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When you look at how technology progresses it is really amazing. You can get new notebooks for about the same as desktops.

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Meanwhile, the days are over when a $1,000 price tag meant cheap. At one time, notebooks that sold for $1,000 or less used lowly components like 12-inch screens. But many manufacturers are now fitting their $1,000 machines with 15-inch screens and CD burners. With rebates, the notebooks often dip well below the $1,000 mark.

The first ever mousepad review is up. The Steel Pad 4S.

AIW Radeon 9000 @ Tweaknews.
800 Mhz P4s @ TWL.
Icemat @ Modtown.
Iceburg VGA cooling @ 3DGM.
Another mousepad @ Xtremods.
Radeon 9800 Pro @ Hexus.
2 Umax Digicams @ PC-A.

Yes, the first mousepad review at ASE Labs. These are really expensive for mousepads! Is it worth the cost? You'll need to read to find outNext Page »

Looks like Intel will finally up the speed on its flagship line of CPUs. Speaking of speed, where the hell is the clawhammer already?

[QUOTE]Intel is set to introduce one more 800MHz FSB (front-side bus)-based Pentium 4 processor, running at 3.2GHz, on June 23, according to the company’s roadmap. The new processor will be priced at US$637.[/QUOTE

The tracking technology for products (and other things......) will get a major ally, Walmart. Using this technology for tracking products is nice. Using it for other pruposes, well, that's just a breach of my security.

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Wal-Mart's endorsement of RFID gives an important boost to efforts to overhaul the world's supply chains, a makeover that could provide a shot in the arm for technology companies struggling to find buyers for the latest products and services. RFID is expensive, but backers say it offers long-term benefits that could dwarf the impact of the bar code on inventory control and distribution.

Whoops, the review I had will be posted later today. Version 3 progress continues, in fact, the site only portion of the code is nearly complete. All that is left is some user stuff and articles. And remember, hit up the Version 3 forum if you want new features! AND DO IT NOW!

SLK shootout @ Viperlair.
MSI Dual Opteron board @ AMDZone.
Intel 2.6C @ OCA.
AL bay covers @ ET.
FREE STUFF @ PCA.
Swiftech WC @ 3DGM.
Round cathode @ Casemodgod.
SiS 648FX @ Myworld.
Vantec UV Fan @ ET.

I remember posting a story awhile ago about Elsa going bankrupt, I guess they have some money left after all. They'll be making ATI chipset cards now. A trend by companies.

[QUOTE]Given that ELSA is generally seen as a card maker dedicated to the high-end sector, industry observers believe that ELSA’s cooperation with ATI will help ATI consolidate its position in the top-end graphics card market.[/QUOTE

Microsoft is testing service in eight cities to determine if SPOT is good. I like the idea of getting information on my watch or something.

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The MSN Direct service will cost $9.95 per month with the first month free as part of an introductory offer, or $59 for the entire year. The service will allow consumers to stay informed about news, weather, sports scores, stock quotes, movies listing and local dining spots. Consumers will also be able to receive messages via MSN Messenger and calendar reminders from Microsoft Outlook.

Too expensive for what it does, just turn on a radio and get the info for free.

Anyone notice any downtime starting yesterday? Yeah, I thought so. I have some stuff for review coming today or tomorrow. I think all my emails that were sent were lost, so resend them if it was important.

Some former Motorola people have design an OS (Named Hydra) that they say is unhackable. The only way is if it doesn't accept any commands at all, just spits out data. Nothing is totally secure.

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Hydra's kernel is loaded from flash memory rather than disk, according to company specifications. Each time Hydra loads the kernel, it checks for viruses, then constantly scans the kernel in RAM for any viruses or unauthorized changes.

Version 3 progress moving along, I'll update the code tomorrow... Or today.

Kingstron HyperX @ OCA.
VIA EPIA M10000 @ Hexus. I got one coming soon.
Lighted fan @ Xtremods.
Logitech MX300 @ TWL.
HDD Cooler @ MTB.
500watt PSU @ MTB.
Asus i875PE @ 3DV.

Intel wants to really take command of the market by introducing single channel Springdale chipsets. If they do this, The i845PE boards are pretty much gone.

[QUOTE]Compared to Intel’s 865 chipsets, the SiS648FX is quoted at least 40% cheaper, allowing the ASP (average selling price) of finished motherboards to be around US$60-70. Board manufacturers noted that the price range makes SiS648FX-based products popular among SIs (system integrators) and they have landed extra orders from clients. As a result, they are also looking forward to the upcoming PT800 from VIA Technologies, which is a single-channel DDR400-based chipset like the SiS648FX.[/QUOTE

Amazing stuff coming out. A new type of mini Hard Drive is coming out, with a capacity of 1.5GB, and less than an inch sqrd foot print. Microdrive move over, this one costs 4 times less and is build on the device (Only drawback).

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The Cornice drive is essentially a minimalist hard drive that has been shorn of any materials not needed for portable electronics. The drive, for instance, doesn't have its own internal, dedicated pool of memory; instead, it uses the memory shared by the rest of the device to cache data. The SE doesn't have rails, so it can't be removed from the host device; by contrast, the drive is planted on the motherboard, and transfers of files are accomplished through USB (universal serial bus) ports.

Let's see how this thing ended. It was either someone was going to get sued, or makeup and not get sued. Futuremark selected the former.

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Nvidia and Futuremark issued a carefully worded, fence-mending joint statement on Tuesday. Explaining why it decided to drop its allegation that Nvidia was fudging results, Futuremark said its normal practice was to frown on optimized code, but said it may change this practice.

