Computers Stuff

What Is Modem ?

2009-01-27T23:19:00.000-08:00

Modem comes from the abbreviation MOdulator DEModulator. Modulator is part of the signal information into the carrier signal (Carrier) and is ready to be sent, while the Demodulator is a separate information signal (which contains the data or message) of the carrier signal (carrier) so that the received information can be well received. Modem is a merging both, that means the modem is a two-way communication tool. Each communication device remote two-way general use which is called the "modem", such as VSAT, Microwave Radio, and others, but the term is generally known as a modem device that is often hard to use for communication on the computer.

Data from the computer in the digital signal to the modem to be converted to analog signals. Analog signals can be transmitted through several media such as telecommunication and radio telephone.

Arriving at the destination modem, the analog signal is converted into digital signal and sent back to the computer. There are two types of modems are physical, that is an external modem and internal modem.

Type of modem
Abbreviation of Modulator and demodulator. Modem functions to include the information signal to carrier wave; Instead demodulator take back the information signal from the combined signal. Modem divided into:
1. Amplitude Modulation (AM), which is a series of electronic waves that change the amplitude of the signal amplitude in accordance with the information.

2. Frequency Modulation (FM), which is a series of electronic waves that change the frequency of changes in accordance with the frequency information signal.

3. Pulse Modulation (PM)

TIPS : DON'T Put Laptop On the Bed

2009-01-27T23:14:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we want to leave the bed light laptop. Then put a laptop on the mattress. Do not do this again!

At the bottom of the laptop there is often air circulation holes. When the laptop is on, from the hole will blow the wind from the processor cooling fan.

If the laptop placed on the mattress or other soft objects, the air circulation becomes obstructed. As a result, a laptop will heat faster.

Symantec Norton Antibot Symantec Norton Antibot

2008-12-09T06:02:00.000-08:00

Symantec Norton Antibot The Latest In Norton Computer Protection Software
by: Lisa Carey
It seems like every other month a new “program” comes along to make our lives that much easier. For example, first we could bookmark favorites, and then RSS feed them, and then came widgets and now “bots” which are robots that do a lot of our computer work for us in the background. Examples of friendly bots are weather bots, game playing bots, instant messaging and my favorites are those on AOL Instant Messenger which do all kinds of functions for me like shop, find movie times and even give updates on the Wall Street Journal.

Unfortunately not all bots were created “equal.” Some are friendly and some are not. The ones that are not friendly can be a form of malware that allows control of your computer to be released, providing hackers with the opportunity to access your information and spread harmful bots to others. This type of computer virus can then be used to spread spam and commit various types of identity theft and other online fraud.

So with new threats to our computers and information, new methods of protection are required. One of the oldest and most well known software protection designers has recently released a new protection program, Symantec Norton AntiBot. This is a software product designed to prevent the hijacking of one’s personal computer by bots and uses the bots on design programs against them, to located and destroy them.

Many people already employ some form of protection on their personal computer, such as increasing the protection level from internet information to “high.” But these cannot detect some of the most recent bot programs and may not be the most efficient means of information protection, especially with the Internet being used more and more frequently for online shopping, ticket purchases, travel and other “high risk” activities.

A more effective method of detecting and eliminating threats caused by bots is to install software designed specifically to detect, destroy and prevent bots from having access to your computer. With Symantec Norton AntiBot software, protection against bots is enhanced several times and the threat of bot attack is greatly diminished. It’s program protects against bots by blocking bots from entering your computer through downloads and e-mail attachments (two of the common ways bots enter a personal computer), checking for any unusual behavior on your personal computer and eliminating it, and detecting malicious bot software at all levels; keeping your personal, financial and credit card information safe and stopping identify theft before it can occur.

Because bots operate in the background and are not detectable by antivirus or antispyware programs, many computer users are completely unaware that their personal computer has become infected. Many problems caused by bots go undetected until it is too late. Warning signs that your computer may have been accessed include: slowness of computer speed and unusual or irrelevant error messages. However, many times com these symptoms are sporadic and computer users will take little notice. Many people will continue to use their personal computer, unaware that bots have hijacked their personal computer and are slowly at work; looking for credit card numbers, passwords, and logon information which can be used for identity theft and in committing other types of online crime. This program scans your personal computer on a continuous basis, closing the gaps that could allow bots to infect your personal computer and better ensuring that bots do not invade and gain control.

The use of Symantec Norton AntiBot to determine what a harmful or useful bot and allows you to continue using those bots you love and have come to depend on for information and services. It can be used in addition to several other antivirus and antispyware programs. Its compatibility is not limited to only Norton products.

The cost of this software is $29.95 for one year of service. It was awarded PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice Award (2007) and underwent rigorous testing which included using AntiBot on computers with existing threats as well as allowing threats to try to access the computer after installation.

With the growing threat of identity theft and credit card fraud Symantec Norton AntiBot offers an additional level of protection needed to combat the threat of bots and prevent them from turning one’s personal computer into a robotic that turns into an instrument of destruction to both your personal and financial well-being.

Acer AL2216WBD review

2008-12-09T05:59:00.001-08:00

CRTs monitors have given way to LCD monitors and that has led to a steep decrease in there prices. With drop in prices the bigger size monitors have become affordable and are now value for money. Also the drawbacks of LCD monitors such as ghost effect have not been rectified and now offer rich display quality. Acer makes good displays and Acer AL2216WBD is an 22″ offering from them.

Acer AL2216WBD specifications :

Dimensions : 20.2″ x 7.8″ x 16″
Color : Black
Display size : 22″ diagonal
Max resolution : 1680 x 1050
Color support : 24 bit
Response time : 5 ms
Signal input : DVI-D,VGA
Approx. price : $230

The price of the display is extremely attractive but that can also be attributed to the fact that it does not have any extras such as USB ports,speakers etc. But then it is better to have separate components for individual tasks if you do not want to compromise on quality.

The display is a simple looking display without anything flashy. The monitor has few ports and a power cable. The stand is very shiny and is extremely small and slim but sturdily built to keep the monitor in its place firmly. Being light weight, makes moving the monitor easy. The controls on the display are easily accessible and are very operable.

So one question that will come to your mind after seeing its attractive price is: “How will it perform?” but I will put that to rest by saying that the display performs above average and is a great buy at that price. The display has a response time of 5 ms which is fast and hence there is no ghosting effect on the monitor.

The picture quality is quite good and the brightness is high for viewing movies on a DVDs. The text readability was average and scaling down the font size reduced the readability considerably. The saturation levels were appropriate, no issues with that. The contrast could have been a bit higher but nevertheless it is very acceptable.

Overall the display performs above average which is good enough for home users who need it for day-to-day purpose such as watching movies, surfing web etc. It certainly is not recommended for graphics oriented users. Also remember you do not get any extras such as USB ports or speakers.

Samsung SyncMaster 305T

2008-12-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

Samsung SyncMaster range of LCD Monitors is quite popular in the market. There are only few companies that make large displays for monitors and Samsung is among one of them. They aim at making great displays at a relatively lower price. Samsung SyncMaster 305T is a 30″ LCD Monitor which an attractive price tag.

Samsung SyncMaster 305T specifications :

Display type : TFT active matrix
Dimensions : 27.2″ x 11″ x 19.8″
Color : Black
Diagonal size : 30″
Max. Resolution : 2560 x 1600
Refresh rate : 60 Hz
Response time : 6ms
Signal input : DVI-D
Image brightness : 400cd/m2
Image Contrast : 1700:1
Approx. price : $1300

The 305T is not a feature rich set, if you are looking for one, but having said that, it has all the basic features that most of us require. The display has a native resolution of 2560 x 1600 which requires you to have a good graphics card to utilize it to full capability.

The monitor has minimal controls on the bezel as you can only change the brightness of the display which is a bit weird. The contrast, saturation etc is locked by Samsung before shipping the monitor. The monitor only features a DVI-D port for connection, so make sure your device supports it before getting one. Some of the other ports include a set of four USB ports and a HDCP port. No VGA and HDMI ports limit the connectivity options.

The monitor has adjustable height and can also be tilted. The monitor has a black bezel running all round it which has a smooth finishing to it. As always, the display looks simple and elegant. The low response time is quite suitable for gaming on your PC.

The performance on the display is the strongest point of the display. The display produces colors brilliantly and also the sharpness is great. The contrast ratio was the same as mentioned by Samsung in its specifications. High brightness on the display ensured that there was no backlight bleed with dark screens. Also the viewing angle was quite impressive which is good enough for a LCD monitor of its size. And to top it all, Samsung includes a 3-year warranty with the display.

Dell Latitude E4300 Review

2008-12-09T05:43:00.000-08:00

Dell Latitude E4300 Specs:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo SP9400 at 2.40 GHz with 6 MB L2 Cache, 1066 MHz FSB
Display: 13.3 inch WXGA (1280 x 800 pixels) LED Backlit Matte Display
Memory: 4 GB DDR3 1066 MHz RAM
Hard Drive: 80GB 7200 RPM HDD
Optical Drive: 8X DVD+RW
Graphics: Intel GMA X4500 MHD
Operating System: Windows Vista Business
Other Features: ExpressCard slot, WebCam, Microphone
Battery: 56 Whr, 6 cell battery

Design :

The Dell Latitude E4300 sports a very simple, yet superb design. You would be amazed at how good it actually looks, considering there are no flashy design elements in it. You just know that it is sturdy and reliable by just looking at it. It has exactly what business users should be looking for, subtle style with superb build quality. It sports a brushed metal exterior which looks great in black. The magnesium alloy chassis is very tough and holds the body together with very little flex, even near the display and the palm rest area which normally have some flex even in high end notebooks.

The Latitude E4300 is extremely durable and sturdy. You won’t have any complaints on the build quality front atleast. The hinges at the back are also solid and look strong. The 6 cell battery looks a bit out of place and protrudes a bit from the back, but it isn’t much of an issue.

Mark Cuban Claims Internet Is Dead

2008-03-31T04:21:00.001-07:00

Famed internet-made billionaire and blogger Mark Cuban raised quite a stir this week when he announced dramatically, "The Internet’s dead. It’s over." The comments made by Cuban at the CTAM summit will likely strike many as eerily familiar of Michael Bay's HD DVD trashing rants.

Cuban became a billionaire when he sold Broadcast.com, originally Audionet, to Yahoo for $5.7B. Cuban built Broadcast.com into an online powerhouse after co-founding it with earnings from the sale of his company MicroSolutions in the 80s, an early reseller of Lotus Notes. Broadcast.com at its peak featured 420 radio stations and networks; 56 TV stations and cable networks; and live game coverage of over 450 college and professional teams.

He used his wealth to buy the Dallas Mavericks and while a blogger himself, has recently taken a rather scornful attitude to the internet, which made him wealthy. He recently created a stir when he became the first team owner to ban bloggers from an NBA locker room.

At the CTAM conference, Cuban's new anti-internet sentiment became vitriolic. He addressed the panel which consisted of cable systems providers stating, "The Internet’s for old people."

Cuban claims the internet has stagnated and that the only new invention on the internet was YouTube. Cuban, however, went to argue that YouTube is nothing more than a sham based on copyright infringement and represents little real creativity. Cuban feels that cable and satellite networks have overtaken the internet in providing complex interactive services. Cuban says he once thought the internet would be superior for providing such services, but remarks, "I was wrong."

He points to the openness of collections of cable networks versus networks built by telephone companies like Verizon, which are stymied by problems talking to each other. Cuban envisions cable services offering users suites of office applications or other complex utilities, something he says would allow them to leverage their superiority to "outgoogle” Google.

While Cuban believes strongly that cable intranets are superior to internet, most experts think his claims are very off base. They state that his proposed cable systems applications sound remarkably similar to the cable television network flop @Home, which attempted to market a higher-speed "private" internet, that was separate from the normal internet.

While Cuban is known for a flare for histrionics and outbursts, his collected, deliberate speech about his animosity for the internet is sure to stir up a great deal of controversy.

Comodo Firewall 3.0.21.329

2008-03-31T04:18:00.000-07:00

Comodo claim that their firewall is unique in that it passes all known leak tests to ensure the integrity of data entering and exiting your system. Comodo has put firewall through all kinds of sophisticated tests to ensure its firewall powerful enough to ward off these attacks with default settings. No other firewall has had to work this hard.

PC Magazine Online's Editor's Choice
Secures against internal and external attacks
Blocks internet access to malicious Trojan programs
Safeguards your Personal data against theft
Delivers total end-point security for
Personal Computers and Networks

2008-03-31T04:17:00.000-07:00

uTorrent is an efficient and feature rich BitTorrent client for Windows sporting a very small footprint. It was designed to use as little cpu, memory and space as possible while offering all the functionality expected from advanced clients.

Multiple simultaneous downloads
Configurable bandwidth scheduler
Global and per-torrent speed limiting
Quick-resumes interrupted transfers
RSS Downloader
Trackerless support (Mainline DHT)

RocketDock 1.3.5

2008-03-31T04:15:00.000-07:00

RocketDock is a smoothly animated, alpha-blended application launcher that is similar to ObjectDock. RocketDock renders quickly like MobyDock, has the visual sharpness of Y'z Dock, and the stability that neither seem to possess.

It is compatible with every dock skin format we are aware of. In fact, if you have a skin that doesn't load properly, send it to us, along with a screenshot of what it should look like and we'll see what we can do about integrating the format... Features:

Compatible with Y'z Dock, Mobydock, and ObjectDock skins
Basic ObjectDock Docklet support
Unicode compliant
Simple drag-n-drop interface
True multi-monitor support
Supports alpha-blended PNG icons
Items zoom on mouse over
Auto-hide
Popup on mouse over
Layering options
Fully customizable
Runs great on slower computers
Supports many languages and can easily be translated
And best of all....it's FREE

AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5.1.43

2008-03-31T04:13:00.000-07:00

Anti-Virus programs offer insufficient protection against urgently growing threats like Trojans, Worms, Dialers, Hijackers, Spyware and Keyloggers. That's where the protection of ewido anti-spyware begins and supplements existing security applications to create a complete security system - because only a complete security system works effectively.

