Sunday, September 4, 2011

Desktop PC - Windows 7 Disable Hibernate

If you have Windows 7 on your desktop computer then it's a little difficult to find how to disable your computer from hibernating or going to sleep after a period of time.

The steps are quite simply actually, here they are:

1. Open Control Panel
2. Change "View by" from Category to Small icons
3. Locate and click on Power Options
4. By default Balanced radio button is selected - so click Change plan settings on the right
5. Change settings to your desired selection and press Save changes button.

That's all now you don't have to worry about your desktop computer going to sleep or hibernating while you're away from the keyboard.

Start Real rain using a laser

Pick a cloud in the sky. Aim and shoot at it with a laser. Result, pouring rain. Sounds unreal, doesn't it? But researchers of the University Zheneva found proof that this is possible. This technology is not the first attempt to initiate artificial rain but possibly the most ecologically safe method of doing it.


Technology to create rain has been around for quite a while now. Actually, you can fly up in the sky or launch a rocket which will distribute small particles of special silver to create rain. This method has been used before and nations still do it today. In 2008, China used this method to control weather during Olympic games. Chinese researches say they were able to create artificial snow too.

The problem in using this special silver chemical is because of it's toxic characteristics. Toxic levels of this method have not been proved yet. Therefore, there is a need to develop an alternative technology which has been presented by researchers from Zheneva. Even though, the results of their work is far from actual rain and potentially more dangerous than special silver chemical. With the help of Teramobile mobile laser lab (which develops the laser) researchers were able to reach a density in the sky of few rain drops. This project is far from finished but it's definitely a piece of technology customers like farmers and other nations could benefit from if it's not toxic.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

How To Install Facebook Like Button

One of the best ways to achieve high quality traffic to your website is through word of mouth. In digital world this can be achieved through social networking websites. Today, Facebook is ranking the highest among social networks. Using Facebook you can share website links to your friends and they can share to their friends, etc - chain reaction effect.

How to install Facebook like button on your page? Follow the steps below.

Step 1: Modify your opening HTML tag to add facebook extensible application markup language.

< html
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" 
xmlns:og="http://ogp.me/ns#"
xmlns:fb="http://www.facebook.com/2008/fbml">
I placed a space before html tag because blogspot won't allow me to use this tag inside the post.

Step 2: Add additional meta tags which facebook will use to scrape your page for content and give brief information about the link.

< meta property="og:title" content=""/>
< meta property="og:type" content=""/>
< meta property="og:url" content=""/>
< meta property="og:image" content=""/>
< meta property="og:site_name" content=""/>
< meta property="og:description" content=""/>
< meta property="fb:admins" content=""/> 

og:title - This is the main title of your page. Samething you place in your head->title tag.
og:type - This is the type of content you have on your page.
og:url - This is a full URL to get to this page.
og:image - Full path to image file on your website.
og:site_name - You can place a short name of your website. (ex. pc-technic)
og:description - Place a brief description of the page here. You can use the same description as in standard meta tag description.
fb:admins - Here using coma you have to specify administrators in facebook of this content. You can place your facebook ID here. Multiple IDs is allowed.

You can read more about these tags here: Open Graph Types

Step 3: Once you placed all proper meta tags on your page you can test them using this facebook tool which will generate your iframe code to place facebook like button.

If you did everything correctly, facebook tool will generate a small script like this one:
< iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=
www.yourpage.com" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" 
style="height: 62px; width: 100%" allowTransparency="true">

That's it. Make sure to populate your content tags with correct information and you're good to go. Let me know if this example works for you.

Cheers.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Battery Plugged In, Not Charging (Windows 7)

Happen to be a victim of the issue battery not charging even though power supply is plugged-in I managed to get it solved.

The steps are simple:

1. Shut down your laptop.
2. Unplug the power supply cable from the laptop.
3. Disconnect power supply from the power outlet.
4. Remove battery from the laptop.
5. Leave everything apart for about 10 minutes.
6. Assemble everything back together.
7. Power on your laptop.

These steps worked like a charm for my laptop with Windows 7 Enterprise edition installed.

I hope this helps someone.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Nintendo Server HACKED!!!!

Few weeks ago Ninteno officially announced that someone penetrated unauthorized access to their server. Nintendo is currently investigating the hack but it's safe to say that no data has been stolen.

