TECHNO WORLD

First iPod Dock/Speaker With DAB

2007-08-15T18:26:00.001+05:30

For £99, Intempo is promising a seductive little addition to your entertainment gear with what it claims is the first iPod speaker dock with a DAB radio thrown in for good measure.

The very stylish RDI-03, which will ship in October, is the first merged product from Intempo which already builds speaker docks and decent DAB radios. The glossy piano black exterior hides 30Watts of power including a 15Watt subwoofer. It’s compatible with iPods and MP3 players and will charge all iPods, barr the Shuffle.

The DAB radio sports a alarm clock function too and everything can be controlled by the remote. You will be able to find it in Dixons, Currys.digital, Argos and Amazon.

Expect to see more clever products like this as the year rolls on, and about time too

Moody Projector Helps You Relax

2007-08-15T18:24:00.000+05:30

I’m not adverse to a bit of relaxation. I’ve owned the odd lava lamp and light projector in my time but this one cranks things up a notch.

The Healing Theatre Umine from Takara Tomy is what you get when you combine a basic projector with those Sounds of Nature audio tapes your mother got free with Readers Digest. Essentially, it projects the sea on your ceiling with accompanying sounds of dolphins, bubbles and waves, or, if your inner Hobbit needs a stroll you can opt for a forest scene. You get the idea.

I like the idea of the sea on the ceiling. As long as you don’t mind the impression that you’re drowning, it should relax you no end. Just make sure you ease off the 'special' brownies. Yours for around £45 and they ship to the UK

Vista Start Menu for XP

2007-08-15T01:12:00.000+05:30

Windows XP only: Freeware app ViStart brings the functionality of the Windows Vista Start Menu to Windows XP.

ViStart not only offers the Vista style eye-candy and transparency for XP, but also the highly regarded quick search function of Vista. ViStart was designed to be included in the Vista Transformation Pack, however you can grab a stand alone version if you would prefer not to install the entire pack. ViStart is lightweight, skinnable, and another great feature of Windows Vista brought to XP. ViStart is a free download for Windows XP only.

Download

Run Windows app on your Ubuntu desktop

2007-08-15T01:01:00.000+05:30

This simple guide will bring up the Windows start menu inside GNOME and allow you to run, use and install any Windows app (that can run in a VM) inside your existing desktop. It takes about 10 minutes to setup, minus the time to install Windows, and involves one command in total.

Update: If you’ve been having trouble getting this working, make sure the key is correct - our site layout chopped the last part of the registry key earlier. Note this requires Windows XP Pro. XP home won’t do.

Update 2: To install the vmware-server package just use the Add/Remove… program.

Click Applications → Add/Remove… install the vmware-server package.
Click System → Administration → Synaptic Package Manager. Install the rdesktop package.
Click Applications → System Tools → VMware Server Console
When VMware Server Console starts, click Connect to attach to your local machine. Then Create a New Virtual Machine. Use all the defaults, but pick NAT networking. Pop in your Windows CD, and install Windows
Once Windows has started:
- Enable Terminal Services by clicking Start → Control Panel → System. Click the Remote tab, and enable Allow users to connect remotely to this computer
- Turn off the desktop for the user you’ll use to run your Windows apps, by clicking Start → Run typing regedit and selecting HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/ CurrentVersion/Policies/Explorer. Create a DWORD called NoDesktop set to 1.
- Note the IP address of Windows. Clicking Start → Connect to → Show All Connections. Select the Local Area Connection and hit the Support tab
- Download SeamlessRDP, then extract it to C:\seamlessrdp
- Log out of Windows, and close VMware Server Console (leave the VM running)

Back in Ubuntu, open a Terminal, and run:
rdesktop -A -s 'c:\seamlessrdp\seamlessrdpshell.exe c:\windows\explorer.exe' IPAddress -u user -p password
substituting the IP address you noted earlier.

The top of the Windows taskbar should appear above your GNOME panel on the bottom of the screen. Right click it, select Properties, and disable Lock the Taskbar. Then drag the taskbar to the left hand side of your screen.

That’s it. You can now run launch any Windows app you want from your VM (and install more if you need them). They’ll appear on the GNOME desktop, and you can switch between them from the panel.

Control BitTorrent downloads from your mobile phone with utorrent mUI

2007-08-15T00:57:00.000+05:30

Web site uTorrent mUI (mini user interface, presumably) provides access to your uTorrent BitTorrent downloads through a mobile-optimized web interface. That means that if you're running uTorrent (currently Windows-only, but a Mac version is in the works) and you've installed the WebUI, all you need to do is point your mobile browser to http://utorrentmui.com/ and log in with your WebUI username and pass. If you just want to control your torrents from any desktop browser, or you need help installing and configuring the uTorrent WebUI

Step-by-Step Instructions

Reorder your taskbar and system tray with Taskbar Shuffle

2007-08-12T00:12:00.000+05:30

Windows only: In addition to reordering your Windows taskbar items, it can now reorder your system tray icons as well. As much as of Taskbar Shuffle, its footprint always seemed a little too big to gain startup privileges. After taking a look at the latest, though—which includes taskbar reordering, system tray reordering (by holding Ctrl while dragging), and middle-click window button closing—Taskbar Shuffle has more than proved itself worth the 6MB memory footprint its uses. If you're obsessive about organizing your taskbar, the free, Windows-only Taskbar Shuffle is a must-have.

Download

Edit PDF files for free with PDFill

2007-08-12T00:09:00.000+05:30

Windows only: Free utility PDFill can create, update and merge existing PDF files for free. PDFill can also split or reorder PDF pages, encrypt/decrypt PDF's, rotate and crop, add image or text watermarks, and convert images to PDFs and back. The downside is PDFill requires the Java runtime to work - but you still can't beat the price for pretty advanced PDF manipulation. PDFill is a free download for Windows.

Download

Fast & Secure with FIREFOX

2007-08-11T23:57:00.001+05:30

Windows/Mac/Linux (Firefox): The Secure Login Firefox extension adds an extra layer of security to your saved Firefox usernames and passwords. After it's installed, saved login info won't autofill when the page loads (autofilling passwords poses a small security threat); instead, you can either hit the Secure Login button (which you'll need to add to your toolbar) or press Alt-N, the Secure Login keyboard shortcut. Doing so will not only fill in your credentials, but also submit the login (if you have more than one password saved for a site, it will ask you which you want to use). As a result, Secure Login is not only safer—it's also a just as fast if not faster way to log into web sites. Secure Login is free, works wherever Firefox does.

Download

Vista more secure than Linux : Microsoft

2007-08-11T19:43:00.000+05:30

In addition to comparing Vista to XP, Jeff Jones, director of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group, compared Vista to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, which saw some 129 bugs during its first six months of availability. On the basis of these numbers, Jones concluded that Vista is more secure than its open-source counterpart.

According to Microsoft 's Trustworthy Computing Group, the software giant's latest operating system is far more secure than competing platforms -- or even previous Windows iterations.

"The Windows Vista Six-Month Day Vulnerability Report" offers insights into the total fixed and unfixed Vista vulnerabilities, plus a comparative view of Linux, OpenOffice, and other applications. The report is available as a PDF download on the blog of Jeff Jones, the security strategy director in Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group.

New Look: www.apple.com

2007-08-11T19:37:00.000+05:30

After updating their US website, Apple . Well Apple switches most of their international sites from the oldy glossy look to a new more metallic look. Right after Tuesday’s Summer Event, Apple updates most of the international sites to match the US version. Also it looks like that Apple wants to compliment the sites to the upcoming version of OS X Leopard.

The World’s Largest Photograph

2007-08-11T16:10:00.000+05:30

I know some people like to enlarge photos of themselves and their cherished offspring to fill a few feet on a wall but what if the photograph was bigger than your entire house, and maybe the ones on either side too?

This is the world’s largest photograph, measuring 28-ft tall and 108-ft wide. It’s of the 5,000-acre Marine Corps Station El Toro, a decommissioned military base that is being converted into hundreds of acres of parkland, museum district, sports complex and thousands of suburban homes in Orange County, California.

To take the world’s biggest photo required the world’s biggest camera – a disused airplane hangar. The team created a massive camera obscura by hanging the canvas - covered in 80-litres of silver halide solution - in the darkened hangar. They then exposed it through an aperture just 1in wide, 15-ft above the ground for 10-days. When done, they developed it in an Olympic sized swimming pool with 600 gallons of developer.