* NEW Completely renewed user interface
* NEW Possibility to create exceptions
* NEW Shredder for secure file deletion
* NEW XP Antispy
* NEW BHO Viewer
* NEW LSP Viewer
* Heuristics to detect unknown threats
* Scanning and cleaning of the Windows registry
* Support for NTFS-ADS scanning
* Daily database updates
* Patch proof by using strong signatures
* Analysis tools (startup, connections and processes)
* Intelligent online-update
* Scan inside archives
* Secure detection and deletion of DLL-Trojans
* Generic crypter detection through emulation
* Generic binder detection
* Free E-Mail Support
* Automatic Clean Engine
* Quarantine for suspicious files
* Multilingual User Interface

Additional features of the Plus-Version

* NEW Scheduled scans
* Real-time monitoring of the entire system
* Memory Scan detects active threats
* Self-protection at kernel layer guarantees gapless monitoring
* Automatic online-update

This setup contains the free as well as the paid version of ewido anti-spyware. After the installation, a free 30-day trial version containing all the extensions of the full version will be activated. At the end of the trial, these extensions will be deactivated and the program will turn into a feature-limited freeware version. The purchased license code can be entered at any time.

This product was formerly knows as Ewido Security Suite

DAEMON Tools Lite 4.12.2

2008-03-31T04:10:00.000-07:00

DAEMON Tools is a virtual cd/dvd-rom emulator and is able to emulate nearly all known copy protections on the market today.

The application mounts ISO images to a virtual drive without having to burn them to a CD.

It is further development of Generic Safedisc emulator and incorporates all its features. This program allows running Backup Copies of SafeDisc (C-Dilla), Securom, Laserlock, CDCOPS, StarForce and Protect CD (and many others) protected games. Also included is a Virtual DVDROM drive (Generic DVD-ROM) enabling you to use your CD images as if they were already burned to CD! DAEMON Tools works under Windows9x/ME/NT/2000/XP with all types of CD/DVDROM drives (IDE/SCSI) and supports nearly any CD protection.

DAEMON Tools supports the following image files:

* cue/bin
* iso
* ccd (CloneCD)
* bwt (Blindwrite)
* mds (Media Descriptor File)
* cdi (Discjuggler)
* nrg (Nero)
* pdi (Instant CD/DVD)
* b5t (BlindWrite 5)

Notes:

* DAEMON Tools needs a 1:1 Copy to run!!
* DAEMON Tools is used to RUN GAMES, NOT TO BURN THEM!!! Means emulation must be active while you want to play a game, not while burning the copy (except for you want to use DAEMON Tools' "fastdump" feature on a safedisc protected CD).
* If you want to run a copy protected application from an image mounted to a Generic DVD-ROM enabling the copy protection emulation(s) is NOT necessary!!
* Generic DVD-ROM is able to run nearly every protected or unprotected CD image (Safedisc®, Securom®, Laserlock®, Lockblocks® etc.) like it was the original CD! Just do an image file using one of the supported burning programs and mount it with Daemon Manager!

Google Executive Hypes Android Even More

2008-03-19T20:04:00.001-07:00

Google's AndroidOS, the development and operating platform for smartphones, is stated to be one of the most powerful platforms in the mobile market. The AndroidOS is built on the Linux platform and allows third-party developers to create mobile applications on top of the Java framework.

Some wireless carriers and mobile device makers such as T-Mobile, HTC, and Motorola are accepting this open platform with open arms while others such as Verizon and AT&T are shying away from it as they feel it will hurt their proprietary platforms.

One Google high-up is confirming the threat Android is going to be to one of the largest selling mobile platforms on the market today, Apple's iPhone. Rich Miner, Google's group manager for mobile platforms, stated after a presentation he gave at the Emerging Communications Conference that devices utilizing the Android platform will be in good position to outsell the iPhone.

Google and its Android platform are leading the Open Handset Alliance with some of the biggest names in the mobile industry such as Intel, NVIDIA, and Texas Instruments among the semiconductor crowd; T-Mobile, Sprint, and Japan's NTT DoCoMo in the mobile operator arena; and HTC, LG Electronics, Samsung, and Motorola on the handset manufacturer scene. The purpose of this forum is to promote openness in the mobile community through third-party software development without boundaries that proprietary platforms have set.

With the number of members within this alliance and the participation of four of the major handset makers, the Open Handset Alliance could give Apple and other mobile operating systems such as Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and Nokia's Symbian OS a run for their money if Android takes off.

"Once you have devices out there from Motorola, HTC, Samsung, and so on, there's a much larger potential market on Android than for the iPhone," said Miner who then went on to state, "There's a single manufacturer, it's targeted at a particular demographic, and it falls far short of the 1 billion mobile phones sold every year worldwide."

Additionally, Miner remarked that with the launch of the Android SDK, "There are things I saw people doing with the first version of the Android SDK that it seems like you can't do with the iPhone at least at the moment."

Miner, however, does not try to lure consumers away from those proprietary platforms, but goes on to present the opportunities and potential out there for developers of the various mobile platforms. "[If I were a developer] I'd certainly be looking at the iPhone, and if you believe there will be lots of Android phones out there, as we do, I'd be developing for both platforms."

Nvidia Partners Launch Pricey New 9800 GX2 Cards

2008-03-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

Graphics cards based on the new Nvidia GeForce 9800 GX2 architecture have hit the street – and boy, what a price tag.

Depending on the configuration, the new cards are roughly $200 more than the GeForce 8800 GTS (512 Mbyte) configurations, the next step down in performance in the Nvidia graphics card line. Nvidia claims that the new cards will be 50 percent faster than the GeForce 8800 Ultra.

The new cards complement Nvidia's release of the Nforce 790i motherboard, also announced on Tuesday.

Manufacturers Asus, Foxconn, and PNY both announced their GX2 cards on Tuesday, each priced over $500.

The GX2, as the name suggests, packs two GeForce 9800 GPUs on a single printed circuit board. The reported default clock speed is 675 MHz, according to Nvidia, with 256 shaders running at 1.69 GHz and the memory clock operating at 1.1 GHz. The GX2 family also allows gamers to pair tow GX2 cards together, allowing 4X SLI.

Asus announced the EN9800GX2/G/2DI/1G SLI-ready PCI Express graphics card on Tuesday, with a suggested price of $599. For that price, buyers will receive a card with a full gigabyte of frame buffer memory, as well as the game Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. A "SmartDoctor" software tool allows tweaking the engine and memory clocks without the need to reflash the BIOS, the company said. Unsurprisingly, the card also supports HDCP.

Microsoft to Make Exceptions for Xbox Live Arcade Limitations

2008-03-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

When Microsoft launched Xbox Live Arcade, it imposed a 50 MB size cap on all releases on its service. The reason for this was to maintain compatibility for Xbox 360 owners who do not own a model with a hard drive.

At the time, a 64MB Memory Unit was the only alternative, explaining the need 50 MB limit. A year ago, Microsoft released a 512 MB Memory Unit, which paved the way for the Xbox Live Arcade game limit to grow to 150 MB. A 256 MB Memory Unit is now standard issue on all HDD-less Xbox 360 consoles.

Even with the current Xbox Live Arcade limit three times what it used to be, some developers are finding 150MB simply not enough to fit in all game assets, particularly those intended for 1080p resolutions.

In particular, Capcom’s two upcoming re-imaginings of classic games Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and Bionic Commando Rearmed were unable to fit inside 150 MB without sacrificing graphical fidelity. For this reason, Microsoft has made an exception for these highly anticipated games – perhaps as a favor to the hardcore gaming crowd, or simply to be comparable to the PS3 (for which Sony has set no size limits) versions.

“With great help from the guys at Microsoft, we will be able to offer the same features on both platforms to the same quality as each other,” wrote Seth Killian on the Capcom Blog.

Microsoft confirmed the news to DailyTech in a statement: “Given the sizeable content in Bionic Commando Rearmed and Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Microsoft allowed Capcom to work with a larger file size limit for both of those titles in order to provide gamers with the game experience that Capcom desired, such as full hi-res textures or 1080p support. The Xbox LIVE Arcade versions of both titles will have complete feature and graphical parity with the iterations that will be available on other platforms.”

Although both upcoming Capcom downloadable games will live outside of the 150 MB limit, Microsoft won’t be changing its rule anytime soon.

“On the whole, our partners are happy with the size limit framework currently in place, and we do not anticipate the need to change the 150 MB size limit policy,” said a Microsoft representative. “We will continue to work closely with our partners to bring the best games to Xbox LIVE Arcade, and if a game warrants a file size limit exception, we will provide one on a case by case basis.”

WD Ships 640-Gbyte Hard Drives

2008-03-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

Storage provider Western Digital is set to begin shipping 640-Gbyte 3.5-inch hard drives, known as the WD Caviar SE16.The new high-capacity drives are based on the 320GB-per-platter technology the company introduced in January.

The new platform was designed for cool and quieter computing. Western Digital is rolling out the new technology across its product lines, including desktop, enterprise, and external hard drives.

The drives are targeted toward users of data-intensive applications, thanks to "performance with their extreme areal density, 3GB-per-second transfer rate, and Native Command Queuing (NCQ)," according to the company.

"The 640GB capacity point will be an important one for our desktop customers, and WD is leading high-volume shipments to the channel and OEM customers," said the general manager and vice president of the company's desktop business unit, Don Bennett, in a statement. "Two-platter hard drives have always been the perfect balance of value, capacity and performance for many of our customers. Today's common two-platter drives are limited to 500 GB, but we are expanding capacity by 28 percent on the same design with WD's leading technology heads and disks."

The new 640GB drive is available now for a suggested price of $139.99.

Microsoft, EA Extend In-Game Advertising Agreement

2008-03-19T19:49:00.001-07:00

For better or worse, the videogames industry is slowly embracing the concept of in-product advertising. Massive, a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft, announced that it inked a new deal with Electronic Arts to provide dynamic in-game advertising for EA video games.

The new agreement expands upon the previous deal and extends it to 2010. Microsoft and EA last summer agreed to a deal whereby Massive would provide in-game ads to EA Sports games Madden NFL 08, NASCAR 08, NHL 08, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 and Skate. Presumably, the new deal would cover the next two iterations of EA’s sports franchises, and other games such as Need for Speed ProStreet and Burnout Paradise.

“EA strongly believes that dynamic in-game advertising is an important growth area for our business, and is one of many opportunities we are pursuing in growing the advertising market,” said Kathy Vrabeck, president of the Casual Entertainment Label at EA. “We selected Massive because they are the industry leader in this space with a global sales footprint, solid brand recognition and in-depth experience in video game advertising.”

“Our latest agreement with EA expands advertisers’ unprecedented access to EA’s world-class franchises to reach young male gamers around the world,” said Cory Van Arsdale, CEO of Massive. “This multiyear partnership reflects both the maturity of the dynamic in-game advertising medium and the benefits that our network continues to deliver for both publishers and advertisers.”

Earlier this year, EA announced Battlefield Heroes, a cartoony new entry into its Battlefield franchise, which would be free to play and be ad-supported. It’s unclear, however, if Massive will be involved in the game.

EA’s extension of its commitment to in-game advertising improves the validity of the secondary revenue stream model. Research firm Yankee Group estimated that the in-game advertising market could reach $732 million by 2010.

Windows Vista SP1 Now Available to the Public

2008-03-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

As reported by DailyTech yesterday, Windows Vista SP1 is now available for download from the Microsoft Download Center.

The long-awaited service pack for Microsoft's latest consumer operating system is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. The 32-bit download weighs in at 434.5 MB while the 64-bit download is a bit larger at 726.5 MB -- both versions include English (US), French, German, Japanese, and Spanish (Traditional) languages.

SP1 ushers in a number of updates for the Windows Vista operating system including the following:

* Adds support for new UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) industry standard PC firmware for 64-bit systems with functional parity with legacy BIOS firmware, which allows Windows Vista SP1 to install to GPT format disks, boot and resume from hibernate using UEFI firmware.
* Adds support for Direct3D® 10.1, an update to Direct3D 10 that extends the API to support new hardware features, enabling 3D application and game developers to make more complete and efficient use of the upcoming generations of graphics hardware.
* Adds support for exFAT, a new file system supporting larger overall capacity and larger files, which will be used in Flash memory storage and consumer devices.
* SP1 addresses issues many of the most common causes of crashes and hangs in Windows Vista, as reported by Windows Error Reporting. These include issues relating to Windows Calendar, Windows Media Player, and a number of drivers included with Windows Vista.
* Improves the performance of browsing network file shares by consuming less bandwidth.
* Improves power consumption when the display is not changing by allowing the processor to remain in its sleep state which consumes less energy.
* Improves responsiveness when doing many kinds of file or media manipulations. For example, with Windows Vista today, copying files after deleting a different set of files can make the copy operation take longer than needed. In SP1, the file copy time is the same as if no files were initially deleted.
* Improves the copy progress estimation when copying files within Windows Explorer to about two seconds.
* Service Pack 1 includes supported APIs by which third-party security and malicious software detection applications can work alongside Kernel Patch Protection on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. These APIs have been designed to help security and non-security
* ISVs develop software that extends the functionality of the Windows kernel on 64-bit systems, in a documented and supported manner, and without disabling or weakening the protection offered by Kernel Patch Protection.

A full list of updates/fixes related to SP1 can be found on Microsoft's Windows Vista TechCenter.

Sahara TufTab Tablet PC

2008-03-06T21:32:00.001-08:00

Sahara TufTab Tablet PC from Tablet Kiosk can withstand of rain, dust, humidity, extreme temperatures and vibration. It is powered by Celeron 1.0 GHZ and features 1GB of RAM, a 12.1-inch widescreen LCD touch panel display that is viewable under sunlight, Bluetooth connectivity and even a biometric fingerprint scan among others. The Sahara TufTAb will run on Windows XP with an option for SUSE Linux. The retail price is $2099.

Via Ubergizmo

Hello kitty Epson Laptop Computer

2008-03-06T21:29:00.001-08:00

Sanrio partners with Epson to offer a laptop. It fetures a 12.1-inch display, a Intel Celeron M423 processor, 512MB of RAM, and a 40GB hard disk. This Helo Kitty laptop measures 281 x 23 x 3.5mm and weighs 6.6-pounds. It costs $1640 (189,000 Yen).