A group of hackers, called LulzSec took the initiative to be responsible for Nintendo's hack on their Twitter page. LulzSec also mentioned that they had no intention of damaging the server and only copied the configuration file as a way to prove the hack. LulzSec just pointed out another hole inside Nintendo and suggests they fix it. Quoting LulzSec, "Nintendo is not our primary concern of attack, we truly want Nintendo to re-enforce their security".

The same group of hackers (LulzSec) hacked Sony PlayStation Network a while back except here they stole private client information, such as home address, emails, passwords, credit-cards, etc. Successfull attacks doesn't only bring company's reputation down but financial standing as well. According to AFP agency, after Sony's network hack their cost per share dropped to 2062 yen.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Firefox or Chrome textarea resize disable

Firefox and Chrome web browsers allow users to manually resize textarea input. If you would like to disable that option, then update your CSS stylesheet with the following command:

textarea { resize: none; }

That's all.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

PHP Dynamic Prepared Statement Example

Prepared statement is currently one of the safest techniques to manipulate your database. The only problem is SQL statement has to be compiled first and then you have to populate/bind your parameters/values.

Here is how to create dynamic prepared statement in PHP. This example assumes you have setup database connection using PDO.

Requirement:
$host = "...";
$username = "...";
$password = "...";

$dbh = new PDO("mysql:host=$host;dbname=database_name", 
$username, $password);
Last line creates a PDO object.

1. Declare your initial SQL statement for selecting data:
$query = "SELECT * FROM tblExample WHERE 1=1";
Notice there is 1=1 after the WHERE clause this will help you avoid deciding which parameter goes first because you will have to use AND to combine other parameters later on.

2. Create an empty array for storing your binding name and parameters:
$list_array = "";

3. Now, perform a check on a variable to see if it qualifies to go into your SQL statement (this example receives values from a submitted form using POST method):
if(!empty($_POST["userName"]))
{
 $query .= " AND user_name = :userName";
 $list_array[":userName"] = $_POST["userName"];
}
What the heck is this? If user doesn't fill out his name, the field userName will return empty which is what we're checking for. If the field userName is not empty, we append (add on the end) more parameters to the SQL statement with a bind name. Second line inside the IF statement uses our previously created array to store bind name as KEY and value as VALUE. Repeat this step as many times as you like.

4. Close your SQL statement with a parentheses:
$query .= ")";

5. Compile SQL statement using prepare() method of PDO object and store result in a variable:
$statement = $dbh->prepare($query);

6. The fun part. Cycle through your array of binding names and values to bind parameters with your SQL statement:
if($list_array != "")
{
 // bind parameters to values
 foreach($list_array as $key => &$value)
 { 
  $statement->bindParam($key, $value);
 }
}
IF condition checks if there is any data in the array. In case user doesn't enter any information your SQL statement will just return everything from the specified table, in our case tblExample. Inside the IF statement, foreach loop is used to cycle through each item of $list_array and binds parameters using $key as a KEY and $value as VALUE.

(OPTIONAL) - You can print your SQL statement to see what it looks like before it gets executed for testing purposes. If userName field is entered the SQL statement will look like this:
SELECT * FROM tblExample WHERE 1=1 AND user_name = :userName"
:userName will be replaced with what user actually typed in the form.

7. Run your SQL statement:
$statement->execute();

8. Get your results and close database handle:
$result = $statement->fetchAll();
$dbh = null;

That's about it. I figured this out while writing a search function based on user input which is why I used a SELECT statement.

Let me know if you have any questions and I'll be glad to help you.

Friday, April 8, 2011

ASUS Eee on AMD Brazos technology

ASUSTek Computer added few more netbooks in their collection. New netbooks ASUS Eee PC are the first of their kind, equipped with AMD Brazos and AMD Fusion.


ASUS Eee PC 1015B model has 10.1-inch screen (1024 x 600 resolution), Windows 7 Starter operating system, has single core AMD C-30 processor with 1.2 GHz frequency, and AMD Radeon HD 6250 video card. Also, netbook has 2 GB virtual memory, up to 500 GB storage capacity, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth module, 0.3-mega pixel web-camera, built-in card reader, and USB 3.0.