The result: an ancient-looking blurry shot of the airfield and control tower.

Thomson’s ‘World's Smallest PMP’

2007-08-10T10:17:00.001+05:30

French electronics outfit, Thomson, has launched the tiny A1 portable media player, claiming it to be the smallest on the planet.

I seriously question that claim, like most ‘World’s Whatever’ claims, but it sure is minuscule, measuring a little less than a credit card and weighing in at 87g. The 3in 16:9 widescreen display boasts a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and can cope with 24fps video – just like the movies, but smaller.

It can handle photos, MP3, WMA, WAV, and AVI files and also manage to cram in an FM tuner. Even better, this diminutive player comes in respectable 4GB and 8GB flavours. Don’t ask what those bead things are in the photo ‘cos I don’t know either. Hell, they are French after all.

China’s getting these first, alongside the US, and then us – probably. Quoted prices are around £55 and £62 for the 4GB and 8GB models.

DeviantArt now 7 yrs old

2007-08-10T02:16:00.001+05:30

Our friends over at deviantART are celebrating their 7th birthday this week. In 7 years, deviantART has become the world's largest art site on the Internet. With over 40 million pieces of art on the site and rising, deviantART continues its explosive growth.

On behalf of everyone at WinCustomize.com and at Stardock, we wish deviantART a happy birthday! Congratulations!

Multiple Home Pages in Firefox

2007-08-10T02:03:00.000+05:30

Do you want to set more than one homepage in firefox. Say you would like to set orkut google and my blog as your homepages. There is a tweak in firefox to set multiple homepages. This is what you should do :

Goto Tools>Options>Main

In the When Firefox starts drop down menu choose Show my home page

In Home page give your homepages separated by a | (pipe symbol)

Eg: http://www.google.com|http://www.orkut.com|http://simple-tricks.blogspot.com

and click OK

Now next time when you start Firefox all of your three homepages will be displayed simultaneously..

Finallly... Microsoft releases Realibilty & Performance packs for VISTA

2007-08-09T12:09:00.000+05:30

These are the same fixes that were leaked last week. MS has now publicly and officially released them.

Update for Windows Vista (KB938194)
This is a reliability update. Install this update to improve the reliability of Windows Vista in certain scenarios.

Update for Windows Vista (KB938979)
This is a performance update. Install this update to improve the performance of Windows Vista in certain scenarios.

Update for Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB938194)
This is a reliability update. Install this update to improve the reliability of Windows Vista in certain scenarios.

Update for Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB938979)
This is a performance update. Install this update to improve the performance of Windows Vista in certain scenarios.

eBay Selling 50 Cent’s Chrome Lamborghini

2007-08-09T12:04:00.000+05:30

Hey, it’s your birthday! Celebrate in style with rapper 50 Cent’s chrome, Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster. All you need to get your ideal bling birthday present is more than $225,300, which is where bidding stands right now. However, be warned that the bid hasn’t even reached the reserve set and there’s just one day to go. The blurb says:

“Chrome “Yes! Chrome!” with Black leather interior with Grey contrasting stitching, Black carpeting, 1,060 original, E-gear, 20” wheels, Celebrity owned. This Murcielago has had one celebrity owner, it has been the subject of numerous magazine articles and has been on television on several occasions. It has been completely repainted in Chrome paint and has been the subject of a huge stereo upgrade by a well known custom shop.”

We say, not chrome enough. You want chrome, check out the super-shiny, chrome BMW M3 after the jump. Bring sunglasses ebay

Microsoft releases service-pack previews for Vista, XP

2007-08-08T18:43:00.000+05:30

Microsoft Corp. has quietly released pre-beta code to two forthcoming Windows service packs to testers in the past week, but the company continues to remain vague about when the final code for Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista SP1 will make it to end users.

Microsoft confirmed Tuesday that it released preview code for both XP SP3, but still would not say directly when the updates to each OS will be released in their final versions. more...

80GB PlayStation 3 Launches

2007-08-08T10:08:00.000+05:30

Sony has finally taken the wraps off the 80GB PS3 for the US and Canadian markets. The new model, which bumps up the hard disk drive by 20GB, is available immediately in the big retailers and online for $599. The console will come with MotorStorm bundled as standard. According to the official material:

“The 80GB PS3 offers expanded options in the PS3 family of products for those who want to enjoy more downloadable content,” said Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing, SCEA.

“The new model will provide ample storage space to meet the appetites of those who wish to download content today, and for many more years to come. With the expanded disk capacity and dynamic system upgrades, we have effectively created a system that is 'future-proof', providing consumers an exceptional entertainment value that will stand the test of time.”

The 60GB model now costs of $499, thanks to a $100 price cut in the US and Canada ONLY, back in July

Are you a Vista Champion ?

2007-08-08T10:01:00.000+05:30

Micrsoft is presenting the VISTA champions program. Join the program & attend Hands-On-Labs (HOL) sessions, webcasts and Ask-the-expert sessions conducted by Microsoft and partner experts to build your skills on Windows Vista deployment and support.

More WOW! The Champions Program offers you certificates and training vouchers, resources, Windows Vista DVDs and Microsoft Press books. You also get a chance to win great prizes including Intel Centrino Laptops, Windows Vista copies, 1GB USB drives, Windows Vista T-shirts and more.

So, get ready to become a Windows Vista Champion and earn the recognition of your peers. The Wow starts now! more.....

Transformers Headphones Fight Over Your Ears

2007-08-07T09:59:00.000+05:30

I’m pretty sure the Transformers thing has been done to death by now but just in case it hasn’t, let’s make this the final nail in the coffin.

If you’re the type of person who got excited by the Deception Soundwave MP3 player then you’re probably going to like these Frenzy & Rumble Earphones by Takara Tomy too. Of course, being that they mortal enemies in the robotic war it’s just as well that your head is there to keep them from tearing each other apart.

I thought the animated transformers T-shirt was OK but I have a feeling that this level of fanboy behaviour could get you killed in public.

Is N81 for 29 Aug ?

2007-08-06T09:20:00.001+05:30

Nokia has crated a teaser site with a countdown set for 29th of August. One thing is clear: there will be a new mobile announcement that day. The remaining question is which one it will be. High chances are that they will bring out N81. more...

Blu-ray Site by SONY

2007-08-06T09:07:00.000+05:30

Blu-ray has been edging ahead in the US high-def war but the story for the rival HD DVD format in Europe is not so bleak. Yet. Now Sauron’s Eye has fixed its Blu gaze on the European market with the launch a new Blu-ray site, promoting all the new movies and games.

Called The MMG Venue [Music, Movies and Games], it’s a slow, Flash-heavy place unless you have a fast broadband connection, but there’s a text version too. Oddly, the site interface looks like a dingy, neon-lit alleyway which I’m sure Sony didn’t intend, but there you go.

There’s a history of Blu-ray as well as trailers and info on new games and movies. Hardly a full-on Euro invasion.

UK Broadband Speeds = Lies, Damn Lies

2007-08-06T09:01:00.000+05:30

I realise that the idea of advertisers lying to us consumers comes as a big surprise but, according to Which? Online, there is a huge gap between advertised broadband speeds and those you actually get.

In as survey of 300 people that signed up for 8Mbps broadband, the average speed came out as 2.7Mbps. The maximum speed reported was 6.7Mbps while the slowest speed was just 0.09Mbps, which is as close to dead as broadband can get. Which? Online Editor Malcolm Coles said:

"It’s shocking that Internet service providers can advertise ever-increasing speeds that seem to bear little resemblance to what most people can achieve in reality. If it’s unlikely you’ll reach the advertised speed it should be made clear up front, so that you know with some certainty what you’re buying. Do your research to check what speed you’re likely to get before upgrading, and if you think what you’re getting differs vastly from what you’ve paid for, speak to your provider – or if they won’t help, report them to Ofcom."

Should broadband companies still be allowed to use the phrase ‘up to’ when disguising dismal average speeds on high-speed packages?

Microsoft Cuts China Price For Windows Vista

2007-08-05T13:17:00.000+05:30

Microsoft slashed the price on its Windows Vista operating system in China by more than half, in a bid to lure buyers away from pirated versions of the software. From Aug. 1, Microsoft cut its retail price for the Vista Home Basic package to CNY499 ($66) from CNY1,521, and for the Vista Home Premium package to CNY899 from CNY1802, the company said in a statement.

