Archive for October, 2008

Review: Lock’s Quest

Published on October 31st, 2008.

For frantic strategic action on the Nintendo DS hand held, Lock's Quest hits a nice spot between action, tactics, frustration, simplification and satisfaction.

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RIM’s BlackBerry Curve 8900 gets hands-on treatment, looks mighty good

Published on October 31st, 2008.

Filed under: Cellphones


Oh RIM, why must you torture us? Just when we'd moved beyond our nightly dreams of the Javelin and had our sights set on a Bold, here you go reminding us of just how luscious the next-generation Curve looks to be. Sure, the omission of 3G makes us none too happy, but it's hard to kvetch about the design. The Boy Genius managed to get his paws around one of the forthcoming BlackBerry Curve 8900s, and his initial impressions are almost universally positive. He's totally digging the size, the screen, the keyboard and even the bezel. That's right, the bezel. Check the read link to see what the fuss is all about.

RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8900 gets hands-on treatment, looks mighty good originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vadersapien has little to do with Darth, much to do with a troubled childhood

Published on October 31st, 2008.

Filed under: Robots


Our favorite robot-obessed entity on these fine internets, RobotsRules, has put out a fairly disturbing video entitled "Vadersapien" as a purported followup to last year's "Elmosapien." What at first might be perceived as a harmless way to enjoy halloween with robots and bit of Vadery goodness quickly devolves into the dark exploration of a mind turned sour by the constant companionship of robots. We're positive [insert name of favorite sci-fi novelist] tried to warn us of this day, but there's really no preparing for a product of so much psychological disruption. It's after the break, of course.

Continue reading Vadersapien has little to do with Darth, much to do with a troubled childhood

Vadersapien has little to do with Darth, much to do with a troubled childhood originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Australia’s ISPs Speak Out Against Filtering

Published on October 31st, 2008.

daria42 writes "The leaders of three of Australia's largest internet service providers — Telstra Media's Justin Milne, iiNet's Michael Malone and Internode's Simon Hackett — have, in video interviews with ZDNet.com.au over the past few months, detailed technical, legal and ethical reasons why ISP-level filtering won't work. Critics of the policy also say that users will have no way to know what's being filtered."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Microsoft Stakes Its Place In The Cloud

Published on October 31st, 2008.

Microsoft lays out concrete plans for cloud computing, but this vision doesn't come with a delivery date.

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Can Microsoft Keep SharePoint Rolling?

Published on October 31st, 2008.

Its all-in-one approach to collaboration is winning over companies. But that can cause its own problems.

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Will 7 Be Windows’ Lucky Number?

Published on October 31st, 2008.

Microsoft previews the next major upgrade to its desktop operating system at its Professional Developers Conference and promises a beta version by early next year.

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SharePoint’s Rivals Aren’t Giving Ground

Published on October 31st, 2008.

They're attacking this broad market with more focused products.

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Security To Go: Is It Time To Shop MSSPs?

Published on October 31st, 2008.

Technologists in the post-dot-com era have become adept at doing more with less. But the time has come to consider handing off more than just commodity infosec functions.

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Sun’s T5440 Server Is Built To Multitask

Published on October 31st, 2008.

CMT technology ramps up CPU performance, but not speed.

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Startup Of The Week: Arista Networks

Published on October 31st, 2008.

The company recently named Cisco veteran Jayshree Ullal as CEO, while co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim took on an expanded role as chairman and chief development officer.

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CIO Values: Larry Stofko, Senior VP And CIO At St. Joseph Health System

Published on October 31st, 2008.

Stofko advises would-be CIOs to be a partner in the business, not a competitor for capital.

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How would you change Microsoft’s new Zunes / v3.0 software?

Published on October 31st, 2008.

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video


Microsoft's newest Zunes (along with the 3.0 software) have been out for well over a month now, which means you've had ample opportunity to really test one out and form some educated opinions. Now, it's time to open up and let loose. Are you still down with the design? Do you appreciate the extras that came with three point oh? What else could've been added to really spice things up? Do us a favor and tell the suits in Redmond what you would've done differently, and moreover, how things can be made better the next time it feels the itch to bust out a software update.

How would you change Microsoft's new Zunes / v3.0 software? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you change Microsoft’s new Zunes / v3.0 software?

Published on October 31st, 2008.

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video


Microsoft's newest Zunes (along with the 3.0 software) have been out for well over a month now, which means you've had ample opportunity to really test one out and form some educated opinions. Now, it's time to open up and let loose. Are you still down with the design? Do you appreciate the extras that came with three point oh? What else could've been added to really spice things up? Do us a favor and tell the suits in Redmond what you would've done differently, and moreover, how things can be made better the next time it feels the itch to bust out a software update.