Samsung SPH-P9000

2008-03-06T21:27:00.000-08:00

Most of the people love having a PDA, mobile phone and UMPC. But hate to carry all three? You have to check out Samsung SPH-P9000. It is one of the first viable convergence devices to hit market. It features a 1-GHz processor, 256MB of memory, 5.0-inch TFT screen, CDMA EVDO, WiMAX and a 1.3-megapixel camera.

Toshiba MK1011GAH 100GB 1.8-inch HDD

2008-03-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

Toshiba has announced MK1011GAH, a 100GB 1.8-inch Hard Disk for mobile devices that spins at 4200rpm. It measures 54 x 71 x 8mm and weighs 59g. No word yet on pricing and availability.

Dell Launches XPS 630 Gaming Desktop

2008-02-27T00:58:00.001-08:00

Dell is expanding its line of gaming systems today with the new XPS 630 desktop. According to Dell, it's the first OEM PC to support the Enthusiast System Architecture (ESA).

The XPS 630 features an NVIDIA nForce 650 SLI chipset, two PCIe x16 slots, four internal HDD bays, Corsair DOMINATOR memory, four DIMM slots, Light FX 2.0 technology and a 750W power supply. Optional hardware includes an AGEIA PhysX physics accelerator and a Blu-ray drive.

Given that Dell is aiming the XPS 630 at gamers, the company fully sanctions overclocking of the processor and memory subsystems. In addition, the XPS 630 comes with a brushed-aluminum chassis and can be ordered with either a red or black bezel.

"Since its inception, the Dell XPS line has been committed to delivering aggressive, competitive and attractive options for a broad spectrum of PC gamers," said Dell gaming head Arthur Lewis. "With the Dell XPS 630, we have the unique and exciting opportunity to offer a system that brings together the needs of enthusiasts and casual gamers."

Pricing for the XPS 630 starts at $1,299 and will skyrocket from there. The base configuration will get you an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor, GeForce 8800 GT 512MB graphics card and a two-year warranty and in-home warranty service.

For a review of the XPS 630, head over to PC Magazine. The publication gave the desktop 4 out of 5 stars.

Intel Roadmaps Outline Centrino 2 Platform This June

2008-02-27T00:54:00.000-08:00

You could set your clock to Intel's mobile platform roadmap. For the last three years, the company announced its new processor lineup in January, followed by a chipset and processor refresh in June. June is always a critical month for notebook manufacturers, as the impending school semester spurs the largest volume orders on the year.

This year Intel announced its first generation 45 nanometer desktop, mobile and server processors. New roadmaps issued to notebook partners claim the company will replace its Santa Rosa Centrino platform with the Montevina Centrino 2 platform this June.

The June refresh includes new Penryn-based processors boasting a 1066MHz front-side bus and new motherboard core logic. Together, the chips will form the Montevina Centrino 2 and Centrino 2 vPro platforms.

On the processor front, Intel will launch a slew of dual core processors covering a wide range of market segments.

Penryn Core 2 Duo (Performance)
Model	Core Frequency	TDP	FSB (MHz)	L2 Cache
T9600	2.80 GHz	35W	1066	6MB
T9400	2.53 GHz	35W	1066	6MB
P9500	2.53 GHz	25W	1066	6MB
P8600	2.40 GHz	25W	1066	3MB
P8400	2.26 GHz	25W	1066	3MB

The Txxx processors are labeled as "Performance" parts and feature a TDP of 35W. The Pxxx parts are labeled "Power Optimized Performance" and feature a lower TDP of 25W. The P9500 strikes a fine balance between the two market segments by retaining a 2.53GHz core clock and 6MB of L2 cache while still managing a TDP of 25W.

Penryn Core 2 Duo (Small Form Factor)
Model	Core Frequency	TDP	FSB (MHz)	L2 Cache
SP9400	2.4 GHz	25W	1066	6MB
SP9300	2.26 GHz	25W	1066	6MB
SL9400	1.86 GHz	17W	1066	6MB
SL9300	1.60 GHz	17W	1066	6MB
SU9400	1.40 GHz	10W	800	3MB
SU9300	1.20 GHz	10W	800	3MB
U3300	1.20 GHz	5.5W	800	3MB

The processors above are lumped into Intel's "Performance Small Form Factor" segment and feature a TDP of 25W at the high end for the SP9400 and continually fall until we reach rock bottom with the U3300 which touts a TDP of 5.5W.

An Intel engineer hinted to DailyTech that the U3300 will be reserved for the "slimmest of slim" notebooks and tablets. By comparison, the 1.6 and 1.8 GHz processor found in the MacBook Air has a rating of 20W TDP. The same Intel engineer, speaking on conditions of anonymity, detailed that all of these small form factor processors will find their way into Apple and PC mobile products -- as indicated by other Intel representatives in previous interviews.

On the chipset front, Intel will launch three SKUs during the second quarter: the GM45, GM47 and PM45. The GM45/47 will feature Intel's new X4500 HD integrated graphics processor which promises DX10 support, increased battery life, integrated HDMI and DisplayPort.

The GM45/47 support 667MHz and 1066MHz FSBs, DDR2/DDR3 memory, and the ICH9M/ICH9M-Enhanced south bridges. The two parts only differ in the clock speed for the graphics core -- the GM45 features a 533 MHz core clock while the GM47 has a faster 640 MHz core clock.

Intel marketing materials claim GM47 performs twice as high on 3DMark as GM965 found in the current Santa Rosa chipsets.

The PM45 supports all the features of the two aforementioned chipsets minus the integrated graphics core. The PM45 thus will be used with integrated mobile graphics solutions from ATI and NVIDIA.

While the processors and new chipsets are important, we must also take a look at Intel's supporting cast of characters with the Centrino 2 platform. Centrino 2 notebooks will be available with 2GB of Turbo Memory -- Windows Vista ReadyDrive and ReadyBoost compliant.

Networking upgrades are plentiful for the Centrino 2 launch. Intel will launch the 82567LM and 82567LF Gigabit Ethernet controllers for LAN connectivity. Customers will also have a choice of two Shirley Peak-based WLAN controllers with the Intel WiFi Link 5100/5300. Finally, Intel will offer two WiMAX/WiFi controllers in the form of the Intel WiMAX/WiFi Link 5150/5350.

Apple yesterday launched revised MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks that incorporate Intel’s first run of Penryn processors. Apple insiders confirmed the company will refresh its notebook lineups in June, which comes as no surprise since all Centrino partners indicated they will announce notebooks based on the new Montevina Centrino 2.

Don't expect just the same old notebooks from January this June. The upcoming second-generation Penryn mobile processors require the new Socket B motherboards. However, since the thermal envelopes will not change between Penryn revisions vendors will be able to keep the existing form factors, like that found on the ultra-compact Lenovo X300, with minimal changes to the motherboard design.

Nero Burning Rom 8.2.8.0

2008-02-21T21:45:00.001-08:00

Nero 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. In addition, Nero can dynamically disable automatic-insert notification, offers support for multiple languages, and works with all major models of CD-R and CD-RW drives. This download also contains Nero's standalone Cover Editor for designing and printing CD covers.

The latest version now has the capability to burn multiple CDs, Super Video CD, improved audio filters, and much more.

Windows Live Messenger 8.5.1302

2008-02-21T21:41:00.002-08:00

With MSN Messenger you can chat online instantly in real time with friends, family and colleagues. It's faster than e-mail, more discreet than a phone call.

Chat using a webcam, send text messages to mobile phones, and express yourself instantly online in real time with new, cool emoticons.

MSN Messenger looks like you! Sign in with your own picture, create your own emoticons, and represent yourself with new, cool backgrounds!

AntiVir Personal 7.06.00.270

2008-02-21T21:41:00.001-08:00

The AntiVir Personal Edition 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.

You'll be amazed how thoroughly AntiVir protects:

detects and removes more than 150,000 viruses
always among the winners of comparison test featured in computer journals
the resident Virus Guard serves to monitor file movements automatically, e.g. downloading of data from the internet
scanning and repair of macro viruses
protection against previously unknown macro viruses
safeguard against cost generating dial-up program
protection against trojaner, worms, backdoors, jokes and other harmful programs
easy operation
Internet-Update Wizard for easy updating
Protection against previously unknown boot record viruses and master boot record viruses

O2 XDA Zinc

2008-01-17T23:22:00.000-08:00

General

Network

UMTS / GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900

Size	Dimensions	109 x 58 x 22.6 mm
Size	Weight	175 g

Display	Type	TFT touchscreen, 65K colors
	Size	240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inches
		- Handwriting recognition - QWERTY keyboard

Ringtones	Type	Polyphonic (64 channels), MP3
	Customization	Download
	Vibration	Yes

Memory	Phonebook	In shared memory, Photo call
	Call records	Yes
	Card slot	miniSD
		- 64 MB RAM, 128 MB ROM - Intel XScale PXA 270, 520 MHz processor

Data	GPRS	Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
	HSCSD	No
	EDGE	No
	3G	Yes, 384 kbps
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
	Bluetooth	Yes
	Infrared port	Yes
	USB	Yes, miniUSB

Features	OS	Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 PocketPC
	Messaging	SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML (PocketIE)
	Games	Yes
	Colors	Silver
	Camera	2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video, flash; secondary VGA video call camera
		- Video call - Pocket Office(Word, Excel, Outlook) - Java MIDP 2.0 - Voice memo - MP3/AAC player - Video/audio album - Built-in handsfree

Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1300 mAh
	Stand-by	Up to 220 h
	Talk time	Up to 5 h

BLACKBERRY 8310 Red Special Edition

2008-01-17T23:17:00.000-08:00

General

Network

GSM 850 / GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900

Size	Dimensions	107 x 60 x 15.5 mm
Size	Weight	111 g

Display	Type	65K colors
	Size	320 x 240 pixels
		- Full QWERTY keyboard - Trackball navigation - Wallpapers

Ringtones	Type	Polyphonic (32 channels), MP3
	Customization	Download
	Vibration	Yes
		- 3.5 mm stereo headset jack

Memory	Phonebook	Yes, Photocall
	Call records	Yes
	Card slot	microSD (TransFlash)
		- 64 MB flash memory

Data	GPRS	Yes
	HSCSD	No
	EDGE	Yes
	3G	No
	WLAN	No
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
	Infrared port	No
	USB	Yes, miniUSB

Features	Messaging	SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
	Browser	HTML
	Games	Yes + downloadable
	Colors	Silver
	Camera	2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video, flash
		- Integrated GPS - Java - Media player - BlackBerry maps - Organizer - Calculator - Voice dial - Built-in handsfree - To-do list

Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1100 mAh
	Stand-by	Up to 408 h
	Talk time	Up to 4 h

Apple iPhone

2008-01-17T23:12:00.001-08:00

Specifications :

Size Dimensions 115 x 61 x 11.6 mm
Weight 135 g
Display Type Touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 320 x 480 pixels, 3.5 inches
- Multi-touch input method
- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
Ringtones Type Polyphonic, MP3
Customization
Vibration Yes
- 3.5 mm headset jack
Memory Phonebook Advanced, Photocall
Call records Yes
Card slot No
- 4/8 GB shared memory
Data GPRS Yes
HSCSD No
EDGE Yes
3G No
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
Bluetooth Yes, v2.0, headset support only
Infrared port No
USB Yes, v2.0
Features OS Mac OS X v10.4.8
Messaging SMS, Email
Browser HTML (Safari)
Games No
Colors Black
Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels
- Google Maps
- Widgets support
- iPod audio/video player
- PIM including calendar, to-do list
- Photo browser/editor
- Voice memo
- Integrated handsfree
Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion
Stand-by Up to 250 h
Talk time Up to 8 h

Apple MacBook Air Slim Notebook

2008-01-17T23:07:00.000-08:00

Technical Specifications

Size and weight

Height:
0.16-0.76 inch (0.4-1.94 cm)
Width:
12.8 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth:
8.94 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight:
3.0 pounds (1.36 kg)

Processor and memory

Intel Core 2 Duo processor 1.6 MHz with 4MB on-chip shared L2 cache running at full processor speed

* 800MHz frontside bus
* 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM onboard

Storage

* 80GB 4200-rpm Parallel ATA hard disk drive2
* Optional 64GB solid-state drive2
* Optional external USB MacBook Air SuperDrive

Installed software

* Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools)
* iLife ’08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand)

Display
13.3-inch (diagonal) glossy widescreen TFT LED backlit display with support for millions of colors

Supported resolutions: 1280 by 800 (native), 1152 by 720, 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, 800 by 500, 720 by 480, and 640 by 480 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio

Graphics and video support

Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory

Extended desktop and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 1920 by 1200 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
iSight

Built-in iSight camera

Wireless
Built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on IEEE 802.11n draft specification); IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible
Bluetooth

Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)

Audio

* Analog audio output/headphone out (minijack)
* Built-in mono speaker
* Built-in omnidirectional microphone

HD DVD News

2007-12-01T04:21:00.000-08:00

Blu-ray Disc Outsells HD DVD During Black Friday Week

While the HD DVD group was happily selling its players at new low prices, the Blu-ray Disc camp managed to sell more movies in the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Early data shows Blu-ray Disc sales outpacing HD DVD by an even greater margin than usual.

Tracking firm Nielsen VideoScan has released information showing that 72.6 percent of high-definition discs purchased by consumers were Blu-ray Disc, and just 27.4 percent were HD DVD, reports Home Media Magazine.

A report released last month from Home Media Research indicated that between January 1 and September 30, Blu-ray Disc sold 2.6 million units versus 1.4 million for HD DVD – closely supporting a steady ratio of two Blu-ray Discs sold for every HD DVD.

Nevertheless, the data showing Blu-ray Disc’s commanding lead during Black Friday is slightly surprising given the recent surge in HD DVD sales thanks to rock-bottom prices. Retailers such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy sold Toshiba HD DVD players for less than $100, though prices have since gone back up. Throughout the weekend of the sale prices, Toshiba sold 90,000 players.

Those buyers, however, appeared to be less enthusiastic about buying HD DVD movies during the Thanksgiving holiday, with Blu-ray Disc sales outdoing HD DVD by nearly three-fold. The data from Nielsen VideoScan is not the complete picture, though, as the numbers do not include sales from Wal-Mart, which generally represents about 40 percent of standard DVD sales.

Another possible explanation for Blu-ray Disc’s comparatively stronger showing is the timing of studio-exclusive titles Live Free or Die Hard, Hairspray and Ratatouille. HD DVD had no comparable blockbuster releases for the month of November.

