*HOT* Tech News And Downloads, I Would Read This Thread And Post Any Good Info

heres another one to jump on Lethal_B,right!

Zune price posted by Wal-Mart

9/19/2006 2:08:42 PM, by Eric Bangeman

When Microsoft officially previewed the Zune digital music player last week, it left out details about the price and release date. Although we still don't know when it's going to be out, Wal-Mart may have given us an idea of how much it will cost. In a product page posted yesterday in the Electronics section of its web site, the retailer listed a $284 price tag for the Zune. The page is still up, albeit without the price.

Targeted squarely at Apple's iPod and iTunes Store offering, the Zune will ship with a 30GB hard drive, built-in WiFi, an FM tuner, and a 3" 320x240 display. Zune players will be tied to the Zune Marketplace, which will sell music by track and on a monthly subscription basis. Users will also be able to import tracks ripped in the AAC, MP3, and WMA formats—as long as they don't have any DRM.

Wal-Mart told ABC News that the price "was incorrectly and inadvertently listed at Walmart.com." $284 does seem like an odd figure, unless you take into account Wal-Mart's practice of discounting products a few bucks below the competition. For example, one 2GB Creative Zen player retailers $119.72 at Wal-Mart vs. the $139 price usually seen at other retailers

At the launch event, all Microsoft had to say about the price is that it would be "very competitive." A couple of days prior to the launch event, the consensus $299 price would have been competitive with the 30GB iPod. However, Apple chopped $50 off that model's price at its Showtime event earlier in the week. That unexpected price drop from Apple may have caused a small change in plans in Redmond if Microsoft was indeed planning to introduce the Zune at $299 as many have suspected.

With the Zune launch still an unspecified time period away, it's too early for us to try and slap a price tag on Microsoft's digital audio player. Zune's price point is going to be a significant factor in the success of Microsoft's venture. If the Wal-Mart listing was in the right neighborhood, Microsoft will need to convince consumers that the larger screen, WiFi, sharing capability, and FM transmitter are worth the extra money. If Zune is going to retail at or near the 30GB iPod's level, then Microsoft may be forced to swallow even smaller margins on the player, hopefull in exchange for better sales figures.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060919-7782.html

 

Microsoft's Zune Won't Play Protected Windows Media
September 15, 2006

In yesterday's announcement of the new Zune media player and Zune Marketplace, Microsoft (and many press reports) glossed over a remarkable misfeature that should demonstrate once and for all how DRM and the DMCA harm legitimate customers.

Microsoft's Zune will not play protected Windows Media Audio and Video purchased or "rented" from Napster 2.0, Rhapsody, Yahoo! Unlimited, Movielink, Cinemanow, or any other online media service. That's right -- the media that Microsoft promised would Play For Sure doesn't even play on Microsoft's own device. Buried in footnote 4 of its press release, Microsoft clearly states that "Zune software can import audio files in unprotected WMA, MP3, AAC; photos in JPEG; and videos in WMV, MPEG-4, H.264" -- protected WMA and WMV (not to mention iTunes DRMed AAC) are conspicuously absent.

This is a stark example of DRM under the DMCA giving customers a raw deal. Buying DRMed media means you're locked into the limited array of devices that vendors say you can use. You have to rebuy your preexisting DRMed media collection if you want to use it on the Zune. And you'll have to do that over and over again whenever a new, incompatible device with innovative features blows existing players out of the water. Access to MP3s and non-DRMed formats creates the only bridge between these isolated islands of limited devices.

The real culprit here is the DMCA -- but for that bad law, customers could legally convert DRMed files into whatever format they want, and tech creators would be free to reverse engineer the DRM to create compatible devices. Even though those acts have traditionally been and still are non-infringing, the DMCA makes them illegal and stifles fair use, innovation, and competition.

May this be a lesson to those who mistakenly laud certain DRM as "open" and offering customers "freedom of choice" simply because it is more widely-licensed than other formats. With DRM under the DMCA, nothing truly plays for sure, regardless of whether you're purchasing from Apple, Microsoft, or anyone else.

Take action now to support DMCA reform and to stop the government from mandating more DRM.

[Postscript: In an interview with Engadget, Microsoft Zune architect J Allard pointed out that Zune has sufficient video format support, in part because there's "Lots of DVD ripping software out there that encodes to those formats, so the most popular formats out there, whether it's MPEG-4 or H.264, we'll support those." Gee, he isn't suggesting that his business model benefits from customers using tools like DeCSS or Handbrake to evade the DRM on DVDs, right? Especially since Microsoft is furiously trying to squash the FairUse4WM tool, that would seem rather hypocritical.]
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004910.php

 

Chuck D lays down the law on DRM




By David Meyer
Special to CNET News.com
Published: September 19, 2006, 3:27 PM PDT


Digital rights management has its benefits, but should not overly restrict users, according to musician and mobile entrepreneur Chuck D.
The rapper, who was a founding member of hip-hop group Public Enemy and now runs a content service, told delegates at the Mobile Content World conference in London that he had always looked at technology as "something you can apply to a better world if you stay on top of it and don't let it stay on top of you."

