Japan company Hitachi decided to stop "fighting" on personal computer market and leave this segment.Developers aren't going to produce new line of computers by name "Prius" during 2007 year.Instead that Hitachi redirects to creat more specialized systems and servers for big corporate clients , using digital technologies.Don't forget that Hitachi is placed on 8-th placed Japan's PC market(after NEC,Fujitsu,Dell,Toshiba)
For Hitachi it is not a first "particular" decision.In April company sold own actives to Japan Servo(Nidec Corporation).Now Hitachi is looking for new partners in orderd to produce HDDs.It is not easy for japaneses to compete in this "sphere" with companies like Dell or HP.
However Hitachi has a lot of different ways to earn a money.
Hitachi leaves PC market
NEC created the most powerful computer in the world.
The representatives of the Japanese company NEC declared that they succeeded to create the most powerful computer in the world.The productivity of new machine(it is called "SX-9") will make 839*10 12 operations with floating point in a second(839 teraflops) , says AFP.
The "super computer" SX-9 will be shown on developers meeting.( super computers in Rino, the state is Nevada, which will pass from 10 to November, 14, 2007)
Before this report from NEC the most powerful computer was consider the machine of BlueGene/L, developed by specialists of IBM with Administration on nuclear safety of the USA. Productivity of this machine, during a few years , was 280,6 teraflops makes.
It is needed to mark that in 2008 the creators rank of the most powerful in the world super computer will come back to IBM again, because in a coming year this company plans to complete building Roadrunner machine, which will have 1000 teraflops.
First Laptop
In distant 1982 it costed $8-10 thousands , also it depended on configuration. To the word, exactly this personal computer started to fly in space the first.
New Programming Language F#
A corporation Microsoft intends to present a new functional programming F# language, which will be built-in already in the nearest version of environment for the developers of Visual Studio. For today F# is created forces of subdivision of Microsoft Developer Division.
The official date of language of F# (pronounced as F-sharp) while is not declared, however talked it is in bloge of leading specialist Microsoft Developer Division,this language is not development on one release, but in future it will perfect by forces of corporation and association of strange developers.
The feature of F# consists in that he is built on conception of the functional programming, that programming including a syntax, similar with mathematical formulas. A new language is oriented on creation the financial and scientific programs.
F# combines safety, productivity and script advantages of such languages, as Python, it is talked in Microsoft. F# will have the own libraries in an environment .NET, he will be able to work both autonomously and with the operating system, intermediate SOFTWARE and by the control databases systems.
A language will work in the environment of Microsoft CLR and co-operate with all systems .NET Framework. In a corporation hope that F# will find the application in an academic environment.
Hacking - What, When, And How?
What is hacking?
According to Computer Crime Research Center (US), “Hacking is unauthorized use of computer and network resources”.
Who is a hacker?
A hacker is a gifted programmer; a programmer for whom computing is its own reward and also enjoys the challenge of breaking into other computers, networks, cracking applications, etc.
How the hacker can hack a system?
Hackers hack by exploiting the weaknesses of the target system, network, etc, for poor configuration applications and web servers, unpatched or old software, poorly chosen or default passwords and disabled security controls.
Why hack at all?
Hackers hack because they want it that way. There is no specific reason why they do that. Some does hacking to test their computer skills, others do that to steal specific data from the target. Once a vulnerable point is identified in the system, they definitely attempt to hack to try to gain administrative access to the machine.
Different types of hackers:
1.WhiteHats are the hackers that try to make the movement go forward by working as system administrators, security experts and by maintaining web sites with new technologies, news events, bug reports, and much more.
2.Black hackers attack other’s systems; whereas White hackers do exactly opposite i.e., defend against attacks.
3.Crackers penetrate networks and try to take advantage of something they discover in the process; they are really malicious.
4.Script Kiddie, does not really possess any skills except for the tools, uses tools and techniques developed by WhiteHats, BlackHats and Crackers to deface sites, destroy information, and do other types of digital-vandalism.
