensees by raising prices in some cases and imposing too early a deadline for some to act.
  • Gene Mapping Key To Unlocking Human Secrets, Says Geneticist - Genetic mapping is an attempt to find mileposts along the genome of a particular organism. The genome is the total genetic material contained in every cell of a species and the DNA that makes up the genome serves as coding for a particular animal. Determining the exact sequence of the chemicals contained in DNA involves a string of three billion figures.
  • Dell and HP see first wide-screen Centrino notebooks - Both Dell Computer and Hewlett-Packard (HP), the world's two largest notebook vendors, are having their first wide-screen Centrino notebooks produced by Taiwan-based Compal Electronics, sources said. While Dell is outsourcing its 15.4-inch Centrino-based Latitude D800 to Compal, HP is ordering its Compaq Presario X1000 notebook, launched recently, from the Taiwanese notebook maker. Initial monthly shipments of the Presario X1000 are estimated at 20,000-30,000 units, according to sources.
  • Duke Nukem targets Pocket PCs - Next after Doom, one first-person shooter drew particular interest from gamers on the PC platform in the 90s: Duke Nukem 3D. As a new and updated version of the game - sporting a real 3D engine, as opposed to the original's faux pax solution - is being prepared for the PC platform, the original version has found its way to the Pocket PC platform courtesy of independent developer Frank Pennault. (thanks InfoSyncWorld)
  • Skinning smartphones - New software from 3G LAB lets users of Series 60-based smartphones, such as the Nokia 7650 and 3650, skin their phones - with themes ranging from naughty to nice.
  • Cellphones to control toy cars - NEC has announced a technical cooperation with the Japanese toy manufacturer, Konami to enable cell phones to control its range of MICROiR toys cars. Owners of the tiny toy cars can download software into the move N504iS handset from DoCoMo and the J-N51 handset sold by J-Phone that will then enable the handsets to control the cars.
  • A new Nokia 7650 game - Nokia has now introduced a new addition to its line-up of free games for its Nokia 7650, based on the Series 60 platform. titled 'Space Impact', the new game features a plot where Neon Force pilot Geneva gets trapped in hostile territory and requires the player's assistance.
  • Athlon XP 3200+ Review - In general, the Athlon XP 3200+ is a good processor, though the reputation is certainly a bit spoiled by AMD and the chipset makers. At the moment it is adequate to the 3GHz Pentium 4.
  • DFI Lan Party Intel (Canterwood) PRO875 Motherboard  Review - 3dXtreme has posted a review of the DFI Lan Party Intel (Canterwood) PRO875 Motherboard.
  • SiS 648FX Ref Board Performance Review - How does SIS 648FX (P4 800mhz cpu chipset) compares to Springdale. What does SIS 648FX chipset offers that brings it on par with the latest Intel chipsets on the market ? Will the integrated RAID 0/1/0+1/JBOD SATA chipset be the new chipset of choice for all future SiS based boards with RAID ?
  • ATI Radeon 9000 All In Wonder Pro Review - The latest All In Wonder card from ATI. Priced at a affordable $199 this card has everything you could ever dream of, great gaming performance, TV Tuner, Remote Wonder and more Video editing features than you can shake a stick at.
  • MSI GeForce FX5600-VTDR128 Review - This brings us to MSI's incarnation of the GeForce FX 5600: the FX5600-VTDR128. Among GeForce FX 5600 boards, MSI's got a real winner on their hands here. Online prices start about $26 higher than the cheapest GeForce FX 5600 cards, but when you factor in MSI's excellent T.O.P. Tech Cooling, the VIVO module for video editing, remote control unit, and the decent software bundle, $26 is a small price to pay for what you're getting.
  • Albatron FX5800 Ultra Review - Ever seen the movie "The fast and the furious"? Well, the FX5800 Ultra is "The fast and the thunderous". Looking at the graphs above, the FX5800 Ultra is no doubt one of the fastest cards; however, the associated noise level is just too high for most people and so is the price.
  • Samsung ML-1710 Laser Printer Review - The ML-1710 can be described as a simple, sleek, well built workhorse. The speed and economy of a Laser Printer truly cannot be beat. Let's see what Samsung has to offer the market.
  • HydroCool200 External Water Cooling Kit Review - The water block used on the HydroCool200 is very compact, and universal. Those running AMD K7 based processors will have an installation bracket, as will those using Intel Pentium 4 processors.
  • Vibe's PT-2002-T Wireless Keyboard and Mouse - Are you tired of fighting with keyboard and mouse cords or maybe you just want more freedom of movement? TechTastic.ca have posted a review of Vibe's PT-2002-T wireless keyboard and mouse.
