How to Buy a Business Laptop

How to Buy a Business Laptop
Follow our business-laptop buying guide to find a notebook that's perfectly suited for a corporate raider.
Darren Gladstone, PC World
timestamp(1245718800000,'longDateTime')
Jun 23, 2009 6:00 am

You're a very busy professional, so we'll bottom-line this for you. All you care about is a laptop that will get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible, and you don't want some luxury status symbol. Games and movies--who has the time?

You want a reasonable, portable, general-purpose business laptop that will juggle spreadsheets and look decent while doing it, but you aren't trying to impress clients with the caliber of your computer, or its cost.


CPU
You're mainly concerned about booting Windows in a hurry between meetings and being able to run rings around office suites. You'll probably be fine with an average-priced CPU. An Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 Mobile CPU, for example, easily handles everyday chores in Vista. AMD's 2.3GHz Turion X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile ZM-84 may not be as fast, but it works fine, and it'll save you some bucks.

System Memory
You're angling for speed, so your machine needs 4GB of RAM. Having lots of memory is the easiest, most cost-effective way to get a power boost. For smooth performance with that much RAM, buy a 64-bit version of Vista.


Graphics Board (aka GPU)
An integrated GPU should be sufficient. The only reason you'd need discrete graphics firepower would be to help your video presentations run well (or to sneak in a little World of Warcraft in the hotel room after a day of meetings). If you want to output snazzy HD sans stutters, you may be able to get away with integrated graphics, but a laptop with some discrete-graphics oomph would be better.


Screen Size and Native Resolution
You might not need a crazy-high resolution to navigate spreadsheets, but keep all of your activities in mind. Will you have to hook the laptop to projectors? A 1366-by-768-pixel resolution is reasonable. One more thing: Laptops with screens larger than 16 inches may seem brilliant, but few of them fit in a conventional carry-on bag.


Battery Life
If you plan to go a long way between recharges, a good business laptop with a high-capacity battery will offer about 7 hours of life on a single charge--enough for you to make it through even the most drawn-out meetings.

Keyboard and Pointing Device
We're starting to see more laptops of manageable size with a ten-key number pad in addition to the QWERTY layout. The HP ProBook line, for example, crams a good-size ten-key onto a 15.6-inch machine. If you need to crunch tons of figures, that feature will go a long way, though you might lose some room on the QWERTY side.

Dimensions/Weight
Since you need to be nimble during the workday, you'll want something in the 4- or 5-pound range.
Connectivity

If your laptop has VGA-out, you should be covered during presentations. Web connectivity is also essential. You're going to need at least 802.11n Wi-Fi, and you should consider a Wireless WAN option so that you can be constantly connected when you're on the road.

Extra Features
Besides stocking up on hardware to future-proof your laptop (such as HDMI for HD video output and eSATA for fast data transfers), look for USB ports that let you recharge other devices through them when the PC is off. Also consider an accelerometer to protect your hard drive in case you drop your laptop. You'll need a good suite of applications that will prepare you for the workday, too. Fujitsu's apps can help salespeople who have to plug into someone else's display, but Lenovo captures the prize with its ThinkVantage suite--it's like having IT on-call.

Our Business-Laptop Pick




The $1400 Lenovo ThinkPad T400 is speedy and lasts 8 hours on a single charge. We'll be testing its successor, the T400s, in our labs soon.













The Lenovo ThinkPad T400 is our choice for a solid-performing business laptop. It lasted 8 hours in battery tests and earned a respectable mark of 92 in WorldBench 6. That kind of muscle can get you through the workday--and at about $1400, it won't push you into the red.
Illustrations by Joe Ciardielo

Source: pcworld.com

How to Buy an All-Purpose Laptop

How to Buy an All-Purpose Laptop
Looking for good value in a notebook? Here's our all-purpose laptop buying guide for the average Joe.
Darren Gladstone, PC World
timestamp(1245718800000,'longDateTime')
Jun 23, 2009 6:00 am



As an average Joe, you don't demand the fastest machine around, and you certainly don't care about every single bell or whistle that many pricey laptops offer. You need a laptop that offers good value, one that has a couple of key features--and if it can provide a little extra, so much the better.
You require something portable enough to let you take work on the road, and maybe entertain the kids with a movie. Perhaps it can enable you to play a few casual games in your off hours, and, of course, surf the Web, compose e-mail, and juggle Office documents.

CPU
Most all-purpose laptops these days offer decent performance. You won't need to expend much effort to find a notebook that can deliver decent video playback and run your office applications at a reasonable clip. Heck, you might even be able to sneak in a bit of casual gaming on the sly.

As for which CPUs to consider--whether AMD or Intel--you don't have to lay out a fortune. An Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 Mobile CPU, for example, is plenty for handling Windows Vista's everyday chores. AMD's 2.3GHz Turion X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile ZM-84 CPU, also available in value-priced all-purpose portables, doesn't run quite as quickly, but it delivers just enough gusto for a slightly lower price than Intel products.

System Memory
The cheapest and best way to get a quick performance boost in any computer is to load up on the RAM. Most machines offer at least 2GB of RAM these days. (One warning: The 32-bit versions of Windows Vista support only about 3GB of RAM; if you plan on ever going higher in your laptop, make sure that you buy a 64-bit version of Vista.) The safe bet is to upgrade memory from the get-go: If you're having your laptop built to order, add RAM then. Upgrading to 3GB or 4GB may seem like overkill initially, but if you want to hang on to the laptop for a while, that extra memory will keep your system motoring longer.

Graphics Board (aka GPU)
The GPU can make or break your experience on a laptop, yet this is the first thing the manufacturer will give short shrift to in order to achieve a lower price. At the very least, go for a notebook that offers a discrete graphics board option, even if you're not completely convinced that you'll need it. A GPU can affect the system's performance in ways you may never have considered, so don't dismiss discrete graphics as being a necessity only for gamers. Maybe you want to watch a movie in glorious 720p on the notebook's expansive screen. Or perhaps you'll find yourself charmed by Vista's Aero environment--all of that eye candy gets a big boost from a graphics processor.

Screen Size and Native Resolution
If you're buying a laptop for general-purpose use, the sweet spot for screen size ranges from 13 to 16 inches, depending on your specific needs. But in considering such sizes, many shoppers fail to take into account the display's native resolution, which is typically too low and can make for some hard-to-read text. It's a personal-preference thing, but I'm partial to laptops with 14-inch screens. That size is just roomy enough to accommodate video well, yet it still makes for a machine that's easy to transport.
If video is your thing, try to steer toward a laptop that offers resolutions capable of widescreen 720p video. (Hint: If the screen has a resolution above 1280 by 720, it could technically give you a 720p picture, so long as the laptop has the horsepower. For example, the Samsung R610, which has a 1366-by-768-pixel resolution, can handle the job.) Most notebook screens should be able to do that now, but you also need to consider whether the laptop's graphics processor is capable of producing the optimum picture (see above).

Battery Life
First, ask yourself how much travel time you'll need with your laptop. On average, an all-purpose notebook will last about 3.5 to 4 hours on a single charge. If you don't expect to go mobile often, don't bother with a big battery. If you'll be bringing your machine on the road regularly, start looking at higher-capacity batteries for the next long haul. And don't trust vendors' battery-life specs--many of them quote times for their laptops configured with higher-capacity batteries and with many of the notebook's features turned off (dimming the screen brightness to nothingness and shutting off Wi-Fi, for instance).
Want the straight scoop? Check out our WorldBench 6 test results for laptops (start at our Top 10 All-Purpose Laptops chart). We use a bunch of real-world programs in real-world situations, and we run the notebooks into the ground.