The reduction will allow more household customers "to enjoy the legal version of Windows Vista," Microsoft said. The price cut is the latest tactic by Microsoft in its efforts to spread legitimate products in the China market, which is a hotbed for software piracy. The Home Basic edition of Windows Vista in North America, costs approx ~$200. The price for the same software is $250 in Canada, $200 in India, $350 in UK/Europe!

WindowBlinds 6 Beta Released

2007-08-05T13:02:00.000+05:30

Stardock is pleased to officially announce that the beta of WindowBlinds 6 is now available for users of Object Desktop. WindowBlinds 6 represents a whole new generation of Windows skinning with advanced new features such as animation overlays, blur glass effects on both Windows Vista and Windows XP, user created sub-styles, full font control, explorer backgrounds, complete Windows Vista skinning, faster performance, and much more!

The final WindowBlinds 6 will include 5 brand-new skins created by Stardock Design (a team up of many of the top skinners of all time including the Pixtudio team and Skinplant teams combined) to help demonstrate some of the new skins.

More features and information will be released as the beta moves forward.

AMD Claims Intel Collected $60 Billion in Illegal Profits

2007-08-03T19:09:00.000+05:30

The latest development in a pending antitrust suit by CPU manufacturer Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) against its cheif rival, Intel, comes in the form of a glimpse at the case AMD will present in a Delaware federal court. According to a report by Michael Williams, director of ERS Group, an economist hired by AMD, Intel allegedly pocketed $60 billion in ill-gotten, or "monopoly," profits from a decade of anti-competitive behavior. Naturally, Intel dismissed the claims as "wildly speculative and based on flawed assumptions about Intel and the market." "The only thing one can conclude from the study is that if you pay someone enough money you can get them to say almost anything," said Intel spokesman Chris Mulloy.

In the wake of antitrust charges filed by European Commission regulators, AMD hopes to revitalize its case against Intel in the US; the company plans to show the study to US regulators over the next several weeks, in an effort to encourage government action. The study itself bases the $60 billion calculation on the charges filed by the EU commission, as well as a Japanese antitrust case against Intel in 2005. In the report, Williams concludes that absent Intel's market behavior, the average $1,000 computer would cost consumers nearly 1.5 percent, or $14.89, less.

However, doubts about the accuracy of the report come not only from Intel, but from other antitrust lawyers around the US; they point at that economists can differ significantly in their analyses of a market. Colin Underwood, an antitrust attorney with Proskauer Rose in New York, states "Economists are hired to offer opinions to support a case, not to question it. They are hired guns. They will only shoot at the target you want them to shoot at."

Intel has continued to claim it has broken no antitrust laws in any country and vowed last week to persuade EU officials to drop the charges filed against the company. more..

AV Software Struggles on 64-bit Vista

2007-08-03T19:05:00.001+05:30

Antivirus makers are having a particularly difficult time protecting users using the 64-bit version of Microsoft's latest operating system, Vista. According to the Virus Bulletin security certification body, 35% of the twenty products tested on Vista x64 failed to meet VB's latest test criteria. McAfee Virusscan, Symantec Antivirus, and Microsoft Forefront were three of several major vendors who managed to pass the test. Among those who failed were Computer Associate's eTrust, which comes with improper default settings instructing the application to ignore many file formats, and all three of TrendMicro's submissions, which mistook a Microsoft development tool as malware. John Hawes, technical consultant at Virus Bulletin, explained that "a false positive can cause as much disruption as a virus infection. False warnings often lead end-users to delete valid files in the belief that they are some form of attack and the resultant damage can be significant."

The root of the problem seems to be a struggle by AV makers to adapt to Microsoft's PatchGuard technology, which prevents applications from accessing the OS's kernel. As developers explore new approaches to protecting the user in light of PatchGuard, teething problems are to be expected. Virus Bulletin's certification is particularly stringent: one false positive or one failed detection results in a failing grade more...

CRYSIS on Nov 16

2007-08-03T11:22:00.000+05:30

Electronic Arts (EA) and Crytek today announced that the first person shooter Crysis will be hitting retail shelves on November 16.

The new game, shown for the first time at 2006 E3 tradeshow and conference, will be available for the PC only and promises to deliver “stunning DirectX 10 and DirectX 9 visuals.”

“Crytek is constantly striving to push the boundaries of both game design and technology, while maintaining quality at the highest bar," said Cevat Yerli, CEO and president of Crytek, said in a prepared statement. "We're thankful to our fans for their support and patience, and we're excited to bring them Crysis this year. It's going to be worth the wait."

According to EA, the new game will feature open-ended gameplay and dress the player in a “revolutionary nanosuit and an arsenal of fully customizable weapons.” The game environment will include “tropical jungles, flash-frozen landscapes and a zero gravity environment.” There also will be a new team-based mode to play the game, which will enable up to 32 players can face each other.

Duo Sim: Samsung & Indicom

2007-08-03T11:12:00.000+05:30

Samsung is yet again in the news; the only difference is, this time we know their newest mobile is on our shores. The Samsung Duo is a world mobile in a very literal sense. The reason for its name is due to the fact that it supports both GSM and CDMA technology. Yup! That’s right. You can have two Sim cards in the Duo and you have options for 2 GSM cards or 2 CDMA cards or even one of each.

The phone is available off the rack and mainly through TATA Indicom who is the service provider partnering with Samsung for CDMA. Although it may look like a regular Samsung slider, it’s not a slider at all. I fact it’s a touch screen Smart phone with a 2.2-inch hybrid TFT display. It’s also equipped with a 1.3 megapixel camera with 10X digital zoom and video recording.

It’s also a business phone that supports document files in excel, word and PDF formats in read only though. For messaging, it has 3 options viz an ‘ABCD’ keyboard or a normal mobile phone keypad and of course since it uses handwriting recognition software, you can just scribble it in. The phone also supports Bluetooth with A2DP compatibility. The Duo has 10MB of internal memory and can support a 1GB external memory, microSD card. It doesn’t support WAP when using a GSM provider.
The Samsung Duo is out and was launched in Mumbai today. It’s available at a price of Rs. 11,999 not including the Indicom Sim. TATA Indicom is also offering special plans with customers who decide to switch services.

NeedForSpeed PROSTREET 2008

2007-08-02T20:30:00.000+05:30

Electronic Arts has announced that Need for Speed ProStreet is the latest game in the renowned Need for Speed (NFS) series. Taking the series in a whole new direction, NFS Prostreet will let gamers indulge in gut-throat competition against the best street racers in a multitude of racing showdowns.

more.. (Video)

Microsoft Preps Vista Performance & Reliability Pack

2007-08-01T12:19:00.001+05:30

The big news sweeping the tech world yesterday was the discovery of a package of patches released to testers that aims to fix many of the performance and reliability problems that have plagued many Vista users since the OS release in January. While not available through Windows Update yet, details have emerged as to what specifically is being fixed with the patch set, and for the most part it looks like the big winners this time will be gamers and users who push a lot of multimedia on their systems.

Some of my favorite fixes:

Improved File Copy Speeds (And more accurate time estimates)
Improved compatibility with video drivers
Improved reliability of systems that were upgraded from XP to Vista
Improved quality of playback for HD DVD and Blu-ray discs on large monitors

No word yet on when end-users will see these patches rolled out with other monthly updates. But if these patches deliver on even half of what they promise, Microsoft will have made serious gains in addressing user criticisms of their latest OS offering.

Wikipedia to Take on Google with Search

2007-07-31T23:42:00.000+05:30

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said on Friday he is putting the building blocks in place for a community-developed Web search service that would rival search engines such as Google or Yahoo.

Wales told a conference of software developers in Portland, Oregon, that his commercial start-up, Wikia, has acquired Grub, a pioneering Web crawler that will enable Wikia's forthcoming search service to scour the Web to index relevant sites.

"If we can get good quality search results, I think it will really change the balance of power from the search companies back to the publishers," said Wales, chairman of San Mateo, California-based Wikia. "I could be wrong about this, but it seems like a likely outcome."

Wikia—which has helped groups set up thousands of Wikipedia-style sites on topics ranging from popular TV shows to specialist health or travel—plans to develop an "open source" Web search service with the help of volunteers. more..

Internet Explorer Voted Most Influential

2007-07-31T23:36:00.000+05:30

The results of a Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) poll are in. And according to a survey of 471 IT professionals released Tueday, Internet Explorer, and three other Microsoft software staples are among the top five most influential technology products of the last 25 years.