AMD News

2007-12-01T04:13:00.000-08:00

AMD Kills Quad FX Platform

AMD excited many technology enthusiasts last year when it introduced the Quad FX platform. AMD representatives touted this platform as the next big thing from AMD.

AMD apparently talked up its Quad FX enthusiast platform so well that Intel decided to roll out a competing product in its unreleased Skulltrail platform. When the Quad FX platform first hit market in January of 2007 it seemed doomed from the start to many with steep price premiums for the mainboards and the processors. These price premiums led to the lethargic adoption of the platform.

According to The Tech Report AMD representative Suzy Pruitt commented on the future of Quad FX. “The short answer is that while there are still engineering resources focused on future platform offerings that build off Quad FX, the current energy and effort has gone into programs and product initiatives like Spider and AMD has discontinued future planning and development of its eight-core enthusiast platform at this time.”

Pruitt continued, “We will continue to support customers that have an existing Quad FX with DSDC and are also working on an upgrade path for those customers. While AMD is not actively promoting AMD Opteron processor as a 2P enthusiast solution, we recognized that there are enthusiasts who are looking for two-socket solutions and think an Opteron platform is well-suited to meet that demand at this time.”

After all the promises ad statements by AMD that Quad FX was the companies enthusiast future, AMD has apparently decided to all but kill the platform off. The few enthusiasts who plunked down the big dollars required to adopt the platform should be feeling a bit uncomfortable right now.

AMD promises to continue support for the platform. However, AMD also promised the platform was the future and the company has all but killed it off the same year. The best Quad FX owners can look forward to is an upgrade to Opteron processors that work with the Quad FX mainboards.

Google Help

2007-12-01T04:03:00.000-08:00

Google Wants to Help America Ditch Fossil Fuels, Go Renewable

Despite rampant commercial success, having a stock price of over 700 dollars, the wildly successful top internet search engine, possibly the top free email service, a new cell phone OS, and a constant stream of new services that equate to internet market domination, Google has never seemed quite as evil as some big companies. The company has always preached a strongly altruistic philosophy. Its goal is to "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful" and its often used slogan is "Don't be evil".

eSolar Inc.'s solar panels in action. eSolar Inc. is one of two companies currently receiving investments from Google's RE less than C initiative. (Source: eSolar Inc.)

Now Google is looking to not just avoid being evil, but possibly do something really helpful for mankind. Google has launched an initiative called RE

Google is looking to give consumers and businesses a good reason to ditch oil and coal for renewable energy.

Google has a personal interest in energy as its data centers use a lot of it and millions of users spend countless watts of computer power, finding sites via Google's search engine.

Its initial investment efforts will be in advanced solar thermal power, wind power technologies, and enhanced geothermal systems. Google notes, though, that it will also actively pursue any other breakthrough sources of renewable energy.

Makani Power Inc. is also receiving Google Funding. Makani seeks to harness a novel but potent form of power -- high altitude winds. (Source: Makani Power Inc.)

Google has not disclosed exactly how much it will invest into the new venture, but it has announced its first project -- to build 1 gigawatt of renewable energy capacity (enough power to power San Francisco) -- is cheaper than the generation costs from coal. Google is looking to hire top engineers and researchers to aid in this project. Much of the funding for the initiative will go to this Google driven project.

Additional funding for the initiative will be channeled in the form of strategic grants and investments into organizations and individuals who are developing cheap renewable power. Companies, R&D laboratories, and universities all have a shot at the money.

So far Google has targeted two firms. The first is eSolar Inc. (PDF) who specializes in solar-thermal power. This company is highly regarded by Google as breaking new ground in providing utility scale, cheap solar power.

The second sponsored company is Makani Power Inc. (PDF). This company has the (literally) lofty goal of collecting high altitude wind energy. According to the company, if only a fraction of this energy, high altitude air streams driven by solar radiation, could be captured it would easily provide for all the worlds current power needs.

Google is joining the push for carbon neutrality, which aside from lower carbon emissions, also lowers a broad array of other industrial pollution by lowering energy consumption.

Google has stated that it is extremely committed to a green vision of the future.

These moves follow other do-good projects from Google, seeking to advance mankind, including a trans-Pacific cable-line and a 30m USD moon challenge. This initiative is by far Google's largest and most ambitious project of this kind, though. It should be interesting to see how the power of this giant can affect the energy industry. Google is not the only brainy organization looking to help solve energy woes, though -- The University of Oxford just released a significant plan on how to both cut energy usage and save money.

info : dailytech.com

Mozzila Firefox 3.0

2007-11-24T01:44:00.000-08:00

Firefox 3.0 Undergoes Bug Triage: Only One Fifth to be Treated

On Thursday the New York Times ran a story about Mozilla, manufacturer of the open-source Firefox browser, which brought to light interesting claims about internal decisions taking place.

Mozilla Firefox, which as of September had a 14.85% market share and recently hit 400 million downloads, is preparing to launch the final version of the third iteration of its Mozilla Firefox browser. Firefox 3.0 is currently undergoing testing of its Beta 1 release.

The Times alleges that Mozilla only plans to fix 20% of the bugs currently in Firefox 3.0 before the final release.

The Times received an apparently leaked copy of Mozilla's the notes for Wednesday's internal status meeting on the state of the browser. The note stated, "We have 700 bugs currently marked as blockers. That's too many. We're asking [requiring] component owners to set priorities on blockers, as a first pass of what bugs should be Beta 2 blockers. You want it to be about 10% of blockers, or what you can get done in four weeks."

A bug that is serious enough to postpone the release is known in the Mozilla community as a "blocker".

The meeting notes went on, "We'll be doing pretty much the same thing for Beta 3, which means that something like 80% of the [approximately] 700 bugs currently marked as blockers will not be fixed for Firefox 3," the meeting notes continued. "The hope is that by 'fixing the most important blockers' several times, we'll get to a point where we can cut the rest without feeling bad about the quality of the release. And if we do feel bad, we can add an extra beta or two."

The meeting notes did include an exception for security bugs, which Mozilla considers mandatory and expects developers to automatically fix. Non-security bugs that effect browsing performance are being triaged, though, by how much they will hinder user's daily browsing experience.

Mike Beltzner, Firefox's interface designer is hoping developers will focus on fixing memory leak, performance and web-compatibility issues, as well as any major regression bugs that snuck into the code of Firefox 2.0.

Mozilla is stress testing the beta software. It plans on releasing two or three more Beta candidates, before the final release. Mozilla is struggling to keep up with schedule, as it said it would release the second beta by September and Firefox 3.0 by the end of the year.

The Times article elicited a fiery response from Mozilla developer Asa Dotzler, who posted a blog stating, "[The Times'] claim is simply horses**t. We've already fixed over 11,000 bugs and features in Firefox 3 and now we're discussing how to handle the remaining 700 issues we wanted to get fixed for Firefox 3."

Dotzler makes no attempt to refute what the Times article did say, though -- that only 20% of the remaining 700 significant bugs will be fixed, and gave no indication of how many of the less significant bugs (non-"blockers") will be fixed.

Firefox typically releases solid products, but despite strong recent gains, it is clearly feeling the pinch as it prepares to release Firefox 3.0, and by all indications, is struggling to accomplish a trimmed back version of its initial goals, after missing deadlines and falling behind on its beta releases.

info : dailytech

ASUS PC news

2007-11-24T01:39:00.000-08:00

ASUS Eee PC May Violate GPL, Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act

ASUS Eee PC 4G

The ASUS Eee PC has been getting all manner of attention from various sites around the Internet, but recently an Eee owner has taken ASUS to task over potential violations of the GPL and of the long-standing Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. Programmer Cliff Biffle recently bought himself a Galaxy Black Eee PC as a birthday gift, but in attempting to play with the underlying Xandros Linux operating system, found a few major roadblocks in the form of proprietary hardware and software.

Biffle decided to disassemble the software -- which is permitted under the GPL -- and found that the asus_acpi kernel module was modified from the Linux 2.6.21.4 version. While the modification itself is permitted, in order to comply with the regulations of the GPL, ASUS has not published its modified sources, retained prior module attribution (name, version, and author) and has apparently stripped all references to "asus_acpi."
When attempting to obtain the modified sources from the ASUS website, Biffle found that the 1.8GB zipped "source" file on the ASUS page contained only some kernel headers, and a collection of .deb (Debian package) files -- some of which were not even present on the installed Xandros Linux operating system.

This is not the first time that ASUS has been in violation of the GPL -- in 2004, the company's WL-500g wireless router, which contained a Linux kernel and netfilter/iptables, was distributed without source available.

While some companies might be quick to dismiss a GPL violation as inconsequential, the recent filing of a civil suit by the Software Freedom Law Center against two companies, Xterasys Corporation and High-Gain Antennas LLC, might set precedent for stiffer financial penalties.

Unfortunately for ASUS, bad news doesn't stop there. In addition to the possibility of trouble with the GPL, the warranty sticker over the access door to the single SODIMM slot on the Eee PC may be a violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act -- specifically the section dealing with warranty tie-ins. A snippet from the ASUS warranty information is provided (emphasis DailyTech):

The warranty only covers failures or malfunctions occurred during the warranty period and in normal use conditions as will as for any material or workmanship defect. The warranty will not apply if: (a) the product has been tampered, repaired, or modified by non-authorized personnel; ... (c) the warranty seals have been broken or altered; ...

By comparing this excerpt with the example provided by the Federal Trade Commission of an "unacceptable tie-in" it's easy to see where the parallels are drawn. Eee PC modders may have a safety net to fall back on if they've installed an aftermarket memory upgrade or Mini-PCIe card after all.

Microsoft Update

2007-11-24T01:35:00.000-08:00

Microsoft Prepares Update For Windows Home Server

Microsoft's Windows Home Server officially launched earlier this month, but the company is already preparing a new update for the platform. Microsoft says that the new update is "part of the ongoing process of continually enhancing the customer experience with Windows Home Server."

The update includes a few feature additions for Windows Home Server. Currently, users who login to their server when away from their home network -- through an external URL like https://yourname.homeserver.com -- are greeted with a security warning. The November 27 update will now provide users with a trusted SSL certificate for their Windows Home Severs. The SSL certification was provided with the help of Windows Live Domains and GoDaddy.

According to The Windows Blog, the certificate error will still rear its ugly head when using an internal URL. "You will receive a certificate warning from the browser. This warning will indicate that the name on the certificate does not match the name of the site that you are trying to access," The Windows Blog reported.

Other new features included with the update include a "Delete All" button to remove home computer backups. Microsoft has also taken steps to make the Shared Folders and Server Storage aspects of Windows Home Server more robust and user friendly.

Windows Home Server systems are currently shipping from Hewlett-Packard (priced at $599 and $749 respectively for 500GB and 1TB models), while solutions from Iomega and Fujitsu-Siemens are on the way.

Users may also purchase an OEM copy of the Windows Home Server software to install on any competent old machine that have laying around collecting dust.

PC Card

2007-11-17T06:40:00.000-08:00

PC Card Is Important For PC

In computing, PC Card (originally PCMCIA) is the form factor of a peripheral interface designed for laptop computers. It was originally for memory expansion, but the existence of a usable general standard for notebook peripherals led to many kinds of devices being made available in this form. Typical devices include network cards, modems, and hard disks. The original use, for memory-expansion cards, is no longer common.

Many notebooks in the 1990s came with two type-II slots with no barrier in between (allowing installation of two type-II cards or one type-III card). With the removal of legacy ports, most contemporary notebooks only feature a single type-II card slot^{[citation needed]}.

The United States computer industry created the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association to challenge the Japanese JEIDA memory card devices by offering a competing standard for memory-expansion cards. The two standards later merged as JEIDA 4.1 or PCMCIA 2.0 (PC Card) in 1991.

All PC Card devices use an identical 68 pin dual row connecting interface. All are 85.6 mm long and 54.0 mm wide. The form factor is also used by the Common Interface form of Conditional Access Modules for DVB broadcasts.

The original standard was defined for both 5 volt and 3.3 volt cards. The 3.3 V cards have a key on the side to protect them from being damaged by being put into a 5 V-only slot. Some cards and some slots operate at both voltages as needed. The original standard was built around an 'enhanced' 16-bit ISA bus platform.

Type I

Cards designed to the original specification (version 1.x) are type I and feature a 16-bit interface. They are 3.3 mm thick. Type-I PC Card devices are typically used for memory devices such as RAM, flash memory, OTP, and SRAM cards.

Type II

Type-II PC Card devices feature a 16- or 32-bit interface. They are 5.0 mm thick. Type-II cards introduced I/O support, allowing devices to attach an array of peripherals or to provide connectors/slots to interfaces for which the host computer had no built-in support. For example, many modem, network and TV cards use this form factor. Due to their thinness, most Type II interface cards feature miniature interface connectors on the card which are used together with a dongle; a short cable that adapts from the card's miniature connector to an external full-size connector.

Type III

Type-III PC Card devices are 16-bit or 32-bit. These cards are 10.5 mm thick, allowing them to accommodate devices with components that would not fit type I or type II height. Examples are hard disk drive cards, and interface cards with full-size connectors that do not require dongles (as is commonly required with type II interface cards).

Type IV

Type-IV cards, introduced by Toshiba, have not been officially standardized or sanctioned by the PCMCIA. These cards are 16 mm thick.

info : wikipedia

Divorce OnLine

2007-11-15T06:09:00.000-08:00

DIVORCE ONline is possible

It looks like you will soon be able to do more than just online shopping and download tunes via the internet. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is reporting a new development in Broward County, South Florida, concerning online legality. In what can perhaps be seen as a sad reflection of our times, the county has just launched online services which allow married couples to apply for divorce online.

The site will guide residents through the legal steps to getting a divorce. The system is designed to help people with low income save money by foregoing attorney fees. The various steps on the site contain full information, including legal definitions. They also have sets of questions to help users determine which forms they need to fill out.

"It kind of guides you through, it asks questions. Once it knows your name, it will put it in every space it should go," Kris Mazzeo, director of the circuit/civil family division of the clerk of courts, said.

Once residents complete the online forms necessary, they merely have to mail the signed forms to the county clerk's office. Some forms do require a notary signature.