Optical Drive
These days almost every laptop packs a DVD burner--and many of them offer LightScribe technology for inscribing images or labels on top of specially coated discs. For enjoying high-definition flicks, Blu-ray Disc is the format of choice. Most laptops come standard with a DVD-RW drive, but BD-ROM drives are slowly creeping into all-purpose laptops too. Of course, adding a BD-ROM drive often means tacking a few extra bucks onto the price tag.

Connectivity
Most all-purpose machines offer three or four USB ports, an SD/Memory Stick flash card reader, a Webcam, headphone jacks, VGA ports, and ethernet jacks. And without exception, such notebooks also have at least 802.11g wireless (802.11n should be ubiquitous within the next few months).

Extra Features
For the near future, you'll want to have HDMI-out (for high-definition video) and eSATA (for high-speed data transfers). Another addition that notebook makers are including more often as time goes by is a hybrid USB/eSATA port. We're also seeing some all-purpose models with a pass-through charging port, which allows you to charge a USB-powered device through the laptop--even when it isn't on.

Our All-Purpose Laptop Picks

The Gateway UC7807u sells for less than $800, has lots of features, and performs well.Selecting one laptop that's perfect for everyday use is a bit tricky, but the Gateway UC7807u hits most of the basic needs for under $800. It might not be the fastest thoroughbred in the stable (it earned a mark of only 80 in WorldBench 6 tests), but it is fast enough to finish the race--while carrying a host of features. Gateway manages to cram in both HDMI and VGA video outputs, three USB 2.0 ports, an ExpressCard slot, a flash-card reader, ethernet, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), and Bluetooth. The machine also provides a slot-fed DVD burner and a 5400-rpm, 320GB hard drive. The UC7807u does have several drawbacks: For one thing, it stumbles in the stamina department, lasting only 3.5 hours in our battery-life tests. This Gateway is also fairly heavy (5.3 pounds) for an all-purpose model with a small screen.

Another all-purpose alternative is the $800 HP Pavilion dv3, which lasted about 2 hours longer than the Gateway UC7807u did in our battery tests and offers eSATA ports and other great options in a lightweight frame. Unfortunately, the dv3 scored a measly 64 in WorldBench 6. If you're looking for a bigger screen, consider the Dell Studio XPS 16. Its hardy construction and sweet-looking 16-inch screen will grab your attention. Of course, with that high-end display, it will also grab your wallet--our review unit would set you back about $1800.
Illustrations by Joe Ciardielo.
Source: pcworld.com

Laptop Buying Guide

Laptop Buying Guide
You can find a laptop that’s right for you--whether you're a business traveler, a jet-setter, a student, a gamer on the go, or just an average Joe. Darren Gladstone, PC World timestamp(1245718800000,'longDateTime') Jun 23, 2009 6:00 am

From petite netbooks to massive desktop replacements, laptops are made for different needs. Follow the tips in this buying guide, and you can meet the notebook of your dreams.
Of course, to find your ideal travel companion, you have to be honest about your personality. So here's a little

quiz--what kind of laptop user are you?

Q. Do you want to write a few e-mail messages or surf the Web while listening to some music? Figure out the family budget? Watch a DVD movie or two?

A. You're an average Joe. Read our recommendations for all-purpose laptops.

Q. Are you on the lookout for a no-compromise laptop that will power through the day while staying true to the bottom line?

A. Mr. or Ms. Corporate Raider, your meeting with the perfect business laptop starts now.

Q. Regardless of whether you're on permanent vacation or traveling for work, do you want power and a light load? Above all, must it be stylish?

A. Jet-setter, your ultraportable laptop is ready for takeoff.

Q. Late to class? Again? Are you faced with overstuffed bags and an understuffed wallet?

A. Student, it's time to do your homework and learn about netbooks.

Q. Forum know-it-all? Multimedia junkie? Action addict? Do you want only the best of the best? Is "Nerd" printed on your business card?

A. Gamer, find out more about desktop replacements that are prepared to play.

Q. Do you want a tough portable that can work well outdoors and handle unusual conditions? Are you searching for a convertible PC that can offer a stylus- or touch-based interface for taking notes?

A. You have specialized needs. See our advice about ruggedized laptops and tablet PCs.

Source: pcworld.com

Intel's Chip Renaming Strategy Meets Resistance

Intel's Chip Renaming Strategy Meets Resistance
Agam Shah, IDG News Service
timestamp(1245378012000,'longDateTime')
Jun 19, 2009 7:20 am

pict source: chewontech.com

Intel's strategy to rename its chips and platforms has seen some opposition from chip enthusiasts, who say the new naming conventions are even more confusing.
The chip company on Wednesday said it was making changes to the naming convention of Core processors, switching the derivatives attached to it. Tags like Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad will be replaced by names like Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7, depending on the type of PC and configuration.

Chips for entry-level desktops and laptops will carry the Core i3 brand, while chips for mid-level and high-end PCs will have Core i5 and Core i7 tags respectively. The Core i7 tag is already being used on Intel's Nehalem-based chips that go in high-end desktop PCs.
Intel said it will continue to use its Atom brand for low-power processors used in netbooks and smartphones. The company will also retain the Celeron and Pentium entry-level chips for mainstream laptops and desktops. In platforms, the company said it would phase out usage of the popular Centrino brand to describe mobile laptop platforms by early next year.
"For PC purchasing, think in terms of good-better-best with Celeron being good, Pentium better, and the Intel Core family representing the best we have to offer," wrote Bill Calder, an Intel spokesman, in a blog entry on Wednesday. The change will make it easier for customers to differentiate and recognize brands in the future.
"The fact of the matter is, we have a complex structure with too many platform brands, product names, and product brands, and we've made things confusing for consumers and IT buyers in the process," Calder wrote.
But the glut of name changes has confused some users even more, who complained of the new names being incomplete. The changes would not fully reflect how the Core chip would perform, some people wrote in response to the blog entry.
"Too confusing. Make the names longer and more telling," wrote someone identified as Jonah, in a comment on the blog. Dismissing the new naming conventions as meaningless, multiple posters asked Intel to either retain the old names or change chip names to reflect the number of cores, clock speed and cache.
Calling the name changes "nonsense," another poster, John, wrote "I buy a Core 2 Duo, I'm getting a 2 core processor made out of Core 2. Usually the clock speed is advertised as well. I buy a Core i5 who knows what the hell I'm getting except maybe Intel marketing."
In all the opposition, Intel found support from a few posters who said that the name changes could make it easier to distinguish chips.
"I can see how replacing the confusing mess of "Core 2 Duo T6400" with "Core i7" could make things easier for the typical consumer when browsing the laptops at Best Buy," wrote a poster, Colin.
Source: pcworld.com

Fight Against China's Web Filtering Software Grows

Fight Against China's Web Filtering Software Grows

Jun 19, 2009 8:12 am

Why the heck is a new notebook debuting at some swanky event celebrating BD-Live? Sony's message: Blu-Ray is everywhere -- and they want to make sure you can get players for cheap (well, as cheap as BD can get these days). Case-in-point: The Sony VAIO VGN-NW180. This respectable-looking $880 laptop ships within the next two weeks sporting a BD-ROM drive. Upon hearing that, I had to push my way past the suits for a little quality one-on-one time with the machine.
So, bear in mind that these are just my initial thoughts on the notebook, it's far from a scientific review. I was busy trying to keep the product managers from looking over my shoulder.
At First Glance
The first thing that'll grab your eye: The 15.5-inch (1366 by 768 pixel) panel. The glossy screen looks great and didn't give too much glare in the demo room--provided you have the LCD tilted at the correct angle. Eyeball it the wrong way and the image will be a little washed out. That's nothing new. But the movies running on-screen looked crisp at 720p. Want to get the full 1080p picture? Plug in the HDMI cable, hit the "Display Off" button and you've got yourself a portable BD-Live enabled player. At least, that's the Sony sales pitch.