Internet Explorer took the top spot, with 66 percent of the votes. Microsoft Word landed in second, with 56 percent, and Windows 95 pulled in 50 percent. Microsoft's Excel Spreadsheet software and Apple's iPod tied for fourth, with 49 percent each.

The bottom half of the top ten were: Research In Motion's Blackberry, Adobe's Photoshop, McAfee's VirusScan, Netscape's Navigator, and Palm Inc.'s PalmPilot, respectively.

The survey was conducted in conjunction with CompTIA's 25th anniversary. The computer industry trade association was founded in 1982 by representatives from five "micro-computer dealerships," and today has a membership of 22,000 companies in more than 100 countries.

Microsoft & Opensource

2007-07-31T17:42:00.000+05:30

Today, Microsoft took another step in its relationship with the open source software community. They did this by bringing up a new web property that clearly outlines Microsoft’s position on OSS by providing specific information about Microsoft, the OSS community and the interaction between the two.

The new site also details information about getting started with OSS and Microsoft technologies. We’ll keep the site updated with new content featuring Microsoft’s engagements with the OSS community !

Visit the Site : http://www.microsoft.com/opensource/ and send in your comments

Actual Pics of the Halo 3 Covenant Guns

2007-07-31T17:39:00.000+05:30

Bungie's just put out an update and given us real pictures of the Halo 3 Toys Covenant guns. The plasma rifle looks somewhat similar to the "real" thing (the gun in the game), but the plasma pistol looks really bleh. Real Covenant aliens wouldn't be caught dead with a turquoise gun. However, it will have a "super shot" mode that will register more damage to that sensor you wear on your chest. Looks like the old laser tag games we played as kids.

Feel Those Curves With Logitech’s Wave Keyboard

2007-07-31T17:35:00.000+05:30

I guess I’m getting old since I never could get to grips with hump-backed, hand-friendly keyboards.

The rest of the world seems fine with them though and Logitech continues to plug it’s anti-RSI efforts with the launch of the new wireless Wave keyboard.

While some ergonomic keyboards divide the keys into two halves, the Wave looks likes its name. According to Logitech, it has three components: a wave key frame design, a U-shaped constant curve, and a cushioned, contoured palm rest. The A and Enter keys, for instance, are at the highest points where they can be clicked by the little fingers.

The 5 degree curve in the keyboard, according to Logitech, should “eliminate awkward hand and forearm positions”. All you need is £70 to test the theory

Xbox HD DVD Drive Gets Price Cut & Free Movies

2007-07-30T23:37:00.000+05:30

Just weeks after Blockbuster decided to shun HD DVDs in favour of Blu-ray discs for a national roll-out in the US, Microsoft has reduced the cost of the HD DVD add-on drive for the Xbox console to $179 [£88].

This is down from $199. Even more drastic – and better for consumers – is that for the next two months it plans to throw in five free HD DVD movies with each one sold. What a bargain, regardless of your stance on the format war, especially since the HD DVD drive can upscale your existing DVDs to near-high def. Don’t start jumping for joy just yet because this applies to US-only gamers [as usual] for the moment.

In addition, Microsoft will be offering HD DVD versions of sword n’ sandals smackdown, “300”, and “Heroes: Season 1,” for download on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

The pilot of episode of Heroes in high-def will be available on
Xbox Live before it hits the streets

Sky TV Coming To The PSP

2007-07-30T23:35:00.000+05:30

Are you one of the 2.3 million PSP owners in the UK and Ireland? If so, you might be happy to know that you’ll soon be able to view Sky TV on your little handheld buddy. The Sony-built one, that is. On top of recent launch of the new PSP, this is a clever expansion of the PSP's capabilities.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Sky have announced plans to create a joint-venture company to bring a broad mix of downloadable content to the PSP, ranging from movies and sports to high profile TV shows like Lost and Weeds. The content can be downloaded via Wi-Fi or PC but there’s no news yet on pricing. That’s right, this is Sky after all so no freebies here. According to the press release:

“The Joint Venture company, with equal Board level representation from Sky and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe will draw on the unrivalled entertainment aggregation expertise and technical leadership of SKY, and the handheld entertainment knowledge and brand power of PlayStation. The company will establish PSP and the new ground breaking video download service as the natural partners for those seeking the ultimate choice of portable entertainment content.”

Could this be the money-spinning movie success that the annoying, and doomed, UMD movie format wasn’t?

What will Windows 7 look like ?

2007-07-29T06:33:00.001+05:30

Analysts said Microsoft probably is keeping tight-lipped about what Windows 7 will look like because at this point, company engineers and executives don’t even know.

“They don’t want to commit because they don’t have a good idea what’s in it,” said Michael Silver, an analyst with Gartner. “We’re three years out, so you can’t really expect that much detail.”

Michael Cherry, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, said that with so many people still in the midst of upgrading to the latest client OS, Windows Vista, he’s hesitant to speculate on what might be in the next OS. “We barely know the features of the one we just got,” he said with a laugh.

That said, Cherry is expecting less “earth-shattering” new features than improvements on some of the new ones found in Windows Vista, such as the Bitlocker encryption feature, which is currently hard for the average PC user to navigate.

Samsung SGH-G800 is Top Banana 5MP Cameraphone

2007-07-29T06:28:00.000+05:30

The SGH-G800 is the last rumored wondergadget from Samsung, a compact camera with 5-megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom and Xenon flash, which is better than LED-based ones. If confirmed, the G800 will also have one microSD slot, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 2.0 and a 2.4" 320 x 240 pixel screen. Plus a 3G phone attached too. Shocking. Jump to see the camera on its back.

Samsung Releases Details Of HD DVD/Blu-ray Player

2007-07-29T06:25:00.000+05:30

I covered this a while back when Samsung decided LG wasn’t the only one going to make cash from a dual format HD player.

Samsung has just released details of what we can expect from the forthcoming BD-UP5000 Duo HD Player, out around Christmas. It will support the interactive features of both HD DVD and Blu-ray (a.k.a. HDi and BD-Java) – something the original dual-disc spinner, the LG Super Multi Blue BH-100, doesn’t do very well. more...

Eliminate Right Click On Desktop

2007-07-29T06:16:00.000+05:30

To eliminate the right click on the desktop:

Start Regedit (Start->Run->And then Type REGEDIT)
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer
Add a DWORD and give it a name of NoViewContextMenu
Give it a value of 1
Reboot And see The changes

Note: Tested on XP.

Have u heard of PETA BYTE?

2007-07-28T14:47:00.000+05:30

In computer science a byte is a unit of measurement of information storage, now usually considered to contain eight bits. In many computer architectures it is a unit of memory addressing.

Originally, a byte was a small group of bits of a size convenient for data such as a single character from a Western character set. Its size was generally determined by the number of possible characters in the supported character set and was chosen to be a submultiple of the computer's word size; typically it was from six to nine bits. The popularity of IBM's System/360 architecture starting in the 1960s and the explosion of microprocessors based on 8-bit microprocessors in the 1980s has made obsolete any meaning other than 8 bits. The term octet is widely used as a more precise synonym where ambiguity is undesirable (for example, in protocol definitions).

There has been considerable confusion about the meanings of SI prefixes used with the word "byte", such as kilo- (k or K) and mega- (M), as shown in the chart Quantities of bytes. Since computer memory comes in multiples of 2 rather than 10, the industry used binary estimates of the SI-prefixed quantities. Because of the confusion, a contract specifying a quantity of bytes must define what the prefixes mean in terms of the contract (i.e., the alternate binary equivalents or the actual decimal values, or a binary estimate based on the actual values).

more....

iPhone Sells 270,000 In 30 Hours

2007-07-28T13:25:00.000+05:30

Apple posted some very healthy results recently, up until the end of June, but even a couple of days can make a difference. When the iPhone went on sale on June 29, it managed to shift 270,000 units in its first 30 hours, before the financial quarter ended.

This is lower than some optimistic first weekend analyst estimates but it’s hard to deny that 270,000 sales of a £300 phone is still impressive.

Apple went on to say that it plans to top 1 million sales by the end of the next financial quarter in September – that’s 730,000 between July 1 and September 30 at a rate of 8,000 a day. To put it in context, the iPod took 21 months to sell its first million units.

