'Ballot screen' coming to
Office 2010, too
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Via introduces new rugged Mini ITX board
by Justin Mann on August 6, 2009, 5:50 PM
New hardware is on the way from VIA, in the form of a new addition to their wide EPIA series. The new N700-10EW board conforms to the Nano-ITX form factor and is designed specifically for “extreme” environments. Extreme as it is defined here isn't the usual PC hardware marketing term, but rather indicates the board is up to the job of being situated in extremely high or cold temperatures, at high altitudes or in other intense environments.
The new board certainly seems to boast such functionality on paper, with VIA saying it can withstand temperatures as cold as -20C or as hot as 70C. The company guarantees maximum stability at these temperatures, indicating it may operate far beyond those limits – despite its fanless design.
The N700-10EW is based on a plethora of other common VIA components, such as the VX800 chipset, onboard gigabit LAN, audio, USB and Compact Flash. They even mention its media functionality, but clearly their aim here isn't the standard media center or highly integrated niche markets they generally pursue. You can catch all the details on the product page, but things such as pricing and what sort of manufacturing differences this board has over other EPIAs are not mentioned.
3 commentsHardware
Bug found in Windows 7 RTM, delay rumors exaggerated
by Jose Vilches on August 6, 2009, 5:24 PM
Microsoft today made the finalized version of Windows 7 available for download to TechNet and MSDN subscribers, announcing the right-on-schedule delivery on the official Windows Blog. At the same time, however, a recently-discovered memory bug is threatening to spoil the milestone as several sites are picking up the story and speculating about a possible launch delay.
While the bug has been called everything from critical to catastrophic, Windows division president Steven Sinofsky claims it is far from being a show stopper and joked about the blogosphere blowing things out of proportion.
The flaw is triggered when users run the CHKDSK command with the /r switch, which is designed to locate and repair bad sectors on a disk. According to reports, this should result in your memory quickly gobbled away by the chkdsk.exe process until it either stops at or around 90% or it maxes completely out and crashes the computer
. Though it is said to affect both 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows 7, it’s also not reproducible 100% of the time and apparently only affects systems with multiple hard drives or partitions.
Sinofsky still acknowledged the alleged flaw is something they must look into and that, for affected users, simply updating chipset drivers from the PC motherboard manufacturer may take care of the problem. Hopefully a fix will come ahead of the Windows 7 launch, but even if it doesn’t apparently it’s not serious enough to derail plans of an October 22 release.
8 commentsWindows
Logitech intros G500 gaming mouse and G330 headset
by Jose Vilches on August 6, 2009, 3:02 PM
Logitech has unveiled two new additions to its G-series line of gaming peripherals - the Gaming Mouse G500 and Gaming Headset G330. The first is the successor to Logitech’s well-regarded G5 Laser Mouse, featuring a new, less ostentatious ergonomic design akin to the MX line, and improved sensitivity thanks to its on-the-fly adjustable DPI system that varies from 200 to a whopping 5,700 in 100 DPI increments.
The usual gaming mice features are also present, including removable weights to customize and tune the overall feel of the device and 10 programmable buttons. Different configurations for custom button layouts can be saved to the mouse’s internal memory, and there’s also a hyper-fast scroll wheel mode for web browsing.
As for the Logitech Gaming Headset G330, it features a behind-the-head wrap around design and a silicon-lined headband with pivoting ear pads to relieve pressure points. It also sports a noise-canceling microphone, in-line audio controls and attaches to your PC via 3.5mm jacks or an included USB adapter. The G330 headset should be available sometime this month for $49, while the $69 G500 mouse should launch in September.
5 commentsHardware
"Ballot screen" coming to Office 2010, too
by Matthew DeCarlo on August 6, 2009, 12:52 PM
On January 15, Microsoft was charged with seeking to hinder rivals by coupling its browser, Internet Explorer, with its Windows operating system. It was accused of abusing its market dominance by harming innovation and limiting consumer choice. After six-plus months of rope pulling, Microsoft gave in to European regulators and proposed a "ballot screen" solution which would prompt users to choose between several third party browsers on the system's first boot-up.
It would seem that the software giant now plans to implement a similar feature for the coming version of its popular Office suite. There are few details, but it is reported that a similar screen will be used in Office 2010 to determine the default format files will be saved in. It too will prompt users the first time the program runs, and the preference will be saved unless it's manually changed later.
Microsoft hasn't disclosed what file types will be on the screen apart from its own DOC/DOCX format, and the open source ODF file type. In its statement, the company did say that it would make tools available to enterprises in the EU, so they can auto-specify which formats will be seen when their users run Office. Again, I ask you: Where is the damn line drawn?
16 commentsSoftware
Apple rolls out Mac OS X 10.5.8 update, plugs 18 holes
by Jose Vilches on August 6, 2009, 12:42 PM
Apple released an update to its Mac OS X Leopard operating system yesterday, version 10.5.8. With Snow Leopard’s (10.6) availability just about a month away, this seems to be a relatively minor update intended to address a few compatibility and reliability issues along with a number of security flaws.