The other bits of entertainment-centric nods include a solid discrete GPU, the 512MB ATI Radeon HD 4570. That's more than enough firepower for running video and, it's safe to say, get your game on. (For a little perspective, you can play a game like Left 4 Dead on a significantly less-powerful computer like the DV2). I obviously can't score things yet, but between the GPU, the 2.0 Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 and 4GB of DDR2 RAM, signs point to a decent all-around performer.
It's also a solidly-built all-purpose machine measuring 14.6 by 1.2 by 9.8-inches and weighing 6 pounds. And as is the vogue, this laptop sprouts cut-out keys. They are large, solid, and have pretty good key response in my initial kicking of the tires. The only button that seems a little goofy is the SplashTop "Web" button -- you know, in case you need to hit the Web in a hurry and avoid Windows booting. Unfortunately, that's all it does. How about a Windows-less MP3 playing mode? Or A Blu-Ray player that boots quickly? It just seems odd considering how this machine's positioned as an all-around entertainer. Okay, enough with my keyboard-based rant. Now it's the touchpad's turn.
The feel of the slightly sunken touchpad worked fairly well with good-sized, solid buttons (sorry, no multitouch drivers are on the way). I'm just not sure how I feel about the faux wood-grain feel of the notebook. It seems a little silly -- and decent enough to the touch -- but why stop there? I might as well have a faux wood paneling on my notebook like a 1970s station wagon. But it comes in three colors: Brown, White and Silver.
The NW hosts a reasonable port package on board. Beyond the aforementioned HDMI, there's also a FireWire/iLink/1394 output (whatever you want to call it), three USB ports, VGA-out, Ethernet jack, microphone, 1.3 megapixel camera and 802.11b/g/n wifi. In addition, it has a ExpressCard slot, an SD card slot and....surprise, surprise...a Memory Stick PRO slot.
In the past, Sony's been guilty of bloating machines with tons of useless software. Putting the screws to Sony reps, they confessed that they saw the light and reeled back on the pre-installed nonsense. So I went and called 'em on it. The 400GB 5400 rpm hard drive that comes with the machine, has 328GB of free space (the Windows installation plus a hidden backup drive image). So I guess it looks fairly reasonable.

Overall, not too shabby from what I've seen so far. Sony promises to send a proper review unit and as soon as that happens, we'll give you the full report from the PC World labs.

source: pcworld.com

Fight Against China's Web Filtering Software Grows

Fight Against China's Web Filtering Software Grows
Owen Fletcher, IDG News Service
timestamp(1245384611000,'longDateTime')
Jun 19, 2009 9:10 am

A U.S. company that says its code was copied by a Chinese Internet filtering program has ordered more PC makers not to distribute the Chinese software.
Solid Oak Software has sent cease-and-desist orders to Lenovo, Acer, Gateway, Sony and Toshiba, following similar orders sent to Hewlett-Packard and Dell earlier this week, Solid Oak spokeswoman Jenna DiPasquale said in an e-mail Thursday.
The move added pressure over intellectual property theft to concerns that the Web filtering software, called Green Dam Youth Escort, could be used to bolster China's censorship of the Internet.
China last month ordered PC makers to distribute Green Dam with all computers sold in the country after July 1. The program blocks both pornography and some political content, including Web sites that mention Falun Gong, the spiritual movement banned as a cult in China. China has said the program is meant to protect children and can be disabled or uninstalled.
Solid Oak last week found that the Chinese software used code written in the proprietary format used by CyberSitter, the company's online content filter targeted at parents, DiPasquale said. The Chinese program contained blacklists and files apparently obtained from CyberSitter, according to a report by researchers at the University of Michigan.
An update distributed through the Chinese program has since disabled the copied blacklists, but the version available for download online does not yet reflect the changes, the researchers said in an addition to their report yesterday.
No one at the main company that developed Green Dam, Jinhhui Computer System Engineering, was immediately available for comment.
Solid Oak has not yet heard back from the PC makers it contacted, DiPasquale said. Its next steps could include seeking a U.S. court injunction to stop the companies from distributing Green Dam in China, she said.
An HP spokeswoman said the company is seeking more information regarding Green Dam in cooperation with the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), a U.S. trade group. She confirmed HP had received Solid Oak's cease-and-desist order, but declined to comment further on its response.
Lenovo said it is closely monitoring developments involving Green Dam and will continue to obey the law in the countries where it does business.
Industry groups including the ITI have called on China to reconsider requiring distribution of the software, and Chinese state media yesterday said foreign companies might not be able to comply with the mandate on time.
"All domestic PC makers are ready to include the software by July 1, but some foreign PC makers, such as Dell, might not be able to meet the deadline," the China Daily quoted an unnamed official as saying.
Chinese Internet users have also filled Twitter streams and online forums with opposition to Green Dam.
Programming errors that left Green Dam vulnerable to some attacks have been patched since the University of Michigan researchers revealed them last week, their updated report says.
But a properly designed IP (Internet Protocol) address could still take control of a user's computer through holes that remain in the patched program, the report says.
The researchers again advised uninstalling the program, calling it unlikely that all of its security problems could be fixed before the deadline for its distribution with PCs.
One patch also updated Green Dam's help file with a license statement for OpenCV, an open source computer vision package developed by Intel, the report said. Green Dam's image recognition tool for pornographic images draws on the package, according to the report.
Earlier versions appeared to violate OpenCV's license by leaving out its text, the report said.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman defended China's support for the program and declined to answer a question on its use of copied code at a press briefing Thursday.
"China has the responsibility and the obligation to protect its youth from violation by harmful online information," the spokesman said.

source: pcworld.com

Nokia N97 Review

Nokia N97 Review
timestamp(1245286800000,'longDate')
Jun 17, 2009 by Ginny Mies, PC World


The Nokia N97 packs some impressive specs, but the Symbian OS feels out-of-date when faced with the competition.

On paper, the Nokia N97 ($700; unlocked as of 6/16/09) looks as if it could rival the other big phones of this summer, the Palm Pre, the Apple iPhone 3G S, and T-Mobile's follow-up to the Android-based G1. It has more memory than the other three, supports a wide range of multimedia files, and has a large touchscreen and a full QWERTY keyboard. But the N97 falls short of its potential, largely because the operating system it uses--the Symbian S60 5th Edition--lacks the refinement of other OSs. Still, the N97 impresses in certain areas, particularly audio and video.