"[Napster founder] Shawn Fanning revolutionized the way we get music--he doesn't get the respect he deserves, even today," Chuck D said on Tuesday.

He said he does "believe in some sort of DRM" but pointed out that MP3 was the most popular compression format because it does not limit how the customer can use the file once bought.

A global Anti-DRM Day has been scheduled for Oct. 3 by DefectiveByDesign.org, a subset of the Free Software Foundation.
David Meyer reported from ZDNet UK in London.



go here to read the article
http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-6117413.html?part=rss&tag=6117413&subj=news

 

Hezbollah Hacked Israeli Military Radio


Posted by kdawson on Tuesday September 19, @02:39PM
from the how-to-kill-tanks dept.
Encryption Science
florescent_beige writes, "Newsday is reporting that Hezbollah was able to monitor secure Israeli military communications, perhaps using technology supplied by Iran, during the recent Lebanon war. A former Israeli general, speaking anonymously, called the results 'disastrous' for Israel. The story reports that an anonymous Lebanese source said that Hezbollah might have taken advantage of Israeli soldiers' mistakes in following secure radio procedures. The radio gear uses frequency hopping and encryption." The article identifies the Israeli communications equipment as the US-designed Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System.

GO HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationw...sep18,0,3091818.story?coll=ny-worldnews-print

 

Happy Talk Like A Pirate Day, Me Hearties
Posted by Zonk on Tuesday September 19, @12:47PM
from the arrr-me-grog-be-tainted-by-the-salt-o'-the-sea dept.
It's funny. Laugh.
nmb3000 writes "Avast, me maties! Today be th' International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Fer today only, ye lubbers no worthy 'nough t' enjoy th' noble vocation o' Pirate can join th' ranks! Firs' ye'll need t' lern t' talk like a pirate, then find yer pirate name, doonload yer ringtones, an' finally sling back some grog. Be smart aboot it, fer today's th' day ninjas fear...ever'one's a pirate! Arrrr!"

GO HERE TO SEE
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

 

Users want video downloads on the TV

9/20/2006 8:01:22 AM, by Jacqui Cheng

Users want more control over the content they watch on their television sets according to an Accenture report released this morning. Over 10,000 Internet users were surveyed in China, South Korea, Italy, Canada, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Germany, United States and Japan—with 1,609 being from the United States—to get a feeling for what consumers want in their future "digital homes. The results found that nearly half (47 percent) of those surveyed in the US want to be able to download movies, TV shows, and other video content to their television sets, with even more of those surveyed globally (54 percent) wishing for such technology.

Having become accustomed to sites like YouTube, Google Video, and other Internet video services, consumers have expressed a strong desire to have a similar viewing experience on their TVs. Even the convenience of digital cable and on-demand video isn't enough, as users increasingly want to exercise the same degree of control on their televisions as they have watching video on a PC. Kumu Puri, a partner with the Communications and High-Tech segment, told Ars that consumers are ready for new ways of consuming media. "What rose to the top was watching movies, TV shows, and other video content on the PC," said Puri. "One of the most unmet needs was the ability to download that type of content and watch it on the television."

Before such technology begins to invade our living rooms en masse, however, tech companies and service providers need to overcome some challenges. Consumers show a great deal of frustration with the complexity of technology available to them and the poor service they seem to receive for it, according to the report. "Consumers are very frustrated with the complexity that they face, trying to make everything work together and getting the right help to figure it out" said Puri, going on to point out that consumers don't want to spend money and time getting everything to work together, they would rather it either (to borrow a phrase from Steve Jobs) "just work" or at least have tech companies provide enough useful help to get it to work.

Consumers are even willing to pay extra for such services, with the majority of respondents indicating that they'd cough up some cash for help in product installation, technology support, service to back up data, service to monitor PCs, and the ability to call tech support.

Pricing is also a factor for most consumers—in fact, it is the number one concern among those surveyed, outweighing all other factors. Puri said that there is currently such a high degree of commoditization in the market that hard for providers to differentiate themselves, but that they could easily do so by providing better services at a decent price. "A lot of people are waiting to buy stuff because of price or because they think it'll get easier or better," she said, pointing out that consumers want to adopt cutting-edge technology in their homes and living rooms but feel overwhelmed with what they consider to be too expensive or too complex options.