ASUS Eee PC 1215B characteristics:
  • 12.1-inch display screen (1366 x 768)
  • Windows 7 Home Premium
  • Dual-core AMD E-350 1.6GHz
  • Integrated AMD Radeon HD 6310
  • Up to 4 GB virtual memory
  • Up to 500 GB storage capacity
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n adapter
  • Bluetooh module
  • Built-in 0.3 mega-pixel web camera
  • Built-in card reader and USB 3.0

AMD Radeon HD 6790 has increased ROP

Potential miss-communication between AMD and manufacturing company caused new line of video cards Radeon HD 6790 to have increased number of ROPs. This video card is designed to have only 16 out of 32 active blocks of rasterization in 40 nm technology Barts.


While this, so called, problem is a great advantage for end consumer it's very frustrating for AMD because it slows down line of production for the company.

The "problem" has been recognized by TechPowerUp when their GPU-Z utility displayed 24 ROP instead of 16. Initially, testers thought their utility encountered an error or miss-calculated results but in reality Radeon HD 6790 actually had 24 active ROP. TechPowerUp contacted AMD to confirm this information and it is official that every video card has 24 blocks of rasterization.

This isn't the first time AMD is having these problems. Few Radeon HD 4830 video cards had 80 less processors than expected. Another one, Radeon HD 6850 had 1120 active shader processors instead of 960.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Media laptop from MSI: MSI FX420 and MSI FX620DX on Sandy Bridge

Micro-Star International (MSI) is releasing new line of portable laptops, MSI FX420 and MSI FX 620DX built on mobile Intel Huron River platform.


F series laptops look very sleek and have great performance. Laptops have Intel Sandy Bridge processors, NVIDIA or AMD video card, THX TruStudio Pro sound system, Blu-ray or DVD Super-Multi, and USB 3.0 port. Cinema Pro is used to enhance video and audio quality in movies. ECO Engine is responsible for efficient use of power. More images and details below:


The only question remains now is where and when is this product going on sale?!?!

Monday, April 4, 2011

AMD Radeon HD 6790: Barts LE

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) officially announced the release of Radeon HD 6790 for sale, which should be a good competitor for NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 550 Ti.


This model is built on PCI Express 2.1 x16 and is covered with black casing, it also uses double-layered cooling. The core of this marvelous piece of beauty is built on Barts LE chip with 800 multi-threaded processors, and 40 textured modules (TMU). Theoretically, Radeon HD 6790 reaches 1.34 trillion operations in half a second. This graphics card has 1GB of GDDR5 memory with 256-bit interface and through rate of 134.4 GB/s. Frequency of the video card is 840/1050 MHz. Level of TDP doesn't exceed 150 Watt during load and 19 Watt on idle. Back panel is equipped with ports, like DVI, HDMI 1.4a and few MiniDisplayPort 1.2.



Accelerator supports DirectX 11 Shader Model 5.0 and multi-channel 7.1 HD Surround Sound. Also, supports technologies: AMD HD3D Technology, AMD Eyefinity Multi-display Technology and AMD CrossFireX Multi-GPU Technology.



According to AMD's test Radeon HD 6790 is faster and better than GTX 550 Ti. Look at the picture below.


The original version of this video card Radeon HD 6790 PowerColor is available for sale at various online retailers for $150.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

I-O DATA - three new storage devices with USB 3.0 interface

I-O DATA HDCA-UT model is enclosed using black case with measurements 185 x 120 x 39 mm, weighs 1.1kg and is available in 1 or 2 terabytes (TB).


I-O DATA HDPC-AU weighs 350 grams, comes in five different colors with measurements 75 x 112 x 14 mm. Available in sizes of 320, 500, 640 or 750 GB.



I-O DATA TB-XT - case is a combination of blue and silver with measurements of 18 x 69.6 x 8.6 mm, weighs 19 grams. This model is available in 8, 16 and 32 GB.

Windows Home Server release in April

Microsoft representatives announced the release of Windows Home Server 2011. Operating system is ready, fully functional and ready for deployment. Microsoft Developer Network subscribers will receive access to new OS before everyone else.



Windows Home Server 2011 will be on sale starting May of this year. Unlike the previous version, this one supports 19 different languages, including Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Sweden, Turkish, and others. Windows Home Server 2011 supports wireless transmission of multimedia data DLNA 1.5. There is still debate whether to include additional Drive Extender application which allows users to combine multiple data storage devices into one.