Basic Hacking Methodology
1.Information gathering (Probe)
2.Attack (Advancement & Entrenchment)
3.Infiltration or Extraction
Most Prevalent Hacking Attack Categories
Hackers preferably attack the organizations systems infrastructure and commercial applications. If the systems are well secured then the hacker may resort to social engineering or focus upon the target application vulnerabilities.
The four most prevalent attack categories are :
1.Exploitation of Application-related privileges: Some server-based applications run with specific User or group permissions. By using Race conditions or Buffer overflow attacks these applications’ security can be compromised.
2.Client-side manipulation: Hackers bypass client-side validations by supplying incorrect data formats or data to the server in an attempt to reveal both the functionality and secured data.
3.Race Conditions: When the coding is not done properly for an application to access specific variables, files, and data or installed the appropriate checks to implement simultaneous accesses then the hacker can get unintended access to data through both trusted and untrusted server application components.
4.Buffer Overflow Attacks: Normally applications take data as an input and pass it to memory buffers for manipulation. If the coders do not put a checkpoint to check whether the size of data is too big for a buffer then they are bound to be a complications. Hackers may take this condition as an advantage and can embed their own commands within the oversized data package. Perfectly implemented, these commands can acquire System Administrator privileges to the hacker.
Cyber attacks: What are they?
Cyber attacks happen on a nation-wide scale and includes clogging up the adversary country’s computers which handle sensitive information like logistics, communications, war strategies, shutting down their civil utilities, like national power grid, jamming radar sites, crushing military’s computers, and downing commercial websites, etc.
Hacker’s tools1.DSniff -- a suite of programs that can be used in penetration and auditing testing.
2.Ethereal -- the widely used network protocol analyzer.
3.AirSnort -- a wireless LAN (WLAN) tool which recovers encryption keys.
4.Netcat -- a simple Unix utility which writes and reads data across network connections, using UDP or TCP protocol.
The key to winning the war against hackers…
The first step is to know both the state of one’s own network and its vulnerabilities and also the tactics hackers employ and deploy. Strategic analysts proclaim the key, to escape being hacked by somebody, is network security. But again, unfamiliarity of hacker’s activities and ignorance of how to deploy firewalls and other security features effectively can make you the hacker’s favorite target.
“Hope for the best and plan for the worst” should be the motto in drawing strategies against hackers.
Where Did LED Technology Come From?
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were an accidental discovery at first. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was discovered that when electricity was applied to the semiconductor Silicon Carbide (SiC) it produced a light. This light was too dim to be of any use so the research was never distributed. This could have been the end for the LED, but it wasn't content to die out.
Nearly 20 years later Russian and German scientists revisited the idea of light produced this way. The light was still of such poor luminance that the idea nearly died again. A report published in 1936, which helped to invent the term electroluminescence, revived the research for light from this source. The science of electroluminescence languished in obscurity for a while. It began to gain favor again in the 1950s when some British scientists started experimenting with it again. This led to the first infrared LED. From this technology came the first visible spectrum LED, in red, from Gallium Phosphide (GaP).
This was the start of the LED revolution. From that point each decade brought advances in the technology of light-emitting diodes. The use of different substrates brought brighter lights of different colors. The colors advanced from red to orange and on to pale green, then yellow and on to a brighter green. By the 1990s the use of Gallium Nitride helped usher in the era of blue LEDs. These blue lights became the basis for white light. The use of fluorescent phosphors helped change that blue light into high intensity white lights. Now LEDs can be found in almost every visible color of light.
This technology has led to additional uses for the LED as well. Due to their low light output they started out in indicator lights and display light applications only. The cost of materials was an issue at first and, therefore, they were used only in expensive laboratory and test equipment. They later began to be used in appliances, calculators and watches. The advent of additional colors increased their use in displays. They could be used in signs and digital display equipment.
