The E-W19 comes with glossy NeoV Optical Glass, AG Neovo's specially hardened glass that resists cracks and scratches. It's also why the monitor costs $399 (as of December 10, 2007), substantially more than most other models on our 19-inch wide-screen monitor chart. For the price, you get impressive image quality but few physical adjustments.
The company touts NeoV Optical Glass as ideal for those who want to use the display in a public area, such as libraries and public kiosks. The E-W19's even more expensive sibling, the X-19, has the same optical glass but offers a few more connectivity options (such as S-Video) and a slick metal casing.
The E-W19 demonstrates a flair for both text and graphics. The monitor is nothing if not consistent, collecting impressive scores on many tests. Wonderfully readable text on office documents and Web pages should make for a happy office worker or surfer (or both). A good balance of colors and brightness meant that skin tones looked natural and objects such as fruit slices exhibited an enticing ripeness.
The E-W19 deliveres true-to-life colors with fairly natural skin tones and background shrubbery pleasingly saturated with green. The monitor revealed beautiful coppers, yellows, and oranges in a fall sunset scene. Velvet costumes were invitingly textured and overall suffused with a balanced color, particularly reds and dark blues.
Well-integrated speakers located at the bottom of the monitor have very fine vents that are hard to see except up close, making them look like part of the monitor rather than stuck-on parts. The speakers are adequate except for low-volume instances, e.g., whispered dialogue or classical music. In those cases, you'll have to strain to hear emanating sounds. These speakers would be useful for common office tasks, such as beeps and warnings from your PC, or e-mail alerts, but not for robust multimedia applications.
Those who need to physically adjust the monitor a lot would do well to look at other options. The E-W19 only offers a tilt adjustment, a feature that allows you to move the display back to a respectable 25 degrees. AG Neovo's on-screen display (OSD) is a little difficult to use. Buttons aren't labeled clearly and they serve different functions within different menu contexts. The E-W19 offers presets for game, movie, graphic, and text.
Still, the AG Neovo E-W19 is a good-looking monitor with durable glass, and it offers top-notch display performance.
AG Neovo E-W19 19-Inch Wide-Screen LCD Monitor
Samsung BlackJack II
Why spoil a good thing? Samsung kept this idea in mind when designing the BlackJack II, an evolutionary update to the original and well-received BlackJack smartphone. The new version adds a number of useful enhancements: the built-in camera now has 2-megapixel resolution; there's a built-in GPS radio with optional TeleNav GPS Navigator; and it's compatible with AT&T's (expensive) Video Share service. My review unit was made of glossy black plastic instead of a rubberized casing like the original; there's also a burgundy version available. Thankfully, Samsung has replaced the odd split-numeric keys with a tighter, more conventional arrangement. You also get a slightly increased processor speed and double the RAM—always a good thing with a Windows Mobile handset. There's also a higher-capacity battery. At just $149, the BlackJack II isn't perfect, but it's a worthy upgrade and a compelling high-speed alternative to the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8310.
The BlackJack II is a bit larger than the original, weighing 4.1 ounces—about half an ounce more—and measuring 4.4 by 2.3 by 0.5 inches (HWD), which is a little thicker as well. Screen size is up to 2.4 inches, though it retains the same 320-by-240-pixel resolution, brightness, and 65K color support. The BlackJack II features a jog/shuttle wheel that also acts as a control pad. The wheel scrolled a bit slowly, but it's a nice enhancement and makes quick work of thumbing through menus, Web pages, and option lists.
The BlackJack II's keyboard is a little cramped and clicky, but it's fairly comfortable to type on, though not as comfy as the keyboard on the Motorola Q9h, which costs $50 more. The BlackJack II's keys are oval as before, but wider than on the original model and closer to being square. The device's proprietary connectors aren't all that practical. The box includes a charger and a USB cable, but you're on your own for wired earbuds, and finding emergency replacements will be difficult, since the device doesn't have a standard headphone jack.
Voice quality was bright and crisp over 3G and somewhat less so over GSM, but still not bad. Despite its proximity to Manhattan, my Queens neighborhood has spotty 3G coverage, so I experienced the problematic high-speed hand-off fairly often—as did my callers, who pointed out static and a volume drop whenever it occurred. The BlackJack II exhibited good reception otherwise. Calls made outdoors on the street were intelligible except when an overhead train rolled by. The handset sounded fine when paired with a Plantronics Voyager 510 Bluetooth headset, and the speakerphone was loud enough to use outdoors in a pinch.
The BlackJack II features 256MB of ROM and 128MB of RAM, with 87MB of free memory and 131MB of free storage available, both of which are welcome improvements over the original. The new 260-MHz CPU and extra RAM definitely help when running multiple programs at once: "Out of Memory" error messages are rarely seen. However, the handset still felt a little sticky in operation. Screen redraws were occasionally sluggish, and some key presses took a beat or two before registering, but that's endemic to most Windows Mobile 6 handsets.
Since the BlackJack II runs Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard, you can edit but not create Microsoft Office documents. AT&T also bundles an RSS reader and an IM client that supports AIM, MSN, and Yahoo! Messenger. (The Q9h goes the BlackJack II one better, though, with its built-in DataViz Documents To Go office suite and excellent Opera Mobile browser.) Using the BlackJack II's built-in HSDPA 3.6 radio, consistent data speeds in the 1,000-Kbps range are seen —an impressive showing. AT&T packs in its clumsy XpressMail client, but you also get Outlook Mobile, which supports POP/IMAP, Yahoo! Mail, and Windows Live support, along with Microsoft Direct Push E-Mail. There are also icons for AT&T Video Share, which lets you stream live video to other callers; TeleNav GPS; and MobiTV; all of which cost extra to activate. Video Share, in particular, is too expensive at 35 cents per minute. AT&T offers a few Video Share–related plans to offset the cost, but none are unlimited, and none reduce the additional cost below 25 cents per minute.