Lots of nice stuff happing for the HTPC thingy. The newest M10000 from VIA and a new company is sending me a HTPC case. Interesting!

Chenming 301KE @ 3DGM.
Vantec Fanbus @ Ascully.
AMD Barton 2500+ @ Viperlair.
Big PSU @ ClubOC.
Lian-Li Quiet case @ AthlonXP.
Elumix Keyboard @ 3DV. We have one here also.

Awhile ago, the FCC made it clear that no company should be able to own all the media outlets (back then, TV, radio and print) as to not influence people. Now they are debating if the Internet provides enough sides of a news story to stop this law.

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Proposed changes up for vote include lifting the ownership cap for television networks from 35 percent to 45 percent of the national audience and ending a ban on newspaper-television cross-ownership in all but the smallest cities. If the proposals are approved, media mergers would still have to be OK'd on a case-by-case basis by the FCC and the Justice Department.

Version 3 is coming along nicely. Still lots more work to be done. Progress will move along quickly, though.

Iwill K7S2N @ TechIMO.
LCD Keypad @ Hexus.
Free stuff @ Viperlair.
Flexiglow Lazer Leds @ DVH. We did it also. Too lazy to link.
Logitech MX700 LED mod @ Pimprig.
nForce 2 roundup @ AMDZone.

Microsoft is stopping production on standalone Internet Explorers. Everything from this point forward will be built into the OS.

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"As part of the OS (operating system), IE will continue to evolve, but there will be no future standalone installations. IE6 SP1 is the final standalone installation," Countryman said in the the May 7 interview.

You know it, you love it, Vice City is here for the PC. It is much better than GTA 3 was, and there are no bugs with it (GTA 3 had horrible issues).



Read the entire thing. The game is simply amazing.

The GTA Vice City article is posted. Check it out!

Wireless 5.1 Speakers @ MonkeyReview.
Abit Canterwood @ Techseekers.
Sunbeam Rheobus @ MHW.
eVGA MX440 @ 3DGM.
Silent PSUs @ 3DGM.

The hottest game for the PS2 comes to the PC, does it live up to the hype?Next Page »

This is very interesting news. The three top baby bells are laying the same fiber. A joint effort. What is more interesting is the fact that the phone companies want to serve cable along side voice. And, drive down costs while their at it.

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On Thursday, the three telephone companies announced they have agreed to use the same types of fiber-optic hardware and software in the expansion of their networks. The carriers plan to use these higher-speed connections to homes and offices to sell new services, including cable television.

As a settlement in a lawsuit, Microsoft must pay AOL $750 million. There are also software licensing settlements in the case.

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AOL will receive a seven-year, royalty-free license to continue using Internet Explorer on its flagship online service. Microsoft will provide beta tests of future Windows versions and allow AOL to participate in tests of its upcoming "Longhorn" operating system at the same time and on the same terms as other software vendors.

GTA Vice City will be up tomorrow. Various other hardware reviews are on the way as well. Look for them.

Abit nForce 2 @ OCA.
Geforce FX 5200 shootout @ Myworldhardware.
Zalman VGA Cooler @ OCIA.
Volcano 11 @ Viperlair.
Lighting stuff @ 3DV.
Flexiglow Lazer Leds @ DVH. Here also.
Direct Die cooling @ PimpRig.
More Lazer Leds @ ET.

Intel will be releasing faster Pentium M (Centrino) and Pentium 4 M CPUs soon. The company is also changing the P4 M to be more like the desktop chip. In related news, Forcasts show that Centrino notebooks will be half of the shipping products.

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With the Pentium M taking over the role as Intel's top-of-the-line notebook processor, the chipmaker will begin remaking its Pentium 4-M. It plans to de-emphasize the Pentium 4-M as a brain for lightweight, business notebooks and to shift it toward delivering clock speeds of 3GHz and higher for performance-hungry consumers.

The biggest trade show is back on track. Story 1. Story 2.

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The event is now set for Sept. 22-26 in Taipei. Taiwan has been one of the countries most affected by the spread of the disease. Several organizations curbed travel to the country. A potential SARS case also prompted Dell Computer to shut its Taipei office.

Logitech is sending me a MX700 and hopefully the new Cordless MX Duo soon!

Zalman VGA cooler @ Hexus.
ATI Remote Wonder @ GamingIllustrated.
TT WC @ PCA.
Bitspower Cold Cathode @ Techjuice.
TT Silent PSU @ 3DGM.
Black Enermax Case @ MTB.
Mousepad @ DVH.
EL Applique @ Casemodgod.
Side panel applique mod @ Casemodgod.

If you're running older versions of IIS, you better patch this up. Running IIS is like beta testing a server for Microsoft.

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"We definitely want everyone who is running IIS 4.0, 5.0 and 5.1 to install the patch," said Microsoft program manager Stephen Toulouse. However, IIS 6 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 are not affected by the flaws, he added.

You know it's bad when a patch has a flaw. The security update to WinXP had a flaw that shut down network connections. Way to stay on the ball.

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The update, a small software addition that is used to fix and add features to existing software programs, was originally aimed at improving the security of Internet connections. But after releasing the update on May 21, Microsoft discovered it was incompatible with other security firewall software used to protect home computers from attacks over the Internet.

A review today caught my interest, a rare event. I'll put a bullet next to it. Ohh, I'll post my GTA article sometime this week. I went for a job today, and have an interview as well.

Toaster PC @ Casemodgod.
Seagate 15K RPM SCSI @ AMDZone.
Mushkin PC3500 @ Techseekers.
Arctic Silver Ceramic @ MTB.
FREE STUFF @ Xtremods.
*Logitech Cordless MX Duo @ AthlonXP. I want one!