Note: The N97 hasn't completed battery testing at this writing, so we can't yet assign a PCW Rating. We'll update this review with that information as soon as we can.
The N97 feels good in hand with a matte backing and sturdy body. It is a bit hefty at 5.3 ounces (heavier than both the Pre and iPhone 3G S). It is also fairly pocketable for a phone with a slide-out keyboard--it measures 4.6 by 2.2 by 0.6 inches. Button placement is standard, with glowing Home and Call Send/End buttons below the display. A power button sits on top next to the 3.5-mm headphone jack (a must-have for multimedia phones). On the right spine is the volume rocker and the camera shutter button. The left spine has the screen lock switch and the mini-USB port.
The keyboard slides out easily, and the display pops out at a slight angle. While the tilt was nice for watching videos and helped reduce glare outside, I found it annoying when trying to type on the keyboard. The edge of the display is too close to the top row of keys, and you can't adjust the display's angle or make it lie flat. I also found it hard to press the keyboard's keys; they're simply not raised enough for comfortable typing. The keyboard's layout was also a bit counterintuitive, with the spacebar placed in the lower-left corner.
A navigational touch pad (right, left, down, up, and a center button to select) on the right side of the keyboard is supposed to help with navigation, but I didn't use it very often. It was so difficult to press that I accidentally selected apps when I was trying to scroll through them.
The N97's call quality over AT&T's 3G network was very good. Voices sounded loud, clear, and crisp--better than any phone I've reviewed recently. I heard no static or background hiss, either. Parties on the other end gave similar reports. Even while standing on a busy city street corner, my contacts said my voice sounded loud and clear.
The phone has a large 3.5-inch resistive touchscreen with a 360-by-640-pixel resolution. While colors looked good and the display appeared bright and crisp, I was disappointed by the touchscreen's responsiveness. Resistive touch just doesn't compare to the slickness of capacitive touch technology. Scrolling wasn't very smooth, and the two-touch action required to start an app got annoying after a while. However, I really liked the N97's haptic feedback (a slight vibration when you touch an app), which helped with the navigation.
I blame the Symbian S60 5th Edition OS for why I was unimpressed with the the N97's display. The S60 operating system simply lacks the fresh and refined look of WebOS, iPhone, and even Android 1.5. The typography and icons are too small, and they fade away into the background of the display.
While the interface might not be the best-looking, the new live-feed widgets are quite useful. The widgets update your personal Internet feeds in real time on your home screen so you don't have to open up another app to access them. My favorite, the Accuweather widget, takes advantage of the N97's built-in Assisted GPS. When I traveled from San Francisco to the slightly different microclimate of the East Bay, for example, the outdoor temperature on my home screen updated accordingly.
Other widgets include Facebook, MySpace, your personal e-mail, the music player, favorite contacts, and the date and time. The music player is average and unsophisticated; it's much like what we've seen on previous Symbian devices. It has no visual effects or album art scrolling (as on the iPhone and the Pre). Nevertheless, it is quite easy to use with the display's large touch controls. It has a few equalizer effects, so you can tweak the sound to your liking. Overall, music playback was very good, though volume level was a bit low piped through the external speakers. The music player supports a respectable number of formats: MP3, WMA, WAV, eAAC+, MP4, and M4V.
The video app is equally simple, though it worked fine. The player can only support MPEG-4 and WMV files--no DivX or H.264 codecs, unfortunately. The N97 is loaded with Flash Lite 3.0, which means it can play videos directly from the YouTube Web page. Flash video playback looked excellent--even better than on the Pre or the iPhone 3G.
The Nokia N97 comes with a generous 32GB of on-board memory, and this can be expanded further with a 16GB microSD card. You can load up your media via microUSB or use stereo Bluetooth. The N97 also has an FM transmitter, as well, for piping your tunes to your car stereo.
The 5-megapixel camera has a Carl Zeiss lens (and a cover), a dual LED flash, and a handful of advanced features. It also comes preloaded with photo/video editing software. Picture quality disappointed me, though; indoor shots came out grainy and dark despite the flash. Outdoor photos fared better with bright colors and crisp details. You can record VGA video at 30 frames per second; our test video looked as good as any recorded by a smartphone camera that I've seen.
The N97 reminds me of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1: It's a really cool phone that can do a lot, but the features just don't come together as seamlessly as in other smartphones on the market. The Symbian OS doesn't simply need an update; it needs an overhaul to compete with iPhone OS and Palm's WebOS. Plus, with no carrier or subsidized price, the N97 is expensive in the United States, especially when you consider the Pre, the iPhone 3G S, and new Android and BlackBerry devices to come--all are expected to be available for less with contract subsidies.
--Ginny Mies

source: pcworld.com

Advantages and disadvantages of USB Flash Drive

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages
Data stored on flash drives are impervious to scratches and dust, and flash drives are mechanically very robust making them suitable for transporting data from place to place and keeping it readily at hand. Most personal computers support USB as of 2009[update].
Flash drives also store data densely compared to many removable media. In mid-2008, 64 GB drives became available, with the ability to hold many times more data than a DVD.
Compared to hard drives, flash drives use little power, have no fragile moving parts, and for low capacities are small and light.
Flash drives implement the USB mass storage device class so that most modern operating systems can read and write to them without installing device drivers. The flash drives present a simple block-structured logical unit to the host operating system, hiding the individual complex implementation details of the various underlying flash memory devices. The operating system can use any file system or block addressing scheme. Some computers can boot up from flash drives.
Some flash drives retain their memory even after being submerged in water [20], even through a machine wash, although this is not a design feature and not to be relied upon. Leaving the flash drive out to dry completely before allowing current to run through it has been known to result in a working drive with no future problems. Channel Five's Gadget Show cooked a flash drive with propane, froze it with dry ice, submerged it in various acidic liquids, ran over it with a jeep and fired it against a wall with a mortar. A company specializing in recovering lost data from computer drives managed to recover all the data on the drive. [21] All data on the other removable storage devices tested, using optical or magnetic technologies, were destroyed.

Disadvantages
Like all flash memory devices, flash drives can sustain only a limited number of write and erase cycles before failure[22][23]. This should be a consideration when using a flash drive to run application software or an operating system. To address this, as well as space limitations, some developers have produced special versions of operating systems (such as Linux in Live USB) [24] or commonplace applications (such as Mozilla Firefox) designed to run from flash drives. These are typically optimized for size and configured to place temporary or intermediate files in the computer's main RAM rather than store them temporarily on the flash drive.
Most USB flash drives do not include a write-protect mechanism, although some have a switch on the housing of the drive itself to keep the host computer from writing or modifying data on the drive. Write-protection makes a device suitable for repairing virus-contaminated host computers without risk of infecting the USB flash drive itself.
A drawback to the small size is that they are easily misplaced, left behind, or otherwise lost. This is a particular problem if the data they contain are sensitive (see data security). As a consequence, some manufacturers have added encryption hardware to their drives -- although software encryption systems achieve the same thing, and are universally available for all USB flash drives. Others just have the possibility of being attached to keychains, necklaces and lanyards.
Compared to other portable storage device, for example external hard drives, USB flash drives have a high price per unit of storage and are only available in comparatively small capacities; but hard drives have a higher minimum price, so in the smaller capacities (16 GB and less), USB flash drives are much less expensive than the smallest available hard drives

Source:en.wikipedia.org

Uses of USB Flash Drive

Uses

Personal data transport
The most common use of flash drives is to transport and store personal files such as documents, pictures and videos. Individuals also store medical alert information on MedicTag flash drives for use in emergencies and for disaster preparation.