With MobiTV, you get dozens of streaming television channels. Live MSNBC and CNBC look okay, but transmission sometimes stutters and takes a while to begin streaming. MP3 and WMA music files sounded clear over a set of Bluetooth Etymotic Ety8. Inconveniently, the music stopped every time the BlackJack II's volume was adjusted. To resume playback, the Done soft key in Windows Mobile had to be pressed and then press Play again, which was pretty lame. Standalone video files played smoothly, even in full screen mode, though there was no way to skip forward or backward while watching files.
The 2-megapixel camera took disappointingly soft and blurry photos. The BlackJack II lacks auto-focus and an LED flash. You are able to record smooth 320-by-240-pixel videos—a usable size—but some of my test files were plagued by intermittent stutters. The phone's microSD slot supports up to 4GB microSD cards, but not higher-capacity microSDHC media.
HSDPA data radios are notoriously hard on cell-phone batteries. Fortunately, the BlackJack II was a welcome exception, lasting 6 hours 14 minutes on a talk-time rundown test. That's more than 2 hours longer than the original BlackJack's score of 3:51. This alone might be enough to sway BlackJack owners to upgrade.
Anyone tethered to Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Outlook can make a solid bet on the BlackJack II on AT&T, especially if they can't afford the HTC Tilt or aren't a fan of its larger size. The Motorola Q9h's comfortable keyboard and Documents To Go suite makes it a better choice for Microsoft Office mavens on the go, but that device doesn't match the BlackJack II's sheer broadband speed. The BlackBerry Curve wins out on e-mail handling and overall OS responsiveness, although its pokey EDGE radio pales in comparison to the BlackJack II's HSDPA chipset. Overall, the BlackJack II plays a strong, winning hand, just like the original BlackJack did back in 2006.
WindowPC releases Sting 517D2 Gaming Laptop
WindowPC, a leader in cutting-edge PC hardware, has announced the availability of its new gaming notebook PC, dubbed the Sting 517D2. It is based on Nvidia 8800M GTX DirectX.
Compatible with 10 video cards by NVIDIA, this latest gaming laptop is a first-of-its kind to feature NVIDIA’s GeForce 8800M GTX graphics processor. It is equipped with 512MB of DDR3 video memory, 96 stream processors and supports unsurpassed HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc picture clarity.
“The new GeForce 8800M GPUs allow gamers to have the ultimate gaming experience on a mobile platform,” maintained Joshua McClure, General Manager at WidowPC. “These new 8800M video cards are exactly what the doctor ordered to play Crysis at advanced levels of visual realism. We’re proud to be the first in North America to ship this incredible performance enhancer.”
NVIDIA’s new PowerMizer battery extending technology offers a best-in-class gaming experience. Sting 517D2 runs on Intel Core2 Duo CPU’s and sports a 17-inch WUXGA high definition display with Camera of 1920×1200 pixel resolution, up to 4GB of 667MHz DDR memory + 1GB of Intel Turbo Memory and up to 200GB of 7200RPM hard drive storage.
It also bundles Bluetooth, fingerprint reader and carry case.
Pricing starts at $2,799, the NVIDIA 8800M GTX Laptop - the Sting 517D2 is available for order and shipment now.
Automate your Windows Disk Checking
Don't have time to run Disk Check ? No need to worry. You can automate this task and schedule it as and when you like.
Scheduling a task to handle this chore automatically at regular intervals takes only a few minutes. First, to check your disk manually, click Start, Run (or press Windows-R) to open the command line, type cmd.exe /c echo y|chkdsk c: /f /x, and press Enter. 'Cmd.exe' is the command processor, which opens a command-prompt window in Windows. The '/c' switch tells the command prompt to run the commands that follow, including the all-important chkdsk utility, which examines your drive for errors. (Change '/c' to /k if you want the command-prompt window to remain open so you can see any screen messages that might appear.) In this example, we are checking the C: drive with the fix (/f) function and telling it to lock out the disk (/x) if necessary while the scan takes place. If you're checking the Windows drive, the command won't work while Windows is running but will schedule a check for the next time you restart your system. That's where the 'echo y|' portion comes in: It sends a "yes" answer to approve this option.
To automate disk checking in XP, choose Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scheduled Tasks. Double-click Add Scheduled Task to start the Scheduled Task Wizard, and click Next. In the Application list, select Command Prompt and click Next. If you don't see an entry for Command Prompt in the list, click Browse, find and select the file 'cmd.exe' in Windows' System32 folder, and click Open. Choose a time interval (Monthly is a good choice) and click Next. Specify the time, day, and months, and click Next again. Enter the account name and password that you use for logging in, and click Next once more. Check Open advanced properties for this task when I click Finish, and then click Finish. With the Task tab selected, edit the text in the Run box so that it reads c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe /c echo y|chkdsk c: /f /x (your path and options may differ). Click OK, and enter your account name and password again. Finally, click OK one more time (you may be asked to confirm your log-in ID and password once more).