  • DivX 5.0.5a - DivX (free ~ adware ~ pro) is a package that includes all the DivX codec, player, utilities, and documentation that you need to play DivX files. DivX codec is based on the MPEG-4 compression standard. This codec can reduce an MPEG-2 video (DVD format) to ten percent of its original size. DivX is a digital video compression technology based on the ISO MPEG-4 standard. This minor version fixed a bug that would cause the codec to encode every frame as an I-Frame when used with certain applications (e.g., AVIUtil, DVD2AVI, and some video capture applications).
  • Virtual CD v5.02  -  A new version of Virtual CD is available. This program allows you to emulate CD and DVD drives and it is also able to handle copy protections.
  • ZMatrix for Win 2000/XP 1.5.2  - ZMatrix is an animated desktop background which displays streaming characters in a style similar to what was used in the movie 'The Matrix'.
  • Useless Creations Matrix Reload Screensaver 2.0 -  This is pretty kewl screensaver, try enabling the Sideways Movement option in the screensaver Settings, pretty damn cool and it runs on old systems too!
  • jv16 PowerTools v1.4 RC1 - jv16 PowerTools is the next generation of RegCleaner. A full set of tools to keep your computer and your LAN up and running. jv16 PowerTools is basicly the Tool to control your computer.
  • MR Tech Systray 2.1.35 Beta - MR Tech Systray will not only quickly shut down, restart or log off from Windows, it can help keep your hard disk a little cleaner, organize your MP3 files, edit the ID3 tag, text sorting, reboot logging and system tune-up.
  • KM Remote 2.0 Build 76  - With KM Remote it is possible to remote control Windows using keyboard and mouse. Pressing one of defined virtual buttons calls associated with him action or shows OSD menu if more than one action is defined.
  • TMPGEnc DVD Author and TMPGEnc Plus Updated - Both TMPGEnc DVD Author and TMPGEnc Plus have been updated.  TMPGEnc DVD Author v1.0.4.24 fixes the problem with changing the audio sampling rate and TMPGEnc Plus v2.512 fixes - When selecting an MPEG file in MPEG Tools, Multiplex, a message saying "does not support multiplexing a DVD Sub-Picture stream to a system stream" was displayed, and also some Memory access violation error.
  • Yamaha CRW-F1 firmware - Yamaha released a new firmware version 1.0g for CRW-F1 drive. This new firmware added support for following Ultra Speed CD-RW discs for 24x writing.Infodisc (24x), Ritek (24x).
 Gameguru Mania News - May,25 2003 - tech
Sunday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 11:56 AM CEST - May,25 2003 - Post a comment / read (1)
  • AMD ingnots, sliced "TBread" with the crusts cut off - Recently AMD enthusiasts (overclockers) have had a smile across their faces the length of which must have wifes and girlfriends wondering. Their new-found mistress; "lower-speed" Thoroughbred-B's, and their "double overclock" potential. Almost mythical in overclocking circles (prior to phase-change cooling) doubling a processor's default speed is the apotheosis for the enthusiast. So where did these sweethearts come from? And why have I chose the title "AMD ingots sliced "TBread" with the crusts cut off"? Buckle up, it's going to a bumpy ride!
  • Sci: Britain boosts nuclear bomb research - Hundreds of extra scientists are being sought to work on Britain's nuclear bomb programme. Their job will be to maintain Britain¹s Trident warheads, to help ensure that new weapons can be designed in the future and to conduct joint research with the US. But the recruitment drive has raised fears that Britain risks being sucked into fresh US research on low-yield nuclear weapons ­ so-called "mini-nukes" ­ for use as bunker busters on the battlefield.
  • Postal 2 protection (SafeDisc/SecuROM) imcompatible with CD readers - According to CDFreaks.com, Postal 2 is protected by SafeDisc 2.9 in the UK and by SecuROM 4.8 outside the UK. The protection seems to be so heavy that even some CD-ROM drives have difficulties reading the original CD, users are adviced to upgrade CD-ROM drive drivers or return the discs to the store.
  • Epic's Tim Sweeney on cheating vs optimizations Optimization techniques  - Dave Baumann and the Reverend at Beyond3D have asked Tim Sweeney, the man behind the Unreal engine, and ATI's Director of PR, Chris Evenden about cheating and optimizations brought up by Nvidia's Detonator FX 44.03. Chris Evenden has issued the following statement: "The 1.9% performance gain comes from optimization of the two DX9 shaders (water and sky) in Game Test 4 . We render the scene exactly as intended by Futuremark, in full-precision floating point. Our shaders are mathematically and functionally identical to Futuremark's and there are no visual artifacts; we simply shuffle instructions to take advantage of our architecture. These are exactly the sort of optimizations that work in games to improve frame rates without reducing image quality and as such, are a realistic approach to a benchmark intended to measure in-game performance. However, we recognize that these can be used by some people to call into question the legitimacy of benchmark results, and so we are removing them from our driver as soon as is physically possible. We expect them to be gone by the next release of CATALYST."
  • NVIDIA DAWN Demo playable on ATI Cards -  If you own an ATI card, check it out!