Despite so many shortcomings, the Accenture report says that a huge majority of American consumers still believe that technology has made their lives easier and more fun. So can downloaded video content really take off on the TV? It seems that if tech companies and service providers get on the ball regarding ease-of-use and pricing in the years ahead that the answer to that question would be a resounding "yes."
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060920-7785.html

 

Check this out... Archos AV500 100 GB Multimedia Player and DVR

 

i just did check it out,548 dollars 4-a 4 inch screen,
ye got to be nuts to pay that kind of money for a 4 inch screen toy..
but its a hell of a lot better then the IPOOD TOY
ANYONE BUYS A IPOOD OVER THIS IS ALSO NUTS.

Archos AV500 100 GB Multimedia Player and DVR
Other products by Archos, Inc.
Related searches: portable digital media players, multimedia hard drive, archos multimedia player, archos, inc. digital

* 00 GB portable multimedia player with 4-inch LCD
* Plays and stores up to 400 hours of video, 250 movies, 55,000 songs or 1,000,000 photos
* Compatible with MP3, WMA, WAV, protected WMA, MPEG-4, WMV and protected Windows Media Video
* Supports the Mophun mobile gaming platform; USB 2.0 port for fast file transfers
* Up to 15 hours of battery life for music and up to 4.5 hours for video playback on the built-in LCD

Technical Details

* Capacity: 100 GB -- Up to 400 hours of video, 250 movies, 55,000 songs or 1.000,000 photos
* Display: 7-inch LCD, 480x234 pixels, 262000 colors and TV output
* Video file format: MPEG-4, MPEG-2
* Video playback: MPEG-4 SP with B-Frames (compatible with DivX 4.0 and 5.03) with stereo sound; up to 720x480 at 30 fps (NTSC), 720x576 at 25 fps (PAL), AVI file format (including WMV9 SP protected files) up to 352x288 at 30 fps and 800 Kbits
* Audio file format: MP3, WAV, WMA, MP3 VBR
* Music playback: Stereo MP3 decoding at 30 to 320 kb/s
* Photo viewer: JPEG (except progressives) or BMP
* AV connections: TV Docking Pod, AV in/out, AV line-out, headphone jack
* Speakers: 2 x built-in stereo speakers
* Power supply: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery or AC charger/adapter
* Battery life: Up to 15 hours for music, up to 4.5 hours for video on built-in LCD
* Interfaces: USB 2.0 high-speed device, compatible USB 1.1
* Minimum system requirements (for TV, VCR, cable box, satellite receiver connection): AV in/out RCA jacks (connection cables and TV docking pod included)
* Minimum system requirements (minimum computer configuration): Windows Me/2000 or Mac G3 with Mac OS v10.2.4 or higher; available USB 2.0 port
* Minimum system requirements (minimum configuration for playsforsure): Windows XP SP1 or higher; Windows Media Player 10 or higher; available USB 2.0 port
* Dimensions: 3 x 4.9 x 0.9 inches / 7.6 x 12.4 x 2.4 centimeters (WxHxD)
* Weight: 11.1 ounces / 315 grams
* In the Box: AV500 portable video recorder, TV docking pod, remote control (with batteries), AV cables, USB 2.0 cable, USB host adapter, AC adapter and charger, stereo headphones, protective case, user's guide

List Price: $599.99
Price: $548.90

 

... and it's also a recorder, so you could just record your favorite shows directly from your tv. Hummmm...

Me like it

Technology, a gift and a curse.

 

Disney Film Sales Brisk on iTunes

First week brings $1 million in downloads, CEO says.
Dan Nystedt, IDG News Service
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 07:00 AM PDT

In only one week, Apple's iTunes Store has generated $1 million in movie sales for Walt Disney, and that's "just the beginning," the head of Disney said Tuesday.

By the end of this year, Disney expects to reap $50 million in movie sales through the iTunes Store "at no marketing expense to us at all," said Robert Iger, Disney CEO, at a conference put on by The Goldman Sacks Group and Webcast over the Internet.
Early Endorsement

GO HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE
http://pcworld.com/article/id,127193/article.html

 

Xbox 360 to Get HD DVD Soon
First drives due to ship in Japan in November.
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 06:00 AM PDT

TOKYO -- Microsoft will launch an HD DVD drive add-on for its Xbox 360 console in November, a company executive said Wednesday.

The drive will be available in Japan from November 22 and will cost $168, according to Takashi Sensui, general manager of the Xbox division of Microsoft's Japanese subsidiary. Sensui made the announcement at a news conference here.

Microsoft had previously said it would provide an HD DVD drive peripheral for Xbox 360, but was not specific about its release.
Movies Via Xbox

The drive will allow Xbox 360 owners to watch high-definition HD DVD video content on a suitable television. The system will allow viewing at up to 1080p (1080 lines and progressive scanning), which is the highest of several picture levels judged to be high-definition.