To automate disk checking in Vista, choose Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Task Scheduler. In the Actions pane on the right, click Create Task. Use the appropriate boxes to type a name for the task and, if you want, a description. Check Run with highest privileges and any other settings you wish. Select the Triggers tab and click the New button. Set the interval for checking your drive: For example, choose Monthly, Select all months in the Months drop-down menu, click On, and select First in the first drop-down to the right of the button and Monday in the second drop-down. Specify the time and other settings if you wish, and click OK. Select the Actions tab and click the New button. For 'Program/script', type cmd.exe. For 'Add arguments (optional)', type /c echo y|chkdsk c: /f /x (your options may differ). Click OK. Finally, click the Conditions and Settings tabs to see if either of those dialog boxes has any other circumstances you want to specify. When you've completed these steps, click OK. If you need to edit the settings later, select Task Scheduler Library in the left pane of the Task Scheduler to see your tasks in the top center pane. Either edit the settings in the bottom center pane, or double-click the task name to reopen the dialog box.
Download Torrents without any external Torrent Client
FireTorrent is a Firefox Extension for all the Torrent Lovers! While there are few similar extensions already out there but what makes this cool is its easy interface!
Can you imagine that you don’t need any external application like µTorrent or bittorrent to download your torrents ??
Just click on a torrent link and the downloading will start immediately.
#Features:
* Nice Integration: This extension adds a separate Torrent tab to the Firefox’s built-in download manager.
* Options: Provides option for selecting port nos, download/upload limit, location to save files, security & encryption configuration, etc! you can configure parameters like no. of connection, port no. to accept incoming connection, proxy settings, default folder, download/upload limit, etc! Everything like a standalone torrent client!
* Need More Info: If you like to see more info like no. of peers you are downloading from just click on more info link!
* Easy Access: Just click on folder name next to Downloaded to as highlighted in above screenshot and it will open the folder where downloaded files are saved!
The FireTorrent extension strives to offer the most user-friendly BitTorrent experience. The torrents manager has been integrated as a separate tab in your browser’s download manager, and torrents can be downloaded from any website with a single click.
This results in a great user experience and should be attractive to both people that are new to downloading torrents and advanced users.
Download FireTorrent ..
Add an Image to a Contact in Gmail
Viewing hundreds of email addresses in your contact list can be quite boring. Wouldn't it be much better to see pictures of your contacts instead.
Here's how you can see familiar faces in your contact list each time you wish to send mails to your contacts. Once you've assigned a picture to a contact, you can see it whenever you position your mouse over an e-mail address or name.
To add an image to a contact in Gmail, just follow these simple steps :
1. Click on the 'Contacts link' that appears on the left pane of your Gmail account.
2. Click on the contact's name to which you want to add an image.
3. You are then brought to the contact's profile where an image selected by the contact already appears alongside the contact's name. Click on 'Edit' to edit the contact information and make changes.
4. Move your mouse on the picture shown on the right side, then click on the 'Change Picture' link.
5. Select 'My Computer' from the window that comes up next.
6. Click on the 'Browse' button to select an image of your choice.
7. Click on the 'Upload picture' button.
8. To crop the image, highlight the required frame and click on the 'Apply Changes' button.
9. Click on the 'Save' button.
And you are done. Now, you will be able to see your contact's image alongside his name.
Microsoft makes Windows XP SP3 available for testing to all
Microsoft Corp. has said that it would post the release candidate of Windows XP Service Pack 3 to its download site tonight.
The move marks the first opportunity for all users of the six-year-old operating system to try out its final upgrade. Previously, several thousand users were given access to test builds of SP3 only by Microsoft's invitation.
According to a company spokeswoman, the version that debuts today, dubbed a "release candidate" to note progress from earlier betas, will be available from the Microsoft Download Center. She was unable, however, to say when the service pack would post to Windows Update so users can download and install it with the company's update service.
The final version of Windows XP SP3 remains slated for delivery sometime in the first half of 2008, the spokeswoman said. She also warned off casual users from trying the preview. "As this is a release candidate, we strongly encourage only those who are comfortable installing prerelease code to download Windows XP SP3," she said.
The Significance of SP3:
Recently, Microsoft has been downplaying the significance of Windows XP SP3. In a white paper posted to its Web site last week, and also Tuesday, the company praised Windows Vista at XP's expense, reminding users that "Vista provides the most advanced security and management capabilities of any Windows operating system."
"Windows XP SP3 does not bring significant portions of Windows Vista functionality to Windows XP," the spokeswoman said.
According to the white paper, the Download Center version of XP SP3 will weigh in at about 580MB; the version downloaded and installed via Windows Update, however, will be much smaller, typically around 70MB.
Windows XP debuted in October 2001 and was last updated as SP2 in August 2004; SP3 will be the final major upgrade of the operating system.
Put Some Sizzle in Your Startups
Does your Windows never seems to start fast enough ? Then here some possible reasons and fixes that might help you overcome this problem.
Fast Fix 1: Your computer could be loading device drivers for hardware you no longer use. To save on system resources, uninstall those drivers. Since a careless choice can cause your machine to lose an important function, however, create a restore point in System Restore before proceeding.
By default, Device Manager doesn't show devices that aren't currently connected to your system. To make them visible, press Windows-R to open the Run box, type cmd, and press Enter. At the command prompt, type set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1 and press Enter. Leave the command-prompt window open.
Now press Windows-R again, type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter. In the Device Manager window, choose View, Show Hidden Devices. Click the plus sign (+) next to each of the branches to examine all of the drivers on your system. Devices that are not currently connected appear with a pale version of the icon. If you come across a device that you're sure you no longer use, right-click it and choose Uninstall. Then follow the prompts shown on screen to complete the process. When you're done, close the command-prompt window to rehide your unconnected devices.
Fast Fix 2: Once you have mapped a network drive to a letter on your computer, Windows will automatically restore that connection by default whenever you log on. Since resuming network connections takes time, you can speed your startups by dropping the connections you aren't using.