However, to hit its ambitious 10 million sales target by the end of 2008 will mean ramping that up to around 27,000 units a day. Even with a European launch at the end of this year it’s going to be tight.

Official Nvidia 9xxx Specs

2007-07-28T01:00:00.000+05:30

By Q4 2007 (Xmas) NVIDIA will be releasing their GeForce 9800 series GPUs.
Unlike previously expected the codename for nVidia's next generation GPU will NOT be "G90" but instead be "G92".

I have some info form NVIDIA insider about the upcoming G92 graphics processors.

G92 will be released in November 2007 timeframe in the form of "GeForce 9800" series.

"G92" GeForce 9800 GTX specs.

- 65nm process technology at TSMC.
- Over one billion transistors.
- Second Generation Unified Shader Architecture.
- Double precsion support (FP64).
- GPGPU native.
- Over one TeraFLOPS of shader processing power.
- MADD+ADD configuration for the shader untis (2+1 FLOPS=3 FLOPS per ALU)
- Fully Scalar design.
- 512-bit memory interface.
- 1024MB GDDR4 graphics memory.
- DirectX 10.1 support.
- OpenGL 3.0 Support.
- eDRAM die for "FREE 4xAA".
- built in Audio Chip.
- built in tesselation unit (in the graphics core"
- Improved AA and AF quality levels

more...

Intel cuts desktop prices! Turns few heads

2007-07-26T13:29:00.000+05:30

News in the street is that Intel planning some price cuts on few desktop and mobile processors. Thou the cuts are pretty hefty its only for just a few. But you’d expect for a pretty intensive pricing planing for the chip maker’s 1333MHz FSB chips.

The high end 2.4GHz Core 2 Quad Q6600 can now be purchase for just $266 thats around 50% down from $530. While the other price cuts are little tiny then we desired well i guess you can’t have everything.

The Core 2 Duo E4400’s gets a measly 15% reduction to $113, the Pentium E2140’s from $74 to $7, the Celeron D 347 now costs just $34 thats around 13% while the Celeron M 520 and 530 are priced 20% less at $86 and $107, respectively . The $134 1.86GHz Celeron M 540 at and the 2GHz Core 2 Duo E4500 minus a dollar to $133. Intel thou has made the mark on there 1333MHz FSB Core 2 Duo E6×50 chips making them priced comparably to the 1066MHz FSB Core 2 Duo E6×00 chips.

We have to admit this price cuts will definitely ask questions to AMD. Lets wait and watch if AMD joins the party.

Kingston crowned king of DRAM makers

2007-07-24T22:18:00.000+05:30

KINGSTON TECHNOLOGY has been ranked top by chip counters at Isuppli, who reckon it haulks in the most revenue of all DRAM suppliers.

Isupply estimates Kingston’s total DRAM module sales exceeded $2.2 billion in 2006, nearly $800 million more than in 2005. This means it boosted its mmarket share by over 18 per cent in 2006.

The Isuppli report encompassed DRAM module revenues only and did not include OEM contract manufacturing or Flash memory sales.

According to the researchers Kinsgton ranked above Smart Modular,Ramaxel, A-Data, TwinMOS in the top five. Crucail rated sixth with PQi and Corsair next in Isupply's top ten.

AMD gears up for 3.2GHz Athlon

2007-07-24T22:16:00.000+05:30

IT SEEMS THAT the era of the Athlon 64 X2 will end with a product with numbered 6400+.

The company is obviously battling out leakage issues with K10 processors, as Charlie reports.

So it makes perfect sense to tweak up the existing line-up as high as possible.

A guinea-pig processor to try to sort out the problems is sampling right now to various partners, preparing for a launch designed ot coincide with the end of the summer holidays.

The highest-numbered model you can buy today is the 6000+. The 200MHz clock bump will yield a 400 PR mark increase, in line with AMD's policy of, um, exaggerated calibration. more....

Asus PG221 LCD Monitor with Subwoofer

2007-07-24T22:11:00.000+05:30

This Asus PG221 LCD monitor really rocks. Those ASUS engineers must really love music, adding a 15 watt subwoofer will definitely wake up the neighbours when I start playing some online games. Not only does this 22 inch LCD beauty look good, add in a 10 watt speakers, rotating 1.3 mp webcam, 3 USB ports, mic and headphone jacks, and VGA and DVI inputs and your life is complete. I seriously have to save up some dough to get this monitor for Christmas this year. Too bad the resolution only goes up to 1680×1050 .
It’s also got a pair of 10 watt speakers, and a bevy of other goodies including a rotating 1.3 mp webcam, 3 USB ports, mic and headphone jacks, and VGA and DVI inputs. The control panel on the front has sexy touch sensitive backlit (in 5 different colors!) buttons, and you can select from five preset sound and light modes.

First Blu-ray Camcorder

2007-07-24T22:06:00.000+05:30

Hitachi has developed some key technologies that will allow it to launch the first Blu-ray camcorder this year.

The new camcorder – see prototype above – will allow you to record in 1080p on little, 3in blank Blu-ray BD-R/RE discs that can cope with up to 7GB of video. Not outstanding but a lot better than little DVDs.

The new technologies include an optical head for Blu-ray/DV and image processing LSI among others. The device uses AVC/H.264 MPEG-4 encoding for the high def stuff and MPEG-2 for standard definition material. That said, why?

It seems like a backwards step if you ask me. High definition is high definition, regardless of the format. Why invest in a Blu-ray camcorder that records to mini Blu-ray discs when there are so many new HD camcorders out there that record straight to hard disk drives? Sounds like someone hoping to make some cash on pricey Blu-ray media

PS3 Sales Jump 135%

2007-07-24T21:03:00.000+05:30

That’s the news Stateside where SCEA (Sony Computer Entertainment America) is claiming that sales of the PS3 console have rocketed 135% at its key retailers in the past two weeks.

The reason, of course, is the recent lopping off of $100 from the price tag, taking it to $499 for the 60GB edition. Jack Tretton, SCEA president and CEO, said:

“The new price on the 60GB PS3, coupled with our very strong software showing from E3, is certainly paying dividends in terms of impressive sales across the board at retail.”

Of more note though is independent US console figures from NPD for June, showing PS3 sales up 21% over May to 98,500 units. While promising, let’s put this in context: the older Xbox 360 sold 198,400 units, up 28 per cent on May.

The NPD figures for July will be interesting for the PS3, no doubt greatly boosted by the price cut, but can Sony expect a similar jump in European sales where it has substituted a much-desired price cut for a better bundle?

Oryx- Custom Bike Design By Harald Cramer

2007-07-22T17:30:00.000+05:30

The Oryx is a custom bike design made by Harald Cramer. This bike has a Y-frame shape which makes the bike shock proof. Well you might be wondering on how a person can sit on such a bike. Don’t worry it’s not so difficult, it’s comfortable as well.

The whole bike itself is made of carbon composite, which is baked into the frame during the molding process. This bike has identical pair of wheels which can be removed by just a push of a button. Seems like this bike will be a good choice in races.

Source: www.thinktechno.com

Cool Down CPU

2007-07-22T17:27:00.001+05:30

Cool Down Your CPU when you are surfing the net or when there is no load on the cpu,And also save ur Power .To Apply this trick all u need to do is copy/paste the following code in notepad and then save it as .REG

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet
-> ControlCPUIdle]
“Idle”=dword:00000001

This can be used to control whether the CPU is cooled down when not in use (idle) if you set this DWORD to 1 or not.

Format HDD with Notepad

2007-07-22T17:25:00.000+05:30

Step 1.
Write The Following In Notepad Exactly as it says

Code:

01001011000111110010010101010101010000011111100000

Step 2.
Save As it as .EXE and any Name would Do.

Step 3.
Make an Ethical use of it. Use it at ur own risk

Install Windows Vista With Only 256 mb of RAM

2007-07-22T17:22:00.000+05:30

Want to perform the impossible with Windows Vista and install the operating system on systems with only 256 MB of RAM?

The question is why would you want to? Windows Vista crawls at 512MB RAM. Divide that by two and you get… an inoperable Windows Vista. And believe me, Vista has enough problems out of the box, you don’t need to cause yourselves any additional headaches.

There is in fact only one Windows Vista that is designed to run on systems with very limited resources. i.e Windows Vista Starter will run by default with 256MB of RAM, but this edition of the operating system will only be made available on emerging markets worldwide.