Grim Dawn - independent Diablo clone

Independent studio Crate Entertainment published a preview of RPG game Grim Dawn.


This video shows a preview of game concept for Grim Dawn. The game resembles Diablo, especially the second project. The only main different between these two games is Grim Dawn has a lot more blood effects than Diablo.

Currently Grim Dawn is only in its development stage but so far it looks like a great game.

WinMount 3.5.0331 - archive management ZIP/RAR

WinMount has updated their application which is used to work with .zip and .rar files. Instead of extracting/unpacking files to find what you need simply mount your archive as a virtual drive and access all of its information.


It's much faster than having to wait while a gigabytes of information unpack, in result having duplicate content on your computer. WinMount supports more than just archives, here are some other formats: ISO, CUE/BIN, CCD, BWT, MDS, CDI, NRG, PDI B5T m ISZ. Also, WinMount is capable of working like an emulator for CD/DVD drive.

Last updated has fixed numerous bugs.

Developer: WinMount International
Distribution: shareware, $50
Operating System: Windows All
File Size: 3.48MB
Download from here.

Ubuntu 11.04 beta version released

Ubuntu team has announced the release of first beta version towards the big release of mega operating system, called 11.04 and known as Natty Narwhal.

During the development stage of Ubuntu 11.04 programmers spent enormous amount of time on user interface, performance, stability and security of OS. The core of Ubuntu 11.04 is updated with Linux 2.6.38 and a single all supporting platform Unity. Operating system comes with a package of updated application, such as: LibreOffice 3.3.2 (substitution for OpenOffice.org) as well as Ubuntu Software Center.


Ubuntu 11.04 Beta 1 is available for download from its official website. The release date for final modified version of Ubuntu is planned for April 28, 2011.

Keep in mind, with the release of final version Ubuntu the cycle will conclude at 9.10. Starting April 29, 2011 Ubuntu platform will no longer be updated for improvement or any kind of bug fixes. Users are advised to update their current version of Ubuntu using instructions provided on official website.

New features and interface Chrome 12 and Firefox 5

Google is actively working on their web browser Chrome. Mozilla is also forcing the release of final version. This summer users will finally get Chrome 12 as well as Firefox 5. These version will include: increased productivity, fixed bugs, and optimization. Also, interface changes.

Recently Google announced a compilation of Chrome browser for developers version 12.0.712.0. Among all the new features Chrome has acquired few stand out the most. One of these features is allowing the user to select multiple tabs/windows by holding the Control (Ctrl) key, then use can perform various tasks on all selected items, such as: close tabs, restart tabs, relocate tabs, etc. For newly opened tabs (without a page) there is access for mobile application for smart phones.


While this is happening Mozilla will make changes to the recently released Firefox browser version 4. Main changes will include the interface for Firefox 5. The release of Firefox 5 will happen a lot faster than version 4, approximately less than four months.



On the picture below you'll see a template for the new interface which has includes new design and a new way of managing bookmarks, which supports multiple accounts.

The feature you see above will allow user to log into Facebook, Gmail and other resources without having to open another tab or windows browser. Users will be able to switch accounts in the same window using that tiny icon. Firefox 5 should be released in the end of June.

Mozilla took over a year to develop Firefox 4. In the first day of releasing version 4 approx. 8.75 million copies have been downloaded, which set a new record comparing to Firefox 3 back in 2008 (8 million in 24 hours).

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Crunchy Logistics equipped the first multi-touch bar in U.S.

Company Crunchy Logistics published a video in which they show the first 8.5 m long bar stand, the top of which is covered multi-sensor display. Sensor panel accepts commands from unlimited number of points.


This spectacular display will lighten up any modern interior. Control panel currently supports a few effects which are triggered when someone or something touches the panel. Effects are, fire, flowers, and flames. This multi-touch sensor screen is very unique because it picks up objects as well, such as: apples and glasses. Unfortunately, there is no information whether this product is going to mass produced. Multi-touch bar received a name "mtBAR". The same concept has been previously presented in Europe under the name iBar.