Secure storage of data, application and software files
With wide deployment(s) of flash drives being used in various environments (secured or otherwise), the issue of data and information security remains of the utmost importance. The use of biometrics and encryption is becoming the norm with the need for increased security for data; OTFE systems such as FreeOTFE and TrueCrypt are particularly useful in this regard, as they can transparently encrypt large amounts of data. In some cases a Secure USB Drive may use a hardware-based encryption mechanism that uses a hardware module instead of software for strongly encrypting data.



System administration
Flash drives are particularly popular among system and network administrators, who load them with configuration information and software used for system maintenance, troubleshooting, and recovery. They are also used as a means to transfer recovery and antivirus software to infected PCs, allowing a portion of the host machine's data to be archived. As the drives have increased in storage space, they have also replaced the need to carry a number of CD ROMs and installers which were needed when reinstalling or updating a system.



Application carriers
Flash drives are used to carry applications that run on the host computer without requiring installation. While any standalone application can in principle be used this way, many programs store data, configuration information, etc. on the hard drive and registry of the host computer
The U3 company works with drive makers (parent company SanDisk as well as others) to deliver custom versions of applications designed for Microsoft Windows from a special flash drive; U3-compatible devices are designed to autoload a menu when plugged into a computer running Windows. Applications must be modified for the U3 platform not to leave any data on the host machine. U3 also provides a software framework for ISVs interested in their platform.
Ceedo is an alternative product with the key difference that it does not require Windows applications to be modified in order for them to be carried and run on the drive.
Similarly, other application virtualization solutions, such as VMware ThinApp can be used to run software from a flash drive without installation.
A range of portable applications which are all free of charge and able to run off a computer running Windows without storing anything on the host computer's drives or registry is available from portableapps.com; unlike U3 programs which run from a special U3-compatible USB stick, the PortableApps menu will run from a standard device, and can also use the Windows AutoRun feature.[14]

Computer forensics and law enforcement
A recent development for the use of a USB Flash Drive as an application carrier is to carry the Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor (COFEE) application developed by Microsoft. COFEE is a set of applications designed to search for and extract digital evidence on computers confiscated from suspects[15]. Forensic software should not alter the information stored on the computer being examined in any way; other forensic suites run from CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, but cannot store data on the media they are run from (although they can write to other attached devices such as external drives or memory sticks).

Booting operating systems
Most current PC firmware permits booting from a USB drive, allowing the launch of an operating system from a bootable flash drive. Such a configuration is known as a Live USB.
While a Live USB could be used for general-purpose applications, size and memory wear make them poor choices compared to alternatives. They are more suited to special-purpose or temporary tasks, such as:
Loading a minimal, hardened kernel for embedded applications (e.g. network router, firewall).
Bootstrapping an operating system install or disk cloning operation, often across a network.
Maintenance tasks, such as virus scanning or low-level data repair, without the primary host operating system loaded.



Windows Vista and Windows 7 ReadyBoost
In Windows Vista and the upcoming Windows 7, the ReadyBoost feature allows use of some flash drives to augment operating system memory.[16]

Audio players
Many companies make small solid-state digital audio players, essentially producing flash drives with sound output and a simple user interface. Examples include the Creative MuVo ,Philips GoGear and the iPod shuffle. Some of these players are true USB flash drives as well as music players; others do not support general-purpose data storage.
Many of the smallest players are powered by a permanently fitted rechargeable battery, charged from the USB interface.

Music storage and marketing
Digital audio files can be transported from one computer to another like any other file, and played on a compatible media player (with caveats for DRM-locked files). In addition, many home Hi-Fi and car stereo head units are now equipped with a USB port. This allows a USB flash drive containing media files in a variety of formats to be played directly on devices which support the format.
Artists have sold or given away USB flash drives, with the first instance believed to be in 2004 when the German band WIZO released the "Stick EP", only as a USB drive. In addition to five high-bitrate MP3s, it also included a video, pictures, lyrics, and guitar tablature. Subsequently artists including Kanye West[17] , Nine Inch Nails and Ayumi Hamasaki [18] have released music and promotional material on USB flash drives.

In arcades
In the arcade game In the Groove and more commonly In The Groove 2, flash drives are used to transfer high scores, screenshots, dance edits, and combos throughout sessions. As of software revision 21 (R21), players can also store custom songs and play them on any machine on which this feature is enabled. While use of flash drives is common, the drive must be Linux compatible.
In the arcade games Pump it Up NX2 and Pump it Up NX Absolute, a special produced flash drive is used as a "save file" for unlocked songs, as well as progressing in the WorldMax and Brain Shower sections of the game.
In the arcade game Dance Dance Revolution X, an exclusive USB flash drive was made by Konami for the purpose of the link feature from its Sony PlayStation 2 counterpart.

Brand and product promotion
The availability of inexpensive flash drives has enabled them to be used for promotional and marketing purposes, particularly within technical and computer-industry circles (e.g. technology trade shows). They may be given away for free, sold at less than wholesale price, or included as a bonus with another purchased product.
Usually, such drives will be custom-stamped with a company's logo, as a form of advertising to increase mind share and brand awareness. The drive may be blank drive, or preloaded with graphics, documentation, web links, Flash animation or other multimedia, and free or demonstration software. Some preloaded drives are read-only; others are configured with a read-only and a writeable partition. Dual-partition drives are more expensive.
Flash drives can be set up to automatically launch stored presentations, websites, articles, and any other software immediately on insertion of the drive using the Microsoft Windows AutoRun feature[19]. Autorunning software this way does not work on all computers, and is normally disabled by security-conscious users.



Backup
Some value-added resellers are now using a flash drive as part of small-business turnkey solutions (e.g. point-of-sale systems). The drive is used as a backup medium: at the close of business each night, the drive is inserted, and a database backup is saved to the drive. Alternatively, the drive can be left inserted through the business day, and data regularly updated. In either case, the drive is removed at night and taken offsite.
This is simple for the end-user, and more likely to be done;
The drive is small and convenient, and more likely to be carried off-site for safety;
The drives are less fragile mechanically and magnetically than tapes;
The capacity is often large enough for several backup images of critical data;
And flash drives are cheaper than many other backup systems.
It is also easy to lose these small devices, and easy for people without a right to data to take illicit backups.





Source: en.wikipedia.org

Design and implementation of USB Flash Drive

Design and implementation


One end of the device is fitted with a single male type-A USB connector. Inside the plastic casing is a small printed circuit board. Mounted on this board is some simple power circuitry and a small number of surface-mounted integrated circuits (ICs). Typically, one of these ICs provides an interface to the USB port, another drives the onboard memory, and the other is the flash memory.
Drives typically use the USB mass storage device class to communicate with the host.


Internals of a typical USB flash drive

1. USB connector
2. USB mass storage controller device
3. Test points
4. Flash memory chip
5. Crystal oscillator
6. LED
7. Write-protect switch (Optional)
8. Space for second flash memory chip




Essential components
There are typically four parts to a flash drive:
Male type-A USB connector – provides an interface to the host computer.
USB mass storage controller – implements the USB host controller. The controller contains a small microcontroller with a small amount of on-chip ROM and RAM.
NAND flash memory chip – stores data. NAND flash is typically also used in digital cameras.
Crystal oscillator – produces the device's main 12 MHz clock signal and controls the device's data output through a phase-locked loop.