Weighing in anywhere from 165MB for regular updaters to 759MB if you’ve fallen a little behind, the update is said to fix issues when trying to connect a Mac to an AirPort network, as well as an issue in which certain resolutions might not appear in the Display System Preferences, and improves overall Bluetooth reliability with external devices. It also upgrades Apple’s Safari browser to version 4.0.2, brings additional RAW image support for third-party cameras, and increases compatibility for external USB drives.
On the security front, Mac OS X 10.5.8 fixes 18 vulnerabilities in total, including half a dozen that could let hackers hijack machines by duping users into viewing malicious image files on the web. As usual, it is available via Apple's Software Update feature or support downloads its page in both incremental and combo packages.
2 commentsApple
Lenovo posts $16 million quarterly loss
by Matthew DeCarlo on August 6, 2009, 11:34 AM
Lenovo has joined a laundry list of companies who have experienced dwindling revenue, posting a $16 million quarterly loss today. Despite a weak global demand, the company still reported growth in market share. Its loss during the quarter ending June 30 translates to $.18 per share, which compares to its $110 million profit only one year ago. Sales tumbled 17.9% from last year to $3.5 billion.
The computer maker saw a growth of 1.1% in global PC shipments, which doesn't look so bad when compared to the industry-wide contraction of 3.3%. The company has reportedly achieved its largest global market share since the acquisition of IBM's PC unit in 2005. Lenovo saw sales of $1.7 billion in China, flat from a year ago, and its shipments rose 15%.
The Beijing-based company has benefited from China's robust economy, which has grown 7.9% year over year and 1.8% from the previous quarter. They still face stiff competition in the region, with HP leading the market and Acer closing in on Dell's position at number 2.
3 commentsInformation Technology
Toshiba starts shipping 512GB SSDs to OEMs
by Jose Vilches on August 6, 2009, 11:21 AM
Toshiba announced today that their latest-generation solid state drives, featuring the company’s new 43nm MLC NAND-flash manufacturing technology, have just started shipping. Available in 64, 128, 256 and 512GB capacities, the drives won’t be available directly to the public initially but rather as an OEM product for the notebook, gaming and home entertainment markets.
They’ll come in both 1.8 and 2.5-inch form factors and are capable of up to 230MB/s and 180MB/s sequential read and write speeds, which is pretty impressive. Unfortunately Toshiba was not forthcoming about which companies will be getting the drives or at what price.
Looking at a previous 512GB SSD option available exclusively on Protege laptops and a similar-capacity offering from Super Talent, I gather Toshiba’s new flagship drive will set you back some $1,500.
2 commentsHardware
Hitachi unveils 2TB 7200RPM HDD, Deskstar 7K2000
by Matthew DeCarlo on August 6, 2009, 10:02 AM
Hitachi has announced the five-platter-packing 2TB Deskstar 7K2000 hard disk drive. With a rotational speed of 7200RPM, it's the industry's first among desktop HDDs. Its specs include a 32MB cache and SATA II interface. In addition to their new 2TB drive, Hitachi is also refreshing its high-volume desktop HDD family. The new 7200RPM Deskstar 7K1000.C family will house up to a capacious 500GB per platter, and will be available in sizes from 160GB to 1TB.
Both the 7K2000 and 7K1000.C feature a patented ramp load/unload design to boost shock protection, and Thermal Fly-height Control (TFC) to sustain a steady fly-height during the read/write process. The 72K000 boasts 10% less power consumption at idle over previous its previous generations, and the 7K1000.C measures about 4.4W or less power consumed at idle.
I suspect that most people don't need 500GB of storage, much less 2TB, but I know firsthand just how quick the GBs disappear. In a world of $80 1TB drives, Hitachi's asking price for the new 2TB offering will make or break its launch - but they're keeping quiet. The Deskstar 7K1000.C will ship in the present quarter, and I gather that the 7K2000 will be available soon enough.
11 commentsHardware
Comcast adopts DNS hijacking, cashes in on bad URLs
by Justin Mann on August 6, 2009, 9:42 AM
In a bid to squeeze out more cash through their existing service, one of the largest ISPs around has added themselves to the ranks of companies participating in controversial DNS-redirecting programs. Comcast has officially begun redirecting invalid DNS requests to their own “search portals,” which are advertising pages intended to capture anyone who makes a typo or visits an invalid address into a web browser.
The technique is slowly being adopted by other ISPs around the world, and has been rife with controversy since the beginning. Essentially, anytime a user tries to visit an invalid web page, they are redirected to an advertising splash page rather than being told that the page is unavailable. As most other ISPs are doing, Comcast is offering an opt-out system – though there have been complaints that the process is not particularly friendly. Other ISPs around the world that have begun implementing this include Bell Canada, Verizon, and EarthLink.
Several years ago, Verisign, a major domain registrar, attempted to implement this. Their attempt received massive public outcry, and ultimately even ICANN stepped in and asked them to stop. Comcast has even gone a step beyond their cohorts, pushing for a new IETF standard that would make such DNS hijacking more legitimate.