The first LED flat panel television prototype was produced in 1977, by James P. Mitchell. This prototype was a red, monochromatic display. Later, in the 1990s, low-cost, efficient blue LEDs emerged moving this use along. Once a full spectrum of colors was realized in the late 1990s the flat panel LED television became a fully functional and popular option.
As the LED technology advanced and the luminescence increased, the uses for LEDs increased. LEDs began popping up in devices used to illuminate areas. Flashlights, landscape lighting, and other lighting sources became popular. Emergency lights began to use this technology. Traffic lights were replaced with LEDs. Interior lighting and headlights in vehicles became a common home for these lights, as well. As the cost of producing the lights decreased, and the availability of colors and brightness increased, the uses exploded.
From an accidental discovery to a common household name, the history of LEDs is a long one. The early discovery and limited uses of the light-emitting diode did not show much promise. Very few early researchers would probably have predicted the many, varied uses for this technology. The LED certainly earned its prominent spot in today's society.
By Ben Anton
The Downside Of Technological Progress
Technology is great. Every year things get smaller, faster, cheaper, and more convenient. Few people would argue that we were better off a century ago without things like cell phones and the internet. Anything seems within our grasp in this the age of information. In only the past decade we have seen revolutions and evolutions of technology which could be called a renaissance of sort.
In the western world especially, people live in comfort with amenities and conveniences which up until a few decades ago would have been called luxuries. Imagine pitching the concept of a microwave or cable television to someone from just three generations past. They would most probably think the idea was absurd. "Who needs such things?" they would think to themselves. After all, they managed to live out their whole lives without ever one having created a MySpace profile. Yet today people would not know what to do without any of these things.
As technology has advanced and evolved, so has our perspective on technology. Most have learned to accept technology and integrate it into their lives as just another piece of the life puzzle; a large piece at that.
And there in my opinion lies the problem. Technology has become a very major piece of our lives. Yes, technology in fact works for us, but it is also true that we depend on it. We are helpless without our gadgets. From birth we have been accustomed to rely on technology to get things done and we are as a race good at getting things done. Take away technology and we would have to relearn many things; the lost art of conversation for instance.
Which brings me to my second point: we spend so much time learning how to use technology that I am forced to wonder at what point the cost benefit ratio would no longer be in our favor. Think about how much time you have spent learning to use a new cell phone or video game system. Heck, think how long it took you to learn how to use the Internet. All these things are evolving and getting more complex. How much of our lives are we going to have to invest in order to adapt to future technologies. Think about how complex the world will be for the next generation, and the next.
In this reality one never get something from nothing. There is always a tradeoff. Even if one does not recognize the price for something, be assured that there is a price. With scientific and technological advances we gained much comfort and knowledge. In exchange we give up simplicity.
By Angel De Niz
5 rules of searching optimization for pictures
Besides a basic search (text) all searching systems give possibility to make a search on pictures presently. In this note a question does not cost about convert and utility of "image traffic" (some comrades assert what it is possible to begin to work on him, it is necessary only to know as...). 5 is here examined rules of optimization of pictures for the searching systems, or other speaking "that needs to be done for the receipt of image traffic".
1.Check Robot.txt file
It is necessary to be argued that a folder with images is settled for indexation robots. In one time, when a cost of channels was high enough, what to get though what to many put an economy prohibition on indexation of folder images were kept in which. Most optimum will be such decision of question. To divide pictures into two folders. In one to keep images/pictures office workers for a design, navigation of site.. And in the second "content pictures" - that , those which products are represented on, picture etc and to settle access of searching boats to this folder.
2. "Correct" file name with a picture
One of basic indexes is file of picture name. It is therefore necessary to give the files of pictures the intelligent names, reflecting content. If for the name a few words are used to the most optimum method of their division will be a dash (in principle it behaves to any names of files of any types.