Chieftec Nitro 88+: power supply of 80Plus Silver class

Company Chieftec presented their new power supply, called Nitro 88+, which differs by its cable connections and 80Plus Silver certification. Chieftex Nitro 88+ is aimed for use in gaming systems.


Nitro 88+ power supplies include one line of +12 V, 140-mm fan and followed ATX 12V 2.3 standard. Announced time frame of operation is 100 thousand hours.

This line of power supplies includes 650, 750, 850, and 1000 Watt, which are ready for order. Prices follow in the same order: 112 Euro, 120 Euro, 159 Euro, and 199 Euro.

MSI X-Slim X370 - thin laptop with AMD Brazos

Micro-Star International (MSI) has officially announced the release of thin portable laptop MSI X-Slim X370, which implements the use of AMD Brazos platform and AMD Fusion concept.


Laptop weighs at 1.4kg (including 4-element battery) and measures at 324 x 227 x 22.8 mm. Also, laptop uses Windows 7 Home Premium Windows operating system and:
  • Accelerated processor AMD E-350 and AMD E-240 (both have 1.6GHz frequency)
  • Collection of AMD A50M micro-systems
  • AMD Radeon HD6310 graphics card
  • 13.4-inch display with 1366 x 68 resolution
  • Up to 4GB virtual memory
  • Up to 640GB hard drive with 5400 RPM
  • Integrated 1.3 mega-pixel camera
  • Gigabit Ethernet network card
  • Wireless adapater Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
  • Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR module
  • SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC slot
  • Ports for D-Sub and HDMI, 2 USB 2.0 ports, and input for microphone and headphones
  • 4 or 8 element battery
Price of MSI X-Slim X370 is not yet available.

Continuance batteries with USB output

Four Asian designers presented a new universal look on batteries; combining USB plug with normal triple-A batteries. The name given to this innovation is Continuance.


Using USB plug batteries may be used for their direct reason - to power other devices, such as: flash lights, alarm clock, phones, etc. Placing a USB plug into a battery makes each unit very expensive to acquire so Continuance designers decided to make these batteries rechargeable. This is amazing solution will save customers money with only down-side is that each Continuance owner will have to carry a USB cable for his device specifically.


Friday, April 1, 2011

How to delete/remove defender virus from Windows XP

Defender virus - isn't actually a virus and it doesn't harm your computer it just prevents you from using your computer. Defender is a small application written for marketing purposes for users to purchase anti-virus software from that advertising company.

Once you're infected with this virus every window and application you had opened will be closed, access to any installed applications will be denied because defender.exe will inform you that application you're trying to run is infected with a virus.

Don't be alarmed there is a way out. Just follow these steps.

1. Restart your computer through Start->Turn off Computer>Restart or hard reboot using the button on your computer case. In case you don't have a restart button on your case (as some new cases no longer have it) you can press and hold the Power button until your computer shuts down. Once computer has shut down just press Power again to boot it up.

2. Enter Safe Mode. Depending on your computer manufacturer how you enter Safe Mode may differ. To enter Safe Mode, press and keep pressing F8 button on your keyboard (some computers have this as F10 or F12) once you performed Step 1, which is restart your computer.

3. Select Safe Mode from the Menu and press Enter. Wait for computer to load fully. Once you get to user login screen you can select your username which you usually use. Don't use Administrator account unless your own account doesn't work. Safe Mode will disable all normal programs or services to load; only the necessary ones for the Windows to operate will be working.

4. Open Control Panel, open Folder Options icon and select the View tab. In the Hidden files and folders section select "Show hidden files and folders" and click OK. You can close control panel now.

5. Open My Computer, then C: drive and follow to this path: C:\Documents and Settings\[your-account]\Application Data\. In this folder find and delete the file defender.exe. Close all open windows.

6. Press Start->Run. In the prompt dialog type "msconfig" (without quotes) and click OK. A new window will open, when that happen select the Startup tab (second last one).

7. Now, find defender in the Startup Item column and uncheck it. Then, press OK and when prompted to restart press Restart. Let your computer load normally. The defender virus should not load or pop-up any more.

Hopefully this article will help you free your computer from defender virus and allow you to proceed with your daily tasks.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

PHP 5.3.6: for creating websites

PHP Development Team has announced an updated version of PHP 5.3.6. This is - a very popular and widely used scripting language that is especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML. The language is very popular, particularly because it has a lot to do with Java, C and Perl, and because it enables developers to quickly write dynamically generated pages.