  • OpenOffice 1.1 Beta 2 - OpenOffice.org (Windows ~ Linux) is the open source project through which Sun Microsystems is releasing the technology for the popular StarOffice productivity suite. This new beta includes PDF and Macromedia Flash export; DocBook, PDA office-file formats, flat XML and XHTML.
  • MAME v0.69  - MAME (download) stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, and currently runs 1800+ classic (and even some not so classic) arcade games.
  • Y'z Dock 0.8.0 - A new version 0.8.0 of Y'z Dock (download) has been released. Y'z Dock is an application style launcher for WinXP only.
  • Messenger Plus! 2.10.36 -  A new patch (what's new ~ download) has been released for Messenger Plus! Messenger Plus! is an add-on for MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger. Some of the added features are logging, personalized Away Messages, transparency effects, and a feature to minimize all MSN Messenger windows to the system tray.
  • MSN Messenger 6.0.0250 Ad Removal Patch Version 2 - This new version of the patch (direct link) also removes an ad from the "Make a Phone Call" feature as well as Removes the (BETA) tag from the title. If you have already patched your MSN Messenger to remove ads, run the "msnadpatch(patched).exe" If you have not already patched your MSN Messenger to remove ads, run the "msnadpatch.exe".
  • ISO Commander 1.1.010 Beta - ISO Commander (download) is a CD-ROM image file utility that can extract/edit/create ISO files directly, make bootable CDs and may also be used as a BIN/ISO/DAO/TAO/NRG etc. converter/extractor/editor.
  • PlexWriter Premium Firmware v1.01 - Plextor Europe has released a new firmware version 1.01 for the PlexWriter Premium drive. This latest firmware fixes bugs - Compatibility with Ahead InCD 4, Compatibility with Direct CD-formatted discs under Windows XP, Compatibility with Digital Audio Playback of Windows Media Player and improves Read performance for eccentric discs and Write performance for several NS & US CD-RW.
  • Nvidia withdraws nForce 2.41 / 2.42 Driver - Nvidia has withdrawn it's 2.41/2.42 nForce chipset unified driver packages released only some days ago. The FTP folders (2.41/2.42) are empty and the official website directs to the rather old 2.03 drivers. (thanks Warp2Search). ...what a truly suck-ass weekend to be nVidia :P  If you got a problems with 2.4x then read the Recovery instructions from Nvidia.
  • Modded Detonator FX 44.10 Win2k/XP *BETA* - Station-Drivers have modded the latest Dell Nvidia Detonator FX 44.10 drivers (download) for Windows 2000/XP to work on all cards. Try only at your own risk.
 Gameguru Mania News - May,24 2003 - tech
Friday Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 12:35 AM CEST - May,24 2003 - Post a comment / read (7)
  • Software piracy 'kingpin' captured in Bangkok -  Ukrainian man alleged to be the mastermind behind a multi-million dollar computer software piracy racket has been captured in Thailand. Maksym Vysochansky, 25, who was arrested in Bangkok Monday evening, allegedly sold US$ 3 million worth of computer software, "resulting in damage worth up to $1 billion to the US software industry", Bangkok paper The Nation reports.
  • MIT, Army open nanotech center - The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the U.S. Army formally unveiled the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, which is geared toward creating battlefield armor for the 21st century.  MIT on Thursday cut the ribbon on the nanotechnology institute, which was started with a $50 million grant from the Army in 2002. Corporations, including Dow Corning, DuPont Raytheon and Carbon Nanotechnologies are participating in the center.
  • Microsoft works to fix backup compatibility flaw - A change to Microsoft's tape backup feature makes file backup tapes created with Windows Server 2003 incompatible with previous versions of Windows including Windows XP and Windows 2000. The problem is due to a change in the Windows Server 2003 version of the free ntbackup.exe utility that comes with Windows operating systems and was first disclosed in the online security news group NTBugtraq.
  • Nvidia accused of fudging tests -  A software maker that specializes in tools for measuring performance of PC components has accused graphics chip giant Nvidia of manipulating test results for its latest graphics chip.  Saratoga, Calif.-based Futuremark on Friday said in a statement that Nvidia tweaked software needed to run its new GeForce FX 5900 processor to distort performance in Futuremark's 3DMark 03 testing application. Futuremark is one of the leading independent providers of software and services for performing PC "benchmark" tests.
  • Most downloaded program on the Web? - Sharman Networks said its Kazaa file-sharing software was on track to set a record Friday as it becomes the most-popular free program on the Web with over 230 million downloads. By hitting that total, Shaman said Kazaa would surpass the popular ICQ instant messaging program, owned by CNN's parent company AOL Time Warner.