3.About the benefit of the use attribute "alt"
Check and satisfied that all pictures / images which must appear attribute ALT have in the index of the searching system (not do him too large). In addition that this attribute will help correctly index by the searching robots of picture / images, he participates in content optimization of page (although meaningfulness of "alt" in this case is very small, and on some reviews does not matter in general. And if does have.? ). Except for an utility in optimization this attribute will allow people with every violations of sight to "listen" a picture. Well and in the case of disconnecting of show of pictures in a browser these "alts" will hatch in place of picture
4.Use a signature to the picture
Necessarily will place a little signature under or above picture / image. If this text is in one block (to the table of element, "div" ) with a picture to yet better. It will be better if this signature will be more than text in an attribute "alt" and it is desirable to do her more descriptive.
5.Add photos , pictures , images in articles
If the all above-stated is executed and besides coincides with the general subject of page, it is possible to expect that a picture will be acknowledged relevant and will plant high enough of oneself in delivery at a search in images.. Well and in itself - well-designed text will be more pleasant to read
Google Health
It is not a secret that Google aims to fill up the "own" base of knowledges, so to say, for the good of humanity.New initiative of Google, declared on Web 2.0-summit, is creation of online depository of information, and also tool for organization work of medical industry. Just like this, is a depository of these patients.
Plans of Google to today by them and remained. A project under the code name "Weaver" will be accessible at the beginning of 2008. For today similar family a web-service is already started a corporation Microsoft, which, after acquisition of "Medstory", intends to extend his (HealthVault) functional.Speaking about other medical startlevels, the to announcing of start of medical depository of Google Health, which will take place at the beginning of next year, became for them cause for an anxiety.
Microsoft PowerPoint - Slide Master
PowerPoint does not limit you to using a single slide master. PowerPoint comes with many pre-defined slide masters, and you can design your own as well. You'll want to use multiple slide masters if you have groups of slides that require the same design, or would like to visually separate different sections of your presentation.
To create multiple Slide Masters, choose Insert Slide Master from the Slide Master tab. Ctrl+M will do the same thing. You could also duplicate your existing Slide Master and make changes to the duplicate. Using this technique, you can make changes to the duplicate Slide Master that don't require you to remake the entire Slide Master. This will allow you to keep the same look and feel of your original Slide Master, but will also allow you to alter it suitably for your purposes.
When you use multiple Slide Masters, changes you make will affect only those slides that use the Slide Master you're editing. If you're using multiple Slide Masters and you want a change to be made uniformly throughout your presentation, you'll need to modify each Slide Master to reflect your desired changes.
You can apply a Slide Master to one or several slides by selecting the slides you'd like to change. Choose Home > Layout. Once you have made a duplicate Slide Master, or a second Slide Master, your new Slide Master will be stored in the Custom Design section of the Layout gallery. From the gallery of slide layouts, choose the one you want to use by clicking it. All of the selected slides will be re-formatted using the Slide Master you chose.
PowerPoint does not limit the number of Slide Masters you can use in a presentation, but the more Slide Masters your presentation has, the larger it will be and the more memory the presentation will require. If you use many complex Slide Masters, your presentation may not run smoothly on some computers.
Worldwide Wi-Fi Use Is Growing
Not only is the worldwide adoption of Wi-Fi accelerating, the pace of acceptance is growing even faster than experts had anticipated. At least part of the overall growth can be attributed to rapid acceptance in international markets.
While analysts have been looking for the Wi-Fi market to expand, the rate of growth has exceeded expectations. “What surprised me the most was not just that it is growing, but the way it is growing,” said Rick Bilodeau, senior director of marketing at iPass.
A global roaming service, iPass forms relationships with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) around the world, allowing travelers to gain Internet access in far-reaching locations. Bilodeau draws his observations from iPass’ most recent Wi-Fi Hotspot Index, a semiannual study that summarizes data collected from across iPass’ 100,000 users. It looks at more that 80,000 hotspots in over 85 countries.