Press Windows-E to launch Windows Explorer, and type Alt-T, D to open the Disconnect Network Drives dialog box. Pick the drives to disconnect, and click OK.
In the future, if you connect a drive only for the current session, simply enter its UNC path (this appears in the address bar when you select the drive in Explorer, and in the Run box). Or, if you use the Tools, Map Network Drive command in Explorer, make sure Reconnect at logon is unchecked before you click Finish.
Fast Fix 3: You'll free your system's memory and recover processor cycles by clearing out the clutter that starts each time you log in to Windows--and you may even discover some malware in the process. Check out the free Autoruns program from Microsoft-owned Sysinternals.
How do you distinguish the useful startup programs from the useless ones? You can consult Autoruns' built-in research tools, or you can check out the Startup Applications List. This searchable and downloadable list of common startup items provides a description and rating for each one, indicating how likely the item is to be required on a typical system.
Konami to release PES 2008 Handheld Versions
Konami Digital Entertainment has announced to release two new handheld versions of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, namely the PSP and Nintendo DS.
PSP and Nintendo DS handheld offer all the realism and intuitive controls that are associated with the series. However, the company said that it is within bespoke versions tailored for their host format. Both the handheld versions are developed by Konami’s football Studio based in Tokyo.
Featuring a lot of common features of the existing PlayStation 2 game, the PSP handheld version of PES 2008 comes with a variety of tournaments and leagues on offer. Moreover, it also provides an all-new World Tour mode that enables the user to set a series of challenges as he/she tour the globe.
When the player completes each task successfully, his/her chosen quad is unlocked and has to face further tests. PES 2008 also integrates Full Edit mode, allowing consumers to continue building their team, when they are away from the home system. For this specs, you need to thank the data sharing aspect that has been reworked. The PES 2008 also gives the opportunity to the user to exchange Master League information, League, World Tour and Cup Mode data between PSP and PlayStation 2 versions.
Coming to the Nintendo DS version of PES 2008, it contains Exhibition, Penalty Shoot-Out and Konami Cup elements. Furthermore, it also carries a variant on the World Tour system for the consumer to face elite teams from every continent.
Konami has utilized the wireless elements of the Nintendo DS along with a Network Mode, making it possible to enjoy multi-player games of up to four users with copies of game. It also allows consumers to play one-against-one matches with just one copy of PES 2008. Surprisingly, this game permits the players to trade other players with friends. The collected coins are then used to add the world’s best players to their team.
PES 2008 is currently available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PC-DVD. However, the handheld version of PES 2008 on PSP and Nintendo DS are expected to release by early 2008.
Google to bring out Wikipedia Rival
Google is developing an online publishing platform where people can write entries on subjects they know, an idea that's close to Wikipedia's user-contributed encyclopedia but with key differences.
The project, which is in an invitation-only beta stage, lets users create clean-looking Web pages with their photo and write entries on, for example, insomnia. Those entries are called "knols" for "unit of knowledge," Google said.
Google wants the knols to develop into a deep repository of knowledge, covering topics such as geography, history and entertainment.
Google's project will have to catch up with Wikipedia, which includes more than 7 million articles in 200 languages. Anonymous users constantly update Wikipedia entries in an ever-growing online encyclopedia that's edited by a network of vetted editors.
But Google asserts that the Web's development so far has neglected the importance of the bylined author.
"We believe that knowing who wrote what will significantly help users make better use of web content," wrote Udi Manber, vice president of engineering, on the official Google blog.
Google said anyone can write about any topic, and repetition of entries on the same subjects is beneficial. Google will provide the Web hosting space, as well as editing tools.
Contributors can choose whether to let Google place ads on the knols. Google said it will give the contributors a "substantial" portion of the revenue generated by those ads. While Wikipedia lacks ads, keyword advertising has underpinned Google's growth.
Entries can't be edited or revised by other people, in contrast to Wikipedia. However, other readers will be able to rank and review others' entries, which will then be interpreted by Google's search engine when displaying results.
The concept of peer-reviewed information is nothing new and is implemented in different ways on various Web sites. Yahoo, for example, has an "Answers" feature where users can ask questions, and the response is ranked on quality. Also, most blogs have forms where readers can comment on the author's entry.
Despite those other formats, Google probably feels that "a service like Knol might be necessary to stay competitive," wrote Danny Sullivan, editor in chief of Search Engine Land, in a review.
Splitting Files using WinRar
Winrar is a powerful compressing software on the market. I prefer Winrar than Winzip (of course because it supports .rar files, lol).
If you compress your file(s), you can enter the volume size in "Split to volumes" field in the "archive name and parameters dialog" in general tab to create volumes (multi part archives).
By default it is entered in bytes. But if you add a lowercase letter 'k' at the end of the volume size, the entered value will be considered as kilobytes (multiplied by 1024). Use an uppercase 'K' to denote thousand of bytes (multiply by 1000), ' m' means megabytes and 'M' - million of bytes.
It is also possible to select the volume size from the list associated with this item. Note that if you are archiving to a removable disk, you may select "Autodetect" from the list and WinRAR will choose the volume size automatically for each new volume.
For multiple CD's you can enter for example "700m" for 700MB CD's. WinRAR creates a multi-volume archive (volname.part001.rar, volname.part002.rar, etc. ) The volumes are 700MB and the last volume may be smaller.
So, if you want to compress and split a file into several parts, follow this procedure -
1. Make sure you have WinRar installed. If you don't have it, get it from here.
2. Right click the file you want to split and select 'Add to archive' from the right click menu.
3. There you will see 'Split to Volumes, Bytes' option. Just select the split size or add your own value as explained above.