  • ReplayTV May Strip Ad Skipping - ReplayTV said it would likely leave some controversial features on its home television recording machines for now but may strip them from new models.  ReplayTV, the digital video recorder maker purchased last month by Japan's D&M Holdings from bankrupt Sonicblue (SBLU), said it is mulling the fate of ReplayTV's features that skip commercials and send saved programs over the Internet.
  • AMD AthlonXP 3200+ (Barton core, 400MHz FSB)  - It's clear, in terms of overall speed, you're getting a lot of CPU for your money. Overclockers looking to hit the next level of performance will be dissapointed by this CPU because there doesn't seem to be any more headroom available to them than with lower-spec Thoroughbred or Barton chips. If you're looking for a socketA system to beat all others at default speed, then this CPU will certainly get you there. However, despite the changes to FSB speed and L2 cache that come with the new Barton core, this CPU continues the gradual progression of speed increases rather than being a significant jump ahead of its predecessors.
  • NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra - The Real 5800 Ultra?  - Adrian's Rojak Pot  just posted a new editorial titled "The NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra : The Real 5800 Ultra?.  Is the NV35 a feeble claw-back by NVIDIA or is it a worthy competitor to the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro? Read on and find out.
  • D-Link Di-604 Ethernet Broadband Router - Overall, the DI-604 is fast, easy to install and use, and very much worth the money. The MSRP on the DI-604 is $49.99, although a quick web search revealed prices as low as $32. At that kind of price, it's hard to beat what the DI-604 has to offer. If you're getting your home network going, or if you're hooking up Xbox Live or PS2 online gaming for the first time, you should be looking at the D-Link DI-604 Ethernet Broadband Router.
  • Corsair Hydrocool 200 Watercooling kit - This is Corsair's first entrance into the liquid cooling market and it is a bold one, indeed. Hydrocool is full of fresh ideas and is a very well built unit. With a price tag of $220.00, it is also quite reasonable, especially when the simplicity of use is considered.
  • nForce2 motherboard roundup - Performance-hungry users still can't bypass NVIDIA's nForce2 chipset. Thanks to a dual-channel memory interface, it represents the best platform for the Athlon XP. The first boards featuring the new version of the chipset, the nForce2 Ultra 400, are already available. What are the new boards capable of?
  • Radeon 9800 Pro 256MB Vs. GeForce FX 5900 Ultra - The GeForce FX 5900 Ultra has an impressive 29% lead over the Radeon 9800 Pro card at default settings. The lead then expands to 33% with 4X AA enabled but closes down again to 15% when you turn on 8X Anisotropic Filtering. For sure, NVIDIA's card is much more heavily impacted by AF processing overhead. However, it's still faster by a significant margin, no matter how you slice it.
  • XFX GeForce FX5200 Review - If you look at what the FX5200 is supposed to do, it does it well. It is not a card for a hard-core gamer, but it is a card for those who mostly use the computer for other things than games and only occasionally play a game.
  • PenDriveUSA USB 2.0 Drive Review - Overall the Pen Drive is an outstanding device and the optional base makes it a convenient solution for your data storage needs. This usb drive has a built-in secuirty feature but if you want full-secuirty you should get the SECURE version of the Pen Drive. If you are in the market for a USB drive, I highly recommend the Pen Drive for its speed, 2.0GB capacity (max capacity available), and ease of use.
  • The Removal of a P4 Integrated Heat Spreader - Before removing the IHS, I put together a barebones machine for testing the thermal results before and after my little experiment.
  • TurboCases Black X-Dreamer Case Review - The X-Dreamer case is unique because it is one of few cases you can get that are pre-modded. This makes Xoxide cases attractive because you might want that side-panel with the window, but don't have the time or expertise to put one in.
  • Elite Flashback - Sinclair ZX Spectrum - EliteBastards has posted a retro article on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum.
  • SQL sp3 updated to sp3a - SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3a (download) addresses specific issues discovered in SQL Server 2000 since its ship date. Because SQL Server service packs are cumulative, SP3a includes all fixes from previously released Service Pack 1 (SP1), Service Pack 2 (SP2), and Service Pack 3 (SP3). SP3a can be applied to an original installation or to one where SP1, SP2, or SP3 was previously applied.
  • MySQL 4.0.13 - MySQL 4.0.13 has been released - changelog ~ download.
  • Outpost Personal Firewall Pro 2.0 - New Outpost Personal Firewall Pro 2.0 (download Pro version - Free version) outdistances the award-winning Outpost Personal Firewall Pro 1.0 on multiple levels, from enhanced privacy features to ease-of-use. As the foremost security application for personal computers, Outpost Personal Firewall Pro 2.0 gives you the latest in personal firewall technology, making version 2.0 the clear security choice for your system. Well, I've heard this one is better than Kerio Personal Firewall...seems I should check out this baby soon.
  • GNOME 2.3.2 (Beta) - GNOME project has built a complete free and easy-to-use desktop environment for the user, as well as a powerful application framework for the software developer. GNOME is included in pretty much every BSD and GNU/Linux distribution and works on many other Unix systems.