Additional components
The typical device may also include:
Jumpers and test pins – for testing during the flash drive's manufacturing or loading code into the microprocessor.
LEDs – indicate data transfers or data reads and writes.
Write-protect switches – indicate whether the device should be in "write-protection" mode.
Unpopulated space – provides space to include a second memory chip. Having this second space allows the manufacturer to develop only one printed circuit board that can be used for more than one storage size device, to meet the needs of the market.
USB connector cover or cap – reduces the risk of damage and prevents the ingress of fluff or other contaminants, and improves overall device appearance. Some flash drives do not feature a cap, but instead have retractable USB connectors. Other flash drives have a "swivel" cap that is permanently connected to the drive itself and eliminates the chance of losing the cap.
Transport aid – the cap or the main body often contains a hole suitable for connection to a key chain or lanyard.
Some drives offer expandable storage via an internal memory card slot, much like a memory card reader

source: en.wikipedia.org

History of USB Flash Drive

History







Flash drive with retractable USB connector


First commercial product
Trek Technology and IBM began selling the first USB flash drives commercially in 2000. Singaporean company Trek Technology sold a model dubbed the "ThumbDrive," and IBM marketed the first such drives in North America, with its product the "DiskOnKey" (which was manufactured by the Israeli company M-Systems). IBM's USB flash drive became available on December 15, 2000,[6][7] and had a storage capacity of 8 MB, more than five times the capacity of the commonly used floppy disks (floppy disks having a capacity of 1.44MB).
In 2000 Lexar introduced a Compact Flash (CF) card with a USB connection, and a companion card read/writer and USB cable that eliminated the need for a USB hub.
In 2004 Trek Technology brought several lawsuits against other USB flash drive manufacturers and distributors in an attempt to assert its patent rights to the USB flash drive. A court in Singapore ordered competitors to cease selling similar products[8] that would be covered by Trek's patent, but a court in the United Kingdom revoked[9] one of Trek's patents in that country.

Second generation
Modern flash drives have USB 2.0 connectivity. However, they do not currently use the full 480 Mbit/s (60MB/s) the USB 2.0 Hi-Speed specification supports due to technical limitations inherent in NAND flash. The fastest drives currently available use a dual channel controller, although they still fall considerably short of the transfer rate possible from a current generation hard disk, or the maximum high speed USB throughput.
Typical overall file transfer speeds vary considerably, and should be checked before purchase. Speeds may be given in Mbyte per second, Mbit per second, or optical drive multipliers such as "180X" (180 times 150 KiB per second). Typical fast drives claim to read at up to 30 megabytes/s (MB/s) and write at about half that. Older "USB full speed" 12 Mbit/s devices are limited to a maximum of about 1 MB/s

Source:en.wikipedia.org

USB Flash Drive Technology

USB Flash Drive Technology


Main articles: Flash memory and USB









Flash memory combines a number of older technologies, with the low cost, low power consumption and small size made possible by recent[update] advances in microprocessor technology. The memory storage is based on earlier EPROM and EEPROM technologies. These had very limited capacity, were very slow for both reading and writing, required complex high-voltage drive circuitry, and could only be re-written after erasing the entire contents of the chip.
Hardware designers later developed EEPROMs with the erasure region broken up into smaller "fields" that could be erased individually without affecting the others. Altering the contents of a particular memory location involved first copying the entire field into an off-chip buffer memory, erasing the field, and then re-writing the data back into the same field, making the necessary alteration to the relevant memory location while doing so. This required considerable computer support, and PC-based EEPROM flash memory systems often carried their own dedicated microprocessor system. Flash drives are more or less a miniaturized version of this.
The development of high-speed serial data interfaces such as USB for the first time made memory systems with serially accessed storage viable, and the simultaneous development of small, high-speed, low-power microprocessor systems allowed this to be incorporated into extremely compact systems. Serial access also greatly reduced the number of electrical connections required for the memory chips, which has allowed the successful manufacture of multi-gigabyte capacities. (Every external electrical connection is a potential source of manufacturing failure, and with traditional manufacturing, a point is rapidly reached where the successful yield approaches zero).
Computers access modern[update] flash memory systems very much like hard disk drives, where the controller system has full control over where information is actually stored. The actual EEPROM writing and erasure processes are, however, still very similar to the earlier systems described above.
Many low-cost MP3 players simply add extra software to a standard flash memory control microprocessor so it can also serve as a music playback decoder. Most of these players can also be used as a conventional flash drive, for storing data.

Source en.wikipedia.org

USB Flash Drive

USB flash drive
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


"JumpDrive" redirects here. For the fictional propulsion system, see Jump drive.










A USB flash drive consists of a NAND-type flash memory data storage device integrated with a USB (universal serial bus) interface. USB flash drives are typically removable and rewritable, much smaller than a floppy disk (1 to 4 inches or 2.5 to 10 cm), and most USB flash drives weigh less than an ounce (28g).[1] Storage capacities typically range from 64 MB to 128 GB[2] with steady improvements in size and price per gigabyte. Some allow 1 million write or erase cycles[3][4] and have 10-year data retention,[5] connected by USB 1.1 or USB 2.0.
USB flash drives offer potential advantages over other portable storage devices, particularly the floppy disk. They have a more compact shape, operate faster, hold much more data, have a more durable design, and operate more reliably due to their lack of moving parts. Additionally, it has become increasingly common for computers to be sold without floppy disk drives. USB ports, on the other hand, appear on almost every current[update] mainstream PC and laptop. These types of drives use the USB mass storage standard, supported natively by modern operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and other Unix-like systems. USB drives with USB 2.0 support can also operate faster than an optical disc drive, while storing a larger amount of data in a much smaller space.
Nothing actually moves in a flash drive: the term drive persists because computers read and write flash-drive data using the same system commands as for a mechanical disk drive, with the storage appearing to the computer operating system and user interface as just another drive.[4]
A flash drive consists of a small printed circuit board protected inside a plastic, metal, or rubberized case, robust enough for carrying with no additional protection—in a pocket or on a key chain, for example. The USB connector is protected by a removable cap or by retracting into the body of the drive, although it is not likely to be damaged if exposed (but it may damage other items, for example a bag it is placed in). Most flash drives use a standard type-A USB connection allowing plugging into a port on a personal computer, but drives for other interfaces also exist.



source:en.wikipedia.org

Europe Looks to Step up Fight Against Cybercrime

Europe Looks to Step up Fight Against Cybercrime
Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service
timestamp(1244649016000,'longDateTime')
Jun 10, 2009 8:50 pm

The European Commission is seeking to strengthen cooperation between law enforcement and private industry worldwide as well as increase penalties for those engaged in cybercrime, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Countries such as Estonia and Lithuania have been victimized by cyberattacks, but officials in those countries have complained they didn't get support fast enough from other nations, said Radomir Jansky, one of the top cybercrime officials within the Commission's Directorate-General for Justice, Freedom and Security.
"Large-scale attacks are on the rise, and we need to deal with them," Jansky said at the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group meeting in Amsterdam. The conference is attended by ISPs and industry professionals who discuss issues such as spam, e-mail marketing issues and botnets.
In April and May 2007, Estonian Web sites belonging to banks, schools and government agencies fell under denial-of-service attacks after a World War II memorial to Russian soldiers was moved from a public square. Georgia experienced cyberattacks in August 2008 as Russia invaded Georgia's South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions.
The Commission is updating the Council Framework Decision on Attacks Against Information Systems, which went into force in 2005, Jansky said. European Union countries are not bound by law to abide by the framework, but it is recommended that they follow it.
The update, which has not been published yet, will likely recommend that countries across Europe increase the sentences for those convicted of cybercrime since there doesn't appear to be much of a deterrent effect now, Jansky said.
Sentences now range from one to three years, but countries such as Estonia, France, Germany and the U.K. have longer ones, he said.
The updated framework may also recommend that countries respond to a request for help in a cybercrime investigation from other countries faster, such as within eight hours. Now, there is no time limit, Jansky said.
There is also a need for a unified system that enables E.U. countries to report cyberattacks, prosecutions and other criminal reports. The data would help create a more complete picture on the scope of cybercrime, Jansky said. Countries also need to agree on an acceptable format for reporting that data.
"We need to have more data," Jansky said.
In March, the Commission published a draft of a second framework under revision, the Council Framework Decision on Combating the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Pornography.
That framework is seeking to tackle new scenarios of concern regarding Internet-related child abuse. The framework will likely recommend new criminal offenses related to grooming, the viewing of child pornography without downloading images and allowing the use of covert tools during investigations, Jansky said.
The framework will likely be published by the end of the year, as the Council of the European Union is still working out the details, Jansky said

Source: pcworld.com

First Look: Google Quick Search Box

First Look: Google Quick Search Box
Ian Paul
timestamp(1244649720000,'longDateTime')
Jun 10, 2009 9:02 pm


Google yesterday launched the public version of Quick Search Box, an integrated desktop search tool for Mac users. Earlier this year, the search giant had opened up a preview version of QSB to developers, but warned the program was a work in progress. Now, however, QSB is ready for prime time -- according to Google, anyway.


QSB vs. Google Desktop

Unlike Google Desktop, QSB uses your Mac's Spotlight index instead of Google's own search capabilities to call up files and programs. This makes for a lighter search program, but one that doesn't have to index your entire computer before you can use it. Google says QSB includes a wide variety of search results including applications, files, music, Web search, navigational suggestions, browser history, and contacts. QSB will also let you carry out actions based on your search results, such as e-mailing files, sending contacts an instant message, and others. Over time, QSB will learn from your search habits and organize your search results based on your selections, according to Google. QSB is also an open platform, so third-party developers can create plug-ins to take advanatge of the search box functionality. A Twitter plug-in, for example, lets you send tweets right from QSB. However, QSB is not a Twitter client, so you will not be able to follow other people's tweets.So how well does QSB do its job? Let's take a look. (Click on the thumbnail images for a clearer look at the full screen.)

Calling it up


Once QSB is installed, Google says you can launch QSB by double tapping the "Command" key or by pressing "control + spacebar." In my tests, I couldn't do this and had to search for QSB using Spotlight and launch it from there. Once QSB was launched, however, the keyboard shortcuts worked just fine to switch to QSB from another program.Once QSB is open, you are presented with a floating Google search box that can be moved anywhere on your desktop. Clicking on the down arrow on the far-right side shows you the variety of specific searches you can do, including Gmail, Wikipedia, YouTube, and other Google search categories.

Files


Since QSB is geared toward integrating your desktop and Web searches, I tested this by searching for "PC World." As you can see from the photo, QSB called up the folder where I keep my PC World posts as well as a variety of related results including a Web search, PC World Podcast MP3s, and so on.



When I select the PC World folder and press the tab or right arrow button, QSB shows me the folder's contents, displaying the first five documents in the folder with the option to look through for more.After selecting a file, and again hitting tab or the right arrow, I was able to see the variety of actions I could do with that file. Options include looking up basic file information, as well as deleting and opening the file.





While QSB was able to handle my general PC World query, I was surprised to discover the app couldn't find specific documents in the folder even if I typed in the exact filename. QSB also failed to give me the option to e-mail the file -- a common reason you search for files in the first place.





Music
Searching for music in QSB is an easy way to quickly get to the music you want to hear without switching over to iTunes. I searched for "The Wrestler" by Bruce Springstein, a recent addition to my iTunes library. QSB was able to quickly find the song file, and offered a variety of search options as before. Once I tabbed over to the next page, I was presented with a list of terms related to the song file, including the artist's name and a variety of playlists the song is associated with.


Clicking over to use the file, I found the only action I was able to take
was to play the song in iTunes. Although it took me a search and three clicks to get the song playing, music files are something QSB handles very nicely. I liked the fact that QSB called up iTunes and began playing the song in the background. That way I could keep working without having to move away from my document to stare at an open iTunes window that I don't need to see in the first place.




I also tested music search with files pulled off a CD with no copy protection, and the results were similar; however, unlike with The Wrestler I was able to add unprotected songs to iTunes DJ. The only downside was that, once again, there was no option to e-mail the file.






Contacts
Of the three searches I did, contacts was by far the weakest. In my tests, QSB only searched within my Apple Address Book, even though I have Microsoft Entourage installed on my computer. Spotlight, on the other hand, was able to find anything within my Entourage program, including e-mail messages, appointments, and contacts. I also authorized QSB to search my Gmail, and it did not return any results from my online account. It may be that you need to be using Gmail's offline function to have QSB search your Gmail account, but the program didn't provide any instructions about this.If you do use Apple's default contact manager, then you will have several actions you can take from QSB. Call up a contact file and you can open it in Address Book, e-mail the contact card, or even open up your IM client, iChat, or Skype for a quick chat.

Final Thoughts
While QSB looks promising, I found that it was a little hit or miss when it came to search. In my tests, Google's application could not provide as good a search as Spotlight, even though Google says QSB is using the Spotlight index. My Firefox browsing history, for example, was very hit or miss on QSB, but Spotlight nailed it every time.

QSB was also a little restrictive on the actions you could take. One thing I often check before I e-mail something is its file size so I don't overload someone's e-mail storage. The problem with QSB was that it allowed me to access basic file information for documents, but not sound or video files. It would also be nice if QSB delivered Web search and Wikipedia results inside QSB instead of opening the default Web browser.QSB has some handy features, but Google needs to expand the program's functionality and improve its search capability before I'd recommend it as a solid solution. If you're looking for a comparable application to augment Spotlight, other programs -- such as Quicksilver -- do a far better job. Oddly enough, Quicksilver is the brainchild of Nicholas Jitkoff, who was listed as one of the lead developers on the preview version of QSB.

source: pcworld.com

Latest Games - New Games

Bowling PC

Here's a way to go bowling without having to wear tacky shoes. Bowling PC, a cinematic-looking 3D game, is exceedingly simple to play. You control the ball's placement by using the arrow keys, and then you use other keys to determine when and where to throw it to knock down the pins.
You can play against the computer, or against other people on your PC. The game offers plenty of options, too, such as for which ball design to use, whether to play rock music, and which angle the camera should take to track the ball and the game.
One nice touch is the set of audio effects that mimic how a bowling ball sounds as it heads down the alley, and when it hits the pins.

Chicken Invaders

This game is as ridiculously, pointlessly entertaining as the name implies. It's a takeoff on the classic Space Invaders, except instead of firing at rows of advancing aliens, you have to eliminate rows of hostile fowl. As you shoot them down (producing drumsticks in the process), they launch their own weapons at you--eggs in the lower levels, with the addition of chicken feathers at higher levels. Each wave of marauding chickens is increasingly dangerous, and on some levels you also have to dodge asteroids and fend off giant monster chickens.
This throwback game is as simple as it gets. Just move your spaceship with the arrow keys, and shoot your weapon by pressing the spacebar--that's all you need to know. Everything about the game is entertaining and campy, beginning with Strauss's "Also sprach Zarathustra" (made famous by 2001: A Space Odyssey), and moving on to the majestic text telling the back story, much as Star Wars began. This game won't keep you occupied for a long time, but when you have 10 minutes to spare, it can't be beat.

Little Fighter 2

If you're a fan of fighting games, in which the whole point is to pound your opponent into submission while high-adrenaline music plays, you'll no doubt be a fan of Little Fighter 2. The goal is straightforward: Punch, kick, stab, beat, and do any other damage you can, using a wide variety of lethal weapons.
You can play against the computer or against another player--in fact, you can have up to four players going at it at the same time in a free-for-all. The game also offers assorted modes, including one-on-one, a "Stage mode" where you face increasingly difficult levels of enemies, and a "Battle mode" featuring armies that you lead.
Will you think much while playing this game? Most likely not for even a second, and that's okay. It's sheer, mindless entertainment, for anyone who likes fighting games.
Note that when you install this program, it will also install a Little Fighter 2 toolbar by default. Uncheck the box next to that option during installation if you don't want the toolbar.

Source: pcworld.com

TWO YEAR OLD SMARTER THAN BILL GATES??

Meet Britain's brainiest toddler: Two-year-old Karina has the same IQ as Stephen HawkingBy Beth Hale and Claire EllicottLast updated at 2:00 AM on 10th June 2009

Most little girls of Karina Oakley's age are chatterboxes, just like her. But few can talk as much sense.
The toddler has just been found to have an IQ of 160 - the same as Stephen Hawking and six points higher than Carol Vorderman - which makes her eligible to join Mensa.
Experts say that she is particularly imaginative and gifted with words

Who's a clever girl then? Karina Oakley and mother Charlotte Fraser

Karina, who is almost three, is in the top 0.03 per cent of children her age, placing her on a par with a four or five-year-old.
Her mother Charlotte Fraser says she knew her daughter was bright, just not that bright.
She decided to have Karina tested by Professor Joan Freeman, a specialist education psychologist, after watching a TV show about child geniuses.
'Quite a lot of people had said to me that Karina is quite smart, quite bright, quite clear with her speech and quick to pick things up,' she said.

Katrina scored the same IQ as Microsoft chairman Bill Gates (left) and Brief History Of Time author Stephen Hawking

Karina, who turns three this summer, undertook a 45-minute IQ test in which she was asked to complete challenges in verbal ability, memory, handling a pencil and numbers and shapes.
At the end, the professor found that she had a special bias towards words, with a 'wonderful imagination'.
'Karina is a lovely, responsive and friendly little girl,' said Professor Freeman. 'She is more than very bright and capable, she is gifted.'
The professor noted that Karina gave imaginative responses to questions. For instance when asked, 'What do you use your eyes for?' she answered, 'You close them when you go to sleep' and then also said, 'You put your contact lenses in them'

As for where her intelligence comes from, Miss Fraser said: 'I have stayed at home with her for almost three years, I have always talked to her a lot, always tried to answer her questions.
'We do a lot of things, we go to the park and we are part of various groups. I don't know whether it's that, combined with something that she was born with.'
Miss Fraser used to work in marketing while Karina's father Nick is a computer programmer. They live in Guildford, Surrey.
Two months ago the Mail told how Elise Tan-Roberts became the youngest member of Mensa, the international society for the gifted, with an estimated IQ of 156.
She was two years, four months and two weeks.
To be eligible for Mensa, candidates must in the top 2 per cent for intelligence.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Dell on the hunt for acquisitions

Dell on the hunt for acquisitions

By Paul Kunert
1 June 2009

Dell has indicated it may look to exploit the relatively low valuations of technology businesses in the current climate by acquiring.

The firm has made ten acquisitions in recent years with storage vendor EqualLogic bought in late 2007, the most substantial at $1.4bn.

“There is a good opportunity to take advantage of the downturn to digest a big acquisition so we are stronger coming out of the downturn…asset prices are getting pretty attractive,” said CEO Michael Dell in a Q1 conference call last week.

Perhaps Dell head honcho had got a warm fuzzy feeling about acquisitions given the success of the EqualLogic deal, a point he was quick to highlight.

“Previously we hadn’t made any acquisitions but in the last couple of years we have done ten transactions,” he said, “the only one of any size was EqualLogic and that business is now roughly four times larger than when we started.”

“So yes, we’ll be looking in that direction so stay tuned,” Dell concluded, adding that it was stock piling cash.

The boss did not leave any hints as to which part of the portfolio it may look to bolster but given the drop in revenues across all its product groups, he has a pretty wide remit on which to build.

Sourece:pcmag.com

Game Booster Hones Your System's Gaming Edge

Game Booster Hones Your System's Gaming Edge
Ian Harac
timestamp(1243743180000,'longDateTime')
May 31, 2009 10:13 am




Back in the 1980s, gamers would laboriously hand-edit autoexec.bat files to squeeze every kilobyte of RAM they could from their cutting-edge 80286 boxes. Today, we have computers to do that for us. The free Game Booster frees you from special boot floppies, by looking for unnecessary processes (such as a tablet driver when you don't have a tablet PC) and turning them, temporarily, off. You can easily turn them on again by exiting "Game Mode."





There's really not much more to it than that. You have control over which processes to turn off, and Game Booster also checks for programs which do not seem to be essential for running games. I verified that the processes selected terminated and started as expected. As to how much of a boost you will get... that depends on how close to the edge your system runs. I regained some 300 meg of memory, a fair chunk, but on a 4 gig system, I rarely end up page swapping when running games, unless I very deliberately try to fill up RAM. Those on lower end systems may find the effect to be quite noticeable.
Note: I have had no problems with this program or with other, similar, "performance tuners". Other users sometimes report issues with performance-tweaking software . While it is very unlikely this program's actions could cause any problem that couldn't be solved with a simple reboot, as with any program which changes running processes, use it cautiously. Make a system restore point before trying it out, just in case.

Source: pcworld.com

Bing vs. Google vs. Yahoo: Feature Smackdown

Bing vs. Google vs. Yahoo: Feature Smackdown We compare top features of three search engines-Bing, Google, and Yahoo--in the ultimate search engine battle royale. Tom Spring, PC World timestamp(1243641900000,'longDateTime') May 30, 2009 6:05 am



























Bing vs. Google vs. Yahoo

In the arena of world-class search, can Bing bring the hurt to Google and Yahoo? Microsoft's newest search engine comes packed with search tools such as an Explorer Pane for refining searches, Quick Previews for sneaking a peek at a site before visiting it, and Sentiment Extraction for making sense of product reviews.
Google and Yahoo, meanwhile, are no chumps. Google has outwitted its competitors by delivering solid search results and cool tools such as Street Views. Yahoo has done a masterful job of integrating search results with its rich network of Yahoo content. Search for the musician Sting within Yahoo, and presto--you're watching Yahoo music videos or listening to streaming audio of Sting singing "Desert Rose" from within your search results.
How do these services stack up against each other? Bing targets four categories of search: shopping, local, travel, and health. In a highly subjective comparison, I tested Bing, Google, and Yahoo in these areas and in others.


Source :pcworld.com