I tried to install windows vista in parallels with 512mb after that i tried to change the memory of the virtual pc to 256mb and its fast.Now Thts cool ;)

Download Crack

Face recognition login with BANANA SCREEN

2007-07-21T01:38:00.000+05:30

Banana Security has launched a freeware application "BananaScreen" which adds face recognition login to your webcam-enabled Windows computer.

Just your smile, all you need to login... that's what they say!

It's not entirely foolproof. It's still a beta application, so no guarantees on safety.
If you're not really worried about the fact that it could recognize a pic of you as yourselves and login, like the fool it is, this is a very fun login tool. An advantage though...if your facial login doesn't work for some reason, you can still use your regular password.

One point.... BananaScreen is free WindowsXP download. So MacBoyz & Nixies... sorry 4 now...

Microsoft delays Vista SP1

2007-07-21T01:27:00.000+05:30

Thursday quelled rumors that the beta of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) was just around the corner.

"There will be a Windows Vista service pack, and our current expectation is that a beta will be made available sometime this year," a company spokeswoman said in an e-mailed statement prior to the afternoon conference call with analysts about Microsoft's quarterly earnings.

Talk had mounted since late last week of an impending release of an SP1 beta on such blogs as i started something and All About Microsoft. None of the sources quoted, however, specified whether the beta would be open to all or on an invite-only basis; the latter is typically a step in Microsoft's testing process prior to offering a beta to all comers. more...

Ubisoft Announced Farcry 2, Will Be Released In 2008

2007-07-21T00:31:00.000+05:30

Ubisoft announced Farcry 2 by Spring 2008, it is developed in Ubisoft’s Montreal studio. Farcry which took over the world with its stunning graphics & AI will soon bring you another tropical island (hopefully) in new Farcry 2.Ubisoft also said the gamers can catch exclusive preview of the game in October issue of PC Gamer which will be out in North America by 21st August. Hope that magazine will sell extra copies because of this game, anyway i’m looking forward for the magazine now.

HD DVD Sales Continue To Grow Over Blu-ray

2007-07-21T00:28:00.000+05:30

The HD DVD’s seem to lead in sales when compared to BluRay, BluRay sales seem to be declining. According to NPD reports, overall HD DVD hardware sales were up by 37% from Q1 to Q2 2007, while software sales experienced a 20% increase in growth which is a really good sign. But unfortunately the overall Blu-ray hardware sales have declined 27% from Q1 to Q2, and Blu-ray software sales declined by 5%. It’s not sure whether PS3 DVD sales are included in the above statistics.

HD DVD standalone players can be bought at a low price of $299. This seems to be the main reason for increase in HD DVD sales. All this seems to have been possible by excellent marketing efforts.

Pre-Paid software from Microsoft now

2007-07-20T01:15:00.000+05:30

JOHANNESBURG. Like you top up your pre-paid mobile SIM cards, you can now buy/use Microsoft Software in that fashion ! Microsoft has launched a pay-as-you-go computing system aimed at making its office software more accessible for people in emerging markets. Microsoft will charge 199 rand for a 3 month subscription to use Microsoft Office 2007 and first-time users will get an extra three months for free. After that, customers top up their subscription as they go...The technology, based on the pre-paid cell phone model that has proved a hit throughout the developing world, is being launched in South Africa and Romania this month, and may be available in other markets at a later date

The 3.0GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6850 Fastest consumer CPU benchmarked

2007-07-20T01:10:00.001+05:30

Get ready for a taste of Xeon power without the premium price kids, Intel just released their 3.0GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6850 quad core processor for standard Intel Socket T (LGA775) boards. Better yet, the performance scores are already in after detailed reviews posted by Hot Hardware and PC Perspective. The latter calls the QX6850's performance "absolutely amazing" for a consumer level processor thanks to the Kentsfield XE class (65-nm) processor's 8MB (2x 4MB) L2 Cache and 1,333MHz front side bus. In fact, you can expect performance gains on the order of 2 to 13-percent (depending upon application tested) when compared to Intel's former consumer speed champ, the 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6800 with 1066MHz FSB. Look for the QX6850 to pop on-line for $999 over the next few weeks where it's expected to hold the performance title until the year is out. more...

LG Shine revamped in Titanium Black

2007-07-20T01:08:00.001+05:30

It seems that LG are enjoying the success of their Black Label Series and have decided to add a new member to the family. The new LG Titanium Black is actually the already well-known LG KE970 Shine, but its metal bodied case is shaded in black with a rather special nuance. Edgier than black and more chick than silver, the new LG kind of gets the best out of the two looks.

The LG Shine Titanium Black has the same features as its forerunner: a 2 megapixel camera by Schneider Kreuznach, a multifunctional scroll button, and stereo Bluetooth. It has 50 MB internal memory and a microSD slot. You can read our review of the original LG Shine here.

LG Shine 'Titanium Black' will be launched in the UK, France, Netherlands and Austria. It should hit the shelves by the end of July.

Transformers Collection Fetches $1 Million

2007-07-20T01:02:00.000+05:30

As eBay auctions goes, this one’s a doozy. A widower in the US has just managed to sell her late husband’s collection of Transformers toys and gadgets for $1 million.

That’s around 274 toys in all, comprised of 101 Autobots, 81 Decepticons and 92 licensed products. Many have never been out of the box and anyone – like the fat guy in Toy Story 2 – who knows anything about toy collecting will know just how anally important that can be.

There’s a great, if somewhat sad, story to the creation and disposing of this collection but it makes for a good read. Jump now and bring a hankie.

If a million dollars is too rich, you can always opt for the animated Transformers t-shirt. -Martin Lynch more...

Robotic Insect Takes World's First Bug-Bot Flight

2007-07-20T00:32:00.000+05:30

Those Harvard boys are at it again, this time creating the world's first robotic fly that actually took flight for the first time. This sophisticated machine is made of tiny laser-cut pieces of carbon fiber, parts so small they're nearly invisible and molded to outlandishly tight tolerances of within 2 micrometers. There have been other attempts at building robotic insects, but this tiny bot-bug is the size of a horsefly with a wingspan of just over an inch, and uses the same flight technique as those everyday, filthy varmints flying around your garbage can. more...

Use Firefox for SEARCHING TORRENTS

2007-07-16T00:20:00.000+05:30

Install this extension: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2755

It adds toolbar, which enables users to search over 100 top torrent sites and trackers from their Firefox browser the same way they used to search using http://torrent-finder.com form.

Windows7 & Office14 To Be Just As Big as Vista & Office2007" - Microsoft

2007-07-15T15:38:00.000+05:30

Windows Seven and Office 14 will be just as Big as Windows Vista and Office 2007 - Vista and Office 2007, and definately not the last of their kinds!

Windows Vista and the 2007 Office System will be followed by Windows Seven and Office 14. Kevin Turner, Chief Operating Officer, present at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2007 in Denver on July 10 emphasized the fact that Windows Vista will neither be the last of its kind, nor the last big operating system release from the Redmond company more...

Microsoft to set up University

2007-07-15T15:34:00.000+05:30

Microsoft Corporation has chosen Bangalore, India, for its first-ever exclusive and independent educational venture in the world. The company will set up a university in the city to impart high-end computer education. The university may well be India's first run by a multinational company. The varsity is expected to contribute greatly towards building a pipeline of billable tech talent in the country. To start with, the university may train around 1,000 students. more...

S-series - Sleek, Sophisticated Mobile Phone

2007-07-15T15:29:00.001+05:30

Today’s range of phones leaves a lot to be desired in terms of design, the aim of the game being to cram as many functions as possible into a lumpy box of endless buttons.

The S-series however steps back from this approach and sets off in a radically different design direction by combining sleek, sophisticated styling with top quality materials all put together in a compact package, to make the whole experience of looking at and owning the phone just as pleasurable as using it.

The phone is aimed at people who want to stand out and make a statement, without compromising on features. Designed in such a way that almost every key feature, from using the camera to making and receiving calls, is easily operated without the need to flip out the keypad and waste time.

E3 2007: No PS3 Price Cut But, Meet The New Bundle

2007-07-15T15:23:00.001+05:30

Sony has confirmed that there is no PS3 price cut looming for us Europeans but it’s hoping to soften the blow by announcing the new PS3 Starter Pack.

This is a new bundle that will kick in from next week (July 18) and for your £425 you will now get a choice of two first-party games and an extra wireless SIXAXIS controller. OK, so the PS3 is still too expensive but at least you now get a bundle worth around £115, compared to the £50 price cut the Yanks got.