4. Click OK.
So, you've just split your file into smaller parts. This can be really helpful for transferring content or uploading files on sites like Rapidshare or Megaupload which have a maximum upload limit.
Happy Splitting!!
LG BH200 Blu-ray and HD DVD Player: Smooth but Slow
LG Electronics' highly anticipated second-generation Blu-ray and HD DVD video player is now shipping. The player does its job in properly decoding both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. But my early use of the player yields one initial, albeit significant, complaint: The player is pokey--at startup, when identifying whether you've inserted a Blu-ray or an HD DVD disc, when changing chapters, or when navigating disc menus.
The BH200 notably rights its predecessor the BH100's transgressions by fully implementing the HD DVD spec, which means you can properly and seamlessly view the fancy menus and extra content on an HD DVD disc. Furthermore, this player is the first to ship that supports the recently implemented Blu-ray Bonus View picture-in-picture functionality (part of what was once widely referenced as Blu-ray Profile 1.1).
According to LG, this player also has the hardware necessary to support Blu-ray's Internet-connected content, BD Live, when such content surfaces sometime next year. Not unexpectedly, though the player is what LG calls "BD Live-ready," it will require a firmware update in order to play BD Live content.
Although the $999 BH200 certainly busts down the barriers between Blu-ray and HD DVD, LG is charging a high premium for the convenience of having both formats in one box. That premium feels particularly high in a season still reeling from $99 HD DVD (granted, those models were only capable of 1080i, not 1080p output, as the BH200 is) and $350 Blu-ray Disc players. Already, Samsung has said its own dual-format player, due out this month, will be priced at $799. Given how volatile player prices have been lately, I won't be surprised to hear of a price drop on the BH200 soon after its introduction.
LG's Tim Alessi, director of product development, says the company is watching the pricing situation. "We still believe there's a convenience factor that will justify that premium. How much that premium will be remains to be seen."
Symantec announces Norton AntiVirus 11 for Leopard
Symantec has brought out Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac, featuring support for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard.
The software furnishes vulnerability protection technology, which watches the web application layer. Norton AntiVirus automatically detects and removes viruses, scans and cleans downloaded files and email attachments, and protects against software vulnerabilities.
To address the growth of multi-platform PC and Mac environments, Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac scans for both PC and Mac vulnerabilities, viruses and macro viruses.
Symantec promises performance and engine improvements to ensure better compatibility and less impact on system startup and resource usage. Product, virus definition, and vulnerability protection updates are automatic.
A new Norton AntiVirus dashboard widget gives a quick summary of system protection and status. This also offers a 'snooze button' scan, if a Mac user's engaged in another task on their computer they can reschedule the virus scan for a more convenient time.
For power users, Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac can be accessed using the Terminal, bypassing the application completely and allowing such users to add antivirus scans and other capabilities to their own custom scripts.
Norton AntiVirus 11 costs £39.99.
Use BitLocker Drive Encryption without TPM chip
Windows Vista includes a new hard drive encryption feature called BitLocker Drive Encryption. BitLocker can be a very useful security feature for businesses and home users that have sensitive and confidential information stored on their computer. Unfortunately, BitLocker Drive Encryption by default requires a Trusted Platform Module (TPM Chip) version 1.2 or later installed in your computer. A lot of the computers and laptops on the market do not come with TPM chips installed since they are typically only found in premium model business computers. If you have Windows Vista Business, Ultimate or Enterprise but do not have a TPM chip, you can still use BitLocker Drive Encryption.
Hidden away in local group policy is a setting that will allow you to turn on the ability to use a USB storage device instead of a TPM key to store the encryption key. This is a great feature for users that don't have the latest high-end hardware because you can still use hard drive encryption. However, every time you turn on your computer, the USB storage device that has the encryption key located on it must be plugged in. Without it, your computer will not boot up. One BitLocker Drive Encryption is setup with a USB storage device, that USB storage device basically becomes the key to your computer.
Follow these steps to turn on the ability to use a USB storage device with BitLocker Drive Encryption on hardware that does not have a TPM device:
1. Click on the Start Button and key in 'gpedit.msc' and hit Enter.
2. Navigate through: Computer Policy, Administrative Templates, Windows Components and BitLocker Drive Encryption.
3. Right click on Control Panel Setup: Enable advanced startup options and select Properties.
Check Enabled and hit OK.
That's it and you are done.
Identify Any Faulty Device Driver in Your Computer
If you are facing problems with your computer, especially the blue error screen coming up again and again, or your system is only booting in safe mode, then there is a strong possibility that your computer is having a faulty device driver.
Now how to identify a faulty driver, if you look at the list of drivers, you will find more than 100 drivers, and its not easy to find the faulty drivers from that list, neither it is possible to reinstall each one.
Microsoft provides you with the solution by providing a little tool called Verifier. This allows you to check which driver is faulty and a error message that will help you know which driver is faulty and you can then replace it or reinstall it. Here is a look at the use of it.
1. Go to Start –> Run and type “verifier“.
2. Select first option of “Create Standard Settings”, click Next, and then choose the option according to the problem you are facing. If you are technical enough, you can select “Select drivers name from a list”, and choose the driver which you think is responsible for the problem. If you are not sure then you can select “Automatically select all drivers installed on this computer”. and then Click Next, and Finish the process.
3. Now Reboot your computer, you will see the list of drivers to be verified at startup, and if you have a faulty driver, then you will get a blue screen, with the error message. You can get the faulty driver from that and thus can reinstall it or can be rectified.