The latest index covers the first half of 2007. The index show a rapidly accelerating growth rate, with the number of sessions up 68 percent in the first half of 2007, as compared to 44 percent growth in the previous half.
“We were very confident that there would be growth, but the fact that the growth showed at these levels really came as a surprise,” Bilodeau said.
The high rate of adoption likely is due to enterprise acceptance, Bilodeau said. While individuals have been using Wi-Fi for some time, corporations now are beginning to recognize the usefulness of the technology.
While the iPass index does not quantify enterprise growth, Bilodeau suggested that continued expansion in that sector should soon begin to generate a visible impact in the overall Wi-Fi marketplace. “We are hitting that tipping point where enterprises are taking Wi-Fi seriously and considering it as a serious means of access, and not just an end-user gimmick,” he said.
Part of the recent growth also can be explained by a rapid escalation in the international markets.
While many countries got off to a slower start than the U.S. in terms of Wi-Fi deployment, the tide is turning. In Europe for example, Wi-Fi usage almost doubled as compared to the previous half, while North American usage increased by a comparatively sluggish – though still explosive – 57 percent in the first half of 2007.
Still, the drop-off is steep as one moves down the list of top Wi-Fi nations. The U.S. clocks in at just over one million sessions, or single user log-in events, followed by the U.K. at 260,000 sessions. Yet the Netherlands, which ranks number five on the list of Top Ten nations, records just under 61,000 sessions.
The only Asian nation to make the Top Ten list by usage was Japan, which hardly comes as a surprise, Bilodeau said. “There is more of a culture [in Asia] around the handheld mobile data service model. When people think of wireless data they think of that first, which is why we aren’t seeing as much of the traction as we are seeing in other regions,” he said, adding that the ease and low cost of Wi-Fi rollouts could soon begin to drive higher adoption rates in that part of the world.
Where are users logging in? The usual suspects make the Top Five: cafes, restaurants, bookstores, train stations, and office-services locations. The growth in the number of sessions by venue is not extraordinary: up 11 percent in cafes, one percent in bookstores, three percent in restaurants.
The real story comes through in the length of these sessions: The typical café user logged in for 61 minutes, up 22 percent from the previous half; restaurant users chomped and surfed for 44 minutes, up 122 percent; train stations, averaged 27 minutes per user, up 139 percent; and office services (Kinko's et al) scored just over an hour, up two percent.
That all adds up, Bilodeau said. “The amount of time someone is going to spend in a given venue makes sense. An airport [session] is 40 minutes. So how long are you going to spend between flights? Forty minutes sounds about right.”
Notably absent from the iPass study are municipal and metropolitan Wi-Fi deployments. That’s because there aren’t enough to count, Bilodeau said. “The telling fact is that there aren’t a lot of them in the world right now,” he said. “The big ones we have been hoping for in Philadelphia and San Francisco and other cities just haven’t come through yet.”
While municipal rollouts in particular have been struggling, Bilodeau said the situation could turn around fast, because of the very nature of such deployments. Due to the large number of people living in large municipalities, “it doesn’t take a lot of muni usage to get you into the top five,” he said. Just a few deployments could bring in a large number of users.
This article was first published on WiFiPlanet.com.Apple finalizes OS X Leopard
Apple is planning to release its next OS X version 10.5 on 26 October.
Code named Leopard, the latest installment of OS X is the first new version of the operating system since the April 2005 release of OS X Tiger.
Both the server and client versions of Leopard will go on sale at 6pm local time at retail and online stores. The company is currently accepting pre-orders through the online Apple Store.
One of the software's key features is Time Machine, an archiving and backup feature that allows users to restore files or file verions to a previous state. The feature can undo changes to a file, restore a system to a working state after a crash or restore files that were accidentally deleted. The software is based on the ZFS file system that was released under an open source license by Sun Microsystems.