  • URLscan 2.5 - UrlScan version 2.5 is a security tool that restricts the types of HTTP requests that Internet Information Services (IIS) will process. By blocking specific HTTP requests, the UrlScan security tool helps prevent potentially harmful requests from reaching the server. UrlScan 2.5 will now install as a clean installation on servers running IIS 4.0 and later.
  • Media Player Classic 6.4.5.0 - Media Player Classic (download) is similar to windows media player 6.4 but with features pertained to minimalist advanced users.
  • TMPGEnc v2.512.52.161 - TMPEGenc (download) 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.
  • FlashFXP 2.1.924 - FlashFXP (download) is the most powerful and popular FTP & FXP Client for Microsoft Windows 9x/Me/NT/2000/XP on the market today.
  • ffdshow build 2003-05-23 - ffdshow (download) is DirectShow decoding filter for decompressing DIVX and XVID movies using libavcodec or xvid with rich set of video postprocessing filters.
  • 3DMark03 Patch build #330 - Oh yeah, indeed there's pretty interesting reason for its availability - "We have now established that NVIDIA's Detonator FX drivers contain certain detection mechanisms that cause an artificially high score when using 3DMarkR03. We have just published a patch 330 for 3DMark03 that defeats the detection mechanisms in the drivers and provides correct results." ~ download ~ mirrors.
 Gameguru Mania News - May,23 2003 - tech
Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 04:15 AM CEST - May,23 2003 - Post a comment
  • California Senate OKs antispam bill  - The California State Senate approves a bill that would make it illegal to send unsolicited e-mail advertising and allows people to sue so-called spammers for $500 per unwanted message. If the bill, which now goes to the California Assembly, becomes law, it would be one of the strictest antispam measures in the country. Gov. Gray Davis has taken no position on the measure.
  • Real and Playboy launch video subscription service - RealNetworks has extended its streaming video reach by adding bunch of new contect providers in its roster. The biggest name definately is Playboy, which has signed up as OpenPass content provider.
  • University of Calgary to teach secrets of cybercrime - Developing malicious software - viruses, worms and Trojan horses - will soon be part of the program for 16 students at the University of Calgary. The aim is to delve into the cybercrime mind to understand a problem that causes billions of dollars in damage annually worldwide, says Dan Seneker, with the university's department of computer science.
  • Scientists discover how the monarch butterfly navigates 2,000-mile migration without a map - Monarch butterflies migrate between their wintering roosts in central Mexico to their summer breeding grounds as far north as the US-Canadian border. Scientists have now discovered that they employ an internal biological clock that enables them to use the sun as a reliable compass no matter what time of day it is. This form of navigation is so accurate that it allows some monarch butterflies to return to the same trees in the Mexican mountains that were used by their great, great grandparents as roosting sites the previous winter.
  • i865 Springdale Chipset review roundup - There's a batch of reviews for Intel's i865 Springdale chipset:  Anandtech | HardOCP | Hexus | Lost Circuits | MBReview | OCAddiction | Sudhian Media | Tech-Report | Tom's Hardware | UKGamer
  • AMD Athlon XP 3000+ Review - The Athlon XP line has recently undergone some changes, with AMD adding an extra 256k of level 2 cache to the Athlon XP's and naming the core Barton. The extra cache should give a nice boost to performance, which is why the XP3000 boasts a higher PR rating than the XP2700 although they run at the same clockspeed of 2.167GHz. So, lets take a closer look at the XP3000 to see if it is worth the upgrade.
  • Spire Coolers AMD Heat sink Comparison - This comparison says the winner of the three is the Micro Flow II. Despite being the loudest, although it still wasn't that loud, it performed the best.
  • OCZ Ultra 2 Thermal Paste - OCZ Ultra 2 is a high-quality polysynthetic thermal compound designed to provide maximum thermal transfer between the CPU surface and the heatsink. OCZ Ultra 2 uses a blend of polysynthetic oils that ensure that the compound will not solidify or lose its thermal transfer properties over time. Ultra 2 thermal compound is not electrically conductive, meaning that it is completely safe for use on any surface that requires maximum thermal transfer. Each 3 gram syringe contains enough OCZ Ultra 2 to properly cool twenty to thirty CPU's, depending on the surface area.
  • ABIT IS7 Springdale Motherboard Review - The Springdale chipset sports a pretty hefty feature list. The first thing that comes to mind as monumental for an Intel chipset is Dual Channel DDR. For those of you unfamiliar with DCDDR it is actually pretty simple. In the past Intel chipsets have all been single channel. This means that no matter how many sticks of memory and regardless of size, the memory was combined to share the same bandwidth and path (or channel) to the CPU. With Dual Channel what this basically means is that there are two separate banks, each with it's own pipeline, theoretically doubling your memory speed. As benchmarks will show later in this review, this claim is very close to accurate.