9 commentsThe web
News around the web: Mini Helicopter Allows Solo Travel
by Erik Orejuela on August 6, 2009, 8:32 AM
Mini Helicopter Allows Solo Air Travel @ FoxNews
Cool laser pattern sound (video) @ YouTube
Chinese teenager beaten to death in internet addiction clinic @ TimesOnline
VMware-Microsoft War Heats Up @ Forbes
See more articles and reviews.
Five years ago in TechSpot:
Windows XP SP2 available for download
CommentNATW
Apple readying $99 iPhone 3GS?
by Jose Vilches on August 5, 2009, 5:45 PM
When Apple introduced the 16GB and 32GB iPhone 3GS back in June, it also gave the older 8GB 3G model a nice price cut to $99 with a two-year contract. The company used this as a strategy to expand the market for its smartphone with a lower-end alternative. But as inventories dry out, it wouldn’t make much sense for them to use up manufacturing capacity for outdated hardware. Instead of dropping the 8GB version altogether, though, Apple may be thinking of updating it.
According to some unverified documents acquired by Boy Genius Report, Canadian telecom Rogers will transition to a new 8GB iPhone 3GS model from the old 3G. There's no word on when this might happen, but the rumor mill suggests Apple will hold a press event around September to unveil new iPods – and probably a bit more. If true, this will certainly upset many new 3G owners, but at the same time serve as an aggressive move against the $199 8GB Palm Pre.
CommentApple
News Corp. posts $203 million net loss in fiscal fourth quarter
by Matthew DeCarlo on August 5, 2009, 5:24 PM
Media conglomerate News Corp. has attributed its $203 million net loss in the fiscal fourth quarter to MySpace's $680 million in operating and impairment. It experienced a net loss of $.08 per share, which is considerably worse than its reported $1.1 billion net profit ($.43 per share) in the year-ago quarter. Its operating profit for the year was a bit worse than anticipated due to the weak economy.
Adjusted operating income fell 30% to $948 million and revenue fell 11% to $7.67 billion. New Corp. foresees a revenue growth of 4% in fiscal 2010, despite flat ad revenue. It also expects adjusted operating profit to grow by an upper single-digit percentage from the fiscal year that recently closed.
News Corp. paid $580 million for MySpace in 2005, and has recently made some changes in response to the once-popular social network's waning traffic. Among other things, it has shuffled its leadership team, ditching co-founder Chris DeWolfe and picking up Owen Van Natta, a former Facebook executive – which overtook MySpace last April in unique visitors.
CommentInformation Technology
StarCraft 2 release pushed back until 2010
by Justin Mann on August 5, 2009, 4:15 PM
A small bit of disappointment came from Activision today after they confirmed that StarCraft II will not be released on its original schedule. Rather than coming out in the second half of this year, the game has been pushed back to the first half of 2010. Though disappointing to eager fans, the delay is not surprising. Not only had Blizzard put themselves up against a wall with a tight time window for the beta, it also claimed numerous times before that if delays were necessary they would implement them.
Blizzard attributed the delay to needing additional development time for Battle.net, which may be beneficial in the long run for the game's success. The company has a lot riding on StarCraft II, so making sure it is polished and ready for the world is going to be important – particularly so since they hope for all StarCraft fans to be shelling out for three separate boxes to get the complete game.
16 commentsGaming
Wednesday tech deals: AMD Phenom X4 barebones kit for $180
by Matthew DeCarlo on August 5, 2009, 3:53 PM
Asus M2N68-AM, AMD Phenom X4 barebones kit for $180
TigerDirect is offering a solid barebones kit for $179.99. With $1.99 for shipping, it's the lowest total price we could find for these items by $75 and the least expensive barebones kit we've seen with a quad-core processor. It includes an Asus M2N68-AM SE2 Motherboard, AMD Phenom X4 2.3GHz processor, 2GB RAM, and PowerUp ATX Mid-Tower Case with a 450-watt power supply.
Five more tech deals after the jump.
5 commentsTech Deals
Themes come to Chrome, bookmark syncing next
by Jose Vilches on August 5, 2009, 2:32 PM
Google has quietly launched a theme gallery for its open-source Chrome browser comprising a range of minimalist to headache-inducing options. With 29 templates to choose from, Chrome is nowhere near Firefox’s diversity when it comes to getting all gussied up but many will appreciate the added functionality. For now, it is available only on the latest 3.0 developer builds though.
Users can apply themes simply by choosing a design from the gallery and selecting “open” in the download manager pane at the bottom after it finishes downloading. There’s an option to switch between themes and the default view at any time under the “Personal Stuff” link in the Preferences menu. A word of caution: although it shouldn’t come as a surprise, some are reporting that using themes can slightly slow down Chrome.
Additionally, the search giant revealed plans to introduce a new developer build in the coming weeks that will support bookmark syncing across multiple instances of Chrome. The Xmarks plug-in (formerly called Foxmarks) has solved this issue for years on Firefox, and even Google used to develop a browser sync extension for Mozilla’s browser. However, Chrome’s new sync feature could have broader implications down the road, as Google tries to unite desktops and the cloud with its forthcoming operating system.
5 commentsSoftware
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