Leopard will also have a new interface feature known as Stacks. It is intended to free up space on the desktop by organizing organizes files on the dock under a single icon, which can then be scrolled through vertically.
Leopard had originally been scheduled for release in June of this year at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers' Conference. The product was delayed by four months however when Apple had to move engineers to the development of the iPhone
In announcing the new version of the software, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs took his trademark romantic view on his products, calling it the "best upgrade we've ever released."
Leopard markets a single version of Leopard that is priced at $129. A server version of the software will cost $499 for a 10-client licence and $999 for unlimited clients.
Users who purchased a new Mac after 1 October will be eligible to receive a free copy of Leopard, though they will need to pay a $9.95 shipping fee.
Automated Data Backup
Anyone who owns and uses a computer today will understand the importance of backing up all the data that it held on theirs. However the biggest problem faced by many today is actually remembering to back up the data on a regular basis. But no longer should this be a worry or concern for anyone with a computer as today you can now use an automated data backup system.
A large number of people who have forgotten to backup the data they hold on their PC or laptop have found their selves in a sticky situation when their computer crashes and they lose everything they have. But for those who use an automated system to backup all their data have found that the information or data they need can easily be retrieved with just a couple clicks of the mouse.
Today you can now purchase software that allows you to set up your own automated backup facility for your PC at home. It comes with a scheduler which allows you as the user to set up an execution command which will then backup all the information to be found on your computer without you actually having to be there. However there are three programs that you will require in order to carry out the automated backup processes on any computer that you are running, and two of these are as follows:
1. Backup Manager – This is the main program and is the one which allows you to create a custom profile for your backups which can then be used as part of your automated system.
2. Command Line Backup – This is ideal for those people who do not want to be in attendance when the data is being backed up they just place it in command line function. The great thing about this particular program is that it is able to back up the data for you automatically through using the profile you have set up in backup manager and without actually you need to physically having to do anything to ensure that it runs.
However in order for you to run these you will need to ensure that you have an external hard drive on to which the data can be backed up. But as with anything this will cost you money to purchase. But another method you may want to consider using when it comes to backing up any important data you have on your computer is to use an online automated data back up program. To use this particular method all you require is a good internet connection and small software program, plus a few minutes of your time.
With this particular method for automated data backup all you need to do is install the software that is required onto the computer where the data is held and which you want to back up. Then all you need to do through the scheduler that comes with the program is to identify all those files and folders which you want to be copied and copies of these will then be sent to a remote data storage facility through the internet connection, it really is that easy to achieve.
AOL cutting 20% of all jobs
New York (NY) - Time Warner's Internet service provider unit is slimming down ever more, announcing today it will reduce its workforce by 20%.
The job cut represents 2,000 employees who will be shown the door and kicked out of AOL, as the company continues to curb as many costs as possible. Just last fall, 5,000 positions were also cut.
The flailing Internet company has been in steep decline as broadband penetration sweeps across the country. It is transitioning itself to being an online advertising company, shortening the amount of manpower needed to control the operations.
"This realignment will allow us to increase investment in high-growth areas of the company — as an example, we added hundreds of people this year through acquisitions — while scaling back in areas with less growth potential or those that aren't core to our business," said AOL CEO Randy Falco in a statement to employees.
Last year the company heavily reduced its employee numbers in customer service and marketing departments. These cuts represent jobs from nearly every aspect of the company, reports the Associated Press.
The majority of terminated workers in the US, about 1300, will end their employment with AOL tomorrow. The rest of the job cuts, based in overseas offices, will be official by the end of the year. Severance packages will contain at minimum four months' pay.