Broward County officials feel the service will save its citizens time and inconvenience.

"People come downtown and it's expensive to park. If we can keep them from making extra trips to the courthouse, it would be great for them," director Mazzeo said.

The city may also have some selfish motives in adopting this change of policy. The online application process is expected to simplify the paperwork needed by the county clerks and eliminate incomplete applications and angry customers.

Broward County is also launching similar legal services for small claims lawsuits and tenant evictions.

Broward County is not the first county to bring its divorce process online. The opulent Palm Beach County also has adopted such a system, along with several others.

2007-11-15T05:58:00.000-08:00

Intel Officially Launches 45nm "Penryn" Achitecture

Intel's new Penryn architecture snagged more than a few headlines this year, but today finally marks the launch date for the world's first 45nm processor. The launch consists of 16 new processors for the server and high-end desktop market.

Penryn is the follow-up optical shrink to Intel's 65nm Conroe architecture. While the core architecture of Penryn remains essentially the same as Conroe, Intel's desktop variant of Core 2, the smaller transistors yield more features and cache. Penryn comes with 6MB of L2 cache, whereas Conroe only had a maximum of 4MB.

New to Penryn is the SSE4 instruction set. These new instructions will yield improved operation times for many CPU-intensive applications like rendering and encoding, though very few applications can take advantage of these optimizations. yet.

Additional tweaks to the CPU frequency dividers have also been refined with Penryn, though most users will not notice a difference between equivalently clocked Conroe processors for general computing.

However, with the new 45nm process node, Intel can increase the frequency considerably while also decreasing the thermal envelope -- which in turn leads to faster processors.

15 of the new processors launched are Xeons and targeted directly at the server market. Prices of the new Xeons range from $177 all the way to $1,279. Although Intel is aiming for immediate availabily, distributors tell DailyTech that certain models will not reach retail availability for another 45 days.

Intel today only launched one Penryn processor for desktops, the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650. The Core 2 Extreme is a high-end, quad-core desktop processor. Intel guidance claims the retail price of the new processor at $999.

Seagate External HDD

2007-11-15T04:41:00.000-08:00

Seagate Serves External HDDs with a Side of Virus

The hard disk drive (HDD) market is a relatively boring one. Sure, there are capacity increases in the mobile and desktops sectors every once in a while, but spindle speeds have stayed relatively the same -- HDDs don't exactly have the same sex appeal as quad-core processors or high-end graphics cards.

Seagate, however, is making news these days not for how fast or capacious their new drives are; but for what's included on them from the factory. Seagate is warning customers that a small batch of its 500GB Maxtor Basics Personal Storage 3200 external drives shipped with the Virus.Win32.AutoRun.ah virus. The company blames a Chinese sub-contract manufacturer for the problem.

"According to Kaspersky the virus is the Virus.Win32.AutoRun.ah, a molar virus that searches for passwords to online games and sends them to a server located in China," said Seagate in a posting on its website. "It also deletes other molar viruses and can disable virus detection software."

Seagate notes that the only English-language game that is affected appears to be World of Warcraft. The other games are Chinese-language titles.

According to Seagate, at least one drive was affected with the virus. PC World reports, however, that as many as 1,800 drives were infected.

Seagate urges customers that purchased a 500GB Maxtor Basics Personal Storage 3200 to scan the drive with antivirus software that has the latest virus definitions installed. For those that don't have antivirus software installed, Seagate provides a download link for a 60-day trial of Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0.

Windows Vista

2007-11-15T04:27:00.000-08:00

WINDOWS : VISTA

Windows Vista (IPA: /ˈvɪs.tə/) is a line of graphical operating systems used on personal computers, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, Tablet PCs, and media centers. Prior to its announcement on July 22, 2005, Windows Vista was known by its codename "Longhorn". Development was completed on November 8, 2006; over the following three months it was released in stages to computer hardware and software manufacturers, business customers, and retail channels. On January 30, 2007, it was released worldwide to the general public, and was made available for purchase and downloading from Microsoft's web site. The release of Windows Vista comes more than five years after the introduction of its predecessor, Windows XP, making it the longest time span between two releases of Microsoft Windows.

Windows Vista contains hundreds of new and reworked features; some of the most significant include an updated graphical user interface and visual style dubbed Windows Aero, improved searching features, new multimedia creation tools such as Windows DVD Maker, and completely redesigned networking, audio, print, and display sub-systems. Vista also aims to increase the level of communication between machines on a home network using peer-to-peer technology, making it easier to share files and digital media between computers and devices. For developers, Vista includes version 3.0 of the .NET Framework, which aims to make it significantly easier for developers to write applications than with the traditional Windows API.

Microsoft's primary stated objective with Windows Vista, however, has been to improve the state of security in the Windows operating system. One common criticism of Windows XP and its predecessors has been their commonly exploited security vulnerabilities and overall susceptibility to malware, viruses and buffer overflows. In light of this, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates announced in early 2002 a company-wide "Trustworthy Computing initiative" which aims to incorporate security work into every aspect of software development at the company. Microsoft stated that it prioritized improving the security of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 above finishing Windows Vista, thus delaying its completion.

Windows Vista is the target of a number of negative assessments by various groups. Criticisms of Windows Vista include protracted development time, more restrictive licensing terms, the inclusion of a number of new Digital Rights Management technologies aimed at restricting the copying of protected digital media, lack of device drivers for some hardware, and the usability of other new features such as User Account Control.

End-user features

The appearance of Windows Explorer has changed since Windows XP.

Windows Aero: The new hardware-based graphical user interface, named Windows Aero – an acronym for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, and Open. The new interface is intended to be cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing than those of previous Windows, including new transparencies, live thumbnails, live icons, animations, and eye candy.
Windows Shell: The new Windows shell is significantly different from Windows XP, offering a new range of organization, navigation, and search capabilities. Windows Explorer's task panel has been removed, integrating the relevant task options into the toolbar. A "Favorite links" panel has been added, enabling one-click access to common directories. The address bar has been replaced with a breadcrumb navigation system. The preview panel allows users to see thumbnails of various files and view the contents of documents. The details panel shows information such as file size and type, and allows viewing and editing of embedded tags in supported file formats. The Start menu has changed as well; it no longer uses ever-expanding boxes when navigating through Programs. The word "Start" itself has been removed in favor of a blue Windows Orb (also called "Pearl").
Instant Search (also known as search as you type): Windows Vista features a new way of searching called Instant Search, which is significantly faster and more in-depth (content-based) than the search features found in any of the previous versions of Windows.
Windows Sidebar: A transparent panel anchored to the side of the screen where a user can place Desktop Gadgets, which are small applets designed for a specialized purpose (such as displaying the weather or sports scores). Gadgets can also be placed on other parts of the desktop.
Windows Internet Explorer 7: New user interface, tabbed browsing, RSS, a search box, improved printing, Page Zoom, Quick Tabs (thumbnails of all open tabs), Anti-Phishing filter, a number of new security protection features, Internationalized Domain Name support (IDN), and improved web standards support. IE7 in Windows Vista runs in isolation from other applications in the operating system (protected mode); exploits and malicious software are restricted from writing to any location beyond Temporary Internet Files without explicit user consent.

Windows Media Player 11

Windows Media Player 11, a major revamp of Microsoft's program for playing and organizing music and video. New features in this version include word wheeling (or "search as you type"), a new GUI for the media library, photo display and organization, the ability to share music libraries over a network with other Vista machines, Xbox 360 integration, and support for other Media Center Extenders.
Backup and Restore Center: Includes a backup and restore application that gives users the ability to schedule periodic backups of files on their computer, as well as recovery from previous backups. Backups are incremental, storing only the changes each time, minimizing the disk usage. It also features Complete PC Backup (available only in Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise versions) which backs up an entire computer as an image onto a hard disk or DVD. Complete PC Backup can automatically recreate a machine setup onto new hardware or hard disk in case of any hardware failures. Complete PC Restore can be initiated from within Windows Vista, or from the Windows Vista installation CD in the event the PC is so corrupt that it cannot start up normally from the hard disk.
Windows Mail: A replacement for Outlook Express that includes a new mail store that improves stability, and features integrated Instant Search. It has the Phishing Filter like IE7 and Junk mail filtering that is enhanced through regular updates via Windows Update.
Windows Calendar is a new calendar and task application.
Windows Photo Gallery, a photo and movie library management application. WPG can import from digital cameras, tag and rate individual items, adjust colors and exposure, create and display slideshows (with pan and fade effects), and burn slideshows to DVD.
Windows DVD Maker, a companion program to Windows Movie Maker, which provides the ability to create video DVDs based on a user's content. Users can design a DVD with title, menu, video, soundtrack, pan and zoom motion effects on pictures or slides.
Windows Media Center, which was previously exclusively bundled as a separate version of Windows XP, known as Windows XP Media Center Edition, has been incorporated into the Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista.
Games and Games Explorer: Games included with Windows have been modified to showcase Vista's graphics capabilities. New games are Chess Titans, Mahjong Titans, InkBall and Purble Place. A new Games Explorer special folder holds shortcuts and information to all games on the user's computer.

Windows Mobility Center.

Windows Mobility Center is a control panel that centralizes the most relevant information related to mobile computing (brightness, sound, battery level / power scheme selection, wireless network, screen orientation, presentation settings, etc.).
Windows Meeting Space replaces NetMeeting. Users can share applications (or their entire desktop) with other users on the local network, or over the Internet using peer-to-peer technology (higher versions than Starter and Home Basic can take advantage of hosting capabilities, limiting previous to "join" mode only)
Shadow Copy automatically creates daily backup copies of files and folders. Users can also create "shadow copies" by setting a System Protection Point using the System Protection tab in the System control panel. The user can be presented multiple versions of a file throughout a limited history and be allowed to restore, delete, or copy those versions. This feature is available only in the Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista and is inherited from Windows Server 2003.

Windows Update with Windows Ultimate Extras

Windows Update: Software and security updates have been simplified, now operating solely via a control panel instead of as a web application. Windows Mail's spam filter and Windows Defender's definitions are updated automatically via Windows Update. Users that choose the recommended setting for Automatic Updates will have the latest drivers installed and available when they add a new device.
Parental controls: Allows administrators to control which websites, programs, and games each standard user can use and install. This feature is available in Home Premium and Ultimate versions of Vista.
Windows SideShow: Enables the auxiliary displays on newer laptops or on supported Windows Mobile devices. It is meant to be used to display device gadgets while the computer is on or off.
Speech recognition is integrated into Vista. It features a redesigned user interface and configurable command-and-control commands. Unlike the Office 2003 version, which works only in Office and WordPad, Speech Recognition in Windows Vista works for any accessible application. In addition, it currently supports several languages: British and American English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), and Japanese.
New fonts, including several designed for screen reading, and improved Chinese (Yahei, JhengHei), Japanese (Meiryo) and Korean (Malgun) fonts. See Windows Vista typefaces. ClearType has also been enhanced and enabled by default.
Problem Reports and Solutions, a control panel which allows users to view previously sent problems and any solutions or additional information that is available.
Improved audio controls allow the system-wide volume or volume of individual audio devices and even individual applications to be controlled separately. New audio functionalities such as Room Correction, Bass Management, Speaker Fill and Headphone virtualization have also been incorporated.
Windows System Assessment Tool is a tool used to benchmark system performance. Software such as games can retrieve this rating and modify its own behavior at runtime to improve performance. The benchmark tests CPU, RAM, 2-D and 3-D graphics acceleration, Graphics Memory and Hard disk space.^[15]^[16]
Windows Ultimate Extras: The Ultimate Edition of Windows Vista provides access to extra games and tools, available through Windows Update. This replaces the Microsoft Plus! software bundle that was sold alongside prior versions of Windows.
Disk Management: A utility to modify hard disk drive partitions, including shrinking, creating and formatting new partitions.
Performance Diagnostic Console includes various tools for tuning and monitoring system performance and resources activities of CPU, disks, network, memory and other resources. It shows the operations on files, the opened connections, etc.

2007-11-09T00:44:00.000-08:00

NVIDIA Records First Billion Dollar Quarter

After hearing quarterly earnings reports from Intel, AMD, Apple and Microsoft, it's now time to hear what's shaking from the guys in Santa Clara, California. NVIDIA today reported that it brought in a record revenue of $1.12 billion USD for the 2008 fiscal third quarter which ended on October 28, 2007.

"We are very proud to have achieved our first billion dollar quarter. And, while it is a wonderful milestone to reach, we believe this is just the beginning," said NVIDIA President and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. "Our core businesses are continuing to grow as the GPU becomes increasingly central to today's computing experience in both the consumer and professional market segments."

The $1.12 billion USD tally marks the first time that a GPU company crossed the $1 billion USD threshold. NVIDIA also recorded net income of $235.7 million USD which represented a 121 percent increase year-over-year.

Total revenue for NVIDIA thus far through fiscal 2008 is $2.90 billion USD, while net income stands at $540.7 million USD. This compares with $2.19 billion USD and $285.3 million USD respectively for the first nine months of fiscal 2007.

"This is the era of visual computing and NVIDIA is at the forefront. People want a delightful, compelling experience when they interact with their computing devices, whether it's on a phone, notebook, game console, or workstation," Huang added. "NVIDIA is leading the way in making this experience more intuitive and rewarding through our relentless pace of innovation and focus on execution."

NVIDIA attributes the record quarter to a 33 percent increase in desktop GPU products and a 120 percent increase in mobile GPU products. Other star performers included NVIDIA's Quadro family of professional graphics processors and the new Tesla desk-side supercomputer products.

The news on the NVIDIA front has been pretty fierce over the past week. NVIDIA first set tongues wagging with the announcement of the GeForce 8800 GT. The GPU, which is based on 65nm G92 architecture is priced from $199 to $249 and brings back memories of the NVIDIA GeForce 4 Ti 4200 and Radeon 9800 on a performance-per-dollar basis.

Many in the hardware community let out a collective yawn when NVIDIA announced its new Enthusiast System Architecture (ESA). ESA aims to give enthusiasts control over a wide gamut of hardware components through a centralized software app.

More news on upcoming NVIDIA GPUs was also revealed by DailyTech earlier today. The company is set to unleash yet another 65nm variant of the 8800 GTS making for some very confused enthusiasts this holiday season.