This release fixes bugs in the system security and stability improvements. PHP 5.3.6 - is the most stable release to date, and is recommended for all users.

Developer: PHP Development Team
Distribution: freeware
Operating System: Windows All
File size: 10.5 MB
Download from here.

USB 3.0-Renesas chips may become a deficit after May

The Japanese company Renesas commented on the rumors about the lack of USB 3.0-controllers. Indeed, the lack of first-generation chips uPD720200 producer confirmed, but the controllers of the second generation uPD720200A until everything is in order. But because of the energy policy of Japan motherboard manufacturers may feel the lack of USB 3.0-chips after May.

After Renesas announced the temporary suspension of production capacity, the industry rumors that its USB 3.0-chips are already in short supply. In fact, the earthquake and tsunami in Japan coincided with the period when producers are engaged in active release of motherboards based on Intel chipsets corrected 6 Series, and the demand for USB 3.0-chips rose sharply. Renesas expects that the situation will be beneficial to the growing popularity of second-generation controllers. But their adoption producers need to spend about a month for tests.

Meanwhile, the Japanese company is already preparing to release a USB 3.0-chip third generation. Novelty should be certified USB-IF in July, and deliveries will start in September this year.

Toshiba Portege R835: a solid 13.3 "notebook with Sandy Bridge

For users who need not only a powerful and beautiful but durable laptop, Toshiba has introduced a series of 13.3-inch Portege R835. New items are made in the case of magnesium alloy, which allows you to soften the blow, and provides increased protection against mechanical damage.

Model R835-ST3N01 includes protected from splashing the keyboard, display with 1366 x 768 pixels and LED backlight, the CPU Core i3-2310M, 4 GB RAM, 640 GB hard drive, DVD-recorder, modules Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth 3.0, built-in webcam, one port USB 3.0, HDMI-output. Six-battery provides up to nine hours of battery life. As a pre-installed operating system Windows 7 is proposed Home Premium.

The novelty is already available to order, and deliveries will start in the next two weeks. Price is $ 899 (for the U.S. market). There will also be available in the model with the chip Core i5-2410M for $ 930.

Motorola Xoom orders will decrease in second quarter

Orders for the production of tablets Motorola Xoom in the first quarter of 2011 reached approximately 700-800 thousand pieces: the first half of March, the company Motorola has already placed orders for about 200 thousand of these tablets, but only for March delivery may reach 400-500 thousand units . In February, according to component suppliers, it shipped about 200 thousand Xoom.

However, in the second quarter, the monthly orders for Xoom, as reported Taiwanese sources will steadily decrease, while orders for the production will come just before the end of June.

Already in April, the monthly orders Motorola to produce Xoom will fall about 1.5 times to 300 thousand units, and in May will drop below $ 300 thousand Sources indicate that the reason for the reduction of orders is unintelligible Xoom position in the market and relatively low sales . Motorola is going in the second half of the year to present a new tablet Xoom, after assessing the situation.

Resource Digitimes, citing its sources, predicts that this year, Motorola will sell between 3 million to 5 million tablets on Android.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Battlefield 3 - Sneak Peak In-Game Video

DICE studio published this small video clip for Battlefield 3. In the clip developers show how a group of soldiers eliminate a sniper.


To kill the sniper, soldiers had to slowly relocate while hiding behind blocks and crawling on their stomaches. Unfortunately, no one had appropriate weapons for this job so they simply launched a rocket into the spot where sniper was located.

Battlefield 3 will be released in the end of 2011 for PlayStation 3 (PS3), Xbox 360, and PC.

Sony VAIO laptop with Chrome OS

Google Cr-48 was the first netbook with fully functional Chrome OS. Now, Sony is getting ready to release their own laptop specifically designed for Chrome operating system.

Google Chrome OS is internet dependent using applications, such as: Gmail, Google Docs, Dropbox, etc.


Sony is developing their own laptop under VAIO brand with Chrome OS. Design wise this laptop will resemble Cr-48 with exception of a smaller screen, 11.6-inches. Interesting enough, VAIO Chrome OS will be working on NVIDIA Tegra 2 chip (not Intel Atom like Cr-48), 1GB RAM and 16GB built-in flash-memory. Battery life is expected to last for 8 hours, and this piece weighs at 1kg.

Google stopped manufacturing Cr-48 and is mainly concentrating on working with their partners on commercial release of laptops with Chrome OS. There has been a rumor that ASUS is developing their own $200 dollar laptop with Chrome operating system.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

WordPress massive DDoS attack

WordPress - the biggest blogging platform for millions of users online received the baddest DDoS attack in history. In result, thousands of blogs became unavailable.



According to Automattic (motherboard company), during DDoS attack servers were receiving a few million packets of information per second. Attack was made on all three data-centers which are located in Chicago, San-Antonio, and Dallas. Automattic specialists changed all blogs to read-only capability until attacks are stopped and threat level is decreased. WordPress representatives warned users that attack repetition can happen any time so be ready.

Based on the scale of attack multiple bot networks have been used. Who is responsible for this remains unknown.

WordPress is currently the main platform for 13% out of one million major websites in internet. February 23, announced the release of new platform version 3.10.

TeamViewer 6.0.10344: remote administrator (control)

The release of TeamViewer is now available - simple solution for remote desktop connection or administration. This application is very unique because it doesn't require complex configurations or installation to get create a connection between two individual computers. During application execution each computers receives an identifier which is used to connect to it. All you have to do is enter the ID of the computer you would like to connect to and TeamViewer will do the rest. TeamViewer supports file transfer.


Sixth version updates:
  • updated QuickSupport module;
  • built-in QuickJoin module which is used for creative conference demonstrations;
  • TeamViewer allows manual configuration for personal preference;
  • Optimized connection; allows for faster and more stable signal, especially among corporate networks;
  • Interface changes;
  • Ability to automatically reconnect on computer restart and/or disconnect;
  • You can protect TeamViewer options using a password;
Manufacturer: teamviewer.com
Distribution: freeware (for personal use)
Operating System: Windows All, Mac OS X, Linux
Download from here.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

FlashRip 1.37: save online video

Using FlashRip utility you can record, save and convert any online video. Application supports Flash video transferred through HTTP and RTMP protocols, Windows Media (for HTTP, MMS, and RTSP protocols), Real Audio and Real Video (HTTP and RTSP). FlashRip allows automatically save video and audio as well as converting to MP3, AVI, FLV, WMV and other formats.


FlashRip is available in two version: Basic and Full. Second version, includes converter for downloaded video.

This version has error correction which involved ripping streaming video through RTMP protocol.

Manufacturer: Flashrip, Inc.
Distribution: shareware
Operating System: Windows All
Download from here.

Firefox 4 Beta 12: last step before final version

Firefox 4 beta-version twelve has been released. It has over seven thousand corrections which improved browser's performance and stability. Also, version twelve has enhanced support for Flash and different plug-ins.


Primary updates for FireFox 4 are:
  • JagerMonkey - new, much fast engine for processing JavaScript;
  • The use of Direct3D 9, Direct3D 10 and OpenGL to accelerate web-page visualization;
  • Enhanced support for different fonts;
  • Support for safe protocol HSTS;
  • Includes FireFox Sync module, which had to be installed separately from the application
  • Easier sorting and navigation of bookmarks
You may download FireFox 4 Beta 12 from here. According to our sources, this version will be the last version before final release. Reminder, FireFox 4 Final has been scheduled to come out at the end of February but recently has been rescheduled for March.

Magic W3: first smart phone with Windows 7 functionality

We notice how fast mobile phones expand their functionality from simple calling features to computer like capabilities. Well, wait no more, AdvanceTC is the first company to present pocket pc Magic W3 under Windows 7 control. Tiny computer with phone capabilities, we can hardly call this a smart phone.


Magic W3 works on Atom Z530 processor with 1.6 GHz frequency, virtual memory consists of 1 GB, and a built-in SSD capacity of 32 GB. This device has a screen of 4.8 inches with 800x400 resolution, as well as 1.3 MP camera for video chat. Magic W3 supports all popular wireless standards, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooh, GPS, GSM and HSPA; power supply volume is 3200.


During inactive state of Magic W3 this device goes to sleep to save battery supply as soon as incoming call or SMS-message is received the device instantly changes to active state and performs its duties. This computer-like smart phone also supports screen changing feature. On side tilt the screen will take on wide screen view and/or change to normal on vertical holding position. This device is capable of high quality video editing.