  • Liteon XJ-HD166S 16x DVD Drive - As you can see from the above results, the drive performs slower than the manufacturer's specifications. None the less the DVD play back is very good and the price can't be beat.
  • SONY DRU-500A Monstrous Combo-Drive - SONY developed a really interesting product. The main and evident advantage of this drive is the support of both competing writable and re-writable DVD standards. The owner of DRU-500A can work with both types of disks, without worrying which of them to choose and without waiting for the two developer groups to find the winner. The main problem for every DVD-RW drive buyer is to pick up the right model, which would continue living if one of the two standards dies. Here this problem is eliminated completely.
  • NETGEAR WAG511 Dual-Band Wireless PC Card Review - Tom's Hardware Guide has published a review of the NETGEAR WAG511 Dual-Band Wireless PC Card.
  • Altec Lansing 251 5.1 Desktop Theater Review -  Looking to improve your computer sound into a complete surround sound system, but don't know which one to go with? Well, Altec Lansing's 251 5.1 PC Gaming and Desktop theater could be a solution or it could be the one your can be warned not to get.
  • Zippy EL-610 Keyboard - As you can see next to a full size kb, the Zippy is a small keyboard. Being small, now you have more room in your work space for other things. It's also very slim. Less than an inch thick at the thickest part. And while it is very light, it feels well made and sturdy.
  • PHP 4.3.2RC4 - This is the fourth release candidate (Win32 ~ Linux ~ buildtracker) and should have no critical problems/bugs. Nevertheless, please download and test it as much as possible on real-life applications to uncover any remaining issues.
  • Fresh UI v6.00 - Fresh UI (download) is a fresh solution for configuring and optimizing Windows. Loaded with hundreds of useful hidden settings this software covers the customizing and optimizing techniques that you'll be glad to know.
  • Tweak-XP Professional 2.0.10a - Tweak-XP was developed to combine both tweaking and optimizing features to increase the speed of your Windows XP system. All settings can be done without having any former knowledge, since Tweak-XP informs the user in detail about each option. Tweak-XP, all you need for Windows XP.
  • StyleXP v1.01p  -TGTSoft today released a new version of its theme software for Windows. This new version adds support for Win2k3 server.
  • Kerio Personal Firewall 4.0 Beta 2 - Kerio Personal Firewall (download) represents smart, easy-to-use personal security technology that fully protects personal computers against hackers. It is built on ICSA-certified security technology. It is free for home and personal use.
  • NVDVD 2.55 - NVIDIA has updated the trial version of their DVD Player to 2.55.
  • Leadtek Winfox Tool Updated - A couple days ago, Leadtek have released an updated version for their Winfox Tool v30513 (2003/5/13).
  • Nvidia nForce Drivers 2.42 WHQL - Nvidia has released a new nForce2 Drivers 2.42 WHQL for WinXP ~ Win2k. The changes that have been made are the 43.51 graphics driver included being WHQL certified, and the IDE drivers were removed. So no need to download 2.42 if you already have 2.41.
 Gameguru Mania News - May,22 2003 - tech
Evening Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 01:21 AM CEST - May,22 2003 - Post a comment
  • Electric shock weapons could go wireless  - New Scientist has seen video stills of a prototype of the "Plasma-Taser" in action during firing-range tests. The pictures were shown at the European Symposium on Non-Lethal Weapons in Karlsruhe, Germany, two weeks ago. In the first image, a spray of dark gas is seen approaching a human-sized target. In the next, taken a fraction of a second later, there is a lightning-like flash of electrical discharge intended to incapacitate the targeted person.
  • Alchemy with light shocks physicists - The researchers document the ultimate control over light: a way to shift the frequency of light beams to any desired colour, with near 100 per cent efficiency. "The degree of control over light really is quite shocking," comments photonics expert Eli Yablonovitch at the University of California, Los Angeles.  If the effect can be harnessed, it will revolutionise a range of fields ­ turning heat into light, for example, or prized terahertz rays. Right now, the only way to shift the frequency of a light beam involves sending an extremely intense light pulse ­ with a power of many megawatts or even gigawatts ­ along next to it.
  • Microsoft Launched Computer Virus Information Website - Microsoft has joined leading anti-virus software vendors in an information-sharing program to provide customers with detailed and timely information about newly discovered viruses.
  • Internet Connection Firewall and Basic Firewall Do Not Block Internet Protocol Version 6 Traffic - According to Microsoft, ICF in Windows XP and Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1), and ICF and Basic Firewall in Windows Server 2003, filter IPv4 traffic only.
  • Wristwatch USB Drive  -  LAKS has made the ultimate wristwatch - It's a USB drive (32/64/128MB) combined with a watch. 
  • Intel to Discontinue Rambus Chip Sets - The company notified its developers in a "product notification change" e-mail message distributed earlier this month that shipments of the 850E chip set for desktops and the 860 chip set for workstations would cease in May 2004. The move is just a formality, as Intel has demonstrated its commitment to double data rate (DDR) memory with the launch of the 875 chip set in April and the 865 chip set on Wednesday; both of these support DDR400 memory over Rambus dynamic RAM (RDRAM).
  • Intel Redefines the Mainstream PC, Again - Intel is altering that equation with the launch of the 865PE chipset (PR), formerly codenamed Springdale. The Santa Clara chip giant recently introduced the 875P, its new dual-channel chip set that lets high-end systems use DDR400 memory. The high-end desktop systems the 875P targets typically cost $2,000 or more.
  • Nvidia bets on budget chip - Graphics boards fitted with the Quadro FX 2000 sell for around $1,400 to $1,600, with the 1000 version going for $900 to $1,000. The new 500 will push the price of such boards down to around $400, a level that should allow a wider range of graphics professionals to take advantage of Nvidia technology such as Cg, a set of graphics programming tools introduced last year.
  • Sony Clie TG-50 Review - All in all, Sony's Clie TG50 is an extreme device. It is important to remember that first and foremost, this is a PDA. It is not a portable TV, nor is it a Harmon Kardon stereo. What it is, is sheer technological genius. In its basic form it is not complicated by swivel screens or built-in cameras. The PEG TG50 is yet another example of Sony's prowess at building competent multifunction electronic devices that satisfy the needs of today's demanding consumer and greatly impact the overall quality of their life.
  • Gainward FX 5600 Ultra Review - NordicHardware think that GeForce FX 5600 Ultra is probably the most well rounded product in the FX series as of yet. It has a great price/performance ratio and remains very competitive when going up against ATi's Radeon 9500 Pro/9600 Pro. Gainward adds value to the board by supplying us with their Enhanced Mode overclocking and ViVo/Firewire functionality.
  • Radeon 9800 "XT" Clues - Evidently the DDR-II RAM on the 256MB 9800 PRO, which is currently running at 350MHz, is actually rated for 450MHz operation. When ATI went out to find some RAM for this product they couldn't get much in the way of DDR-II rated at 350MHz, but strangely Samsung had a fair amount of 400MHz+ DDR-II stockpiled but, now, unused so they sold it to ATI at a very attractive rate. Radeon 9800 PRO 256MB's may have a reasonable memory overclock because of this, but by the looks out the layout and the length of some of the traces I'll wager that this will not get up to these levels.
  • DirectX 9.0a SDK Developer Runtime - DirectX 9.0a is an updated version of the DirectX 9.0 runtime which includes bug fixes and improves performance in the graphics and networking components. There are no new or modified APIs in this release.
  • Internet Download Manager 3.15 - Internet Download Manager (IDM) (download) is a tool to increase download speeds by up to 500 percent, resume and schedule downloads. This new version allows to preview a ZIP archives before downloading.
  • GetRight 5.01 Final - GetRight (what's new ~ download) is a Download Manager program to help you download files from the Internet. Most people have already experienced the problem... you are downloading a file, and your modem gets disconnected, or call waiting interrupts, or your computer crashes, or any number of other problems.
  •  3dfx Voodoo 3/4/5 "Voodoolizer" Drivers - I've noticed that VoodooFiles.com have posted a new 3dfx Voodoo3/4/5 Drivers called Voodoolizer.
 Gameguru Mania News - May,21 2003 - tech
Nightly Tech Reading - tech
(hx) 04:24 AM CEST - May,21 2003 - Post a comment
  • PS2 price cut to L199 in Europe  - Sony is expected to cut the price of the PlayStation 2 in Europe at last. The console will drop from L249 to L199 in a move which brings the hardware price in line with the Xbox and GameCube. The price cut should take effect on Friday and follows a drop to $179 in the USA, announced at E3 last week. However the latter is a stock-clearing incentive designed to clear shelves for the arrival of the new PS2 which will appear at $199 with the network adapter. TheRegister assumes the move to L199 will also bring the PS2 in line with the Cube and Xbox in the UK, with a L129 price point - although those in the Eurozone might be a little miffed at this, given that the current currency values would mean that the UK is getting the console significantly cheaper than the rest of Europe.
  • Videogames Group to Challenge Washington State Law - Washington State Gov. Gary Locke signed a bill on Tuesday making it illegal to sell or rent video games to minors that depict violence against law enforcement officers -- a move that an industry trade group immediately said it would challenge in court.  The bill, signed into law by the Democratic governor, calls for $500 fines to be imposed on anyone who sells or rents a game depicting violence against police to customers under the age of 17. The Interactive Digital Software Association, the trade group for the U.S. video game industry, said in a statement it would go to court to seek an injunction against enforcement of the law. The IDSA said the law violates First Amendment guarantees of free speech.
