New Hard Drives Could Spell Trouble For Windows XP
Tactics used to make new hard drives more efficient could cause problems for Windows XP users. It may mean any new drive bought after next year could be noticeably slower to use on the operating system. The issue involves the way hard drives are broken down into individual sectors. Until now, it has always been standard for hard drive sectors to be 512 bytes in size. However, not all of each sector is used for storing data. Instead, there is a marker to denote the start of the sector: a space used for codes which are used to check if there is any error with the sector and its contents, and a ...
ACTA Treaty: Can Seize, Destroy Your PC, Electronics
The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is a far-reaching proposal that the U.S. government has insisted was too sensitive to be exposed to the public. Now that the 44-page document (PDF) has been leaked, it's easy to see why the U.S. wanted to keep it a secret. (Source: die-linke.de) ACTA, in its present form, is heralded by the Film and Music industries and their fight against piracy. However, if upheld, citizens will pay a heavy price for their privacy. Gov't Can Search, Seize and Destroy Electronics Former President George W. Bush and current President Barack Obama both favor ACTA,...
Ubisoft DRM Causes Huge Headaches for Gamers
It's no secret: protecting PC games from piracy is a very difficult task. However, Ubisoft, one of the world's biggest game companies, recently introduced a digital rights management (DRM) system that attempted to curtail this issue: problem is, it hasn't worked out particularly well for gamers or Ubisoft. Video game publisher Ubisoft, based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is an all-star gaming company. Known for its Tom Clancy-based titles Splinter Cell and Endwar, as well as the popular Prince of Persia franchise, most casual gamers have encountered their products at least once. Unfortunately,...
'Comodo Dragon Internet Browser', and 'Winx HD Video Converter'
Comodo Dragon Internet Browser Comodo Dragon Internet Browser is an alternative to Internet Explorer, Opera or Mozilla Firefox. It's main focus is performance and safety. It's based on Google's Chrome browser and infused with Comodo's unparalleled attention to security. Winx HD Video Converter UPDATE: after publishing this entry online infopackets, users have reported that the free license being offered (link below) is restricted to 5 minutes of usage: please note this before downloading to avoid being disappointed. WinX ...
First Major Windows 7 Update Coming Early
It's being reported that the first Service Pack for Windows 7 (Service Pack 1) will be released before the end of this year. Critics suggest the early release may be an attempt to stimulate purchases among corporate users. The reports stem mainly from TechARP, a Malaysian hardware site with a strong record of accurately predicting Microsoft release dates. (Source: theregister.co.uk) Windows 7 Service Pack 1: Cumulative Fixes A service pack is a collection of security updates, bug fixes and software improvements. It brings together updates which have been issued through Windows Update since ...
Google Launching Satellite TV Search, Reports Suggest
Google is rumored to be testing a search tool for Dish Network-powered televisions. It would allow users to search both for programming on the satellite broadcasts and for online videos. According to the Wall Street Journal, the service is being tested with a small group of employees. Based on Android and designed for use with a plug-in keyboard, the service would work with Internet-enabled television sets. Those are becoming more popular with the advent of streaming versions of rental services such as Netflix and even Blockbuster. (Source: wsj.com) The idea appears to be that the service ...
'Total Background Check', and 'CPU Frequenz'
Total Background Check Want to see what Big Brother knows about you? Here is a comprehensive list of websites and phone numbers for specialty consumer reports that might help people find out your employment, rental, and cheque-writing history. CPU Frequenz Pulling out your hair trying to figure out why your PC is running so excruciatingly slow this afternoon? Then try the very handy new program CPU Frequenz, a small tool to accurately identify the CPU frequency. Share This: ...
Light Patch Tuesday Release Brings Heavy Warning from Microsoft
Microsoft yesterday unveiled its March Patch Tuesday offering, and by comparison to recent months it was a relatively calm affair. Only two security bulletins addressing eight vulnerabilities were announced, but they were joined by a warning related to a new zero-day Internet Explorer flaw which does not yet have a fix. Both of the bulletins Microsoft released in accordance with its March Patch Tuesday have been designated "important". That's a big step down from this past February's Patch Tuesday, where about one-fifth of the 26 vulnerabilities were considered "critical," Microsoft's ...
Conficker Worm Lives On in Taiwanese 'Magic' Phone
It seems ironic that as the first of April draws near, the dreaded Conficker worm has resurfaced yet again in the media. April 1, 2010 will mark the one-year anniversary of the date that the Conficker virus was set upon the world, infecting millions of computers. And while many feel the worm failed to live up to its hype, its presence is still being felt across the globe. Security Researcher Discovers Malware on Phone A Panda Security employee recently discovered the worm (along with two other malware programs) on his new HTC Magic phone. The malware was activated once the phone was plugged ...