2007-11-09T00:32:00.000-08:00

HOTSPOT AREA

A hotspot is a venue that offers Wi-Fi access. The public can use a laptop, WiFi phone, or other suitable portable device to access the Internet. Of the estimated 150 million laptops, 14 million PDAs, and other emerging Wi-Fi devices sold per year for the last few years, most include the Wi-Fi feature.

For venues that have broadband service, offering wireless access is as simple as purchasing one AP and connecting the AP with the gateway box.

Hotspots are often found at restaurants, train stations, airports, libraries, coffee shops, bookstores, fuel stations, department stores, supermarkets and other public places. Many universities and schools have wireless networks in their campus.

Wi-Fi hotspots were first proposed by Brett Stewart at the NetWorld+Interop conference in The Moscone Center in San Francisco in August 1993. Stewart did not use the term 'hotspot' but referred to public accessible wireless LANs. Stewart went on to found the companies PLANCOM in 1994 (for Public LAN Communications, which became MobileStar and then the hotspot arm of T-Mobile) and subsequently Wayport in 1996.

The term 'HotSpot' may have first been advanced by Nokia about five years after Stewart first proposed the concept.

During the dot-com boom and subsequent bust in 2000, dozens of companies like WPMedia of the Rural Agriculture town of Kingstree SC had the notion that Wi-Fi could become the payphone for broadband. Although WPMedia Inc. invented, developed and patented United States Patent 7,035,281, Retrieved on 2007-09-20 the concept of authenication, metering and billing for public domain WiFi use, the company's implementation never expanded beyond a few hundred square miles. The original notion was that users would pay for broadband access at hotspots and then expand to a completely roaming network. Although some companies like T-mobile, and Boingo have had some success with charging for access, over 90% of the over 300,000 hotspots offer free service to entice customers to their venue. ^{[citation needed]}

Free hotspots continue to grow. Wireless networks that cover entire cities, such as municipal broadband have mushroomed. MuniWireless reports that over 300 metropolitan projects have been started.

Many business models have emerged for hotspots. The final structure of the hotspot marketplace will ultimately have to consider the intellectual property rights of the early movers; portfolios of more than 1000 allowed and pending patent claims are held by some of these parties.

A commercial hotspot may feature:

A captive portal that users are redirected to for authentication and payment
A payment option using credit card, PayPal, BOZII, iPass, or other payment service
A walled garden feature that allows free access to certain sites

Many services provide payment services to hotspot providers, for a monthly fee or commission from the end-user income. ZoneCD is a Linux distribution that provides payment services for hotspots who wish to deploy their own service.

Major airports and business hotels are more likely to charge for service. Most hotels provide free service to guests; and increasingly small airports and airline lounges offer free service.

FON is a European company that allows users to share their wireless broadband and sells excess bandwidth to outside users (Aliens). Since this may breach users terms of service FON has agreements with many broadband providers / ISPs.

The nature of commercial WiFi has seen a profound shift since its first adoption. Much like O’Reilly’s term “Web 2.0” has come to represent the current and next generation of web sites and web applications like Wikipedia, Craig’s List, blogging, and Google’s personalized homepage, Joshua Beil coined the term "WiFi 2.0" to represent the evolution of commercial WiFi.

Whereas WiFi 1.0 was characterized by:

Single location, short range
Non revenue generating or manual methods of revenue collection
Unsecure or WEP
No branding
No localized content/advertising
No gathering of user demographic data

WiFi 2.0 is characterized by:

Multiple locations and/or mesh splash page portals
User revenues and or sponsor-based revenues generated
Partial or fully branded by location or provider
Location-based content and advertising
Survey and other tools to gather intelligence about users

A 15-page whitepaper was authored by Beil and published by several online WiFi industry websites in August 2006:

http://www.bbwexchange.com/publications/page1423-228167.asp http://www.80211anews.com/publications/page1293-228167.asp http://www.80211bnews.com/pubs/2006/09/20/page1271-228167.asp http://www.80211info.com/pubs/2006/09/20/page1271-228167.asp http://www.80216news.com/publications/page1299-228167.asp http://www.spectrumresellers.com/pubs/2006/09/20/page1271-228167.asp

INFO : WIKIPEDIA

2007-11-09T00:23:00.000-08:00

ATI RADEON HD 2900 GT Launched With A Whimper

ATI and NVIDIA are locked once again in the ongoing battle for your graphics card dollars. ATI hasn’t been much of a threat to NVIDIA's market dominance recently and many don’t see that changing.

DailyTech reported a few weeks ago that ATI/AMD claimed a 17.5% share of the discrete graphics market, well behind NVIDIA. With NVIDIAs recent release of the 8800 GT that performs well and carries a low cost firmly in the realm of possibility for most gamers many were waiting for ATI’s counter to the 8800 GT.

ATI quietly counter-launched the new Radeon HD 2900 GT graphics card. So quietly, in fact, that the new card cannot even be found on ATI’s website without some detective work. A quick look at popular online ATI resellers shows no listings for the HD 2900 GT and a look at usual ATI card partners only shows the card listed on Sapphire’s website.

Sapphire claims the HD 2900 GT has 700 million transistors and is built on 80nm fabrication and has a 256-bit 4-channel GDDR3 memory interface. The unified superscalar shader architecture has 240 stream processing units and the card is fully DirectX 10 compliant.

Sapphire provides a long list of other features for the HD 2900 GT. Like other HD 2900 series graphics cards, the GT has the onboard 5.1 surround sound card allowing HDMI to carry video and sound. The core frequency for the 2900 GT is 600 MHz and the memory frequency is 1600 MHz. Sapphire declined to comment on pricing or availability.

NVIDIA had its own silent launch as well, the GeForce 8800 GTS SSC. This limitted volume card unlocks 112 stream processors as opposed to the 96 found on other GeForce 8800 GTS cards. More GeForce 8800-series replacements are soon to follow as well.

2007-11-03T06:07:00.000-07:00

Toshiba New 22.2 inch LCD Sports

Typically, the highest resolution seen for LCD computer monitors comes from the 30-inch variety sporting 2560 x 1600 like the recently announced Gateway XHD3000.

Toshiba decided that 2560 x 1600 just isn’t high enough and announced a 22.2-inch TFT color LCD boasting a headache inducing QUXGA-W screen resolution of 3840 x 2400 resolution.

Unfortunately, the other specifications for the display aren’t nearly as interesting as the resolution. The brightness is only 235 cd/m²; most high-end displays feature brightness in excess of 300 nits. The contrast ratio is 300:1 and the display can produce 16.7 million colors. Viewing angles are simply abysmal at 120 degrees horizontal and 100 degrees vertical.

Toshiba advertises that it will sell the display for 2,079,000 yen, or approximately $18,000 USD. Toshiba also lists a required video card at a price of 312,000 yen or about $2,700 USD, though most high-end video cards today should have no problem supporting ultra-dense resolution -- but don't expect a casual game of Crysis at that resolution.

Toshiba's insane price tag likely has to do with the fact that there are no production lines capable of producing LCD substrates with such high resolutions. Such high resolutions only come from experimental facilities from NEC and Toshiba for medical imaging displays.

The ship date for the display is Q2 2008. With a small 22.2-inch screen size and a mega resolution of 3840 x 2400 it would seem reading text on the display would be very difficult. Many users complain 2560 x 1600 on a 30-inch display makes text too small.

info : www.dailytech.com

2007-11-03T05:58:00.000-07:00

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a serial bus standard to interface devices. A major component in the legacy-free PC, USB was designed to allow peripherals to be connected using a single standardized interface socket and to improve plug-and-play capabilities by allowing devices to be connected and disconnected without rebooting the computer (hot swapping). Other convenient features include providing power to low-consumption devices without the need for an external power supply and allowing many devices to be used without requiring manufacturer specific, individual device drivers to be installed.

USB is intended to help retire all legacy varieties of serial and parallel ports. USB can connect computer peripherals such as mouse devices, keyboards, PDAs, gamepads and joysticks, scanners, digital cameras, printers, personal media players, and flash drives. For many of those devices USB has become the standard connection method. USB is also used extensively to connect non-networked printers; USB simplifies connecting several printers to one computer. USB was originally designed for personal computers, but it has become commonplace on other devices such as PDAs and video game consoles. In 2004, there were about 1 billion USB devices in the world.

USB PORT

The design of USB is standardized by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), an industry standards body incorporating leading companies from the computer and electronics industries. Notable members have included Apple Inc., Hewlett-Packard, NEC, Microsoft, Intel, and Agere.

A USB system has an asymmetric design, consisting of a host, a multitude of downstream USB ports, and multiple peripheral devices connected in a tiered-star topology. Additional USB hubs may be included in the tiers, allowing branching into a tree structure, subject to a limit of 5 levels of tiers. USB host may have multiple host controllers and each host controller may provide one or more USB ports. Up to 127 devices, including the hub devices, may be connected to a single host controller.

USB devices are linked in series through hubs. There always exists one hub known as the root hub, which is built-in to the host controller. So-called "sharing hubs" also exist; allowing multiple computers to access the same peripheral device(s), either switching access between PCs automatically or manually. They are popular in small-office environments. In network terms they converge rather than diverge branches.

A single physical USB device may consists of several logical sub-devices that are referred to as device functions, because each individual device may provide several functions, such as a webcam (video device function) with a built-in microphone (audio device function).

USB device communication is based on pipes (logical channels). Pipes are connections from the host controller to a logical entity on the device named an endpoint. The term endpoint is also occasionally used to refer to the pipe. A USB device can have up to 32 active pipes, 16 into the host controller and 16 out of the controller. Each endpoint can transfer data in one direction only, either into or out of the device, so each pipe is uni-directional. Endpoints are grouped into interfaces and each interface is associated with a single device function. An exception to this is endpoint zero, which is used for device configuration and which is not associated with any interface.

When a new USB device is connected to a USB host, the USB device enumeration process is started. The enumeration process first sends a reset signal to the USB device. The speed of the USB device is determined during the reset signaling. After reset, USB device setup information is read from the device by the host and the device is assigned a unique host-controller specific 7-bit address. If the device is supported by the host, the device drivers needed for communicating with the device are loaded and the device is set to configured state. If the USB host is restarted, the enumeration process is repeated for all connected devices.

The host controller polls the bus for traffic, usually in a round-robin fashion, so no USB device can transfer any data on the bus without an explicit request from the host controller.

2007-11-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

COMPUTER GRAPHIC

3D computer graphics (in contrast to 2D computer graphics) are graphics that utilize a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images. Such images may be for later display or for real-time viewing. Despite these differences, 3D computer graphics rely on many of the same algorithms as 2D computer vector graphics in the wire frame model and 2D computer raster graphics in the final rendered display. In computer graphics software, the distinction between 2D and 3D is occasionally blurred; 2D applications may use 3D techniques to achieve effects such as lighting, and primarily 3D may use 2D rendering techniques. 3D computer graphics are often referred to as 3D models. Apart from the rendered graphic, the model is contained within the graphical data file. However, there are differences. A 3D model is the mathematical representation of any three-dimensional object (either inanimate or living). A model is not technically a graphic until it is visually displayed. Due to 3D printing, 3D models are not confined to virtual space. A model can be displayed visually as a two-dimensional image through a process called 3D rendering, or used in non-graphical computer simulations and calculations.

Overview

A 3D scene of 8 red glass balls

The process of creating 3D computer graphics can be sequentially divided into three basic phases: 3D modeling which describes the process of forming the shape of an object, layout and animation which describes the motion and placement of objects within a scene, and 3D rendering which produces an image of an object.

Modeling

A 3D rendering with raytracing and ambient occlusion using Blender and Yafray

The model describes the process of forming the shape of an object. The two most common sources of 3D models are those originated on the computer by an artist or engineer using some kind of 3D modeling tool, and those scanned into a computer from real-world objects. Models can also be produced procedurally or via physical simulation.

Layout and animation

In raytracing, the number of reflections “rays” can take, as well as various other attributes, can be tailored to achieve a desired visual effect. Modeled and rendered with Ashlar Cobalt.

Before an object is rendered, it must be placed (layout/laid out) within a scene. This is what defines the spatial relationships between objects in a scene including location and size. Animation refers to the temporal description of an object, i.e., how it moves and deforms over time. Popular methods include keyframing, inverse kinematics, and motion capture, though many of these techniques are used in conjunction with each-other. As with modeling, physical simulation is another way of specifying motion.

Rendering

Rendering converts a model into an image either by simulating light transport to get photorealistic images, or by applying some kind of style as in non-photorealistic rendering. The two basic operations in realistic rendering are transport (how much light gets from one place to another) and scattering (how surfaces interact with light). This step is usually performed using 3D computer graphics software or a 3D graphics API. The process of altering the scene into a suitable form for rendering also involves 3D projection which allows a three-dimensional image to be viewed in two dimensions.

info : wikipedia

2007-11-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Portable Computer

A portable computer is a computer that is designed to be moved from one place to another (in other words, it is a computer that is portable). Portable computers, by their nature, are microcomputers. Early portables were unkindly referred to as "luggables," referring to their great size and weight (owing partly to the need to include a full-blown CRT monitor, as LCD technology was not yet mature). The term "luggable" is today used mainly when speaking of 17" and larger widescreen laptops.

Xerox NoteTaker, developed in 1976 at Xerox PARC, although it remained a prototype and did not enter production.

The first portable computer was manufactured by a small company in Santa Monica, Ca. named GM Research. The machine which was designed and patented (US Patent No. 4,294,496) by James Murez was first delivered to The Computer Store, Santa Monica, Ca in mid 1977. It was called the Micro Star and later changed the name to The Small One. Although Xerox claims to have designed the first such system, the machine by Murez predated anything on the market or that had been documented in any publication at the time - hence the patent was issued. As early as 1979 the U.S. Government was contracting to purchase these machines. Other major customers included Sandia Labs, General Dynamics, BBN (featured on the cover of their annual report in 1980 as the C.A.T. system) and several dozen private individuals and companies around the world. In 1979, Osborn viewed the machine along with several hundred other visitors at the first computer show that was sponsored by the IEEE Westec in Los Angeles. Later that year the machine was also shown at the first Comdex show.