  • GPS data could stop wireless network attacks  - A new danger to wireless network security has been revealed by a team of US computer researchers. A so-called "wormhole attack" could be used to knock a vulnerable network out of action or defeat a wireless authentication system. But the same researchers that discovered the threat have also devised a radical scheme designed to counter it, involving tagging packets with GPS information or timestamps. In a wormhole attack, an intruder would intercept wireless data packets travelling across one part of a network and quickly re-insert them at another physical point on the network.
  • Visa trials next gen credit cards - The trial involves 12 retailers, including small independent shops and large supermarkets, and 160,000 Northampton residents armed with new cards issued by the likes of Visa, Switch and Barclaycard.
  • Fujitsu Unveils Notebooks - The Fujitsu LifeBook N series is available in several different configurations, with pricing starting at $1900. It features a 15-inch multi-domain vertical alignment display, enabling users to clearly view twice as much data as with standard XGA LCD displays from any angle, according to the company. The N series also comes with 802.11b/54g wireless functionality, which offers up to five times faster throughput than standard 802.11b technology, Fujitsu says. The LifeBook N series also includes a Pentium 4 processor along with an ATI Technologies Radeon 9000 graphics chip with 64 MB of dedicated video memory.
  • VIA KM400A Specifications  - AMDBoard let us know they have posted the VIA KM400A specs.
  • Athlon XP 3200+ Debuts 400-MHz Bus  - The 3200+ delivers an effective FSB speed of 400 MHz, compared with 333 MHz for its predecessor. That's still a far cry from the 800-MHz FSB of Intel's 3.0-GHz Pentium 4 chip. But the 3200+ does have at its disposal a peppy new chipset-the nVidia nForce2 Ultra 400-which brings support for dual-channel DDR 400 SDRAM.
  • Comparison of Low-Price Multifunction Devices - Tom's Hardware Guide has published a comparison of low-price multifunction devices. Why buy a printer when for less than $200 you can have a photo printer, flatbed scanner and color photocopier all in one? Four models are in the running: Canon, Epson, hp and Lexmark. The results are in images and figures.
  • Seagate Cheetah 10k.6 SCSI 320 Review - Techware Labs has posted a review of Seagate Cheetah 10k.6 SCSI 320 harddisk
  • Samsung SP1604N ATA133 160GB HD Review  - ExplosiveLabs has checked out the Samsung SP1604N ATA133 160GB HD.
  • M-Audio Revolution 7.1 soundcard Review  - TechSpot has posted a review on the M-Audio Revolution 7.1 soundcard - Let me introduce to you M-Audios Revolution 7.1, powered by VIAs Envy24HT chipset, the Revolution 7.1 is a true 24-Bit/192 kHz soundcard that doesnt take constrains from AC97 limitations unlike many other soundcards even Creatives flagship, the Audigy 2.
  • EPoX EP-8RDA3+ nForce2 Ultra 400 review - Hexus has posted a review on the EPoX EP-8RDA3+ nForce2 Ultra 400  - The 8RDA3+ is still an excellent foundation on which to build an AMD powerhouse of a system. Its considerable merits outweigh the slight qualms we may have. It's fast, it's stable, and it literally begs to be overclocked. Pricing seems keen too. We've seen it available for less than Ł100 delivered. That's good value considering exactly what you'll be getting for your hard-earned cash. It seems as if EPoX can do little wrong with their nForce2 boards. Recommended.
  • Gigabyte P4 Titan GA-8PE800 Ultra Motherboard Review - PC Stats has posted a Gigabyte P4 Titan GA-8PE800 Ultra Motherboard review.
  • How To Setup A Cheap Home Network - ComputerSphere has posted a guide called  "How To Setup A Cheap Home Network"
  • Updated WinZip Alters Zip Format - WinZip 9.0 has entered public beta with scheduled release later this year, bringing with it a new .zip format--which means some of its functions will not be compatible with earlier versions or other programs. If you use the forthcoming WinZip 9.0's latest encryption and compression options, or create larger archives than were previously possible, your .zip files won't be universally readable.
  • GAIM 0.63 - 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.
  • VirtualDub 1.5.3 - VirtualDub (download ~ download P4 version) is a video capture and processing program. It features fast capturing, process files larger than the 2 gigabyte limit, optimized for linear editing, support for Motion-JPEG, MPEG-1 video and layer 3 audio, real-time and near-realtime video processing, video job queues.
  • Tweak-XP Professional 2.0.10 - Tweak-XP was developed to combine both tweaking and optimizing features to increase the speed of your Windows XP system. All settings can be done without having any former knowledge, since Tweak-XP informs the user in detail about each option. Tweak-XP, all you need for Windows XP.
  • Style XP 1.01p - Style XP allows you to easily add new visual styles or themes to Windows XP. Style XP is not a skinning engine. It uses Microsoft's built-in visual style engine, but enhances it by providing many useful tools.
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