The drive is due for release in other markets as well. However, Microsoft did not announce pricing or availability.

HD DVD is one of two formats competing to become the de facto replacement for today's DVD standard. The format is backed by Toshiba and a number of other companies including Microsoft and Intel.

Its rival, Blu-ray Disc, is backed by, Matsushita (Panasonic) and a number of other big-name electronics companies. Sony has said it will build a Blu-ray Disc drive into the PlayStation 3.
http://pcworld.com/article/id,127190/article.html

 

Top 5 Advanced Digital Cameras


These cameras typically offer more manual controls and more powerful features than point-and-shoot models. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes so check back frequently for the latest info.
Edited by Eric Butterfield
Monday, September 18, 2006, 05:00 PM PDT
Test Center About the Test Center
How We Test • What Our Ratings Mean • How the Charts Work
Compare
Use the Check Boxes to see a Side-by-Side Comparison
Rank Name PCW Rating
1
BEST BUY

Fujifilm FinePix S5200
Fujifilm FinePix S5200
Max. Megapixels: 5
Optical Zoom: 10X
Zoom Range Min. (mm): 38
Zoom Range Max. (mm): 380
Weight (ounces): 16.8
Media Slots: xD-Picture Card
Price When Reviewed: $285
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: A snappy autofocus and top-notch image quality make the S5200 hard to beat. It shoots at ISO 1600, but images looked noisy.
(Last Rated: September 08, 2006)
Full Review • Test Report

84.3Very Good
2
Olympus SP-350
Olympus SP-350
Max. Megapixels: 8
Optical Zoom: 3X
Zoom Range Min. (mm): 38
Zoom Range Max. (mm): 114
Weight (ounces): 8.2
Media Slots: xD-Picture Card
Price When Reviewed: $325
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: The compact SP-350 delivers top-notch image quality and long battery life, but has few control buttons.
(Last Rated: September 08, 2006)
Test Report

83.1Very Good
3
Samsung Pro815
Samsung Pro815
Max. Megapixels: 8
Optical Zoom: 15X
Zoom Range Min. (mm): 28
Zoom Range Max. (mm): 420
Weight (ounces): 30
Media Slots: CompactFlash
Price When Reviewed: $700
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: Pro815 lives up to its name, with many controls, a huge 3.5-inch LCD, and massive 15X zoom. No image stabilization, though.
(Last Rated: September 08, 2006)
Test Report

82.9Very Good
Digital Cameras at HP
Find advice, guides, tips & tools. Compare cameras, printers & more.

Buy Cameras at CircuitCity.com
Web only - all Canon digital cameras on sale.

HP Digital Cameras
5-megapixel digital cameras from HP start at just $99.99 - shop now.

4
Olympus SP-500 Ultra Zoom
Olympus SP-500 Ultra Zoom
Max. Megapixels: 6
Optical Zoom: 10X
Zoom Range Min. (mm): 38
Zoom Range Max. (mm): 380
Weight (ounces): 13.6
Media Slots: xD-Picture Card
Price When Reviewed: $350
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: The low-priced SP-500 delivers high image quality, long battery life, and a powerful zoom. But it lacks image stabilization.
(Last Rated: September 08, 2006)
Full Review • Test Report

81.4Very Good
5
Canon PowerShot S3 IS
Canon PowerShot S3 IS
Max. Megapixels: 6
Optical Zoom: 12X
Zoom Range Min. (mm): 36
Zoom Range Max. (mm): 432
Weight (ounces): 14.5
Media Slots: SD
Price When Reviewed: $500
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: Many control buttons, a 12X zoom, and swiveling LCD make the S3 IS a pleasure to use--plus it offers image stabilization.
(Last Rated: September 08, 2006)
Test Report

GO HERE TO SEE THE INFO
http://pcworld.com/article/id,123679/article.html

 

First Look: Corel Snapfire Plus Offers Easy Photo Fixes

FREE Snapfire - Puts the fun in photo sharing
This free digital photography software makes it easy for you to entertain friends and family with your photos. Download your FREE Snapfire today.
http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satell...Snapfire&c=Content_C1&cid=1155321099075&lc=en


This low-cost app is great for making quick photo touch-ups and sharing snapshots, but it lacks the flexibility of more expensive products.
Grace Aquino
Tuesday, September 05, 2006 05:00 AM PDT
Click to view full-size image.

Though I appreciate the level of control that photo editing programs like Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro offer, they can be too involved for my needs. When I require a few quick-and-dirty photo fixes or the ability to share my snapshots instantly, I want an app like Corel's $40 Snapfire Plus, whose straightforward organization and editing tools will please most casual photographers. I do wish, however, that it had a little more flexibility in some of its editing functions.