Unfortunately Magic W3 costs and release date are still unavailable. Stay tuned.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Wintek begins production of white panels for iPhone 5

The release of white iPhone 4, even with hundreds of rumors going around, never happened. Well, it's too late now because soon the next version of iPhone will be released - iPhone 5. Again, if we trust every post and article we read online.

There are rumors going around that Apple's partner Wintek is going to produce white panels for new version of iPhone smart phone.

Aside from Wintek, there was another company manufacturing touch sensitive panels for iPhone - called TPK. Main reason why consumers never saw white version of iPhone 4 is because TPK's high percentage of defected screens.

Online rumors insists that iPhone 5 will be on sale starting May/June of 2011. Also, the white version of iPhone 5 will be released around that time frame.

While Apple smart phones used plastic panels color was never an issue but the situation changed with release of iPhone 4 which uses glass panels.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Sand sail-glider from Petra

Auto manufacturers start to recognize that traditional cars will sooner or later will be replaced by electronic cars. Gas stations will be replaced by battery charging stations. Reason being, electric cars cause less threat to pollution and environment in general - but still have threat potential. For that reason, designer Vasyl decided to peak into the future where cars don't need gas or power supplying stations to fuel engines.


To support this idea Vasyl presented Petra's concept of transportation, which uses electro-air concept structures to power motion. This idea is so unique that it charges power supply even when vehicle is idle. If you pay close attention to details Petra's vehicle design can't be compared to anything previously designed or built by automotive industries. This is a new and innovative technology look promising on paper but will it deliver?


What do you think?

Apple iPad 2 will be released without delays

Reuters agency has previously reported a delay in the release of Apple iPad 2 which resulted in Apple's stock to go down by 2.7%.

Recently Reuters announced a correction which indicates their "previous" report was inaccurate and iPad 2 will be released as schedule in month of April.

Yuanta Securities company from Thailand, which announced the possibility of delaying Apple iPad 2 release. Company explained that sudden changes to platform design has created problems for manufacturing device in required time frame.

According to Yuanta Securities, due date set back may cause a drop in iPad 2 sales: from 30.6 million to 23 million per year.

Although, not everyone thinks the same way. Analyst Morgan Keegan refused to change his estimate report and still expects sales to reach 27 million per year.

Quoting: "I think, if release date is pushed forward this will mean Apple iPad 2 will have new features and improved functionality which will compensate for its delay" - Tavis McCourt.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Gmail supports Photoshop files for viewing

Users of Gmail and other Google services are now capable of previewing files with extension PSD right in their browser without external applications, plug-ins or the need to save image on hard drive.

From now on Google Docs Viewer supports 12 types of file formats:
  • Microsoft Excel (.XLS and .XLSX)
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 / 2010 (.PPTX)
  • Apple Pages (.PAGES)
  • Adobe Illustrator (.AI)
  • Adobe Photoshop (.PSD)
  • Autodesk AutoCad (.DXF)
  • Scalable Vector Graphics (.SVG)
  • PostScript (.EPS, .PS)
  • TrueType (.TTF)
  • XML Paper Specification (.XPS)

 To preview the file simply click "View" beside the file name. You can upload any of these extensions to Google Docs and preview them at any time you like.

Friday, January 14, 2011

KFA2 GeForce GTX 460 video card with WHDI support

GALAXY Microsystems Ltd. announced the release of new video card called KFA2 with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 graphics adapter.


KFA2 GeForce GTX 460 WHDI model stands out with its intergrated WHDI (Wireless Home Digital Interface) module from AMIMON which allows wireless video data transfer from desktop computer to HD TVs using uncompressed video with 1080p resolution. Signal reaches up to 30 meters, the package includes five WHDI receiving antennas.



The device is built on 40-nm technology and GF104 chip with 336 cores from CUDA. Graphics card is cooled down using original double-layered fans. Also, the board has gigabyte memory GDDR5 with 256-bit interface and functions on 675/1350/3600 MHz frequency. Graphics card supports DirectX 11 Shader Model 5.0 and technologies, like NVIDIA PureVideo HD Technology, NVIDIA CUDA Technology and NVIDIA PhysX Technology.