Asus' R300 navigator
Nearly a month ago to the day we were taking a peek at leaked information regarding two upcoming Asus navigators, and now it seems that we've got more concrete data on the smaller of the two. Reportedly, the R300 will be packin' a 3.5-inch touchscreen with a 320 x 240 resolution, SiRFstarIII GPS chipset, an FM transmitter, Bluetooth 2.0, handsfree capabilities, a 400MHz Samsung 2440 processor, 64MB of SDRAM, a microSD expansion slot and a rechargeable Li-ion for taking things off-road. Additionally, it'll be available in silver or white and boast USB connectivity, Windows CE.net 5.0, an integrated music / video player and maps covering France. We're still hearing that it'll ship next month for a currently undisclosed price, but check out one more shot of the unit posted after the break.
- SiRF Star III GPS receiver
- 3.5″ touch screen
- Light sensor
- Hands free bluetooth kit
- Anti-echo function
- FM transmitter
- Samsung processor at 400 MHz
- MicroSD port
- Mini USB
- 64MB SDRAM
- 128 MB ROM
- 1300 mAh Li-Ion battery
- Windows CE.Net 5.0
- audio (AAC, MP3, WMA) and video (MPEG4, H263) player
- Dimensions : 14.2×8.2×1.8 cm
- Weight : 300g
Nokia's N95 8GB released!
Nokia's N95 8GB super-chunk is out for global(ish) distribution today. N95 fans can now take home the larger storage and slightly bigger 2.8-inch (240 x 320) display in addition to the HSDPA, WiFi, A-GPS, and 5 megapixel camera already found in Nokia's existing flagship "multimedia computer." To celebrate the launch, Nokia is pre-loading Spider-Man 3 for Europe and select Middle Eastern and Africa countries. The tie-in? Wait for it... "The Movie sees Spider-Man's suit turn jet-black and enhance his powers and, in its latest incarnation, the Nokia N95 has undergone a similar transformation to emerge as the Nokia N95 8GB." Riiight. Hitting retail today for €560 (about $794) pre-tax and pre-carrier subsidy.
Wi-Fi Detector Pen
Usually in the summer my family and I go to some resort to have fun and swim in the ocean. There is one minus in those trips: it is really hard to find a Wi-Fi network in those places. It would look somewhat odd to walk around with your laptop opened so I decided to buy a Wi-Fi detector.
These electronic devices can detect a Wi-Fi network and you do not need to walk around with your laptop. There were many detectors however they all were big and expensive. Then I have found a cool Wi-Fi detector from the Informatica Company.
This electronic gadget looks like a regular pen (it can even write) but it has a detector that will allow you to detect any wireless network around. There is one disadvantage though: this pen can detect a network that is not further than 15 meters which is 50 feet.
It is not that effective because it does not have a normal antenna. However, it has some LED's that will show you the strength of the signal. There is green, yellow, and red LED's to show you that. The cost of it is one of the best parts about this pen. It costs only so anyone can buy one. However, think of how odd you are going to look walking down the street with this pen in your raised hand, before you buy one of those. It does not matter to me though so it remains my best gadget that I have.
DirectX 10 , Nvidia or ATI?
It's truth time. Now that the first games using DirectX 10 have appeared, Nvidia and ATI have to face the real world and answer the question - which card offers the most performance under Vista?
In DirectX 9 under XP, the comparison between the Geforce 8 series and the Radeon 2 family always tended to favor Nvidia's cards. Currently, Nvidia has the strongest performers in the shape of the Geforce 8800 Ultra and GTX - and that hasn't changed in over half a year. ATI positions its Radeon 2900 XT against the Geforce 8800 GTS. When the Canadian company introduced this chip, it insisted that its graphics processors used the better and faster DX10 design. Its cards were looking so slow because they simply weren't being challenged enough under Windows XP and were being tested in the wrong manner anyway.
ATI fans rallied around this statement, waiting for real DX 10 titles and always holding out hope for faster Windows XP drivers. At the time, we predicted the performance difference between the chip families would not change much between DirectX 9 and DirectX 10, even when native DX 10 titles appeared. At the same time, message boards all over the Internet were rife with speculation. The common thread, if you will, was that ATI surely had some untapped potential in its cards that just needed to be teased out. ATI simply needed more time - after all, Nvidia had six months to tweak its graphics drivers. Given enough time, ATI's drivers would be bound to improve, giving the Radeon 2900 XT the much-anticipated performance boost.