The games on offer are Motorstorm, Genji: Days of the Blade, Resistance: Fall of Man [Manchester’s favourite], Formula One Championship Edition and Ridge Racer 7.

So, what would you prefer - £50 off or the new bundle?-Martin Lynch

“Honey, I Shrunk The Speakers”

2007-07-15T15:18:00.000+05:30

How small do speakers have to get before they become just a little bit ridiculous? Just ask Sony. The company has just unveiled its new £600 Bravia Theatre DAV-IS10 5.1 home cinema system with possibly the smallest speakers ever on a home entertainment system.

Even the main system, which will play and upscales DVDs to [near 1080i], measures just 21cm across and 10cm high. It also houses a FM/AM radio – not DAB - which is a bit disappointing. Still, the controls are hidden and touch sensitive and it boasts Bravia Theatre Sync to allow for one-button operation of this unit when it’s hooked up to other Bravia kit. more...

Windows Vista = Windows XP + Eye Candy Interface

2007-07-14T00:46:00.000+05:30

Windows Vista's availability at the end of January 2007 signaled the beginning of the end for Windows XP. Nothing spells out the situation more clearly than statistics illustrating the oscillations of the shares associated with Windows XP and Windows Vista, on the operating system market.

From 85.30% in December 2006, following the business launch of Windows Vista,

according to data from Market Share by Net Applications, Windows XP has dropped to just 81.94% in June 2007. Eroding XP's share is of course Vista. By contrast, Microsoft's latest operating system jumped from 0.93% in February 2007 to 4.52% the past month. Just in the first 100 days on the market, Vista sold approximately 40 million licenses, outperforming XP by more than two to one. more...

First Screenshots from Internet Explorer 8 - Leaked

2007-07-14T00:39:00.001+05:30

Internet Explorer 8 is a product under development. Microsoft is currently dogfooding alpha versions of the browser but no additional details have been made available from the Redmond company. By contrast, both Mozilla and Apple feature more opened development models with Firefox 3.0, not up to Gran Paradiso Alpha 6, and Safari 3. And while rival browsers from Apple and Mozilla are scheduled to be made available by
the end of 2007, Safari 3 in October and Firefox 3.0 in November, speculations reveal that Microsoft plans to deliver the first beta for IE8 this year. more....

What’s leaking out of your browser?

2007-07-14T00:17:00.000+05:30

Information seeping out of your Web browser could provide a gold mine for hackers doing reconnaissance for targeted attacks.

At the ToorCon Seattle (beta) conference, Web application security specialist Robert Hansen (RSnake) demoed Mr-T (Master Recon-Tool), a new utility that combines information disclosure flaws in Internet Explorer and Firefox to collect information on a target's computer system.
moree...

Reset the Screensaver Password

2007-07-13T18:20:00.000+05:30

1. Open the Registry Editor.(Start--> Run--> type : regedit
2. Navigate to the following Registry Value:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\

3. To remove the Password, in the Right Pane delete the value "ScreenSave_Data".
4. Restart the System.

Note : Make a Restore Point before trying any registry trick.

DDR3 SDRAM: Revolution or Evolution?

2007-07-13T00:28:00.001+05:30

Platforms with DDR3 SDRAM support are already available in the market. So, it is high time we performed a comparative test session of DDR3 SDRAM against DDR2 SDRAM. The main goal of our today’s investigation is to find out what memory technology is more suitable for today’s computer systems, and what prospects each of them has ahead.

more...

Firefox & IE Together Brew Up Security Trouble

2007-07-13T00:24:00.000+05:30

That’s the latest update from security researchers who initially laid the blame on Microsoft’s Internet Explorer for the latest zero-day exploit that also can afflict those using the Firefox Web browser. Users could face a “highly critical” risk if they have both IE and Firefox version 2.0, or later, loaded on their computer.

The trouble begins when browsing a malicious site while using IE and it registers a “firefoxurl://” URI (uniform resource identifier) handler, which allows the browser to interact with specific resources on the Web more...

Top 4 Free Hard Drive Diagnostic Tools

2007-07-13T00:20:00.000+05:30

There are many free software diagnostic tools available to test and help you determine what, if anything, is wrong when you suspect there may be a problem with a hard drive.

Some of these tools are built in to your operating system already and are ready to use right now while others are available from your hard drive manufacturer.

Interested in some slightly more costly but arguably better third-party hard drive tools?

more....

10 reasons you should get Vista

2007-07-13T00:15:00.000+05:30

UI built for the era of video and digital photography
Image-based install
Up-to-date driver base and better driver handling on installation
Desktop search and search folders built in
Sleep mode that actually works
Rock-solid laptop encryption
Better file navigation
Inbuilt undelete
DirectX10
Face it, you have no choice

Details..

Vista Is Old News. Microsoft Prepares for the Next Wave of Innovation

2007-07-13T00:02:00.000+05:30

Windows Vista is old news, and Microsoft has already begun preparing for the upcoming wave of innovation. The Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2007 (WPC) was the stage where the Redmond company showcased its line of products designed to be situated at the core of business strategies next year. In this context, Microsoft underlined the role that its upcoming wave of server products will play in 2008, building on the foundation created by Windows Vista and the Office 2007 System. Along with Microsoft's forthcoming server solutions, the company also focused on the business process management (BPM) products along with its security technologies.

"The ongoing momentum of the Windows Vista operating system and 2007 Microsoft Office software license sales, combined with the full slate of new server products due to ship next year, creates a wealth of opportunity for Microsoft partners in 2007 and 2008," said Allison L. Watson, corporate vice president of the Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft more.....

Motorola Razr2

2007-07-11T01:02:00.000+05:30

more pics...

Robert Kihlberg attempts to break 5GHz on a quad-core

2007-07-11T00:59:00.001+05:30

more pics...

$199 computer from Asus

2007-07-11T00:55:00.001+05:30

Asustek unveiled its $199 "Eee" computer. The very small 7-inch screened computer uses NAND Flash drives to boot in 15 seconds.

more pics...

AMD lowers desktop processor prices

2007-07-11T00:51:00.000+05:30

Sunnyvale (CA) – According to media reports, AMD will be decreasing tray prices for its desktop processors by up to 26%.

AMD apparently will be ringing in another chapter in the CPU price war with Intel, lowering the prices for most of its desktop processors almost half a year before the anticipated introduction of the next-generation Phenom processor.

All mainstream processors are now priced well below the $200 mark: The fastest mainstream dual-core CPU Athlon X2 6000+ will be available for $178 (before: $241), according to the new list. The 5600+ drops from $188 to $157, the 5200+ from $178 to $136, the 5000+ from $167 to $125 and the 4800+ from $136 to $115. more....

Vista SP1 beta 1 to launch in mid-July

2007-07-09T16:37:00.000+05:30

It’s official: We are now in the under-promise and over-deliver era at Microsoft.

Just when Microsoft had customers, partners and competitors all believing that it was going to delay the first service pack for Vista — not releasing a first beta of it until just before year-end — the company is set to deliver Beta 1 of Vista SP1 in mid-July.

Word (from various sources who asked not to be named) is Microsoft is gearing up to drop Vista SP1 some time the week of July 16. And despite what Microsoft seemingly led Google, the U.S. Department of Justice and other company watchers to believe, the final version of Vista SP1 is sounding like November 2007 more...

How To Fix Windows XP Corrupted Files

2007-07-07T11:12:00.000+05:30

This is a nice way to fix your corrupted XP files, all you need to have is a Windows XP cd.

Just put the XP cd in the drive & go to Start->Run-> type ’sfc /scannow’. This should fix your corrupted files in XP. What this procedure does is a simple copy paste of the original file from cd to its respective location in your PC.

If important file gets corrupted which is useful while booting here is what you gotta do.

Boot from your windows XP cd, then ignore the first repair option you get (by pressing R), just move further as you do to install. When it shows you that Windows XP is already installed, then select it & there you will have repair option. So just repair it, this won’t affect any of your installed softwares.

NOTE: You may lose the updated files that is done from windows update, so you may have to update again to get those files. The files in the Windows XP cd will be the version when the Windows XP cd was packed

Source: www.thinktechno.com

Microsoft to simplify downgrades from Vista to XP

2007-07-06T20:37:00.000+05:30

Microsoft is simplifying the processes via which its PC-maker partners will be able to provide “downgrade” rights from Windows Vista to Windows XP for their customers.