Snapfire's modular user interface consists of four areas--Home, Enhance, Show, and Create--that are well laid out and easy to navigate. From Home you can perform most rudimentary tasks, such as sharing, finding, reviewing, rotating, and backing up your pictures. You can accomplish your basic editing with just a few clicks--sometimes in less than 5 minutes--but only if you work on one image at a time. Snapfire lacks batch processing for tasks like resizing and applying quick fixes, so working with multiple photos will take you longer.
Click to view full-size image.

Corel has applied some of the enhancement features, including straighten and makeover, found in its more capable and more expensive Paint Shop Pro program. The straighten tool worked perfectly with my slanted shot of an amphitheater, but the results from the makeover tool were less pleasing: Although it lets you remove blemishes, whiten teeth, and apply a tan to your subjects, fine-tuning and erasing the effects are difficult. If you make a mistake, you can undo, but if you're levels deep into applying effects, having to backtrack and reapply is a real hassle.
Click to view full-size image.
Click to view full-size image.

Easy E-Mail Sharing

Sharing a slide show via e-mail was easy: I simply selected the photos, clicked the e-mail option, clicked OK, and typed the e-mail address, and it was off. Snapfire automatically applies transitions and provides a handy preview. However, your recipients will need to download a copy of Snapfire to view your slides. (An available free version lacks features such as backup, resizing, text, image straightening, and video editing.) It would be less of an inconvenience if the slides came with an embedded player.

Now that nearly all cameras and some cell phones can capture videos, it makes sense that Snapfire Plus incorporates a very basic video player and editor (an addition that is fairly typical for many photo apps nowadays). You can mix photos and videos together, creating a slide show with transitions and background music. In my tests, though, performing any of the video functions was extremely slow, even on my 2-GHz laptop with 1GB of RAM. Sometimes it took several seconds to show anything on-screen. At press time, the software lacked DVD authoring, but Corel promises to offer the feature as a $10 add-on by December 2006.

Like many photo tools, Snapfire Plus lets you create layouts for albums, collages, greeting cards, calendars, certificates, and magazine covers. At launch, the selection of templates is sparse, but Corel plans to provide more over time via downloads. The creation process is drag-and-drop, so it's quick and easy--but don't expect a lot of creative freedom with the layouts, as certain objects and text palettes are immovable.

Snapfire is ideal for people who want a quick way to manage photos and perform minimal enhancements. For versatility, go for Paint Shop Pro, Photoshop Elements, or Photoshop. And if you're looking to save money, consider a free app like Google's Picasa: Snapfire's modular interface is more approachable, but Picasa trumps Snapfire with its speed and price.
Corel Snapfire Plus
PCW79

Offers just enough photo organizing and enhancing tools to help the busy or novice shutterbug get the job done quickly.
List: $40
www.snapfire.com

http://pcworld.com/article/id,126952/article.html

 

"This truly sucks..."


Posted by: Digital Dave on September 20, 2006 8:45 AM
I only installed it cause I needed it to run on my 64 bit box.

People who upgraded to iTunes 7, which Apple had crowed was the "most significant enhancement" since the software's 2001 debut, reported sound distortion, songs skipping, 3-second delays in playing tunes and lost tracks. In addition, some users reported they were unable to download songs from the iTunes store, and could only get audio during video playback.

- informationweek.com

Apple iTunes 7 Draws Complaints


Problems posted on Apple discussion forums include sound distortion, songs skipping, 3-second delays in playing tunes, and lost tracks. The company hasn't yet responded to or commented on these issues.


By Antone Gonsalves
TechWeb

Sep 14, 2006 04:10 PM

Apple Computer believes it has a winner with the new iTunes 7, but many users dealing with poor sound quality, sluggish performance and other problems are giving thumbs down to the music and video playing software that also connects to Apple's online store.

The stream of complaints that followed the Tuesday release continued Thursday with no official response coming from the computer maker. Problems listed on Apple discussion forums were posted by PC users, as well as Apple's Mac customers.

People who upgraded to iTunes 7, which Apple had crowed was the "most significant enhancement" since the software's 2001 debut, reported sound distortion, songs skipping, 3-second delays in playing tunes and lost tracks. In addition, some users reported they were unable to download songs from the iTunes store, and could only get audio during video playback.

While other factors, such as a person's computer system or other software, could be responsible in some cases, the hundreds of users posting complaints and responses to problems was an indication fixes may be necessary.

Apple officials were not immediately available for comment.

"The difference between iTunes 6.0.5 and iTunes 7 is frighteningly bad considering the normal iTunes functions have been severely compromised," a user who identified himself as NYC Saint wrote.