Well, ATI has now had a few months to tweak, tinker and optimize, and the Catalyst driver suite has moved from version 7.3 to 7.9. Testing with demo benchmarks that are optimized for the chips of only one of the chip makers (Call of Juarez for ATI, Lost Planet for Nvidia) is now a thing of the past. Real games such as Bioshock, Lost Planet and World in Conflict have since appeared in stores in their final state and can be used as real-world benchmarks. Meanwhile, Company of Heroes has also gained DirectX 10 support through patch 1.70, making a nice addition to our benchmark suite. If one of the graphics chip makers has failed to optimize its drivers for these games, that is their own fault - the games are out in stores and are being sold in a final version.
Several results are very interesting. The finally allow us to answer the following questions:
* What game do you really need a Geforce 8800 Ultra for?
* Is the Radeon HD 2900 XT faster than the Geforce 8800 GTS?
* Does the current generation of cards have enough power for the next wave of games?
* How stable are the current graphics drivers and are there any compatibility problems?
All of our results were determined under Windows Vista with DirectX 10. They are therefore not comparable to Windows XP / DirectX 9 results.
more there
Trojan Updates
After lying low for several weeks, hackers responsible for spreading the Storm Trojan have returned to the attack with e-mail that leads to an exploit-filled Web site and a laughing cat, said researchers today.
Storm -- also known as Nuwar or Peacomm -- is a Trojan horse designed to compromise Windows-powered computers, then add those machines to a growing botnet. Although the size of the botnet Storm has acquired has been disputed, the most conservative estimates put it in the hundreds of thousands.
The malware has been seeded using several attack vectors, but the most common have been e-mail campaigns that contain attachments, or which link to malicious Web sites. Those sites then infect visiting vulnerable PCs using drive-by downloads or by convincing users to click on additional links that then download an executable.
Attacks typically come in waves, researchers have noted, that rise, crest and then subside, while the hackers behind the botnet have become infamous for crafting persuasive messages and tricking users into infecting themselves.
"After a few weeks of low activity from the Storm gang, they...changed the e-mail messages and also the Web site," said Patrik Runald>, a researcher at Helsinki, Finland-based F-Secure Corp., on the company's blog.
Starting yesterday, Storm's backers began sending messages that bear the text, "Here is the new Psycho cat card," and that contain a link to a URL. Recipients who click on the link reach a site posing as a humorous greeting, with a Shockwave clip of a laughing kitten, complete with soundtrack, said McAfee Inc.'s Dmitry Gryaznov. The page, however, is loaded with multiple drive-by exploits as well as links to the "SuperLaugh.exe" executable. That file is actually a recent variant of Storm.
"Of course, pretty much wherever you click on the page, you get nothing but Nuwar," said Gryaznov on his company's research blog.
New Asus Gaming Laptops:G2K, A7K, and F7K
It looks like gamers not wanting to be tied to their desks will soon have a few new options to consider from Asus, which is apparently set to release no less than three new gaming-minded laptops. At the head of the pack is the company's latest G2 model, the G2K, which boasts a 17.1 -inch 1440 x 900 display, along with a 2.0GHz Turion 64 X2 TL60 processor, 2GB RAM, a 200GB 7200 rpm hard drive, and ATI HD2600 graphics with 256MB of dedicated memory, among other fairly top-end features (not to mention the usual matching backpack and mouse). Further on down the line, the company's new A7K model boasts many of the same specs, with the exception of a slightly slower 1.8GHz Turion 64 X2 TL56 processor, while the F7K opts for a 1.9GHz Turion 64 X2 TL58 processor and ATI HD2400 graphics. No word on a price for any of them, but they're apparently all set to officially launch sometime this month.