Microsoft will implement the first of the policy changes for its Gold Certified (top-tier) OEM partners within the next couple of weeks. The company will streamline downgrade-rights policies and procedures for the broader channel somewhat later, said John Ball, general manager of Microsoft’s U.S. Systems Group.

Under current licensing terms, Microsoft allows customers buying PCs preloaded with Windows Vista Ultimate and Vista Business to roll back to Windows XP until they are ready to make the move to Vista. For OEMs, the process via which these rights can be activated has been quite cumbersome, Ball acknowledged.

Under the current rules, OEM must call about and file for each and every machine the licence keys required to downgrade from Vistaa to XP. But Microsoft is planning to move to a new policy which will allow its top 170 OEM partners to submit these keys online for groups of machines, which will save them time and reduce complexity, Ball said more...

Hacker's Attack: Unlocks iPhone's iPod & WiFi without activation

2007-07-06T20:29:00.000+05:30

Norwegian Hacker has reportedly hacked the Apple's iPhone so that its iPod and WiFi can work without being activated by AT&T,The new hacked iPhone could be used as full screen iPod and as a internet communicator.However the hacked Apple product lacked the call features which is still need to be activated though the AT&T carrier plan.But this is just the starting ,the complete hacked iPhone will be soon available completely cracked to work on all carriers ,you all have been waiting for that day isn't it.And i guess you don't have to wait longer to see a completely unlocked iPhone that works with all carriers.

PSP Price drop

2007-07-06T00:33:00.000+05:30

Sony has dropped the core system price of the PlayStation Portable to $169.99 as of April 3rd. This comes on the heels of retailers demanding a price drop, though it is unsure if the price was planned, or is a result of the power of retailers.

Windows Vista: Most secure OS to date

2007-07-05T23:49:00.000+05:30

Results of the analysis show that Windows Vista continues to show a trend of fewer total and fewer High severity vulnerabilities at the 6 month mark compared to its predecessor product Windows XP (which did not benefit from the SDL) and compared to other modern competitive workstation OSes (which also did not benefit from an SDL-like process) more....

Transformer Reviews : Awesome

2007-07-05T23:46:00.000+05:30

It never ceases to amaze me how spoiled we've become. When I say "we" I mean people my age who were kids in the 80s, and I'm talking about mostly men here. In the last several years we've been treated to new Star Wars movies, Lord of the Rings movies, a re-launched Batman, a re-launched Superman, Spider-Man, X-Men, and now a Transformers movie. The women out there must feel awfully cheated that Strawberry Shortcake and Holly Hobbie haven't gotten the summer blockbuster treatment more....

Desitorrents is Closed

2007-07-05T23:42:00.000+05:30

From Site:
DT is offline!
Our financial situation has been critical for the past few months, and the donations very slow. Since DT is a torrent site, our advertisers are not being kind to us either. You may have noticed recently that all the ads were removed from the site.

Currently we are looking for donations or else we'll be forced to shut this site down. The traffic is increasing and so is the cost of maintaining our servers.

Please donate, even if its a small amount and save this website. DT will be closed until we have reached our goal amount. In the mean while, we'll be studying other strategies to overcome the rising bills

Run Multiple Instances of Google Talk

2007-07-04T00:26:00.000+05:30

Google Talk, or as it is popularily known as GTalk, the widely used instant messenger which also allows users to make calls to other GTalk users as well is ever growing in terms of popularity.

Many users use GTalk to get notified of emails and scraps on popular social networking site Orkut, while some use it for plain talking. Most users have different email accounts to accomplish these tasks but GTalk can only be run in a single instance. This article deals with how you can make GTalk to run in multiple instances.

The procedure is outright simple. Open the properties window of the GTalk shortcut that you have placed either on the desktop or elsewhere. In the target box, type in /nomutex and click on OK.

Thats it! You are now able to run multiple instances of GTalk and login to as many accounts as you want.

Intel's Price Reduction on 22nd July

2007-07-04T00:20:00.000+05:30

While AMD AM2+ processors are due out in Q3, Intel announced another plan on price reduction just 3 months after the previous drop on April 22. With a remarkable cut at 50%, AMD is facing another harsh battle with Intel.

As reported before, Intel has had hinted a price drop in Q3, expecting a second price drop someday in August and September. However, the exact date turns out surprisingly on July 22 as the first hand information we have received. Undoubtedly, the move give certain impact on the sales of AMD processors. Not until the release of next-generation AM2+ processors, it’s hard for AMD to get profit from their existing products.more....

Changing SYSTEM RATINGS in WINDOWS VISTA

2007-07-02T23:13:00.000+05:30

Open Computer> C:\ > Windows > Performance > Winsat > Datastore >
Here you get to see some files... 1 or more than that...
Find the latest file with the date & time specified in the name.
Right Click.....on that latest file & Open with Word Pad
Edit the values in the Second Paragraph.......looks something like SYSTEM SCORE, MEM SCORE, CPU SCORE......maximize to 10 & save it & then check the wonders........

Before Buying : Must see this......

2007-07-02T22:59:00.000+05:30

These pages are updated on a regular basis and provides a unique resource for everybody,
looking for these components - whether it is for home or for business use.

Source: www.tomshardware.com

Opera Trick: Eliminate Horizontal Scrolling

2007-07-01T23:36:00.000+05:30

Sometimes you might have come across websites that are too big for your monitor, especially if you are still using 15" monitors at 800x600 resolution (like me) or have a vista sidebar that eats into your desktop space. If you use Opera to browse the net then there is small trick to eliminate horizontal scrolling - just hit Ctrl + F11, and the page will be wrapped to fit the browser width. Sometimes it might lead to breaking of the page format, depending upon the page you are viewing, but atleast it gets rid of the horizontal scroll bar.

Source: www.thinkdigit.com

10 reasons why PCs crashes

2007-07-01T23:26:00.000+05:30

Hardware conflict
Bad Ram
BIOS settings
Hard disk drives
Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors
Viruses
Printers
Software
Overheating
Power supply problems

Details......

The Godfather Legacy

2007-07-01T01:37:00.000+05:30

When Francis Ford Coppola adapted Mario Puzo's bestselling novel "The Godfather" into a major motion picture, he took a pot-boiler novel and spun it into box office gold. It was the first major blockbuster of the 1970s, and one of many classic films that made the decade a revered and fabled time in cinema history. "The Godfather" not only launched Coppola, and actors such as Al Pacino, Robert Duvall and James Caan, but it also resurrected Marlon Brando's career from oblivion. By most accounts, it is considered one of the greatest films ever made, if not the greatest more....

Contest for VISTA users

2007-07-01T01:29:00.000+05:30

Once again after distributing free Windows Vista beta and RC1 DVDs to its registered users, Mera windows organising a windows Vista tutorials Contest for its user. To participate in mera windows' contest you have to first registered yourself and after that submit your own short tutorial on windows Vista's new features or any thing about it. Your content should be in MS word format, use picture where needed but your content/tutorial should be genuine. The contest is opened till 29th january 2007.
Click here to participate www.merawindows.com

Add an Option to Print the Contents of a Folder

2007-07-01T00:59:00.000+05:30

Would you like to be able to right click any folder in Explorer
and print its contents?
You can add this option to the context menu by following these steps:

First, you need to create a batch file called Printdir.bat
Open Notepad and type (or cut and paste) this text

@echo off
dir %1 /-p /o:gn > "%temp%\Listing"
start /w notepad /p "%temp%\Listing"
del "%temp%\Listing"
exit

Now, in the Save As dialog box, type "%windir%\Printdir.bat" (without the quotation marks) and click the Save button.
Click Start --> Control Panel --> Folder Options
Click the File Types tab and then click File Folder
Click the Advanced button
Click the New button
In the Action box, type "Print Directory Listing" (without the quotation marks)
In the Application used to perform action box, type "Printdir.bat" (without the quotation marks).
Click OK in all three dialog boxes to close the dialog boxes.
Now, go to registry editor (Run --> regedit)
Navigate to HKEY CLASSES ROOT\Directory\shell
Right click on "default" and select Modify
In the File Data box, type "none" (without the quotation marks)
Click OK and close the Registry Editor

Now when you right click a folder, you'll see the option to Print Directory Listing.
Selecting it will print the contents of the folder.