4. After this when you have recognized the faulty driver, login back in your windows and you need to stop this service. To do this, Go to Start –> Run and type in “verifier /reset“. This will stop this service and you will not get the verifier window at startup again.
LG R200 Notebook PC now available in India
LG has unveiled the new R200 notebook PC, in India. The R200 comes with a revolutionary
2.5-inch auxiliary LCD display on the top.
Developed for the high-end home segment, the latest R200 comes in a new look and innovative technology such as Sideshow that offers the unparalleled convenience while enjoying music, slideshow as well as accessing windows mail. You need not boot the system to operate it.
The company renders the R200 an original piano black design with aesthetic red touch sensitive buttons on a glossy black background to make it look stylish and classy. Owners of the easy-to-carry LG R200 are also allowed to play the hottest new games featuring DirectX 10 and even experience the HD movie.
R. Manikandan, Business Group Head, IT Division, remarked “We strive to create new and innovative products that allow people to give the customer delight. We at LG believe that R200 model laptop will revolutionize the way people perceive technology.”
Supporting the new audio technology for cinema quality, the notebook PC has the ability to enhance virtual surround sound. Currently, the LG R200 has hit store shelves across India for Rs. 79,990.
Vista & XP Service Pack Blockers Issued
Microsoft Corp. posted a tool to its download site today that will block automatic installations of several upcoming service packs, including Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows XP SP3.
The Windows Service Pack Blocker ToolKit blocking tools are designed for businesses, particularly large corporations and organizations that require extensive testing before they deploy a service pack or operating system upgrade.
The download includes three versions of the tool -- an executable, a script and a group policy template -- that prevents the service packs from reaching PCs via Windows Update, Microsoft's default update service.
The tool blocks Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP SP3 and Windows Server 2003 SP2 for varying lengths of time. Vista SP1 and XP SP3 can be blocked for as long as 12 months after the service packs are released in final form, while the Server 2003 SP2 blocker bars the download only through March 2008.
Vista SP1, which enters public testing Tuesday, is scheduled to wrap up in the first quarter of 2008. Windows XP SP3, on the other hand, has a delivery date of sometime in the first half of next year.
Microsoft has offered similar blockers before, most recently one last year that kept Internet Explorer 7 from automatically installing on Windows XP systems. The tool lets all other updates, including monthly security patches, pass through Windows Update without modification.
Microsoft also plans to unveil Office 2007 SP1 next week, but has said nothing about a blocker for the suite update.
Yahoo! Messenger for Vista finally launched
The long awaited Yahoo! messenger for Windows Vista is finally here. This new messenger has been made exclusively for Windows Vista users. The messenger has something new, especially it's cool looks.
The new features in Yahoo! Messenger include a complete change of layout, skin chooser, filter-as-you-type for easy searching, spell checker and a convenient tabbed conversation window that controls your desktop clutter. The rebuild also incorporates sidebar graphics that have the ability to show favorite contacts separated from conversation windows. Graphical elements in the new IM take Microsoft's graphic subsystem into play for vector based interfaces and enhanced emoticons. The overall look is very Vista-y. In terms of sharing items with your contacts, you can send files as large as 2 GB. There’s also the ability to send IMs to both your Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger contacts. Yahoo Messenger for Vista also leverages the desktop search in Vista to let the user search for photos stored on the computer, and it includes new animated emoticons.
There are some things missing in this version of Yahoo! Messenger. What’s missing for this preview, however, is the voice, webcam, chat rooms, SMS, IMVironments, Audibles, plug-ins, photo-sharing (unless you send the photo as a file), and conferencing. These features will most probably appear in the next Vista update as they are in works now.
Grab a copy of Yahoo! Messenger for Vista ..
'Purple Screen Of Death' hits Windows Vista Users
While most users of Microsoft Windows-based PCs have seen their systems lockup and display the dreaded 'blue screen of death', a new, lavender-hued variant of the problem has emerged.
The so-called "purple screen of death" occurs when there's a conflict between certain system drivers and Windows Vista's Desktop Window Manager, according to researchers at NeoSmart -- a nonprofit technology tracking firm that first spotted the issue.
When the glitch occurs, windows on the Vista desktop turn purple and become unresponsive, according to NeoSmart. "It's caused by a low-level problem in the kernel, and it does make you want to restart your PC," NeoSmart researchers said in a blog post on the subject.
NeoSmart concedes that the problem is rare, and that most Vista users probably haven't encountered it. "It's something to do with the way the Windows Vista kernel handles a certain exception in the graphics driver subsystem."
One poster on the NeoSmart blog said he was hit with the 'purple screen of death' while his computer was equipped with Nvidia graphics drivers that had not yet been optimized for Vista. "It creeped me out... I mean, why purple, of all colors!?," wrote Mark Anders.
While the "purple screen of death" seems rare and not terribly serious, the system conflict behind the problem is the latest example of the almost innumerable issues that software makers face when rolling out major product upgrades.
Mac users have reported that Apple's new Leopard OS is itself subject to the "blue screen of death" -- a major system crash that previously was confined mostly to Microsoft operating systems.
Part of the problem is that, in their efforts to outdo each other, Apple and Microsoft are loading literally hundreds of new features into their latest offerings -- and testing all of them in all conceivable usage scenarios would be costly and impractical.
In the end, most software makers rely on post-release service packs to fix problems that emerge after a product has shipped. Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista is currently undergoing beta testing.
Creative ZEN Vision:M - An iPod alternative ?