"After a day of frustration -- this thing is sooo slow ... This truly sucks," Kpod1 of New York said.

On Thursday, Microsoft released details of Zune, a portable player and online store the software maker hopes will topple Apple's market-dominating iTunes and tightly integrated iPod player. At least one user jokingly made reference to Microsoft's would-be Apple killer.

"Man i thought this was going to be a cool/simple update ... any one heard of the zune ---- !!!! lol (laugh out loud)," digitalmaddog01 of Florida said.

The advice many users gave to avoid the problems was to wait for Apple to release patches for the software.

"Unless it is absolutely necessary for you to upgrade to iTunes 7 right now, I would advise holding off until a correct version is released - these forums are full of members who have spent hours trying to work out fixes - just stick with 6.0.3," Jay said.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=193000845

 

A faster Windows XP? Here’s how!


Posted by: Digital Dave on September 20, 2006 8:33 AM
Hmmm... most of these you will already know BUT, there are a couple that seem to be a little off the beaten path as far as tweaks go so you might want to take a look.

Some of the working tweaks you can do to your Windows XP can really be a blessing to your system’s speed. So I thought about sharing with you the safe tweaks on how to have a faster Windows XP. As a disclaimer do the following tweaks at your own risk, however they were all tested and are in use by most of our team members and friends.

- duggmirror.com


A faster Windows XP? Here’s how!
September 19th, 2006

A recent study of our team on how to better our Windows XP systems comissioned to create an eBook on the subject for the main team at MPortela led us to investigate a countless number of details on how to better your performance and machine.

Some of the working tweaks you can do to your Windows XP can really be a blessing to your system’s speed. So I thought about sharing with you the safe tweaks on how to have a faster Windows XP. As a disclaimer do the following tweaks at your own risk, however they were all tested and are in use by most of our team members and friends.


A. DISABLE INDEXING SERVICES

Indexing Services is a small little program that uses large amounts of RAM and can often make a computer endlessly loud and noisy. This system process indexes and updates lists of all the files that are on your computer. It does this so that when you do a search for something on your computer, it will search faster by scanning the index lists. If you don’t search your computer often, or even if you do search often, this system service is completely unnecessary. To disable do the following:

1. Go to Start
2. Click Settings
3. Click Control Panel
4. Double-click Add/Remove Programs
5. Click the Add/Remove Window Components
6. Uncheck the Indexing services
7. Click Next


B. OPTIMISE DISPLAY SETTINGS

Windows XP can look sexy but displaying all the visual items can waste system resources. To optimise:

1.Go to Start
2. Click Settings
3. Click Control Panel
4. Click System
5. Click Advanced tab
6. In the Performance tab click Settings
7. Leave only the following ticked:
- Show shadows under menus
- Show shadows under mouse pointer
- Show translucent selection rectangle
- Use drop shadows for icons labels on the desktop
- Use visual styles on windows and buttons


C. SPEEDUP FOLDER BROWSING

You may have noticed that everytime you open my computer to browse folders that there is a slight delay. This is because Windows XP automatically searches for network files and printers everytime you open Windows Explorer. To fix this and to increase browsing significantly:

1. Open My Computer
2. Click on Tools menu
3. Click on Folder Options
4. Click on the View tab.
5. Uncheck the Automatically search for network folders and printers check box
6. Click Apply
7. Click Ok
8. Reboot your computer


D. IMPROVE MEMORY USAGE

Cacheman Improves the performance of your computer by optimizing the disk cache, memory and a number of other settings.
NOTE: This program is shareware and some features require activation.
Once Installed:

1.Go to Show Wizard and select All
2.Run all the wizards by selecting Next or Finished until you are back to the main menu. Use the defaults unless you know exactly what you are doing.
3.Exit and Save Cacheman
4.Restart Windows


E. OPTIMISE YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION

There are lots of ways to do this but by far the easiest is to run TCP/IP Optimizer.

1. Download and install
2. Click the General Settings tab and select your Connection Speed (Kbps)
3. Click Network Adapter and choose the interface you use to connect to the Internet
4. Check Optimal Settings then Apply
5. Reboot


F. OPTIMISE YOUR PAGEFILE

If you give your pagefile a fixed size it saves the operating system from needing to resize the page file.

1. Right click on My Computer and select Properties
2. Select the Advanced tab
3. Under Performance choose the Settings button
4. Select the Advanced tab again and under Virtual Memory select Change
5. Highlight the drive containing your page file and make the initial Size of the file the same as the Maximum Size of the file.

Windows XP sizes the page file to about 1.5X the amount of actual physical memory by default. While this is good for systems with smaller amounts of memory (under 512MB) it is unlikely that a typical XP desktop system will ever need 1.5 X 512MB or more of virtual memory. If you have less than 512MB of memory, leave the page file at its default size. If you have 512MB or more, change the ratio to 1:1 page file size to physical memory size.