How would you change Microsoft's new Zunes / v3.0 software? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The SD Card For Digital Cameras

Published on October 31st, 2008.

With the world of technology booming, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with all of the new things out there. Advancements in every technological field seem to come out on a daily basis. One such advancement has actually been out for awhile. The SD card is a handy little device that has the capability to improve your life and make it easier. What exactly is an SD card and what is it used for? Let’s look at the facts.

An SD card stands for a secure digital card. SD is a non-volatile form of memory. This means that even when it doesn’t have power going to it, it can still store your files. This makes the card very flexible and it can be used in a variety of ways. SD cards were first marketed in 1999 by Sandisk, Panasonic, and Toshiba. These industry giants agreed to adopt this technology and make it available to the masses. The SD card became very popular and many people have used one over the years.

The most popular use for an SD card is in cameras. They make sharing photos on a digital camera extremely easy. With most SD cards you can store hundreds of photos before you have to clean it off. The great thing about SD cards is that you can simply take it out of your camera and stick it directly into your computer. You can then remove the pictures and store them on your computer or on a CD. This makes your photo storage capacity virtually limitless. You no longer have to get film developed in order to keep a picture. Just take it off of the SD card and put in onto your hard drive. This opened up a world of possibilities for photo enthusiasts and made things more flexible to deal with.

After the SD card took the world by storm, it has experienced a few growing pains along the way. With the popularity, an increase in options has presented itself. More companies make multiple sizes of the SD card. While it may increase performance and memory, it also has managed to confuse many customers. The cards look the same and are the same shape. However, they might actually be a different size than you need for your camera. This has created compatibility issues from device to device. This means that before you invest in an SD card, make sure it is the one you need. Don’t buy one that isn’t going to fit your device. If you do, you might end up becoming frustrated like many others who have purchased the wrong size of SD card.

Overall, SD cards have revolutionized the industry. You can store a lot of information on a tiny little card that will easily fit in your pocket. This allows you to take vast amounts of information and photos with you on the go. Regardless of where you’re at, you never have to worry about leaving your photos at home. Just pick out the right SD card for you.

Ed Terran is the pen name for the editor of a US bargains journal Digital camera shop Canon camera listings

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Be Sure to Look For Quality Even With Low Cost Web Hosting Services

Published on October 31st, 2008.

What exactly is web hosting? Is it expensive to get it? These are some of the questions that many people ask especially if they are planning to venture into web business. Web hosting is a service that offers online systems to different users. It is a tool for storing any kind of data and information like video, images, audio and more. Web hosting service is the thing responsible for keeping a web site’s html files, graphics and many more. The place where it is stored is called the web server. If you are concern about the price and thinking that it is expensive, then you don’t need to worry because there are different packages of web hosting services that can able to suit your budget and needs. It is easy to find a low cost web hosting services in the internet with a quality performance. All you have to do is to search and to look around for a web hosting company that can match your requirements.

A suggestion is to do a comparison of different companies offering web hosting services that could found in the internet. It will be best if you do a careful research on this matter and you will be able to find cheap and affordable web hosting that can satisfy your requirements. Search further and you can able to find the best deals that can give you a great low cost rate. Remember the factors that define quality hosting are usually determined by customer service and of course the performance of web hosting services. Some budget web hosting offer inferior services at low cost rates. Some offer discount web hosting that doesn’t affect the features that a hosting provider can give. It is still up to you which kind of services would you like to have. One kind of web hosting service that you should be carefully looking into is a free web hosting. It doesn’t give a lot of features and it may not even pass your business requirement. Be sure to call the budget web hosting company that you are interested in and have carefully selected. The company that makes the assurance of reliable support is the one that you have to consider. Some of these companies offer great service but got a high price tag however, the customer support may not be that good or yet it is expensive. It is best to find a hosting company that has unparalleled reliability when it comes to your web site online presence. If you need sudden help with an offset and potential problems that sometimes arise, they must be there and ready to give reliable and trustworthy solutions. They must include satisfaction guaranteed in the services they offer. This is how reliability is achieved.

The web hosting company should offer special features for users and customers. They should include free applications that are easy to use and launch from a control panel. They should include forums, blogs, shopping carts and more depending on the products and service that you require for your site. This can help you in getting more of your hosting requirements. You won’t need to pay third party vendors to do this kind of job.

For bigger companies, you should expect to have a lot of traffic in your server. You should purchase a more dedicated server or virtual private server to help you with the performance during the times of peak visitor traffic. Make sure that you focus on a managed solution especially if you are not that experienced when it comes to technical aspect. This solution will save you a lot headaches and stress. However if you are just starting from scratch, you can be safe by selecting a web site hosting plan.

James Zimmerman loves to save money, especially when it comes to low cost hosting. Visit his site lowcostwebhosting.org to learn more tips on saving money with hosting.

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Motorola Moving to Android, Windows Mobile for Smartphones

Published on October 31st, 2008.

nerdyH writes "Motorola will ditch its MotoMAGX Linux stack and UIQ Symbian stack in favor of Google's Android Linux/Java stack and Windows Mobile 6.5 and 7, it announced today. The news comes after five years selling millions of Linux phones in Asia, and after a year during which many of Motorola's top US phones used the homegrown Linux stack. Motorola's current Linux phones in the US include the RAZR2 v8, E8, EM30, U9, ZN4, and ZN5." This also comes alongside news that Motorola's financial hardships are causing them to cut 3,000 jobs. It also puts into perspective their recent plans to hire hundreds of Android developers.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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New MacBook Air hits the streets, actually capable of this whole “computing” thing

Published on October 31st, 2008.

Filed under: Laptops


The new MacBook Air has landed, and folks all over are recording their impressions of the slightly-revamped ultraportable. Obviously there's very little to note externally, with the same packaging and design to the computer -- the only real difference is the new mini DisplayPort plug to replace that totally oddball microDVI plug. What's much more exciting is what's under the hood, namely integrated graphics (NVIDIA 9400M) with enough juice to, say, play back a YouTube video without overheating the computer to a point of non-usability. Shocking, we know. Booting is a snap (25 seconds in informal testing) with that new 128GB SSD, the computer runs cool and core-shut-down-free, can handle full HD video, and outputs to external monitors without a problem. Apple really hamstrung an otherwise interesting computer in the original Air with a criminal lack of power and cooling, and we're happy to report that they seem to have righted those wrongs -- though MacBook Air 1.0 owners still have little recourse, unless you count a $1,799 "upgrade" as a viable move. Hit the read link some more impressions, or peep the unboxing gallery below, courtesy of Engadget pal Sam.

Gallery: New MacBook Air hits the streets

New MacBook Air hits the streets, actually capable of this whole "computing" thing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel Core i7 benchmarks make Core 2 Extreme look like a washed-up has-been

Published on October 31st, 2008.

Filed under: Desktops

Presumably in an (utterly futile) attempt to bring down the power grid all around the Mediterranean, print magazine PC World Greece benchmarked three powerful Nehalem desktop processors -- the Core i7 Extreme Edition 965, and the apparently non-extreme Core i7 920 and 940. Names aside, performance from all three was extreme compared to most stuff currently on the market. The data for number nerds: in 3DMark06 the 920 finished ever-so-slightly behind the Core 2 Extreme QX9770's 4,922 marks with 4,818 while the 940 and the 965 both opened a can of you-know-what at 5,282 and 5,716 respectively. More titillating figures await enthusiasts through the read link, but for you normal folk only concerned that Nehalem wouldn't be fast enough to justify an upgrade (and you weren't), rest assured that it triumphed in this no-holds-barred CPU cage match.

[Via techPowerUp! Forums, thanks sk]

Intel Core i7 benchmarks make Core 2 Extreme look like a washed-up has-been originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel Core i7 benchmarks make Core 2 Extreme look like a washed-up has-been

Published on October 31st, 2008.

Filed under: Desktops

Presumably in an (utterly futile) attempt to bring down the power grid all around the Mediterranean, print magazine PC World Greece benchmarked three powerful Nehalem desktop processors -- the Core i7 Extreme Edition 965, and the apparently non-extreme Core i7 920 and 940. Names aside, performance from all three was extreme compared to most stuff currently on the market. The data for number nerds: in 3DMark06 the 920 finished ever-so-slightly behind the Core 2 Extreme QX9770's 4,922 marks with 4,818 while the 940 and the 965 both opened a can of you-know-what at 5,282 and 5,716 respectively. More titillating figures await enthusiasts through the read link, but for you normal folk only concerned that Nehalem wouldn't be fast enough to justify an upgrade (and you weren't), rest assured that it triumphed in this no-holds-barred CPU cage match.

[Via techPowerUp! Forums, thanks sk]

Intel Core i7 benchmarks make Core 2 Extreme look like a washed-up has-been originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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