Despite a few shortcomings, Creative’s ZEN Vision:M is a great Apple iPod alternative. The 30GB shipping model of the video-ready music device, possesses the finest color screen ever seen on a portable player.
The VisionM sounds great, too, though audio codec support is a bit weak— with support for MP3, WMA, and WAV, but not for AAC, FLAC, or Ogg Vorbis formats. Still, the player works nicely with PlaysForSure subscription services such as Napster. In addition, it carries an FM tuner/recorder and a voice recorder.
The VisionM does more than playing music. It supplies a raft of options for photo and video viewing on the unit’s beautiful 320-by- 240-pixel screen. The device supports enough video codecs to keep video enthusiasts happy, and an included dongle lets you link the player to a TV.
This means that you can easily store any movie in the player and watch it on your friend’s big screen television— without lugging around your DVD player. There is no trouble navigating files on the VisionM, thanks to the player’s touchpad interface. With the touchpad at the default sensitivity setting, a few quick flicks of the thumb allowed us to move through lengthy lists of artists and albums, though landing on a specific selection was sometimes challenging.
Unfortunately, the Vision:M has a few drawbacks when compared to the 30GB video-ready iPod. For starters, it’s about 1.5 times as thick, and you need a dongle to charge the player and sync files to it. Also, its MediaSource application needs work, especially when matched against Apple’s slick iTunes. If you can look beyond these flaws, however, you’ll find a capable portable media player with useful features and a stellar screen.
Dell brings out World of Warcraft Edition XPS M1730 Notebook
A legendary alliance between Dell and Blizzard has resulted in a one-of-a-kind notebook designed to deliver the ultimate World of Warcraft experience.
With the new WoW-themes XPS, Dell attempts to lure a good share of World of Warcraft players across the globe.
Earlier today Dell unveiled the XPS M1730 World of Warcraft Edition laptops customized for members of both the Horde (the bad) and Alliance (the good) factions in the popular game. The $4,499 laptop is a mod of the popular XPS M1730 gaming laptop with customized lid and overall design.
The World of Warcraft edition XPS M1730 also comes with illuminated speaker grills and faction specific honor badges, World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade and all major game patches, Golden Ticket for a custom FigurePrint of your actual in-game World of Warcraft character with your actual armor and weapons, World of Warcraft Beta Club Key Card with a key to future World of Warcraft beta tests, World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade Collector's Edition Account Upgrade Certificates, exclusive backgrounds & screensavers and truckloads of behind the scene stuff, novels, strategy guides and trading cards.
So, basically the WoW edition XPS M1730 is a dream come true for World of Warcraft fans who want to live the game.
The hardware specs are similar to what you'd expect from XPS M1730. The stock config has been beefed up to justify the premium $4,499 price tag somewhat. But those getting one of these won't really bother about it.
Sprint Motorola Q9c
All the carriers (well, except for T-Mobile) are going for their second helping of the Motorola Q. AT&T has its Motorola Q9h; Verizon Wireless has the Motorola Q9m; and now Sprint has its Motorola Q9c. Overall, the smartphone brings some great additions, including Windows Mobile 6 and built-in GPS. It also continues to be a strong messaging device and offers mobile professionals the tools to get work done on the road. It's not perfect, of course, and there are things that bother us. We think the pros outweigh the cons, and the Motorola Q9c is a worthy upgrade to the Q, especially at its affordable price of $149.99 (with a two-year contract and after discounts).
DESIGN
From the front, the Motorola Q9c doesn't look much different from other Q models and more closely resembles the Moto Q9m for Verizon Wireless rather than the latest Motorola Q9h for AT&T. The mobile sports a classic black casing with a nice chrome accent along the outer edges to give it a swanky look, though we wish we could say the same about the smartphone's profile. Sprint ships the Q9c with an extended battery, which we love and appreciate--don't get us wrong--but it adds an awkward and bulky bump to the backside of the device. It's not going to easily slip into a pants pocket at 4.6 inches high by 2.6 inches wide by 0.7 inch deep and 5.2 ounces, and the wider body and extended battery make the Q9c a bit cumbersome to use as a phone. That said, the soft-touch finish on the back helps when gripping and holding the device, and it's comfortable to use as a messaging machine.
The Q9c has a 2.4-inch diagonal TFT non-touch screen that shows off 65,000 colors at a 320x240 pixel resolution. Images and text looked vibrant and sharp, and the display features adaptive technology that automatically adjusts the backlighting depending on your environment. As with other Windows Mobile devices, you can customize the Home screen with different background images, themes, and layouts.
The Q9c's keyboard features large buttons, but they're a bit stiff to press. The Motorola Q9c's keyboard features large buttons that are spacious enough for even larger thumbs. They have a nice texture to them to prevent any slippage, but that said, the keys are stiff and again, there isn't enough tactile feedback, which doesn't make for the best typing experience. The bottom row does include quick-launch buttons to the camera, speakerphone, and in-box.
On the left spine, there's a miniSD expansion slot and a mini USB port, while there's a scroll wheel and customizable launch key on the right side. The jog dial can be used to navigate through the various menu items; to select an app or option, just depress the wheel. You can also use it to adjust the volume but only when you're on a phone call. We should note that the rolling mechanism is a bit stiff, so you have to be forceful when using this control. The top of the unit holds a 2.5mm headset jack and finally, the camera lens and speaker are located on the back.
Sprint packages the Motorola Q9c with an AC adapter, a USB cable, an extended battery, a desktop software CD, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check out cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.
FEATURES
Though messaging (whether it be e-mail, text, or instant messages) is increasingly becoming the preferred method of communication, you can't underestimate the value of actually talking to a person and the Motorola Q9c is still first and foremost a phone. Voice features include a duplex speakerphone, voice dialing and commands, smart dialing, three-way calling, and text and multimedia messaging. The Q9c's phone book is limited only by the available memory, and each entry can hold as many as 12 phone numbers, three e-mail addresses, addresses for home and work, a job title, and more. For caller-ID purposes, you can assign a contact to a category or pair it with any of 19 polyphonic ringtones or a photo.
All that said, we certainly don't mean to downplay the Q9c's messaging capabilities, as its one of the main draws of the device. As with all the latest Windows Mobile 6 smartphones, it ships with Microsoft's Direct Push technology, so you get real-time e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization with your Outlook calendar, tasks, and contacts via Exchange Server. There's support for other e-mail solutions, as well, including Good Mobile Messaging. There is, of course, continued support for POP3 and IMAP accounts, but now you can also view e-mails in their original HTML format, regardless of account type. Sprint also includes its instant messaging package of AIM, Yahoo, and Windows Live Messenger clients.
As for productivity apps, the Q9c goes the way of the Motorola Q9h and opts to go with Dataviz's Documents to Go instead the Microsoft Office Mobile Suite for viewing and editing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents.
The Moto Q9c is also an EV-DO handset, which means you can enjoy data speeds as fast as 2.4Mbps, though you'll average closer to 300Kbps to 600Kbps. To make the most of the 3G speeds, you can enjoy Sprint TV on your device, which gives you access to programming from a variety of channels, including CNN, Comedy Central, E!, the NFL Network, and Sprint Exclusive Entertainment. In addition, you can listen to live streaming music and talk radio from Sirius, VH1 Mobile, and MTV Mobile.
Other wireless options on the Q9c include Bluetooth 2.0 and GPS. The Bluetooth can be used with mono and stereo Bluetooth headsets, hands-free kits, object exchange, file sharing, and dial-up networking. Unfortunately, there is no integrated Wi-Fi, but you can add this capability with a miniSD Wi-Fi card.
The built-in GPS radio lets you turn the smartphone into a handheld navigator, which can be particularly helpful to road warriors who are constantly going on business trips or shuttling to various meetings. With the help of a location-based service, such as Sprint Navigation, you'll be able to get color maps, driving directions, business search, and even traffic data.
For multimedia, the Q9c is equipped with a 1.3-megapixel camera with 6X zoom, flash, and video-recording capabilities. There are five resolution options (ranging from 1,280x1,024 to 160x120), three shooting modes, and brightness and white-balance settings. In video mode, there are only three quality settings, but you can adjust the brightness and white balance, as well. Picture quality wasn't bad. Objects had good definition, though we wish colors were a bit more vibrant. Video quality was also decent.
Picture quality was decent, but we want a bit more richness in color.
In addition to the aforementioned Sprint TV, you can watch other video as well as listen to music with the standard Windows Media Player 10 Mobile. There's support for a number of popular audio and video formats, including AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, MPEG-4, and WMV. If you have TV shows recorded on your Windows Media Center PC, you can transfer them to your device for on-the-go viewing. Finally, there is an Audio Enhancement utility where you can tweak the sound settings for the phone speaker as well as for your headset.
PERFORMANCE
The dual-band (CDMA 850/1900; EV-DO) Motorola Q9c was tested in San Francisco using Sprint service, and call quality was decent. In general, we enjoyed clear sound with good volume and had no problem interacting with our bank's voice automated system. Our friends didn't have any major complaints, but they could tell we were using a cell phone and said our voice sounded a bit digitized. Activating the speakerphone produced some bad feedback on our side of the conversation; it was more annoying than crippling, and we do wish there was a bit more volume. We were able to successfully pair the Q9c with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset and the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones.
With about 24MB of available memory and 36MB of available storage, general performance on the Motorola Q9c was OK though not stellar. There were brief delays when launching various programs, which became increasingly longer the more applications we had open. We've found this to be typical of Windows Mobile devices, and the Q9c isn't any better or worse than other smartphones. We didn't suffer any system crashes during our review period. Music playback is smooth with plenty of volume, but songs sounded hollow and lacked bass. However, video performance was a bit mixed.
The Q9c's extended battery has a rated talk time of 7.2 hours. According to FCC radiation tests, the Q9c has a digital SAR rating of 1.3 watts per kilogram.
PlayStation 3 Outsells Wii in Japan
The Wii is universally loved, especially in its home country Japan. Month after month since launch, the Wii managed to outsell fellow Japanese rival PlayStation 3, but that all changed this month, as the final tally favors Sony’s console for November.
Citing information from Enterbrain, Reuters reports the PlayStation 3 outsold the Wii in the four weeks to November 25. Sony sold 183,217 PlayStation 3 and Nintendo sold 159,193 Wii in the period.
The PlayStation 3’s climb to the top of the Japanese sales charts has been one building up for months. The Wii was outselling the PlayStation 3 by six-to-one during summer, but by fall, the gap narrowed to three-to-one.
Despite the PS3’s success in November, some analysts feel that the console’s stay at the top may only be temporary.
"It's nice to see the system selling much better than six months ago. But is it a sustainable trend? Is it going to really escalate from here? I'm not so sure," KBC Securities analyst Hiroshi Kamide said. "Overseas, I don't really see the PS3 doing that much at Christmas time primarily because it's still more expensive than the other machines and has less software."
Sony told the media that sales of PlayStation 3 have tripled in the U.S. thanks to Black Friday sales, though early reports from Microsoft and Nintendo have placed sales of the two other consoles above that of the PS3.