The first mass-produced portable computer was the Osborne 1, developed by Adam Osborne, which owed much to the NoteTaker's design. The first IBM PC compatible portable computer (and indeed the first 100% IBM PC compatible, or "clone," of any kind) was the Compaq Portable. The first full-color portable computer was the Commodore SX-64.

The term portable computer is now almost exclusively used to refer to portable computers that are larger than a laptop, often use conventional parts and usually do not run on batteries. Very few manufacturers remain for this type of computer one is Sterling Computer Sales. Smaller portable computers are also known as mobile computers. They are referred to by their more specific terms:

The laptop (or notebook) with a flat panel display and keyboard, requiring a seated position and both hands. A relatively recently introduced modification has been the Tablet PC, which essentially is a laptop operated with a stylus on a touch-sensitive screen. See also desktop replacement computer, a large laptop designed to perform all of the functions of a desktop computer.
The sub-notebook which is something between a laptop and a PDA
The pocket computer, which was mostly a phenomenon of the 1980s, and combined the features of an alphanumeric calculator, a small home computer (usually programmable in BASIC), and a PDA. Manufacturers of these included Tandy/Radio Shack, Hewlett-Packard, Casio, and Sharp Corporation.
The personal digital assistant (PDA), usually held in one hand and operated with the other.
The wearable computer with handsfree interface, and usually some voice capability (speech recognition and speech synthesis).

Portable computers have been increasing in popularity over the past decade, as they do not restrict the user in terms of mobility as a desktop computer would. Wireless Internet, extended battery life and more comfortable ergonomics have been factors driving this increase in popularity.

info : wikipedia

2007-11-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

Tablet PC

A Tablet PC is a notebook or slate-shaped mobile computer. Its touchscreen or graphics tablet/screen hybrid technology allows the user to operate the computer with a stylus or digital pen, or a fingertip, instead of a keyboard or mouse.

The form factor offers a more mobile way to interact with a computer. Tablet PCs are often used where normal notebooks are impractical or unwieldy, or do not provide the needed functionality.

The Tablet PC is a culmination of advances in shrinking notebook hardware and improvements in integrated digitizers as methods of input. A digitizer is typically integrated with the screen, and correlates physical touch or digital pen interaction on the screen with the virtual information portrayed on it. A tablet's digitizer is an absolute pointing device rather than a relative pointing device like a mouse or touchpad. A target can be virtually interacted with directly at the point it appears on the screen.

Inputting data

A user can enter text using handwriting recognition, an on-screen (virtual) keyboard, speech recognition, or standard keyboard. Shorthand-like entry methods, which enable pen-driven input at speeds comparable to touch-typing, and are unique to the Tablet PC, include AlphaTap and ShapeWriter. On-screen keyboards without shorthand include Inscribe and MessagEase.

Tablet PCs using Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or Windows Vista may utilize the Ink object as a means of data input and storage. This is a data type first created as part of the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition API that allows one to manipulate and process handwritten data, including recognition results and, in some cases, the pressure information for each part of the stroke. Properties of Ink can be changed in much the same way as properties of other objects, and the data can be saved to allow future reference. Many applications referencing the Ink object also allow handwritten notes to be filtered and searched through, based on the recognition results stored when Ink is saved.

A popular use of the Tablet PC form factor is to enable computerized manipulation, organization, and reading of large amounts of printed information. In particular, casual readers may download electronic versions of their favorite books to read on their Tablet PCs, or students may scan in the pages of textbooks and just bring their Tablet PCs to class in lieu of bulky textbooks. Universities have begun integrating Tablet PCs with shared resources such as whiteboards, where students and teachers can interactively manipulate the same images.

Handwriting recognition

Modern day processors and advances in recognition algorithms make the conversion from handwriting to text far more practical now than it was in early attempts of Tablet PCs.

Current handwriting recognition technology employed by Tablet PCs are effective at recognition of natural cursive writing, rather than letter-by-letter recognition. Letters in the context of words are recognized for finding possible sequences within an input block of handwriting. The sequences are then compared to a dictionary of words for determining the most likely sequence, with a list of alternatives presented to the user. On known (in-dictionary) words, this method is more accurate than letter recognition, however modern system also address recognition of out-of-dictionary words, notably email and web addresses, new slang terms, proper names, and domain-specific terminology. Handwriting recognition software often presents a letter recognizer option to better enable precise input.

Handwriting recognition in Windows

The integrated handwriting recognition in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 can recognize print, cursive, or mixed writing. Accuracy can be increased by configuring the recognizer to expect left-handed writing or right-handed writing. Recognition in a variety of languages is available with the install of a recognizer pack. The handwriting engine cannot be trained in Windows XP, forcing the user to retrain their handwriting to be better recognized by the system.

The integrated handwriting recognition in Windows Vista is, however, trainable in a variety of ways. Vista offers the option for users to correct specific errors in recognition, provide samples for a set of common characters, or to provide a large set of handwriting samples directly on the computer. There is also the option to use automatic learning - this feature pays attention to things like which words the user includes in emails, and which recognition results they correct. It automatically adds those words to the dictionary and/or increases the likelihood of those words being recognized for improved recognition in the future.

info : wikipedia

2007-11-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

Laptop Computer

A laptop computer, or simply laptop (also notebook computer or notebook), is a small mobile computer, which usually weighs 2-18 pounds (1-6 kilograms), depending on size, materials, and other factors.

A laptop computer is much smaller than a desktop. Laptops usually run on a single main battery or from an external AC/DC adapter which can charge the battery while also supplying power to the computer itself. Many computers also have a 3 volt cell to run the clock and other processes in the event of a power failure.

As personal computers, laptops are capable of the same tasks as a desktop computer, although they are typically less powerful for the same price. They contain components that are similar to their desktop counterparts and perform the same functions, but are miniaturized and optimized for mobile use and efficient power consumption. Laptops usually have liquid crystal displays and most of them use different memory modules for their random access memory (RAM), for instance, SO-DIMM in lieu of the larger DIMMs. In addition to a built-in keyboard, they may utilize a touchpad (also known as a trackpad) or a pointing stick for input, though an external keyboard or mouse can usually be attached.

UMPCs: These Ultra-Mobile PCs are mobile computers with a size comparable to PDAs - they are extremely portable. Because of their small size, they incorporate a 20 cm (7 inch) or smaller touch-screen for the user to interact with it (as with a virtual keyboard), though some (such as the OQO Model 02) are designed with a miniature physical keyboard (a thumbboard) and mouse interface. They house lower performing, power-saving components (in comparison to larger laptops). Examples of UMPCs are the OQO Model 02 and the Sony VAIO UX Micro PC.
Ultraportables: Laptops with screens typically less than 12 (30cm) inches diagonally and a weight of less than 3-5 lbs (1.4 - 2.3 kgs). Their keyboards are usually not full-size. Their primary audience is usually business travelers, who need small, light laptops. Ultraportables are often very expensive, have extended battery life, house power-saving CPUs and almost always have integrated graphics. However Dell released the XPS M1210 and XPS M1330 which has 12.1 and 13.3 inch screens. Both system have dedicated graphic solution and they are under 2kg. The end result is ultraportability and a hefty price tag.

A Sony VAIO FJ76 Notebook

Thin-and-lights: Laptops usually weighing in between 4-6 lbs (1.8 - 2.7 kgs) with a screen size of between 12 and 14 inches (30 - 35cm) diagonally. Examples of this variety: the Sony VAIO CR , HP Pavilion DV2000 and Apple MacBook.

Mainstream: Laptops weighing in between 5 and 7 lbs (2.3 - 3.2 kgs),with a screen size of 14.1 inches (35cm) and 15.4 inches (39.1) .Examples:Dell Inspiron E1405, E1505,1420,1520/1521 and 1501, Acer Aspire 5520, 5920

Desktop replacement computers: Powerful laptops meant to be mainly used in a fixed location and infrequently carried out due to their weight and size; the latter provides more space for powerful components and a big screen, usually measuring 17-20 inches (43 - 51 cm). Desktop replacements tend to have limited battery life, rarely exceeding three hours, because the hardware is not optimized for efficient power usage. Sometimes called a luggable laptop. An example of a desktop replacement computers are gaming notebooks, which are designed to handle 3D graphic-intensive processing for gamers. These notebooks possess similar features as desktop computers.An example of this is the Dell Inspiron E1705,1720/1721, XPS 1710, 2010, Sony AR, Acer Aspire 7720 and Apple MacBook Pro.

info : wikipedia

2007-11-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

The release of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock during last weekend was a bit of an anomaly. Most video games, along with other entertainment media, launch on Tuesdays. For one reason or another, Activision saw fit to give the latest Guitar Hero installment a Sunday release. Weekend releases are popular in Japan for the sake of giving students one less reason to skip school, but such practice isn’t common in North America. There’s no debate that the Guitar Hero franchise is huge, but not even Halo 3 had a unique launch day. A couple days after the release of the latest Guitar Hero, it’s clear that Neversoft understands what it takes to make a great music game. About those new wireless guitars though...

Guitar Hero Players Report Issues with Guitar Hardware
The new Guitar Hero III bundle also promised to bring an improved guitar design with wireless technology. Sadly, the new owners of the latest guitar controllers are reporting on Internet forums and blogs that certain buttons do not work as desired. Early evidence points to the new detachable neck being the culprit for the problem. Activision and Red Octane have yet to officially comment on the issue.

Guitar Hero III to Gain New Offline Co-op Gameplay Mode
While soloists may quickplay any cleared song on any difficulty, those wanting to have a quickplay duet with another player will find such an option to be missing. Thanks to the advent of patches on consoles, however, such a game mode can be added relatively easily. A free download from Xbox Live will enable offline co-op quickplay in the Xbox 360 version, though no plans have been revealed for a similar option for the other systems.

Beware the Wal-Mart Bundle with Old Guitar Hardware
Wal-Mart’s low-cost strategy tends to make consumers happy with low prices. Those looking for Guitar Hero III may be pleased to find that Wal-Mart will be charging less than other retailers for the new game, but buyers should be aware (and beware) that the Wal-Mart versions of the game come with older guitar hardware on the Xbox 360 and PS2 versions. If you’re looking for Guitar Hero III on those systems, be sure you’re buying the one with the guitar you want.

Rock Band and Guitar Hero III Hardware Could be Incompatible
According to preliminary tests conducted by IGN, gamers looking to get into both music rhythm franchises may have to invest in separate hardware for each game. Rock Band guitars don’t appear to work with Guitar Hero III, while both Xbox 360 Guitar Hero guitars work with Rock Band in a limited capacity. Ideally, Guitar Hero III could be patched after release to support the Rock Band hardware, but that would assume that EA and Activision would have to play nice.

Two New Nintendo DS Lite Colors
With Nintendo’s handheld in selling to more people than ever, the next step to attract even more customers is to offer them in a greater variety of colors! According to a flyer scan received by Go Nintendo, the two new colors will be metallic pink and gold. The pink DS appears to share the same color as the new rose color that is currently available only in Japan and will be themed with a paw print logo to match its Nintendogs pack-in game. The gold DS will be bundled with the new Zelda game.

Gears of War Almost Shipped Sans Multiplayer
Before Halo 3 hit, Gears of War was where most Xbox 360 gamers were spending their current-gen online game time. That’s why it is surprising to learn that the president of Epic Games nearly scrapped the multiplayer portion of Gears of War. Remember that “Mad World” commercial? That wasn’t unanimously approved either.

2007-10-27T22:19:00.001-07:00

Acer Profits Up On High Laptop Computer Demand

Acer is known as the top PC vendor in Taiwan, but here in the United States Acer doesn't give much competition to likes of HP and Dell.

In August, DailyTech reported that Acer announced it would purchase Gateway for $710 million USD. The move specifically allows Acer to gain market share in the United States. The purchase price raised the ire of some Gateway shareholders who claim that Gateway was worth well over the selling price Acer paid. In September, Gateway shareholders had filed two separate lawsuits over the purchase.

Acer wasn’t content to snap up Gateway alone and opted to purchase Packard Bell, which DailyTech covered this month. The purchase of Packard Bell will also help improve Acer market share in countries other than America.

Reuters reports that Acer and Lenovo have been fighting it out for the title of the world’s third largest PC maker with Lenovo reportedly carrying a reported 8.2% share of the PC marketplace worldwide and Acer reportedly carrying 8.1% of the worldwide PC market share.

Reuters says that with the Gateway purchase finalized this month Acer may now own the world’s third largest PC manufacturer title. With the acquisitions and increased demand for laptop computers, Acer profits are soaring.

Acer reported on Thursday its net profit of $90 million USD for the third financial quarter that ended in September. Analyst David Chang from Macquarie told Reuters that Acer sales growth was expected to grow in the fourth quarter on higher than expected laptop demand, but that long-term concerns about the Gateway purchase was keeping the neutral rating for Acer.

info : www.dailytech.com

2007-10-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

Young Love:Microsoft Wins Share Of Facebook

For weeks, rumors were swirling that Microsoft was wooing Facebook and considering investing in the social networking giant.

True to these rumors, the pair has finally gone public about their new partnership. Microsoft has agreed to fork over $240 million USD to gain a minority share in Facebook. The move gives it only a small percentage – approximately 1.6 percent -- of Facebook's net worth. However, even such a small commitment between these two giants will likely have major ramifications in the software and internet industry.

According to accounts, internet media giant Google was narrowly beat out in intense negotiations by Microsoft.

The move raises Facebook's net worth to approximately 15 billion dollars. Interestingly this means that if each of the 50 million users of the social network had a price attached to them, based on the site's next worth, each would be worth approximately $306.12.

The move grants Microsoft some special benefits. Microsoft gains exclusive rights to sell Facebook advertising. Facebook's advertising reaches an international market of millions, so this is very useful. Microsoft has already begun to sell ads on Facebook, as of yesterday. The deal will last until 2011.

Like any good partnership, there is plenty of sharing -- the revenue from the advertisements will be split between Microsoft and Facebook.

Facebook certainly has its own perks, too -- it gets a large cash infusion, which it can use to hire new developers and expand its resources. Facebook announced it plans to expand from its current 300 employees to nearly 700 within a year. It also gets assistance developing a robust advertising system.