G. SPEEDUP FOLDER ACCESS - DISABLE LAST ACCESS UPDATE

If you have a lot of folders and subdirectories on your computer, when you access a directory XP wastes a lot of time updating the time stamp showing the last access time for that directory and for ALL sub directories. To stop XP doing this you need to edit the registry. If you are uncomfortable doing this then please do not attempt.

1. Go to Start and then Run and type “regedit”
2. Click through the file system until you get to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem”
3. Right-click in a blank area of the window on the right and select ‘DWORD Value’
4. Create a new DWORD Value called ‘NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate’
5. Then Right click on the new value and select ‘Modify’
6. Change the Value Data to ‘1′
7. Click ‘OK’


H. MAKE YOUR MENUS LOAD FASTER

This is one of my favourite tweaks as it makes a huge difference to how fast your machine will ‘feel’. What this tweak does is remove the slight delay between clicking on a menu and XP displaying the menu.

1. Go to Start then Run
2. Type ‘Regedit’ then click ‘Ok’
3. Find “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\”
4. Select “MenuShowDelay”
5. Right click and select “Modify’
6. Reduce the number to around “100″
7. This is the delay time before a menu is opened. You can set it to “0″ but it can make windows really hard to use as menus will open if you just look at them - well move your mouse over them anyway. I tend to go for anywhere between 50-150 depending on my mood


I. IMPROVE XP SHUTDOWN SPEED

This tweak reduces the time XP waits before automatically closing any running programs when you give it the command to shutdown.

1. Go to Start then select Run
2. Type ‘Regedit’ and click ok
3. Find ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Control Panel\Desktop\’
4. Select ‘WaitToKillAppTimeout’
5. Right click and select ‘Modify’
6. Change the value to ‘1000′
7. Click ‘OK’
8. Now select ‘HungAppTimeout’
9. Right click and select ‘Modify’
10. Change the value to ‘1000′
11. Click ‘OK’
12. Now find ‘HKEY_USERS\ .DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop’
13. Select ‘WaitToKillAppTimeout’
14. Right click and select ‘Modify’
15. Change the value to ‘1000′
16. Click ‘OK’
17. Now find ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ System\CurrentControlSet\Control\’
18. Select ‘WaitToKillServiceTimeout’
19. Right click and select ‘Modify’
20. Change the value to ‘1000′
21. Click ‘OK’


J. IMPROVE SWAPFILE PERFORMANCE

If you have more than 256MB of RAM this tweak will considerably improve your performance. It basically makes sure that your PC uses every last drop of memory (faster than swap file) before it starts using the swap file.

1. Go to Start then Run
2. Type “msconfig.exe” then ok
3. Click on the System.ini tab
4. Expand the 386enh tab by clicking on the plus sign
5. Click on new then in the blank box type”ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1″
6. Click OK
7. Restart PC


K. ENSURE XP IS USING DMA MODE

XP enables DMA for Hard-Drives and CD-Roms by default on most ATA or ATAPI (IDE) devices. However, sometimes computers switch to PIO mode which is slower for data transfer - a typical reason is because of a virus. To ensure that your machine is using DMA:

1. Open ‘Device Manager’
2. Double-click ‘IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers’
3. Right-click ‘Primary Channel’ and select ‘Properties’ and then ‘Advanced Settings’
4. In the ‘Current Transfer Mode’ drop-down box, select ‘DMA if Available’ if the current setting is ‘PIO Only’
http://duggmirror.com/software/Want_a_faster_Windows_XP_Here_s_how/

 

Windows Vista Tips & Tricks site!
Posted by: Digital Dave on September 20, 2006 8:41 AM
A Microsoft driven site. I wouldn’t call this a "REAL" tips and tricks site (yet) but, for those who are trying Vista RC1 for the first time you might find some of the info here actually quite helpful.

Welcome to the new Windows Vista™ Tips & Tricks site! The information here gives you all the tools you need to become more efficient and productive with Windows Vista right away. You'll find great webcasts to attend and great cheat sheets to download right here! And, if you're responsible for training in your company, there are tools here for you too—just check out the "Training Tools" section.

- windowsvistatnt.com

GO HERE
http://www.windowsvistatnt.com/

 

Google Earth 4.0.2091 Beta Released


Posted by: Digital Dave on September 19, 2006 11:01 PM
I love Google Earth.

Welcome to the newest beta of Google Earth (release 4). Since our last release (on June, 12th 2006), we’ve made many improvements. Our latest version offers faster rendering of satellite imagery, 3D terrain and models; updated imagery; and several new features.