The move is definitely a win-win for both parties. Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft’s Platforms & Services division discussed the excitement about the new pairing:

The opportunity to further collaborate as advertising partners is a big reason we have decided to take an equity stake, and is a strong statement of our confidence in the long-term economics of this partnership. We’re very pleased with the scope and depth of our partnership. It’s a big industry. The equity stake we’re taking is a strong statement of confidence about this partnership. Just sit back and watch how this partnership develops. There’s a lot we’re going to do together.

Facebook was considered one of the most attractive software companies due to its torrid growth. The network has been doubling its user base every six months. Its growth has dramatically outpaced its chief rival in online social networking, Myspace.com.

Mark Zuckerburg, the creator of the network, and its CEO, often draws comparisons to Bill Gates. He also has been the target of some recent suits from former classmates who claim he stole their idea (which may perhaps further increase comparisons to Gates).

Microsoft is not Facebook's only new interest, though. Facebook has just entered into a partnership with Blackberry to make "Faceberry" phones...Blackberry phones preloaded with Facebook access and functionality. Facebook's new software for the Blackberry will make use of its push email system to access user's accounts. Users will even be able to take pictures and create tags for them.

Facebook also recently announced grants of up to $250,000 for software developers who can present new ideas for Facebook applications, as reported at DailyTech.

The future is certainly looking bright for Facebook. With its new partnership with Microsoft, the world's largest tech partnership, an exciting world of possibilities opens up to the network and its users.

info : www.dailytech.com

2007-10-25T05:10:00.000-07:00

Western Digital Launches My DVR Expander

Digital video recorders are quickly becoming as common in a home theater as a DVD player. With the proliferation of HD programming on DVR systems, more storage space is needed. Currently when your TiVo fills up your option is to delete content.

Western Digital announced a new product today called the My DVR Expander that adds another, much better option to the list. The My DVR Expander looks just like the Western Digital My Book external hard drives, which is what the My DVR Expander is in the grand scheme of things.

The 500GB external hard drive connects to all TiVo HD and Series3 DVRs via the eSATA port and is recognized automatically by the DVR. The additional 500GB of storage space allows for up to 300 additional hours of standard definition video and up to 60 additional hours of high definition video.

The drive uses passive cooling for silent operation and a low intensity LED light to minimize distractions while using your home theater. Western Digital also says that the My DVR Expander will work with Scientific Atlanta models including the Explorer 8300 series DVRs. Included in the package are the drive itself, an eSATA cable, AC adapter and the quick install guide. The drive is available now for $199.

info : www.dailytech.com

2007-10-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

Toshiba Denies Work On xBox 360 with Build-in HD DVD

Last Friday, Australian website Smarthouse claimed to have word from a Toshiba representative saying that Microsoft and Toshiba are working on an Xbox 360-based entertainment machine that will incorporate an HD DVD drive.

The information ran contrary to what Microsoft has said in the past regarding the never including an HD DVD drive in the Xbox 360 for cost reasons, and that DVD media is still perfectly adequate for this generation of games.

The speculated machine discussed last week, however, supposedly would not be a strict gaming machine, but rather a home media box.

UK-based Stuff spoke with a local Toshiba contact regarding the report and received a denial of development for any such product. “It’s got nothing to do with us,” said the Toshiba representative. “But we know Microsoft doesn’t want to include the HD DVD drive so as not to limit the user’s experience.”

With the rapidly falling prices of HD DVD hardware, it’s conceivable that Microsoft could add an HD DVD drive in a variant of its Xbox 360 console at minimal charge. The added ability to play HD DVD movies would provide a strong bullet point feature to match-up against the PlayStation 3’s Blu-ray Disc playback. Furthermore, with the addition of HDMI in all new production Xbox 360 consoles (though still lacking proper lossless audio output), Microsoft’s machine is one step closer to becoming a full-HD DVD standalone replacement.

info : www.dailytech.com

2007-10-25T04:43:00.000-07:00

Google Get Shiny New IMAP Support

Gmail, Google's email service, is adopting the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) version 4 at last. Traditionally Google has used Post Office Protocol to access messages, which is currently in its 3rd iteration (POP3).

The move to IMAP4 brings about some key advantages. One is that IMAP4 will automatically sync your account. With POP3, you could check your emails in Thunderbird or on your notebook, however, if you logged into your account elsewhere, your messages would likely still be marked as unread. This creates unnecessary inconvenience.

One of IMAP4's other advantages is the ability to perform server side searches, which saves the time and resources required to download messages and then perform the search on POP3 systems. Also, before only one client (i.e. Thunderbird or your iPhone) could be connected to a mailbox at a time. IMAP4 allows multiple clients to simultaneously connect. IMAP4 also allows users the ability to edit mailbox information on the server and easily move messages between mailboxes on the server side.

These improvements may mostly fly under the radar, but they will likely be welcome improvements for power users, and may even provide a bit more convenience to standard users.

The improvements are not currently available to all Gmail users, but Google is working fast to expand the service to everyone. "Don't fret if you don't see 'IMAP Access' yet under the Settings menu. We're rolling it out to everyone over the next few days," said Google on its "About Gmail" page.

While Gmail is blazing the way into IMAP4, most ISP provided emails are still using POP3.

It should be interesting to see how Google's software and resources handle the increased load that IMAP4 places on the system. It would not be surprising to see a few hiccups over the next few months.

Still, the shift is definitely a move in the right direction and opens up exciting new possibilities for Gmail users. The move caps up a series of exciting news coming from Google that includes the development of a mobile OS, laying a trans-Pacific cable for "the Unity Project", the Google $30 million USD moon challenge, and the launch of Google News.

info : www.dailytech.com

2007-10-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

INTERNET FOUNDING FATHER WANTS SPACE WIDE WEB

More than 1 billion people on Earth use the Internet worldwide, but it may not be long before the power of the Internet is available to people in space.

"Interplanetary" Internet capabilities could one day allow users "to access information and to control experiments taking place far away" from our planet, said Vinton Cerf, a computer scientist and Internet evangelist best known the founding father of the Internet.

Speaking during an event held in Seoul, South Korea, Cerf warned a new set of rules and regulations will need to be created for space-era Internet. Cerf is working with a team of engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to help create the new standards, with an estimated guideline ready for the public in three years.

Along with astronauts having a constant stream to the Internet, interplanetary Internet capabilities would allow NASA flight engineers to have interactive communication with technology on the moon or Mars.

Several organizations have cropped up attempting to inform the public about possible uses and technology of Internet in space. One such organization, the InterPlaNetary Internet Project, hopes to "define the architecture and protocols" that will allow people on Earth to communicate with other planets or spacecraft in orbit. Even though the site's "Press Room" page has not been updated, links to several articles and press releases about about Internet technology are featured.

A number of problems face researchers before a proper space Internet system can be arranged in the near future. Cost, implementation and security are three of the biggest issues, with space Internet supporters having basic ideas but no true long-term risk assessments completed.

info : www.dailytech.com

2007-10-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

OS X v10 Leopard Available Oct, 26

The last time that DailyTech extensively covered OS X v10.5 Leopard was back in April. At the time, Apple announced that it would delay the introduction of the long-awaited operating system due to needs of the iPhone program. The delay forced OS X v10.5 to an October ship date instead of June.

"We now plan to show our developers a near final version of Leopard at the conference, give them a beta copy to take home so they can do their final testing, and ship Leopard in October," said Apple in April. "We think it will be well worth the wait. Life often presents tradeoffs, and in this case we're sure we've made the right ones."

"We can't wait until customers get their hands (and fingers) on it and experience what a revolutionary and magical product it is," the company continued.

The wait is almost over and eager Apple fans will be happy to know that OS X v10.5 will ship on October 26. Apple says that the revised operating system contains over 300 new features and “installs easily, and works with the software and accessories you already have.”

Some of the highlighted features include a revamped desktop, a new Finder which includes Cover Flow technology, Quick Look which gives full-scale previews of documents before opening them and Time Machine which creates incremental backups of files.

Pricing for Apple's OS X v10.5 may make some Windows Vista users green with envy. A single-user license of OS X v10.5 costs just $129.00 direct from Apple. A five-user license will set you back just $199.00.

Customers who pre-order OS X v10.5 today from Apple are guaranteed to have their copy on their doorstep on October 26.

info : www.dailytech.com

2007-10-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

EA Wants Single Game Platform

Just one open platform would likely remove a lot of the headaches that now plague both gamers and developers, said Gerhard Florin, Electronics Arts senior executive in charge of international publishing.

"We want an open, standard platform which is much easier than having five which are not compatible," Florin said during the interview. "We're platform agnostic and we definitely don't want to have one platform which is a walled garden."

Even though a single gaming platform would be ideal for gamers and developers, console manufacturers will not go down without a strong fight. Both Microsoft and Sony have invested large amounts of resources to offer next-generation game consoles featuring cutting-edge technology that has previously been unavailable for consoles. Even though the Nintendo Wii's hardware is not superior when compared to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, it has already sold more than 9 million units and will help Nintendo generate more than $11 billion in revenue for the 2007 fiscal year.

Florin predicted server-based games and/or set-top boxes will play bigger roles if game consoles begin to fade out of the picture. Gamers will not "need an Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii - the consumer won't even realize the platform it is being played on." The popularity of set-top boxes continues to increase as the technology inside them becomes more powerful.

Games consultant Nick Parker agrees that video gamers will simply need a set-box that will have a hard drive, WiFi connection and a game engine. However, Parker does not think that a truly open system will be able to please gamers and developers.

info : www.dailytech.com

2007-10-18T04:13:00.000-07:00

MOZILLA FIREFOX

Mozilla Firefox is a graphical web browser developed by the Mozilla Corporation and a large community of external contributors. Firefox, officially abbreviated as Fx or fx and popularly abbreviated FF, started as a fork of the Navigator browser component of the Mozilla Application Suite. Firefox has replaced the Mozilla Suite as the flagship product of the Mozilla project, under the direction of the Mozilla Foundation.

Mozilla Firefox is a cross-platform browser, providing support for various versions of Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. However, the source code has been unofficially ported to other operating systems, including FreeBSD, OS/2, Solaris, RISC OS, SkyOS, BeOS and more recently, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.

Firefox's source code is available under the terms of the Mozilla tri-license (MPL/GPL/LGPL) as free and open source software. The current stable release of Firefox is version 2.0.0.7, released on September 18, 2007.

According to Market Share by Net Applications, 14.88% of the world's Web browsers used Firefox in September 2007, with 14.42% using version 1.5 or higher.

HISTORY
Dave Hyatt and Blake Ross began working on the Firefox project as an experimental branch of the Mozilla project. They believed the commercial requirements of Netscape's sponsorship and developer-driven feature creep compromised the utility of the Mozilla browser. To combat what they saw as the Mozilla Suite's software bloat, they created a pared-down browser, with which they intended to replace the Mozilla Suite. On April 3, 2003, the Mozilla Organization announced that they planned to change their focus from the Mozilla Suite to Firefox and Thunderbird.

The Firefox project has undergone several name changes. Originally titled Phoenix, it was renamed because of trademark issues with Phoenix Technologies. The replacement name, Firebird, provoked an intense response from the Firebird free database software project. In response, the Mozilla Foundation stated that the browser should always bear the name Mozilla Firebird to avoid confusion with the database software. Continuing pressure from the database server's development community forced another change; on February 9, 2004, Mozilla Firebird became Mozilla Firefox (Firefox for short).

The Firefox project went through many versions before 1.0 was released on November 9, 2004. In addition to stability and security fixes, the Mozilla Foundation released its first major update to Firefox version 1.5 on November 29, 2005. On October 24, 2006, Mozilla released Firefox 2. This version includes updates to the tabbed browsing environment, the extensions manager, the GUI, and the find, search and software update engines; a new session restore feature; inline spell checking; and an anti-phishing feature which was implemented by Google as an extension and later merged into the program itself.

info : wikipedia

2007-10-18T04:08:00.000-07:00

INTERNET EXPLORER

Windows Internet Explorer (formerly Microsoft Internet Explorer abbreviated MSIE), commonly abbreviated to IE, is a series of proprietary graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems starting in 1995.

After the first release for Windows 95, additional versions of Internet Explorer were developed for other operating systems: Internet Explorer for Mac and Internet Explorer for UNIX (the latter for use through the X Window System on Solaris and HP-UX). Only the Windows version remains in active development; the Mac OS X version is no longer supported.

It has been the most widely used web browser since 1999, peaking at nearly 90% market share with IE6 in the early 2000s—corresponding to over 900 million users worldwide by 2006.

Though released in 1995 as part of the initial OEM release of Windows 95, Internet Explorer was not included in the first retail, or shrink-wrap, release of Windows 95. The most recent release is version 7.0, which is available as a free update for Windows XP with Service Pack 2, and Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 or later, and is included with Windows Vista. Versions of Internet Explorer prior to 6.0 SP2 are also available as a separate download for versions of Windows prior to Windows XP. An embedded OEM version called Internet Explorer for Windows CE (IE CE) is also available for WinCE based platforms and is currently based on IE6. Another Windows CE/ Windows Mobile browser known as Internet Explorer Mobile is from a different codebase and should not be confused with desktop versions of the browser.

info : wikipedia

2007-10-18T03:58:00.000-07:00

WHAT IS LINUX ??

OS family:	Unix-like
Latest stable release:	2.6.23.1 (Linux kernel) / 12 October 2007
Kernel type:	Monolithic kernel
License:	GNU General Public License and others
Working state:	Current

Linux (pronunciation: IPA: /ˈlɪnʊks/, lin-uks) is a Unix-like computer operating system. Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free software and open source development; its underlying source code can be freely modified, used, and redistributed by anyone.

The Linux kernel was first released to the public on 17 September 1991, for the Intel x86 PC architecture. The kernel was augmented with system utilities and libraries from the GNU project to create a usable operating system, which later led to an alternate term, GNU/Linux. Linux is now packaged for different uses in Linux distributions, which contain the sometimes modified kernel along with a variety of other software packages tailored to different requirements.

Predominantly known for its use in servers, Linux is supported by corporations such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Novell, Oracle Corporation, Red Hat, and Sun Microsystems. It is used as an operating system for a wide variety of computer hardware, including desktop computers, supercomputers, video game systems such as PlayStation 2 and 3 and embedded devices such as mobile phones and routers.

In 1992, Torvalds explained that he pronounces Linux as /ˈlɪnʊks/, though other variations are common.

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