- MR Tech.com Post and Download


Google Earth 4.0.2091 Beta Released
Posted by M. Reyes on September 19, 2006 at 10:30:51:

Google Earth (Release 4 - BETA)

Welcome to the newest beta of Google Earth (release 4). Since our last release (on June, 12th 2006), we’ve made many improvements. Our latest version offers faster rendering of satellite imagery, 3D terrain and models; updated imagery; and several new features.

New features (as of September 13, 2006)
* Japanese language support (Japanese version is available here - earth.google.co.jp )
* Layer data for Japan, including countrywide 3D buildings
* Featured content layer (now available in all versions)
* A new interface for viewing time-stamped /time-range image overlays
* Improved printing option for turn-by-turn driving directions with satellite imagery
* New KML folders options with radio button style placemarks (under my places)
* Support for Hi-definition (HDTV) movie output (Pro version only)
* Support for Web Mapping Service(WMS) image/data overlays (now in free version too)
* Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system grid overlay

http://199.236.117.190/news/messages/5826.html

* Visit the site here
Download Google Earth - Mac or PC or Linux
http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html

 

THATS ALL FOR NOW FOLKS ,HERE YE BANG FOR THE DAY...





cheers and a irish lollipop to ye all



note:drd and all the only way this info would work right is is i have my own board..instead of just a thread..
i could dump in so much info ye heads would spin.

 

CIRCUMVENTOR..........Used to get around all Web blocking programs.....(free).....GO THERE!
http://www.peacefire.org/circumventor/simple-circumventor-instructions.html

notes:
How to install the Circumventor program, which gets around all Web-blocking software

Bennett Haselton

This page describes how to install the "Circumventor" program, which can be used to get around all Web blocking programs.

However, Please Note!! You don't actually install the Circumventor on the computer that is blocked from accessing Web sites. You, or a friend of yours, has to install the Circumventor on some other machine which is not censored.

For example, if you want to get around Web blocking at work, don't install the Circumventor on your work computer. Install the Circumventor on your home computer. When the installer is done, it will give you the URL for your new Circumventor, and then you write that URL down and take it in with you to work, where you can use that URL to bypass the Web blocking there. Similarly, if you're in China and blocked from accessing certain sites, don't install the Circumventor on a machine in China; instead, get a friend to install it outside China, and then they can send you the URL that you can use to access banned sites.

If you want to, please enter your email address below if you would like to receive updates about the Circumventor software. This will include announcements about new versions and improvements. We will never share your email address with any third party.


How to install the Circumventor

The machine where you install the Circumventor must have a fast Internet connection (not dial-up), and it must be running Windows XP or 2000 (this includes most computers these days). Also, once you install the Circumventor on your machine, the Circumventor will only work as long as you have your machine turned on and connected to the Internet, so you should only install it on machines that are online more or less all the time.

NOTE: By installing this software, you will be joining an interconnected Web of Circumventor machines, so just as you can surf the Web via other people's machines (at sites like StupidCensorship.com), at times other users will be surfing the Web through your machine. However, they will not have access to any files or programs on your machine.

To install:

1. Download ActivePerl from this link and install it. It must be installed to C:\Perl (this should be the default). Accept all of the default options.
2. Download OpenSA 2.0.2 beta from this link (FireFox users -- please right-click and pick "Save Link As") and install it. Accept all of the default options. (If you get to a screen titled "Server Information" and it doesn't have values filled in for "Network Domain", "Server Name" and "Administrator's Email Address", just fill in these boxes with made-up random values -- the Circumventor doesn't use them.)
3. Download the circumventor-setup.exe program from this link and pick "Save" -- then once you have saved it on your computer, run the circumventor-setup.exe file that you saved.

If the circumventor-setup.exe program succeeds, it will display an "It's ready!" page at the end of the install. If it fails, it will create a file circumventor-setup-log.txt -- send that file to bennett@peacefire.org and we will try to figure out what went wrong.

Happy surfing!

 

ISO RECORDER V 2..........ISO Recorder is a tool (power toy) for Windows XP, 2003 and now Windows Vista,

that allows (depending on the Windows version) to burn CD and DVD images, copy disks, make images of the existing data CDs and DVDs and create ISO images from a content of a disk folder. ISO Recorder has been conceived during Windows XP beta program, when Microsoft for the first time started distributing new OS builds as ISO images. Even though the new OS had CD-burning support (by Roxio), it did not have an ability to record an image. ISO Recorder has filled this need and has been one of the poular Windows downloads ever since. With an advent of Windows XP SP2 and Windows 2003 the version 2 of ISO Recorder has been released, which intorduced some new new features including ISO creation and support for non-admin user. Finally, in Windows Vista it became possible to address another long-standing request and provide DVD burning capability.....(free).....GO THERE!

http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm